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On screen, the footage of the ranking video continued.
As the camera was gradually swallowed by the endlessly spreading darkness, everything finally turned pitch black.
When the entire background was consumed, the figures of Ishida Uryū and Haschwalth slowly faded away, bit by bit, into the void.
Just like that, their fates were left unknown.
The final outcome of the battle became an unsolved mystery.
At the same time, it marked the end of that round of the ranking.
However…
Because the battle had been cut short at both the beginning and the end, and because the dialogue revealed far too much, combined with Haschwalth's actions throughout this ranking…
His identity as a traitor was all but confirmed.
Naturally, this sparked open hostility and furious condemnation from the pure-blood Quincy:
"Haschwalth! And you still dare claim you're not a traitor?!"
"You bastard! You actually exposed His Majesty's power!"
"Get down here now! You don't deserve to stand above us!"
"Traitor! Get out of Silbern! Get out of the Wandenreich!"
…
After all, the Sternritter were never united to begin with. Every one of them had their own agenda, and none were harmless.
Once their tolerance snapped, and with so much "evidence" laid out before them, their fury ignited instantly.
Ignoring imperial law, ignoring the crime of defying a superior, they openly moved to denounce Haschwalth, one of the highest-ranking figures.
"You all…"
Haschwalth's expression darkened like stagnant water.
Beneath his sapphire-like eyes, a flash of anger and helpless ferocity flickered.
At the same time, beneath his spotless white cloak, his hand quietly rested on the hilt of his sword as he barked coldly:
"Before His Majesty has fully awakened, are you truly planning to rebel?"
Outnumbered and isolated, the only thing Haschwalth could do was invoke Yhwach as a shield.
After all, his abilities had just been exposed, and the power of a Schrift was not limitless. It could not be activated against multiple opponents at once.
In other words, if more than five Sternritter attacked him simultaneously, then no matter how confident he was in his strength, he could not guarantee holding them off while also guarding against possible ambushes.
Clearly, the exposure from the ranking video brought Haschwalth no benefit at all.
Instead, his position collapsed overnight, his suspected "traitorous" behavior plunging him into an unprecedented crisis.
The atmosphere grew suffocating.
Silbern, once unified, stood on the brink of splitting apart.
Aside from a handful who chose to remain neutral, the vast majority of pure-blood Quincy joined the outcry against him.
Even…
Even the once fiercely loyal royal guards began to waver.
———
The scene shifted.
Outskirts of Karakura Town.
Holding a folding fan, with a bag of snacks tucked under his arm, Urahara Kisuke leisurely stepped out of his shop.
Looking up at the clear sky, he spoke as if to himself:
"Well now…"
"Without realizing it, it's already afternoon. Won't be long before sunset."
"Right, Yoruichi-san?"
As his words fell, the air to his left rippled.
A sleek, graceful figure flashed past like a bolt of lightning, instantly snatching the bag of snacks from his waist.
At the same time, a teasing laugh rang out:
"Honestly, Kisuke, you really do get me. Sensing my presence from that far away…"
Beneath her purplish-brown ponytail, a bright orange bodysuit hugged her athletic figure.
The smooth, powerful lines it traced showcased the full charm and confidence of a mature woman.
Golden, jewel-like eyes gleamed with a cat's signature liveliness.
The Flash Goddess, Yoruichi Shihōin.
In the earlier ranking rounds, she had once become the woman who made every male Soul Reaper collectively beg the author to remove the censorship.
Originally, Yoruichi had been wandering the wilderness on her own.
But during the brief lull between ranking updates, after some careful thought, she decided to return to the shop and discuss countermeasures with Kisuke Urahara.
"Heh heh heh…"
Removing his bucket hat and tidying his slightly messy hair, Kisuke chuckled softly. "Too bad you're a step late. Otherwise, you would've run into Isshin."
"Oh?"Yoruichi raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Shiba… no, Kurosaki Isshin. He came here?"
"He did," Kisuke replied. "Right at the beginning of the rankings. He thought this was one of my pranks, so he rushed over first thing."
As he spoke, Kisuke spread his hands helplessly.
Back then, he had really taken the blame for everything.
"I see. So where is he now?" Yoruichi asked.
"Karakura First High School." Kisuke narrowed his eyes, his tone turning serious. "I sent him there to bring Ichigo back. Better to be safe than let something unexpected happen."
"Unexpected?" Yoruichi frowned. "You think Soul Reapers, Arrancar, or even pure-blood Quincy might make a move on Kurosaki Ichigo?"
After Kisuke pointed it out, she immediately grasped how serious the situation was.
"Exactly," Kisuke said."Until we understand everyone's true intentions, this shop is without question the safest place in all of Karakura Town."
But just as his words settled—
Boom!
On the horizon toward the city, the clouds suddenly tore apart, accompanied by a violent surge of spiritual pressure.
"This is—"
They sensed it for only three seconds.
Yoruichi and Kisuke's expressions changed instantly as they exclaimed in unison, "Damn it! We called it. The Arrancar have already invaded the Human World!"
Even from this distance, there was no mistaking it.
That wild, oppressive spiritual pressure belonged to Hollows.
Which meant the Arrancar had already torn open a Garganta and arrived in Karakura's city center.
"Kisuke, what now?" Yoruichi tightened her ponytail, her long hair whipping behind her as she readied herself for battle. "Do we take the initiative, or wait for them to come to us?"
Meeting her gaze, Kisuke thought for a moment before speaking with confidence.
"If nothing unexpected happens, the Arrancar probably don't know Ichigo's background yet. That's our biggest information advantage."
"So we wait," he concluded. "Head straight to Karakura First High School and rendezvous with Isshin and Ichigo."
"Sounds good." Yoruichi cracked her knuckles eagerly. "Let's bring Tetsuzaemon too. This is no time to go without a Kido master."
"Absolutely," Kisuke agreed, battle intent rising."With preparation and an ambush, a former Kido Corps Commander will give the Arrancar a very nasty surprise."
————
Meanwhile.
Karakura Town, city district.
As the clouds were blown away in the clear blue sky, a deep, endless black Garganta tore open without warning.
From it emerged three figures radiating overwhelming power, along with several vicious Fracción, stepping into the Human World amid raging spiritual pressure.
"Tch… so this is the Human World?" Grimmjow scoffed, hands stuffed into his pockets as he looked down from above, taking in the forest of towering buildings below. "It's more lively than I expected."
"Yammy. Grimmjow."
Ulquiorra spoke calmly, issuing orders without emotion."Time is limited. The distortion caused by our arrival will be detected by the Gotei Thirteen soon."
"So," he continued, "split up. Take your men and locate Kurosaki Ichigo as fast as possible."
"..."
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