Chapter 165: Ichigo: No! You Can't Blow It Up!
Human World, Karakura Town
The abandoned warehouse, sealed off by a barrier, seemed cut away from the rest of the world.
And at this moment, the man seated on its rooftop, Tokinada Tsunayashiro, was also gazing up at the sky like some detached bystander coldly watching events unfold.
"I suspect you're currently wondering something along the lines of, 'Even for a Jūreichi, a supernatural phenomenon this surreal shouldn't just happen so suddenly, right?'"
Contrary to his casual posture, his attitude and tone carried an air of condescension, as though he alone stood above it all and understood everything clearly.
It made the people on the rooftop, whose thoughts he had so easily guessed, deeply displeased.
Even the shock caused by the sight of "another world" suddenly appearing in the sky was lessened slightly.
"Don't tell me this was your doing."
Ginjō stared at the sky where the anomaly had manifested.
It had been a long time since he had last visited Soul Society.
Even so, he could still tell with certainty that the upside down, old fashioned streetscape reflected in the sky was Seireitei.
Karakura Town, representing the Human World, and Seireitei, representing Soul Society.
The two cities, existing in different worlds, now seemed to be drawing closer to each other, shortening the distance between them.
It was not just that Seireitei could be seen in the sky. The visible range was still expanding, and the image was growing clearer by the second.
If this continued, the entire sky of the world would be covered sooner or later.
No matter where one went, all one would need to do was look up to see some portion of Soul Society's landscape.
If this had truly been caused by human hands, then its purpose, or more accurately, its ambition, had to be immeasurable.
"You overestimate me. I don't possess that kind of ability."
Tokinada slowly rose to his feet, brushing the dust from his clothes as casually as if he were brushing aside Ginjō and the others.
"This is probably Kisuke Urahara's doing. Even though he comes from a low ranking noble branch, the occasional unexpected individual still appears from time to time. But unlike me, he's an incurable idealist."
"So no matter who he sides with, or what he's done, I wouldn't find it surprising. He's exactly the kind of 'good person' who will use any means necessary to achieve his goals."
"You've been talking for a while now. What exactly is that thing?"
Ginjō pressed him impatiently.
Tokinada turned his head, his gaze sweeping over Ginjō and the group behind him.
After more than a year of development, the Fullbringer group known as XCUTION had clearly become much stronger.
That strength was reflected not only in the growth of their individual spiritual pressure and their changed states of mind.
It was also reflected in the fact that they now had another new member.
Starting from Number Two, Tsukishima, and counting downward, there were the self proclaimed third founding member Riruka, as well as Giriko Kutsuzawa, Jackie, Yukio, Chad, and finally the newly recruited delinquent from a middle school in Karakura Town, Moe Shishigawara.
Together with their leader Ginjō, there were now eight of them.
Every single one had reached Captain level.
They were vastly superior to the Bount group once led by Jin Kariya.
The reason they had grown to this point, aside from their own efforts, was inseparable from Tokinada's help.
Aura Michibane had personally been trained by him, so he had more than enough experience in this matter.
After all, putting aside individual talent, the Tsunayashiro Clan's understanding of Fullbringers was extremely thorough. Merely sharing the results of their "research experience" was already more than enough.
Still, the whole thing was ironic to an absurd degree.
Tokinada had clutched his stomach and laughed over it more than once, laughing so hard tears nearly came out.
Every time he saw Ginjō and the others, he found it impossible to hide the joy on his face.
And now was no exception.
"What it is doesn't really matter. Urahara Kisuke will not allow the world to perish."
"That said, judging by the current situation, chaos is inevitable, and the Shinigami are destined to come into conflict with them. We might as well take this opportunity to invade the Soul King Palace. Everything is ready anyway."
"Of course, if you want to back out now, I wouldn't mind."
"Really?"
Ginjō sneered, not believing a word of it.
"After investing so much in us, would you really let us walk away just because we changed our minds? Stop pretending to be a good guy. Let's move."
"As you wish."
Tokinada shrugged and jumped down from the rooftop.
Ginjō immediately followed after him.
Riruka was a beat slower. She clearly hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she still pursed her lips and gave chase.
No matter what, she was still part of XCUTION.
She had to move forward alongside everyone else and take action for the future of Fullbringers, even if that meant destroying the pillar supporting the Shinigami.
The group then entered the underground space beneath the warehouse.
That underground area looked as though an entire stretch of wasteland had been cut out whole and transplanted beneath Karakura Town.
The scene was shocking enough.
Yet even that fell short of the impression left by the "guards" stationed there and the immense rocket launch platform.
"They are...?!"
Ginjō's body instantly tensed, and powerful hostility surged from him.
Tsukishima, Riruka, and the others also stared intently at the eight men and women standing atop the rock formations around the launch platform, each dressed in modern clothing and wearing Hollow masks.
Although they stood in different positions and struck different poses, each of them exuded an intense sense of oppression.
This was clearly another private force no weaker than XCUTION.
But that was not the true source of their hostility.
"They are helpers I specifically sought out. After all, entering the Soul King Palace is easy. The real problem is dealing with the people inside. I need someone to keep them occupied."
Tokinada's tone was playful, as though he found Ginjō and the others' reactions deeply amusing.
"Helpers? Their spiritual pressure is mixed with that of Shinigami and Hollows, and those masks... they are clearly Hollowfied Shinigami. I didn't think you had methods like this, using Hollow power to drive high level Shinigami to fall and then controlling them."
Exactly.
Ginjō's hostility was not directed at the Hollowfied Shinigami themselves, but at Tokinada, who had somehow assembled such a group under his control.
The power of Hollows was extraordinarily unstable, and for non Hollow life forms to attempt to obtain it was an extremely dangerous matter.
Even the Hollow powers within Fullbringers had not appeared out of nowhere. If given a choice, they would never have chosen such power either.
Because possessing Hollow factors usually meant that while still in the womb, one had been attacked by a Hollow and survived, resulting in one's spiritual power being "contaminated."
That was not a stroke of fortune.
It was a tragedy one was born into.
A curse of fate.
And by the same logic, the Hollow power of a Shinigami also had to come from an outside source.
Given Tokinada's current position, he should not have had any legitimate way to command or use high level Shinigami as his own soldiers.
But the facts were right in front of them, and the only explanation was that these Shinigami had lost their reason after Hollowfication and had been placed under his control.
Then the question naturally followed.
If he could use Hollow power to control Shinigami, what about Fullbringers, who also possessed Hollow factors?
Thinking back on all the "help" they had received over the past year, Ginjō felt a chill crawl down his spine.
Even though Tokinada gave a detailed explanation immediately afterward, it failed to dispel that cold feeling. If anything, it made even Riruka and the others belatedly feel their skin crawl.
"While I appreciate the praise, unfortunately, these people are Shinigami who defected from the Gotei 13 a hundred years ago because of Urahara and the Hōgyoku. They ended up in the Human World and, over time, more or less mastered Hollowfication."
"However, when I found them and asked them to join me in attacking the Soul King Palace, they refused. Since they wouldn't listen, I had no choice but to do exactly what you suggested and strip them of reason so they would obey my orders."
"It was a matter of necessity. If they had cooperated as happily as all of you, things would never have turned out like this."
Tokinada spread his hands in a gesture that looked pitying but was actually overflowing with ridicule.
Ginjō took a deep breath and was about to say something, only for a glamorous woman in a suit that perfectly accentuated her figure to suddenly appear out of thin air.
"Lord Tokinada, Mr. Ginjō, everyone, transport to the Soul King Palace is ready. When shall we depart?"
Aura Michibane delivered the astonishing news with a smile.
Ginjō frowned deeply.
"Let me confirm something. You aren't referring to that rocket over there as our transport, are you?"
"Please rest assured. Though it's a bit crude compared to the equipment at certain facilities, it will not fail to launch."
Aura's smile remained unchanged.
Although she spoke in a businesslike tone, that answer itself indirectly revealed something.
To her, what they were about to do seemed no more difficult than an everyday errand.
And the reason for that was obvious.
"In order to reach the Soul King Palace, one needs a key called the ōken."
Tokinada wore the complacent look of a creator admiring his own work.
"Aura established a religion in the Human World. By mobilizing the millions of followers in this country, and by combining that with records left behind by the Tsunayashiro ancestor who once followed the Soul King, she recreated the method by which the Soul King used his own power to create the ōken and form Squad Zero. What she has made is a one time ōken."
"It's the pattern inscribed on that rocket you see over there, and the rocket itself is a replica of the tenchūren used by Squad Zero to travel between the Soul King Palace and Seireitei."
"This, too, was derived from historical materials preserved by the Tsunayashiro Clan."
"The launch platform uses Shiba Clan technology, but replicating it wasn't difficult either. At least, not for Aura."
"And there will be no problem controlling it, because Aura is here."
"We can depart at any time. Thanks to Kisuke Urahara, the space between the two worlds has already thinned considerably. We can break through directly from the Human World into Soul Society and fly straight to the Soul King Palace. There's no need to bother relocating it to Soul Society first just to launch it."
The Fullbringers were all visibly shaken by that speech, which was packed so full of information it practically bludgeoned them. At the same time, they gained an even deeper understanding of just how insane this man really was.
He clearly held no particular grudge against Soul Society, and yet he seemed even more driven than any of them.
Still, none of these plans could have come to fruition without Aura's involvement.
Including the conversion of the Visored into puppets.
"Tokinada, did you just say, 'the method by which the Soul King used his own power to create the ōken'...?"
Ginjō fixed Aura with a grave gaze, though the question itself was directed at Tokinada.
"That's right. Is there a problem?"
Tokinada raised an eyebrow.
"A problem? Isn't it obvious? An ōken created by the Soul King's own power is not something ordinary people can reproduce. If someone can use that method, then it means that person must have an enormous connection to the Soul King himself. So who exactly is Aura Michibane? If you don't explain that clearly, there's no way I can feel safe taking my companions aboard a machine she built to break into the Soul King Palace."
Ginjō drove the point in mercilessly.
And to that suspicion, Tokinada responded with utter indifference.
"That? Aura has something inside her that comes from the same source as the two Quincies from the Wandenreich."
"Its name is the Soul King's saketsu."
At the same time, in the underground laboratory of the Technical Development Bureau in Seireitei.
"...That is the situation."
Mayuri Kurotsuchi withdrew his gaze from the reishi analysis table on his tablet and looked toward the group gathered before him, led by Takeru. The group consisted of the Captains and Lieutenants of the Gotei 13, several high ranking seated officers, and Orihime, the Substitute Shinigami.
"The Jigokuchō where the enemy is hiding has expanded like a malignant tumor to the point where it can no longer be ignored. It is now pressing up against Soul Society, the Human World, and even Hueco Mundo. It has connected the Three Worlds in an ingenious manner, allowing them to see one another directly and even cross between them with ease."
"Not only that, that particular Jigokuchō is still continuing to expand and grow. It is soft like gel, highly plastic, and possesses adhesive properties. Slowly but surely, it is filling the Garganta."
"If this continues, it would not be strange for the Garganta to be completely filled and for the Three Worlds to fuse together into one immense landmass. Rather, I believe that is the very outcome that bastard Urahara is aiming for."
"Just hearing that is enough to make your skin crawl. A large scale fusion of the Three Worlds, plus a new world continuing to expand? It makes a person feel completely lost."
Kyōraku sighed and spoke the thoughts that were running through most of the room.
"If that really happens, then what will become of the world... and everyone living in it?"
Ichigo asked at once, frowning deeply.
"The cycle of souls will collapse first."
Takeru's sudden answer immediately drew everyone's attention.
"The fusion of worlds means there would no longer be any need to maintain a balance of souls between separate realms. The cycle itself would cease to function, and souls would no longer be able to reincarnate properly. At the same time, Shinigami, Hollows, and humans would all be living under the same sky. The result would be unprecedented chaos."
"If a new cycle were not established in time, that chaos would continue to intensify. Given enough time, it would ultimately lead to the destruction of the world."
"Yes, but if a new cycle were successfully built, and if new methods of survival and a new order were established, then it might actually become more stable than this current system, which struggles endlessly to maintain a fragile balance."
Mayuri's tone held a trace of mockery.
Takeru glanced at him, then stepped out from the crowd. With his hands tucked into his haori pockets, he ascended the central elevator platform and looked down at everyone below, his voice leaving no room for objection.
"No matter what the other side intends, they have no right to tamper with the order of this world at will and shatter people's peace, especially after repeatedly attacking Shinigami. Such actions are unforgivable."
"Captain Commander, I propose we first destroy the Jigokuchō outright with the Kidō Cannon. If any of the enemies survive, we can then lead the pursuit."
Mochizuki spoke expressionlessly.
The moment he finished, the room went quiet.
"Rukia is still in their hands. If we use the Kidō Cannon, the risk is far too high!"
Ichigo immediately objected, the moment he processed the proposal.
"I believe she possesses the resolve to sacrifice herself for the world as a Shinigami. Captain Kuchiki, what do you think?"
Mochizuki turned toward Byakuya.
The latter closed his eyes and answered calmly, "I do not deny that. However, do not underestimate Kisuke Urahara. He already used this sort of tactic once in Hueco Mundo. This time, he will undoubtedly be prepared."
"So using the Kidō Cannon may very well have the opposite effect."
"Even though little Byakuya can be painfully stiff sometimes, what he says does make sense."
Yoruichi rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
"Kisuke has gone this far already. There's no way he'd let his masterpiece be blown apart that easily. He might even want us to try. And if we do, then some lovely complication like the expansion rate accelerating after absorbing the reishi might happen."
"He's always been extremely good at digging holes for other people. Captain Kurotsuchi already got caught in one last time."
"That only happened because I was careless! Who would have expected the so called number one scientist of Hueco Mundo to be enough of an idiot to collect Urahara's reishi and unknowingly modify himself into a self detonating bomb?!"
Mayuri snapped angrily.
"Enough."
Takeru cut in, and everyone fell silent at once.
"We proceed according to the original plan."
"A strike force composed of all thirteen Captains, including myself, all twelve Lieutenants, selected elite seated officers, and the Substitute Shinigami will enter the Jigokuchō. We will eliminate everyone responsible for this situation before the enemy's plot can be fully realized. It is the simplest and most direct option."
"Even if the enemy has prepared an ambush of thousands, the advantage is still mine."
"Mayuri."
"I know."
Mayuri casually pressed a button on a remote control.
At once, the senkaimon already positioned on the raised platform activated. This had been modified from the gate once used to reach Hueco Mundo. Now that the enemy's Jigokuchō had expanded and made contact with the Three Worlds, its coordinates were effectively exposed, and the difficulty of entering it had been greatly reduced.
Even though Urahara had clearly done his best to raise the threshold, he could only delay them so much.
Before entering the senkaimon, Ōmaeda lowered his voice and asked Kira and Shūhei, "Once we all leave, won't someone suddenly pop up and attack Soul Society while the place is empty?"
"I didn't realize you could be this cautious, Ōmaeda."
Shūhei looked a little surprised.
"Hey!"
"Don't worry. There's no such thing as internal emptiness. Seireitei's current defensive strength is so absurdly high that I almost pity any enemy who might try something."
Kira answered calmly.
"Uh..."
Ōmaeda seemed to recall a certain person's face and swallowed.
"R Right."
Meanwhile, in Shino Ward.
Because the anomaly had first appeared there and spread outward from that point, many Shinigami had gathered there on their own initiative to investigate and to guard the First Division.
Even without direct orders, they had naturally taken up defensive positions.
Looking around, there were people everywhere. On rooftops, along attic corridors, on the walls. A rough estimate would put the number above two thousand.
The place was as noisy and crowded as a marketplace.
Squad members argued endlessly about the "great change in the world."
With no visible enemies and no way to contact their superiors, every Shinigami was caught between anxiety and confusion.
They all wanted to contribute their own small measure of strength to the fate of the world, just as they had during the great war against the Quincy over a year ago. But so far, no orders had come. Clearly, they had been excluded from the battle plan.
Then suddenly, thump.
The crisp sound of a cane striking the ground reached the ears of everyone present.
A terrifying spiritual pressure, vast enough to rival the scale of the anomaly in the sky, descended upon the area. The two thousand Shinigami fell silent instantly. Cold sweat poured down their backs as they stared blankly toward the source of that presence.
An old man leaning on a cane slowly walked down the main road.
The moment they saw his face, they recognized him.
It was the former Captain Commander, Yamamoto Genryūsai.
"Instead of guarding your assigned sectors, you've all come here to make a racket. How unsightly."
"All of you, return at once. This place... does not require your protection."
With a single order, the crowd scattered like startled birds.
All of their thoughts, all of their anxiety and confusion, were swept away in an instant.
There was certainly some regret at being unable to join the fight.
But what overwhelmed that was a far greater sense of reassurance.
Captain Commander Takeru was leading the expedition.
And Captain Commander Yamamoto was remaining behind to guard Seireitei.
Even if the world itself were changing... it was impossible to imagine the world actually coming to an end.
.....
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