"Hey, hey! That's going too far, Hiyori Sarugaki!"
Shinji Hirako clutched his swollen cheek and staggered back a few steps, baring his teeth at the blonde girl.
"I told you this guy's hard to deal with! Just give me a few more days!"
"Pah! And you still dare to make excuses, baldy?!"
Hiyori stood on one bare foot, one hand on her hip and the other pointing her slipper at Shinji as she shouted:
"I've been watching you for ages! Ever since you got close to Ichigo Kurosaki, all you've done is threaten him or act cool. You've completely embarrassed the Visored!"
"Tch… You're the one embarrassing the Visored, Hiyori!"
Shinji spread his hands helplessly.
"I finally managed to build up some dignity for the Visored in front of Ichigo, and you destroyed it with one slipper!"
"Shut it! If you hadn't been dragging your feet wasting time here, would Urahara have urged us to come?!"
Hiyori slipped her sandal back on, crossed her arms, and shouted at Ichigo Kurosaki:
"Hey, Ichigo! Just pretend you didn't see that! Now let me properly introduce the Visored!"
"Uh… okay."
Ichigo, still stunned by Hiyori's explosive temper, could only nod awkwardly.
"You've already met that baldy, so I won't waste my breath on him!"
Her gaze shifted past Shinji to a bespectacled girl in a blue-and-white sailor uniform with black braids.
"Lisa Yadōmaru—pervert!"
"Idiot~" Lisa calmly closed the novel she'd been reading and muttered in annoyance.
"Hachigen Ushōda—Kido Corps!" Hiyori pointed at a plump man with pink hair and a mustache.
"Yo~" Hachigen folded his hands and gave Ichigo a polite hat-tipping gesture.
"Uh… nice to meet you."
Ichigo nodded slightly, then looked to the other side where a silver-haired young man and a middle-aged man with an afro stared back at him.
"Kensei Muguruma—as you can see, delinquent! Love Aikawa—afro!"
After that, a green-haired girl dressed like an alien spun around cheerfully.
"I'm Mashiro Kuna, Ichigo!"
"To avoid misunderstandings, I shall also introduce myself properly."
The final member, a gentlemanly man with long yellow curls, stepped forward.
"My name is Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi! I love life, I love peace, and I love music!"
"Uh… I'm Ichigo Kurosaki, Substitute Soul Reaper. Nice to meet you all, but—"
Ichigo lowered Zangetsu and turned away.
"Sorry. Whatever your purpose is… I'm not interested in joining the Visored."
"..."
Shinji silently watched Ichigo without speaking, but Hiyori suddenly exploded again.
"What do you take us for?! If it weren't for that shady merchant Urahara asking us, I wouldn't even bother with a cocky brat like you!"
"What? You mean… Mr. Urahara?" Ichigo froze and turned back.
"Tch, who else?"
Hiyori crossed her arms irritably.
"If I didn't owe him a favor, I wouldn't have shown up at all!"
"Hmm… Ichigo."
Kensei frowned and spoke seriously.
"I don't know the exact condition of that thing inside you, but it's definitely no small matter. Otherwise, Urahara wouldn't have repeatedly asked us to help you control your Hollow power."
"In other words… we want to help you complete your Hollowfication."
"I see…"
Ichigo Kurosaki recalled the white Hollow he had seen in his inner world during blade meditation. After hesitating for a moment, he asked again:
"Who… exactly are you people?"
"Hmph, I knew you'd ask something that boring!"
Love Aikawa pressed his right hand firmly against his chest and declared solemnly:
"We, the Visored, are the ones from Soul Society 110 years ago—"
"BOOM!!"
Before he could finish explaining the Visored's origins, an enormous surge of spiritual pressure suddenly erupted in eastern Karakura Town. Everyone present was startled.
What?! That overwhelming pressure… Arrancar?!
"Ichigo Kurosaki! Looks like there's no time to explain everything right now!"
Shinji Hirako sheathed his Zanpakutō and fixed his gaze toward the east.
"Your friends… seem to be in danger."
"Orihime! Chad!!"
With a quick sweep of his senses, Ichigo Kurosaki detected Orihime Inoue and Yasutora Sado near that massive spiritual pressure. He immediately dashed off toward the east.
"Well then, meeting adjourned! Visored—let's go play with Aizen's toys!"
Shinji took the lead in pursuit, and the other Visored quickly followed. Before long, their silhouettes vanished into the afterglow of the setting sun…
...
Meanwhile — Soul Society, Captain-Commander's Assembly Hall
"Report! Intelligence from the Twelfth Division—Arrancar signatures have appeared in eastern Karakura Town in the Human World. Number confirmed: two.
Based on spiritual particle composition, density, and stability, they are fully formed Arrancar!"
The squad member knelt on one knee, loudly reporting to Yamamoto Genryūsai.
"Hmm…"
Yamamoto pondered briefly before speaking.
"Immediately contact the advance unit stationed in the Human World. Have Captain Shiba and the others proceed to investigate the Arrancar site—"
"Captain-Commander, the communications unit has already urged Captain Shiba and his team to head to the marked coordinates!"
"And furthermore…" A fiery intensity seemed to surge within Yamamoto's deep-set eyes as he continued in a heavy voice:
"Notify the Expeditionary Force under Captain Fūjin at once. At any cost, press deeper into Hueco Mundo and apply pressure to Las Noches!"
"Captain-Commander? Captain Fūjin's unit is already nearing the Forest of Menos at the boundary between the inner and outer regions of Hueco Mundo. Advancing further could place them in danger of being attacked from both front and rear!"
"The destruction caused by two Arrancar in the Human World far exceeds that of a hundred Menos!"
Yamamoto closed his left eye slightly, fixing his right eye sharply on the messenger.
"I can no longer sit by while Sōsuke Aizen acts recklessly!"
"Although the expeditionary force may face grave danger by advancing, it will significantly draw Hueco Mundo's attention—preventing further Arrancar assaults on the Human World!"
"But the expeditionary force now has only Captain Fūjin remaining. Captain Kurotsuchi has already—"
The squad member was about to report that Mayuri Kurotsuchi had abandoned the expedition and suddenly appeared in the Human World—
THUD!!
Yamamoto's wooden staff struck the floor heavily with a resounding boom.
"Insolence! Do you, a mere division member, intend to interfere with my decision?!"
His ancient, profound eyes opened fully, his expression stern and unyielding.
"Compared to the safety of Soul Society and the Human World, the sacrifice of one or two captains is within acceptable bounds—
Even… if necessary, my own life may be cast aside!
That is the resolve of those who serve in the Gotei Thirteen!!"