Blue light tears through the heavens, and an intangible impact brings the sky crashing down.
A simple gesture of reaching out conjures a typhoon, and every thrusting fist twists the very shape of the mountain ranges.
The clash between the Soul King, who created the world above, and the Nether King, who created the world below, was a calamity in itself.
And the place feeling the greatest influence of this disaster was the Soul Society, the realm closest to where the struggle took place.
The only saving grace was the Shakonmaku, the Spirit-Shielding Membrane surrounding the Seireitei, which was able to deflect a certain degree of the shockwaves.
However, the problem remained that even with the Shakonmaku, buildings were collapsing and the ground was splitting from the sheer force that could not be contained.
Urahara Kisuke, who had been heading up from the south of the Seireitei, stood atop the rubble of a collapsed building and gazed up at the sky.
"Oh dear, it's finally begun."
As Urahara spoke with a deep, weary sigh, a figure landed gracefully and silently beside him.
"Good grief. When you said you were suddenly returning to the Seireitei, I thought for a moment the shock of your exile had driven you mad. To think you were plotting something of this scale... you've grown quite bold in my absence, Kisuke."
"Ahaha, it's less 'plotting' and more 'getting dragged into it,' really."
"Hmph. If that's the case, you certainly had the leisure to give me a heads-up, didn't you? Surely I haven't become such a trivial existence to you? Well?"
"Ahaha, now Yoruichi-san... I'm sorry. It wasn't that I wanted to hide it, but this operation had to be conducted under absolute secrecy..."
Just as Urahara was making excuses to Yoruichi, a roar erupted that seemed to vibrate through their very souls.
"Ugh...!"
"Kuh! That just now was..."
"Haha... what else? The gentleman who drafted this plan has begun to fight in earnest."
Yoruichi looked up at Urahara's awkward laughter.
The sky, stained in a riot of kaleidoscopic colors, surged like an amorphous liquid every time a sound like a tearing drum echoed through the air.
It was enough to make one wonder if what lay above was not the sky, but an ocean.
Faced with incomprehensible acts that transcended the realm of understanding, Urahara pulled his hat low with a bitter smile, knowing his heart would have broken if he didn't know the entity above was an ally. Yoruichi let out a hollow laugh.
"What a monster. Ha, I don't even feel like trying to fight that."
"Well, they are such existences. So, if we don't want to get scolded by a being like that... we'd better do our part properly, shouldn't we?"
Urahara said this while looking toward the Squad 1 barracks.
Their assigned task was the protection of the Seireitei—specifically, to minimize the impact of the falling Royal Guard Palace to protect the Soul Society.
"Quite right. However... before that, it seems we'll have to break through those ones over there."
At Yoruichi's words, Urahara exhaled deeply and slightly lifted the cloak he had pulled down low.
"Found out after all, were we? Even though this was a product I'd refined multiple times specifically with the Quincy in mind..."
Standing at the end of his gaze was a black-haired girl clad in pure white from head to toe—Bambietta Basterbine.
"Ha! You really thought a measly scrap of cloth could evade a Quincy's Spiritual Pressure detection? No matter how much you hide your Reiatsu, we detect on the level of Reishi particles!"
One?
No. Urahara narrowed his eyes as he sensed the spiritual pressures lurking beyond the debris.
"Bambi-chan? I know you're eager, but you shouldn't go off on your own like that. His Majesty said we should move together."
"Who cares, Meninas? It happens all the time. Right, Lil?"
"Whatever, just finish it quickly. I was dragged out in the middle of lunch."
"If you're hungry, want some candy? Here~"
"I'd never eat anything you give me. You probably mixed blood in it again."
"HEY!! You guys are doing this knowing I'm listening, right?! I can hear everything!"
Meninas McAllon, Candice Catnipp, Liltotto Lamperd, and Giselle Gewelle.
At the appearance of all five, Urahara broke into a cold sweat and gripped the hilt of Benihime.
'Five Captain-level opponents... this is troublesome. We can't afford to waste time here.'
"The youngsters these days all have such flashily colored hair, don't they?"
"Ahaha... I don't think now is the time to be calmly critiquing their hair colors..."
At Yoruichi's casual observation, Urahara scratched his head with a wry smile.
Contrary to their relaxed banter, the atmosphere between the two groups grew increasingly heavy.
"Ahem. First of all, to you lovely young ladie—GHK!?"
"Ah, my apologies. I did that reflexively."
Before Urahara could finish his sentence, a loud thwack echoed as Yoruichi struck the back of his head with force.
Caught off guard by the unexpected strike, Urahara predictably planted his face into the building rubble.
Thanks to that, the heavy atmosphere that had been building until moments ago evaporated in an instant.
Watching the two act like a comedy duo, the Bambies looked at each other and shrugged.
"Who are these people...?"
"Dunno. Are they just idiots?"
"Ahahahat! Why not? Isn't it funny and great?"
"Hmph..."
Meanwhile, Urahara gathered himself and slowly rose, rubbing the back of his head.
"Ouch... Ahaha, forgive us. This person is quite prone to jealousy."
"Who is prone to jealousy? Kisuke, I merely stopped you before you could spout more nonsense. Rather than gratitude, you offer such absurdity."
"Well, thanks to that, the mood has lightened enough for us to have a little chat."
Oh, my knees... Urahara patted his legs and then clicked his geta sandals against the floor.
"Ahem. It doesn't really feel like an atmosphere for fighting, and I don't think either side has much to gain from it. Could you find it in your hearts to let us pass?"
"Ahah! What's this? Are you seriously trying to run away because you're scared?"
"Of course. At a simple glance, we're outnumbered, and your spiritual pressures are all Captain-level... we don't have a ghost of a chance, do we? Though, naturally, there are other reasons as well."
Urahara said this while tapping his shoulder with the sheath of his Zanpakuto.
Bambietta, who had been listening quietly, scowled and crossed her arms.
"If you have something to say, just say it. I really hate people who beat around the bush like that. I hate it so much it makes me want to blow everything up reflexively."
"Whoa, there goes Bambi-chan's temper~"
"Shut up! If you're not going to step up, stay on the sidelines and be quiet!"
"Hahaha, such energetic individuals. Then, well, as you requested, I'll get straight to the point... I didn't exactly come here to fight you all. Our goal is the protection of the Soul Society."
"Oh, what, so we're on the same side? IS THAT WHAT YOU EXPECTED ME TO SAY?!"
BOOM!!
"Whoops!"
"If that were really your goal, you wouldn't be sneaking in like this, you'd have walked in through the front door! Besides, the Soul Reapers gathered to protect the Seireitei are all inside right now. So, what does that make you, coming in from the outside?"
"Reinforcements."
"Ha! You've got an answer for everything!"
The moment Bambietta dismissed Urahara's words as nonsense and began gathering Reishi in her hand...
Urahara reached out toward Yoruichi.
"Yoruichi-san!"
"Indeed!"
"I don't know what you're trying to do, but do you think I'll just let you?!"
■■■■―――!!
Dozens of consecutive explosions followed, leaving nothing in their wake.
Bambietta, waving her arm to clear the smoke, frowned as she scanned the empty lot.
"...Did I get them?"
It was none other than Liltotto who answered Bambietta's question.
"Idiot. They got away."
"Hah!? There's no way they could have survived that blast!! And since their Reiatsu vanished, they're definitely dead!"
"You're the one who asked. And don't snap at me, look over there."
Frowning deeply, Bambietta whipped her head around to where Liltotto was pointing, only to see stitch marks, like those from a surgery, lingering in the air.
Bambietta blinked at the stitch marks, racking her brain for an answer. Finding none, she tilted her head and looked at Liltotto.
"So what about that?"
"I don't know the details... but whatever it is, it means they used it to escape."
"Wow~ How meticulous~"
"Oh my..."
"Puhahat! That's just like Bambi! You're so busy smashing everything blindly that you didn't even notice!"
Bambietta, sensing something was off in Candice's words, looked at the four of them with narrowed eyes.
"You guys knew and pretended you didn't, didn't you!"
"Maybe."
"Hehe, I didn't know because I was busy playing with Skeleton-chan here?"
"I thought I felt something passing by...?"
"We figured you'd noticed. I never imagined you actually wouldn't have."
"Augh, seriously!! If you noticed, you should have told me!!"
"If we thought you'd actually listen, we would have."
While the five were bickering noisily, Byakuya Kuchiki, the Captain of Squad 6 who had been guarding the area, arrived belatedly.
"Sirs, what has transpired here?"
"You're late!! Why are you only showing up now!!"
The late-arriving Byakuya was immediately met with a earful.
Meanwhile, Urahara Kisuke and Shihoin Yoruichi, who had moved to Squad 1 through the use of Kannonbiraki Benihime Atarame...
"Oh my... they were moving even faster than we thought..."
"This... is quite the obstacle."
"Urahara Kisuke. Shihoin Yoruichi."
"I felt two rats scurrying in, and as it turns out, it was you two."
They had come face-to-face with Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, and Yhwach, the King of the Quincies.