Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—three figures appeared around Byakuya and Senna.
They were Tsunayoshi, Ichigo, and Tōshirō. The moment Byakuya's Limit Release was lifted, they had immediately rushed over.
"Are you two okay? Byakuya, Senna?" Ichigo asked anxiously as he hurried up to them.
Tsunayoshi and Tōshirō, meanwhile, circled the temple. Because Byakuya's final Bankai attack had been so devastating, all they managed to find on the ground were a few scraps of green cloth no larger than a fingertip.
"Not bad. You wiped out the enemy?" Tsunayoshi asked Byakuya while handing the evidence he had gathered to Tōshirō.
"No. One escaped. Ryūdōji Ganryū," Byakuya replied honestly. "Can you treat Senna's injuries? Her condition is not good."
"No. Please treat Lord Byakuya first," Senna refused, frowning.
Hearing the way Senna addressed him, Tsunayoshi understood that Hisana's memories were currently dominant within her. He spread his palm and released the power of his Sun Flames.
"No arguing. I'll heal both of you together."
Under the effects of the Sun Flames, Byakuya and Senna's injuries began recovering rapidly. Once Senna saw that Byakuya was safe and sound, her other memories gradually took control again.
"I'm sorry, Byakuya. I ruined everything."
Senna looked dejected. She had wanted to show Byakuya her past, yet she had led him to a graveyard. She had wanted to attend a temple fair filled with memories, only to find that it existed only as an image from the past.
Worse still, she had drawn the enemy to them and nearly gotten Byakuya killed—at least, that was how it looked from Senna's point of view. Byakuya's blood-soaked appearance had truly frightened her.
"It wasn't your fault."
Byakuya gently patted Senna's head.
"Is there anywhere else you want to go? I'll accompany you."
Senna shook her head softly. How could she still be in the mood to wander around now? She did not even know what she should do next.
Seeing Senna like this made Byakuya's heart ache. Senna did not have much time left. Every moment wasted meant one less moment of happiness for her.
However, Byakuya could not force Senna to go sightseeing, either. He could only turn to Tsunayoshi and ask, "May we stay at your place for the night?"
Considering that Ryūdōji Ganryū had escaped, Byakuya feared that Senna might be attacked again. He also wanted to avoid innocent people being caught in the crossfire, so he decided to ask Tsunayoshi for help.
"Sure," Tsunayoshi agreed easily. Providing two guest rooms was no burden for his household.
"Please wait a moment."
Tōshirō stepped forward and switched his Denreishinki to speaker mode.
"Urahara has detected a change in the Valley of Screams. Manager, you can speak now. Tsunayoshi and Captain Kuchiki are both here."
As the person in charge of the current Valley of Screams incident in the World of the Living, Tōshirō had created a dedicated communication group for this operation. Urahara had suddenly contacted him through it, and judging from his tone, it did not sound like good news.
"Tsunayoshi and Captain Kuchiki are both there? That's perfect."
After a polite opening, Urahara immediately got to the point.
"I've detected that the Valley of Screams has suddenly entered a state of rapid collapse. If this continues, I'm afraid the Soul Society and the World of the Living will collide before daybreak."
Tsunayoshi and Byakuya exchanged a glance. Byakuya then looked toward Senna.
The Valley of Screams' accelerated collapse meant that Senna's remaining time had been shortened again.
"Tsunayoshi, your request to handle the Valley of Screams after daybreak is going to be rejected. I'll send people to search for the entrance immediately," Tōshirō said.
Although the Valley of Screams connected the World of the Living and the Soul Society, the sky connected to the Soul Society could not be used to enter it. The only way in was through the abnormal phenomenon appearing in the World of the Living.
That was why Tōshirō had scattered his personnel after arriving in the World of the Living: to search for the entrance to the Valley of Screams.
"The entrance? Have them search along the river," Tsunayoshi suggested.
There were not many rivers in Karakura Town, so they should be able to discover something quickly. Compared to the entrance's location, Tsunayoshi was more interested in why the Valley of Screams was collapsing faster.
"Manager, under what circumstances would the Valley of Screams begin collapsing at an accelerated rate?" Tsunayoshi asked.
"The Valley of Screams is formed from gathered Blanks. Its collapse means that a large number of Blanks are disappearing. One possibility is that the enemy has already found the Memory Rosary and is using the Blanks' instinct to pursue it, gathering them together. Once the original structure is lost, the Valley of Screams will collapse."
Tōshirō glanced expressionlessly at Senna.
"The Memory Rosary is safe. Captain Kuchiki eliminated all but one of the attackers."
Because the situation had been urgent earlier, Senna had not noticed it. But now, from Tōshirō's completely unconcealed words, she learned that she herself was the so-called Memory Rosary.
"Huh? The Memory Rosary is safe?"
Urahara clearly had not expected this situation. His mind spun rapidly as he considered another possibility.
"In any case, the current result is that a large number of Blanks are disappearing. If it isn't being caused by the Memory Rosary, then it can only be artificial devouring."
"I do not believe Ryūdōji Ganryū has the ability to consume a massive number of Blanks all at once," Byakuya said.
He had seen how Ganryū used the Blanks. That method of repeatedly absorbing and releasing them could not possibly count as a significant drain on a space as vast as the Valley of Screams.
"There's only one type of being that can suddenly consume such a massive amount," Urahara said gravely. "I'm talking about a Hollow. I suspect that this Ganryū you mentioned has chosen to break the pot because it was already cracked."
"You mean Ryūdōji Ganryū deliberately turned himself into a Hollow?" Byakuya quickly guessed the possibility.
"If he's a madman willing to sacrifice everything for revenge against the Soul Society, then it's not impossible. You reduced him to a lone survivor, and he failed to take the Memory Rosary. I think he may have chosen this desperate measure," Urahara analyzed.
Originally, Ryūdōji Ganryū had not intended to offer up his own life. That was why he had kept searching for Senna: he wanted to preserve the Ryūdōji bloodline while completing his revenge against the Soul Society.
However, Byakuya's appearance had robbed Ganryū of any hope of taking the Memory Rosary. With the favorable situation suddenly reversing completely, Ganryū chose the most extreme method.
Ryūdōji Ganryū pierced his own Saketsu, opening a hole in his body by his own hand. As he underwent Hollowfication, he left only one thought in his mind: devour everything. Combined with a Hollow's natural instinct to consume, the result was catastrophic.
The Hollow that Ganryū became seemed eternally unsatisfied, frantically devouring the Blanks within the Valley of Screams.
"Found it. The entrance is beneath a steel bridge," Tōshirō said, constantly monitoring the information coming in. With Tsunayoshi's hint, the squad members had quickly found the entrance to the Valley of Screams.
"Captain Hitsugaya, regarding this Valley of Screams operation, I recommend that only captain-class combatants enter. The Valley of Screams is already collapsing. Anyone else would have difficulty even keeping their footing inside."
"Carry out a decapitation strike. After swiftly eliminating that Hollow, Captain Hitsugaya, use your ice to freeze the terrain of the Valley of Screams. After that, send in the squad members to assist in severing the Valley of Screams' connection to the World of the Living and the Soul Society."
Urahara offered Tōshirō a plan based on the changing situation.
"Captain-class combatants, huh?"
Tōshirō swept his gaze around. Conveniently, there were already two people here with captain-class strength.
"Would the three of you be willing to come along?"
"If it's freezing you need, I can help," Tsunayoshi said.
"I'm going!" Ichigo responded with passion.
"I have no objections," Byakuya replied immediately.
His injuries had already fully healed and would not affect him in battle.
"Wait. I'm going too!"
Senna suddenly stepped forward and shouted. Seeing the four of them look at her, she explained, "I can separate the Valley of Screams from the two worlds."
"You remembered everything?" Byakuya asked softly.
Senna nodded slightly.
"You all kept talking about the Memory Rosary and the Valley of Screams. How could I not remember? I was only running away from it before. Now, I want to face my fate head-on!"
"You should spend this night enjoying yourself…"
Byakuya had just begun trying to persuade Senna to give up when he saw the determination in her eyes.
"This is something I was meant to do. Being able to meet all of you has already made me very happy, Byakuya."
Byakuya said no more. He simply took a step closer to Senna and shielded her at his side.
In the final moments of the girl's life, he did not want her to suffer any more harm.
"Stay close to me."
"Mm. Got it!"
A captivating smile appeared on Senna's face once again.
With the plan decided, Tōshirō led the group and rushed toward the entrance to the Valley of Screams.
Beneath a steel bridge, on the river's surface, they could see a completely different world. That was the Valley of Screams.
"Shiro-chan, you're too slow. All you ever do is order people around."
On the bridge's frame, Rangiku, whom Tōshirō had brought along, pouted and complained when she saw him.
"Call me Captain Hitsugaya!"
Tōshirō glared at Rangiku. This lieutenant had less and less respect for him.
"Are we charging in now, Captain Hitsugaya?" asked Ikkaku, sounding rather excited.
After learning that there was a Hollow inside, he had been rubbing his fists together, ready to enjoy himself.
"No. You will guard the outside. Captain Kuchiki, Tsunayoshi, Ichigo, and I will go in."
Tōshirō glanced around. This mission had fallen to him because the other captains were not interested, so most of those who had come were lieutenants.
Among them, Ikkaku's strength had fully reached captain class. However, this guy tended to get carried away once a fight started and was difficult to control. Tōshirō decided to have him provide support outside instead.
Hearing Tōshirō's arrangement, Ikkaku's face filled with boredom. He lay on the bridge truss like a salted fish that had completely given up.
Rangiku, on the other hand, looked delighted. Being able to coast through a mission without doing much—how could she not be happy?
Without further chatter, Tōshirō completed the arrangements and led Tsunayoshi and the other four straight into the river surface reflecting the other world.
There was no discomfort at all. They only felt the scenery shift, and then Tōshirō and the others had already arrived in the world of the Valley of Screams.
The Valley of Screams mainly resembled a barren grand canyon. Not a blade of grass grew there. Only a few folding screens could be seen embedded into the mountainsides.
As soon as they entered, Tsunayoshi sensed that this world was warping. Whether the mountains or the clouds, everything was slowly bending. The entire Valley of Screams seemed like a massive vortex.
At the center of the vortex, there was an extremely obvious Hollow Reiatsu.
That was likely the location of the Hollow transformed from Ganryū.
This Valley of Screams was being devoured from its center. More and more cracks spread through the canyon, giving the faint impression that the entire space was on the verge of collapse.
"Captain Kuchiki, Ichigo, you two go and finish off Ryūdōji Ganryū. Tsunayoshi, you and I will split up and freeze this Valley of Screams from opposite ends."
Tōshirō quickly laid out the action plan. When his gaze landed on Senna and he saw the expectant look in her eyes, his heart softened.
"Memory Rosary, Senna. Follow your instincts and do everything you can to separate the Valley of Screams from the World of the Living and the Soul Society!"
"Understood! I guarantee the mission will be completed!"
Senna clenched her fist excitedly.
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