And now, another being of power comparable to Aizen had arrived in Hueco Mundo, unleashing Reiatsu with reckless abandon.
Arrogant!
Truly arrogant!
These Shinigami showed such disrespect—what did they think Hueco Mundo was? Their personal playground?
Contemplating this indignity, Baraggan glared toward Aizen's location, undisguised contempt etched across his ancient features.
Although circumstances had forced him to temporarily join the so-called Espada, although these Shinigami possessed strength exceeding his own, although he dared not fight them directly and sought merely to survive—the rebellious spirit within him would never be extinguished.
One day, he swore, he would slaughter all these Shinigami invaders, leaving none alive.
This was the only path remaining for the former King of Hueco Mundo to preserve what little remained of his dignity.
In the Soul King Palace, watching Uehara Shiroha unleash divine power through his Shunkyō Bankai, the Sword God Ōetsu Nimaiya spoke with evident confusion:
"The power of that Zanpakutō simply isn't right, is it? I acknowledge that Shunkyō is formidable, especially its extraordinary spatial manipulation abilities—truly exceptional among all blades. But wielded by someone with a Shinigami's physical limitations... this level of power should be impossible, shouldn't it?"
As the creator of all Zanpakutō, he shouldn't have needed to ask such questions.
After all, he had forged the sword.
He could sense the potential of any Zanpakutō with absolute clarity.
His experience and knowledge allowed him to accurately gauge any Shinigami's capabilities.
Yet Nimaiya found himself utterly unable to comprehend the relationship between Uehara Shiroha and Shunkyō.
This should have been impossible for someone of his stature—a divine swordsmith and member of the Royal Guard.
But the impossible had manifested before his eyes.
His normally precise understanding was now shrouded in confusion.
Hyōsube Ichibē, leader of the Zero Division, smiled at his fellow Royal Guard members and remarked:
"Young people these days are truly remarkable! Don't you agree?"
Privately, he elevated Uehara Shiroha's threat assessment by several levels.
Just as the Sword God had observed, Shunkyō's power exceeded all reasonable expectations.
Moreover, those time-space manipulation abilities represented forbidden knowledge that could potentially destabilize the very foundations of their world.
Why would the Soul King permit such power to manifest?
Why couldn't the Soul King perceive Uehara Shiroha's future trajectory?
Regarding these two questions, Ichibē actually harbored answers within his mind.
However, they were definitely not the answers he wished to acknowledge.
"Although it hasn't yet reached the level requiring the release of the Blood Pact Seal, it approaches that threshold uncomfortably," remarked the elegant Senjumaru Shutara, raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "What astonishing power! I find myself genuinely curious about what secrets he possesses that facilitated growth to such extraordinary levels."
Very few individuals in existence could capture her attention. Even fewer could provoke the visible emotional response she now displayed—perhaps none before this moment.
The reason was clear: the power demonstrated by Uehara Shiroha had surpassed the established limits of Shinigami capability, approaching the realm occupied by the Royal Guard themselves.
The Zero Division's power was so overwhelming that, with the exception of Ichibē, all members had been compelled to bind their true Zanpakutō using the Blood Pact Seal.
Only upon breaking this seal could they activate Bankai, unleashing power sufficient to shake the foundations of all three realms.
This necessity for sealing their Bankai—preventing simultaneous activation—served as a critical safeguard.
And yet a mere Shinigami now wielded power approaching their tier.
This represented far more than a minor anomaly.
Kirio Hikifune nodded in agreement, adding:
"Indeed! This clearly exceeds the level any Shinigami should possess! The Espada and Aizen face certain defeat!"
Though none among them had seriously believed Aizen could threaten their position, all acknowledged his exceptional talent and strength.
However, Uehara Shiroha's display proved even more astonishing.
Aizen's development followed a predictable evolutionary path, remaining within their sphere of understanding.
But Shiroha's demonstrated abilities defied explanation through conventional concepts of talent or potential.
"These troublesome individuals—do they believe the Zero Division doesn't exist?" exclaimed Tenjirō Kirinji, his distinctive airplane-shaped head tilting with indignation.
His inner thoughts proved more nuanced than his outward demeanor suggested.
He had monitored Aizen and the Hōgyoku with great attention.
He understood that the combination of Hōgyoku and Aizen represented genuine danger.
Yet paradoxically, this very combination ensured Aizen's ultimate failure.
Sometimes when one's fundamental direction is flawed, the stronger one's conviction and the more perfect one's plan appears, the more catastrophic the inevitable downfall becomes.
Aizen required only minimal oversight.
With Uehara Shiroha present, the likelihood of Aizen's success diminished even further.
But this raised a more pressing concern: how might they address the potential threat Uehara Shiroha himself represented?
Even the shrewd Ichibē lacked a clear answer to this question—Tenjirō certainly had none.
The undeniable reality remained: Uehara Shiroha no longer operated within their sphere of influence.
For a disconcerting moment, it seemed as though a god observed them from on high. The Zero Division found themselves in unfamiliar territory—uncertain, with divergent thoughts clouding their normally decisive minds.
Feeling the extraordinary fluctuations emanating from Hueco Mundo and studying the remarkable images captured by his monitoring equipment, Kisuke Urahara sank into profound contemplation.
The energy intensity registered at levels that defied belief.
Were all spatial ability users this overwhelmingly powerful?
Uehara Shiroha's strength vastly exceeded his projections.
Originally, Urahara had categorized him as a fifth-tier threat, attributing his apparent fearlessness to various strategic calculations.
Now he understood: they existed in entirely different atmospheres. Shiroha soared through divine realms, requiring none of the careful maneuvering that more limited beings necessitated.
When one possessed nothing to fear, fear itself became irrelevant.
This realization rendered Urahara's previously established countermeasures absurd. In retrospect, his careful planning resembled the desperate gambit of a clown performing for an indifferent audience.
Beside him, Tessai Tsukabishi couldn't help but exclaim:
"Commander Uehara's strength is truly magnificent! Surely Aizen must lose this confrontation."
In truth, when Tessai had previously encountered Aizen, he had recognized shadows of Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's overwhelming power.
He had initially assumed Uehara Shiroha, though formidable, would prove weaker than both Yamamoto and Aizen.
But now, by comparison, Aizen no longer seemed so invincible—he appeared almost ordinary.
Even at his peak, Aizen appeared to possess merely a shadow of Uehara Shiroha's capabilities.
The reputation of Soul Society's greatest historical prodigy was clearly well-deserved.
Urahara sighed deeply and responded, "If only matters were that simple."
Aizen represented a significant threat, but Uehara Shiroha embodied something far more unpredictable.
His methodologies tended toward extremes.
In reality, Shiroha's capacity for ruthlessness exceeded even Aizen's. Wherever he traveled, he eliminated all potential threats without hesitation or mercy. Those who offended Aizen might yet survive; those who crossed Uehara Shiroha were beyond salvation—even the Soul King could not preserve them.
Without appropriate checks and balances, such an individual might reduce the world to ashes.
Although Urahara recognized the darkness and corruption pervading their reality, complete demolition and reconstruction struck him as needlessly extreme, inevitably causing unnecessary suffering.
Therefore, he preferred maintaining the current imperfect equilibrium.
"Regardless, isn't this preferable to Aizen's success?" Tessai asked, unable to fully comprehend Urahara's concerns.
From his perspective, certain individuals deserved their fate.
Uehara Shiroha might employ brutal methods, but the Tsunayashiro family's reign of terror had ended.
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Marvel x Star Wars: Avengers in the Clone Wars
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