Boom!
A blazing blue beam of spirit particles tore through the air as if ignoring the very limits of space itself.
In the blink of an eye, the attack slammed straight into Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō.
The disgusting golden infant head stood no chance.
Faced with an arrow that carried all of Uryū Ishida's remaining spiritual power—and all of his fury—it offered about as much resistance as tofu.
The reishi beam punched directly through the center of its enormous skull, leaving behind a blazing blue aftertrail that stretched far down the street.
Within moments, the hundred-meter-long monstrosity was split cleanly in half, smoke curling up from the scorched edges of the wound.
And even after completely drilling through Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō, the beam still had force to spare—it lanced forward, burning through hundreds more meters of street before finally fading.
Watching from atop the wall, Shimo took everything in with clinical interest.
Not only had Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō been obliterated, but its master—Mayuri Kurotsuchi—had also taken the blast full-on.
A gaping hole the size of a fist had been blown through his abdomen, burned black at the edges from the heat of the Quincy arrow.
If one stood in front of Mayuri, they could literally see the street behind him through the wound.
His blood had been seared into a hardened crust.
He was barely recognizable as a living being.
"Wow… now that's a sight to behold."
Shimo's expression couldn't be more pleased—like a man watching a show that suddenly became interesting.
"Haah… hahh…"
Mayuri gasped desperately, chest rising and falling in ragged jerks.
He had never imagined he would end up in such a state.
If his body hadn't undergone countless modifications, he would've been dead already.
"A… a mere Quincy…"
His voice trembled. Even forming words was difficult.
"Damn it…"
Suddenly, he shouted—as if burning through the last sparks of life.
"Shimo-kun!!"
Uryū stiffened.
"I'll make you a deal! Kill this Quincy for me—tear his soul apart—and I'll grant you three unconditional favors!"
The fear on Uryū's face was immediate.
He knew very well the monster sitting on that wall.
Even in his fully awakened Letzt Stil, he had almost nothing left.
His hands were trembling and cracked, covered in split skin from the force of his shots.
Blood soaked his sleeves. His breathing was labored.
Even at full strength, he doubted he could fight Shimo.
Now? Impossible.
Shimo was a threat on par with a calamity.
"Heh… thinking of me only now?"
Shimo's voice carried a lazy mockery.
"Sorry, Mayuri."
"But I won't interfere in your little scuffle."
Mayuri froze.
"You… what do you mean by that…?"
Shimo spread his hands.
"It means exactly what I said."
"A battle isn't over until someone hits the ground."
"Until then? I'm not stepping in."
Uryū exhaled in relief.
Mayuri, on the other hand, nearly collapsed again.
"Hahh… hahh… hah…"
A crazed smile twisted across his face.
"In that case—I'll just…"
He raised his shattered Zanpakutō—
—and plunged it straight through his own neck.
Squelch!
A fountain of fluid spurted from his severed throat as his mangled body collapsed.
Shimo leaned forward with interest.
He knew exactly what trick this was.
Mayuri's Zanpakutō allowed him to liquefy himself after a fatal self-stab.
"He...he… what a shame, Quincy…"
The voice bubbled up from the puddle of green liquid spreading across the ground.
"In this state, I can't attack you."
"But someone like you can't harm me, either."
The liquid wriggled forward, pitiful and disgusting.
"For the next few days, I'll stay like this.
But the important thing is—I survived."
A mocking laugh echoed from the ooze.
"Goodbye, Quincy."
"You live, I live—that's simply how it is!"
The slime oozed toward the wall.
"Shimo-kun… I leave that Quincy to you!"
And with that, Mayuri slipped through a crack in the rubble and vanished.
Uryū tried to chase—
—but the poison took effect.
Purple blotches crawled across his skin.
A weak voice came from nearby.
"…Q-Quincy… sir… Inside my left armband…
there's an antidote…"
Nemu Kurotsuchi—collapsed and dying—forced the words out.
"Yo."
Shimo dropped lightly from the wall.
"Have you two forgotten I'm still here?"
"Lieutenant Shimo!"
Though Nemu was also a lieutenant,
she knew very well:
Shimo could crush Mayuri easily.
Crushing her would require even less.
Despite her cold personality, she was not stupid.
Not by a long shot.
"Relax. I'm not here to silence anyone."
Shimo looked to Uryū.
"Drink the antidote. Then come with me."
"Your battle is over. Your reiryoku has already begun to vanish, hasn't it?"
Uryū's eyes widened.
"Don't look at me like that. I know far more than you think."
Shimo continued calmly:
"Your journey through the Seireitei ends here."
"From now on, it's Kurosaki Ichigo's turn."
Uryū fell silent.
Even facing the loss of his Quincy powers,
he remained far calmer than most.
After a long pause, he raised his head.
"I understand."
---
Soon after, squads of Shinigami rushed onto the street.
Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō's destruction was impossible to miss.
"Lieutenant Shimo!"
"Lieutenant Nemu!"
"That—th-that's the Ryoka?!"
"And Captain Kurotsuchi! Where is he after releasing his Bankai—?!"
The ruined street filled with noise.
Shimo lifted a hand.
"Take this Ryoka and Lieutenant Nemu back to Fourth Division for treatment."
Silence fell instantly.
Then the Shinigami scrambled to obey, lifting Uryū and Nemu and rushing away.
Over recent months, rumors of Shimo's terrifying combat strength had spread everywhere.
Slaying Menos.
Duelling Kenpachi barehanded.
Matching captains without releasing his Zanpakutō.
In the hearts of many, Shimo was already a captain-class figure.
...
Fourth Division Barracks.
Escorted by Shinigami, Shimo arrived with the injured.
To his surprise—
Chad was also there.
Likely delivered earlier by Shunsui's men.
"Perfect."
Shimo looked down at the two Ryoka.
"You two rest here. Heal up."
Uryū and Chad bowed their heads silently.
Seireitei looked calm now…
But under that surface lay chaos unheard of in a hundred years.
Ryoka invasion.
Lieutenants defeated.
Captains defeated.
Tōshirō Hitsugaya and two lieutenants having raided the Senzaikyū.
Tōsen Kaname found dead.
Hisagi Shūhei openly accusing Komamura.
The entire Gotei 13 was on the brink of unraveling that...
This quiet was not peace.
It was the silence before a storm.
---
Night fell.
Clouds smothered the moon.
Seireitei was darker than usual.
Ninth Division Barracks—
Hisagi Shūhei could not accept his captain's death—not without answers.
Tonight, he would search Tōsen's quarters.
Anger smoldered in him—but reason had not left him.
Unlike the person in the original timeline who suffered the same pain, Shūhei retained clarity.
As expected, Tōsen's home was nearly pitch-black, just like the man himself.
Barely any decorations.
No wasted luxuries.
Shūhei searched piece by piece.
Tatami mat…
The low table…
Wall seams…
Floorboards…
Wait.
He froze.
"There's something… odd here."
He knelt, drew his Zanpakutō—
—and stabbed the floorboards.
The high-quality wood split easily.
Crack—
A panel fell away.
"It's been cut before…"
The hollow beneath was empty.
He lifted the plank, inspecting it under the faint light.
On the underside, near the top-right corner—
—was a small, carved arrow.
"What does this mean…?"
His mind raced.
He slotted the board back into place—
and then he understood.
"The arrow points toward…"
Shūhei raised his head, voice cold.
"…the Third Division Barracks."
---
Meanwhile, Shimo had returned to the underground training hall beneath Sōkyoku Hill.
Ichigo was still battling his Zanpakutō spirit—and now held the advantage.
"Oh?"
Shimo jumped down beside Yoruichi.
"Looks like he's close to reaching Bankai."
Yoruichi nodded.
"After your hell-training, his combat instinct has skyrocketed. At this rate, two more days should be enough for him to achieve it."
Boom!
A blast of spiritual pressure erupted above them.
Rocks rained down.
Shimo snorted.
"Another reckless idiot."
He'd already sensed who it was.
"I was wondering where you crawled off to."
That was when Renji Abarai landed, eyes widening at the scene.
A black-clad figure with overwhelming presence turned to him—
Kyōraku Shimo.
"Uh—Shimo-kun…"
Renji's smile twisted awkwardly.
"That hole up there? Fix it."
Shimo's tone sharpened.
"If it isn't exactly the same as before, I'll personally ask Byakuya to toss you into the Nest of Maggots."
Renji turned pale.
After all—he had broken out of the Tenth Division's holding cells.
Being thrown into the Nest was a realistic punishment.
"…I'll fix it. Perfectly!"
Renji swallowed.
"But… why are you here?"
Shimo already knew.
Renji's face darkened.
"I just learned… her execution was moved up."
"Tomorrow. At noon."
Shimo raised an eyebrow.
"So you came to scout the place? Preparing to break in during the execution?"
Renji coughed.
"You know how it is…"
"Hinamori is one of my closest friends. If Rukia were still here, she'd definitely fight for her too."
"…And you're the same, Shimo-kun. Aren't you?"
Shimo laughed.
"Don't drag me into your mess. I never said I'd save Hinamori."
"She broke the laws of Soul Society. Punishment is natural."
Renji froze.
"Then… why are you—"
Shimo cut him off.
"I'm just an innocent bystander."
He shrugged.
"And you should know something important.
The one who fought Hitsugaya and delivered Hinamori to the Senzaikyū… Was me."
Renji blinked—then remembered.
Shimo had defeated Tōshirō Hitsugaya without even releasing his Zanpakutō,
relying purely on swordsmanship and Kidō.
And then personally dragged Hinamori to the Fourth Cell of the Senzaikyū.
"…Don't worry."
Shimo added lightly.
"For the near future, I won't interfere.
If you want to train here, go ahead."
That both relieved and terrified Renji.
But he knew—
If Shimo truly wanted him gone, he couldn't resist anyway.
…And the woman standing beside him was an unknown threat as well.
"I understand."
Renji's voice steadied.
"No matter what… I can't let my friend die."
He summoned the spirit of his Zanpakutō—
beginning his own Bankai training.
While his potential didn't match Ichigo's,
Renji's talent was still exceptional among Shinigami.
"…To be honest, his manifested Zanpakutō is pretty ugly."
After watching for a while, Shimo gave his evaluation.
From his perspective, this was merely post-meal entertainment.
"Right."
A thought struck him.
He turned to Yoruichi.
"By the way, isn't there a barrier here?
If Renji can sense Ichigo's reiatsu, others can too."
Yoruichi shook her head.
"Sōkyoku Hill rarely gets visitors."
"And also, Benihime hasn't been released here for years."
"In that case…"
Shimo lifted his head and looked upward.
"…let's put up an anti-detection barrier."
As he chanted the Kidō incantation, his spiritual pressure spread through the cavern.
Both Ichigo and Renji stopped mid-fight—
—and stared in horror.
Shimo's spiritual pressure was just that overpowered.
Even a simple release dragged them down into an abyss they can't even fathom.
---------------------------///
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