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In a slightly dim room, various equipment was scattered, and on the deepest wall of the room was a huge display screen, divided into several areas, which were surveillance images from various parts of Las Noches.
"Lord Aizen…"
A figure slowly emerged from the darkness, looking at a corner of the display screen, a hint of killing intent flashing in his eyes: "Do you need me to punish Cirucci?"
"Why punish her?"
Supporting his face with one hand, Aizen looked at the display screen, a faint smile on his face.
"She left her palace without permission, disregarded the object of her supervision, did not stop the intruders when she encountered them, and even eliminated the Funeral Procession Squad…"
Kaname Tōsen's tone carried a hint of confusion. Lord Aizen 'saw' these matters more clearly than he did, and not long ago, Szayelaporro had also reported to Lord Aizen, suspecting that Cirucci was problematic.
Yet, despite all this, Lord Aizen seemed to turn a deaf ear, still allowing Cirucci to act recklessly.
"Kaname, do you know?"
"Hmm?"
"I have a complete grasp of all Arrancar, including the Espada." Aizen chuckled softly: "Whether it's the abilities they've already revealed on the surface, or new abilities that might develop, meaning their ultimate potential forms, they are all within my control."
"However…"
Aizen's gaze shifted, and the purple pupil on his forehead emitted a burst of light: "The change occurring in Cirucci is an unknown. I vaguely sensed her abnormality even before she herself was aware of it, which is why I allowed her to rejoin the Espada."
"Although for the current me, the changes in her are no longer very appealing, they are still a good appetizer before the main course."
"But…"
Kaname Tōsen wanted to say that they shouldn't waste power on such useless things.
But Lord Aizen's calm words, imbued with strong confidence, made him give up on further persuasion.
Just as Lord Aizen had said to the Espada earlier, as long as Lord Aizen was present, there would be no obstacles in their path!
Thinking of this, Kaname Tōsen changed the subject: "According to the report from the Spatial Monitoring Department, a Black Portal opened in Hueco Mundo not long ago, and reinforcements from Soul Society have already arrived in Hueco Mundo. Currently, the Collection Department is identifying the intruders based on the recovered Reishi."
"No need to confirm."
Aizen smiled slightly: "The intruders are Unohana, Zaraki, Kuchiki Byakuya, and Kurotsuchi Mayuri, four Captains, and some others are medical personnel from the Fourth Division. There's no need to pay too much attention to them."
Hearing this, Kaname Tōsen was slightly stunned.
Because aside from a momentary release of Reiatsu upon their initial arrival in Hueco Mundo due to environmental changes, the intruders barely leaked any Reiatsu. Even the monitoring and collection departments couldn't obtain accurate information on the strongest individuals.
Yet, Lord Aizen, who had been sitting here the entire time without leaving, had effortlessly identified the arrivals.
"Since they have arrived, after we observe the upcoming changes, it will be time for us to depart as well."
Aizen's tone remained extremely calm, but his gaze shifted from one corner of the surveillance screen to another, where the orange-haired Substitute Soul Reaper was moving rapidly.
While the changes in Cirucci were certainly curious, he didn't believe that the 'unknown' within her was enough to surprise him. In Aizen's eyes, Cirucci was merely an accident that occurred among his countless experimental subjects. Her weak foundation destined her growth to have a limit.
Moreover, he didn't believe that the changes in Cirucci were caused by others, because as the first batch of Arrancar he created, he knew that among them, aside from Aaroniero, everyone else had no room for further improvement.
What he and the Hōgyoku couldn't achieve, others absolutely couldn't either, including Urahara Kisuke, after all, the Hōgyoku was Urahara Kisuke's greatest masterpiece!
Therefore, Aizen believed that Cirucci's changes were likely due to some reason that prevented the Hōgyoku he created from fully manifesting its effects, instead slowly altering her.
All the changes displayed by Cirucci were consistent with the characteristics of Hōgyoku evolution. Although she exceeded his expectations, it would definitely not be by much.
Just as he said before, Cirucci was merely a dispensable appetizer before the banquet began!
If he were to speak of anticipation, he was instead more eager to see what kind of surprise the person he had been constantly observing could bring him.
He hoped he wouldn't be too disappointed.
…
Meanwhile, in Soul Society.
West 38th District was still under lockdown. All the villains from the four divisions—east, south, west, and north—had gathered in West 38th District, surrounding the entire 38th District tightly to prevent anyone from disturbing Ishikawa's treatment process.
However, outside the encirclement stood a Squad dressed in uniform, with a temperament completely different from the surrounding villains.
Currently, these individuals were surrounded by the villains under Ishikawa.
"Our own people… Brother Oyama, they're all our own people."
A young man dressed in clothes similar to those of Rukongai residents stood amidst the crowd, constantly explaining: "These people are my colleagues, Ishikawa's subordinates in Seireitei, they are the Inner Court Squad responsible for transmitting messages."
His words were actually somewhat inaccurate. Strictly speaking, the department Ishikawa supervised within the Onmitsukidō was only the Supervisory Team; the Inner Court Squad, responsible for transmitting messages, was not under Ishikawa's direct command.
But for the eager villains around, nothing was more intimidating than the phrase, 'They are Ishikawa's subordinates.'
Hearing this, Oyama pushed aside the people around him and stepped forward. Although he didn't recognize the oddly dressed individuals, he was very familiar with the young man.
He was Ukitake Hiro, a new member of the Supervisory Team recently transferred to monitor Ishikawa. He had a good relationship with Ishikawa and usually sat across from the Wan Shi Wu Tavern.
"Brother, it's not that I won't let you in, but our Boss said that no one is allowed to enter the 38th District area before it's over, not even us." Oyama said to Ukitake Hiro.
Ukitake Hiro nodded in understanding.
Several members of the Inner Court Squad exchanged glances. Although anxious, they had no other choice.
They had not come at Captain Soi Fon's command, but at the command of the Central 46 to deliver a secret directive.
They did not know the specific contents of the directive, only that the Central 46 was very anxious and kept urging them to deliver the directive to Ishikawa as soon as possible.
Ukitake Hiro, on the other hand, glanced at the Inner Court Squad Members. He could vaguely guess their purpose for being there.
Because not long ago, Sister Kasyuu, also known as Nagano Kasyuu, had also sent him a message, stating that the Central 46 had contacted the Supervisory Team to summon Ishikawa to Tōrinkyu. Although the specific reason wasn't stated… it wasn't hard to guess.
It was likely that those high-ranking officials wanted to entrust Ishikawa with protecting their safety.
After all…
The Seireitei was currently weaker than ever before. Everyone with Vice-Captain-level combat power or higher had already left Seireitei… no, strictly speaking, they had left Soul Society.
The strongest person in the entire Soul Society right now was Ishikawa. It was normal for them to ask Ishikawa to go to Tōrinkyu to protect their safety.
The only thing Ukitake Hiro didn't quite understand was…
Why those high-ranking officials, who didn't even trust the Gotei 13, would trust Ishikawa so much, even allowing him to go to the forbidden land where sages resided, Tōrinkyu.
Just as Ukitake Hiro was racking his brain on how to persuade the Inner Court Squad, he suddenly felt something connect with him, and an incredibly familiar voice echoed in his mind.
"Tell them to go back."
Many people around seemed to sense something and looked towards Ukitake Hiro.
This is…
Tenteikūra?
Ukitake Hiro was first stunned, then his face lit up with joy. Being able to use Tenteikūra, didn't that mean Ishikawa was close to success?
However, the moment the connection broke, Ukitake Hiro's expression became somewhat strange.
What the villains could sense, the Inner Court Squad responsible for transmitting messages naturally wouldn't miss. Realizing what it was, they all looked at Ukitake Hiro with anticipation.
Meeting their gazes, a hint of hesitation flashed in Ukitake Hiro's eyes, but he ultimately decided to repeat Ishikawa's words:
"Captain Ishikawa wants you to go back and inform… the adults of the Central 46 to stay in Seireitei with peace of mind. If… if they are still worried, they can leave Tōrinkyu and stay at the Everything Store in the 38th District for a while."
"…"
Upon hearing this, the Inner Court Squad Members were all stunned.
What disrespectful remarks these were.
Not only did he refuse the summons from the Central 46, but he actually told the Central 46 adults to come to a place like Rukongai. If these words hadn't been spoken by Ukitake Hiro, they would never have believed it.
"Also… Captain Ishikawa said that someone will come to pick you up later to go to the Everything Store, to use the Everything Store's transfer points to relay his command to the Central 46 adults. The command is…"
Ukitake Hiro stammered as he finished: "Tell the Central 46 to immediately issue a directive via secret talisman, ordering the Reishi Monitoring Department of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute to find a way to increase the Reishi concentration in West 38th District in the shortest possible time."
"…"
The faces of the Inner Court Squad Members turned dark upon hearing this. They had originally thought that Ishikawa telling the Central 46 to come to Rukongai was already disrespectful enough… but now, Ishikawa was actually ordering the Central 46 to do things for him? This was practically seeking death!!
Just then, Ishida Soken walked out from the villain's encirclement and said to the Inner Court Squad Members:
"Follow me."
…
On the other side, after sending the message, Ishikawa didn't pay attention to the Inner Court Squad's reaction.
At this moment, he was indeed, as Ukitake Hiro guessed, nearing the end.
But this end…
Could also be a failure!
The Reiatsu Crest patterns etched on his body had already disappeared, and Kōga Kuchiki's Reiatsu had long since been exhausted.
Fortunately, the reconstruction of the spiritual body began from the Spirit Core, allowing Ishikawa to autonomously absorb Reishi to maintain his Bankai.
The corpses that had originally filled the underground vault had, without him noticing, dwindled to only dozens scattered around. Without exception, these corpses all had spiritual body strengths reaching Vice-Captain-level, and among them, there was even one corpse infinitely close to Captain-level.
The process of analysis and reconstruction proceeded extremely smoothly with the help of his Zanpakuto. According to Ishikawa's estimation, his spiritual body could be fully reconstructed in about an hour.
Provided that…
These corpses and the Reishi in the 38th District could last until the end. Otherwise, once the corpses ran out, or if he couldn't maintain his Bankai, his analysis and reconstruction could instantly collapse!
The Reiatsu consumption of Kokumei after Bankai was simply too terrifying.
Although Soul Society's Reishi was endless, the local Reishi was rapidly decreasing under the violent absorption rate.
This decrease wasn't a disappearance, but rather that the Reishi replenishing from other areas couldn't keep up with the consumption rate of the current area. This made Ishikawa, who hadn't experienced Reiatsu depletion since creating the Reiatsu Crest, feel as if his Reiatsu was about to run out.
He had to find a way to quickly replenish the Reishi in this area!
If he could move, achieving this wouldn't be difficult, but Ishikawa was currently at a critical juncture and couldn't interrupt or pause the reconstruction process.
So he needed external help.
This was precisely why he contacted Ukitake Hiro.
In the entire Soul Society, there was only one department that could assist him in this regard…
The Shinigami Research and Development Institute!
If possible, he would actually prefer to call the Central 46 to get them to act.
However, the Central 46 always issued directives via secret talismans through secret message tunnels, so Ishikawa could only rely on the Inner Court Squad for transmission.
Fortunately, the Inner Court Squad was a speed-type messenger unit, and they should be able to deliver his command back to the Central 46 in the shortest possible time.
And that was indeed the case.
Although they felt that Ishikawa seemed to be courting death, the Inner Court Squad Members, upon returning to Seireitei, immediately relayed Ishikawa's command to the Central 46.
The expected thunderous rage did not appear. Almost immediately upon learning of Ishikawa's command, those adults promptly issued orders to the Shinigami Research and Development Institute via secret talismans, setting the entire Shinigami Research and Development Institute into motion.
Furthermore, it wasn't just the Shinigami Research and Development Institute that was mobilized; even the Gotei 13 remaining in Seireitei received orders to fully cooperate with the Shinigami Research and Development Institute's actions.
These changes left several Inner Court Squad Members, who were privy to the details, in a state of stunned disbelief, vaguely realizing something, yet finding it hard to believe.
And under such full-scale mobilization, the effect was immediate.
The time elapsed from the Inner Court Squad Members returning to Seireitei to the surge in Reishi concentration in the 38th District was even less than ten minutes.
…
Meanwhile, in Las Noches, 9th Palace.
The 9th Palace, which was originally desolate but somewhat tidy, was now filled with traces of battle.
"Haa~"
Nnoitra yawned, carrying his crescent scythe.
Before him, Kuchiki Rukia lay in a pool of blood, currently receiving treatment from Orihime.
Roka stood in front of the two, her usually emotionless face now showing signs of tension.
"Should've known not to come here."
Nnoitra didn't stop Orihime's treatment. Instead, he turned his head to the left wall, his gaze seeming to pass through the wall and look into the distance.
He could clearly feel the battle fluctuations emanating from many areas within Las Noches.
At Szayelaporro's location, there were three individuals. According to the intelligence transmitted back by the search method, they were the Shinigami, the Quincy, and that human among the intruders.
He wasn't very interested in these three.
What interested him more was…
The person currently fighting Grimmjow. The aura of their battle, even from here, he could clearly feel.
It was less like a battle between a Shinigami and an Arrancar, and more like two Espada engaging in combat!
It wasn't like that bastard Ishikawa, who, although he had displayed many Arrancar abilities, his Reiatsu didn't possess the aura of a Hollow. But the Reiatsu of the person currently fighting Grimmjow gave him a feeling incredibly similar to that of an Espada.
However, despite his interest, Nnoitra wasn't in a hurry to go to that area.
Neither he nor Grimmjow liked to cooperate with others.
If the intruder won in the end, he wouldn't mind killing Grimmjow and his opponent together.
"Oh, right!"
Nnoitra licked his chin with his long, slender tongue, asking Kuchiki Rukia in the pool of blood with a morbid expression: "Did that bastard Ishikawa not come? I'm really looking forward to meeting him in Hueco Mundo."
Kuchiki Rukia did not reply, nor did she have the strength to.
The disparity was simply too great. The moment they engaged, she was already severely wounded.
In the past, she had only heard about certain Espada ganging up on Ishikawa, or certain Espada being killed by Ishikawa, which left her with little understanding of how terrifying the Espada truly were.
It wasn't until she truly faced an Espada that she understood just how powerful the Espada were!
"I'm very curious…"
Just then, a voice suddenly came, causing everyone present to be momentarily stunned, except for Roka, whose face lit up with joy.
"Where does a guy who has been utterly defeated by someone several times get the courage to say such things?"
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars for advance chapters | Every 100 powerstones=1 extra chapter | Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr | 16 novels being updated, I can't read all comments