Inside Urahara Shōten, Urahara froze when he saw Shiroha suddenly appear before him.
None of the surrounding barriers or sensing devices had given so much as a warning.
And this wasn't the first time.
He'd reinforced his detection barriers countless times already.
Layer after layer, including ones specifically designed to counter spatial abilities.
And yet… they still didn't work against Shiroha.
Honestly, he wasn't surprised anymore.
He was getting used to it.
What puzzled him this time was something else.
It felt… different.
Shiroha wasn't just stepping into his shop.
He was using a new trick.
Urahara adjusted his hat and gave a tentative guess.
"Hmm… latest form of Kidō? A new type of spiritual Kidō? Mind projection, maybe?"
He was already certain this "Shiroha" in front of him wasn't the real body.
It was a mental projection. Some kind of spiritual manifestation.
Similar to a Zanpakutō spirit appearing in the physical world, but far more mysterious.
Abilities related to the mind—or even the soul—were always tricky to deal with.
And this one was no exception.
At first glance, it seemed on par with space manipulation.
Maybe even worse.
Back when he visited the Soul King Palace, the Hyōsube of Squad Zero had demonstrated high-level mental abilities.
But even they hadn't shown anything as refined as this.
Shiroha's mental projection was something else entirely.
Urahara sighed in frustration.
He hadn't even cracked Shiroha's spatial abilities yet.
And now there was this.
What's a god supposed to do?
He gave himself a wry smile.
Seeing how quickly Urahara caught on, Shiroha chuckled lightly.
"You can call it a psychic ghost if you want, but the label doesn't matter."
His tone sharpened.
"What matters is this—Aizen is your problem now.
And you're in big trouble."
As Shiroha's power increased, so too did his control over the Mind gem.
To be honest, developing the Infinity Stones' abilities without the Mind Scepter or the Infinity Gauntlet wasn't easy.
These stones were literal embodiments of universal laws.
You couldn't control them by conventional means.
But Shiroha had managed to advance his abilities anyway.
And with his Reiatsu now at an even higher level, his control over mental energy had evolved.
For example, what he was doing now:
Communicating across worlds with a mental projection.
That was one of his new skills.
If he pushed it further—by activating his Bankai—he could even teleport instantly to the projection's location.
That was mental transmission.
The Mind gem allowed him to read the thoughts of all living beings.
True omniscience.
The Shunkyō gave him command over time and space.
With it, he could travel thousands of miles in a single step.
Transcend time and space itself.
He was omniscient.
Omnipresent.
Omnipotent.
Compared to Yhwach's "Almighty," which was little more than an overhyped scam, Shiroha was the real deal.
Hearing Shiroha's warning, Urahara's expression darkened.
"So… this was a trap."
He exhaled slowly, thinking aloud.
"Aizen must've gotten what he wanted."
He'd already suspected as much.
He just hadn't figured out the exact details.
But it didn't matter.
The result was the same.
They'd lost.
And against Aizen, they couldn't afford to lose.
"You've definitely been tricked," Shiroha said calmly.
"But don't be too hard on yourself.
You did pretty well, considering."
"You understood the true nature of Orihime's powers and knew how important she was.
That's why you brought her into Soul Society—to keep her away from Aizen."
He gave a small shrug.
"But whatever you think of, Aizen can think of too.
And now…
You're one step behind."
Shiroha had to admit, Aizen played this move beautifully.
On the surface, Orihime seemed like a simple target.
But with her abilities, Aizen could shorten the dormant period of the Hōgyoku significantly.
By capturing her, he turned himself from predator to defender.
Now he had a bargaining chip.
And Ichigo—along with several Shinigami captains—would have no choice but to come to Hueco Mundo.
By splitting the battlefield, Aizen could control the tempo.
And with Orihime in his hands, he gained a decisive advantage.
She wasn't just an accessory to his plans.
She was key.
Urahara had realized this before most.
But even he had fallen behind.
Urahara's face tightened.
He let out a long sigh.
"All of this…
It's because of me."
His voice was heavy with guilt.
"If I hadn't created the Hōgyoku, none of this would've happened.
So many people wouldn't have been hurt."
He clenched his fist.
"Orihime. Ichigo. They're going to suffer because of me.
And I can't stop it."
He could only watch.
Powerless.
Shiroha shook his head.
"It's too late for regrets."
His voice was cold.
"And this isn't your only mistake."
"You also misjudged the Hōgyoku."
"You thought that, in its dormant state, it couldn't function.
So you calculated that Aizen would need several more months to create stronger Arrancar."
"But you were wrong."
"The Hōgyoku only needs to fuse with a few sources of Reiatsu—several times stronger than a captain—and it'll awaken.
Even if it's just for a brief moment…
That's enough to change everything."
He looked Urahara in the eye.
"And now Orihime has fallen into Aizen's hands."
Shiroha's tone turned grave.
"War is coming."
Urahara's scientific ability and intellect were beyond question.
That was why people called him "Urahara A-Dream."
And why, in the Human World, he was "Karakura's Batman."
But his personality had its flaws.
In many ways, Urahara and Yamamoto Genryūsai were the same type of man.
Both neutral conservatives.
Both capable of rewriting the entire system.
And both choosing to preserve the old one instead.
Yamamoto had tolerated the corruption of the noble houses for centuries.
Urahara had sealed the Hōgyoku as soon as he realized its power might upset the balance of Soul Society.
He had no interest in exploring or using the Hōgyoku's potential.
And that was his waste of talent.
Aizen had seen through him.
And that was why Aizen looked down on him.
Because of that refusal to push beyond his limits…
Urahara had misjudged the Hōgyoku.
And as a result, the Shinigami had fallen into a passive position.
"I see…"
Urahara's face was complicated.
"It seems I have no choice but to rely on you now, Commander Uehara."
The Hōgyoku was his greatest creation…
And his greatest failure.
He understood the terrifying power it held.
And how dangerous Aizen was.
But Shiroha laughed softly.
"Rely on me? Don't kid yourself."
His eyes sharpened.
"You don't trust anyone."
"You can't even trust yourself."
"That's why you're afraid to study the Hōgyoku.
You're scared you'll become like Aizen—someone who destroys the world's order."
"How can a man who's suspicious of himself put his hope in someone else?"
Shiroha's voice was calm.
"Lie to your comrades if you want.
But don't lie to yourself."
He didn't think much of these so-called conservatives.
He could understand their thinking.
But he didn't agree with it.
They didn't dare break the status quo.
They didn't dare control the Hōgyoku.
In the end, it was because they lacked strength.
And vision.
They didn't have the confidence to face change head-on.
Or the courage to make the world better.
Even with all its flaws, they clung to the world created by the Soul King.
Worshipping him as a god, afraid to move beyond him.
Even Yhwach and Aizen had their hang-ups about the Soul King.
But Shiroha?
To him, the Hōgyoku was just a tool.
The so-called "world order" and "balance" were jokes.
Aizen's and Yhwach's grand ambitions were little better than kids playing house.
Even the Soul King was nothing more than a strong man who could be surpassed.
There were no gods in the sky.
Only himself.
Urahara let out a slow breath.
A small, wry smile crossed his face.
"As expected…
Nothing gets past you, Commander Uehara."
Urahara couldn't help but feel both helpless and envious.
Shiroha's intelligence-gathering ability was illogical…
But it was never wrong.
For someone like Urahara, who relied heavily on intel and analysis in battle, such a skill was priceless.
If he had Shiroha's near-omniscience, he would be far more confident in his strategies.
His plans would be airtight.
His actions, certain.
But on the flip side…
If you became the enemy of someone like Shiroha, there was no way to fight back.
Normally, Urahara's strategy against powerful opponents was simple:
Gather information slowly.
Test their abilities carefully.
Adapt tactics on the fly.
Then choose the plan with the highest chance of victory.
That's exactly how he'd planned to deal with Aizen.
But facing Shiroha?
None of that worked.
No amount of probing or strategy could bridge the gap.
There was no logic to it…
And that was exactly why it was useless.
"Even so," Shiroha said, his expression unreadable,
"You'll have to walk the rest of the way yourselves."
With that, he ended his warning.
As far as he was concerned, he'd done his part.
He expected Urahara to give up on any delusions now.
No more relying on luck.
No more gambling on borrowed strength.
Shiroha knew perfectly well that Urahara had wanted to use him.
He'd hoped to pit Shiroha against Aizen, to let them clash and eliminate each other.
That's why he'd so readily agreed to "join forces" and acted like they were on the same side.
Wishful thinking.
Nothing more.
Shiroha wasn't stupid.
He wasn't about to get cocky just because he was powerful.
And he sure as hell wasn't going to charge into battle just because he smelled an opportunity.
The world was full of old foxes.
Anyone who rushed in first was either a fool or cannon fodder.
Shiroha knew he was invincible.
But he wasn't about to stand in front like a "hero" and take the brunt of everything.
Let the tools go first.
Let them expose the enemy's trump cards.
Then he'd swoop in and clean up.
That was the right rhythm.
Urahara sighed, resigned.
"If things go south…
Please be ready to step in, Commander Uehara."
He didn't have Shiroha's confidence.
And he sure didn't have his composure.
Facing someone like Aizen put tremendous pressure on him.
Even with his plans running smoothly, his chances were barely fifty-fifty.
And now?
He didn't even have that.
At this point, he wasn't trying to drag Shiroha into the fight anymore.
He just hoped Shiroha wouldn't become an enemy.
Because if he did…
The entire world would be in danger.
"We'll see," Shiroha said with a shrug.
As far as he was concerned, he'd already warned them.
Put pressure on them.
That was enough.
If things went wrong, it was their problem.
Not his.
Whether the balance of the Three Realms collapsed or the old order was destroyed…
He didn't care.
It wasn't his responsibility.
Later…
Ukitake eventually received news from two surviving Shinigami guards.
Orihime Inoue had been kidnapped by the Arrancar as she passed through the Senkaimon gate.
The news quickly reached Ichigo and Hitsugaya in Karakura Town.
And then the order came down from Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni himself.
"Compared to the safety of Soul Society, the life of one human is insignificant," the old man said coldly.
"Return to Soul Society immediately."
"War is coming."
"The top priority is the protection of Soul Society."
Hitsugaya and the others were reluctant.
They didn't want to follow the order.
But they had no choice.
The Espada's recent attacks had put enormous pressure on Soul Society.
And compared to the Soul King and the stability of the Three Realms…
Orihime's life would have to wait.
Meanwhile…
On a hidden hillside somewhere in Soul Society, Shiroha stood silently.
He stared at the empty air before him.
But what appeared as nothing to others…
Was something entirely different in his eyes.
With his all-seeing gaze, he watched soul fragments dance on the wind.
Tiny blue specks fell like snowflakes, drifting across Soul Society.
Several of them landed on him.
And in an instant, his Mind Gem activated, burning them away like sunlight melting frost.
Shiroha casually brushed off his spotless white coat and spoke softly.
"Hello there…
King of the Quincy.
Yhwach."
When he saw those soul fragments, Shiroha knew exactly what was happening.
Yhwach had made his move.
Or rather…
This was a test.
A rehearsal for the Thousand-Year Blood War.
The King of the Quincy had just awakened from his long slumber.
His strength hadn't fully returned yet.
So he was acting carefully.
Cautiously.
Spreading those fragments throughout Soul Society was his way of stirring up conflict.
Fanning the flames of war from the shadows.
Yhwach was known as the Son of the Soul King.
The progenitor of the Quincy.
The supreme ruler of the Wandenreich—the Invisible Empire.
And he bore the sacred letter "A."
The symbol of "Almighty."
Omniscient and omnipotent.
His abilities were no joke.
Even Shiroha had no interest in direct contact with those soul fragments.
Not unless he had to.
Sure, he had the universal barrier and the Mind Gem.
He could probably purge the corruption if it came down to it.
But why take the risk?
He was already invincible by staying alive.
There was no need to gamble.
And besides…
The quest system's rewards were more reliable than anything Yhwach's scraps could offer.
But still…
The abilities hidden within those soul fragments were valuable.
Very valuable.
As Shiroha watched the fragments, his mind worked quickly.
Analyzing their secrets.
Dissecting their mysteries.
The power to manipulate Reishi and Blut was basic Quincy ability.
That was the foundation.
But the Quincy had more.
They could awaken special powers—
The sacred letters.
And beyond that lay the Vollständig, or "Perfected Holy Form."
In other words, the sacred letters were like Shikai.
The Vollständig was equivalent to Bankai.
And Yhwach?
His letter "A" stood for "Almighty."
Omniscience and omnipotence.
But his so-called omniscience was focused on the soul.
His fundamental ability was the manipulation of souls.
Soul distribution.
Soul recovery.
Stealing Shinigami Bankai.
Granting sacred letters.
The Sternritter.
Even the bestowal of his power through Auswählen.
It all stemmed from his power over souls.
Even his "Eyes of the Almighty" were part of that.
They weren't about controlling the future.
They were about absolute control over the soul.
Of course, activating this ability required strength.
An unparalleled level of strength.
Only when Yhwach reached his peak could he fully open those eyes and activate true omniscience and omnipotence.
Right now?
Still recovering.
His eyes were shut.
But even so…
Yhwach was terrifying.
Ordinary Transcendents couldn't handle him.
Because in every world, powers tied to the soul were dangerous.
And incredibly hard to deal with.
Take Orochimaru from Naruto—
Soul transfer, rebirth, death manipulation.
Disgusting, but effective.
Voldemort from Harry Potter—
Horcruxes, fragments of soul spread everywhere.
A cockroach you couldn't squash.
Big Mom in One Piece—
Her Soul-Soul Fruit turned her into a nightmare.
And Yhwach?
He made them all look like amateurs.
His soul abilities were on par with gods.
When he was still a baby, those around him found something strange.
If you touched him…
Your ailments vanished.
You grew stronger.
But the baby didn't benefit from this.
He couldn't take back what he gave.
And that was how it all began.
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