"How truly remarkable..."
Urahara muttered under his breath.
Ichigo spun around to look.
When he saw clearly, his face went white.
Urahara turned back with a light chuckle.
"Captain Segawa, you've changed quite a bit since three months ago."
Shigure smiled calmly. "I'll take that as a compliment. But I'm pressed for time, so I'll be direct."
"The reason I stayed in the World of the Living is for something important."
"Hm?" Urahara blinked. "Haven't you already dealt with those Arrancar?"
Shigure's smile widened slightly. "Urahara-san, I'm not talking about Arrancar."
"I'm talking about... Visored."
"?!"
Urahara's eyes sharpened. After a moment, he lowered his head and smiled.
"It seems there really are no secrets with you."
"So you've decided to go find them now?"
Shigure nodded. "Opportunities to come to the World of the Living are rare. I'll head over now."
"I'll need that address."
The reason he'd stayed behind was exactly this—the Visored's previous invitation.
"I can give you the address. After all, they asked me to invite you."
Urahara's expression turned serious.
"But they're different from me. They have... different views about you."
Shigure's gaze sharpened.
So the Visored's invitation wasn't as simple as it seemed...
"I understand. I'll be careful."
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
Hueco Mundo. Las Noches.
Aizen sat on his throne, swirling red wine in his glass.
The palace doors opened. Tōsen walked in and bowed.
"Aizen-sama, Ulquiorra has returned from the World of the Living."
"Oh?" Aizen looked up. "Tōsen, aren't you missing a name?"
Tōsen's head dropped lower.
"Aizen-sama, there were complications. Ulquiorra was severely injured, and..."
"Yammy Llargo... did not return successfully."
Aizen's glass stopped moving. His gaze shifted.
"Let Ulquiorra come in first."
"Yes."
Tōsen withdrew. Soon, Ulquiorra entered.
Aizen's eyes widened slightly.
Ulquiorra's body was half-destroyed. Dozens of fine thunder swords pierced his flesh.
Golden light leaked spiritual particles from every wound.
Aizen recognized it instantly.
The same technique that had hit Gin and Tōsen back in Soul Society.
Aizen stood slowly, walking down the stairs.
"In that situation, he could still use that move..."
"It seems my inverted barrier was useless against him."
Ulquiorra met Aizen's gaze directly.
"Aizen-sama, he wasn't suppressed at all."
Even half-destroyed, feeling his spiritual power drain away, Ulquiorra's voice stayed perfectly calm.
Aizen's eyebrows rose. He stopped one meter away.
"And Yammy?"
Ulquiorra lowered his eyes. "Segawa Shigure killed him within the barrier."
Aizen's expression shifted. Then he smiled.
"Is that so? I hadn't expected this."
"It seems... advancing the timeline was correct."
He walked toward the exit.
"Follow me, Ulquiorra."
"We're going to test what you obtained from this plan:"
"Segawa Shigure's spiritual pressure... and his Zanpakutō's lightning."
Aizen walked forward, smiling faintly.
World of the Living. Above Karakura Town.
Shigure used high-speed Shunpo toward Urahara's location.
He had no idea about Aizen's plan.
His mind was entirely on Urahara's words.
The Visored had invited him because they knew about him.
But they didn't trust him like Urahara did.
That was clear.
The location was an abandoned factory.
Urahara had hinted this wasn't their real base.
They were definitely wary of him.
With Shigure's speed, getting from Naruki City to Karakura Town took minutes.
Above the factory, Shigure activated his Resonance Vision.
All eight Visored were inside. Urahara had warned them.
But they weren't gathered together. They were hiding in corners.
In the center of the main hall sat a massive barrier.
Shigure's Kidō expertise let him recognize it instantly.
High-level Bakudō number ninety-four. Set by former Vice-Kidō Chief Hachigen.
"So they're this prepared..."
Shigure's eyes glinted as he chuckled.
"This makes me curious... what are your intentions..."
He descended to the factory entrance.
Light steps carried him toward the main hall.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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