Amamiya Miyako descended from the upper levels of Las Noches, offering Rukia and the others a quick, reassuring report that everyone above was safe. Without lingering for questions, he then flash-stepped away, his form a blur as he raced towards the desolate wastes outside the white fortress.
Within the vast expanse of his inner world, a new development had captured the attention of his Zanpakuto spirits. They stood together, their gazes fixed on a single, pulsating white cocoon that now floated serenely beneath the glowing Hōgyoku.
The cocoon was, of course, the dormant form of Ulquiorra Cifer. With the Hōgyoku's intervention, the Espada's essence had been preserved from total annihilation, but his injuries were so severe that he could only exist in this dormant, healing state.
"Tch. You haven't even mastered your own Bankai, and now you seek to control the power of a Hollow?" Kōjin, the white-haired spirit clad in black, spat, his face a mask of disgust. His dissatisfaction with his wielder was palpable.
"Hahaha! You have to see the bigger picture, Kōjin," countered Zetsun, the black-haired spirit in white, who represented Miyako's Quincy power. "More power is always better. You know as well as I do that without it, he won't even be qualified to stand on the coming battlefield."
"Hey, if you understand his reasoning so well, then why are you hiding all the way over there?" Kōjin retorted, noticing that Zetsun was maintaining a very cautious distance from the Hollow cocoon.
"Understanding his motives is one thing," Zetsun explained with a sigh, eyeing the cocoon warily. "But I am the manifestation of his Quincy power. That thing is pure Hollow energy. While the Hōgyoku's protection neutralizes its influence for now, getting too close is just asking for trouble!"
"That's ridiculous. Do you think Miyako didn't account for that? With the Hōgyoku regulating the energy, as long as we maintain balance, nothing will happen."
"That's the theory," Zetsun shrugged, still not moving an inch closer. "But for safety's sake, I'll keep my distance for now."
The core of the issue was balance. Ulquiorra's power was currently too weak to disrupt the equilibrium within Miyako. But Miyako's intention was clearly to restore and utilize that power. The Shinigami and Quincy powers were intrinsic to his soul, but this Hollow power was an external, invasive force. If it grew too strong, the delicate balance could shatter, causing a catastrophic spiritual backlash.
Meanwhile, in the physical world, Miyako had reached the spot where he had first opened the portal to Hueco Mundo. But instead of immediately departing for the Human World, he sat down in a meditative stance, crossing his legs and laying his twin Zanpakuto across his lap. He closed his eyes, descending deep into his consciousness to commune with his spirits—a practice known as Tōzen.
"Ah, Miyako. You're here," Zetsun called out from his safe distance.
"Zetsun? Why are you so far away?" Miyako asked, his spiritual form looking between his two manifested spirits.
"Tsk. Look up," Kōjin grumbled, pointing a dismissive finger towards the sky of the inner world.
Miyako looked up. There, floating serenely, was the Hōgyoku, and just beneath it, the pure white cocoon containing Ulquiorra's essence.
He approached the cocoon, carefully sensing the dormant spiritual pressure within. "He's asleep… The Hōgyoku is responding to my will well." He let out a quiet sigh of relief. Absorbing Ulquiorra had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, a gamble driven by necessity. He had needed this power, and he had silently pleaded his case to the Hōgyoku. The orb had answered, preserving Ulquiorra within him rather than consuming him entirely.
"I'm sorry, Zetsun," Miyako said, turning to his Quincy spirit. "I know this Hollow energy must be uncomfortable for you. But I need to master this power."
"I need to close the gap… the distance between myself and the Soul King…"
"I'll manage. He can't affect me yet," Zetsun replied, though his posture remained tense. "But the moment you start restoring his power, you must be prepared. The Quincy and Hollow energies within you will rebel against each other. The backlash will not be gentle."
"I understand," Miyako nodded grimly. "The powers of a Quincy and a Hollow are natural enemies. Mastering them both, especially when one is an external force, will not be easy."
"Then stop neglecting your primary power!" Kōjin interjected sharply. "Master my power properly. For a Shinigami to not have full command of his own Zanpakuto is disgraceful!"
"Ah, hahaha, I'm working on it," Miyako replied with a helpless smile. "Haven't I been focusing on your materialization?" The truth was, the sheer reiryoku required to materialize his Zanpakuto spirit for true Bankai training was immense. Time had never been on his side; Aizen's movements were always swift and unpredictable, never allowing Miyako the peaceful, extended period needed for such deep, focused training. Between mastering his Quincy: Vollständig, honing his Kidō, and pushing his Bankai, the latter had frustratingly been the slowest to progress, a problem for which he still had no perfect solution.
"Well then, I'll be going now," Miyako said, his spiritual form beginning to fade. "There are still several major battles ahead." With that, his consciousness returned to the real world.
Before departing for the Human World, he had one final preparation: to produce enough Seele Schneider to sustain a single, full release of his Vollständig. Thanks to his heightened reishi manipulation, his speed in crafting the silver tubes was vastly improved. Combined with his existing stockpile, it wouldn't take long.
Back in the inner world, Kōjin watched him leave. "You've already met the conditions, don't you understand, Miyako?" he muttered to the empty space.
"That's precisely why Ulquiorra was necessary, isn't it?" Zetsun replied with a knowing smile.
The black-haired, white-robed Quincy spirit then looked up at the sky of their shared consciousness, his voice contemplative. "I, who symbolize the power of the Quincy… you, who symbolize the power of the Shinigami… and that cocoon, which symbolizes the power of the Hollow…" His gaze then shifted to the glowing orb hovering above them all. "And the Hōgyoku, which bridges the power of the Human world… of Fullbring…"
"Then," the white-haired, black-robed Kōjin added, his tone uncharacteristically grave, "there is only one final step remaining."
"Indeed…"
…
Meanwhile, in a replica of Karakura Town, the battle had reached a fever pitch.
The Captains of the Gotei 13 were locked in a fierce stalemate. They had never expected just three Espada to hold them at bay so effectively.
But this deadlock was not the outcome Sōsuke Aizen desired. In his view, the top three Espada were being far too inefficient. The Gotei 13 was still holding back its full strength, and neither side had sustained critical losses. This slow pace was inconvenient for his plans. He decided a slight intervention was necessary to accelerate the war.
'Let both sides injure each other more seriously…' Aizen thought, a faint, pleased smile touching his lips as he closed his eyes. 'Then, I will be the one to claim the ultimate victory.'
"Look! Behind Aizen! That giant eye in the Garganta!" a voice shouted from the Shinigami ranks.
"Is that the same one we saw in the Soul Society?!"
Emerging from the swirling darkness behind Aizen were the one-eyed Arrancar, Fura, and the modified Wonderweiss Margela. The appearance of this new Arrancar sent a wave of dread through the defenders. For Aizen to summon a new combatant now could only mean this one possessed the power to shatter the stalemate.
In the next instant, Wonderweiss vanished from his spot.
Captain Jūshirō Ukitake had no time to react. The modified Arrancar appeared behind him in a blur of Sonído, his hand shooting forward to pierce clean through the Captain's torso. The injury was precisely targeted—Ukitake's lungs, which had been stabilized in a healthy state by the Soul King's power, were instantly crushed. While the mystical power would eventually heal him, it would take considerable time, rendering one of the strongest Captains combat-ineffective.
"Jūshirō!" Shunsui Kyōraku roared, but his attention was violently wrenched back to his own fight as a Cero fired from Coyote Starrk's pistol whizzed past his head.
"Sorry," Starrk said, his voice laced with a weary resolve as he leveled his other pistol. "But when that guy shows up, it means Sōsuke Aizen is done waiting." He was preparing to get serious.
After his successful ambush, Wonderweiss let out an ear-splitting roar. The sonic wave rippled out, directly shattering the icy petals of Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya's ultimate technique, Hyōten Hyakkasō, which had encased Tier Harribel.
On another part of the battlefield, the Segunda Espada, Baraggan Louisenbairn, emerged from the smoke of the explosion caused by Captain Suì-Fēng's Bankai, Jakuhō Raikōben. His form was utterly unscathed, his Respira having decayed the nuclear blast before it could truly touch him.
The situation had turned dire in an instant. As the reality of their predicament sank in, a single, grim thought echoed in the minds of the Shinigami.
"Now… we are truly… in a hopeless situation…"