"Damned Quincy... all the Shinigami stationed at this outpost were slaughtered!"
Akon frowned deeply.
Judging by the residual Reiatsu here, he could imagine the massacre that had taken place.
"Such is the cruelty of war... the defeated eat dust," Urahara Kisuke let out a soft sigh.
"The Quincy erase the souls of Hollows, while the Shinigami are tasked with maintaining the balance of souls in the three realms. Naturally, the two are fundamentally opposed," Mayuri Kurotsuchi grinned. "So tell me… is this coincidence—or design?"
Mayuri now focused on three main research topics: the Quincy, Bounts, and the "Nemuri Project"—a project to create new souls from nothing.
Years of research led him to suspect that the origin of Bounts might be linked to the Shinigami.
Which raised the question: how were Shinigami and Quincy created in the first place? Could it be the design of something even greater?
"An intriguing idea. Perhaps that is the truth," Urahara Kisuke stroked his chin, recalling intelligence he'd once read about the Soul King.
"This shrine's been abandoned."
He glanced toward the dilapidated mountain shrine.
Last time, the shrine maiden had helped them draw out the Soul Hunters.
The shrine was still in the same place—untouched by the Shinigami and Quincy conflict—but there were no signs of human presence. It had clearly been deserted for some time.
"Miss Yakumo became a Shinigami. Of course no one's been tending the place," said Nanatsuki, looking at a female Shinigami within the formation behind him.
The shrine maiden they once knew—Yakumo—was now Shinigami Yakumo, a member of the Twelfth Division.
Shortly after they'd left Naruki District, she had passed away.
With the era's poor medical standards, even the flu could take lives.
Still, she'd known several Shinigami while alive and possessed spiritual potential. After arriving in Soul Society, she was brought into the Spiritual Arts Academy by familiar faces.
"No one's cared for the shrine since!" Yakumo said with a faint smile, nostalgic and slightly relieved. "If I'd stayed here, I might've been shot down by some Quincy. If a Quincy kills you, your soul gets erased. You wouldn't even get the chance to become a Shinigami!"
Soon, the group reached the mountaintop outpost—recently destroyed by the Quincy with no survivors.
"We'll start by collecting residual Reishi and triangulate their location," Nanatsuki ordered.
"Yes!"
Researchers from the Department of Technological Development, clad in white lab coats, took out instruments and began gathering residual Reishi.
This was one of the department's newest techniques—using leftover Reishi at a site to track its original owner.
The closer in time, the more accurate the result.
Nanatsuki had chosen to personally lead this mission to Naruki for a reason.
According to the Onmitsukidō's findings, Quincy attacks on Shinigami outposts often coincided with nearby Quincy settlements.
But the location of the Quincy settlement in Naruki remained unconfirmed.
Hence, the Department of Technological Development was tasked with using the residual Reishi to locate them.
"Good thing it hasn't rained recently. Rain in a spirit-dense area would be filled with Reishi and could interfere with the readings," Akon commented as he operated the instrument, collecting Reishi from a pit.
"What a waste of time. I've got too much on my plate to be standing around here." Mayuri pulled a glass jar from his sleeve. "Luckily, I came prepared. Let's find them fast and get this over with."
He unscrewed the jar's lid. From within, a swarm of glowing, firefly-like bugs emerged.
"Reishi-tracking bugs. More sensitive than your little instrument. They only need a trace of Reishi to detect targets across thousands of square meters," Mayuri said, holding up two fingers to indicate a sliver of margin.
"As expected of Third Seat Kurotsuchi. My instrument requires a much larger sample to triangulate targets."
Akon praised him.
The bugs lingered briefly in the ruined outpost before flying off in unison toward a single direction.
Mayuri's bugs saved everyone time by quickly locating the Quincy responsible.
"We've found them."
"Well done. Let's go. Akon, take two squads and remain here. Repair the Reishi barrier and begin reconstruction of the outpost."
"Understood!"
Nanatsuki left part of the team behind to handle the repairs.
Moments later, the rest followed the bugs down to a riverbank.
"This doesn't look like somewhere a bunch of Quincy would live..." Urahara looked around, sensing no strong Reiatsu fluctuations.
"Heh. My bugs don't make mistakes. Even if they're hiding behind barriers that suppress Reiatsu, they can't fool their senses!" Mayuri declared with confidence.
"You're saying even Reiatsu suppression won't hide them?"
Urahara's curiosity was piqued. A blue Reishi thread shot from his hand, binding one of the bugs and pulling it closer.
"How rude!" Mayuri snapped, glaring at Urahara. "You should know better than to touch someone's work without permission."
"Oh?" Urahara scratched his cheek. "Then who was it that broke into my lab and disabled my defense systems recently?"
"...Hmph." Mayuri pursed his lips, saying nothing more.
He'd wanted to discuss Soul Hunter research with Urahara but couldn't bring himself to admit it—so he snuck into Urahara's lab to check the progress.
Urahara fiddled with the bug for a bit, lost in thought.
"I see now... even the faintest trace of movement can be tracked. These Quincy didn't appear out of nowhere. Even with barriers, the bugs followed their Reishi trail."
He had already figured out their secret.
"Infuriating," Mayuri muttered, breathing heavily.
He had gone to great lengths to protect his bugs from analysis—only to have Urahara unravel their secrets instantly.
By the river stood a small grove. Though no obvious traces of Quincy activity could be seen, the bugs kept circling the same spot, signaling their target was here.
Just as Nanatsuki was about to use his shadow control to confirm the presence of hidden enemies—
Laughter echoed from nearby.
"Hehehe... You found us. The Shinigami do have some skill after all..."
Everyone turned toward the voice. A group of Quincy in white robes stood atop the trees.
"The bugs were right—Quincy are here." Mayuri grinned at their cloaks. "Cloaks that suppress Reiatsu detection. No wonder we couldn't find them."
In the center stood a blonde boy in a hood and a man in golden-rimmed glasses.
"So our mission is complete, right, Instructor Quilge?"
The blonde boy turned to the glasses-wearing man beside him.
Hands in his pockets, he looked relaxed—unbothered by the encircling Shinigami.
"The war has officially begun. Our mission is done. But... we've been discovered. That complicates things," said Quilge, adjusting his glasses and eyeing Nanatsuki's captain's haori. "We'll just have to do a little extra work."
This group—Quilge and Gremmy's team—was responsible for attacking various Shinigami outposts, including Naruki.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Instructor. I'm heading out," said Gremmy, uninterested in slaughtering more Shinigami in such a remote place.
He reached out to tear open a portal—
But the black rift shut itself before he could step through.
"Oh?"
Gremmy turned toward the Shinigami in the captain's haori.
"A shadow-based ability?"
A flicker of interest appeared on his face. Deep in the shadow space of Soul Society, powers that could interfere with the Wandenreich's portals were rare—most likely tied to shadow or spatial control.
From that moment, he leaned more toward the former.
"Sternritter..."
Nanatsuki's thoughts darkened.
There was more to this war than met the eye.
Having encountered actual Wandenreich members, he had no intention of letting them retreat.
Gremmy and Quilge were formidable—but his own side wasn't weak either.
"Lieutenant Urahara, Third Seat Mayuri, don't hold back! These are serious enemies. Akon, lead the others away!"
Nanatsuki waved, signaling the others to retreat and avoid unnecessary casualties.
He already knew from his surveillance bacteria that both Urahara and Mayuri had recently unlocked their Bankai.
Otherwise, even he wouldn't dare take on both foes at once.
Soul Society.
Unohana Retsu and Azashiro Kana received simultaneous requests for medical support from the Second and Seventh Divisions.
Both squads had already clashed with the Quincy, and casualties were mounting on both fronts—urgent medical support was required.
Unohana was in charge of logistics for this operation.
"Isane, you and Kana will lead a team to support the Second Division. I'll take a team to assist the Seventh," Unohana instructed.
"Yes!"
Kotetsu Isane stood beside Azashiro Kana, nearly two heads taller than her.
"This is your first time joining a war as a medical team member. If anything happens, don't panic. If you can't handle it, contact me immediately. Remember, you're the vice-captain of the medical squad—never act alone. The safety of the medical team is equally important."
Unohana still felt uneasy about letting Kotetsu Isane lead a team on her own.
"Kana, you've got more field experience. If Isane makes a mistake, correct her at once."
"Understood!" Kana replied with energetic enthusiasm. "Don't worry, Captain Unohana. Isane and I make the perfect team!"
The two Shinigami teams entered the Senkaimon and split paths inside the Dangai, heading to different regions.
"We need to move fast! The sooner we arrive, the more losses we can prevent for Yoruichi-senpai!"
Kana dashed ahead, leading the squad at full speed.
"Yes, we must hurry. The other sectors will likely need medical support soon too," Kotetsu Isane nodded.
"Speed up!"
Kana raised her hand and signaled the others to increase pace.
Just then, the Dangai path ahead suddenly twisted and warped.
A furious roar echoed through the corridor.
"Ah—!"
"I'LL RIP YOU ALL TO SHREDS!!!"
Kana and Isane froze, exchanging alarmed looks.
"Stop!" Kana signaled for everyone to halt immediately.
There was something familiar about that voice... as if she'd heard it before.
The space of the Dangai twisted again, and from within emerged a humanoid creature with pink hair.
"A Menos Grande?" Isane tensed. She could feel the overwhelming Reiatsu pouring off the creature.
It surpassed both hers and Kana's.
"Szayelaporro..." Kana's face tightened.
She recognized the pink-haired Hollow instantly.
It was Szayelaporro, swept away by the time stream long ago.
No one expected him to reappear now!
"Hah... I've grown quite a bit since then!" Kana gripped her Zanpakutō. Whatever fear she felt vanished in an instant.
Back when she and Kakyō encountered Szayelaporro, they had stood no chance at all.
But that was the past. Things were different now.
"So this is Szayelaporro..." Isane's expression darkened.
She had heard the stories—he was an extremely powerful Hollow.
After Szayelaporro was swept into the time vortex, the Central 46 had dispatched Shinigami to patrol the Dangai for years, lying in wait for his return.
But after two decades of no sign, the patrols had been discontinued.
Now, by sheer coincidence, they'd encountered his re-emergence.
"Third Seat Yamada, take the medical team and support the Second Division!" Isane, seeing the confidence in Kana's stance, felt a bit more at ease.
Their squad didn't have combat capability. Leaving them here would be a massacre. She instructed Yamada Seinosuke to withdraw with the medics.
"Fourth Seat Ōtori, protect the medics and make sure they get to safety. Szayelaporro is ours to handle."
Kana addressed Ōtori Tōshirō, the Fourth Seat of Squad Three.
"Yes! Please be careful, Vice-Captain Azashiro!" Ōtori nodded. He too understood the risk—if the medics stayed, they'd only become liabilities.
"Huh?"
Szayelaporro scanned the Dangai corridor, eyeing the unexpected number of Shinigami.
As Hueco Mundo's sole scientist, he knew the moment he'd been hit by the Kōtotsu that he'd been caught in a time anomaly.
From his perspective, he'd escaped in a short span.
But judging by the current situation, far more time had passed in the outside world.
"So you brought a team to trap me, little Shinigami?"
He fixed his gaze on Kana, speaking slowly.