Urahara Kisuke bringing Tsukabishi Tessai back along with Muguruma Kensei and Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō—this was something Higashino Shuuichi never saw coming.
If Urahara had brought these people to support Shihōin Yoruichi, Higashino Shuuichi might've been able to understand it. But that wasn't the case. Even knowing Yoruichi had nearly been "played to the point of breaking" by Higashino Shuuichi, Urahara still never showed his face.
Instead, he deliberately chose this exact moment to swoop in and snatch away the Yamada family.
That left Higashino Shuuichi completely unable to guess what Urahara intended to do next.
But what surprised him even more was Tsukabishi Tessai's strength—so strong it far exceeded the fixed impression Higashino Shuuichi had of him.
In Higashino Shuuichi's subconscious, Tsukabishi Tessai, the former Kidō (Demon Arts) Commander, had always been a pure background character. In the original storyline, he didn't even seem more impressive than his Vice Kidō Commander, Hachigen Ushōda.
And yet the Tessai standing here now had actually forced Kabuma Sayako—who was acting as Kenpachi Kuruyashiki's substitute—to use that uncontrollable Bankai.
So many things in this world were gradually slipping beyond Higashino Shuuichi's established understanding.
But fortunately… Kenpachi Kuruyashiki still wasn't beyond it.
Higashino Shuuichi landed beside that gigantic maw. Beneath his feet, the quicksand continued to sink downward.
"Let's end this~"
He drove the Zanpakutō in his hand straight into the quicksand.
The reishi (spirit particles) that had been endlessly draining away suddenly found release at that moment, able to move freely again by their own will.
Aging. Distortion.
All kinds of changes began repeating endlessly across the surface of that massive mouth.
Because of the influence of Hell, Kenpachi Kuruyashiki's Zanpakutō ability had gone a long time without any effective growth. To the point that Higashino Shuuichi, relying only on memories from his previous life, understood Kuruyashiki's Zanpakutō ability inside and out.
And absolute understanding—toward Higashino Shuuichi's Zanpakutō—meant absolute control.
Aging and viral collapse from within were the derived abilities of Higashino Shuuichi's Zanpakutō.
All it took was a light slash at the quicksand to deliver this "antidote" into the enormous organism's body.
And then it would crumble apart on its own.
"This is a bit too easy, kid. No matter how you slice it, this is still my Bankai—back then it was called a power that could threaten all of Soul Society's security. How is it that in your hands, it looks like children playing house?"
Kenpachi Kuruyashiki had imagined Higashino Shuuichi could solve his Bankai—but only with Head-Captain Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni and many other captains working together, paying the price of sacrificing plenty of important things to win.
He had never imagined Higashino Shuuichi could deal with it this easily.
"It's just compatibility, Captain Kuruyashiki. There's never been an invincible ability in this world. When reiatsu (spiritual pressure) is close, whoever's ability counters the other holds the absolute advantage.
I'm just lucky, that's all~"
As he answered Kuruyashiki, Higashino Shuuichi walked to the huge stone monument sealing Yushima Ōko.
He bent down, set his hand to the hilt, drew—Nadegiri (Soothing Slash)—sheathing again, then turned.
The monument was cut diagonally in half.
The "卍" character split apart. The seal released, revealing the exhausted Yushima Ōko beneath—barely able to keep one eye open, looking at Higashino Shuuichi with an apologetic expression.
Yushima Ōko had already been sealed, so his condition was poor to begin with. Then he'd nearly been swallowed along with the monument by the monster created from Kenpachi Kuruyashiki's Bankai. For him to still have even a shred of spirit left now… it meant his will was tough enough.
"I know. You did everything you could. Rest well. The rest… leave to me."
Higashino Shuuichi slid a hand gently over Yushima Ōko's left eye—bloodshot and swollen—then used the other hand to support the back of his head, slowly lowering him onto the ground where the quicksand had already receded.
Higashino Shuuichi understood clearly: this time, it really couldn't be blamed on Yushima Ōko. The only thing to say was that Yushima Ōko's luck was awful—his opponent was Tsukabishi Tessai, a shinigami (Soul Reaper) who felt like he'd glitched out of the system.
"On the way here, I felt something strange many times—like my movements weren't continuous.
I've experienced that feeling before, a long time ago.
If I remember right, it was during the Hollowfication incident.
Later I heard that this sensation happens because our time gets frozen for a stretch.
I think you know what I'm getting at. That Kidō of yours—Jikan Teishi (Time Stop)—you've used it far too many times."
After settling Yushima Ōko, Higashino Shuuichi finally had time to stand, turning toward Tsukabishi Tessai—who looked somewhat battered now, on the ground and breathing hard.
"Sometimes using it more doesn't mean much," Tessai said with a smile and a shake of his head. "At least compared to what you can do, Shuuichi, what I've shown is… hardly worth mentioning, wouldn't you say?"
Despite the wariness he felt toward Higashino Shuuichi—who had instantly neutralized Kenpachi Kuruyashiki's troublesome Bankai—Tessai's face showed not the slightest hint of worry.
"Hard to say. If we haven't fought, the result is always unknown.
It's a shame, though. Looks like today we probably won't get that chance."
Higashino Shuuichi's gaze passed over Tessai and landed on the man strolling forward unhurriedly behind him.
"Yo~ Looks like I showed up at just the right time~"
The man removed the straw hat from his head, smiling as he narrowed his eyes.
"More accurately, you're actually a bit late.
Dealing with a couple Arrancar—someone like you, the former Captain of the Twelfth Division, Urahara Kisuke… it shouldn't take you that long, right?"
As he spoke, Higashino Shuuichi's reiatsu (spiritual pressure) unfurled across heaven and earth like an enraged Dragon, covering half the sky.
"You can't say that," Urahara replied. "Those were two Arrancar, you know—plus one of them seemed to have some special power, like… a certain Hollowfied shinigami~
Me, I'm just an ex-captain who focuses on research. Handling it was honestly pretty tiring~"
Urahara's "strained" expression was performed to perfection. But Higashino Shuuichi couldn't tell who Urahara was acting for.
Among the shinigami here, who would believe that nonsense?
"If you have something to say, say it plainly. I don't think there should be any outsiders here—for either of us."
Higashino Shuuichi's reiatsu surged like an army bearing down, pressing toward Urahara.
Urahara's reiatsu looked as weak as a candle in the wind, as if a breath would snuff it out—yet no matter how Higashino Shuuichi pressured him, his reiatsu couldn't push within two meters of Urahara's body.
Perhaps disguise was something Urahara had carved into his bones.
Just like Higashino Shuuichi.
Only—when it was time to be domineering, Higashino Shuuichi would still be domineering. Urahara, on the other hand, was used to hiding himself behind a mask of "pitiful, innocent, and weak."
"Then I'll speak plainly?
I guessed that this time you wanted to protect that special Quincy family—the Ishida family. And I noticed you've been busy lately, maybe too busy to keep an eye on this side. So I took the liberty of helping you save the Ishida family, becoming their benefactor… and I also happened to pick up a rather interesting souvenir.
As for bringing Tessai and Kensei and the others here, I really should apologize. I thought it would be those Arrancar coming to hunt the Ishida family down, you see~
If I explain it like this, Shuuichi-kun, you won't mind… right?"
As he spoke, Urahara pulled a delicate box from his pocket. It was dusty and dented from being pressed. He opened it, revealing a key-like object inside.
At the sight of that key, Higashino Shuuichi's eyelid twitched instinctively.
He suppressed the micro-expression quickly—but he also knew that reaction had definitely already been caught by Urahara.
Maybe before, Urahara didn't know what Higashino Shuuichi's big scheme—going out of his way to save a Quincy family—was truly for.
But now, Urahara definitely knew.
It had to be connected to the key in his hand.
In truth, even Higashino Shuuichi had only held a bold hypothesis up to this point. He just hadn't expected that while he was still only guessing, Urahara would dare to act directly.
If Higashino Shuuichi was right, that key was the Quincy's fallback—aside from forcibly invading the shadow world through an extremely special method from within Soul Society.
A key that could open a door between the World of the Living and the shadow world.
Which meant… things were about to get very bad.
Higashino Shuuichi understood perfectly: once this thing landed in Urahara's hands—and once Urahara confirmed it had enormous value—then with the Ishida family as such an obvious clue, the chances of Urahara not figuring out its true use were basically zero.
In other words, it was only a matter of time before Urahara learned about the Wandenreich.
And that "time" depended entirely on how fast Urahara progressed in researching the key.
Higashino Shuuichi didn't understand research. But he did know this: letting Urahara Kisuke learn about the Wandenreich in the shadow world early would absolutely not be good for him.
"You were fishing for me…"
"And the willing bite."
"Heh… From the very beginning, you never trusted me, did you?"
"In this world, there aren't many people I can trust."
"That includes Shihōin Yoruichi?"
Higashino Shuuichi threw out a lethal question.
For Urahara, in a moment like this, whether true or false, he only had to answer "yes" to completely avoid any further problems.
But Higashino Shuuichi knew that in this scene—when Urahara was satisfied, having already edged ahead of Higashino Shuuichi by a step—Urahara's answer would be "smarter."
"You already know the answer, don't you?"
"Yeah… I already know the answer."
Higashino Shuuichi smiled. He truly did know it—just now, when Urahara said those words.
"Then, as the instigator who gave Shihōin Yoruichi the order to steal contraband from within Soul Society—former Captain of the Twelfth Division, Urahara Kisuke—if I arrest you in the capacity of a Soul Society captain, I don't think there's any problem with that, is there?"
"You're not a Soul Society captain right now," Urahara said, narrowing his eyes.
"And how do you know I definitely am not?"
Higashino Shuuichi moved.
Tessai—who had been watching Higashino Shuuichi's every move—also moved.
"Bakudō no Hachijūichi: Dankū, Chōjūrui (Super Heavy Rampart)!"
Dozens upon dozens of transparent reishi barriers rose in front of Urahara.
Because this was Higashino Shuuichi—not Kabuma Sayako, not Kenpachi Kuruyashiki. No amount of caution could be too much!
But Tessai miscalculated.
What did it mean to crush something like rotten wood?
Higashino Shuuichi showed him.
One slash split the moon—ten layers shattered.
One slash lifted the moon—another ten layers broke.
Sheathe—Yakuryū (Choking Current)—three layers halted him.
Draw—Nadegiri (Soothing Slash)—and heaven and earth cleared.
Tessai stared in shock. Muguruma Kensei was stunned.
Higashino Shuuichi's strength had already surpassed what they'd imagined.
In the most common understanding, once you reached captain level and above, even the smallest step forward took years of accumulation.
But that understanding didn't seem to apply to Higashino Shuuichi at all.
Higashino Shuuichi's growth was measured in months—no, even days.
"What a terrifying growth rate…"
Even Urahara, seeing Higashino Shuuichi like this, couldn't help but sigh.
After all, he'd watched with his own eyes as Higashino Shuuichi went from a completely ordinary, mediocre-talent commoner shinigami—someone for whom achieving Bankai would've been the finish line—to this, step by step.
He might've missed some time in the middle, but Higashino Shuuichi's experience could already be called a legend.
In Soul Society's long history, there had never been another commoner shinigami who could reach this level with the talent of fourth-class spirit potential.
And there might never be again.
If his personality allowed it, Urahara would've been quite willing to have a bout with Higashino Shuuichi.
But Urahara wasn't that kind of person.
This time, he'd already taken everything he wanted, and he'd already delivered all the information he wanted to deliver.
All that remained was to let the bullet fly for a while.
"Kidō: Jikan Teishi (Time Stop)!"
Tessai used that bug-like ability again.
An ability that even Aizen Sōsuke and Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni—shinigami standing at the peak of reiatsu—couldn't escape.
And one of the foundations that gave Urahara the confidence to carry out such a dangerous plan.
In that instant, the world lost its original colors again. Urahara—given "special care" by Tessai—gained the same freedom of movement within frozen time as Tessai himself.
"Are you really not bringing Muguruma Kensei and the others with us?"
Tessai glanced at Muguruma Kensei, and at Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō in Kensei's arms—still not recovered—his eyes holding an emotion that couldn't quite be named.
"No need," Urahara said, shaking his head. "Higashino Shuuichi isn't the type to kill indiscriminately. He won't do anything to Kensei and Rōjūrō."
Leaving Kensei and Rōjūrō here had been part of Urahara's plan from the start.
But what Urahara didn't expect was that in this world where only he and Tessai should've been able to move freely…
A familiar voice suddenly rang out.
"But when it comes to the ones who should die… I won't show mercy!"
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