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Boom.
A deafening blast tore through the air.
In an instant, the entire scene was swallowed by a flood of blazing red light.
Kisuke Urahara's expression froze.
Hit directly by the attack, he fell like a kite with its string cut.
Just like that… he might have been taken out.
Kisuke Urahara's Shop.
"Hahahahaha…"
"Seriously? Taken out the moment you appear? Boss, you did that on purpose, right? Didn't know you had such a talent for comedy!" Sargaki Hiyori burst into laughter, unable to hold it in as she watched the scene on the glowing screen.
To be fair, Urahara's entrance had been pretty cool.
But what good was that?
He didn't even get a single line before getting blasted off-screen. That was beyond background character level. That was background character of the background characters. Absolutely embarrassing.
"But hang on…"
"When did you sneak off to film a movie? Don't tell me—don't tell me you're trying to become a celebrity?"
Hiyori laughed so hard she nearly cried.
As his friend of over a hundred years, seeing Urahara fall flat on his face was one of her greatest joys.
But.
Instead of reacting to her snark, Urahara ignored her completely. His eyes were locked on the upper right corner of the screen, his expression unusually serious.
That look wasn't normal.
Hiyori blinked, realizing something was wrong.
"Boss, what's with the face? That's not like you." She slapped his shoulder lightly. His silence was making her uncomfortable.
"Hiyori, look carefully. There's another figure in the top right corner." Urahara pointed. At the spot where his finger hovered, a large, blurry black silhouette could be seen.
"You mean…"
"First, I never filmed anything. I have absolutely no memory of whatever is happening in this video."
"Second…"
"That red flash from earlier had a brutal, savage pressure inside it. Doesn't it feel like a Cero's spiritual pressure?" Kisuke explained, then voiced what had been bothering him.
"No way. You're saying… you were attacked by a Hollow?" After years of working together, Hiyori understood immediately. Her eyes widened.
"It's very likely."
"This light screen is incredible. Just through the video, you can actually feel the strength and texture of the spiritual pressure. It's unbelievable." Urahara's voice carried genuine awe.
For a moment, when the red blast erupted, he had felt as if he were actually there. As if the explosion had occurred right in front of him.
And inside that red flash, the wild, frenzied spiritual pressure…
It was unmistakably Hollow.
"Boss, what the hell is going on?" Hiyori was completely confused now.
Part of her wondered if Urahara was messing with her.
Maybe this was just some new tech he'd invented.
But Urahara's reaction, and what he had just said, had no flaws at all.
Hiyori replayed the image in her head.
He was right. The red light really did feel like Hollow spiritual pressure.
Could it be…
Had Urahara fought a Hollow before, and someone had recorded it by coincidence?
Meanwhile.
5th Division, underground facility.
The atmosphere here was just as eerie as the shop.
"Aizen-taicho…"
"That was a Bala, right? Don't tell me the Espada invaded the human world on their own?" Gin Ichimaru dropped his foxlike grin. For once, he sounded genuinely confused.
That shouldn't be possible.
As the overseer of Hueco Mundo, he interacted with the Arrancar regularly. Those bloodthirsty maniacs acted like they owned the place and didn't even respect him most of the time, but they still wouldn't dare disobey Aizen.
Without Aizen's order…
There was no way the Arrancar, let alone an Espada, would invade the human world. And definitely not to fight Kisuke Urahara.
So what exactly was this video?
"Aah, Gin…"
"It seems we misjudged Mayuri. He wasn't the one behind this." Aizen's lips curved into a meaningful smile, his eyes brightening.
Kisuke Urahara.
He had been tracking Urahara for a while. Still, seeing him appear like this was a pleasant surprise.
"If I had to guess, this light screen is probably one of his new inventions. But knowing him, he wouldn't provoke us for no reason." Aizen analyzed calmly, trying to decipher Urahara's intentions.
"Besides…"
"The Arrancar haven't left Hueco Mundo even once. That much is certain."
Aizen spoke with complete confidence.
He was used to controlling everything. The idea that his Arrancar would act without permission wasn't even worth considering.
Just then, the screen changed again.
"Guhahaha…"
"Shinigami, listen up. That attack just now was called Bala. It compresses spiritual pressure into an explosive blast. It's twenty times faster than a Cero."
Yammy, wearing his long white coat, grinned wildly. His huge fist glowed with red spiritual pressure.
Punch after punch.
He launched Bala after Bala, flattening the area where Urahara had fallen.
"That's… Yammy?!"
"What is going on? An Espada actually taking the lead to invade the human world?" Tosen Kaname, who hadn't spoken at all until now, couldn't contain his anger. His hand tightened around his Zanpakuto.
Disobeying Aizen's orders.
Invading Karakura Town on their own.
This was, in his mind, unforgivable.
"Wait."
"Tosen, don't jump to conclusions. Look carefully. Besides Yammy, Loly and Wonderweiss are also there."
Aizen cut him off, his tone cold.
His gaze was fixed on the blond Arrancar standing on the left side of the screen.
Wonderweiss Margela.
The Fire Suppression Prince. Able to absorb flames.
In the Arrancar army, his importance was second only to the Espada. Aizen had created him specifically to counter Yamamoto.
Aizen valued him highly. He had only recently completed Wonderweiss's transformation using a prototype Hogyoku, and ordered him to remain inside Las Noches at all times.
As the natural enemy of Ryujin Jakka…
There was no way Aizen would let Wonderweiss reveal himself unless the moment was critical.
Compared to Yammy's appearance…
Aizen was far more interested in why Wonderweiss was there.
"Hm?"
Gin's sudden noise snapped Aizen out of his thoughts.
"Look. Urahara's still alive."
On the screen—
Just as Yammy was celebrating, Urahara suddenly appeared behind him. Not only unharmed, but already launching a counterattack.
His Zanpakuto, Benihime, sliced through the air.
A sharp sound like birdsong rang out, followed by a violent explosion across Yammy's body.
The arrogant brute…
Was now charred from head to toe, his skin covered in black scorch marks. His swagger evaporated instantly, replaced with a pathetic, battered state.
Hueco Mundo.
Blue sky. Drifting white clouds.
Inside the largest hall of Las Noches, Yammy's furious roar echoed.
"Damn it! Why isn't that bastard dead!"
"And there's no way I'm that weak!"
He punched the nearby wall, enraged by the sight of himself beaten to a pulp on the massive screen.
He had tried to act cool.
And got blown up in response.
There was nothing more humiliating.
"..."
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