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The image slowly faded out.
It froze on the moment right after Senju Kōtentai Cannon exploded.
Endless firelight.
It swallowed the entire sky.
The destructive energy looked like it was about to spill out of the screen.
Then the picture turned pitch black.
Across every corner of the Soul Society, countless people still hadn't come back to their senses.
Some were trembling.
Some had collapsed to the ground.
All of them felt as if they had just survived that massive explosion in person.
The realism of it almost left a permanent shadow in their minds.
Karakura Town.
Inside Urahara's shop.
"Holy crap…"
"Boss, you were insane out there! That finger strike pose alone was ridiculously cool!" Tessai Tsukabishi danced around in excitement, yelling like a maniac.
Sure, he and Urahara Kisuke clown on each other all the time, trading snark and insults.
But the way the enemy turned to ash the moment the boss lifted a hand?
It had Tessai's blood boiling.
He was practically ready to burst into flames.
"Ohohoho…"
"Tessai, now you finally see how amazing I am, right?" Urahara tilted his nose upward and waved his fan with smug satisfaction. "Senju Kōtentai Cannon is just one of my many techniques. Honestly, it's a pretty standard one…"
"It's just a shame the video stopped there."
"Otherwise I could have kept showing off."
Urahara sighed with genuine regret.
To be honest, even as the person being showcased, he got carried away watching it. For a moment it felt like he had stepped onto a global stage, and it was downright addictive.
"Yeah, it is kind of a shame…" Tessai nodded. "From start to finish you only showed Shikai and a Kido spell. If you had shown Benihime's Bankai too, the whole Soul Society would be losing its mind!"
"Well, that's true…"
"But Tessai, what you just said reminded me of something."
Now that the excitement had worn off, Urahara's expression turned serious.
He rubbed his chin, eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"Back to the original question. What exactly are these battle scenes?"
"Why did Kurosaki Isshin regain his Shinigami powers?"
"Why am I fighting beside him and Miss Yoruichi?"
"And who is that cocooned humanoid creature trying to break through dimensions?"
One question after another.
He had assumed the video might give him some clues.
Instead, after watching it, his thoughts were even more tangled.
"Well… I'm not sure either."
Tessai pouted and shrugged helplessly.
After watching the video, he was certain of one thing: none of this was one of Urahara's pranks. It was a sudden accident.
Realizing that made his scalp tingle.
If even Urahara couldn't find a single flaw in it, then whoever edited the footage and projected the mysterious screen… must be terrifying.
Right then.
The shop's phone suddenly rang.
"Who is that!"
Both of them jumped in place.
As if electrified, they slowly turned toward the ringing phone.
"Huh… this number is Isshin's clinic."
Urahara glanced at the caller ID and quickly picked up.
Sure enough, the moment the call connected, Kurosaki Isshin's furious roar blasted through the speaker.
"Urahara Kisuke!"
"You better explain yourself!"
"When did I regain my Shinigami powers?"
"And that whole battle. When the hell did that happen!"
"What is going on here!"
Even through the phone, the sheer intensity of Isshin's shouting made his panic obvious.
Clearly, after finishing the first ranking video, Ichigo's cheap dad was still completely confused.
"You saw the video too?" Urahara asked, not bothering to calm him down first.
"What do you think! Why else would I call! Stop changing the subject and explain! Is this your prank or not!"
"Of course I get blamed again…" Urahara sighed. "Isshin, even if I tell you it has nothing to do with me, I know you wouldn't believe me right now."
"So it really wasn't you?"
"If you don't believe me, come look for yourself. The mysterious screen appeared here too." Urahara scratched his head.
Anyone else would be celebrating being featured in the ranking.
He wasn't in the mood at all.
Instead, he couldn't shake the sense that something suspicious was going on.
There was silence on the other end.
After a long moment, Isshin finally spoke.
"Fine, I'm coming over. I don't think this is simple. We should talk in person."
"I agree completely. Hurry over."
They both ended the call feeling the same way.
"Boss, don't overthink it. The ranking just started. There are still fourteen slots left. Aren't you curious who's ahead of you?"
Tessai had already recovered.
After a moment of worry, curiosity took over.
Who was number fourteen?
Who else would appear?
He was excited and full of anticipation.
As Urahara's partner, he was absolutely convinced he would appear on the list too.
Meanwhile.
Inside Las Noches.
"Tch…"
"So the Shinigami aren't all trash after all. With Kido like that, this guy Urahara Kisuke definitely deserves a top fifteen slot."
Grimmjow shoved one hand into his pocket.
Under his sky blue hair, his expression still carried a hint of shock.
Like most people, he had been frightened by that explosion. He had only just recovered.
"Grimmjow, were you scared?" Nnoitra mocked from across the hall.
"Scared? Please. Look at you. Your face is pale. You're the last person who gets to talk." Grimmjow glared back.
"If you don't like it, fight me."
"Sure. Bring it."
The fifth and sixth Espada, the two most arrogant ones, looked seconds away from throwing punches.
At that moment, the skeletal king sitting above them finally spoke.
"Enough."
"You two should stop. This is not the time to bicker."
Barragan's cold snort echoed through the hall, carrying the crushing authority of a former king.
"Whatever…"
Grimmjow and Nnoitra both clicked their tongues.
After shooting each other one last hostile glance, they shut their mouths.
Arrogance was one thing.
Actively seeking death was another.
They both knew exactly how strong Barragan was.
With Aizen absent and Starrk lazing around as usual, Barragan was unquestionably the dominant force in the Arrancar ranks.
Pissing him off was never a smart move.
Once the argument died down, silence returned to the hall.
Barragan continued, his voice low and heavy.
"With Aizen still away, all we can do for now is keep watching."
"Agreed."
"We wait and see."
Ulquiorra lifted his head.
His green eyes reflected the blank screen.
"The ranking has only just begun."
"I believe that within the top fifteen, the Espada will definitely appear."
"..."
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