Shiba Kūkaku led the group straight into her workshop.
The interior resembled a massive factory—its vast space crammed with bizarre mechanical components, scattered blueprints, and half-assembled contraptions. The air was thick with a pungent mixture of machine oil, gunpowder, and drifting spirit particles.
At the center stood an enormous cannon-like device.
Its barrel was grotesquely oversized, engraved with intricate Kidō runes that pulsed faintly with light, dominating the entire workshop with an overwhelming presence.
"Listen up!"
Kūkaku planted her hands on her hips, pointed her pipe toward the cannon, and grinned proudly.
"This is the Katen Kyōkotsu Cannon I developed. Combined with a special Spirit Orb Core, it'll fire you straight into the Seireitei—just like cannonballs."
She shot them a smug look.
"Well? Shocked yet?"
"…I don't really feel shocked, Ichigo-kun."
Inoue Orihime tilted her head and muttered honestly.
"Yeah," Ichigo whispered back, scratching his cheek. "She kinda feels unreliable…"
Having grown up in the Human World, modern aircraft and heavy artillery were nothing new to them. Compared to what they'd seen on TV, Kūkaku's grand reveal didn't quite land as intended.
"Ahem—Kūkaku," Yoruichi said quickly, transforming back into her human form. "You really should visit the Human World sometime. Things have advanced a lot over the past few centuries."
Silence.
A vein pulsed visibly on Kūkaku's forehead.
"So that's how it is, huh?"
She exhaled sharply, then straightened, her expression turning serious.
"You brats really think the Seireitei is only protected by that ring of Seirei Wall?"
She jabbed her pipe toward the distant sky.
"Then you're dead wrong."
To emphasize her point, Kūkaku continued grimly.
"The Seirei Wall is constructed from a rare Soul Society mineral known as Sasshōseki."
"The troublesome thing about it is that it constantly emits waves that neutralize spiritual power."
"If a being made of spirit particles slams into it…" She paused. "…you'll be broken down and scattered into dust."
Her grin returned, sharp and fearless.
"Still not scared?"
"What?!" Ichigo and the others stiffened, faces paling.
"Exactly!" Kūkaku snapped her fingers. "That's why you need this."
She pointed to the massive Spirit Orb Core.
"It shields your spiritual bodies from the Sasshōseki's effects. And with my cannon, I'll blast you straight through the Seirei Wall—breaking in from the sky!"
She clapped her hands decisively.
"Questions? No? Good. Let's move!"
The plan was finalized on the spot.
The colossal Katen Kyōkotsu Cannon was hauled outdoors, its barrel raised high and aligned with the pristine white Seirei Wall in the distance.
The Spirit Orb Core—large enough to fit several people—was loaded into the muzzle.
"Inject spiritual power! Full output!"
Standing atop a platform like a battlefield commander, Kūkaku pointed her pipe at the cannon's core.
As spiritual power poured in, the Kidō runes ignited one by one, flooding the area with blinding light as a deep, thunderous hum echoed through the air.
"Get inside!" she barked.
Ichigo, Ishida, Sado Yasutora, Orihime, and Yoruichi rushed into the Spirit Orb Core.
Just as the hatch was about to close—
"Wait—!"
Kūkaku suddenly grabbed Ganju and shoved him inside.
"Hey! Sis—what the hell?!" Ganju yelled as the hatch slammed shut. "I said I won't go with Shinigami—!"
"Keep an eye on these idiots for me, Ganju!" Kūkaku's voice echoed through the cabin wall.
Inside, the cramped space forced everyone close together, the atmosphere instantly awkward.
Ganju turned away with a scowl, while Ichigo stared ahead, jaw clenched.
The cabin began to vibrate.
Outside, the roar of energy swelled—like a colossal beast awakening.
"All hands ready!"
Kūkaku's voice crackled through the transmission device.
"Katen Kyōkotsu Cannon—FIRE!"
She slammed the activation switch.
BOOM—!!!
For an instant, the world seemed to collapse into sound alone.
A blinding column of spirit-particle light tore through the sky, smashing into the Spirit Orb Core with overwhelming force.
The capsule transformed into a blazing golden meteor, ripping through the clouds and streaking toward the Seireitei with unstoppable momentum.
ZZZT—BOOM!!!
The collision was catastrophic.
The Seirei Wall rippled violently, like a vast lake struck by a falling star. The protective barrier twisted inward, its surface warping under the immense impact.
Inside the Spirit Orb Core, everyone was slammed back by brutal acceleration. Breathing became painful. Organs felt displaced.
The struggle lasted only a heartbeat.
Break… open!
Ichigo's silent roar echoed within the capsule.
Crack!
A clear, almost melodic shattering sound rang out.
Under the combined force of the cannon's spiritual pressure and the Spirit Orb Core's terrifying velocity, the supposedly indestructible Seirei Wall finally ruptured—an irregular gap tearing open as shattered energy flickered at its edges.
Like a bullet piercing water, the Spirit Orb Core shot through the opening and vanished into the skies above the Seireitei.
They made it.
But before relief could settle—
The capsule screamed.
The violent turbulence exceeded its limits. The Spirit Orb Core's shell groaned… then shattered apart midair.
"Watch out!"
"Hold on!"
"We're scattering!"
Their voices were swallowed by roaring wind.
Six figures were flung in different directions, tumbling through the Seireitei like leaves caught in a storm.
Dong… Dong… Dong—
The solemn toll of copper bells echoed across the entire Seireitei.
"Emergency alarm!"
"Emergency alarm!"
"Unauthorized intrusion detected within the Seireitei!"
"All divisions, assemble immediately!"
The shrill warning tore through the ongoing Captains' Meeting.
Before the final command even finished, the captains had already vanished—transforming into streaks of afterimages as they Shunpo'd toward their divisions, leaving behind crushing waves of spiritual pressure.
This unprecedented highest-level alert struck the Tenth Division Barracks like a thunderclap.
"Is that… the Thirteenth-Level Assembly Order?"
Uchiha Chisato rose abruptly, disbelief written across her face.
In her thirty years with the Tenth Division, she had only ever seen internal mobilizations for Hollow incursions. This level of alarm—
It was unheard of.
Then—
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion erupted nearby.
Smoke, debris, and shattered stone rained down as something crashed into a building not far from the barracks.
The ground trembled violently.
"What was that?!" Chisato's pupils shrank.
Without hesitation, she shot forward like an arrow.
"Old Man, I'll check it out!"
Her figure dissolved into an indigo blur, racing toward the smoke-filled impact zone.
Senya remained where he stood.
Within his deep, ancient eyes, a knowing glimmer flashed—gone in an instant.
As a Shinigami enthusiast, he knew exactly what had just occurred.
"So… it's finally begun."
His whisper was barely audible.
A faint, meaningful smile curved his lips—anticipation mixed with amusement.
After all these years…
He tilted his head slightly, gaze piercing through walls and distance alike, fixed on the source of the chaos.
His voice was soft—almost affectionate.
"Welcome to the Seireitei…"
"My beloved nephew."