"I've already said it—this concerns classified matters of the Seireitei. Forgive me, but I cannot disclose that information."
After speaking, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto called toward the door:
"Chōjirō, see our guests out."
"Yes, sir!"
Chōjirō Sasakibe slid open the wooden door, stepped inside, and gestured politely toward the corridor.
"Lord Kinemon, Lady Nobume—this way, please."
"You senile old—!"
Nobume, enraged at being dismissed so bluntly, began to curse—but Kinemon stopped her before she could finish.
"Captain-Commander Yamamoto!"
Kinemon rose and walked toward the exit, speaking meaningfully as he went:
"You may be the strongest Shinigami in the past thousand years—but don't forget who supported you when you first founded the Gotei Thirteen!
Let me give you one final warning: that remnant of the Fūma clan—you may shield him for a time, but not for a lifetime. Even if Zero Division were to intervene, they wouldn't be able to protect him. That's my word!"
"Hmph."
Yamamoto snorted lightly, not even sparing them a glance. He calmly lifted his teacup, took a sip, and after exhaling the fragrant steam, sighed:
"Excellent tea."
"..."
Kinemon showed no reaction. Indifferently, he said to Nobume: "We're leaving."
"I understand."
Nobume sheathed her short blade Tonbokiri into her sleeve, then raised her left hand forward, palm open. A golden Royal Seal appeared in her palm, radiating brilliant light into the dim corridor.
With a sharp whoosh, a golden arched gate materialized out of thin air. Space trembled slightly as the gate slowly opened, revealing a narrow gravel path beyond.
"Captain-Commander Yamamoto, farewell. If you continue opposing the Royal Clan, I doubt it will be long before we meet again…"
Though Kinemon's figure vanished behind the golden archway, his chilling voice echoed through the Captain-Commander's residence:
"And next time, it will be a punitive force composed of Royal Clan elites who descend upon Soul Society! Just you wait and see!"
Snap!
The golden gate closed after the two departed, and the corridor returned to normal—as if nothing had ever happened.
"Chōjirō!"
Yamamoto's eyes remained fixed on the spot where they had disappeared as he suddenly spoke:
"Immediately urge Captain Shiba and the advance unit to depart for the Human World! I… have a premonition that a great event is about to occur there!"
"Understood!"
Sasakibe's heart trembled at the order. He hurriedly left the compound, heading toward the Tenth Division barracks.
"Mm… In merely a thousand years, has the Royal Clan fallen so low that they can no longer tolerate even their own blood relatives?"
Yamamoto's deep eyes glimmered like embers in the darkness. He raised his gaze slightly toward the crescent moon hanging high in the night sky and pondered:
"As expected… we can no longer allow the Royal Clan to continue hunting down the collateral bloodline of the Soul King. If something were to happen to the Soul King in the Royal Palace, the Seireitei would not even have a substitute prepared…
It seems necessary to remind the operatives of Zero Division to restrain the Royal Clan's activities. If this continues… the world itself risks collapsing once more."
…
The scene shifts again, crossing space and time to Las Noches at the very center of Hueco Mundo—
Seated leisurely upon a high throne, Sōsuke Aizen rested his chin against his left hand while rhythmically tapping the armrest with his right.
"My Espada!"
Aizen's calm gaze swept down the long staircase and settled upon a long table below. Seated along both sides were ten Arrancar of varying forms—the new Espada he had created using the Hōgyoku:
The ten Arrancar with the greatest killing capability, selected from among the many Menos of Hueco Mundo.
Ranked from "0" to "9," they possessed authority over all Arrancar numbered 11 and below.
Before Aizen conquered Hueco Mundo, the recognized Espada were ranked from "1" to "10"—a system established by the King of Hueco Mundo, Baraggan Louisenbairn.
However, after Aizen's arrival, Baraggan was reduced from King of Hueco Mundo to the Segunda Espada, while the usually solitary natural Arrancar Coyote Starrk became the Primera Espada.
As for the original Espada—some died, some fled, and the few who remained were reassigned numbers according to Aizen's rules. Ranked from highest to lowest, they were:
No. 1 — Coyote Starrk
Vasto Lorde. Symbolizes loneliness. The only naturally self-evolved Arrancar.
No. 2 — Baraggan Louisenbairn
Vasto Lorde. Symbolizes aging. The former ruler of Hueco Mundo and a descendant of the Hollow King Byzantin Louisenbairn (Kazama Meguru).
No. 3 — Tier Harribel
Vasto Lorde. Symbolizes sacrifice. The only female among the Espada; other details unknown.
No. 4 — Ulquiorra Cifer
Vasto Lorde. Symbolizes emptiness. The only Espada capable of Segunda Etapa (second-stage Resurrección), and a naturally half-Arrancar being.
No. 5 — Nnoitra Gilga
Adjuchas. Symbolizes despair. Formerly ranked No. 8; later rose to No. 5 after conspiring with the No. 8 Espada to ambush Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck.
No. 6 — Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez
Adjuchas. Symbolizes destruction. A Hollow who evolved into an Adjuchas over a long period of time.
No. 7 — Zommari Rureaux
Adjuchas. Symbolizes intoxication. Claimed to possess the fastest movement speed among the Espada.
No. 8 — Szayelaporro Granz
Adjuchas (true form: Vasto Lorde). Symbolizes madness. So mad that he split himself in two, causing his power to regress from Vasto Lorde to Adjuchas, dropping from the original No. 0 Espada to No. 8.
No. 9 — Aaroniero Arruruerie
Gillian. Symbolizes greed. The only Espada in the new ranking to have evolved from a Gillian-class Menos.
No. 10 — Yammy Llargo
Adjuchas. Symbolizes rage. Known as the "Rage Beast" of No. 0—a brute who is nothing but raw strength, a "castrated version of the Hulk."
…
Returning to the main story:
After Aizen called out, "My Espada," the ten seated along the stone table lifted their heads and turned inquisitive gazes toward him on the throne.
"There are guests visiting outside Las Noches. You may withdraw for now."
Aizen spoke casually, shifting his eyes toward the palace entrance. Two unfamiliar men stepped out from a golden arched gate.
With a soft rustle, the Espada departed one by one. Soon, the vast hall of Las Noches was left with only Sōsuke Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, and the two unexpected visitors.
One of the men was tall and thin like a bamboo pole; the other short and fat like a water barrel. Both wore ceremonial divine robes—one black, one white—and each carried a short-handled tachi at their waist.
"Oh my? Aren't you Lords Raizō and Kanjuro, attendants of the Royal Clan?" Gin asked with a smile. "What strange wind has blown you all the way to Hueco Mundo?"
"Aizen Sōsuke…"
The tall, gaunt Raizō stared up at Aizen with narrow triangular eyes and spoke in a coarse voice:
"When exactly do you intend to begin your assault on the Royal Palace?"
"Ah… so that's what brings you here."
Aizen smiled faintly and stopped tapping the armrest of his throne.
"My answer is… soon."
"Soon?"
The short, stout Kanjuro frowned and barked:
"What do you mean 'soon'? Aizen, explain exactly what you mean by 'soon'!"
"'Soon' means…"
The smile on Aizen's face deepened.
"Gin, perhaps you'd like to explain."
"Yes, yes, I understand…"
Gin narrowed his eyes at Raizō and Kanjuro and said with a grin:
"So, what 'soon' means is… Shoot them down, Shinsō."
...
Drop some POWERSTONES to push the story forward!
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin