At the same moment—
as Bai Chen and the Soul King's Right Hand clashed in a contest of spiritual power—
far above Seireitei,
the Royal Palace stirred.
The sudden manifestation of Mimihagi sent a ripple through the heavens.
Within the Soul King Palace—
the domain sealed behind seventy-two layered barriers,
the realm Aizen had schemed for centuries to reach—
five ancient presences gathered instantly inside the Hall of the Royal Guard.
"I never expected…"
"That the Soul King's Right Hand—lost to Rukongai thousands of years ago…"
"…would manifest again after so long."
Standing at the head,
Ichibē Hyōsube—the Monk Who Calls the Real Name—
folded his arms within his vast white mantle.
One hand idly toyed with the red prayer beads hanging at his chest,
yet his gaze was deep and solemn.
Among all beings of Soul Society,
he was older even than the Captain-Commander.
Leader of the Royal Guard.
Bearer of Ichimonji.
The one who named all things.
The administrator of the Shinigami world.
Because of that authority—
he alone sensed instantly
the disturbance erupting within the Thirteenth Division barracks.
"If I recall correctly…"
"Jūshirō Ukitake…"
"…is the vessel long chosen by Mimihagi."
From nearby,
Kirio Hikifune spoke with certainty.
Before her promotion to the Royal Guard,
she had once been Captain of the Twelfth Division—
and she had known Ukitake well.
His secret had never been hidden from her.
"You think Ukitake activated the Kamikake seal himself?"
"Offered his life so the Right Hand could descend?"
Perched lazily on his wooden sandals,
Tenjirō Kirinji snorted outright.
"Don't be ridiculous."
"This isn't wartime."
"For centuries Soul Society's been stable."
"No one in their right mind would choose ritual suicide now."
He waved the idea away.
Ukitake was gentle, optimistic—
not someone who would throw his life away without cause.
Which left only one possibility.
"…Someone interfered."
"Whatever their intent…"
"They awakened Mimihagi in the process."
Kirinji stroked his chin, frowning.
If it were medical treatment—
he would have known.
After all,
he himself had once taught Unohana the art of healing.
But when he learned Ukitake's lungs had been taken by the Soul King's Right Hand,
he abandoned any thought of curing him.
Anything tied to the Soul King—
was beyond mortal authority.
"So if it isn't healing…"
"What triggered the manifestation?"
He couldn't answer.
None of them could.
"No matter the cause,"
Ichibē said at last,
voice heavy with decree,
"from this moment onward, we remain vigilant."
"If events move toward loss of control…"
"…we intervene immediately."
His eyes flashed cold.
Because this involved the Soul King.
And if anyone dared covet that power—
the Royal Guard's judgment would be absolute.
Still—
if the disturbance subsided on its own,
they would not descend.
The Royal Guard did not reveal itself lightly.
But should matters escalate—
the culprit would face annihilation.
Thirteenth Division — Sealed Dojo
Within the tenfold Kidō barriers,
the clash had reached its peak.
"It's bad!!"
"Bai Chen's reiatsu is being suppressed!"
"The green light… it's turning black!"
"He's being swallowed!"
Outside the barrier,
Kaien and the others watched in horror.
The emerald spiritual torrent had once held equal ground—
but now it was collapsing.
Because the truth was simple:
Even weakened,
even incomplete,
even bound to a vessel—
the Soul King's Right Hand was still
a fragment of the Soul King.
A power Aizen himself sought his entire life.
"If this continues…"
"His reiatsu… his body… even his soul…"
"…will be assimilated by Mimihagi!"
Ukitake could only watch helplessly.
From the moment Mimihagi awakened,
he had lost control of his body.
He was now merely a vessel—
unable to move,
unable to intervene.
All he could do
was pray Bai Chen still held a final card.
Inside the clash—
Bai Chen's expression had turned grave.
"I underestimated the Soul King's power…"
"This is the absolute peak of the Bleach world…"
"My current reiatsu… is fundamentally inferior."
He admitted it plainly.
Without the regenerative support of the Ultimate Sage Body,
he would already have collapsed.
Now he finally understood—
why, in canon,
even after manifesting in Seireitei,
Mimihagi could still reach the Royal Palace
and attempt to devour Yhwach itself.
Because even a fragment
of the Soul King
stood beyond ordinary souls.
But Bai Chen had prepared.
"…Then the Three-Tomoe Sharingan begins its first true battle."
"And my opponent… is the Soul King's Right Hand."
As the emerald tide faltered—
his eyes opened fully.
Three-Tomoe Sharingan — Activate.
In an instant—
a surge of terrifying ocular power erupted from within his reiatsu.
The black oppression was blown apart.
Space inside the barrier warped.
Everyone froze.
When they forced themselves to look—
they saw it.
Before Bai Chen,
amid the fading green light—
a crimson radiance formed.
Dark red spiritual power condensed—
taking shape.
Within seconds—
three colossal rotating black tomoe
materialized in midair.
"What… is that?!"
"Those black tomoe… they have terrifying eye-power!"
"I can't even look at them directly—!"
"My mind… it feels like it's slipping—!"
Kaien staggered.
Even Ukitake trembled.
The tomoe radiated pure illusion authority.
"…No way…"
"…Is he trying to control Mimihagi?!"
The thought alone chilled them.
Because what they felt
was unmistakable—
the sensation of consciousness being seized.
As if their souls themselves
could be rewritten.
Within the barrier—
three colossal tomoe
faced the abyssal eye of the Soul King's Right Hand.
Illusion power
against divine fragment.
The struggle for dominion
had begun.
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