The moment Shiba Isshin shouted his Bankai, the Medallion in Quilge's hand activated.
A power completely different from a Soul Reaper's spiritual pressure surged from the Medallion.
It precisely cut into the soul link between him and his Zanpakuto, directly severing their internal connection.
Shiba Isshin's Bankai was forcibly stripped away, and his spiritual pressure collapsed in an instant.
The flames on Engetsu's blade completely extinguished, and the blade reverted to its unreleased state, losing its luster.
Caught off guard, he was immediately knocked down to one knee by Jerome's sonic shockwave.
Quilge gave him no chance to stand up. Condensing a Reishi short sword once again, he slashed directly at Shiba Isshin's right shoulder.
The blade tore through the Shihakusho, biting into flesh and carving out a massive wound.
The pain pierced to the bone, and Shiba Isshin let out a roar of agony.
However, the physical pain could not conceal the sheer shock in his heart.
'How could my Bankai suddenly disappear?'
At this moment, Shiba Isshin noticed the Medallion in the enemy's hand, and an unbelievable thought arose in his mind.
'Did the enemy use some method to seal my Bankai?'
Shiba Isshin looked at the Medallion in Quilge's hand, his pupils dilating.
'No, my Bankai was stolen...'
Quilge planted another kick squarely on his chest, sending him flying backward.
Just as Quilge was preparing to deliver the finishing blow, a new spiritual pressure appeared within his sensing range.
It was another captain-level spiritual pressure, and it was approaching at high speed.
Quilge frowned, glancing at Shiba Isshin, who still had some fight left in him.
The plan had failed. They had been played by Aizen. Continuing this tangled fight would do more harm than good, especially since they had already lost one man.
Quilge retracted his short sword, looked at the Medallion in his hand, and then shot a glance at Shiba Isshin.
'To think he can still stand after taking this level of injury.'
Having lost the will to fight any further, Quilge looked at his two companions and issued the order to retreat.
"Retreat."
"Don't run!"
Shiba Isshin gritted his teeth and dashed forward, attempting to stall the enemies one last time.
Quilge snorted coldly, activating his Schrift ability.
He used his Schrift to condense a final cage, trapping the charging Shiba Isshin inside, before signaling Jerome and Royd to grab Berenice's corpse.
The figures of the group sank into the edge of the Shadow Realm and disappeared from sight.
By the time Hasumi Ren arrived, only a mess was left at the cave entrance.
Shiba Isshin was trapped inside a Reishi cage. The wound on his right shoulder was still seeping blood, and his face was pale.
He could hardly even grip the Zanpakuto in his hand anymore.
"It's the captain of the Eleventh Division. Don't worry about me, go chase the enemy first! They are Quincies."
"Be careful, they can steal Bankai."
Looking at the heavily injured Shiba Isshin collapsed on the ground, Hasumi Ren sighed.
"The enemies have already fled far away. I can't sense their spiritual pressure."
"I'd better save you first. Any later, and you'll lose your life."
Hearing this, Shiba Isshin sighed, though his heart also felt a sense of relief.
"I hope I can hold on until I reach the Fourth Division."
"Hold on for what? I can handle this."
Hearing this, Shiba Isshin looked at Hasumi Ren in surprise.
"Aren't you from the Eleventh Division..."
"Never mind that. Just watch and see if I can cure you or not."
Shiba Isshin pursed his lips, then reached out and knocked on the bars of the Reishi cage.
"But this cage seems pretty hard to open. I slashed at it a few times just now to no avail. Do you have any ideas?"
Seeing Hasumi Ren approach, Shiba Isshin asked with a hoarse voice.
Hasumi Ren squatted down and pressed his hand against the surface of the cage.
The Reishi structure of the Quincies was completely different from the barrier spells of Soul Reapers.
Hasumi Ren studied it for a moment, recalling the ability of this cage: Schrift J, The Jail.
This kind of cage was inherently a closed Reishi circulatory system. The only way to break it was to breach it from the inside using the power of a fellow Quincy.
In the original storyline, it was this exact cage that trapped Kurosaki Ichigo, confining him within the Dangai.
No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't break free. In the end, it forcefully drew out the Quincy power within Ichigo to burst it open.
However, for Hasumi Ren, this was easy to handle.
"Chain the boundless, silence all laws, Garenge."
After his Zanpakuto achieved Shikai, it automatically began analyzing the ability of Schrift J. A moment later, the analysis was successful.
Hasumi Ren inserted his Zanpakuto. Under Shiba Isshin's astonished gaze, he sliced the Reishi cage into pieces as easily as cutting tofu.
Shiba Isshin broke free from it, looking at Hasumi Ren with eyes full of gratitude.
Hasumi Ren had arrived just in time. Not only did he force the Quincies to retreat and save his life, but he also freed him from his predicament.
"Thank you. You've been a huge help."
Hasumi Ren nodded, turning his head to look around.
His gaze fell upon the entrance of the abandoned mountain cave.
He was naturally familiar with this place—Aizen's secret laboratory.
Aizen had cleared out far too cleanly. So clean that it felt like he had intentionally left an empty shell for certain people to discover.
Hasumi Ren withdrew his gaze and let out a deep breath.
Hasumi Ren pressed his hand onto Shiba Isshin's right shoulder, and the pale green glow of healing Kido lit up from his palm.
The wound was deep. The Reishi short sword had cut into the gap between the shoulder blade and the collarbone, almost injuring the apex of the lung.
Using his fingertips to guide the thin streams of healing spiritual pressure, Hasumi Ren began repairing the bone, then the tendons, and finally the skin.
Shiba Isshin turned his head to look at his own shoulder.
That bone-deep wound was shrinking at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The shattered tendon fibers realigned, the torn blood vessels began to fuse together, and new granulation tissue grew from the edges of the skin, covering it layer by layer.
Before long, the wound was reduced to a faint scar, no longer hindering normal movement.
Such healing ability was simply unheard of to Shiba Isshin.
"Alright. Go back to the Fourth Division for another check-up later. My field treatment isn't that meticulous."
"This isn't meticulous? You..." Shiba Isshin stared with wide eyes. "Aren't you the Kenpachi of the Eleventh Division?"
"Yes."
"Then how do you know this level of healing Kido? This has to be at least at the level of a senior seated officer of the Fourth Division..."
"I used to be the vice-captain of the Fourth Division."
"Oh, oh, so you were a vice-captain."
Shiba Isshin opened his mouth, then closed it.
'Wait, something doesn't seem right here?'
He looked down at his shoulder, then up at Hasumi Ren's expressionless face.
Holding it in for a long time, he finally squeezed out a sentence.
"Then how did you become Kenpachi?"
Hasumi Ren ignored him.
"Can you walk?"
"Yes."
Shiba Isshin gripped Engetsu tightly, using the ground to prop himself up.
His face was still a bit pale, but he stood very steadily.
"Thank you so much for today. I will definitely visit to thank you properly later."
"No need. Kaien and I are well-acquainted. Captain Isshin doesn't need to be so polite."
Shiba Isshin froze for a moment.
"You're on good terms with Kaien?"
"Yeah, we've known each other since the Spiritual Arts Academy. Although he didn't mention you often, you share the same surname, so it wasn't hard to guess."
Shiba Isshin paused for a moment before bursting into laughter.
He reached up to wipe the blood and sweat from his face, looking at Hasumi Ren.
"Next time you're free, come to the Rukongai and hang out."
"Alright."
Hasumi Ren escorted Shiba Isshin back to the Seireitei.
Inside the First Division's main assembly hall, the atmosphere was even heavier than during the war council.
Yamamoto Shigekuni sat upright in the head seat, and the captains on both sides were all present.
Shiba Isshin stood in the center, recounting the entire process of how the Medallion stole his Bankai from beginning to end.
From encountering the four Quincies, to suppressing Quilge with his Shikai, to having his power forcibly stripped away the moment he activated Bankai, and finally being trapped in the Reishi cage—he didn't miss a single detail.
"One thing is certain."
Shiba Isshin said with a grave expression.
"The Quincies have most likely mastered some kind of technology specifically targeting Bankai. The moment the enemy's ability activated, I could no longer feel the presence of my Zanpakuto."
"Right now, my Engetsu is only capable of Shikai. The sword spirit's most basic response has completely vanished."
For a time, no one spoke in the meeting room. Everyone's expressions were incredibly grim.
This news was far too shocking for them.
The loss of Bankai meant that a captain lost the core ability they relied upon.
"The combat plan must be adjusted."
Kyoraku broke the silence.
"If a captain's Bankai is stolen, their combat power is drastically compromised. We don't even know if the enemy can use the stolen Bankai."
He looked up at Shiba Isshin.
"When your Bankai was taken, what was the opponent's reaction? Did they need an incantation, a hand gesture, or was it activated instantly?"
"Instantly activated, without any preparatory movements. The moment I shouted Bankai, the opponent... seemed to be holding something in his hand, like a badge or something."
Kyoraku exhaled and continued speaking.
"As for whether we can fight or not, we can. A captain's combat power, even using only Shikai, is above that of a Quincy."
"Captain Shiba suppressed the opponent head-on while in his Shikai state. This is what we have seen."
"The problem is that with Bankai being stolen, all our tactics have to be scrapped and rebuilt. Our advantage is now gone."
At this moment, Hikifune Kirio looked up.
"But... our pre-war deployment is already mostly complete."
"The personnel assignments for each division have been finalized. The entrance portal will open in the next day or two, and Mayuri Kurotsuchi has already calibrated the spells to the final round."
"If we postpone the operation now, it would mean throwing away all our previous preparatory work. Delaying will only give the enemy more time to reinforce their defenses."
Hikifune Kirio looked at Shiba Isshin.
"Lastly, there is one more question."
"Captain Shiba, how many of those devices capable of stealing Bankai does the enemy possess?"
"Uncertain. Of the several people I faced, only one held a Medallion. The others didn't use one."
"Which means it's uncertain if they are fully equipped with it. It's possible that only a minority possess them."
Hikifune Kirio turned to Yamamoto.
"Head Captain, my recommendation is not to delay the operation."
"All Bankai use should be prohibited. Instead, we should adjust the tactical assignments of each echelon based entirely on Shikai combat."
"At this critical juncture, seizing the initiative in time is more important than seeking absolute safety."
"However, Captain Shiba needs to come to the Twelfth Division immediately for a comprehensive examination. His Bankai was stolen, but the soul link cannot completely disappear; there will always be residual fluctuations left behind."
"If we can find a way to crack the Medallion, we can take this trump card back."
Kyoraku Shunsui nodded; he also agreed with Hikifune Kirio's plan.
"It seems now that the Quincies have been scheming against the Soul Society for a long time, and this time, they have come fully prepared."
"If Captain Shiba hadn't bumped into those Quincies during his patrol, who knows how massive our losses would have been during the frontal assault."
Yamamoto closed his eyes and remained silent for a long time.
His cane tapped lightly against the stone floor.
"Approved. Shiba Isshin is to head to the Twelfth Division immediately for examination. Hikifune Kirio will take charge and strive to find a countermeasure as quickly as possible."
"All units will prepare to invade according to the original schedule. The use of Bankai by all captains is placed under the prohibition protocol."
"Given that the Quincies possess such deceitful abilities, I will personally lead the frontal assault this time to thoroughly exterminate them."
As Yamamoto's authoritative words fell, the captains all rallied their spirits.
With the Head Captain preparing to make a move, the Quincies were certainly in for a terrifying awakening this time.
The Wandenreich, Silbern.
Quilge knelt on one knee in the center of the war room.
His left arm was wrapped in bandages, and his combat uniform still bore the scorch marks left by Engetsu.
Berenice's corpse, wrapped in white cloth, was laid to rest in a side room.
Jerome and Royd stood behind Quilge, both bearing varying degrees of injuries.
Haschwalth looked at them, his brow tightly furrowed.
"The mission failed."
"Yes."
Quilge lowered his head.
"Aizen's former laboratory had been completely emptied, leaving no usable intelligence behind. We fell into his trap."
"Not long after we arrived, we encountered a Soul Reaper patrol squad. It was led by a newly appointed captain with formidable strength. Berenice unfortunately fell in battle, but we obtained a piece of critical intelligence."
He took out the Medallion that still retained the spiritual pressure of Shiba Isshin's Bankai.
On the surface of the silver badge, a crimson spiritual pattern was slowly circulating.
"The four of us besieged and engaged this new captain. Unable to match us, the opponent prepared to activate his Bankai."
"I used the Medallion to steal his Bankai in an instant. I can confirm that the Medallion is entirely effective against a Soul Reaper's Bankai."
Hearing this, Haschwalth turned around and took the Medallion circulating with crimson spiritual patterns from Quilge's hand.
He inspected it for a moment before handing it back to Quilge.
"Very well. The practical combat effectiveness of the Medallion has been verified. From this moment on, the entire Sternritter will be fully equipped with Medallions."
"When all combatants engage the Soul Reapers, the priority will be to steal their Bankai with the Medallions. We no longer need to fear the Soul Reaper captains who possess Bankai."
He looked at Quilge.
"Berenice's remains will be buried according to the order's regulations. The three of you return to your squad to rest. Once you are re-equipped, return to your defensive positions immediately and remain vigilant against a sudden attack from the Soul Reapers."
Quilge bowed his head to accept the order, then stood up and retreated.
Haschwalth walked up to the Reishi projection, tracing an arc with his finger between several marked points around the Seireitei.
The main forces of the Soul Reapers were assembling. The opening of the entrance to the Shadow Realm was less than a day away.
He pressed the communicator.
"All personnel, enter combat readiness state. All defensive units, deploy according to your predetermined positions. Remain vigilant against Soul Reaper reconnaissance and invasion."
"Once the Soul Reapers breach the entrance, the first defensive line will be responsible for stalling the invasion forces, while the second and third lines will systematically contract."
"If you encounter Yamamoto Shigekuni, do not engage him head-on. You cannot withstand his Ryujin Jakka."
"Upon encountering him, retreat immediately and leave him for me to handle."
With that, Haschwalth cut the communication.
The cold light cast upon his face, carving his expression into sharp, distinct angles.
'Lord Yhwach...'