The agreement had been struck, but the transition from trans-dimensional entities to legal residents of Japan required more than just a handshake. Goto Ryuji leaned back in his chair, looking at the two brothers as they prepared to depart.
"There is the matter of your status," Goto said, "Since you've decided to stay, we will need to establish citizenship for both of you. As you both already know, In this world, a person without a record is a ghost, and ghosts cannot move freely. Despite what most think."
Grimmjow arched a blue eyebrow, his hands deep in his pockets, "Citizenship? Is that supposed to be easy to get? We aren't exactly from this country, you know."
Goto permitted himself a small, cold smile, "For the Draw Sword Guild, it is a matter of a few phone calls. We will bypass the usual years of red tape. However, your identities will be linked to official Hunter Identification Cards. These cards will list you as 'Special Consultants' associated with our guild. It is your pass for movement around Japan, access to restricted zones, and even simple transactions."
He paused with his eyes narrowing slightly as he observed their reactions, "This is, of course, assuming you don't already have ties to another nation or guild that would complicate your paperwork."
The two brothers shared a brief, silent look and a wordless exchange that felt like a secret language.
"No," Ulquiorra stated flatly as his green eyes meeting Goto's, "We have no ties to any nation of this world. We exist only where we stand."
Goto found the answer odd, training in the Amazon for a lifetime usually implies some form of nationality, but he didn't care to pull at that thread. As long as they were under his banner, their past was irrelevant.
"Alright then. In that case, there are some documents I'd like you both to sign. But first..."
———
Goto led them to a secondary wing of the headquarters. The room was massive, lined with reinforced carbon-fiber plating with the sound of high-end mana-sensors humming. In the center, a large, translucent orb was suspended by magnetic tethers, surrounded by dozens of monitors that displayed real-time energy fluctuations.
Grimmjow stood at the threshold with a deep frown etching into his face, "Is this really necessary?" he growled, "You've already seen what we do to your 'A-Rank' monsters. If you want to know if we're strong, just look at the rubble back at the gate."
Kanae, who was still nursing her bruised pride from earlier, shot him a sharp look. "Every hunter in Japan has a recorded rank. You can't just walk around as an unknown variable."
Goto's female assistant stepped forward, holding a tablet. "This isn't a test of your worth, Mr. Jaegerjaquez," she said politely. "It is to create a baseline record for the Association logs. We need to categorize the nature of your energy since our standard sensors couldn't pick you up earlier. This orb is designed to absorb and measure raw output."
Grimmjow scoffed, his eyes flickering with a dangerous light. He looked at the suspended orb, then back at Ulquiorra, who simply gave a minuscule nod of permission.
"Fine. Whatever," Grimmjow muttered, stepping toward the platform.
Grimmjow stepped onto the raised platform, his heavy boots echoing against the metallic floor. He stared at the translucent sphere, which hovered silently in its magnetic cradle.
'Okay, wow... This thing is actually pretty cool. It's got this weird, clinical hum to it.' He reached out, his fingers brushing the surface. 'Kinda cold to the touch, too. So... what exactly do I do here? Do I just inject a portion of my spirit energy into it, or is this thing supposed to read me automatically?'
He stood there for a long moment, simply resting his hand on the orb. Nothing happened. The monitors remained flat, showing a baseline of zero. Grimmjow blinked, feeling a bit ridiculous, and glanced back over his shoulder.
Ulquiorra was leaning against a support pillar with his arms crossed. He wasn't saying anything, but his flat, emerald stare was screaming: What the hell are you doing? Stop playing with the toy and finish the task.
'Fine, fine. Don't get your hollow-hole in a twist. Let's try adding a little spark to it then.' He thought.
Grimmjow closed his eyes and pushed. He didn't even try to release a burst; he simply allowed a microscopic fraction of his blue spirit energy to leak from his palm into the device.
CRACK.
The reaction was instantaneous. The orb didn't just glow; it erupted in a violent, blinding azure light that illuminated the entire laboratory. The monitors surrounding the platform flashed a panicked, blood-red [OVERLOAD] warning for a split second before the internal circuitry melted.
With a sound like shattering diamonds, the orb fractured and disintegrated, its shards raining down onto the floor in a sparkling heap of useless glass.
Grimmjow pulled his hand back, looking at the wreckage, then at his own palm. "Oh... kayyy," he muttered under his breath while thinking, 'What the hell? I only used a tiny bit of energy. Why did it break so fast? This world's tech is way more fragile than it looks.'
Goto stood in the observation area, his eyes narrowed as he looked at the smoking remains of a machine that cost millions of yen. "Hmmm... perhaps that wasn't the smartest thing to do," Goto remarked, though his voice lacked any real anger. It only had a deepened sense of intrigue, "Your energy is far more volatile than we anticipated."
He turned his gaze toward the Fourth Espada. "We will record the same result for Ulquiorra. There is no point in destroying a second machine today."
Ulquiorra gave a short, stiff nod. "What now?"
"Normally," Goto explained, "there would be a second evaluation, a combat trial to witness your specific skills and techniques. But given the display you just provided, the 'gravity-warping' technique you used earlier, and the carnage reported from the dungeon... that will suffice. We have seen enough to know where you stand."
The Espada brothers exchanged a look and nodded to Goto. They were officially documented.
A short while later, in a high-security office, the paperwork was finalized. The contracts were signed. The agreements were clear: they were independent allies, protected by the Draw Sword Guild, and bound only by the debt of their rescue and the promise of a worthy challenge.
Minoru led the two brothers out of the monolithic Guild headquarters and toward the VIP parking bay. This time, the elongated limousine was absent, much to the private disappointment of both Espadas. However, the vehicle waiting in its place was no downgrade. It was a bespoke, midnight-black Rolls-Royce Phantom.
'No limo? Man... wait, is that a Rolls? Okay, these Guild guys are officially loaded. This car probably costs more than the house we grew up in.' Grimmjow thought as he saw the sweet ride.
The ride through the streets of Tokyo was smooth, the car's suspension making it feel as though they were floating on a cloud. Despite the luxury, "Tell me, Minoru," Ulquiorra said, his voice cutting through the quiet hum of the engine. "Has there been anything as of recent that is considered an imminent threat to Japan?"
Minoru blinked, caught off guard. "What? Oh, you mean... the Gates?"
"No," Ulquiorra clarified, "I mean is there any current threat that Japan or the Asian continent is facing? A challenge that requires more than your usual 'S-Rank' solution."
Grimmjow glanced at his brother, immediately catching his drift. 'He's fishing for the Jeju Island lead. He wants to know if the 'Ants' are as bad as the rumors say.'
Minoru remained quiet for a long moment, debating how much to reveal to these "independent allies." Finally, he sighed. "I don't know how much is told to the public, but... aside from the usual high-ranking Gates, there are two shadows over us. There is the Jeju Island, which you must have heard off, is a nightmare we haven't been able to wake up from for years. And then... there is 'The Deep'."
Both brothers narrowed their eyes simultaneously. The Deep? The name sounded ominous, a variable they hadn't accounted for in their limited knowledge of this world's lore. Which is understandable because that part is very much new.
The Blue Moon Estate
The Rolls-Royce wound its way out of the congested heart of Tokyo, climbing into the secluded, mist-covered hills of the Okutama region. The air grew cooler and thinner until they pulled up to a massive, traditional Japanese estate.
It was a masterpiece of architecture, ancient wooden pagodas modernized with seamless glass, reinforced steel, and high-level mana-layering that made the air shimmer with protective seals. It was a fortress disguised as a palace, surrounded by acres of private, forest.
"This is the 'Blue Moon' estate," Minoru explained, stepping out and opening the heavy, iron-reinforced doors. "It's one of the many hundreds of properties belonging to the Draw Sword Guild. It's fully staffed with non-combatant servants who have signed iron-clad non-disclosure agreements. You'll have total privacy here."
While Minoru spoke with professional calm, both Espadas were internally "frothing at the mouth."
'Holy fucking cow, this place is huuuuge and the spiritual flow in this forest alone is denser than the city.' Ulquiorra thought as he looked around and at the forest.
'These people are RICH. GODDAMN IT. This place could fit five families and they'd still never run into each other!' He looked at the sprawling garden and compared it to the modest property their parents had left them in the U.S. 'This estate could fit our old house inside the foyer alone. At least three times over!' Grimmjow thought.
Ulquiorra walked into the foyer as his emerald eyes scanned the high, vaulted ceilings and the priceless silk tapestries that lined the walls. He looked down at his own singed, blood-stained white jacket of the dungeon battle and then turned back to Minoru.
"We will be needing new attire," Ulquiorra stated flatly, his voice echoing in the vast marble foyer. "Our current garments suffered... unnecessary wear during the dungeon crawl. Plus, we literally have nothing else to wear."
As he said this, Ulquiorra gave a strangely sheepish, yet completely blank look. It was the face of a cosmic entity realizing he didn't have a spare change of clothes. Minoru bit his lip, nearly snorting as he suppressed a laugh at the absurdity of it, "Yeah," Grimmjow chimed in, leaning against a priceless vase. "And make sure mine has some style. I'm not wearing some boring-ass business suit."