In the end, Zaraki Kenpachi didn't try using Nozarashi to break the seal on Ashido.
Frankly, he was worried he wouldn't be able to hold back and might accidentally cut Ashido in half.
With a resigned grunt, Zaraki sealed Nozarashi again. There was little point in brandishing it anymore—he couldn't undo the Kidō binding anyway. So he simply sat down, watching Ashido in silence, his spiritual pressure smoldering in the air like lingering smoke.
Fortunately, it wasn't long before Kyouraku Shunsui arrived on the scene.
Unlike Zaraki, Shunsui was well-versed in Kidō spells. With practiced ease and calm authority, he examined the seal constraining Ashido and broke it with a few swift, precise incantations.
*Shatter!*
Ashido gasped as the bindings dissolved. Regaining his footing, he immediately turned toward Shunsui, face grim.
Without delay, like finally uncorking a bottle of frustration, Ashido recounted everything—how Zaraki Kenpachi had defeated Azashiro, how Mazuru had appeared and taken both Roka and Azashiro with him.
Shunsui listened intently, his eyes hidden behind his signature straw hat, expression unreadable.
"That's amazing, Captain Zaraki." Shunsui finally said with a faint smile. "Though I've always known you were more than just brute force."
While others might have been shocked by Zaraki's victory over Azashiro, Shunsui was not. He had known for years that Zaraki's raw potential had only been hindered by his own self-imposed limits. Now that he had released those chains—now that Nozarashi had awakened—his power had reached frightening new heights.
Ashido, however, wasn't done.
He looked to Shunsui with urgency. "Captain Kyouraku, I intend to continue the pursuit. The female arrancar and Azashiro Soya may have been taken by Kyo Mazuru, but I can't just let them go."
Shunsui shook his head firmly.
"No." he said flatly. "There will be no further pursuit."
Ashido hesitated. "But—"
"I said no." Shunsui repeated, this time with the authoritative tone of the Commander. There was no room for debate.
Ashido's shoulders sagged. He clenched his fists but didn't argue further.
'He's right… I can't win against Mazuru. Not as I am now.' he thought bitterly.
Shunsui didn't elaborate on his reasoning, but Ashido understood. Mazuru's strength was simply too overwhelming. If even Azashiro had been taken, then pursuing them now would be suicide.
"Understood." Ashido muttered at last. Even if it pained him, even if his pride burned, he could only swallow his bitterness and obey.
Shunsui, meanwhile, was still deep in thought—his mind drifting back to his earlier encounter with Mazuru in the Hueco Mundo desert.
That man… no, that being—was too composed, too well-informed. Mazuru had mentioned something troubling—something that lingered like a curse in Shunsui's chest.
A hidden threat in the shadows.
If Mazuru's words were true, then the return of the Quincy King—what he called the Invisible Empire—was imminent.
And that changed everything.
He had to report this to Yamamoto immediately.
Not just that. Mazuru's final words still echoed in his mind:
'If it becomes necessary… we must meet with Urahara Kisuke.'
That alone was reason enough to return. Not to mention the other factor: the Visored.
Though they had been pardoned after the Karakura Town conflict, they remained exiles in the human world—unwelcome remnants of a past the Gotei 13 had not fully accepted. But if war was truly coming, they would be indispensable.
After all, each of them was a captain-level shinigami—formidable allies in any battle.
Shunsui contacted Kurotsuchi Mayuri through a secure channel. Within moments, Mayuri located their position and opened a Garganta from the Soul Society.
A swirling void split open the space before them. Without a word, Shunsui, Ashido, and Zaraki stepped into the darkness, returning to the Soul Society in silence.
…
Meanwhile, in the heart of Hueco Mundo—the Las Noches—a towering citadel stood amidst the endless white sands.
For Azashiro, it was his first time seeing it.
The architecture, alien and regal, stood in stark contrast to the barren wilderness around it. His eyes lingered on the ivory towers, flickering with old memories.
Beside him, visible only to him, stood Urazakuro—his spiritual hallucination.
"Wow wow wow! Look at that castle! It's so fancy! Did you know the strongest hollow around here is called an Espada?"
She giggled. "The former ruler Aizen sure had taste. Even death couldn't stop him from being dramatic."
Azashiro ignored her, silent as ever.
His body was covered in blood, the white of his captain's haori almost completely stained crimson. The fight with Zaraki had left him grievously wounded. He had used the last of his Kaidō just to remain conscious. Even so, he refused further treatment.
Mazuru had offered to help him heal, but he declined.
"I want to feel the pain." he had said, "So I never forget the meaning of failure."
Mazuru didn't argue. If Azashiro wanted to be consumed by his own regrets, so be it.
Carrying both Azashiro and Roka effortlessly, Mazuru strode through the halls of Las Noches toward the central throne chamber.
Waiting there, leaning casually against the main dais, was Ichimaru Gin.
The fox-eyed man gave a slow clap, his ever-present smile curling at the edges.
"Well, well. Look who decided to go hunting. You always deliver, Captain Mazuru."
Mazuru responded with a faint smile. Praise, no matter how theatrical, was still appreciated.
Without ceremony, he tossed Roka towards Ulquiorra, who stepped forward and caught her with practiced care.
Gin's gaze shifted toward Azashiro.
"And who's this poor soul?"
Despite the blood-drenched robe, he recognized the garment—a captain's haori.
Mazuru answered without hesitation. "This is the Eighth Kenpachi—Azashiro Soya."
Gin raised his eyebrows in genuine surprise.
"My, my. A senior captain himself. How nostalgic."
Turning back to Azashiro, Gin asked slyly, "I assume you've met Captain Aizen by now?"
Azashiro replied coldly, "Aizen Sosuke is... impressive."
But his eyes locked onto Mazuru once more.
"What do you want with me?" he asked bluntly.
He had already lost to Zaraki. He had already failed to secure Roka. And whatever plan he had to use her to purify human desires was now defunct.
He had no purpose now.
All he wanted was to return to the darkness of Muken, where at least the silence matched his soul.
Mazuru looked him square in the eye.
"Have you heard of the Invisible Empire?"
*****
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