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When Urahara Kisuke's words fell, every gaze in the chamber shifted toward Moyu. He remained composed. After Yamamoto had stated the meeting's purpose, he had already been considering the same course. Urahara had simply voiced it first.
"Team leader…" Matsumoto Rangiku's worried eyes lingered on him. She clearly did not wish for him to bear the burden of leading the conquest. Hueco Mundo was no battlefield for half-measures.
Yamamoto Genryūsai fixed Moyu with a gaze like a burning sun. "Captain Moyu, what is your opinion?"
His expression never shifted. "I am willing to go."
"On what grounds?" Yamamoto's voice rumbled low. A vanguard into Hueco Mundo was no casual appointment. The one chosen bore the risk of being swallowed whole by the abyss.
"First," Moyu answered evenly, "I have faced Aizen's Arrancar creations repeatedly and destroyed them. Second, I once entered Hueco Mundo with Urahara and Yoruichi to investigate the source of the Hollow upheaval. Third—" his tone did not waver "—strength."
At the back of the hall, Zaraki Kenpachi snorted, feral grin flashing. "Sooner or later, I'll kill you!" His crude declaration drew little more than weary silence; his hunger for battle was well-known, his words empty of true malice.
Urahara spoke up, fan flicking open with a smile. "I can vouch for Mr. Moyu's expedition with Yoruichi. Though the findings were limited, he was the first to confirm the Menos Forest's upheaval. As for strength…" he trailed off deliberately. The captains who had clashed with Moyu already knew—his power eclipsed conventional measures.
"Do any captains raise objection?" Yamamoto's gaze swept the room.
Jūshirō Ukitake's frail body shook as he stepped forward, resolve in his eyes even as a cough tore his chest. "If Captain Moyu is willing, it is most welcome. But Hueco Mundo is fraught with dangers, and Aizen's true strength is unknown. To rest everything upon one man is arrogance. I suggest three captains at minimum."
His sincerity rang clear. Even coughing blood, Ukitake's devotion to Soul Society never dimmed. Yamamoto gave a slow nod. "Captain Jūshirō speaks true. Though the vanguard's duty is reconnaissance, it remains the most perilous undertaking. We must tread with caution." His stern eyes turned. "Captain Unohana, will you accompany him?"
Unohana Retsu smiled faintly, unsurprised. "I will."
Before the Head Captain could name a third, a rough voice cut across the chamber. "Oi, old man! You're not leaving me behind!" Zaraki Kenpachi bared his teeth, ferocity carved into every line of his face. "Fighting is Eleventh Division's duty!" None doubted that if barred, he would cause Seireitei itself unrest until unleashed.
But Yamamoto did not decide alone. His eyes returned to Moyu. "Captain Moyu, what is your judgment?"
The meaning was clear—he was to lead. No other captain contested it. Moyu had long since proven his worth.
He considered briefly, then inclined his head. "Very well." With Unohana and Zaraki, he would not be hindered. Their strength would ensure survival, and their presence would project deterrence deep within Hueco Mundo. First Kenpachi, and the current Kenpachi… the thought lingered. This expedition promised to be more interesting than expected.
Decision reached, Yamamoto turned to Urahara. "Kisuke, you have Shunsui's coordinates. How long until the crossing stabilizes?"
Urahara's smile faded into seriousness. "The passage has been perfected. It will carry multiple captains safely through." His research had always surpassed all others.
"Good." Yamamoto rose, cane striking the floor, eyes alight with burning intent. "Then the crusade force is formed! Kuchiki Moyu, Tenth Division Captain, Unohana Retsu, Fourth Division Captain, and Zaraki Kenpachi, Eleventh Division Captain, shall lead. Three lieutenants will accompany the Tenth Division as vanguard into Hueco Mundo!"
The decree rang like iron.
"Eh!?" A startled cry broke from Kotetsu Isane, eyes wide. "M-me too!?"
Unohana turned to her with a calm smile. "Yongyin, do not be afraid. Fighting is not your burden."
The assembly dismissed, the captains filed toward the First Division atrium. There, Urahara unfurled a massive apparatus, its frame gleaming with seals and kido circuits. Chanting softly, he raised the final incantation.
"In my right hand, the stone of boundary; in my left, the sword of reality. Black-haired shepherd's yoke, clouds of seven hues converge—we hunt the ibis!"
Reiatsu surged, filling the atrium as a vast light curtain unfolded, its edge dark with the oppressive pressure of the Garganta. The black cavity to Hueco Mundo yawned wide, devouring all light.
The crusade was about to begin.
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