Karakura Town in the mortal world.
Where mysterious explosions and incidents of dozens of residents suddenly dying en masse were daily occurrences—nicknamed Japan's Silent Hill. In the underground hideout of Naruki City beside this demonic city, I stood by as usual.
This mortal world hideout, newly equipped with Szayelaporro's research facility, was our major base with various equipment as complete as our headquarters Las Noches after fifty years of expansion. A secret fortress in the realm of principle packed with the essence of my and Aizen-sama's double Hōgyoku, Loca's Negación Thread, and Szayelaporro's intellect. Even Tsukishima-san or His Majesty would struggle to find this place.
After Aizen-sama's defeat, the entire Arrancar army planned to hide here until things cooled down.
Soon the spiritual pressure observation device reacted, and I closely watched the battle between Yammy's Arrancar army Karakura raid unit versus the Hitsugaya Advance Team displayed on forty video monitors before me.
Development was smooth. Enemy-ally matchups followed canon—no problems. Though Shiro-chan's movements seemed oddly cautious. Did he have some strategy? Thanks to that, Luppi was satisfyingly cocky, enjoying the one-versus-four situation as expected.
I stared at the surveillance network screens, excitedly watching for intervention opportunities.
...But here was one problem.
The fact that I myself was excited meant this situation was equally thrilling for the same people. This might sound incomprehensible, but I meant it literally.
And that was...
"—Shiro-chan! —Shiro-chan's there! —Shiro-chaaan! —Long-awaited canon recreation Shiro-chan scene! —Hehe, Shiro-chaaan... I'll come see you soon—"
"Everyone's too loud..."
...This is what I meant.
The Hōgyoku made from countless Hinamori clone souls—nicknamed Peach Orb.
After last night's Tobi meeting, I'd rashly begun fusing with my own soul immediately. The first thing I felt was tremendous spiritual pressure growth and—the noisy voices of the Peach Orb residents.
Released from soul spiritual body constraints, they'd sublimated into the so-called higher-dimensional existence of the Hōgyoku's will, currently thoroughly enjoying their thought-form life. Like some demon blade, they noisily did as they pleased inside me—incredibly loud.
"...Hey, can't you suppress your excitement a bit? When your tension rises, my spiritual pressure increases too much—it's troublesome."
"—Okaaay... —We got scolded by Big Sister— —Can't help it since it causes screw-ups—"
"That 'Big Sister' is me?"
The Peach Orb reluctantly lowered their thought volume from squealing to whispering. Why could these former souls—who'd supposedly abandoned even individual ego—still converse? Extremely mysterious, but I'd prefer they stayed quiet until operation's end.
Because actually, this whimsical piece of junk—perhaps due to being a Hōgyoku with heart-reading properties—had my power growth rate fluctuating wildly based on the Hinamori clones' emotional turbulence level. Meaning my maximum spiritual pressure exploded the moment I strongly thought of Shiro-chan.
This was very bad for future developments.
"...I hope I don't go berserk from excitement at meeting Shiro-chan."
I'd equipped a Szayelaporro-made item that consumed spiritual power like Kenpachi's eyepatch, but with insufficient Hōgyoku fusion now, I shouldn't linger before Shiro-chan. I'd endure until my soul strength increased... honestly, Aizen-sama sent quite a landmine.
While I worried about operation failure, the actual screw-up hotbeds leisurely watched the video monitors.
"—Look, look, Big Sister— —Kurosaki-kun's clashing with Grimmjow-san— —Can he Hollowfy properly?— —Now then, the revenge match has begun!—"
"Don't do play-by-play inside me..."
I reflexively complained, but the content was somewhat interesting, so I observed together.
Ichigo apparently successfully obtained Hollowfication and rendered Grimmjow critically wounded with just one diagonal slash... but maximum output was high while duration was super short—five seconds and four milliseconds. And after release he seemed to exhaust his power, ultimately engaging in an excessively futile muddy match with both Grimmjow and himself exhausted and battered. This GJJJ-san wouldn't get done in by Rukia before the Hirako fight, right...?
The screen switched to Yammy's main force side. Here Luppi seemed to be working hard—Ikkaku and Rangiku-san's wounds were quite deep. Shiro-chan was currently in hiding like canon, so I couldn't gauge his exhaustion degree, but the Hitsugaya Advance Team being half-destroyed was unexpected.
...Wait, if I launch the Karakura decisive battle the day after tomorrow like canon, Rangiku-san and others won't recover in time?
"—Screw-up?— —Because Big Sister warned Luppi not to let his guard down— —Shh, pretend not to notice— —But if we're buying Ulquihime maturation time, exhaustion doesn't matter, right?—"
"Ah, right."
I reflexively braced thinking I'd screwed up again, but thinking about it, the Hinamori clones were right—since I'd postponed the decisive battle anyway, it wasn't a big problem.
Because aside from Ulquihime, personally I also needed some time buffer.
The reason lay in this Peach Orb. I'd thoughtlessly embedded it in my soul this morning, but in this current poorly-integrated unstable fusion state, there was high possibility of the Peach Orb going wild and rampaging during the Shiro-chan battle. To avoid screwing up on the day and ruining all pleasure plans so far, I wanted time to acclimate it to my body even slightly.
Meaning the optimal chart in this situation was...
"—What if I beat up the mortal world group here and make them withdraw to the rear for treatment for a while...?"
Shifting the decisive battle was possible by having Aizen-sama manipulate Head Captain, Urahara-san, and Mayuri-sama with Kyōka Suigetsu, but preferably the captain-class side should have reasons preventing battle too. Especially Shiro-chan seemed likely to come forcibly, so I'd have him incapacitated for several days with my full-power Hakufuku. Even the Gotei would postpone Hueco Mundo invasion if three main captain-class members—if Renji came too—became unable to fight.
Most importantly, if I didn't render Shiro-chan unconscious here, worst case when I left Karakura there was danger of premature "HINAMORIIII!" leaking out. Too early for harvest, so I had to prevent that alone.
(Looking at it this way, surprisingly a clever move?)
So decided, I'd immediately mobilize canon and OPB knowledge to analyze winning chances.
Even without Bankai, with current me fused with Peach Orb, silencing all of Karakura alone was probably possible. Urahara-san would focus on intelligence gathering for the decisive battle, and I could muscle through Hirako and Rose's sensory manipulation abilities with Tobi-chan's big techniques. Current Ichigo and Shiro-chan could be defeated with one kido spell. The plum flame gummy shooting had slightly worrying OSR value minus, but this should be supplemented with effective stylish moves.
For example, use a restrained big technique once, then when opponents who overcame it got cocky in low-OSR-value state, crush them with serious Kōgōringen's counter OSR. Or like the Baraggan battle, trap enemies in a barrier and blast plum flames—synergistic effects of kido and Tobi could earn high OSR values.
The OPB system was this Bleach world's truth. For me—the only one permitted to know it—losing in OPB was nothing but shame as a Bleach fan.
Keep trump cards like Bankai while laying tragic (lol) foreshadowing before Shiro-chan, simultaneously dealing damage to make all mortal world Gotei forces stay quiet for several days until the decisive battle, or hammering in Hakufuku.
Difficult, but I'd accomplish it.
I took a deep breath and steeled my resolve. The Hinamori clones' patience seemed at its limit too.
"—Hey, Big Sister— —Isn't it about time to go to Karakura?— —Video alone isn't enough— —I'm looking forward to live Shiro-chan—"
The Peach Orb's anticipation made my spiritual pressure start growing again. I was happy, but with current soul strength, if power rose further I might worst-case self-destruct like Kenpachi—please stop.
"Um, this sudden operation change is for the Karakura decisive battle 'HINAMORIIII!' so please, please just don't get dazzled by immediate Shironium and go berserk...?"
"—Y-yeah... we'll try— —But probably shorter time with Shiro-chan is better— —Not even knowing what'll happen to ourselves, aren't we too sloppy?— —Believe in the Hōgyoku control power only the Original possesses!— —That Original committed a huge screw-up last month though—"
"Shut up."
Really, I should've postponed fusion. Already anxious from my specialty "Five minutes before start but changing the operation!" activating, and starting with this—the future looked grim. Could this also be Aizen-sama's sophisticated trap for giving me the Hōgyoku...? (Wrong)
Now then, complaints over.
I slipped the Negación activation device into my pocket and carefully left the hideout. The destination was main event Shiro-chan's location... or I'd like to go there, but first I had to prevent Grimmjow's sword release.
Strictly warning the Peach Orb residents, I organized what to do. Then calmed my feelings, and once everyone was mentally prepared, took another deep breath.
—Now then, sally forth!
Aaah, feelings were all jumbled with anticipation and anxiety. Please let me successfully complete my original charter...
***
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