At this moment, Haschwalth slowly walked from the end of the street.
He gazed at Gremmy Thoumeaux's disheveled figure kneeling on the ground, his calm expression revealing a sense of inevitability.
He lowered his head and asked in a quiet voice:
"You failed?"
"How do you feel?"
"Terrible."
Gremmy coughed violently for a long time.
Relying on his last shred of imagination, he used all his strength to restore his physical condition.
Although his brain still throbbed with pain, at least he could barely steady himself and regain the ability to communicate normally.
He slowly straightened up, his eyes filled with extreme dread:
"That guy is indeed the biggest obstacle, without a doubt, for our future invasion of the Soul Society."
"The other 'me' I split off, which I thought was strong enough, was easily annihilated in front of him, without even a chance to resist."
"The plan to make him misjudge our combat strength failed, Haschwalth. You were right, he truly cannot be judged by common sense."
"I suggest that before the war begins, we must isolate him from the main battlefield."
"Otherwise, all will be lost."
These words were even more alarmist than what Haschwalth had said before, but Haschwalth showed no sign of disagreement.
He nodded calmly: "It should be so."
After speaking, he turned, his coat sweeping in a sharp arc, and his unhurried voice sounded again:
"Come with me, His Majesty wants to see you."
"Although your mission failed this time, this was actually part of the plan."
"If you had appeared too strong, the Soul Society would surely accelerate their offensive, which would be extremely disadvantageous for us."
Haschwalth slightly turned his head, looking at Gremmy, and added,
"Have you collected information about those Shinigami?"
Gremmy narrowed his eyes, a subtle glint flashing within them.
As his imagination gradually recovered, he regained his usual composure:
"Part of the plan?"
"Haschwalth, you never thought I would succeed from the beginning?"
Haschwalth did not answer; he simply continued walking forward, as if his silence was the best response.
Or perhaps, in his mind, Gremmy's thoughts were not even worth refuting.
Because, it was only natural.
Although Gremmy claimed to be the strongest Sternritter, in reality, [Imagination] is countered by [Balance].
As long as misfortune is transferred to Gremmy's brain, no matter how much he imagines, he will die instantly.
With such an obvious weakness, it was extremely fortunate that Gremmy only paid the price of one of his selves dying and was able to return alive.
In fact, when he was carrying out the mission, Haschwalth had already prepared for him never to return.
Fortunately, this time he was cautious for once and did not rashly use his main body to fight.
Otherwise…
Seeing that Haschwalth did not respond, Gremmy Thoumeaux felt a surge of suppressed anger.
—He was being underestimated, how infuriating.
Despite his immense dissatisfaction, Gremmy also knew that failure was a fact.
For His Majesty's grand plan, he could only use his imagination to forget this dissatisfaction.
He then followed Haschwalth to Yhwach's presence.
Subsequently, due to the various twists and turns and encounters of the Wandenreich in recent years,
He learned a new term from Yhwach's mouth.
—Special War Powers.
It was'Special' not'Superior,' meaning objects to be specially noted and guarded against.
Haschwalth frowned and bowed, asking:
"May I ask, Your Majesty, are there many Shinigami on the Soul Society's side that we need to be concerned about?"
Because he had not participated in the war a thousand years ago, he knew nothing about the distribution of strong individuals in the Soul Society.
Before this, the only strong individual he knew was Yamamoto Genryusai.
Now there was one more…
But with only two people, there was no need to specially create such a designation, right?
It gave him the feeling that even His Majesty had some reservations.
Yhwach's ancient voice then echoed in both their minds:
"Do not doubt, Haschwalth, this measure is merely a precaution."
"You must know that on the path to peace, sacrifice is always inevitable, and intelligence can effectively reduce such sacrifice."
"The current situation is unclear, and I have not yet fully awakened. To avoid unnecessary losses, the establishment of Special War Powers is essential."
"Gremmy, tell me everything you witnessed during your mission this time."
Gremmy Thoumeaux quickly narrated everything in detail.
When he finished, Yhwach pondered for a moment and slowly spoke:
"Unknown combat power, huh?"
"It seems that during these several hundred years of my slumber, the Soul Society has produced quite a few outstanding new talents."
"Very well, let us provisionally list him as one of the Special War Powers. What needs to be remembered is his combat power."
"Never underestimate him."
"Besides him, there is another, an old friend of mine…"
Haschwalth had expected Yhwach to say the name Yamamoto Genryusai.
After all, in his understanding, Yamamoto Genryusai was already an extremely powerful existence in the Soul Society.
Yet, he did not expect to hear a name he had never heard before.
—Ichibei Hyosube.
…
"Achoo ~"
Inside Squad Zero, Ichibei Hyosube lightly sneezed.
His rough fingers instinctively touched his nose as he sat peacefully under the eaves of one of the Zero Squad's detached palaces.
A gentle breeze swept by, rustling the white corners of his robe.
He gazed at the vast, boundless blue sky below and suddenly recalled events from fifty years ago.
Was it fifty years? Or forty? He couldn't quite remember.
He also didn't know how much those outsiders had changed the future foreseen by the Soul King.
After so many years of contemplation, coupled with the letter sent by the Kucihki Clan a few years ago,
He roughly understood the Soul King's intentions.
According to the original future,
Yhwach would invade the Soul Society, and having obtained The Almighty, he would undoubtedly achieve a great victory.
And at that time, for the Balance of the Three Realms, and to prevent the destruction of the Shinigami, the members of Squad Zero would certainly intervene.
Once they intervened, regardless of who won or lost, the Three Realms would head towards the same outcome.
—Peace.
A chaotic world without life or death is also peace.
However, what concerned Ichibei Hyosube was not this point, but rather…
If the Soul King only desired peace, why would he willingly die?
If he were alive, with his immense power and influence, it should be more beneficial for maintaining the stability of the Three Realms, right?
He couldn't understand.
Ichibei Hyosube could only assume that the Soul King had deeper, more complex considerations.
Perhaps this layer of consideration would only truly surface after the Wandenreich revealed itself.
It won't be long, just a few more decades, and the mystery will be unveiled…
Another gust of wind swept by, and the clouds shifted accordingly.
Ichibei Hyosube clasped his hands within his sleeves.
He watched the blue sky below, his unmoving figure bringing a profound silence to his surroundings…
…
At the same time, in the Wandenreich.
"Ichibei Hyosube is a unique being who was born with me a million years ago."
"I inherited the Quincy power of the Soul King, while he, through the Soul King, gained the ability to see through the names of all things."
"A million years ago, I personally witnessed the Soul King's demise, and the subsequent degradation caused me to slumber for a long period."
"It wasn't until twelve hundred years ago that I was reborn as Yhwach."
Yhwach spoke slowly, his voice calm and indifferent,
"For these million years, Ichibei Hyosube has been guarding the Soul King Palace; his wisdom is unrivaled in the Three Realms."
"This is also why I listed him as one of the Special War Powers."
"Haschwalth, it's not strange that you find him unfamiliar, because even you didn't know my past."
"…" Indeed, if Yhwach hadn't mentioned it, Haschwalth would have thought Yhwach was only a little over a thousand years old.
When he met him nine hundred years ago, he claimed to have only been born two hundred years prior.
Now it seems… the one born two hundred years ago was Yhwach.
What connection did he have to his million-year-old self?
Did His Majesty really have such a profound connection with the Soul King?
An indescribable emotion surged in Haschwalth's heart.
Beside him, Gremmy's reaction was much the same as Haschwalth's.
However, neither of them revealed their inner emotions, maintaining their respectful and composed demeanor.
Having learned the exact number of Special War Powers, Gremmy materialized a game console and handed it to Haschwalth:
"This is the Shinigami intelligence you requested. It clearly records the name and combat power of each Shinigami."
"Those with a combat power of over three hundred have an eighty percent chance of possessing Bankai."
"Just follow the information on it to capture them. It's not suitable for me to act again, but I can dispatch fantasy creatures to assist you in battle."
"As long as it theoretically exists, I can imagine it into being."
"Captain Haschwalth, I hope this time, you won't disappoint His Majesty again."
This mission seemed to have failed, but in reality, it hadn't.
Although he failed to kill Yoriichi Tsugikuni and also failed to slow down the Soul Society's speed of attacking the Wandenreich,
At least, he obtained the intelligence.
From this perspective, he was far more outstanding than Haschwalth.
The investigation failed, and instead, four Sternritter were lost…
Haschwalth took the game console and examined it carefully. Although he knew the words contained a subtle threat, he didn't care.
He focused his gaze on the screen and quickly found a suitable Shinigami.
Located in the Underground Great Prison, by name, he was a Kenpachi with a combat power of three hundred and fifty, and should possess Bankai.
Even if such a criminal disappeared, no one would suspect the Quincy.
After all, the Shinigami didn't know that the Quincy possessed means to steal Bankai.
However, considering Gremmy's appearance today, the Soul Society should be aware of this and is likely on high alert…
Haschwalth pondered for a moment and still felt it would be safer to act after a period of time.
After all,
It's better to be safe than sorry.
…
Inside the shrine, Hisana and Byakuya's wedding was still proceeding in an orderly fashion.
When Yoriichi Tsugikuni returned, he noticed the gazes of Kuchiki Ginrei and Yamamoto Genryusai.
These gazes contained an inquiring meaning.
Yoriichi nodded gently towards them, as if conveying the message, "Nothing serious, let's talk after the wedding ends."
Seeing Yoriichi's calm demeanor, although the two elders still had doubts, they didn't say much more.
After all, if even Yoriichi Tsugikuni couldn't handle it,
Their worry would be superfluous.
…
Soon after, the wedding concluded successfully.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni recounted in detail his recent encounter with Gremmy Thoumeaux to the two elders.
Upon learning that Gremmy was the Quincy who could freely imagine Sternritter,
A hint of solemnity involuntarily appeared on the faces of the two elders.
Imagination… No wonder they hadn't detected him.
Fortunately, Yoriichi Tsugikuni discovered him.
If it had been someone else dealing with this Quincy, the destruction of the wedding would be a minor matter; losing troops before the decisive battle arrived would be a major one.
Immortality sounded extremely troublesome.
Thump, thump.
Yamamoto Genryusai knocked hard on the ground, and in a slightly deep voice, slowly said:
"It seems the Quincy's ambition to destroy us has never changed. Let's set aside today's incident for now."
"It's hard to imagine how many times they've infiltrated the Seireitei in the past."
"Yoriichi Tsugikuni, according to you, they came this time to gather information… Is that right?"
Yamamoto Genryusai lowered his eyes, looking at Yoriichi Tsugikuni,
"From your confrontation with him, do you know how much information he obtained from us?"
Yoriichi thought for a moment and gave a number, not much, about half, like reishi information.
These were inconsequential, all out in the open.
The only thing worth noting was his imagination, but even the most powerful imagination would be limited by the reishi itself.
He simply couldn't investigate some special places.
Upon hearing this, Yamamoto Genryusai understood.
Just as he was about to speak again,
Kuchiki Ginrei suddenly said, "Regarding this matter, Captain-Commander, in my opinion, it would be better if we discussed it later."
"Since that Quincy can monitor us anytime, anywhere… I don't think the environment we are currently conversing in is safe."
He pointed upwards.
Seeing this,
Yamamoto Genryusai's expression tightened, and he immediately stopped the conversation.
The discussion on this matter thus came to an abrupt halt.
However,
The news of the Quincy invasion, ultimately repelled by Yoriichi Tsugikuni, still spread.
For a time, the defenses within the Seireitei became even more stringent, and even the "Soul Concealing Membrane" had several layers added.
While it might not completely stop the Quincy, these layers of protection could at least make some Shinigami feel at ease.
At this critical moment,
Morale was the most important thing.
…
Gremmy Thoumeaux's departure seemed to temporarily put a stop to this incident.
In the following days, the Wandenreich seemed to have no other movements, and everything returned to calm.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni didn't quite understand the meaning of Gremmy's phrase, "last time we meet."
In his opinion, perhaps this was Gremmy retreating, a sign that he dared not show his face again.
Just like Kibutsuji Muzan once was.
It was strange, Yoriichi recalled his past and found that everyone who had once been his opponent later didn't want to meet him anymore.
Although he didn't understand the reason behind this, as long as this relatively peaceful state could be maintained, it was a good thing.
At least, before Ai grew up, he didn't want to see war come.
Days passed by like this, and one day, Hisana and Byakuya's child was born safely.
Because it was a boy, according to the Kuchiki Clan's usual naming convention, the family head's name typically emphasized white hues to signify the family's uniqueness and heritage.
The child was ultimately named Kuchiki Kōgaku.
Normally, Kōgetsu would be more common and easier to understand than Kōgaku, and this was Byakuya's initial thought, but Hisana was well aware of the moon's insignificance.
The last one called the moon was still serving time in hell.
No matter how much Hisana deferred to her husband's family, she couldn't possibly choose such a name.
Thus, Kōgaku was decided, and Yoriichi couldn't help but smile when he heard about it.
But as he smiled, his thoughts seemed to be drawn by something, falling into deep contemplation.
—The moon… Come to think of it, it's been decades since I last saw it.
…
"Captain, the sixty-year reincarnation ritual is scheduled to begin next week. The Captain-Commander requires each division to send some people to participate. How do you plan to arrange it?"
In the office, just as Yoriichi was deep in thought, Hinamori Momo's soft voice, like a gentle breeze, suddenly sounded in his ear, instantly pulling him back to reality.
Yoriichi came back to his senses, looked at Hinamori Momo, and after a brief thought, nodded and said:
"Hmm, I understand. You can arrange it yourselves, just like previous years. If there's anything you don't understand, go ask Byakuya."
"I haven't been in office for sixty years yet, so Byakuya should be very familiar with this matter."
The so-called reincarnation ritual is a ceremony to send some souls from Rukongai to the Human World for reincarnation.
The Soul Society, as the key to maintaining the Balance of the Three Realms, must actively take measures to reduce the number of souls once it becomes too large.
How to reduce it?
Naturally, by sending them to the Human World, where the population is relatively smaller.
Once every sixty years, this effectively ensures that the number of living people in the Human World does not exceed the existing number of souls in the Soul Society.
After all, human life is extremely short, and if not controlled, once it exceeds the limit, when humans die, the Three Realms will inevitably fall into an imbalanced state.
Upon hearing this, Hinamori Momo nodded gently, pondering whether she should participate.
Of course, not to join the reincarnation queue.
She just hoped to seize this rare opportunity to broaden her horizons.
After Hinamori Momo left, Yoriichi stood up, quietly gazing at the cherry blossoms dancing in the sky outside the window, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes as he murmured:
"What a beautiful day. In a blink of an eye, over fifty years have passed."
"Was it on a day like this that I killed you, elder brother…"
The scenes from the past seemed to appear before his eyes, and the unforgettable memories surged into his mind one by one.
Yoriichi's heart was filled with complicated thoughts, difficult to calm for a long time.
He sighed, having made a certain decision.
A moment later,
He prepared to go to Hell.
…
Tsugikuni Iwākatsu's life in Hell was quite miserable.
Because of his lack of strength, almost every creature he encountered could bully him.
He knew in his heart that this predicament was his just deserts.
After all, in his lifetime, he had committed many evil deeds, his hands stained with the blood of countless people, and he had committed many unforgivable sins.
But even knowing all this, when he was truly imprisoned in Hell one day, a hint of regret inevitably arose in his heart.
He often thought, if only he had been more composed back then.
If only he hadn't been blinded by jealousy.
But unfortunately, there's no going back in time.
Today, he was walking in Eight Cold Hells, where the biting cold wind was like a sharp file, tearing at his soul inch by inch.
The excruciating pain constantly reminded him of the countless sins he had committed in the past.
This was an area Yoriichi had specifically chosen for him.
Intended to make him forever remember the suffering that the innocent humans who died by his hand had endured.
He had thought that the rest of his life would be spent like this, and he had prepared himself mentally to atone for his sins here forever.
But just then, suddenly, amidst the swirling wind and snow, he saw an incredibly familiar figure.
So much so that his body instantly froze in place.
…
A week later, the reincarnation process went very smoothly.
When the last batch of souls successfully arrived in the Human World, Yoriichi Tsugikuni received a message from Hinamori Momo via the Soul Pager.
He quickly typed out a response, nodding slightly in the Ninth Division's office:
"Hmm, I understand. It's good that nothing unexpected happened."
"Come back. If you want to stay in Rukongai for a while, that's fine too."
"Thank you for your hard work, Momo."
Even though Hinamori Momo only saw these words through the Soul Pager, her cheeks couldn't help but blush.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she typed, carefully choosing her words, taking a long time to send out these few characters.
"No… Not at all."
It was the first time in over a decade that she had heard Captain Tsugikuni's thanks.
It was too precious; she had to cherish it carefully.
After sending it, she dared not look at the Soul Pager again, quickly lowering her head and putting it away.
Then, with a flushed face, she hurried away with the Shinigami leading the team.
At the same time, Yoriichi saw those three words, pondered for a moment, and put away his Soul Pager.
Just as he was thinking that all the past events had vanished like smoke,
Suddenly, a Hell Butterfly fluttered into the office.
It landed on his hand, and Yoriichi listened carefully, realizing it was a summons from the Gotei 13.
When he arrived at the Gotei 13, he looked up and saw that most of the Captains had already arrived.
No… two hadn't.
They were Kenpachi Kuruyashiki of the Eleventh Division, and Kyōraku Shunsui of the Eighth Division.
—What happened?
Yoriichi was full of questions.
He looked at Jūshirō Ukitake, trying to glean some information from his eyes.
Jūshirō Ukitake noticed Yoriichi Tsugikuni's gaze, met his eyes for a moment, and after a brief silence, gently shook his head.
However, as he shook his head, he opened his mouth, moving his lips slightly and silently, as if saying:
"Kuruyashiki is injured. An enemy broke into Hell Prison and abducted Gosuke Kenpachi. The Captain-Commander is very angry…"
That was roughly the meaning.
—Kuruyashiki is injured?
Yoriichi couldn't help but frown.
No, that wasn't the main point. The abduction of Gosuke Kenpachi was the crucial matter.
Who did it? Nobles, or… Quincy?
It wasn't Yoriichi's fault that he couldn't immediately identify the culprits.
Because even now, many people still stood against Yamamoto Genryusai.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni was Yoriichi Tsugikuni, and Yamamoto Genryusai was Yamamoto Genryusai.
Their compromise with Yoriichi didn't mean they would compromise with Yamamoto.
Occasionally causing trouble, suppressing Yamamoto, and seeking benefits for themselves was also something they would do.
As he thought this, Yamamoto Genryusai seemed to notice Jūshirō Ukitake's small movement, his face darkened, and he heavily knocked on the ground.
Thump-thump!
Ukitake's small movement was instantly interrupted, and silence fell all around.
Immediately after, Kyōraku Shunsui pushed open the Gotei 13's door and walked in.
He reported a piece of news, stating that no traces of Quincy reishi residue were found in the prison.
Now things got interesting.
Even if there weren't any, that didn't rule out the possibility of such a situation occurring.
To be on the safe side, Yamamoto Genryusai thought for a long time and finally said:
"Investigate. No single suspicious point can be overlooked."
His voice became serious, his eyes sharp, as he scanned the Captains present,
"Even if it's a noble, at such a critical moment, wantonly provoking the order of the Seireitei must be severely punished, with absolutely no leniency or indulgence."
"At the same time, given the existence of the Quincy, this incident is also very likely to be their doing…"
"Kisuke Urahara, have you finished making your 'Shadow Invasion Pill'?"
Yamamoto Genryusai frowned deeply, staring intently at Kisuke Urahara, and spoke his thoughts,
"I need a Captain to infiltrate the Wandenreich and investigate."
"After all, the disappearance of a Captain could very well be a prelude to a large-scale attack by the Wandenreich."
"Look among yourselves and see who is willing to undertake this important task."