Kiruge frowned.
It was his first time seeing such an arrogant suspect.
Admittedly, Haschwalth had not issued a warrant for Tokito Iwákatsu, and even seemed to subtly protect him.
But in Kiruge's view, as long as there was a possibility of disturbing the peace of the Wandenreich, arrest was necessary.
He had even captured Gremmy and held him for hundreds of years, so what was a newcomer?
Even if he truly arrested the wrong person, releasing them later would be no big deal.
At the same time.
He also wanted to see just how strong this person, protected by Haschwalth and seemingly entering the Sternritter through the back door, truly was.
Now…
Kiruge smiled, his laughter carrying a hint of displeasure and admiration.
Displeasure at the provocation, and admiration for the provocation.
"Excellent, it's truly been a long time since I've seen a Quincy like you."
As he spoke, he raised his right hand and gently pushed his glasses up with his wrist.
A faint light flickered in his eyes behind the lenses, and he nodded slightly,
"A wager? Come to think of it, the last Quincy who made a wager with me was two hundred years ago."
"I accept your challenge."
"Come on."
"From now on, you can flee as much as you like, call upon any help you can find, and try every method to stop me."
"I'll give you two… no, five minutes to prepare."
"You can flee to Silver Frame City or Inner Silver Frame City."
"Don't say I, as your senior, didn't look out for you."
Kiruge did not believe that Tokito Iwákatsu could evade his capture.
The reason he could become the warden, mastering the Sternritter named [Prison], was one factor.
The fact that this Sternritter had a great restraining power over Quincy was another.
In the past five hundred years, only a handful of prisoners, fewer than five, had escaped from him.
How strong could a newcomer be, no matter how powerful?
Clearly, due to the isolated information within the prison, Kiruge was completely unaware of the changes in the outside world.
Kiruge was already prepared to capture Tokito Iwákatsu with absolute superiority and send him to prison, making Haschwalth come personally to redeem him.
However, what he didn't expect was that.
After he spoke those words, Tokito Iwákatsu not only showed no signs of fleeing but also stood calmly in place.
He slowly countered, "Flee?"
"Why would I flee? I already said, you misunderstood from the very beginning."
"This wager was never a chase from start to finish."
Tokito Iwákatsu lowered his gaze slightly and manipulated reishi to draw a circle on the ground, encompassing himself.
Pointing to the circle, he spoke with his usual composure, looking up:
"I don't like trouble; one round decides the winner."
"Try to make me leave this spot."
"As long as you can make me retreat half a step, this wager is yours."
"Heh…" Hearing these words, Kiruge was first stunned, then burst out laughing again…
He was laughing out of anger.
He had thought this young man before him was a promising talent, with remarkable courage.
But now, it seemed this was not courage at all, but sheer audacity, not knowing his place!
Drawing a circle… what was he doing, was he mocking him?
He actually dared to believe that he couldn't even make him retreat a single step?
This was simply a blatant disregard for him!
He had to show this arrogant young man what a senior's authority was…
Taking a deep breath, his reishi weapon materialized, gripped tightly by Kiruge.
His stern gaze, carrying a hint of coldness, fixed on Tokito Iwákatsu.
Askin sat leisurely to the side, watching the tense scene before him, showing no intention of stopping them.
Because he also wanted to see just how strong Tokito Iwákatsu truly was.
Before, he had only heard rumors.
The rumors claimed that even Haschwalth was not his opponent, which was why he admired him so much, even overlooking his past identity.
It was important to remember that the traitors of two hundred years ago were a disgrace to the Wandenreich.
They were unwilling to accept new changes, yet also unwilling to uphold old traditions, instead advocating for no war under the guise of peace.
Because their ideology was diametrically opposed to His Majesty's, they became traitors and were expelled from the Wandenreich.
Outwardly, it was claimed they left on their own…
So many years had passed.
Askin had come to terms with it, but Kiruge had not.
One of Kiruge's former friends had intricate connections with those traitors.
It was precisely because of this relationship that today's conflict occurred.
"War… who is truly in the right?"
Askin sighed softly, picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, and without answering the question in his heart, his gaze returned to the center of the arena.
In his line of sight, battle was already imminent.
Kiruge was not one of those old-fashioned Quincy who rigidly stuck to tradition, only using arrows as weapons.
To achieve ultimate lethality, he abandoned his usual rapier and directly materialized reishi into a blade, slashing at Tokito Iwákatsu.
With a loud clang, sparks flew!
The slash landed squarely on Tokito Iwákatsu's shoulder.
From the dull, heavy sound, one could tell how immense the force contained in that single strike was.
But Tokito Iwákatsu merely glanced at it, his face devoid of any panic or pain.
He extended his right hand, his slender fingers gripping the blade, and with a slight exertion of force, he easily moved the long sword aside.
It was as if this long sword, capable of splitting mountains and cracking stones in Kiruge's hands, was nothing more than a feather-light straw in his eyes…
Seeing this scene, Askin, who had been sitting quietly to the side, spat out the tea in his mouth.
—No… no damage?
He widened his eyes and rubbed them, momentarily doubting if he had seen incorrectly.
Was the strength of his Blut Vene not quite right?
If the opponent was just an ordinary Quincy, then such a result might be understandable.
After all, the disparity in strength between the two was vast, like an ant trying to bite a lion, certainly unable to penetrate its defense.
But the current opponent was a member of the Sternritter.
To be able to remain completely unharmed under such a full-force attack was truly unimaginable.
Leaving other things aside for now, just in terms of his mastery of Blut, Tokito Iwákatsu was definitely more than a notch above Kiruge.
The last person with such astonishing defensive capabilities was that iron-bodied Cang Du…
"Again."
Kiruge gritted his teeth and engaged again, not believing it.
He simply could not accept that his seemingly certain strike had no effect on Tokito Iwákatsu.
No wonder this young man was so fearless, daring to propose such an absurd wager.
Could it be that the Sternritter he acquired was a physical ability?
Like Askin, the image of Cang Du involuntarily flashed through his mind.
But even Cang Du, strong as he was, was not invincible, for he was killed.
If others could kill him, why couldn't he?
Askin saw signs of the situation subtly getting out of control and, noticing Kiruge was about to use Vollständig, quickly spoke up to warn him:
"Hey, hey, hey, it's just a small wager, is it really necessary to go this far?"
"Don't forget, he's not even an official suspect yet."
"If this gets to Haschwalth, Kiruge, you'll be in big trouble."
Haschwalth hated incompetent failures the most.
There was nothing more incompetent than acting first and failing to cut.
Ping!
Another crisp and loud clang of metal striking metal rang out, as if hitting a hard wall.
Tokito Iwákatsu did not move an inch.
After hearing Askin's advice, Kiruge's expression became extremely grim.
Dozens of seconds ago, he was confident that Tokito Iwákatsu would fall in a few seconds.
But dozens of seconds later, reality slapped him hard in the face.
Taking a deep breath, he subconsciously ignored Askin's words.
Kiruge stared intently at Tokito Iwákatsu's calm and composed face, his heavy heart making him squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth:
"Very good, as expected of a Quincy even Haschwalth admires; you truly possess a unique skill in defense…"
"Your Sternritter must be related to physical defense, right?"
"Don't get too ahead of yourself; the wager is for you to leave this circle."
"Since I can't deal with you offensively, then try this!"
He simply could not tolerate a suspect escaping alive from his hands.
Since Vollständig couldn't be used, then he would use his Sternritter.
A materialized fence made of light blue reishi slowly rose from the ground.
It formed a circle, appearing at Tokito Iwákatsu's feet and above his head, creating a seemingly indestructible cage.
Then, it attempted to lift Tokito Iwákatsu and move him outside.
As a temporary prison, although it couldn't effectively restrain a Quincy, at this moment, even a single second would be enough.
One second.
It wouldn't even be enough time for Tokito Iwákatsu to react.
He thought he had won for sure.
However, reality slapped him again.
The moment that thought had just flashed through his mind.
"Snap!" a crisp sound.
Tokito Iwákatsu slightly raised his right hand and, with a seemingly casual flick.
The prison, made of seemingly indestructible bars, shattered instantly like fragile glass.
His movements were effortless and swift, the entire process so fast that Kiruge couldn't believe it.
It wasn't until a second later, when he snapped back to reality, that he slightly widened his eyes.
—What!
It shattered? Is this still just simple physical defense?
Why is his attack power so strong?!
If it's not iron, then what could it be…
"Sorry, this isn't my Sternritter."
Tokito Iwákatsu seemed to see through Kiruge's confusion. He slowly walked out of the prison, patted the dust off himself, and muttered to himself,
"It's merely the simple use of Blut Arterie and Blut Vene."
"The Sternritter I possess cannot enhance my physical abilities."
"Because…"
He extended his right hand and lightly grabbed at the shattered remains of the prison, breaking off a piece of reishi fragment and holding it in his hand.
When he opened his hand, Kiruge · Opie was surprised to find that the reishi fragment had actually transformed into another version of himself.
Before Kiruge could recover from this sudden shock and ask what was going on.
Tokito Iwákatsu made a grasping motion with his palm.
Snap.
Kiruge watched with wide eyes as his own likeness died tragically in Tokito Iwákatsu's palm, his mouth twitching fiercely.
This kid…
Tokito Iwákatsu brushed the reishi off his palm and looked up again:
"This is my Sternritter."
"Do you want to continue?"
"That should be enough."
"Since you've used your full strength and can't do anything to me, now, I wonder if you can answer my question."
The voice was calm and confident, but in Kiruge's ears, it sounded particularly grating.
Although Kiruge was filled with anger and unwillingness, he also knew that he could no longer control the current situation.
If this continues to escalate, and the situation blows up, it won't benefit anyone.
With that in mind, he took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, saying, "Kid, you're strong. No wonder Haschwalth was so insistent on having you join us."
"I'm not unreasonable. A win is a win, and a loss is a loss."
"Ask away, but I can't promise to answer all your questions, especially if they're unrelated to my position."
Kiruge, as a veteran Quincy, although not as senior as Haschwalth in terms of experience, was considered one of the earliest members of the entire Sternritter.
After discreet inquiries, Yoriichi mentally processed Kiruge's answers and quickly gained a general understanding of the Wandenreich's prison situation.
He also learned that Haschwalth had sent a special prisoner to the prison that afternoon.
Kiruge did not explicitly state who this prisoner was.
He merely gave a wary look, his lips slightly downturned, and gave vague, evasive answers.
It was likely classified information.
However, even with just a few pieces of information, Yoriichi was able to roughly determine the prisoner's true identity.
There was a more than fifty percent chance it was Gojoshibe Kenpachi.
The other half was a Quincy who had happened to make a mistake today.
"Too much of a coincidence."
In Soul Society, Kisuke Urahara, upon learning this intelligence, frowned slightly and offered his insight:
"If the prison is in Inner Silver Frame City, then it's almost impossible for a Quincy who made a mistake to be locked up there."
"According to Haschwalth, Inner Silver Frame City is where all the Sternritter members reside."
"If someone were imprisoned there, wouldn't there be even a whisper of it?"
"At the same time, that Quincy named Kiruge · Opie wouldn't need to treat it as a secret."
Kisuke Urahara spoke as he stood up, his hands clasped behind his back, slowly pacing the room.
After a while, he stopped and turned to look at Yoriichi Tsugikuni, saying solemnly, "There's only one possibility: the prisoner, whom even the warden couldn't explicitly name, is a being other than a Quincy."
"Can you find out the prison's location?"
Since they knew the prisoner might be Gojoshibe Kenpachi, the subsequent matters would be easier to handle.
Although they didn't know why the Quincy hadn't killed him, considering the duration of his confinement, it might be a test.
But even if it was a test, they couldn't back down.
Backing down meant abandoning a comrade.
This was something Shinigami could not accept and would not do.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni pondered:
"I'm not sure yet. I'll try, but others should also be able to answer such questions."
"Compared to this Kiruge, Bambietta might be more reliable."
"After interacting with her for a while, I've found her mind to be relatively simple, and she hasn't suspected me at all from beginning to end."
"Sometimes, such simplicity can instead become our breakthrough point."
Kisuke Urahara nodded slightly upon hearing this, a look of relief on his face.
In his opinion, regardless of the final outcome, they had already done their best.
It would be best if they could rescue him, but if not, they should at least learn from Gojoshibe Kenpachi what the Quincy had done to him.
It couldn't simply be an invitation for tea.
There must be a conspiracy involved.
Time flowed like a gentle stream, quietly passing by without notice.
Within the Wandenreich, Kiruge, defeated and humiliated, quickly left after answering all of Tokito Iwákatsu's questions, using an excuse of having urgent matters.
Askin quietly watched him leave, was silent for a moment, then gently clapped his hands.
Clap, clap…
With a faint smile on his face, he praised Tokito Iwákatsu, saying, "Impressive."
"Even Kiruge was defeated. Kid, I think highly of you."
"How about we become friends?"
"Don't let my youthful appearance fool you; in terms of seniority, I'm actually your senior, you know."
Although his tone was frivolous, Yoriichi did not mind.
Since the other party had extended an olive branch, there was no reason to refuse.
According to the plan, Tokito Iwákatsu's identity was to remain within the Wandenreich for at least a decade or even several decades.
Initially, Yoriichi's plan was to infiltrate the enemy's ranks, gradually turn some members, and lay the groundwork for subsequent actions.
However, now, by a stroke of luck, he had obtained a Sternritter, which showed him another possibility.
To improve the efficiency of the entire plan, Yoriichi had to adjust the original plan.
Turning members was not only slow but also risky; one wrong step and his identity could be exposed.
Artificial life, however, was different.
While it might not be able to replicate the core members of the Sternritter, it should pose no problem for dealing with ordinary, lower-ranking Quincy.
In the days to come, the identity of Tokito Iwákatsu had many things to accomplish.
And making friends, integrating into their circles, and gaining more trust and intelligence became especially important.
He couldn't be too unsociable.
The two exchanged contact information and then parted ways.
In the following days, after a detailed discussion with Bambietta, Yoriichi constantly monitored Gojoshibe Kenpachi's situation.
He learned that Gojoshibe Kenpachi was not in immediate danger, so he patiently waited for the right moment.
Until several months later, on a night when darkness enveloped the entire Wandenreich.
Haschwalth, perhaps preoccupied with other matters, had somewhat relaxed his surveillance on Tokito Iwákatsu.
So, Yoriichi seized this opportunity and swiftly infiltrated the prison.
The process was remarkably smooth, thanks to the artificial life he had meticulously prepared.
Based on Kisuke Urahara's intelligence, he had created an entity capable of completely distorting the light around others.
Its spiritual pressure could also be completely masked.
When absorbed into his body, he could walk right past Sternritter members, and no one would notice him.
…The prison was silent at this moment.
Tokito Iwákatsu stood before a cell door, and through the dim natural light around, he could see that Gojoshibe Kenpachi inside was very gaunt.
He did not rashly announce his presence.
After silently observing the surroundings.
To avoid making any noise during the upcoming operation that might alert Kiruge or other guards, he first knocked Gojoshibe Kenpachi unconscious, and then began his 'The Substitute Prince' (substituting the crown prince) plan.
This process was not difficult; although there were surveillance systems in the Wandenreich, the monitoring was not without blind spots.
By effectively utilizing perspective differences, he could replace Gojoshibe Kenpachi with an artificial human, keeping it imprisoned there, without anyone noticing.
As for where the reishi to create "Gojoshibe Kenpachi" came from, Yoriichi had already made preparations.
He used his ability to quickly replicate and shape it according to Gojoshibe Kenpachi's reishi characteristics.
Gradually, the real Gojoshibe Kenpachi disappeared, replaced by a false Gojoshibe Kenpachi that was almost identical to him.
Yoriichi was very satisfied with the work before him.
Once everything was done, he used the "scraps" to observe inside and out. Seeing that no one was coming, he then vanished from his spot.
A few days later, due to an accident, the news of "Gojoshibe Kenpachi's" death reached Haschwalth's ears.
Soul Society.
Kisuke Urahara stood by the window, gazing at the distant sky, a hint of worry in his eyes.
He turned his head and asked Yoriichi Tsugikuni, "The rescue operation has temporarily ended. Gojoshibe Kenpachi has been sent back to Gojo Prison."
"Yoriichi, do you think this Gojoshibe Kenpachi is real?"
As he spoke, he took a few steps forward, his arms crossed over his chest, and continued, "I had a suspicion before that Haschwalth imprisoned him precisely to lure you into rescuing him."
"Now that he has been successfully rescued, I just feel something isn't right."
"What if, and I mean what if, he's Gremmy's imagined creation?"
Turning to face Yoriichi, Kisuke Urahara's face showed a look of concern.
He knew such a situation was not impossible.
Because imagined creations, like the artificial humans Yoriichi created, had no difference from the original in terms of physical structure and physiological functions.
Unless both appeared together, even machines couldn't tell the real from the fake.
"You're right, but I've already observed him carefully using Transparent World."
Yoriichi faced Kisuke Urahara and nodded in agreement:
"That Gojoshibe Kenpachi, whether in appearance or internal details, is exactly the same as the Gojoshibe Kenpachi I once saw in Hueco Mundo."
"If Gremmy can perfectly recreate even the internal details one-to-one, then I have nothing more to say."
"At least for now, from my observation, he is real."
Yoriichi spoke as he walked over to Kisuke Urahara, gently patted his shoulder, and comforted him, "There's no need to dwell on this. We successfully rescued him and smoothly entered the upper echelons of the Wandenreich, didn't we?"
"Next, we'll follow the plan, step by step, to replace those Quincy."
"If he's fake, then that's good; we'll fight fire with fire."
"If he's real, then this is something we intended to do anyway."
"In any case, we haven't lost anything. Relax, Kisuke."
Kisuke had nothing to say.
Indeed.
They had done everything they could. Even if it was fake, what more could they do?
They couldn't just keep searching, could they?
A clear conscience was enough.
Sighing and nodding, Kisuke Urahara began discussing other detailed issues with Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
A short while later, the sun gradually set, and the appearance of the evening glow seemed to mark the end of this half-year-long event.
Yoriichi bid farewell to Kisuke Urahara and quickly returned home.
Meanwhile, in the Twelfth Division, Kisuke Urahara sat at his desk, picking up the detailed report of this incident and reading it again.
Finally, he put down the report, leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and came to a conclusion in his heart:
Overall, it went smoothly. Although it wasn't perfect, they achieved some results.
It was just a pity that they couldn't successfully turn Bambietta, which left him feeling somewhat regretful.
However, the seeds of anger and hatred had already been planted in her heart, and the flames of jealousy were quietly spreading within her.
Only a small catalyst was needed for them to grow vigorously.
Who could say what the future held?
But at least for now, it was good that no unexpected incidents occurred.