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Seireitei, Fifth Division.
On the long corridor of the house, a bespectacled man in an outer coat took a small sip of hot tea from his cup.
"Tsk tsk tsk, Captain Aizen, your proud Espada is dead, isn't he?"
A joyful voice sounded, and with the voice, a figure appeared out of thin air, arriving beside the bespectacled man.
This was a tall, thin young man with short, light purple hair and a strange, smiling face. He looked at the bespectacled man with his narrowed eyes and smiled, "The tools you painstakingly created have been killed just like that. I wonder if Captain Aizen feels heartbroken?"
"You yourself called them tools."
Aizen smiled slightly and said gently, "The purpose of tools is simply to be used. Painstaking creation is not equivalent to preciousness. For me, the highest value of a tool is not how it is used or consumed, but the process of creating it."
"Oh my… oh my, that evaluation truly sends shivers down my spine."
The young man joked with an exaggerated tone, "So what's next? How do you plan to deal with the person who consumed your tool? Although from the memories transmitted, your tool at least did not reveal your identity before being consumed."
"Compared to the consumed tool, I'm more curious how he went to Hueco Mundo."
Aizen picked up the teapot, filled two cups with tea, and said softly, "In everyone's eyes, he is currently training at Shiba. Before I received Aaroniero's synchronized cognition, even I didn't discover that he had left Soul Society. Even before Aaroniero's death, no one noticed that he was in Hueco Mundo."
Going to Hueco Mundo can only be done through a Black Portal. Unlike the Senkaimon to the Human World, Soul Society has not mastered the technology to open a Black Portal even to this day.
In this regard, Hueco Mundo has an absolute advantage.
Other than Arrancar, there is only one person who can freely open a Black Portal, and that is Urahara Kisuke, who hid in the Human World.
And besides that…
There's another possibility: an Arrancar secretly helped him open a Black Portal to Hueco Mundo.
Between these two possibilities, Aizen leaned towards the second one.
Because, although Urahara Kisuke has the ability to open a Black Portal, opening it through a device is a forced use of Reishi to destroy space. This method, if used in Soul Society, would inevitably be discovered and noticed; to avoid detection of space being torn, in addition to necessary precautions, the size of the Black Portal must also be controlled.
Moreover, he didn't believe that Urahara Kisuke would set up such a device in Soul Society.
As for secretly going to the Human World and then using a Black Portal from there, that possibility is zero.
The reason is simple: unlike the Black Portal to Hueco Mundo, the Dangai from the Senkaimon to the Human World has always been the main object of monitoring and research for the Technology Development Bureau.
Even if a fly enters the Dangai, it will be discovered by the Technology Development Bureau. Before it even emerges from the Dangai, the information that someone has passed through the Dangai will spread throughout the Gotei 13, and the Technology Development Bureau can even analyze in advance the location where the person will appear.
Even if we take a step back and assume the Technology Development Bureau was coincidentally empty, the Dangai leading to the Human World is still filled with surveillance circuits from the Image Hall.
So, if the other party wanted to hide from everyone, he could only choose to go to Hueco Mundo from Soul Society.
"Gin, it seems your vision is indeed better than mine."
"Hmm?"
Aizen chuckled, "Although it's just a speck in countless dust, as you said, it's an interesting speck of dust."
"To be considered interesting by you, I don't know whether to call it his honor or his tragedy."
Ichimaru Gin's narrowed eyes opened slightly, revealing light blue pupils, and he smiled, "However, someone who can anger Captain Aizen is indeed very interesting."
"Anger?"
Aizen shook his head slightly, "It's just an eyesore."
"This world will never lack dust. Dust that is difficult to see with the naked eye, no one will deliberately deal with; only when this speck of dust constantly floats before your eyes and temporarily becomes extremely conspicuous in the sunlight, will it make people wave their hand because it's an eyesore."
Aizen finished speaking, put the teacup aside, and said softly:
"That's all."
… …
Hueco Mundo, Outer Circle.
Buzz—
Dull sounds of breaking air continuously echoed as Ishikawa moved aimlessly through the white sands, while his mind was constantly communicating with someone.
He was careless!
Even though he had made all preparations beforehand, due to insufficient information, he ultimately still exposed his identity.
An ability triggered by death, somewhat similar to the rule of equivalent exchange.
To avoid this synchronized cognition ability, to avoid exposure, there was only one way: not to kill Aaroniero.
But…
The rule Ishikawa prepared to avoid exposure ultimately became the catalyst for his identity being revealed.
This development made Ishikawa himself feel utterly preposterous!!
Even if the enemy had been any other Espada, he wouldn't have ended up in his current predicament.
The only thing Ishikawa was somewhat relieved about was…
Ganju had already left Hueco Mundo!
Just as he had previously speculated, he, having personally killed Aaroniero, must have been subjected to some kind of tracking, the trigger of which was unknown.
Spatial sealing was powerful, but Ishikawa could also achieve such a technique. Given the vastness of Hueco Mundo, no matter how strong Las Noches's technology was in this regard, it was impossible for them to directly seal the space of the entire Hueco Mundo.
That's why, the moment Ishikawa discovered his surrounding space was sealed, he had a guess: the sealed area was only around him, or the surrounding region, and this area would definitely not be the entire Hueco Mundo.
And that was indeed the case.
Soon after he threw Ganju into the hidden cave to leave, Picaro, who received his message, opened a Black Portal and threw Ganju in.
However, compared to Ganju, his current situation was truly dire.
Although he didn't know the specific method by which he was being tracked, Ishikawa, using the Hollow Mark-operated detection circuit, could clearly feel several massive presences continuously approaching him.
No matter how he changed direction, those presences would change with him.
Even Ishikawa's always effective ability to conceal his presence lost its effect at this moment.
And among these presences, Tier Harribel was also present, which was at Ishikawa's instruction.
At the same time his identity was exposed, another thing would also be exposed: his method of going to Hueco Mundo.
Although he didn't understand it as comprehensively as Aizen, Ishikawa knew, because of the Supervisory Team, that the passage from Soul Society to the Human World was constantly being monitored by the Technology Development Bureau. Therefore, Ishikawa had always only gone to the Human World with the Golden Seal Association's permission.
Thus, Aizen, who didn't know of the Hollow Mark's existence, would inevitably suspect that someone among the Arrancar had helped him.
So, even if Aaroniero never mentioned his name from beginning to end, Aizen would act on the premise of 'identity exposed.'
At least, he himself would do so.
Thoughts raced through his mind, but Ishikawa's Shunpo beneath his feet showed no sign of stopping. Although he didn't know if Hueco Mundo was round… given its vastness, even if he kept running at this speed, Ishikawa felt he wouldn't circle back to Las Noches in a short time…
Although due to the distance, he wouldn't be caught immediately.
But continuing to run like this was clearly not the best solution.
Thinking of this, Ishikawa abruptly stopped in place. After roughly sensing the location of his pursuers, he pulled out a device resembling a mobile phone from his inner jacket pocket. This was a communication device Urahara Kisuke had given him, but Ishikawa had never used it before.
However, for this trip to Hueco Mundo, Ishikawa brought it with him just in case.
His fingers quickly slid, and Ishikawa dialed the only number on it.
Although Urahara Kisuke had confidently said that he could dial this number no matter where he was, Hueco Mundo… he didn't know if that included it.
Beep~
Hearing the dialing sound in his ear, Ishikawa couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
It rang twice, and with a click, the call connected. Urahara Kisuke's annoying voice came from the other end: "Oh, oh, oh, isn't this Boss Ishikawa? I wonder if Boss Ishikawa, in your busy schedule…"
"Skip the pleasantries."
Ishikawa interrupted Urahara Kisuke and said in the most concise way, "I'm in Hueco Mundo, just killed an Espada, and now the space around me is sealed. Other Espada are hunting me down."
"… …"
For some reason…
Hearing Ishikawa's words, Urahara Kisuke on the other end of the phone suddenly fell silent.
Ishikawa subconsciously brought the phone to his eyes, confirmed it hadn't disconnected, and was about to put it back to his ear when, at that moment, a small dot at the top of the phone suddenly lit up, and a translucent projection screen appeared in front of Ishikawa.
Urahara Kisuke's face was pressed against the screen, surveying Ishikawa's surroundings.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk—"
Urahara Kisuke glanced at Ishikawa in front of the projection screen, a strange glint in his eyes: "Ishikawa, you truly are as surprising as ever. Even I, your partner, didn't know you possessed a method to travel from Soul Society to Hueco Mundo."
"...A partner who secretly adds surveillance functions and projection screens to the phones he gives people, doesn't seem to have the right to lecture me, does he?" Ishikawa said with narrowed eyes.
Just as expected...
That bastard really did add something to the phone, just as he'd thought.
Ishikawa's mouth twitched slightly. Fortunately, he had been cautious and had never kept the phone with him.
"I'm merely concerned for your safety, Ishikawa."
Urahara Kisuke chuckled: "Ishikawa, you contacted me to open a Black Portal for you, right? If so, please place your phone on the white sand at your feet. I need to use the Reishi data extraction device inside the phone to analyze the space you're in."
"..."
Ishikawa looked at the palm-sized phone in his hand, his mouth twitching slightly: "Just how many things did you add to this phone?"
"Now is not the time to discuss such things. From my end, if you don't leave here, pursuers will arrive at your location in half a minute, Ishikawa."
Ishikawa was too lazy to complain anymore. He secretly decided that as long as he returned alive, he would never take anything from Urahara Kisuke again.
Who knew what was hidden inside...
"Hmm...the rough analysis is complete. According to my estimate, including the time to adjust the device, it will take roughly five minutes." Urahara Kisuke didn't waste words, saying gravely: "In about five minutes, I will construct a temporary Black Portal around the phone that will only last for ten seconds. Before then, it cannot be disturbed in the slightest."
Upon hearing this, Ishikawa didn't waste any time and turned to leave the spot.
But he wasn't continuing to flee; instead, he headed towards the direction from which the nearest pursuers were coming.
He had stayed here for about two minutes. If he continued to flee, someone would inevitably come here to investigate why he had lingered for those two minutes during his escape.
Urahara Kisuke's path was his last resort. If even this path was blocked, he would surely die!
Now, before him...
There was only one path: battle, to hold back all the pursuers through combat.
Five minutes—
He had to hold them for five minutes, no matter what!!
A few short seconds later, Ishikawa saw the pursuers.
And the 'pursuer' stood still, waiting for Ishikawa's arrival. It was none other than someone Ishikawa knew well...
NO. 8 - Nnoitra!
No, now he had replaced Tier Harribel's sequence and become NO. 5.
Almost the instant he saw Nnoitra, Ishikawa swung his Zanpakuto.
"Sigh, children, play to your heart's content."
Buzz~
The dark space instantly swallowed both of them.
The hand-drawn sky and high platforms appeared, with two figures standing on two high platforms.
"Kokumei!"
The ten high platforms gradually began to converge; everything seemed to be replaying.
However...
Nnoitra on the high platform disappeared at that instant.
Ishikawa's pupils contracted, and he raised the long blade in his hand without hesitation.
Clang—
The crisp sound of clashing metal rang out. Ishikawa felt the blade vibrate, and looking through his Zanpakuto, he saw Nnoitra sticking out his tongue, marked with a '5', and letting out a strange laugh: "You said it, didn't you? You don't like to talk a lot of nonsense in battle." Nnoitra finished, pressing his crescent-shaped blade down a few more inches.
Ishikawa's feet sank directly into the surface of the arena.
"But in your battle with Aaroniero, you said a lot of nonsense."
Nnoitra leaned his head close to Ishikawa's face and said: "After I saw it through cognitive synchronization, I kept wondering why you would actively explain the rules to Aaroniero. What would happen if you didn't explain the rules?"
"And the result..."
At some point, the converging arena around Nnoitra had stopped. Nnoitra sneered: "It really was as I expected, a simple and easy-to-understand ability. I told you before, didn't I? Don't play such petty tricks in front of me."
Upon hearing this, a strange glint flashed in Ishikawa's eyes.
Although he had long thought it would be exposed, he really hadn't expected Nnoitra to notice it so quickly.
From Aaroniero's perspective alone, while Ishikawa's Shikai ability had no destructive power, it was very strange.
During its activation, not only could people on the arena not leave, but people outside couldn't enter. Furthermore, the arena could even repair and sustain itself by absorbing the Reishi of the two people on it.
But Ishikawa was very clear...
How great the flaws of this ability were.
Rule Declaration!
The way the domain was formed had to be completely explained to the opponent through declaration for the rules of this domain to truly take effect.
That's why he had explained the game rules to Aaroniero during their previous battle.
Only when the game rules were fully explained did the domain truly take shape and various restrictions appear. Before the rules were explained, the area they were in could only serve to trap people and obscure their Reiatsu.
And most fatally...
In the absence of complete rules, merely maintaining its existence would consume a large amount of Ishikawa's Reishi, unlike when the rules were in effect and sustained jointly by the Reishi of both combatants.
However, this time, Ishikawa didn't plan to enter the arena. Instead, he intended to stand on the spectator stands outside the arena, just like last time, to stall for time by trapping Nnoitra.
As a result...
Nnoitra didn't give him any time to declare the rules.
Nnoitra looked at the silent Ishikawa and snorted, quite bored.
Buzz~
The next second, his Reishi surged.
As Reishi surged on his crescent-shaped long blade, Nnoitra distorted his slender waist, and the stalemate was instantly broken.
Bang—!
Ishikawa felt an incredibly terrifying force coming from the blade, and he was uncontrollably sent flying backward, directly out of the arena area.
His feet firmly pressed against the void, stirring up a cloud of smoke in the dark emptiness, and he barely managed to stabilize himself after dozens of meters.
However...
In that instant, Nnoitra had already attacked again.
Ishikawa frowned at the sight, realizing that Nnoitra wouldn't give him time to declare.
Thinking of this, he glanced at the long blade in his hand and sighed softly.
"Hehehehe—"
Almost simultaneously, the previously silent space suddenly echoed with the laughter of children.
This sudden change made Nnoitra stop in mid-air, a hint of vigilance flashing in his eyes: "What? Preparing to use Bankai?"
He was not unfamiliar with the familiar laughter coming from all around; he had once been trapped by that laughter for nearly half a minute.
Ding-ding-dong~ Ding-ding-dong...
The sound of gongs grew from faint to loud, intensifying.
"Bankai?"
Ishikawa held the long blade inverted in front of him and shook his head slightly:
"I have no interest in the Bankai of a Zanpakuto whose 'true name' I am about to erase."
As his words fell, Ishikawa released the long blade in his hand, letting it fall into the abyss.
"Sigh, children, play to your heart's content..."
Ishikawa chanted softly, and as he spoke the words 'play to your heart's content,' a tender voice joined his own.
Then, the two voices said in unison:
"Dōhan Kokumei~"
The long blade instantly plunged into the abyss, disappearing from sight.
Centered around Ishikawa, the gloomy space saw countless white specks of light, the size of fingernails, gushing from the ground, swimming freely like schools of fish in the sea.
The entire hand-drawn space, at this moment, seemed to have been suddenly injected with vitality, brimming with life.
"Do you know why?"
Ishikawa's sigh echoed from all directions of the space.
"Because 'Dōhan,' besides expressing sameness and difference, also represents..."
"Dissension and rebellion."
"Or rather, a divided heart and a rebellious spirit!"
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for advance chapters | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter | Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr