Generally speaking, only weak Hollows like staying in the World of the Living. Hueco Mundo is too dangerous for them; they could be devoured by powerful Hollows at any time.
So what's going on now?
Yoshio checked the data and found the Hollows appearing had been getting stronger in a stepwise pattern. Centered on Karakura Town, it seemed a field was radiating outward that attracted Menos.
Since half a year ago, Menos appearing in Karakura Town had stopped being unusual. The records showed that just two nights ago, a powerful Adjuchas appeared in Karakura Town. The Thirteenth Division shinigami stationed there immediately called for help but were ultimately a step too late. The Adjuchas killed them and then disappeared.
Yoshio hadn't been paying attention to Karakura Town's situation during this period, but he could guess: either Urahara Kisuke's group took it down, or the Wings of the World did.
Yoshio knew this was likely the result of the Seeds of Light that the Brainleaf Co. hadn't yet transferred into the Hell of Solitude, plus the Seeds he had implanted into other people—together producing an attraction. He had also activated the energy within the Seeds of Light and even sold it as a power source, causing the aura of the Seeds of Light in the World of the Living to grow stronger.
These auras, like fragments of the Soul King, drew in Hollows, unsettling the Menos in Hueco Mundo and instinctively pulling them to the Living World.
The Gotei 13 only manage the island nation and not foreign countries, so he didn't know about overseas. But judging from the island's deployment map, areas with frequent Menos appearances mostly overlapped with regions of high Seed-of-Light battery sales.
The only exception was a small coastal city in the west, but Yoshio knew that was related to him too—because that's where Tokinada Tsunayashiro was hiding, and Yoshio was conducting some evil experiments there as well.
All in all, after seeing the report, Yoshio roughly understood what was happening. He pondered a moment and said, "Looks like this isn't simple."
The Tenth Division's shinigami stationed in Naruki City had also been killed by a Menos yesterday.
"Yeah." Rangiku didn't have her usual playful smile. She said solemnly, "Could it be the Visored again?"
"We can't be sure yet. I think a Captains' Assembly will be called soon."
A Captains' Assembly wasn't a set meeting; it depended on whether the Central 46 had matters to relay. If there were orders, all captains would be summoned. Normally everyone handled their own division's work. Aside from Yoshio, who liked to drop in on others, most people might not see members of other squads for a long time.
Since things in the Living World were deteriorating, Yoshio felt the First Division would convene soon. Sure enough, just as he thought that, a Jigokuchō drifted over.
Two Jigokuchō landed on Yoshio's and Rangiku's hands. The two exchanged a look, released the butterflies, and immediately left the Tenth Division, heading for the First.
Arriving there, they saw Hitsugaya and Rukia had just gotten in too. Hitsugaya looked grim—his Thirteenth Division had suffered the worst losses, since they were responsible for Karakura Town.
"Hitsugaya." Yoshio and Rangiku went over to greet them.
Rukia replied first, "Captain Yoshio, do you already know what's happened?"
"Mm, someone in the Tenth ran into trouble too," Yoshio nodded. "Looks like something bad is happening again in the Living World."
"Rukia, let's go to Lieutenant Room 2," Rangiku said, taking Rukia to the lieutenants' area, while Yoshio and Hitsugaya entered the operations room.
They weren't early or late; only Unohana, Kyōraku, Aizen, Tōsen, and Komamura had arrived before them. Shortly after, Byakuya Kuchiki, Gin Ichimaru, Soi Fon, and Kurotsuchi Mayuri came in. Zaraki Kenpachi was still nowhere to be seen—but everyone was used to that. That oaf was habitually late, and even when he came he never offered anything constructive; it was always "cut them" or "go cut them."
So Yamamoto directly ignored the Eleventh Division captain and announced the assembly was starting.
Then he looked to the nearest, Soi Fon. "Captain Soi Fon, brief everyone on the situation in the Living World."
Soi Fon stepped out. "The Living World is radiating a high-density reishi flow centered on Karakura Town. The strange thing is, these flows are essentially the remnants of dead Hollows."
"In other words, Hollows keep coming from Hueco Mundo to the Living World, and after being killed, their corpses decompose into reishi, increasing the reishi density of Karakura Town and its surroundings."
"Karakura's reishi density has reached 27% of Soul Society's. If this continues, Karakura may reishi-fy due to the overrich reishi environment!"
"You're missing the point."
Mayuri snorted at her report. "Do we need to spell out the obvious? What matters is… why are Hollows rushing to Karakura non-stop? Even being killed doesn't dampen their enthusiasm."
"Oh?" Before Soi Fon spoke, Byakuya said, "I believe that's the Research and Development Bureau's job, isn't it? Does the Bureau have to rely on the Onmitsukidō for something like this? I'm beginning to worry how the Bureau uses its annual research budget."
Byakuya dislikes Mayuri the most among the captains. Byakuya, Mayuri, and Kenpachi all mutually look down on each other. A looks down on B and C; B looks down on C and A; C looks down on A and B. Their bickering was nothing new.
"Hmm?" Mayuri coldly snorted back. "I deem this a trivial matter unworthy of wasting the Bureau's resources. I should be surprised that even a trifle like this requires the Bureau to step in?"
"Unworthy, or incapable?"
"Enough!" Seeing this would never end, Yamamoto rapped his cane on the floor. "I have no interest in listening to you brats argue uselessly."
"Captain Soi Fon, continue."
Soi Fon cast a shadowed glance at Mayuri—she didn't like that pervert either—but obeyed Yamamoto and said, "The day before yesterday, an Adjuchas appeared in Karakura Town. Three hours ago, Adjuchas also appeared in Karakura, Kagamino City, and Tokyo."
"Although they were successfully repelled, however…"
She paused, then continued, "Half an hour ago, those three Hollows, upon returning to Hueco Mundo, simultaneously appeared in the west, briefly spiking spiritual pressure, and then vanished."
"The west? Only a rough area?" Aizen asked.
"Yes," Soi Fon nodded. "Roughly Kyushu, but the exact location is unknown."
"Commander-Captain, the situation is already serious," Hitsugaya said gravely. "I request that you cease sending regular troopers to Karakura and the surrounding area. From now on, station seated officers of higher rank; if necessary, lieutenants and even captains can deploy."
Yamamoto didn't answer immediately. Dispatching lieutenant- and captain-class forces couldn't be decided lightly. Every captain was an irreplaceable asset. If even one or two were sent and something happened, it would be a major blow to the Court of Pure Souls. Most importantly, too many high-density reishi bodies appearing in the Living World could upset the balance of the three realms.
Yamamoto looked to Mayuri, who said, "Karakura's reishi-fication is severe, but oddly it hasn't triggered any change in the Shutara Scale."
"In other words, the balance of the three realms hasn't changed."
"Wait." Yoshio couldn't help speaking up. "If that's the case, won't Karakura actually reishi-fy into a Soul Society town in the Living World?"
If the reishi density got too high, Karakura could fully reishi-fy—its people, as material bodies, would be eroded and turned into reishi. Karakura might then disappear from the Living World. Though still present, ordinary people wouldn't see it or those within. It'd become a ghost city.
"As if it were that simple," Mayuri snorted. "At this rate, Karakura would need at least two hundred years to complete reishi-fication. Besides, its reishi is still exporting outward."
"In short, Karakura will at most transition from a heavy reishi land to a super heavy reishi land."
"Even if there's no balance breach yet, if Menos keep degrading into reishi in the Living World, the three realms' balance will eventually be affected," Yamamoto said darkly. "We absolutely cannot let this phenomenon spread."
"Our top priority is to determine what's luring Menos to Karakura in droves. Is Urahara Kisuke involved again?"
"To that end, I declare that, centered on Karakura Town, all stationed shinigami will be seated officers. Lieutenants may deploy when necessary; captains may deploy in emergencies."
This effectively made lieutenants regular stationing, but captains still wouldn't be dispatched lightly.
"As for numbers, the Thirteenth Division will no longer be solely responsible for Karakura. The Tenth, Eleventh, and Thirteenth will each send a high-ranking seated officer. The divisions will rotate lieutenants to form a defense squad. In emergencies, all shinigami will be under the lieutenant's unified command."
The captains nodded. Yamamoto continued: "The Second and Twelfth will also send personnel to the Living World to investigate the lure attracting Menos. If needed, the defense squad will cooperate with the Onmitsukidō and R&D."
"The Eighth will head to Kyushu to investigate. The other divisions will maintain alert in the Seireitei and be ready to fight at any time."
After hashing out details, the assembly ended. Preparations began across the divisions. Lieutenants would take turns stationing in Karakura by division number—meaning Rangiku was first. She grimaced but knew there was no point complaining; if she didn't go, others might be in danger.
Yoshio said, "This time, you don't need a limiter seal."
"Huh?" Rangiku was surprised. "Without a limiter, won't that cause problems?"
"Elsewhere, yes. But Karakura is different now," Yoshio explained. "According to Mayuri, Karakura is like a semi-independent zone. The high reishi density there won't upset the balance. Just don't leave Karakura."
Rangiku was relieved. Being sealed was an unpleasant feeling. After returning to the division, everyone prepared, and soon she set out.
Her absence wouldn't affect the Tenth much anyway; she was a lazy pig to begin with.
…
Yoshio took a trip home, then secretly went to the Brainleaf Co., telling them to keep a low profile from now on. If unnecessary, just live as ordinary people in the Living World.
He didn't even need to say this in person; Sōya Azashiro had left some of his reishi in the Seireitei to monitor matters. But Yoshio went himself to be safe.
"Yamiko, how's your condition?"
Yoshio brought a stack of documents to find Yamiko. She seemed to be meditating; upon hearing him, she opened her eyes. "You're here to dump more work on me, aren't you?"
"Hey now, with Rangiku away, we've got to split her work between us. And I really do care about your health."
Yamiko had grown a lot over the years—taller than Hitsugaya, even taller than Baelz. "Same as always—no further evolution," she said, looking troubled.
Back in Hueco Mundo, when she turned Szayel Aporro into a Quincy, she had evolved to the point of granting souls to others. But that wasn't the important part; what mattered was evolving to the point of seizing others' souls. That step was extraordinarily difficult. Even with Aizen's technical support, Yamiko had shown no sign of approaching that realm.
A pity. If Yamiko progressed, Baelz might analyze her evolution data and advance as well. That hurdle just isn't easy to cross.
History has seen many incomplete ones. Every few decades one appears; a thousand years yields a dozen; a million yields ten thousand. But an existence like Yhwach? Only one.
For both Yamiko and Baelz, evolving from an incomplete one into a child of the Soul King is far harder than evolving from a Quincy into an incomplete one.
Yoshio had been studying the fluctuations of Auswählen and Kurosaki Masaki's soul, but progress was meager. Too many secrets lay hidden.
…
Back in his office, Yoshio leaned in his chair, lost in thought. Forget it—no need to obsess over omniscience and omnipotence. Once he became three-in-one, there would be ways to counter it. For now… think about the changes in the Living World.
Those changes likely stemmed from the Seeds of Light, which attracted Menos to enter the Living World. Meanwhile, the strange energy leaking from the Seeds of Light was slowly reshaping the world. Originally it was fragile; a slight misstep could unbalance the three realms. But now the Seeds seem to balance reishi and material.
Good news. If that energy truly diffuses, the Living World will stabilize. At least future trips there won't require worrying that one's spiritual pressure will negatively impact the balance.
As for Tokinada's side… also interesting. After implanting the Evil Person Nodes, Tokinada's soul abilities changed, granting him a new power. The Seeds of Light can stimulate the power of the heart, materializing the mind to produce an ego—Yoshio believed it was akin to a Zanpakutō.
Tokinada's new power was Tyrant Duke, a pitch-black greatsword with evil yet terrifying power. He was feeding it with Menos, using Hollow souls to nurture the blade. Yoshio knew exactly what he intended, so he didn't treat him as a threat. But he hadn't fully fused with the Evil Node yet, and the Gotei 13 had noticed anomalies in that area. If they killed him now, everything would be wasted.
He couldn't die before completing the fusion. Have some backbone, Tokinada—don't die just yet.
Yoshio smirked, a touch of mockery on his lips, and was about to return to research when he received a message from Roka Paramia.
Frowning, he covertly headed to Las Noches. "What happened?"
He looked at Roka, who hurriedly said, "Yoshio-sama, it's bad—Baraggan went to the Living World and was badly injured by an unknown person!"
!
Yoshio's mind instantly began ingesting information from the Living World. The next moment, his gaze turned deep. Baraggan… was badly wounded by Hela!