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"Damn it!"
"Who the hell edited me to look that weak?! Who made that video? I swear I'll hunt them down and rip them apart!"
In the vast, empty palace hall, Yammy's furious roar was loud enough to shake the ceiling.
On paper, he ranked last among the Espada.
But in truth, Yammy was the Zero Espada. Once he transformed into his Rage Beast form, his power became downright monstrous.
Yet what did the video show?
Ever since taking one hit from that Shinigami woman's strike, the on-screen Yammy was on the back foot the entire time. All he did was flail and rage helplessly.
What stung even more—
Today happened to be the Arrancar army's regular meeting day.
Every Espada, every Fracción—everyone except him—was sitting right here watching that damn video.
The transparent screen hovered in the air.
As Yammy's pathetic state played out, the atmosphere in the hall grew… awkward.
"Tch…"
"Yammy, getting pushed around by a Shinigami like that? You're embarrassing the Espada."A rebellious, mocking voice finally broke the silence.
Grimmjow stood there with one hand shoved into his pocket, sky-blue hair falling over a vicious grin dripping with ridicule.
The Panther King was cruel by nature, instinctively hostile toward Shinigami, and barely even respected Aizen.
So when he saw that clip?
His first reaction was secondhand shame.
"I mean, seriously…"
"Three-on-one and you still got crushed? That's pathetic."From another corner, Nnoitra chimed in with a sneer, unable to hide the amusement in his voice.
Watching Yammy get humiliated just pissed him off.The moment the video ended, Nnoitra's killing intent practically spiked.
"Yammy, the video hasn't even finished, so it looks like your misery's just starting."Szayelaporro, the Octava Espada and resident mad scientist, joined in on the mockery as well.
"Szayelaporro…"
"Explain it. Why is this happening? And where did this footage even come from?"Ulquiorra, who had been silent the whole time, finally asked coldly.
As the Fourth Espada, and with Aizen absent, he was essentially Las Noches' caretaker—maintaining order and managing relations among the Arrancar.
But between the sudden appearance of this strange screen and the video showing Espada invading the human world…
Even someone like Ulquiorra couldn't stay calm.
He knew that since Aizen returned to Soul Society a month ago, none of them had stepped foot outside Las Noches.
As for Yammy…Aside from eating, sleeping, and occasionally bullying other Arrancar, he was glued to Ulquiorra's side. There was no way he just vanished without being noticed.
So…
What was any of this?
Ulquiorra couldn't make sense of it.
His instincts as the Black-Winged Demon told him only one thing:
This situation was far more serious than it looked.
"Well…"
Faced with Ulquiorra's stare, Szayelaporro sighed, his confidence utterly deflated."To be frank, I feel the same way as you. I want answers just as badly, but I've got no leads."
He let out another frustrated breath.
The scientist's usual arrogance had evaporated, leaving nothing but pure defeat.
Yes—Even he couldn't find a single flaw in the phenomenon.
They couldn't touch the screen.They couldn't shut it off.They couldn't manipulate it.
All Szayelaporro could do was the same as every other Arrancar in the room—sit back and watch like a powerless spectator.
And that helplessness drove him absolutely mad.
"…Fine. We keep watching."Ulquiorra's green eyes showed no emotion as he shifted his gaze, recording the video's contents using his shared-vision abilities.
The footage continued.
As Szayelaporro predicted, everything that followed was more of Yammy being teased, bullied, and beaten senseless.
It went on for quite a while.
Until a barrier suddenly descended and saved Yammy from dying outright.
"Yammy.""The Arrancar's reputation is in ruins thanks to you. You don't deserve to be an Espada."Barragan, the crown-masked former king of Hueco Mundo, snorted coldly as a wave of killing intent radiated from him.
He had once ruled this world.Naturally, he held no respect for Shinigami.
Yet Yammy was beaten like a dog by some no-name Shinigami.
For the Skeleton Emperor, whose pride had lasted centuries, this was unforgivable.
"It was pretty shameful…"Harribel, the only female Espada and ranked third, spoke up for once."That Shinigami doesn't even look that strong."
"Oh?""So you're saying it's not that the Shinigami's strong, but that Yammy's just weak?"Stark stretched lazily, joining the conversation without much interest.
As the most laid-back Espada, he couldn't care less about ranks.What mattered to him was whether he'd get a chance to fight a Shinigami someday.
If he could, he wouldn't mind giving it a shot.
"Stark, I didn't expect you to stir the pot too," Harribel replied evenly.
"I'm only being honest."Stark yawned.
The barrier faded, the screen went black, and the rundown of Urahara Kisuke seemed to be wrapping up.
As for everyone's roasting?
Especially being mocked right in front of the top three Espada—Yammy couldn't talk back. He had no choice but to swallow the humiliation along with the "trash" label they slapped on him.
Seireitei
12th Division Headquarters — Technology Development Bureau
"Akon, did you finish the investigation? How many of these light screens are appearing across the Soul Society?"
Machines whirred nonstop.
Ever since the transparent screens appeared a few minutes ago, the entire department had descended into chaos.The hotline was practically melting.
Every few seconds, Shinigami from other divisions called for answers.
And inside the Bureau itself?Almost every floor, every room, had its own floating screen.
Under Akon's direction, the 12th Division tried everything.Nothing worked—not even basic signal interference.
"Captain Mayuri…""According to the signal analysis, within Seireitei alone, there are five hundred sixty-eight screens—and that doesn't include Rukongai."
Akon handed over the report with a trembling voice, practically despairing.
Mayuri blinked."Just in Seireitei?"
Impressive.Whoever deployed these screens did not think small.
"Unbelievable…""In just a hundred years, Urahara's scientific skill has reached such terrifying heights?"Mayuri's rasping voice dripped with resentment and jealousy.
He and Aizen shared the same assumption—This had to be Urahara's work.
At first, he brushed it off.Just a petty provocation.
But as the footage played—the Arrancar appearing, the barrier descending, the incredibly realistic immersion—
Mayuri finally panicked.
He had to admit it.He'd underestimated Urahara again.
That man—Even after a century—was still far, far above him.
"..."
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