At the entrance of Las Noches, after Tsunayoshi removed the mountain pressing down on Yammy, Gin Ichimaru also arrived with the equipment.
Yammy, who had finally regained his freedom with great difficulty, did not dare make even the slightest complaint. At Aizen's glance, he obediently slipped into Las Noches.
Even though he had not witnessed it with his own eyes, merely sensing the Reiatsu released during Tsunayoshi and Aizen's battle had been enough to terrify Yammy. His irritable temper had suddenly become even more docile than a kitten's.
"Let us depart, Sawada Tsunayoshi," Aizen said.
"Mm. Before that, Manager, which direction are Ichigo and the others in?" Tsunayoshi asked.
Kisuke Urahara had already taken out an instrument and took the lead, heading toward Ichigo's group.
"With your strength, is there really any need to be this cautious?"
Aizen was somewhat speechless. Of course he knew Ichigo and the others had come, but he had not expected Tsunayoshi to avoid bringing them into Las Noches and instead hide them somewhere else.
"Of course there is. Kyōka Suigetsu's reputation resounds throughout the entire Soul Society. No amount of caution is excessive," Tsunayoshi said as though it were only natural, showing no awareness whatsoever that he had just defeated Aizen head-on with illusions.
...
"Someone's coming!" Ashido said solemnly, his Zanpakutō already pointed in the direction of the enemy.
Ichigo and the others, who had hidden themselves according to Tsunayoshi's instructions, had discussed it and decided to let Ashido, who was the most familiar with Hueco Mundo, serve as the guard.
Because Ashido had been immersed in Hollow Reiatsu all year round, he was even more sensitive to the slightest movements in Hueco Mundo than Uryū, despite Uryū being an archer.
At Ashido's warning, those who needed to draw their swords drew them, and those who needed to draw their bows did so. Nel, meanwhile, carried out the principle of not holding anyone back and took her two followers to hide behind a nearby sand dune.
The distant figures gradually became clear, and Ichigo's group finally saw who had arrived. Tsunayoshi and Urahara were still within expectations, but what was going on with Aizen and Gin Ichimaru?
"Tsunayoshi! You haven't been controlled, have you?!" Ichigo shouted loudly, pointing Zangetsu at Tsunayoshi with one hand. His other hand had already quietly touched the device Urahara had given him, ready to open a Garganta and escape with everyone at any moment.
"See? I told you Kyōka Suigetsu's ability is deeply rooted in people's hearts. Even Ichigo knows to guard against it."
After grumbling at Aizen, Tsunayoshi shouted back, "Are you an idiot? What kind of illusion could control me?"
With that reminder from Tsunayoshi, Ichigo finally remembered Tsunayoshi's almost abnormal ability: Hyper Intuition. That terrifying ability allowed Tsunayoshi to fight normally even if his eyes were covered and his ears were blocked.
"But why is Aizen here?"
Ichigo had no interest in the twists and turns of Soul Society's politics. In his view, there were only friends and enemies. As long as an enemy dared threaten his friends, he would cut them down with his blade.
"Ichigo, we made a deal with Aizen. We need to go to the Forest of Menos," Urahara reminded him before Tsunayoshi could speak.
"Oh, right." Ichigo scratched his head and said, "So we're going to the Forest of Menos together?"
"I look forward to traveling with you, Kurosaki-kun," Aizen said with a smile as he walked closer.
But when Ichigo thought of the terrible things Aizen had done in Soul Society, he still could not greet him with a smile. He could only turn his face away and avoid looking at Aizen.
Ashido was similarly baffled, but out of trust in Ichigo, he did not ask any questions. Even so, his vigilance toward Aizen never decreased.
"Oh? This must be the captain-class Reiatsu in the Forest of Menos that should have been reported, then?"
Aizen glanced at Ashido and said, "Sawada Tsunayoshi, you even managed to find this?"
Tsunayoshi had no interest in explaining things to Aizen.
"Ichigo, where's Nel? Call her over. We're setting out."
Naturally, Aizen did not miss the name "Nel." This made him rather curious. Just what exactly were Tsunayoshi and the others guarding against? Logically speaking, when dealing with the Royal Palace, such forces—worse than useless—should not be needed at all.
...
This time, without Grimmjow serving as their driver, everyone relied on their own feet to travel. The group all used Shunpo together, and their traveling speed was even somewhat faster than when Grimmjow had been pulling the carriage.
"We're here. Sawada Tsunayoshi, what needs to be done?" Aizen asked from above, looking down at the passage leading to the Forest of Menos.
Perhaps because the Reiatsu stirred up by everyone's Shunpo had been too active, two Gillians rushed out of the cave opening, opening their mouths to devour the group.
Aizen swept a sharp glance over them, and the two Gillians were split vertically in half. For things that interrupted his business, direct extermination was the most convenient method.
"Aizen, just throw the half-dead ones back in. Killing two of them means two fewer sources of Reiatsu," Tsunayoshi commented expressionlessly. In any case, it was Aizen's Jūreichi. The fact that he had spoken up to remind him was already good enough.
"Ahem. I know."
Aizen continued maintaining his pose. The pleasure brought by his brief test of power had instantly vanished. This was all part of his Jūreichi, so it could not be wasted.
"Mm. Everyone, listen to my arrangements. Gin Ichimaru, install the equipment around the cave entrance. Ichigo and Uryū, come up into the sky with me and fire your strongest Heilig Pfeil inside. Manager, be ready at any moment to restructure the scattered Reishi."
"Aizen, you stay by the cave entrance. If any Hollows come out, throw them back in. Ashido, Rukia, please move farther away and look after Nel and the others."
After Tsunayoshi finished assigning tasks, everyone moved quickly. Gin Ichimaru circled the cave entrance and placed the equipment. Aizen and Kisuke Urahara stood opposite each other on the two sides of the hole, while Tsunayoshi took Ichigo and Uryū high into the sky.
"I won't say much to you, Ichigo. Pour all your Reiatsu into this arrow. Uryū, use these to expand your attack power."
Tsunayoshi pinched a playing card between his fingers and used the power of Desert Flames to create five Seele Schneider for Uryū. Uryū could use the Seele Schneider to set up a Sprenger in the Forest of Menos first, then use a Heilig Pfeil to detonate the Sprenger's power.
Without saying anything more, Uryū took the Seele Schneider, adjusted their direction slightly, and fired them all together. Although the Seele Schneider that sank into the cave could no longer be seen with the naked eye, Uryū could still sense the faint Reishi attached to them.
"Tsunayoshi, don't tell me Uryū and I are going to finish your job for you?" Ichigo joked as he changed into his Quincy attire.
"If the two of you can wipe out the Forest of Menos, that would be for the best." Tsunayoshi did not mind joking with Ichigo either. "Another day spent slacking off."
"Yeah, right. If I'd mastered Vollständig and my Schrift, maybe I could try it," Ichigo said, still possessing some self-awareness. His confidence came only from the Schrift called "The All-Killing."
"All right, get to work. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can go back."
Ichigo drew open his black, swastika-shaped spirit bow. A Heilig Pfeil thicker than his waist was nocked upon the bowstring. This was not the limit of Ichigo's Reiatsu, but the limit of his control.
The red Heilig Pfeil could no longer retain the shape of Tensa Zangetsu. It was entirely formed from drifting, scattered red Reiatsu. If even a little more was poured into it, the arrow would explode right in front of Ichigo.
Unlike Ichigo, Uryū looked much calmer. However, a feather-like emblem had appeared on his right hand as he drew the bowstring. To maximize the power of his attack, he even used the Vollständig he had not yet fully mastered.
One red and one blue Heilig Pfeil fell together into the deep pit of the Forest of Menos. After a brief wait, light suddenly erupted, rushing up to the surface together with the Reishi produced after the Hollows were destroyed by the Heilig Pfeil.
"Bankai!"
Kisuke Urahara drew his Zanpakutō. A gigantic woman wearing a deep crimson kimono crouched above his head.
"Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame!"
Restructuring was Kisuke Urahara's specialty. The instant the Reishi burst from the ground, a circle of stitch-like marks had already extended into the Forest of Menos. They rapidly absorbed the Reishi in the air and transformed it into an aggregated substance that would no longer disperse.
"Phew! Tsunayoshi, we're done. It's your turn now."
Ichigo let out a deep breath. According to what he sensed, his and Uryū's two arrows had at most only radiated across the outskirts of the Forest of Menos, which was the area where they had previously entered.
As for the deeper parts of the Forest of Menos, their power was still far from reaching that far.
But even those two arrows were enough to cause panic among the Hollows inside the Forest of Menos. Chaotic Reiatsu surged out from within the forest, and more and more Gillians appeared from the cave entrance. A riot had broken out in the Forest of Menos.
An equally terrifying Reiatsu pressed down through the cave entrance. It was Aizen. He had already regarded the Forest of Menos as his private property. How could he allow the brats below to overturn the table?
"Act, Sawada Tsunayoshi!"
Aizen looked up at Tsunayoshi. He had seen Ichigo and Uryū's attacks. They were indeed powerful, but to him, they were still on the level of children's toys. He wanted to see where Tsunayoshi's confidence came from, and how he intended to turn the entire Forest of Menos into Reishi.
A gigantic Quincy cross suddenly stood in the desert.
This was the second time Tsunayoshi had fully used his Quincy power in reality after awakening it in Soul Society.
Aizen's hand instinctively clenched in empty air. The aura Tsunayoshi erupted with in that instant was simply too powerful. His instincts had prepared him to grip his Zanpakutō. Only after seeing the brilliant radiance of the Quincy cross did he loosen his hand.
Given the current situation, he and Sawada Tsunayoshi were not enemies. There was no need to be this guarded.
The radiance of the Quincy cross gradually condensed behind Tsunayoshi. He extended his right hand, and from the hexagram behind him floated the symbols representing the seven attributes of the Earth.
Glacier Flames froze into the body of the crossbow. The explosive Mountain Flames opened outward as the crossbow's limbs. The adhesive Swamp Flames transformed into the bowstring. The all-piercing Stream Flames and the incomparably sharp Forest Flames combined into the arrow. The Desert Flames, shifting between illusion and reality like a mirage, became the sight.
Finally, the black hole formed from Earth Flames served as the core and settled into the trigger mechanism.
This crossbow bolt, containing the seven attributes of the Earth, was gripped in Tsunayoshi's hand. It did not cause any strange phenomenon. Everything around them remained peaceful and calm.
But after witnessing the might Tsunayoshi had displayed when releasing the Quincy cross, no one would doubt the power of this crossbow bolt.
This was the ultimate manifestation of Tsunayoshi's Quincy power.
Corresponding distantly to the sky above—
the Crossbow of the Earth.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70+ chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789