Chapter 149: It's a Frame-Up
Saving lives was the priority. Nothing else came first.
As much as Tessai wanted to deal with the Aizen situation immediately, looking at the figures writhing and struggling in front of him, he made his decision with no real alternative.
The Research and Development Department first.
The two of them moved without stopping, retracing their steps back to the facility.
The Department's internal security measures were elaborate. Tessai followed Urahara through the whole way, clearing multiple identity checks before they finally reached the destination.
"Please, bring them in... all of them are critical. I need every second I can get."
Tessai wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, looked at Kuna Mashiro, whose vital signs were the weakest of the group, and nodded in silence.
The milky-white substance kept moving, kept crawling, blanketing the surface of each person it had taken hold of. It behaved like a parasite in the truest sense, growing steadily while draining the life out of whoever it had attached to.
Reiatsu... no, more than that. Even the basic signs of being alive were fading point by point.
And while that diminished, what had been building in its place was something unmistakably Hollow, rising as the other fell, the two in a constant inverse relationship with each other.
What was this?
"Tessai-san, I'm about to begin the actual treatment. Some of what follows may be outside your area of expertise, but I can't complete this alone, so..."
Tessai was already on his feet, and answered without hesitation.
"Tell me whatever you need. I'll handle it."
The bond between the two of them, the reliability that would carry them through everything that followed, was built in exactly this period.
Approximately an hour and a half later.
The laboratory door opened again. Urahara Kisuke walked out looking completely wrung out, exhaled a long breath, and pulled the surgical mask from his face.
He had never been the type to keep up appearances to begin with. But the version of Urahara Kisuke standing here right now looked like something that had been squeezed dry.
He didn't even have the energy to stand properly. He lowered himself to the floor while still catching his breath, and let his head drop.
Tessai stood beside him and looked back through the doorway with a thoughtful expression.
Hirako Shinji and the others were inside, collapsed in a haphazard pile, "sleeping" in every direction at once.
The good news: they were no longer in immediate danger. The parasite-like substance had been suppressed to a degree and was no longer actively spreading.
The bad news.
This thing appeared to be permanent. Hirako and the others were going to carry it for the rest of their lives.
"Can it be removed?"
The reason for asking was straightforward.
As long as the white substance was attached to them, there was no hiding the Hollow-like presence radiating from their bodies. Even to a casual observer, the resemblance was unmistakable.
It was a difficult thing to say out loud, but within Soul Society, every one of these people was now a walking death sentence. Being spotted by anyone would be grounds for execution, nine times out of ten.
And yet, they were members of the Gotei 13.
Both Urahara and Tessai knew with complete certainty that these people were clean. What had happened to them was not something they had chosen.
Urahara heard the question, head still hanging, and showed an expression that carried nothing but resignation.
"I... did everything I could. The condition they're in right now is not something I'm able to fix. Not yet."
As the researcher responsible for half of the Hogyoku, Urahara's development capability was genuinely above Aizen's. But expertise had its limits. After discovering the Hogyoku, Urahara had chosen not to pursue deep research into it, and that decision was precisely why he was behind right now.
Tessai absorbed the situation, thought for a moment, and said:
"If their condition is stable, we should get back to the other matter."
Reporting Aizen Sosuke and his associates.
As an active threat to Soul Society, these people needed to be dealt with. That was beyond debate.
Urahara seemed to agree. He nodded and pulled himself upright.
"Let's go directly to Squad 1. Going through standard channels is too slow for something like this. The fastest route is straight through the Captain-Commander."
But.
Before either of them could take a step, a sharp alarm tore through the room where they were standing.
Intruder alert.
The warning cycled twice. The door at the far end of the room was shoved completely open before the third loop began.
Armed and serious-faced squad members poured in from both sides, surrounding Urahara's group before anyone had a chance to move.
Tessai surged to his feet and put himself between them and Urahara.
"Who are you people? You're breaking into the Research and Development Department. What do you think you're doing?"
"We are a special unit under the direct authority of the Central 46."
The person leading them produced a written order from inside his uniform, opened it, and held it out for both of them to see.
"You are charged with conducting human experimentation and attempting to weaponize Hollows for inhumane purposes... along with a report filed alleging intent to overturn the established order."
BANG.
The door behind them was kicked in from the outside.
The half-conscious forms of Hirako Shinji and the others were now fully visible, and the sight of them stopped Urahara cold.
"The evidence appears conclusive. The information we received was accurate. Captain Ura... no. Urahara Kisuke. You are now a suspect. Please come with us."
And if they refused.
"We have no objection to using force."
Strictly speaking, the threat was somewhat absurd. The special unit's individual combat ability was limited at best, roughly on par with an ordinary vice-captain. Force wasn't actually a credible option.
But what had Urahara genuinely puzzled was the claim itself.
"Why is the Central 46 involved? We haven't reported anything yet... wait."
The image surfaced from somewhere deep in his memory. Aizen's expression as he left.
That almost-smile. In an instant, every unanswered question snapped together into a single picture.
This was Aizen Sosuke's second plan. He was framing them.
Tessai planted himself in front, sweating visibly, and started to argue.
"No, wait... you..."
But before he could finish, Urahara had already placed a hand quietly on his shoulder.
"Let it go, Tessai-san. Arguing won't accomplish anything here. Let's go with them. I believe I have enough grounds and enough ability to prove our innocence."
Tessai looked like he had reservations, but in the end he stood down.
"Very well. Then we..."
A rush of air.
BANG!!!
Outside the open doorway, a figure flickered into existence, and with a speed that put everyone else in the room to shame, drove a heel straight into the squad leader's lower back.
Yoruichi Shihoin.
Her expression was harder than anyone present had ever seen it. Her voice carried something close to a shout.
"Urahara! Run! The Central 46 wants you both dead!!!"