The same red sun rose over both Soul Society and the World of the Living.
The battle at Beihai Prefecture had been the briefest. Once a Captain arrived, Ichimaru Gin alone wiped out the modified souls with ease.
There was no suspense.
Against Shinsō, Gin's Zanpakutō, the enhanced Mod Souls were no more than wet paper.
And yet, after the lightning-quick slaughter, Gin didn't seem satisfied. Claiming he feared any survivors, he began a scorched-earth search through the area—methodical, precise.
But elsewhere in the World of the Living, things weren't going so smoothly.
Though not for Soul Society.
It was a massacre—for the Hollows.
On the battlefield were Kyoraku Shunsui, laid-back yet deadly; Zaraki Kenpachi, the mad dog of Seireitei; Komamura Sajin, solemn and relentless; and Sui-Feng, surgical and efficient.
Had Ukitake Jūshirō not been forced to withdraw to guard the wounded Shiba Kaien, the battle might've ended before nightfall.
Among the burning remains, one figure floated high—Coyote Starrk, Primera Espada.
Unscathed. Watching.
Like a king staring down insects.
Kyoraku hadn't gone all out.
Neither had Starrk.
Despite their firepower, none of these Captains had made him feel endangered.
But the fight had served its purpose.
The mission was done.
Delay the Captains. Spend the dregs.
Aizen had called them "rejects"—defective Arrancar. Disposable.
Starrk knew it was time to leave.
If there was one thing that annoyed him, it was how often Kyoraku had interfered whenever he had a clean shot at killing Kenpachi or Komamura.
That Captain… Starrk wanted to duel him. Alone. Someday.
The only one among them who felt even remotely dangerous.
"Well, that's it for today, Captains. Until next time… let's hope our next encounter's more entertaining."
No fanfare.
He raised his finger to the sky. A Garganta opened.
He stepped through without hesitation.
His remaining Arrancar?
Abandoned.
"Bastard! You won't escape!"
Sui-Feng, still entangled with an Arrancar, broke free by tanking a hit, leaping skyward to intercept.
But she'd never fought Starrk before.
She hadn't seen what he could really do.
"Hunt them down—Wolves. Resurrección: Los Lobos. Infinite Reload—Cero Metralleta."
And then the sky fell.
Ceros rained like meteor storms.
Everywhere.
No blind spot. No shelter.
Sui-Feng froze—until a familiar blade cut a path through the void.
Kyoraku, lazy and languid no longer, stood before her, weaving complex Kidō slashes to open a hole in the barrage.
The other Captains adapted as best they could.
Ukitake raised his left blade—absorbing every Cero that drifted his way.
Kenpachi, ecstatic, let the beams hit him head-on, grinning like a maniac.
He tried to copy Kyoraku's method but lacked the control—his body gave out, collapsing into unconsciousness.
Komamura lasted a bit longer.
But he, too, was downed.
Iron will alone couldn't stop a storm of infinite energy.
As for the abandoned Arrancar?
All vaporized—cut down by their own commander's attack.
Kyoraku watched Starrk disappear into the Garganta, eyes half-lidded.
"So you waited till the end to show your true power, huh…"
He'd never fought Starrk or Baraggan during the Noble Purge incident. Wrong location, wrong time.
But he'd read the reports.
And it confirmed everything.
Starrk wasn't there to fight.
He was there to sell out his own people.
But… why?
Were the Hollows fracturing?
And more importantly, how did Seireitei fail to detect the sheer number of Arrancar now appearing?
Weren't they supposed to be rare?
And the power gaps—some were as weak as seated officers, others rivaled Captains.
That discrepancy alone should've raised alarms.
The Recon Divisions must have missed something. Or someone had kept them blind.
Kyoraku chose not to pursue.
He would return.
And he would demand answers.
But unknown to him—Soul Society was bleeding.
In just one hour, Seireitei had fallen into crisis.
Kuchiki Sōjun, Captain of the 6th Division—dead.
10th Division's Captain—dead.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi—trapped in his lab.
Unohana Retsu—overwhelmed with wounded.
Tōsen Kaname—crippled, unable to fight.
Captain-Commander Yamamoto sat, reports strewn before him, expression stone.
Mayuri? Trapped. Understandable—he wasn't a frontline combatant.
Tōsen? Weak. Always had been.
But Unohana?
"Don't pretend you're just a healer, Retsu," he muttered.
But what could he do?
At least she was treating the dying.
Could be worse—she could've stayed in her barracks and ignored it all.
"Have you contacted the World of the Living?" he asked his lieutenant.
Sasakibe Chōjirō nodded.
"Yes, sir. Captain Ichimaru says they're still entangled. No signs of withdrawal. Captain Kyoraku has yet to respond—but scouts report his battle's still ongoing."
"I see."
Yamamoto stood, reiryoku gathering like a tidal wave.
This… was the moment he dreaded.
He never wanted to draw his blade.
Because even Shikai warped the world around him.
Bankai?
Might destroy Soul Society itself.
But what other choice did he have?
At the same time—
Kanyashiro Jinbara was livid.
"No word from Higashi Shuuichi?!"
A Shinigami trembled before him.
"W-we reached him, my Lord, but…"
"But what?!"
"He said he'll handle it, then disappeared again…"
Jinbara wanted to execute him on the spot.
Did Higashi even understand what was happening?
Seireitei had only one active Captain left—Yamamoto.
And the enemy?
Still pouring in.
Jinbara wasn't a real warrior.
Just a man with Captain-class reiatsu and noble blood.
He could kill weak Hollows.
But these?
These things had killed two full Captains.
He'd be next—easily.
Meanwhile, Higashi Shuuichi had returned from Hueco Mundo.
He now stood beside Aizen Sōsuke, gazing at the corpse of the 10th Division's Captain.
"I don't recognize this one," Higashi said. "New?"
"Does it matter?" Aizen replied smoothly. "Collateral damage."
This was strange.
Not Aizen's usual style.
"You didn't tell me about this plan," Higashi said flatly.
"I didn't plan it," Aizen said. "Just… a whim."
"A whim? You dumped half of Hueco Mundo's assets into this 'whim.'"
"And why not?" Aizen smiled. "After what you told me about Kanyashiro Tokitana's ambitions, I realized something."
"This land," he said, "Hueco Mundo—it's mine."
"If Tokitana thinks he can seize even a piece of it, he's sorely mistaken."
Aizen gestured lazily at the burning sky.
"And don't bother looking. I erased every surveillance feed in this quadrant."
Higashi tilted his head.
"Still doesn't explain the scale. You're not the type to burn resources over petty pride."
"True," Aizen said. "But you were the spark."
Higashi blinked.
"And the plan? That wasn't a whim."
"No," Aizen admitted. "That part was old. Ready. Just needed… the right moment."
"And your real goal?"
Aizen's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Tell me, Higashi—if the Shiba Clan lost all its high-level combatants and most of its family… would they be expelled from the Five Noble Houses?"
Higashi's breath caught.
"You're after the key to the Soul King's Palace."
He knew the Shiba Clan held that ancient technology.
Most did not.
But Aizen had long since accessed forbidden records—courtesy of Higashi, Mayuri, and Urahara.
He'd once tried to manipulate Shiba Kūkaku with Kyōka Suigetsu—but she'd been too cautious.
Almost exposed him.
He backed off.
Until now.
Now?
Break her world. Shatter her family.
Then offer her a hand.
She'd fall for it.
No hypnosis needed.
"And if not the key," Aizen mused, "then just tell me where the Palace is. I'll build my own."
No one else could say that.
But Aizen?
Higashi believed him.
"I get it. So I should protect Kanyashiro Jinbara, make sure he ousts the Shiba Clan from nobility?"
Aizen nodded.
"Exactly."
Higashi sighed.
"No spotlight for me today, huh? Guess this is your moment to play the 'savior'."
But Aizen shook his head.
"No, Higashi. You must save Shiba Kūkaku. Not me. I'm still in the World of the Living—with Ichimaru. Handling Mayuri's leftovers."
"Mayuri again…" Higashi grumbled.
So much had happened while he was gone.
Still, it was true—the timing was perfect. All their forces were scattered. No better moment to move.
Aizen's gaze shifted to a nearby Arrancar, still locked in combat.
"Besides… didn't you borrow Kisaragi Shūsuke's ability?"
"Yeah," Higashi said. "But unlike him, mine's tied to my reiatsu."
Aizen smiled.
"Then consider this your feast."
"Baraggan's lieutenants? Skip them."
His voice dropped lower.
"But Baraggan's Hollow Core… that's the real prize."
At that, Higashi's eyes lit up.
"You mean… I get to kill Baraggan?"
And he smiled.