This new palace belonged to Shigure's own Soul Wall.
It was where souls arrived after his "Soul Detention" ability activated.
Almost instantly, Shigure grasped the Soul Wall's vast potential.
First: Everything within the Soul Wall palace was controlled directly by Shigure's soul. No other rules applied.
But this control had limits. It depended on the Soul Wall holder's soul strength.
Second: The Soul Wall palace covered exactly ten spirit miles. All of it could be customized by the holder.
Everything within that ten-mile radius could be repositioned at will by Shigure.
That's how they'd instantly entered the ruined city when the storm hit. Kleint had used this ability.
Third: The Soul Wall palace was permanently locked in Hueco Mundo's Land of Deep Ash. It couldn't be moved.
This explained why Aizen couldn't force Kleint to leave.
As Shigure pondered these abilities, a voice called out.
"Segawa."
Shigure turned. Tōshirō Hitsugaya stood there, back in physical form.
His expression was complicated.
Seeing Shigure look over, Hitsugaya lowered his eyes. His voice was heavy:
"That power just now... was that only your Shikai?"
Disbelief and frustration colored his words.
He'd been invisible, but he'd still seen Shigure's Spirit-Collapsing Thunder Dragon.
Silence fell over the group.
For the first time, the genius Hitsugaya felt the enormous gap between himself and his peers.
A hoarse voice broke the quiet.
"Segawa!"
Shigure's heart stirred. He turned and smiled. "Kasahara-san."
Shinichi Kasahara approached. Yamamoto had sent him three days ago.
A group of injured Soul Reapers followed. They all bore wounds like Kasahara.
The situation was obvious. These were the advance reconnaissance team members.
They'd encountered Kleint's attack. Been detained here. Made invisible.
After some discussion, Kasahara understood what had happened.
He realized this wasn't Aizen's base at all. A self-mocking smile crossed his dark face.
"I really am getting old. Making mistakes like this..."
He sighed heavily.
"Kasahara-san." Soi Fon spoke up immediately. "This isn't the time for blame."
Kasahara blinked.
His expression grew serious. He nodded.
"You're right, Captain Soi Fon."
"Since the reconnaissance failed so badly... we should return to Soul Society. Plan a new strategy."
Soi Fon's eyes flickered. She didn't answer directly. Instead, she looked at Shigure.
Kasahara's words made sense. Hueco Mundo was vast. Hard to explore quickly. They constantly risked encountering powerful Hollows. Staying indefinitely was dangerous for Soul Reapers.
But Shigure was the mission leader. The decision was his.
That's why she sought his opinion.
Shigure sensed their thoughts. He considered for a moment.
Then he raised his head. Looked at Kasahara.
"Kasahara-san, take the injured back to Soul Society first. Report the situation to the Head Captain."
Both Kasahara and Soi Fon looked stunned.
Shigure turned to Soi Fon seriously. "We should continue this Hueco Mundo expedition."
Meeting his gaze, Soi Fon's heart skipped a beat.
Hitsugaya approached slowly. His usual calm had returned. "I agree with Segawa."
Shigure nodded at him. Then smiled at Soi Fon:
"Personally, I hope you'll stay here."
"But if you want to return with Kasahara-san, that's fine too."
Soi Fon's eyelids twitched. Her cheeks flushed red. She stammered:
"Who—who said anything about leaving?! Of course I'm staying!!"
She spun around and shouted: "You're not looking down on me, are you, Segawa?!"
Her adorable reaction made Shigure smile warmly.
Hitsugaya, Kasahara, and the others stared in amazement. They'd never seen the serious Captain Soi Fon act shy and flustered.
Ōmaeda looked shocked. "Cap—Captain... are you still Captain Soi Fon...?"
"Shut up, Ōmaeda!" Soi Fon yelled, still facing away.
Shigure looked at Kasahara:
"Since both captains agree, please do as I suggested, Kasahara-san."
Kasahara studied him for a moment. Then nodded.
He could see it clearly. Shigure might be a new captain with less than a month in position. But his abilities and judgment qualified him as this team's leader.
Since he'd made this decision, Kasahara wouldn't object.
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