One Month Later – Seireitei.
All the Captains of the Gotei 13 stood gathered as a Captain's Council was held immediately upon the return of those who had traveled to the Soul King Palace, to discuss the invasion of the Shadow Realm where the Quincy were hiding.
"So, you're saying this cube will allow us to reach the Shadow Realm where the Quincy are?" – Ren glanced at Kurotsuchi Mayuri, who was casually playing with the small black cube in his hand.
"Exactly." – Mayuri nodded arrogantly and explained – "I've been studying the shadows for the past month and noticed that the Reishi density there is 1.5 times higher than in other places. By analyzing the Reishi present in the shadows, I was able to create these cubes that can transport a person into the Shadow Realm."
"...However, I must warn you, this process is not without risks." – Mayuri raised the cube in front of his face, rotating one of its sides as if he were showing off a new toy.
"What kind of risks?" – Shunsui Kyoraku tilted his hat slightly, his half-closed eyes shifting between Mayuri and the cube.
"There's a small, but real chance of the person being swallowed by the shadows themselves. The Reishi in the Shadow Realm is unstable, and the energy there doesn't follow the same laws as in the Soul Society." – Mayuri elaborated, his voice this time free of mockery or sarcasm.
"And are there enough cubes for everyone?" – asked Soi Fon sharply, her right arm folded behind her back with military discipline.
"I currently have 14 cubes." – Mayuri smirked with feigned confidence – "Enough for the Captains only."
"Of course." – Byakuya said calmly as he closed his eyes for a moment – "Only the Captains have the power to face the Quincy on this level."
"Cut the chatter." – Zaraki Kenpachi stepped forward, breaking the tension with his rough voice – "We're going to fight the ones hiding in the shadows? Let me be the first."
As he spoke, he directed his Reiatsu toward the cube.
Swish!
Suddenly, his figure distorted and vanished from sight in front of everyone, transported into the Shadow Realm.
"That idiot..." – Mayuri muttered, clearly annoyed by Zaraki's reckless behavior that often bordered on stupidity.
"Six Captains will be sent, in addition to Kuchiki Rukia and Abarai Renji." – Yamamoto declared, equally displeased with Zaraki's impulsiveness. – "The Captains are: Captain of the 2nd Division: Soi Fon, Captain of the 5th Division: Kurosaki Ren, Captain of the 6th Division: Kuchiki Byakuya, Captain of the 7th Division: Komamura Sajin, Captain of the 10th Division: Hitsugaya Tōshirō, and Zaraki Kenpachi. The remaining Captains will stand by in case the Quincy attempt to flee the Shadow Realm."
"Go!" – Yamamoto ordered, striking his wooden staff against the ground with a restrained but resounding force.
Swish!
Swish!
Swish!
At Yamamoto's command, several powerful Reiatsu soared, and the individuals he named vanished from the hall.
Shadow Realm.
The design of the Shadow Realm was identical to Seireitei, except for the architecture. While Seireitei's buildings were traditional Japanese style, the structures here were of Western design, crafted from white-silver stone and ice.
The place was quiet and peaceful—no one dared disturb the slumber of their Emperor, who was regaining his strength to conquer the world and bring it under Quincy control.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
But today, the usual calm was shattered as a wild man—seemingly a Shinigami—appeared, destroying and killing everything in his path while laughing like a demon from hell.
"That man is Zaraki Kenpachi..." – Haschwalth murmured as he stood atop Silbern, watching the Sternritter quickly mobilize to stop Zaraki who had breached the Shadow Realm.
"But how did he get in here alone?"
The question perplexed Haschwalth, as it was impossible for anyone except the Quincy to reach the Shadow Realm. Zaraki certainly didn't possess that ability.
But...
That question was soon answered when he suddenly sensed several powerful Reiatsu, as multiple Shinigami began sowing chaos and destruction throughout the Shadow Realm.
"Are we being invaded by the Shinigami...?" – Haschwalth stood in disbelief; the Shadow Realm had existed within Seireitei's shadows for nearly a thousand years without detection—yet now, suddenly, the Gotei 13 was invading. It was unthinkable.
The thought of a Shinigami invasion filled Haschwalth with dread. Yhwach was still asleep and had yet to regain his strength. If a Shinigami found him now, it would be as easy as killing a child.
This thought horrified him, so he did not hesitate to abandon the idea of assisting the others. He remained in Silbern and rushed toward the throne room; he had to protect Yhwach at all costs.
[A/N: Yhwach hasn't recovered his power, and at this moment, he's no different than a human. That's why there's no such thing as Haschwalth gaining power at night, etc. I don't know if this is the case in the anime, but this is how it works in this story.]
Swish!
Using Hirenkyaku, Haschwalth vanished from Silbern's rooftop and quickly made his way to the throne room.
Yhwach's safety was more important than all the Quincy.
"Wh–!..." – Upon entering the throne hall, Haschwalth froze, his blue eyes shrinking sharply as he stared at the scene before him.
Normally, Yhwach would be asleep upon the throne, peacefully awaiting the recovery of his strength. But now, Yhwach was nowhere to be seen—and someone else sat in his place.
Messy white-silver hair, pale white skin, dressed in a standard black Shihakushō worn by Shinigami, along with a sleeveless white haori and a tight black combat suit underneath.
What terrified Haschwalth the most was not that he couldn't sense the other person's Reiatsu—but those crystal blue eyes, which seemed to contain a star-filled galaxy within, staring with cold disdain at everything.
[Image]
Ren sat on the throne casually, one leg crossed over the other, cheek resting against his hand, lazily examining Haschwalth from head to toe.
"Yo..." – he raised a hand in a lazy, indifferent greeting, staring at the horrified Haschwalth.
"You..." – Haschwalth's voice trembled in shock as his eyes darted frantically around the throne hall, desperately searching for any sign of Yhwach.
...
To get more chapters please visit my p@treon :
[email protected]/Akasaki_Ryujin
For support :
https://ko-fi.com/akasaki_ryujin