Chapter 24 – An Invasion of Soul Society?
"What really happened? Were you all cast out into the Human World by Aizen?"
After calming Elsa down, Tachibana Kyūjō turned his gaze toward Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi, his eyes sharp with quiet authority.
Faced with that question, Urahara could only stare back in stunned silence.
So… Kyūjō knew everything?
No—wait!
In that instant, a memory flickered in Kisuke's mind. A nickname Kyūjō had given him long ago—
"Manager Urahara."
Lifting his head, he glanced up at the wooden sign above his modest storefront—Urahara Shop, etched in bold letters.
Could it be…?
Could Kyūjō's Zanpakutō really foresee the future?
Kisuke stroked his chin in thought. Back when he escaped to the Human World, he'd opened this tiny store as a cover, blending in among mortals.
So… was that decision influenced by Kyūjō?
Or had Kyūjō already known this would happen, long before Kisuke even arrived?
Kisuke's thoughts wandered further—tracing back to Kyūjō's time in Soul Society.
He remembered how Kyūjō had never once looked kindly upon Aizen…
Did Kyūjō already sense Aizen's betrayal from the start?
Or could he really see glimpses of what was to come?
If so—then why didn't he stop him?
Still caught in the spiral of questions, Urahara finally looked up, brows furrowed.
He spoke cautiously, his voice low:
"Kyūjō… did you know all of this from the very beginning? Is that your Zanpakutō's ability? Or… are you somehow the one orchestrating everything behind the scenes?"
"Is this all because of the Hōgyoku…?"
"No—wait. If that were the goal, you could've taken it from me ages ago. So what exactly is your objective, Tachibana?"
As Urahara's brilliant mind raced through one theory after another, Kyūjō merely sighed, his expression tired, and answered with quiet firmness:
"I knew many things before they happened. But I can't tell you why—not completely. What I can say is, because of my existence, this world's course has already shifted countless times."
"As for Aizen's plan… yeah. I've known about it for a long time. But I had no reason to interfere. His business with Soul Society was no longer my concern. I am the King of Hueco Mundo now, remember?"
"And besides, Kisuke… Yoruichi… you both remember, don't you? Back when we met in Hueco Mundo, I warned you. I said there were two true enemies lurking right under Gotei 13's nose. But…"
"Because of your pride and your assumptions, neither of you ever realized it."
"You question my intentions. That's fine—but be careful, Kisuke. I've never had to resort to deception to get what I want."
"Yes, I pursue strength. But I have my principles. I don't desire power I haven't earned with my own hands. I'm not like Aizen, who tried to force his evolution through the Hōgyoku."
"That's not my path."
"I rely on no one. I need nothing. The only opponent I aim to surpass…"
"…is myself."
— — —
Urahara stared at him, eyes wide, stunned into silence.
Then, after a long moment, he lowered his head respectfully.
"…I see now. I apologize, Tachibana. I misjudged you."
Kyūjō gently helped him back up, patting his shoulder with a faint smile.
"You're all my friends. There are some things I probably should've told you. But dumping everything at once wouldn't have helped anyone."
"As for Aizen—and the other enemy you still haven't noticed—I'll deal with them. Once I've settled a matter inside myself… I'll act."
— — —
Kyūjō stayed at the Urahara Shop for three more days.
During that time, he even invited Kisuke and Yoruichi to return with him to Hueco Mundo and live under his protection.
But Kisuke declined.
Kyūjō didn't push the issue. Instead, he simply took Elsa with him and wandered the city for a while longer.
— — —
At a quiet park in Karakura Town, Tachibana Kyūjō sat alone on a bench.
He gazed at the traffic, the glowing skyscrapers, the vibrant pulse of modern life… and felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him.
This view…
How many times had it appeared in his dreams?
Yet now, after four lifetimes spent wandering different worlds, everything had changed.
Karakura Town was no longer the home he once knew.
If he'd never been diagnosed with cancer back then…
Maybe he really would've just become another "beast of burden" in this modern society.
Waking early, commuting endlessly, breaking his back just to survive…
But now—
The same man who once felt like a cog in society's cruel machine had walked through countless worlds, shattered his limits, and reached the peak of existence.
So was he just some lucky fool…?
Or had he been forged into something greater by the fires of hardship?
The question lingered, until Kyūjō found himself doubting again…
His thoughts drifted back—
To days spent swinging his sword, fighting demons, sailing treacherous seas, standing tall on the battlefield of shinobi wars, and conquering monsters from galaxies beyond comprehension.
And in that moment, he understood.
He was the beast of burden from Earth.
He was the Demon Slayer of the Taishō era.
He was the Vice Admiral who braved the Grand Line.
He was the one who reigned atop the Shinobi World.
He was the wanderer of galaxies, the breaker of limits, the challenger of fate itself.
They were all him.
And now, finally…
He realized the wound in his soul had long since healed.
All that remained was one sliver of his old life—
A trace of that self-hatred from his time as society's outcast.
But today…
He wanted to say something to that old self:
"You were a warrior too. You were never weak."
— — —
Kyūjō shook his head slowly, then smiled.
He turned his gaze toward the heart of the city—toward the mall where Elsa was still happily shopping—and called out softly,
"Elsa. It's time to go home."
From inside the building, Elsa blinked, her hands still holding up a cute new outfit.
"…Eh? Already?"
Though her heart lingered on the clothes, she nodded and whispered to herself, "Okay…"
Kyūjō smiled faintly.
"We're going home. But… if you want to return here again, I'll allow you to visit the Human World once a month."
— — —
Not long after, Tachibana Kyūjō opened a Garganta and returned to Hueco Mundo with Elsa.
Once they arrived at Las Noches, Kyūjō issued a single command:
Elsa would temporarily take charge of all Hueco Mundo affairs.
As for him—
He would enter closed-door meditation within Las Noches.
No one was permitted to disturb him.
The moment that decree spread, silence fell across the entire fortress.
And deep within its grand halls, one man remained.
Feeling the hungry draw of Reishi through his body…
And the clarity born from a soul finally unburdened…
Tachibana Kyūjō no longer held anything back.
He accelerated his Breathing Technique 4.0, drawing in spirit particles from the atmosphere with quiet precision.
And in utter stillness—
He began walking once more toward the edge of transcendence.
— — —
One month later, at the 5th Division Headquarters in Seireitei—Soul Society.
In the stillness of midnight, two figures silently slipped into the private chamber of Aizen Sōsuke.
One of them was a masked man—Tōsen Kaname. The other, a fox-eyed man whose sly smile never left his lips—Ichimaru Gin.
"Is everything in place, Tōsen, Gin?" Aizen asked calmly, not even bothering to turn around. He sat behind his desk, still scribbling away at division documents as if nothing was amiss.
Tōsen bowed his head respectfully and answered in a composed tone.
"Lord Aizen, all thirty-six pathways to Hueco Mundo have been successfully opened. The four major districts of Rukongai, along with the interior of Seireitei, now all have access points to Hueco Mundo. Only one final path remains inactive."
Aizen nodded slowly, then placed his spirit pen down and rose from his chair.
"In that case... let's go. Tōsen, Gin—prepare yourselves. I'm about to show you something truly worth witnessing."
— — —
That very night, the skies of Soul Society were suddenly torn open—over thirty Garganta, pitch-black portals leading directly to Hueco Mundo, erupted across the land.
Most of them appeared across the outer districts of Rukongai.
But shockingly—eight of them materialized within Seireitei itself.
From those dark rifts, towering Gillian-class Menos and even some Adjuchas surged out like hungry sharks catching the scent of blood, beginning a sudden and devastating invasion of the Soul Society's heart.
Upon receiving the urgent reports, Captain Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's expression twisted with fury. Without hesitation, he issued an emergency command:
"Except for the 2nd Division assigned to guard Central 46—all remaining divisions of the Gotei 13 are to mobilize immediately!"
"Close and seal all Garganta at once!"
And then, Yamamoto himself moved, heading straight toward one of the portals that had appeared northeast of Seireitei.
— — —
At that very moment—inside Central 46.
Tachibana Kyūjō descended the blood-drenched steps, his blade still dripping with fresh crimson.
The great council chamber—once the highest authority in Soul Society—was now filled with nothing but silence. Not a single soul remained breathing.
And then, above the lifeless room, a new Garganta slowly opened, forming a direct link to the outskirts of Las Noches in Hueco Mundo.
Right in front of the stationed 2nd Division guards, Kyūjō walked boldly into the black portal—without even attempting to conceal himself.
Only then did the guards realize something was horribly wrong.
Why was Tachibana Kyūjō even here...?
Without wasting a second, they stormed into the council building.
But what they found inside was a scene of utter slaughter—blood pooled so deep it had reached the threshold of the door, threatening to spill out across the street.
Tachibana Kyūjō... had singlehandedly massacred all of Central 46!
And in that moment of horror, they understood—
Soul Society was about to face a change beyond anything they could stop.
— — —
When the report reached Yamamoto Genryūsai, his expression darkened, his spiritual pressure surging like a tidal wave.
Opening that many Garganta simultaneously... was not something that could've been done without inside help.
Diverting the Gotei 13 outward... then slipping in to destroy Central 46 alone...
This was your plan, wasn't it, Tachibana Kyūjō?
And Urahara Kisuke, who had vanished before—he's in Hueco Mundo too, isn't he?
Betrayed again and again by those he once trusted, the strongest Shinigami of the last thousand years—Captain Commander Yamamoto—could no longer suppress the fury boiling inside him.
He slammed his staff into the ground with thunderous force.
In a flash, a long katana appeared in his hand.
He shed the upper part of his uniform, revealing an aged body carved by countless battles—scarred, burned, and hardened by war.
"All things in the universe return to ash — Ryūjin Jakka!"
A blazing inferno erupted, sweeping across the battlefield in all directions—incinerating every Hollow nearby, big or small, with unforgiving fire.
Yamamoto's Reiatsu, overflowing with uncontainable rage, tore through the Soul Society like a hurricane.
And in that moment, he decided:
This time, he would personally hunt down and eliminate every last traitor!
Even if it meant chasing them to the ends of the world—he would not allow a single one to escape.
"Gotei 13! Assemble—NOW!! Follow me into Hueco Mundo! We're going to wipe out those traitors!!"
— — —
Hueco Mundo — outside Las Noches.
When a sudden Garganta cracked open near the royal palace grounds, Elsa narrowed her eyes sharply.
Another Vasto Lorde dared to disobey Kyūjō's orders and open a portal here?
As everyone knew, only Vasto Lorde-class Hollows possessed the power to open Garganta directly near Las Noches. Lower-tier Hollows could only do so randomly across Hueco Mundo.
But now? In this age?
Was there still any Vasto Lorde foolish enough to defy Kyūjō's command?
Elsa began to doubt it.
"Baraggan Louisenbairn, Coyote Starrk, Tier Harribel, Ulquiorra Cifer—go. Investigate who dares to open a portal in this restricted zone."
"Whoever it is, order them to shut it immediately. And if they refuse... you know what must be done," she said coldly, her voice sharp and commanding—like a general preparing for war.
The four Espada nodded without a word and took flight, heading straight for the Garganta.
— — —
Outside Central 46, Yamamoto stood beneath the swirling black rift above him.
The air around him crackled violently with spiritual pressure—so dense it distorted the very space. Even veteran Soul Reapers could barely stand within a few meters of him.
Only the lieutenants and captains managed to stay upright in his presence.
"Captain Commander," said Sasakibe Chōjirō respectfully. "All captains are now assembled, except for 5th Division Captain—Aizen Sōsuke, and 9th Division Captain—Tōsen Kaname, who is reportedly gravely injured and unfit to fight."
Yamamoto gave a slow nod, preparing to address the Gotei 13 before launching their assault.
But just as he opened his mouth—
Four figures stepped out of the Garganta.
And in that instant—every single Soul Reaper froze in place.
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