Chapter 27 – Soul King Palace
As tension rippled between the Shinigami and the Hollow, Tachibana Kyūjō raised a single hand.
The battlefield fell utterly silent.
Even Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, the strongest Shinigami of the past thousand years, stared at the young man standing before him—tall, unyielding, cloaked in calm authority.
And for the first time... Yamamoto felt regret.
"Tachibana Kyūjō, King of Hueco Mundo... everything that happened today—was my fault."
"If you seek revenge, take it out on me. I can bear your anger, your hatred... even your judgment."
"But please... let the others go. Shinigami, Hollow, humans—these Three Realms are all connected in a delicate cycle. If the Shinigami are weakened too drastically, it won't just be Soul Society that suffers…"
"…Unless you intend to repeat what Yhwach once tried to do—"
"To plunge all three worlds into chaos."
Tachibana sighed in exasperation, rolling his eyes. If the old man had intended to apologize, couldn't he have done it before the thousand-degree magma and spirit-pressure clashes?
He didn't bother replying.
Instead, his gaze drifted toward two particular figures standing among the ranks of the Gotei 13. A small smile curved on his lips, softening his features.
"Byakuya. Captain Unohana… It's been nearly a century. And you still don't recognize me?"
As the words left his lips, both Kuchiki Byakuya and Retsu Unohana froze in place.
Then, slowly—like fog lifting from a battlefield—the crushing spiritual pressure across the arena began to fade.
The overwhelming tension melted into stillness.
— — —
With a casual motion, Kyūjō swung his fist downward, shattering the dimensional layer of Hueco Mundo.
A Garganta burst open before them—wider than a hundred meters.
"All right then. Let's head to Soul Society."
"I want to see what kind of preparation Aizen thinks gives him the right to sneak around in my shadow."
Without waiting for a response, he stepped into the swirling darkness.
Behind him, the high-level Hollow forces followed loyally—led by Elsa and the other commanders.
Watching the King of Hueco Mundo march into Soul Society with an army, the captains of the Gotei 13 quickly helped Yamamoto back to his feet and began to follow.
Even the Captain-Commander himself… was brought along.
Well, except for Zaraki Kenpachi, who was still somewhere in a distant corner of Hueco Mundo, having been launched out of the atmosphere like a stray cannonball.
— — —
When they arrived in Seireitei, Kyūjō didn't attack.
Instead, he frowned.
There was no sign of Aizen, Ichimaru Gin, or Tōsen Kaname.
"They've already left?"
"Real World, maybe? Or… Wandenreich?"
He stood in silence, thinking.
Once he confirmed all Shinigami forces had safely exited the Garganta, he turned to Yamamoto and the captains.
"Aizen is gone."
"So now—there's one last place we need to check."
And with that, Tachibana raised his fist again—then brought it crashing down.
The very ground beneath Seireitei shattered, exposing a hidden chamber beneath the city.
A colossal crystal palace of pure ice revealed itself beneath the ruins.
The Shinigami stared in disbelief. None of them had known something like this existed beneath the very heart of their home.
But as Kyūjō swept the palace with his spiritual perception, he frowned again.
"There's no one here."
Something wasn't right.
"Is this… a conspiracy between Aizen and Yhwach? Or are they just using each other?"
Before anyone could respond, Kyūjō vanished from the spot, leaping through space in an instant.
There was only one world left to verify—
— — —
Urahara Shop – Real World
Bathed in the soft orange light of sunset, a cat and a man were lounging lazily in front of a small candy shop.
Kyūjō sighed at the sight.
"You know, even if I didn't ask for help, you could at least pretend to look worried."
"Yo, Kyūjō! Didn't expect you back so soon." Urahara Kisuke lifted his hat slightly and flashed a cheeky smile.
"So? Changed your mind about that little matter we talked about?" he asked.
Kyūjō nodded calmly. "Aizen is missing."
"He didn't run. He's not in Hueco Mundo or Soul Society anymore. So I came here."
At that, the cat transformed—Yoruichi Shihōin, now wearing the black leather jacket Kyūjō had given her long ago.
"Then? Did you find anything?"
"No." He shook his head. "He's not here either."
Yoruichi narrowed her eyes. "You sure you didn't overlook something? If he's not in the Three Realms, then where else could he possibly be?"
Kyūjō answered without pause.
"My perception spans the entire world. Unless it's a large-scale dimensional barrier like Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, or the Real World—nothing escapes me."
"This entire world is under my surveillance."
Yoruichi fell silent, clearly impressed by the scope of his ability.
But Urahara, who had been quietly thinking, finally spoke:
"If your perception isn't wrong... then I think I know where Aizen is."
Both men said it at the same time.
"Soul King Palace."
— — —
"But… that palace is guarded by Division Zero," Urahara muttered. "No matter how strong Aizen is, I doubt he could get past them alone."
Kyūjō shook his head.
"It's not just Aizen."
"You're both forgetting something important."
"Back when I first entered Hueco Mundo, I told you about two major enemies."
"One of them was Aizen."
"And the other—Yhwach."
"Yhwach… the King of the Quincy from a thousand years ago," Yoruichi whispered.
Kyūjō nodded. "What you don't know is—Yhwach is the child of the Soul King himself."
"I suspect the two of them… are trying to absorb the power of the Soul King."
But before he could finish his sentence, a strange wave rippled through the Real World.
All around them, people began to die.
Mysteriously.
Instantly.
Without a sound or cause.
— — —
Kyūjō's eyes narrowed.
"…Auswählen."
"'Auswählen'?" Urahara and Yoruichi echoed in unison.
Kyūjō explained, his tone solemn.
"Yhwach was born with a unique ability—Auswählen, or Consecration Select."
"It allows him to steal back power from other Quincy... and absorb it into himself."
"Those who lose their power—die."
"But those chosen by Yhwach—are resurrected, stronger than ever."
"This confirms it."
"Aizen and Yhwach… they're in the Soul King Palace."
— — —
Tachibana Kyūjō looked up at the bright sky above the Real World.
Now that he had confirmed the location of his two greatest enemies, he didn't immediately give chase.
Instead, he closed his eyes and listened—to the rhythm of his soul.
It was nearing perfection.
He turned quietly, raising one hand once again and striking space itself—opening a rift back to Las Noches, the throne of Hueco Mundo.
A faint smile crossed his face.
His evolution… was almost complete.
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