"You actually guessed right." Yoshio chuckled. "Yes, something big did happen in the Soul Society recently. We've barely had the bandwidth to mind the World of the Living."
"Still, it's basically under control now. If you were planning some big move, you may have missed your best window."
"Not necessarily." Kūgo Ginjō shook his head. "I'm realistic about my current strength. We're not at the point where we should burn bridges with the Soul Society. Launching some big operation now would be suicidal."
"I only came to ask a Gotei 13 Captain's opinion about one thing."
"Ask away, I'll see if I can answer," Yoshio replied.
The two walked together through Karakura's streets late at night.
Though it was late, Karakura Town still blazed with lights. Neon signs hung over shopfronts, giving the city a slightly fantastical sheen.
To passersby, Ginjō looked like he was alone, muttering to himself.
Yoshio had not come to the World of the Living in a gigai, so he was in spirit form—ordinary humans couldn't see him.
Now and then an exhausted salaryman hurried past on the dark street, giving Ginjō odd looks as he rambled on.
Ginjō ignored the looks and continued, "What does the Soul Society think of religion?"
"What?" Yoshio feigned surprise. "Religion?"
"Yeah. You didn't know? Lately a bunch of doomsday religions have cropped up in the living world—mostly cults," Ginjō said, looking troubled. "I don't know exactly what happened a while back, but the whole world's been shaken."
"The Living World isn't the only one. The Soul Society's been shaken too. Summoning Shinigami to deal with that has been our main job lately," Yoshio said calmly. "It's mostly wrapped up now. You probably won't see a recurrence."
"It's already handled?" Ginjō murmured. "You Shinigami act fast."
Yoshio didn't answer.
Ginjō went on, "Handled or not, the new currents in the living world are unstoppable now."
"You mean like Doomsday Church?"
"Right. People everywhere are on edge. In many places, governments even shut down for stretches because of the upheaval."
"In all kinds of places, religions are springing up like bamboo shoots after rain. I want to found a religion like that too."
"Eh?" Yoshio looked puzzled. "You? Found a religion? Everything has a purpose—why?"
"Religion is a great way to unite people. And through a religion I can find comrades more quickly—more Fullbringers," Ginjō replied.
Yoshio fell into thought, then gave a small look of realization. "I get it. You're worried that founding a religion will draw Soul Society scrutiny, so you came to ask me first, right?"
"Mm." Ginjō nodded, then added, "I used to be a Substitute Shinigami, but I mostly operated in the World of the Living. I don't really know the ins and outs of your internal affairs."
"Then don't worry." Yoshio looked relaxed. "As long as it doesn't threaten the reishi balance of the Three Worlds, Shinigami don't have the time or inclination to meddle. Even if you created a religion on the scale of the 'big three,' as long as it doesn't disrupt the order of the Three Worlds, Shinigami won't bother with it."
"Of course, don't forget: you personally are still wanted by Soul Society. If you're discovered, you will be dealt with."
"I know that much. I'm not that reckless." Ginjō chuckled. "Hearing you say that, I'm relieved. I'll head back. Next time we meet, dinner's on me."
With that, Ginjō eagerly manipulated the reishi in the ground and vanished in an instant.
Even without undergoing Apotheosis, Fullbringers have their own high-speed movement. His haste made his intentions obvious—he could barely hold back from launching his plan.
He hadn't said it aloud, but Yoshio could pretty much guess.
Ginjō had previously fused with the Defrauder evil node.
It boosted his base strength and granted a brand-new ability.
That ability was "True Lies." Simple effect: every lie he tells becomes true.
It sounds overpowered, but there's a condition: someone has to believe it.
While Defrauder makes his lies more believable, to turn a lie into reality requires unshakeable belief. The deeper the belief, the stronger the effect.
The more believers, the stronger and more complex the lies he can realize.
And what best manipulates the masses through lies?
Religion, of course.
Ginjō founding a religion is simply to exploit his "True Lies."
Fine by Yoshio: the stronger Ginjō grows and the deeper his fusion with the evil node, the greater the feedback when Yoshio eventually purifies him.
With his own strength, Yoshio didn't fear how strong these hosts became.
Well—except Aizen and Yhwach.
Yoshio clicked his tongue and disappeared from the area.
He returned to the Soul Society, to daily life and rebuilding.
After that incident, Division Zero hadn't descended again. They'd even strengthened the barrier between the Royal Palace and Seireitei, from seventy-two layers to ninety-nine.
There used to be some exchange between Seireitei and the Royal Palace—rare and difficult, but possible.
For example, Asauchi transfers: Soul Society would send masterless zanpakutō back to Ōetsu Nimaiya, who would return restored Asauchi.
Or shihakushō: captains' haori and other garments. Kyōraku Shunsui's floral kimono was a luxury commission from Senjumaru's best fabrics.
But lately, the connection between Seireitei and the Royal Palace had all but cut off.
Many Shinigami died in the last war. Even returning their zanpakutō to Division Zero was impossible.
Seems that last attempt to harvest the Soul King's power impacted Division Zero too much.
The Soul King's power isn't infinite. Recognizing Yamiko and Nezuko meant some Soul King power flowed into them.
With more of that power in them, the Soul King's total power diminished.
Meaning the Soul King was weaker than before.
And the Soul King is the wedge that stabilizes the Three Worlds. With his weakening, the balance grows more precarious.
But the nobles brought this on themselves.
A complete Soul King could stabilize the Three Worlds easily. Yet the nobles kept carving off pieces of him, until he was nearly hollowed out.
Thus the wedge weakened and the worlds fell out of balance—leading to today's mess.
In canon, aside from the Quincy masterminds who wanted the worlds in chaos, rational beings generally avoided annihilating powerful spirits.
Like Yamamoto: during the Karakura battle, he repeatedly held back against evil Arrancar. Don't even mention the Forest of Menos's Gillians. He spared Harribel's three Fracción on purpose.
Partly to honor their courage; partly because he knew those three also supported the balance.
Why was Ikomikidomoe sealed in a zanpakutō?
Even if Yamamoto back then couldn't kill it, Ōetsu or the Monk surely could.
Of course they could. But Ikomikidomoe's spiritual pressure was too immense. Killing it suddenly would remove a crucial pillar on the spirit side.
After the Thousand-Year Blood War, Harribel and Grimmjow broke into the Royal Palace and weren't punished—because they represented the souls of hundreds of millions. They could not be killed lightly.
When did the Three Worlds end up like this?
Probably thousands of years ago, perhaps when the Gotei 13 formed a millennium ago—when Shinigami formally became "professionals," their duty explicitly to maintain balance.
The current broken state indicates it's time for a changeover…
Division Zero should be assisting the Soul King in maintaining balance now.
They carry Soul King power too. As guardians of the five directions, it's their duty to help maintain the worlds.
Anyway, Yoshio had no reason to go to the Royal Palace for now.
He waited as time flowed.
…
…
In a blink, two and a half years passed.
In that time, Seireitei's reconstruction finished, and six months ago the Royal Palace restored its connection and reclaimed the backlog of zanpakutō.
A year ago, the Shell That Clings Outside Matter was fully purified.
Yoshio implanted it into Grand Fisher and released him into Hueco Mundo to develop.
Grand Fisher had only become a Vasto Lorde through an evil node; among all chosen hosts, he was probably the weakest.
Kurosaki Masaki gradually recovered some consciousness, but not fully.
Yoshio didn't do much in those two and a half years—he focused on being a captain and lived quietly.
In the Living World, Nezuko was in her third year of middle school, about to enter high school.
Everything seemed to move forward at fate's prodding.
Nezuko was in Class 3–2, bored, staring at her textbook.
She'd already learned this material.
Junior high doesn't split physics, chemistry, biology—they're integrated as science.
Nezuko loved science, but the content was too basic. She'd long since mastered it.
Listening to the teacher drone on, she propped her chin and gazed out the window with one eye.
Since then, nothing much had happened.
After walking that pilgrimage path, Nezuko felt changes in her body.
No obvious outward changes—but there was an indescribable allure, and something beyond Shinigami.
Just when she thought it would be another dull science period, a strange spiritual pressure brushed by.
She had never felt this before. It felt a bit like a Hollow, and a bit like a Shinigami.
Not Arrancar: even with Shinigami parts, an Arrancar is still a Hollow.
Nezuko had seen Arrancar in Hueco Mundo. She knew their spiritual signature.
So she could be sure: this wasn't any type of being she'd sensed before.
Nezuko closed her eyes, and in an instant it was as if heaven's eye opened—everything in the area entered her sight.
She saw a man with dark green hair standing in the sky, surveying the school.
He wasn't a Hollow—no mask on his face, no hole in his chest—but he radiated a bizarre pressure.
He glanced around and vanished in a blink.
Who…?
Nezuko was puzzled.
At lunch, she left the classroom and looked around. He was gone.
But she sensed he'd left something here, so she set out to find it.
"Nezuko…"
On the stairs she met Tatsuki with a lunchbox. Tatsuki waved. "You already ate?"
"No, I need to go home at noon today."
Normally, students didn't go home for lunch—they napped at school.
Nezuko had brought a bento today, but her curiosity about that pressure outweighed her appetite.
"What's she running off to do now?"
Ichigo walked by and watched Nezuko hurry off. He wondered.
"How should I know?" Tatsuki clicked her tongue. "If you're worried, go after her!"
"Idiot! Who said I'm worried?" Ichigo growled.
But…
What was that feeling just now?
During class, he had felt something strange—hard to describe.
…
"What's this?"
Nezuko dropped from a tree outside the school. She held something like a chocolate bean.
She sniffed it, grimacing. The smell was gross.
This was one of the things that guy planted—not just here; many around Karakura.
She didn't know what it was, but the evil aura was clear. Definitely bad.
Nezuko didn't go home—Hela didn't either at noon. She went straight to the Brainleaf Co. branch.
Ever since HQ moved, the Karakura branch had fewer people, but it remained a landmark.
Nezuko went to the top floor and called, "Uncle Azashiro, you there?"
No need to come upstairs—Azashiro had reishi scattered through the area.
"What is it?"
Azashiro coalesced and appeared.
Nezuko showed him the chocolate bean.
"I just saw a dark green-haired guy planting these all over Karakura."
Azashiro took it and frowned.
Seeing his expression, Nezuko got excited. "Is it tricky?"
He didn't answer that. "What did the man look like? Can you draw him?"
Azashiro's reishi spread through Seireitei and Karakura, but because Karakura isn't a reishi world, integration and surveillance were far weaker. He hadn't noticed the drop.
Nezuko grabbed paper and pencil. She'd learned art in school, and as a science ace, precise diagrams were second nature. Her sketching was decent; she quickly drew the man.
Azashiro's brow furrowed deeper. "As I feared."
"Him?"
"Tokinada Tsunayashiro," Azashiro said. "Your father sealed him in the Prison of Solitude. How did he get out?"
"What? An enemy of my dad?" Nezuko was shocked.
"Sort of." Azashiro hadn't escaped Muken yet at that time, but his ability let him know about Yoshio's grudge with Tsunayashiro. "I'm not sure if he came because he knows you're Yoshio's daughter. Either way, we can't let him complete whatever he's doing."
"What does he want to do? Should we notify my dad?"
"Your father has surveillance in Karakura. He should be hearing us now. If he needs to act, he will."
Azashiro lifted the chocolate bean. "This is bait, like a Quincy's Hollow bait, but the quality is worlds apart."
"Bait?" Nezuko blinked.
"Ordinary bait only attracts regular Hollows. Even Menos Grande are hard to pull into the Living World. Karakura's special, but even so, attracting a basic Menos is the limit."
"This bait is much higher quality—might even lure Adjuchas. If, as you said, he scattered large quantities of this Hollow bait, then we may see… something stronger."
Azashiro didn't add: this bait resembled an extension of evil node power.
Just as Light Seeds are a purified product of evil singularities, this bait is the inverse—a multiplication of their power.
Last time, a Light Seed drew a tremendously strong Arrancar to the Living World. This Hollow bait likely works the same.
But more tempting—its resonance with Hollows' twisted souls is innate. If a Hollow devours this bait, it will grow stronger.
"Sounds… not that impressive."
Nezuko looked bored. As father's former adversary, she expected something amazing.
This?
At most it draws a Vasto Lorde?
Lame.
Her interest evaporated. With her power, even top-class Hollows were beneath notice.
Seeing her expression, Azashiro shook his head. "Tsunayashiro isn't fit to be your father's enemy. Just some prisoner your father casually tossed into the Prison of Solitude. I'm more curious how he escaped."
"And this power…"
He eyed the bait again. "It's the opposite of our goal. I suspect Tsunayashiro has someone behind him."
"Someone else?" Nezuko's interest returned. "Strong?"
"Hard to say. But to free Tsunayashiro from your father's Prison of Solitude, they may not be much weaker than your father."
"Now that's interesting." Nezuko smiled. "Uncle Azashiro, can you find this mastermind?"
"No. I can't even locate Tsunayashiro."
"Shame…" Nezuko sighed. "Guess we wait."
…
Meanwhile—
Rukia arrived in the Living World.
She'd swapped shifts with Rangiku.
They rotated every three months; from today, she'd be stationed in Karakura for three months.
Her last stint was three months ago, and Karakura seemed even more prosperous.
"The manga I didn't finish last time!"
Shinigami found the Living World—especially Karakura—fairly comfortable.
The reishi concentration was high; they could live well and watch the ever-changing modern world.
Rukia had come many times. At first she'd been diligent and vigilant for Hollows.
But after many visits, the living world's charms seeped in.
Rukia fell for some of its entertainment, often reading manga.
She was a Shinigami; normal people couldn't see her—free access!
She flash-stepped onto a rooftop, then to the street.
Just as she was heading to a newsstand, she froze and looked up, face suddenly solemn.
This is…
What's happening?
She swallowed. A powerful spiritual pressure appeared above.
The sky ripped open; pale hands stretched from darkness. Masked Hollows peered out, the evil pressure chilling.
Menos Grande!
And many of them!
Rukia's pupils dilated. She drew her zanpakutō.
Confusion flickered.
Why did Karakura suddenly have so many Hollows again?
It shouldn't.
Aside from the initial reishi activation period with many Hollows recorded, there hadn't been such outbreaks.
Menos or not—even Gillians in numbers implied…
Rukia stared deeper into the abyss—an Arrancar-shaped Hollow stood within.
Her heart sank.
An Adjuchas—and Arrancar at that.
With Rukia's current strength, an Adjuchas Arrancar wasn't too bad. But with so many Gillians, it was bad.
Worse: after appearing, the Hollows opened their mouths—red light gathered within.
No!
Rukia blanched. If so many fired Cero simultaneously, Karakura would be done.
Why?
This made no sense.
Hollows don't come to destroy the Living World.
They come to feed.
If you annihilate everything, who's left to devour?
If they fired now, hardly anyone in Karakura would survive—what's the point of coming?
Previously, Hollows didn't unleash wide destruction immediately. Like Shinigami, they avoided collateral damage.
Every destroyed soul is one less meal—a bad trade.
But these Menos acted insane, charging their Cero without pause—as if they sought to obliterate the whole area.
Rukia grew urgent and shot into the sky.
No! I mustn't let them fire! The consequences would be unimaginable!
"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"
With a soft command, she released her zanpakutō.
The blade seemed sheathed in exquisite frost. Rukia turned; a circle appeared.
First Dance: Tsukishiro!
She slashed. A white pillar of light shot up, straight into the rift.
The charging Hollows noticed her; two unlucky Gillians were caught, their heads instantly frozen.
The rest fixed on Rukia. The Cero they'd planned for Karakura now converged on her.
Dozens of Cero!
Rukia gritted her teeth.
Terrifying.
She'd never faced such a barrage.
They meant to erase everything—dozens of Cero fused into one torrent, blasting toward her.
She couldn't dodge. If she did, Karakura would be doomed.
The fused blast, even if not a wide-area bombardment, would still utterly destroy a quarter of Karakura.
She steadied herself, lifted Shirayuki, and calmed her spiritual pressure.
This was Sode no Shirayuki's true nature.
After years of training under Yoshio—and with Dark Rukia within—she was far beyond her canon self.
In canon, she only grasped Shirayuki's essence during the Thousand-Year Blood War.
Here, she mastered it years early—and even better.
The difference: canon Rukia had feasted on spiritual pressure, skyrocketing her reserves.
Here, without entering Hollowfication/Dark Rukia, she didn't have that massive power.
Her current scale barely grazed captain level.
But against these Hollows, it was enough.
Lower the temperature.
Lower still.
Shirayuki's essence isn't like Hyōrinmaru forming water and freezing it; it's lowering the user's own temperature.
Lowering her body's temperature, approaching absolute zero.
The blade is merely the medium to extend that cold outward.
As the Cero reached her, Rukia had dropped below –200°C and falling.
A thin sheen of ice covered her. She looked lifeless, like a corpse.
To wield such power burdens the body—like Yamamoto's bankai in kind, if not in nature.
She choked her reishi activity to endure subzero cold.
Thus—
"Second Dance: Hakuren."
She whispered.
Boom!
The fused Cero reached her. Rukia didn't flinch; she flicked her blade, and pale light scattered onto the blast.
The massive red beam froze rapidly and halted, less than a centimeter from her forehead.
Relief washed over her—just in time.
Her Hakuren hadn't only frozen the Cero—it had rippled through the crowd of Menos above.
Nearly twenty Hollows were frozen into statues—including the two from Tsukishiro.
Some fell and shattered on the ground; others tumbled back into the abyss, their icy forms feeding Hueco Mundo's barren sands.
The rift shrank drastically.
But Rukia stayed on guard. Many remained.
And the Adjuchas Arrancar.
He was unmoved by his minions' deaths, looking down coldly.
"I'll ask: was that your full power just now?"
Rukia eyed him, confused.
Seeing her silence, he continued, "I've heard Shinigami apply a seal when entering the Living World, limiting their power to a fifth. True?"
"You know a lot about Shinigami." Rukia didn't want to banter—she couldn't maintain this state for long.
Such extreme power harmed her.
This wasn't a bankai, but for a shikai it was dangerous.
Choking her reishi activity and lowering her body below freezing injured her soul.
At most she could maintain it ten seconds.
That was already impressive—canon Rukia, even post–reiatsu feast, could hold it for two or three seconds upon learning.
Now she could sustain ten.
She had to finish this fast.
As she rushed him, the Arrancar wasn't fazed. He drew his blade to block.
Ice spread over his sword, trying to freeze, but a pulse of spiritual pressure shattered it.
Rukia's true target wasn't him. She pivoted before the Garganta and slashed several Hollows in one sweep.
Their wounds froze instantly; several more fell.
The Arrancar was happy to let the Hollows waste her time.
"Seems you don't have a seal."
He observed.
Rukia's expression sank. She'd intended to bluff by releasing a seal, but that wouldn't fly.
Captains do receive limiters in the Living World—but not in Karakura.
It's too dangerous—Menos appear often. With limiters, captains risk death.
Also, Karakura's reishi concentration is so high it approaches Soul Society, with a tendency toward being an independent zone.
It doesn't upset the balance, so captains don't need limiters here.
Meaning she'd been at full power from the start.
"Looks like I was right."
He raised his blade, pressing both palms on the hilt as if squeezing it between them.
He smiled. "To honor a captain-class Shinigami, I'll go all out too!"
"Howl, Tijereta!"
His hands turned to razor claws; armor-like carapace appeared; a mantis tail formed in his braid; his mask expanded to cover from left face to the chin.
Resurrección.
Rukia tensed.
As a lieutenant, she'd seen records of captains vs. Arrancar. These evil Arrancar created by Kisuke Urahara had Resurrección.
Once released, their power returned to their original Hollow form—unleashed with wildness and strength.
Slish!
In a blink, he was on her.
She raised Shirayuki—extreme frost was her strongest weapon.
Her slash carved a massive wound, but his claws pierced her guard, raking five gashes across her torso.
"Not good!"
She hadn't expected him to be this strong. A quick victory was impossible.
Ten seconds… almost up.
Damn it.
If not for the Hollows earlier, she wouldn't have used absolute zero so early.
At absolute zero, her attacks are nearly unstoppable. But now she herself was at the limit.
She retreated to open distance.
He didn't chase. He too was surprised her cut had pierced his defense so easily.
His armor, hierro, and even…
Blut Vene.
It all felt useless against that strike.
She was strong—but she couldn't maintain it long.
He spoke: "Name yourself, Shinigami."
Rukia, relieved that he didn't pursue, exited absolute zero. Beneath her shihakushō, her skin cracked from frostbite, bleeding; even her cheek had a fine cut.
She recovered while speaking. "13th Division Lieutenant, Kuchiki Rukia."
"And you? Arrancar?"
He touched the notch in his armor. "Shawlong Koufang. For a lieutenant, you're decent. But you're not my match."
He added proudly, "Why? Because among all Arrancar, I'm the most special of all."
Shawlong had guts.
Back when Aizen began Arrancar experiments, no one knew if they'd work. Hollows didn't know if Aizen truly wanted to help.
Shawlong was the first to volunteer.
Later, hearing Szayelaporro and the Chief Steward were experimenting on Quincy-ification—success rate low, maybe one in ten—others didn't dare sign up.
Shawlong did.
Meaning he wasn't merely an Adjuchas Arrancar.
He was an Arrancar among Arrancar.