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The same thing…
Was happening across every corner of the Soul Society.
First Division, Captain's Office
The old, traditional room was wrapped in a heavy, suffocating atmosphere.
In front of the transparent screen, Lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe stood drenched in sweat, casting a reverent yet deeply worried look at the silent Head Captain seated before him.
Ever since the video had resumed, the Head Captain's expression had darkened like a still, bottomless lake.
"Kisuke Urahara…"
"Isshin Shiba…"
"Yoruichi Shihōuin…"
Each name he spoke sounded colder than the last.
It wasn't just hostility lacing his tone. There was disappointment too—regret, even.
After all, those three appearing on the screen had once been the talents he valued most.
And yet every one of them had betrayed the Soul Society.
The Head Captain's white eyebrows drooped like willow branches as he finally raised his stern eyes. "Chōjirō. Do you believe the scenes we've seen so far… actually existed?"
First Urahara fought an arrancar alone.
Now the three of them appeared together, facing some unknown and overwhelmingly powerful enemy.
Every frame of this so-called "ranking video" felt strange.
"That is… hard to say," Chōjirō replied with hesitation. "My instincts say the footage is edited and fabricated."
"But…"
"Spiritual pressure doesn't lie. That feeling of being pulled straight into the scene is nearly impossible to fake. Based on that alone, these battles should be real."
Sweat poured down his face.
Every word trembled with unease.
Both times the video shifted scenes, the background had been filled with skyscrapers.
Which meant the battles likely happened in the human world.
But…
Chōjirō couldn't recall any major Hollow incidents in the living world recently—let alone an Adjuchas-level Hollow, much less a rare Arrancar.
And if, by some chance, the entire video was Urahara's creation…
What purpose would he have in producing something like this?
And the spiritual pressure they felt from the screen—
That crushing, suffocating weight—
How could that be explained if it wasn't real?
His head was spinning with questions, all jumbled into chaos.
After rubbing his beard, the Head Captain slowly nodded. "Your thoughts match my own. Sight, sound, touch—those can all be deceived."
"But spiritual pressure can't be faked."
His gaze burned like a torch as he stared at the light screen. "It seems Urahara and the others truly encountered a formidable enemy. The battle shown must have really happened."
"Head Captain… what should we do now?" Chōjirō asked, panic creeping into his voice. He had never encountered anything this bizarre and was completely at a loss.
"Contact the Department of Research and Development, and keep watching."
The Head Captain didn't hesitate.
At first, he had scoffed at the idea of a "strongest rankings" video. He had even thought about destroying the screen entirely.
But now…
His curiosity was fully hooked.
Partly, he wanted to uncover the origin of the video.
But even more than that—
He wanted to know who this enemy was. The unknown figure radiating such overwhelming pressure.
"Yes, sir! I'll contact Captain Kurotsuchi immediately!"
Chōjirō bowed and rushed out of the room, leaving the Head Captain alone with the video.
The atmosphere grew even heavier.
Hueco Mundo — Las Noches Inner Chamber
"What the hell? That fight just ended like that? Cut off halfway? That's so damn lame." Grimmjow sat on the steps, complaining loudly.
The first scene—Yammy vs Urahara—had ended with Benihime's explosive blast.
Everyone thought the fight would continue.
Instead, the video jumped straight to the next scene.
"Look. That Shinigami with the bucket hat showed up again," Zommari said pointedly.
"That's supposed to be Kisuke Urahara?" Nnoitra scoffed. "That weakling made the top fifteen? Based on what?"
The mantis-clad Espada sneered openly, disgust written all over his face.
To him, Shinigami were trash. And if trash like Urahara could make the rankings, then surely he should be in the top ten.
Grimmjow laughed, sharp and arrogant. "Agreed. If Shinigami losers get ranked, I should be at least top ten."
The jaguar-toothed grin made his confidence unmistakable. His battle lust was even worse than Nnoitra's.
He genuinely believed he deserved a top-ten spot.
Then the video continued.
A sharp slash of spiritual pressure cut through the fog.
Across from Urahara, Isshin, and Yoruichi…
The unknown enemy emitting that monstrous pressure finally stepped into view.
Its body was wrapped from head to toe in bone-white armor, like a human sealed inside a giant chrysalis. Only a pair of glowing blue eyes peeked out from narrow slits.
Its appearance was eerie—neither human nor Hollow.
Every Arrancar in the hall instinctively stiffened.
"Wha—?"
Even the unruly Espada fell silent.
For some reason…
Staring into those blue, luminescent eyes made them feel the urge to kneel.
A desire to bow, unbidden and overwhelming.
"What… what is that thing? Who is he?!"
The stunned silence broke into chaos.
Espada and Fracción alike turned pale. The longer they looked, the stronger the urge to submit grew.
The pressure wasn't physical.
It was something deeper—something that crushed the soul itself.
"I-I can't breathe… my blood feels like it's freezing," Sung-Sun whispered, curling into herself in terror.
"That pressure… could he be stronger than a Vasto Lorde?" another Fracción said, trembling.
There were four Espada present who were Vasto Lorde-class.
And yet…
None of their released forms, even at full power, produced this kind of despair. Their presence could suffocate, yes—but not shatter one's spirit.
But this creature in the video…
Just by standing still…
It exuded a force that felt like it could split the heavens.
Its spiritual pressure seemed ready to step into an entirely different dimension.
Even Barragan—the proud King of Hueco Mundo—felt his face tighten.
He narrowed his eyes, expression grave.
Even he wasn't immune. Even he sensed the deadly, crushing pressure.
It felt like standing before an absolutely unbeatable enemy.
Hopeless.
Overwhelming.
Crushing enough to make one feel… powerless.
"..."
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