"Gin, talk. About that boy!" With his back to Gin, Aizen stood with his hands clasped behind him, imposing and unmoving like a deep pool or a lofty mountain!
"Yes, Captain Aizen..." Gin began his account.
As he narrated, Aizen's plans began to change drastically.
Thus, one day later, within the Central 46, a new order was issued!
[Due to the rampant audacity of the external Ryoka, the dignity of the Seireitei must not be violated! Therefore, the execution date for the severe criminal Rukia is moved forward!]
[Time - five days from now!]
Once the order from the Central 46 came out, all Shinigami, and the Players hidden among the Shinigami, scratched their heads in utter confusion!
At the same time, in the 2nd Division's Technology Department!
"Ahhhhhh, where exactly is the threat to me coming from?" Lan Da was frantic.
Because the 2nd Division also had a Technology Department, and deeply feeling it was too dangerous to stay alone in the 12th Division, Lan Da had long since used connections to transfer to the 2nd Division.
However, ever since Ichigo entered, he had received a game currency bet, yet no matter how he tried, he couldn't find any evidence that he would be attacked.
Even the situation in the Seireitei was becoming increasingly incomprehensible to Lan Da!
Looking at the situation analysis written on the blackboard ahead, Lan Da scratched his head, overturned it again, and began writing and drawing on it like a madman.
"There must be a mastermind behind the scenes, there's also a problem with the Central 46. The question is, is it among the thirteen Captains, or forces outside the Seireitei, or perhaps the Ryoka… Who exactly is manipulating this chessboard?"
"Dammit, insufficient intelligence, damn it damn it!"
Faced with the massive vortex that was the Seireitei, Lan Da felt his brain cells dying for the first time.
Indeed, trying to figure out what complicated people intended to do was far more difficult than solving one or two scientific problems!
However, adhering to the principle of eliminating all impossibilities, leaving the last one, no matter how improbable, as the inevitable truth, Lan Da finally deduced what the crisis he might face could be!
That's right, it must be the Players!
Lan Da fetched another picture.
In this picture, the flamboyant Sister Mei was like a peacock, possessing a kind of androgynous beauty!
"Ayasegawa Yumichika. It seems the only ones who could move against me are you brutes from the 11th Division!"
"Hmph, let me see just how you plan to make a move against me!"
Lan Da pondered on how to utilize the 2nd Division's strength, but he didn't know that his current appearance was being watched by someone!
In Lan Da's live stream, bullet comments scrolled.
"Hahaha, is this the Xiguo's number one genius? Guesses all wrong, not even close!"
"Don't just hate on him, the previous commenter. At least the identity was guessed correctly, not completely off, though Sister Mei is taking the bullet!"
"Honestly, I'm a bit worried about Sister Mei and the others. What if this bastard strikes first?"
"Don't worry, you have no idea who Sister Mei and the others have encountered!"
"Who?"
Seeing the question, someone in the bullet comments silently uploaded a video link.
There, Sister Mei, along with a barely-treated Ikkaku, ran into Uryu and the others!
Seeing Uryu's wary gaze, Sister Mei gave a faint smile.
"You are Kurosaki Ichigo's companions, right? May I ask where you are heading now?"
"Don't worry, we mean no harm. In fact, we can even offer you assistance!"
"Hm?" Sensing Sister Mei's goodwill, the trio was half-convinced, half-doubting.
However, with Orihime making the final decision, they tentatively decided to believe.
With this powerful trio temporarily joining the 11th Division's ranks, no matter what schemes Lan Da devised, his plans would not come to fruition!
So this time, not just the Dongguo audience, even the Xiguo audience were dissatisfied with Lan Da.
"Still the number one genius? Always scheming here, not really improving his own strength, just claiming to be acquiring knowledge under a fancy name!"
"Laughable. Others, like Xin Na, are truly learning knowledge!"
"Exactly, exactly! Number one genius, worthy of standing shoulder to shoulder with Lady Xin Na? Pah, disgusting!"
"Number one conspiracy theory genius, that's more like it!"
"With such narrow-mindedness, isn't it simply impossible to pose any threat to Ichigo?"
Mentioning Ichigo, the Xiguo bullet comments also turned sour.
"Look at the kind of life he's living now, then look at this bastard Lan Da. What a gap!"
After typing this line, this Xiguo viewer also closed Lan Da's live stream and adeptly switched to Ichigo's.
On the screen, within a vast, yellow, empty space remarkably similar to Urahara Shop's underground space, Ichigo was comfortably soaking in a hot spring!
Originally, he didn't need to soak this long, but while the injuries on his body had healed, deeper within, his Reiryoku wasn't fully recovered, so he had to continue soaking.
After all, fighting five Captains in succession, even if the last one was an actor who went easy, the strain and toll on the body were extremely severe.
It was only because Ichigo had a solid foundation.
Anyone else would likely have some lasting effects.
Estimating the time, Ichigo, who had been silently soaking with his eyes closed, opened them.
From behind came the sound of light, careful footsteps.
"Ichigo, it's time to eat!"
Looking back, Kukaku approached carrying a meal tray.
Seeing the lunch she brought, lavish even by modern standards, Ichigo was quite surprised. "Did you guys rob the Seireitei's cafeteria or something?"
"Heh, the Seireitei's cafeteria wouldn't make such a lavish meal for an ordinary division's member!"
From beside Kukaku's feet, the Yoruichi cat emerged. "I went back to the Shihoin House and had the family chefs prepare this for you!"
"The Shihoin House?" Ichigo was taken aback, looking at the Yoruichi cat.
'What, was this black-hearted cat finally going to reveal her identity?'
"That's right, the Shihoin House!" Yoruichi sauntered over on her short legs to Ichigo's side.
Earlier, after sending Ichigo to this playground-like area and arranging for him to soak in the hot spring to recover, Yoruichi and Kukaku had immediately left and made a trip back to the Shihoin House.
Thanks to the Shihoin Clan's control over the 2nd Division's intelligence channels, Yoruichi had also gained a general understanding of the current Soul Society situation.
Simply put, it wasn't very friendly.
Ichigo defeating five Captains single-handedly was like a nuclear bomb detonating in the Soul Society.
Even the Central 46 had moved up the execution date to avoid complications, further elevating Ichigo's status.
For a time, Shinigami in the Soul Society actually grew fearful at the mention of Ryoka!
The entire Seireitei entered a state of high alert!
For now, Yoruichi herself was confident she could still move about outside, but others might not be so fortunate.
Everyone had to go into hiding, so Yoruichi was now at leisure as well.
With a plop, the Yoruichi cat jumped into the water and elegantly swam to a position in front of Ichigo.
Casually grabbing the cat and giving her a vigorous petting, Ichigo asked, "If I remember correctly, the Shihoin Clan is one of the Four Great Noble Families, like Rukia's Kuchiki Clan, right?"
"So, you, this strange cat who isn't afraid of water, are actually a noble cat?"
Hearing Ichigo's words, Yoruichi's golden cat eyes gave him a very human-like, coquettish glance. "What, doesn't it seem like it?"
"Hahaha, that arrogant air does seem rather fitting!"
Ichigo laughed, then lowered his head, meeting Yoruichi's gaze, looking at this black cat with inquiry and uttering words that shocked countless live stream viewers:
"So, you're human, right?"
"I guess your current cat form is probably some kind of technique!"
"Combined with you going to the Shihoin House, your full name must be… Shihoin Yoruichi, correct, Yoruichi-san?" Ichigo said with a smile.
"Ara ara, men who are too clever and inquisitive tend to be disliked by women, you know!" Yoruichi chuckled, neither confirming nor denying.
However, such an attitude was undoubtedly an admission!
Instantly, the bullet comments were shocked.
"!!!!"
"????"
"Holy shiet! This Yoruichi really is Shihoin Yoruichi?"
"No way, can people really turn into cats?"
"Wow, so doesn't that mean this Yoruichi cat is actually a hidden big shot?"
"Brothers, it all makes sense now. A mysterious shopkeeper funds a group of hot-blooded youths charging into the enemy's den. Of course he wouldn't just let these impulsive kids get battered, so he prepared a backup plan. The backup is Yoruichi!"
"Except Ichigo is just too formidable, so much so that Shihoin Yoruichi could only reveal her identity now!"
"Hahaha, so the awesome one is still Ichigo?"
"You could say that. But what I'm most looking forward to is the next part, hehehehe!" A knowledgeable viewer typed.
Seeing this knowledgeable viewer's comment, a group of other knowledgeable viewers were also summoned, flooding the screen with 'hehehehe' comments.
However, since there were knowledgeable viewers, there were also those who didn't understand. A genuine newbie typed curiously, "Next part? What else is going to happen??"
But this time, no one with ample experience came out to explain to the newbie.