"Since when did another Vasto Lorde pop up?"
Naraku Sora's voice boomed. "And a self-evolved Arrancar at that?!"
He had just finished fighting a life-and-death battle with Yamamoto at the border of the Seireitei, nearly becoming the Head Captain of the Gotei 13, only to find that Aizen had already scouted out a self-evolved Vasto Lorde Arrancar.
Arturo Plateado.
Just hearing the name gave off the impression of someone ridiculously powerful.
"According to the records in the archives, approximately two thousand years ago—before the Gotei 13 was even established—Arturo arrived in the Soul Society alone after completing his conquest of Hueco Mundo. He sought to fulfill his ambition of unifying the three worlds."
"To protect the Soul Society, Captain Commander Yamamoto led many powerful Soul Reapers in resistance. After a fierce and bloody war, Arturo was eventually sealed beneath Sokyoku Hill for various reasons."
"Though two thousand years have passed and Arturo's strength may have diminished, we must not underestimate him. A single moment of carelessness could lead to an unexpected disaster."
Aizen analyzed the stakes in detail, finally emphasizing Arturo's primary ability.
As a powerful entity who once ruled Hueco Mundo, he possessed a truly heaven-defying trait: the ability to absorb the Reiatsu of defeated opponents to strengthen himself.
He was the type of monster that grew stronger the more he fought.
Given the current state of the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, if he were allowed to lurk in the shadows and develop for a while, he might truly become a creature capable of overturning the entire balance of power.
Not to mention the assistance provided by the Tsunayashiro family.
"The information from the two-thousand-year-old archives is too sparse to judge the conversion efficiency of his Reiatsu absorption, but based on the fact that he is a self-evolved Vasto Lorde, it likely isn't low."
Naraku Sora realized what Aizen was getting at and immediately said, "The situation is urgent. Let's just kill Arturo first."
Aizen nodded, not contradicting him on this point.
The two had reached a rare consensus.
"Because of his status as a Menos, combined with Captain Commander Yamamoto's presence, Arturo won't stay within the Soul Society for long, even if he has reached a deal with the Tsunayashiro."
"His home turf will always be Hueco Mundo."
"While Gosuke was cautious and tried his best to erase Arturo's residual Reishi traces, he overlooked the remnants on the seal itself. I used Kido to capture a small amount of his Reishi."
As he spoke, Aizen pulled out a device resembling a radar, marked with dense, intersecting lines.
"An instrument developed based on Bakudo Number Fifty-Eight, Kakushitsuijyaku. It can capture Arturo's Reiatsu within a certain range."
"Leave the task of finding Arturo to me. Once I locate him, I will notify you immediately."
"As for you—"
Naraku Sora grinned and then detailed the "quick wit" he had displayed earlier.
"That's the gist of it. Sosuke, do you think anything else needs to be added?"
Aizen gave him a surprised look. He hadn't expected Naraku Sora, who usually acted like a reckless brute, to actually use his head at such a critical moment.
He had originally thought this guy would fight Yamamoto to the death.
It seemed he still didn't know his friend well enough.
Thinking back, while Sora always charged at the front during battle, he always managed to pull out something new whenever a choice had to be made.
The key was that these "new tricks" often produced unexpected results.
More importantly, looking back at his seemingly mindless and reckless behavior, one could often find a hidden depth of intent within it.
Whether it was a coincidence or deliberate was hard to say.
Perhaps this friend of his wasn't as simple as he appeared on the surface.
Aizen shook his head. "Proceed with that plan. The more detailed a plan is, the easier it is to fail. Improvising can be a strategy in its own right."
"Sora, never look down on the Tsunayashiro family."
"Be careful."
Seeing Aizen's solemn expression, Naraku Sora's smile vanished, and he nodded seriously.
Rukongai, South District 13, Kurai District.
In a hidden location where moonlight filtered through sparse shadows in the forest, Kuchiki Koga leaned against a rock wall with his eyes half-closed, taking a brief moment to recover. Muramasa stood on a nearby tree branch, keeping a vigilant watch.
When they escaped from the battlefield between Naraku Sora and Yamamoto, he hadn't dared to stop, following a deserted route until he found this place.
He had discovered this hideout while hunting down rebellious Soul Reapers. It was a low-lying area surrounded by tall trees and shrouded in mist—an excellent hiding spot.
However, just as he closed his eyes to relax his frayed nerves, Muramasa issued a warning from above.
Someone was approaching, and they were moving extremely fast.
Kuchiki Koga snapped his eyes open, a cold chill emanating from him as Reishi swirled around his blade, condensing into a brilliant light.
But before he could release the accumulated Kongobaku, a familiar figure burst into view.
"Phew, it's just you, Sora."
Kuchiki Koga dispelled his Kido and Reiatsu, a flash of joy appearing in his eyes.
"How are you? Are you hurt?"
To buy him time to escape, Naraku Sora had faced the strongest Soul Reaper in the Soul Society alone.
Such loyalty was truly moving.
To have a friend like this was enough for a lifetime.
Naraku Sora waved it off and grinned. "Old Man Yama... I mean, my teacher is getting old and frail. He's nothing to worry about."
Hearing this, Kuchiki Koga felt a wave of relief. If his friend had been injured because of him, he would have felt guilty for a long time.
"By the way, how did you find this place?"
"I searched for a long time before deciding to hide here. I was planning to wait for the heat to die down before looking for you."
Faced with this question, Naraku Sora blinked and squeezed two words out of his teeth: "Intuition."
"?"
He couldn't exactly say that his first search was a failure, so he went back to the barracks to find help. Then, after Aizen's analysis, they integrated every patrol route Koga had ever taken when hunting rebels to narrow down the most likely hiding spots.
The crushing intellectual superiority of his "adopted son" left Naraku Sora with little interest in discussing the topic.
Kuchiki Koga didn't press further. Instead, his expression turned serious. "Sora, the Zanpakuto rebellion has nothing to do with me. There must be—"
"Yeah, I know."
Before he could finish, Naraku Sora interrupted him. "If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have taken such a huge risk to go head-to-head with Teacher Yamamoto."
At those words, Kuchiki Koga took a deep breath, burying his gratitude deep in his heart.
Compared to his father-in-law, who made things difficult for him at every turn, Naraku Sora practically radiated the light of a saint.
From a commoner in Rukongai to a member of the Five Great Noble Families, this was the first time he had felt such strong, genuine trust.
Sensing Kuchiki Koga's current mood, Muramasa sighed softly from the distance.
'He's hopeless. The kid is being played like a fiddle.'
However, as a Zanpakuto capable of touching the inner world of a Soul Reaper, he could indeed feel that Naraku Sora was sincere and straightforward.
"Koga, you've been a member of the family for a while now. You should have had dealings with the Tsunayashiro family, right?"
As if remembering something, Kuchiki Koga frowned and said with some disgust, "While I don't like the way the Kuchiki family does things, compared to the Tsunayashiro, the Kuchiki family is truly a model for Soul Reapers and a moral compass for the Soul Society."
"Unlike the Kuchiki, the Tsunayashiro believe that nobles should be superior. Because of this, members of the main family never join the Gotei 13."
"Only members of the branch houses join the Gotei 13 under the orders of the main house."
"Sora, why are you suddenly bringing them up?"
Naraku Sora grinned. "I wanted to see how you felt about them first, because our next plan involves the Tsunayashiro."
"And you are the lead player."
Kuchiki Koga was surprised, not understanding what kind of plan would involve him.
He had just broken out of the First Division prison. He was likely a wanted man by the Central 46. If he appeared anywhere near the Seireitei and was spotted by the Gotei 13, he would surely be swarmed and attacked.
"Actually, I started investigating the moment you were ambushed."
"After some effort, I learned that the Tsunayashiro family possesses an ancestral Zanpakuto named Enrakyoten."
"Its ability is to copy the Zanpakuto of others."
Kuchiki Koga's eyes widened, and his breathing became shallow.
In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
"While I'm not sure what their specific goal is, the fact that you've been stripped of your rank and made a wanted criminal has already benefited the Tsunayashiro."
"Yoruichi told me that because of your situation, the Kuchiki family's influence in the Gold Seal Council has dropped. Even several sages in the Central 46 have defected to the Tsunayashiro camp."
"Now the Kuchiki have to ally with the Shihouin and Shiba families just to maintain a balance against the Tsunayashiro."
Naraku Sora spoke with complete seriousness.
Kuchiki Koga wasn't stupid; on the contrary, he was quite bright. He was just a bit extreme in personality and prone to stopping his own thought process when pushed.
After a brief moment of reflection, he opened his eyes, looking at the youth before him with burning intensity.
"Sora, I trust you."
"Tell me, what's the first step?"
The corners of Naraku Sora's mouth curled up. "The first step, of course, is to further solidify your crimes."
As dawn broke, the morning light combed through the mist surrounding the barracks.
Gosuke slowly opened his eyes, a flash of unavoidable sharpness passing through his pupils.
Since answering that Great Lord's questions, he had accepted a gift from the Tsunayashiro.
His previously weak power had transformed overnight.
He raised his right hand, spreading his fingers.
He clenched them.
A deafening air burst sounded in his palm as a shockwave swept outward.
This abnormally powerful strength was truly intoxicating.
Only strength of this level was worthy of the name Kenpachi.
'Lord Kuruyashiki, I have not failed your dying wish!'
Faint streaks of black light flickered in Gosuke's eyes.
As he immersed himself in the power that had multiplied several times over, he suddenly detected an abnormal Reiatsu in the room.
Before he could react, a strange sense of emptiness erupted from the depths of his soul, as if a large chunk of him had gone missing.
Gosuke flipped out of bed and saw a scene that made his hair stand on end.
The Zanpakuto hanging on the wall was emitting a powerful light. A figure, both strange and vaguely familiar, stepped slowly out of it, staring at him with blood-red eyes.
The figure's hulking frame was covered in various scars, and its features were twisted in an expression of extreme agony. A long blade lined with jagged teeth was gripped tightly in its hand.
Instantly, Gosuke's pupils shrunk as an indescribable dread washed over him. "Kutigahara..."
The Zanpakuto had rebelled again.
A new round of chaos erupted within the Seireitei once more, as chaotic and disordered Reiatsu signatures exploded one after another in the streets of the districts.
This time, the Zanpakuto of ordinary soldiers rebelled far less; the vast majority of the revolts came from the blades of Captains and Lieutenants.
Soul Reapers who had only just forced their blades into submission were forced to drag their exhausted bodies back into combat.
Notably, the chaos didn't stop at the Gotei 13.
Inside the mansions of the Noble District, unrest had also broken out.
The Zanpakuto of the retainers kept by the nobles rebelled almost simultaneously. Brilliant flashes of light erupted within the manor estates, thoroughly shattering the silence of the morning.
The traitor, Kuchiki Koga, seemed to have descended into total madness due to being a fugitive. His "Whisper" ability covered nearly the entire Seireitei.
Countless reports were delivered to the First Division like raindrops.
Inside the office, Yamamoto looked at the mountain of documents, his face as dark as a pot's bottom.
Any file he flipped open contained condemnations and urgings directed at the Gotei 13 and himself as the Head Captain.
Why had the criminal Kuchiki Koga not been arrested yet?
Why had the Zanpakuto rebellion flared up again, even spreading to the Noble District?
Yamamoto narrowed his eyes and closed the file.
Sasakibe Chojiro, understanding the gesture, moved to carry them all away. He then returned to the office and whispered, "Should we go remind Lord Naraku?"
Yamamoto looked up, giving his old comrade a calm look before shaking his head. "There is no need to worry. That brat has more restraint than I anticipated."
"He didn't touch any of the high-risk Zanpakuto. As for the nobles... they were always one of the targets of this operation."
Just as he finished speaking, a terrifying Reiatsu suddenly exploded from the Shino Prison barracks nearby.
Through the window, Sasakibe Chojiro happened to see a giant, infant-like creature rampaging through the streets, crushing countless buildings and kicking up clouds of dust.
A tide of poisonous fog spewed out, mixing with the dust and spreading into the distance.
Yamamoto: "..."
'That absolute brat... I take back my previous evaluation!'
Meanwhile, in the deepest part of the Noble District, inside a mansion that resembled a sleeping beast.
At the highest point.
Naraku Sora stood at the edge, calmly watching the tranquility of the courtyard, while Kuchiki Koga sensed the Reiatsu fluctuations within.
After a moment of silence, a low voice spoke.
"Begin, Koga."
As the words fell, strange purple ripples shimmered outward, covering the entire mansion in an instant.
At the same time, an old man napping in his study snapped his eyes open and looked at the Zanpakuto resting on the desk. A faint light quietly pulsed from it.
"Enrakyoten..."