"Tessai... look closely! At my expression—and Isshin's and Yoruichi's!"
Urahara took a deep breath.
And then, he noticed something truly unsettling—
The expressions on his own face, as well as on Shihōin Yoruichi and Kurosaki Isshin, were identical.
A look of grim determination, as if they were facing an overwhelming threat.
And more importantly—
All three of them were looking in the same direction.
That could only mean one thing.
At the focal point of their gazes, in that very spot—
There existed an unprecedentedly powerful enemy.
"...It does seem that way. Boss, you're in the middle of a battle with an unknown opponent!"
Tessai felt a bead of sweat roll down his temple. His throat bobbed involuntarily as he swallowed.
Even through the screen—
He could feel the suffocating pressure emanating from the battlefield.
A crushing weight, oppressive enough to choke the air from the room.
It felt almost real—as if he himself were right there on the battlefield!
And that was terrifying.
After all—
Tessai had once held the title of Grand Kido Chief.
Even putting aside his mastery of Kido, his spiritual pressure alone ranked among the best of the Gotei 13.
And yet—
What he was sensing from the screen…
It was so immense, so stifling, that it actually made him feel breathless.
That alone spoke volumes.
The opponent Urahara and the others were facing—
Must be beyond imagination.
"This is too bizarre…"
"I have zero recollection of this battle! But the sheer realism in the footage—it's undeniable proof that this fight actually happened!"
"What the hell is going on?!"
Urahara's eyes darkened as his sharp mind raced through every possibility.
The usually easygoing atmosphere of the shop had completely vanished, replaced by an unsettling silence.
---
Meanwhile—
Karakura Town, Kurosaki Clinic.
"No way…"
"That's… Engetsu?! Not just my Zanpakutō—my Shihakushō too?!"
The shocked cry nearly shook the clinic's walls.
At his desk, stethoscope still around his neck and clad in his white doctor's coat—
Kurosaki Isshin froze as he stared at the screen.
Displayed on it—
Was himself.
Dressed in a full Shihakushō, standing shoulder to shoulder with Shihōin Yoruichi and Urahara Kisuke.
His eyes widened to the size of saucers.
A Zanpakutō.
A Shihakushō.
That could only mean one thing—
His Shinigami powers, which had been lost for over twenty years—
Had returned.
In an instant, Isshin bolted upright in his seat.
His usual carefree expression was gone.
His features darkened as he fixed his unwavering gaze on the screen.
His emotions were a tumultuous storm.
Shock.
Excitement.
And most of all—doubt.
"Is this one of Urahara Kisuke's pranks?"
Forcing himself to calm down, Isshin's first instinct was suspicion—
After all, if anyone could pull off something this elaborate, it was Urahara Kisuke.
Holographic projections, video editing, CGI effects…
Given Urahara's intellect and technological expertise, pulling off something like this wouldn't be impossible.
But—
"If this was really his doing… isn't it a bit too much of an effort for a simple prank?"
"The realism of this footage… The level of detail—this must have taken an absurd amount of time to create."
"But would someone like Urahara, with his lazy personality, really go through so much trouble just for a joke?"
Isshin had doubts.
Yes, Urahara Kisuke loved playing tricks, but his past pranks had always been simple—
A bit of smooth-talking, some trick medicine, expired food here and there…
Annoying? Yes.
But never this elaborate.
Not to mention—
The Urahara Shop wasn't exactly thriving in business.
A big reason for that was Urahara's own work ethic—
Sleeping in, going fishing, locking himself away in his underground lab…
That was Urahara Kisuke.
So would someone like him really put together something this massive, with no tangible benefit?
It just didn't make sense.
But—
"If this isn't a prank… then what the hell is this?!"
Isshin's brows knitted into a deep frown.
Because just like Tessai, when he stared at the video—
He felt it.
The weight of the spiritual pressure.
And even more intensely.
"This spiritual pressure fluctuation… It's not fake. It feels like it's right here! If this was just a video, there's no way it could feel this real!"
The more he analyzed—
The more disturbing the realization became.
At his peak, before Aizen fused with the Hōgyoku, Isshin's strength was on par with his.
His ability to perceive spiritual pressure was beyond ordinary Shinigami.
Even though he didn't know who the enemy was yet—
The sheer weight of the spiritual pressure in the video—
Was so heavy, it felt as if it could crush the very air around them.
There was no doubt.
This battle… had really happened.
"I need answers. Now."
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Isshin immediately grabbed his phone—
And dialed Urahara Shop.
He needed to know.
What the hell was this video showing?
---
Meanwhile—
Seireitei, Second Division Barracks.
"That's… Yoruichi?!"
CRASH!
The sound of shattering porcelain echoed through the room.
A steaming cup of tea had just hit the floor, spilling everywhere.
The tranquil atmosphere of the Second Division barracks was instantly broken.
Because at this moment—
Sui-Feng, Captain of the Second Division and Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukidō,
The renowned ice queen of the Gotei 13—
Had lost her composure.
Her normally emotionless face twisted into utter disbelief.
"She's alive!"
Her voice came out as a whisper—almost a prayer.
Sui-Feng's hands shook.
Her lips trembled.
Her eyes flashed with an overwhelming mix of emotions.
Shock.
Rage.
And a deeply buried joy.
A century ago—
Sui-Feng had been just a girl, newly enlisted in the Gotei 13.
A mere shadow trailing behind her idol.
Yoruichi had been her everything.
Her admiration—her obsession—bordered on the fanatical.
And now, after a hundred years…
That same emotion surged back with a vengeance.
With just one glimpse at the screen—
Sui-Feng couldn't control herself.
"Captain… are you alright?"
A hesitant voice came from the side.
It was Ōmaeda Marechiyo.
He stared at the shattered teacup—then at his visibly shaken captain.
Ōmaeda instinctively shrunk back, afraid to say more.
"Ahem… I'm fine!"
Sui-Feng shot him a sharp glare, then took a deep breath, forcing herself to regain control.
But—
Her gaze never left the screen.
Because deep down—
She knew.
This was no coincidence.
Yoruichi, Urahara, and Kurosaki Isshin—
The three of them together…
It could only mean one thing.
Somewhere—lurking in the shadows—
A monumental conspiracy was at play.