The video faded out slowly—
Freezing on the aftermath of Senju Kōten Taihō's devastating detonation.
Endless firelight
Consumed the entire sky.
The raw, destructive force felt as though it might burst through the screen itself.
Even after the footage went completely black,
Shinigami across every corner of the Soul Society were still struggling to recover from the shock.
Some were paralyzed with fear.
Some had collapsed to the ground.
It was as if they had personally witnessed the apocalyptic blast—
A visceral, ground-zero experience that threatened to leave behind psychological scars.
Karakura Town.
Inside the Urahara Shop.
"Holy crap, man…"
"Boss, you were way too badass! That finger-pointing pose just now? Absolute perfection!"
Tessai Tsukabishi was practically bouncing with excitement, waving his arms as he shouted in awe.
Though he and Urahara often bantered and exchanged jabs,
The sight of the shopkeeper casually obliterating his enemy with a single motion
Had lit a fire in Tessai's blood.
He was hyped beyond belief.
"Oh-hohohoho…"
"Tessai, now you see how powerful I really am, huh?"
Nose high in the air, Urahara smugly fanned himself with his folding fan.
"Senju Kōten Taihō is just one of the more... ordinary techniques in my arsenal."
"What a shame the ranking ended there.
Otherwise, I could've kept showing off!"
He let out a sigh, half-dramatic, half-genuine.
To be honest, even as the person being featured, he had thoroughly enjoyed watching it all unfold.
For a moment, it felt like he was on the grand stage of the world—
A rare chance to indulge his flair for performance.
"Yeah, it's a real shame…"
Tessai nodded with a sigh.
"You only showed your Shikai and that one Hadō spell.
If your Benihime's Bankai had made an appearance, the entire Soul Society would've lost its mind!"
"Well, true enough…"
"But actually, Tessai—what you just said reminded me of something important."
The excitement on Urahara's face faded.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"Back to the original point—just what is this video footage?"
"Why has Isshin Kurosaki regained his Shinigami powers?"
"And why was I teaming up with him and Yoruichi?"
"Who exactly is that bizarre enemy we were fighting—the one who looked like a cocoon about to burst into another dimension?"
…
A series of sharp, unresolved questions poured from Urahara's lips.
He had initially hoped to uncover some hidden clues from the video…
But after watching it—
He was more confused than before.
"Uh… Yeah, I've got no idea either."
Tessai pursed his lips and shrugged helplessly.
After watching the video, he was finally certain of one thing—
This wasn't one of Urahara's elaborate pranks.
It was something far more serious, something that had happened without warning.
And with that realization—
Tessai felt a cold shiver run down his spine.
If Kisuke Urahara couldn't make sense of it…
Then whoever had compiled the footage and broadcast it across the world must be terrifying beyond comprehension.
Just then—
Riiing… Riiing…
The phone in the shop suddenly rang.
"Who is it?!"
Both men jumped, startled by the unexpected sound.
As if struck by lightning, they simultaneously turned toward the source.
"Huh… this number—it's from Isshin's clinic."
Urahara glanced at the caller ID and quickly picked up the phone.
As expected—
The moment the call connected, a roar erupted from the other end:
"KISUKE URAHARA!!!"
"You better give me a damn good explanation!"
"When the hell did I regain my Shinigami powers?!"
"And that fight—what the hell was that all about?!"
"What the hell is going on?!"
Even over the phone,
The sheer intensity of Isshin Kurosaki's voice was deafening.
You could easily imagine the look of panic and frustration on his face.
Clearly—
After watching the first ranking video,
Ichigo's old man was still completely lost.
"Hm? So you saw the ranking video too?"
Urahara's first instinct wasn't to calm him down—
It was to focus on the key detail: Isshin had seen the footage.
"What do you think? Why else would I be calling?! Stop dodging the question and explain! Is this some kind of twisted joke you're playing?!"
"I knew you'd blame me…"
Urahara sighed, slightly exasperated.
"Isshin, even if I told you I had nothing to do with this, I'm guessing you wouldn't believe me right now, would you?"
"You mean to tell me this wasn't you?!"
"If you don't believe me, you're welcome to come by the shop.
We've got one of those mysterious displays over here too."
Urahara scratched his head.
Most people in his shoes would be basking in the glory of ranking so highly.
But instead, he felt an undercurrent of something darker—
A faint trace of conspiracy.
"…"
Silence from the other end.
After a pause, Isshin finally replied:
"Alright. I'm coming over.
This whole thing stinks. We're better off discussing it face to face."
"Couldn't agree more, Isshin-san. I'll be waiting."
With both men on the same page, the call ended.
"Boss, maybe don't overthink it right now. The rankings have just started—there are still fourteen spots to go! Aren't you at least a little curious who's ahead of you?"
Tessai, ever the optimist, had already moved past his earlier concerns.
He was now buzzing with anticipation over the rest of the rankings.
Who would be Number 14?
Who else would appear in the top fifteen?
He was excited. Hopeful.
As Urahara's right-hand man, he believed he had a shot at making the list too!
---
Meanwhile.
Las Noches – Central Hall.
"Tch…"
"So the Shinigami aren't all trash after all."
Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez stood with one hand shoved into his pocket.
His sky-blue hair hung over his scowling face—
Still clearly shaken.
Like many others,
He'd been stunned by the earlier blast.
Only now was he starting to pull himself together.
"Grimmjow, you look like you just pissed yourself."
A voice called out mockingly from across the room—
Nnoitra Gilga, dripping with sarcasm.
"Screw you!
Your face is pale as a ghost—who are you to mock anyone?!"
Grimmjow shot back with a glare.
"You wanna go?!"
"Bring it on! I'm not scared of you!"
…
Espada Five and Six—
The two most hot-headed members of the Espada—
Were about to throw down on the spot.
That was when—
A heavy, cold voice echoed through the hall:
"Enough."
"Both of you, stand down. This isn't the time for squabbling."
Baraggan Louisenbairn's growl was thunderous,
And the skeletal king's imposing aura filled the entire chamber with oppressive weight.
"Hmph…"
Grimmjow and Nnoitra both scoffed and turned away,
But neither dared to talk back.
Arrogant as they were—
They weren't stupid.
They knew exactly how terrifying Baraggan could be.
With Aizen absent, and Starrk too lazy to care,
Baraggan was without question the most dominant figure in the Espada right now.
Pissing him off would be a death wish.
Once the tension faded, silence returned to the hall.
Baraggan spoke again, his tone somber:
"Right now, with Aizen still missing from Hueco Mundo,
All we can do is keep watching."
"Agreed…"
Ulquiorra Cifer lifted his head.
His emerald eyes reflected the darkness of the screen.
"The rankings are just getting started."
"I have no doubt—the Espada will be on that list."
====================
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