Inside the First Division's grand assembly hall, the atmosphere was suffocating.
All captains of the Gotei Thirteen were present except for the Third and Fifth Divisions, whose captains remained absent for their own reasons.
At the head of the chamber stood Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, his spiritual pressure restrained, yet impossibly vast.
"The Quincy," he began, voice heavy as iron, "have delivered a declaration of war."
Silence deepened.
"In five days, the Wandenreich will invade Seireitei."
A faint exhale came from Shunsui Kyōraku, who adjusted his kasa hat.
"So they've finally shown themselves… persistent as ever."
Beside him, Jūshirō Ukitake nodded gravely.
"The pattern of soul disappearances in Rukongai now makes sense. The Quincy King has been active."
The history between Shinigami and Quincy was stained in blood.
A thousand years ago, Yamamoto had defeated Yhwach, forcing him into dormancy.
Two centuries ago, the remaining Quincy were exterminated by decree of Soul Society.
Or so they believed.
A rough laugh broke the tension.
Kenpachi Zaraki grinned wildly.
"They lost twice already. Let them come. I'll cut them down."
Yamamoto's gaze shifted toward him.
"Do not underestimate them."
His voice sharpened.
"They possess the ability to steal Bankai."
Murmurs rippled across the chamber.
"Lieutenant Sasakibe's Bankai was taken by a Sternritter's medallion."
That single statement shifted the mood entirely.
Tōshirō Hitsugaya frowned.
"If Bankai can be stolen, a captain's combat power drops drastically."
Sajin Komamura spoke solemnly.
"Is there a countermeasure?"
Yamamoto turned his gaze toward the Twelfth Division captain.
"Mayuri."
Mayuri Kurotsuchi stepped forward, eyes gleaming behind paint-lined lids.
"I have already begun examining the confiscated medallion retrieved from Sasakibe's assailant."
His tone was clinical.
"However, five days is insufficient to completely reverse-engineer the mechanism."
A heavy silence followed.
Without Bankai, the balance of power tilted dangerously.
Then
Yamamoto's voice cut through the air.
"Show yourself."
A black cat leapt lightly into the center of the hall.
In a shimmer of spiritual energy, it transformed into Yoruichi Shihōin.
"Yo," she said casually.
Soi Fon stiffened.
"Lady Yoruichi!"
Yamamoto narrowed his eyes.
"You did not come merely to observe."
Yoruichi's expression turned serious.
"I came with information from Kisuke."
At the name, Mayuri clicked his tongue.
"Of course."
Yoruichi continued.
"The Quincy are able to steal Bankai because Bankai contains the manifested soul of the Zanpakutō. They are not sealing the technique itself they are appropriating the soul within it."
Mayuri's eyes widened slightly.
"The Quincy absorb Reishi… and manipulate it as their own. If the Bankai's spiritual core is drawn into the medallion, it becomes theirs."
Yoruichi nodded.
"Which leads to the obvious weakness."
Ukitake spoke softly.
"Hollow Reiatsu."
A slow smile spread across Mayuri's face.
"Yes… yes, that must be it."
He began pacing.
"Quincy physiology is incompatible with Hollow spiritual particles. Their souls destabilize upon contamination."
The ancient doctrine returned to memory:
Quincy purify Hollows completely.
Shinigami purify and reincarnate them.
The incompatibility was fundamental.
"If Hollow Reiatsu is infused into the Shinigami soul," Mayuri continued, "then when the Quincy steal Bankai, that contamination will enter them as well."
Yoruichi folded her arms.
"Exactly."
Mayuri smirked.
"With sufficient research, I can produce a counter-agent."
Yamamoto's gaze hardened.
"How long?"
"Three days," Mayuri replied confidently.
"Then do it."
Yoruichi added one final warning.
"The Wandenreich's main force is currently in Hueco Mundo. Their first invasion will originate from there, using shadow-based displacement. Their empire exists within shadows themselves."
Kyōraku's expression sharpened.
"So they're hiding within Seireitei's own darkness…"
Yamamoto's voice boomed through the chamber.
"Then we shall strike before they settle."
The captains straightened.
"Prepare for total war."
The Hidden Preparation
After delivering her message, Yoruichi departed Seireitei through the Senkaimon and traveled to the World of the Living.
In Naruki City, beneath an unassuming warehouse belonging to Kisuke Urahara, preparations were already underway.
Within the underground training chamber stood a towering figure clad in white armor-like exoskeletal plating.
Only one eye remained visible beneath the mask.
Kurotsuki Renya.
Compared to a year prior, his frame had matured muscle density increased, spiritual pressure stabilized, Hollow integration nearing completion.
He stood at the precipice of metamorphosis.
"I delivered the message," Yoruichi said.
Renya inclined his head.
"Thank you, Lady Yoruichi."
Urahara tapped his folding fan thoughtfully.
"You encountered them personally?"
Renya's visible eye narrowed.
"I sensed observation from within shadows. When I entered their domain, I was intercepted."
"By Yhwach?" Urahara asked carefully.
Renya shook his head.
"No. A Sternritter."
His tone remained calm.
"I did not release my Zanpakutō. Neither did he fight at full power. But the difference in presence…"
He paused.
"…was profound."
Urahara's smile faded slightly.
"So the Quincy King's strength exceeds even your estimation."
Renya's Reiatsu flared subtly, then stabilized.
"That is why I require the Hōgyoku's evolution."
The chamber fell quiet.
Behind Urahara, figures gathered:
Visored.
Arrancar.
Fullbringers.
Allied irregulars.
An unconventional army.
If these forces clashed against the Wandenreich simultaneously, the battlefield would fracture beyond prediction.
Urahara gazed into the distance.
"If the Quincy steal Bankai from Soul Society… and face Hollow-infused countermeasures…"
His eyes gleamed behind the brim of his hat.
"The war will not proceed as Yhwach anticipates."
Renya turned toward the surface.
"The balance is already breaking."
Above them
In the unseen shadow of Seireitei
The Invisible Empire waited.
And the five days began to count down.