"Is the news true?"
Yoriichi Tsugikuni's face was as heavy as lead.
Shiba Isshin's disappearance was like a bombshell, exploding in his heart, a dull feeling shrouding his mind like a haze.
He looked at Chōjirō Sasakibe: "Besides those Menos Grande, who could make him unable to even send a message?"
"Has the Twelfth Division detected any spiritual pressure fluctuations from Menos Grande?"
This matter seemed very strange to Yoriichi, after all, Shiba Isshin was not young.
As Shiba Kaien's uncle, and having served as Captain for so many years, his experience was undoubtedly top-notch.
However, even so, he still encountered such an unexpected turn of events.
The feeling it gave Yoriichi was as absurd and bizarre as if Zaraki Kenpachi had been defeated by Ikkaku Madarame.
Chōjirō Sasakibe naturally understood Yoriichi's meaning and attitude.
He was also extremely helpless, but the facts were laid out before him, not allowing him to utter a single false word.
At this moment, he could only respond with a bitter smile:
"Captain-Commander, I might conceal things on other matters, but on this matter, I absolutely dare not deceive you."
"Captain Shiba's last communication with us was three days ago."
"At that time, he said he had found some important clues and was preparing to take action."
"After that, no more messages came through."
"We tried to contact him proactively, but couldn't reach him."
"Shinigami from the Twelfth Division were sent to search, but the spiritual pressure traces found were extremely chaotic."
"There were Quincy's, Fullbringer's, intertwined, making it impossible to track."
"As for Menos Grande… don't you already know the situation in Hueco Mundo?"
Yoriichi fell silent. Although he knew the situation in Hueco Mundo like the back of his hand, he still wanted to confirm it again.
After all, he didn't think that the Fullbringer in the Human World could defeat Shiba Isshin.
It wasn't some kind of rule-based X-cution, just simply absorbing spiritual pressure to get stronger.
Unless… absorbing spiritual pressure was just one aspect, and there were other hidden abilities, and the opponent was holding back.
If that were the case, it wouldn't be surprising that Shiba Isshin was defeated, but even if defeated, it shouldn't result in him completely disappearing without a trace.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni sighed deeply. He slowly sat back in his chair and raised his hand, gesturing for Chōjirō Sasakibe to continue.
At the same time, he asked, "Is there any news about that Substitute Soul Reaper?"
"Kurosaki Masaki and Shiba Isshin both disappeared, he wouldn't have disappeared along with them, would he?"
"No, he hasn't." Chōjirō Sasakibe quickly replied,
"According to the Twelfth Division's investigation, he seems to have returned to his post after the battle, but the situation is a bit strange; he lost part of his memory."
"He can't remember anything about the specific process of the battle or its final outcome."
Can't remember? Yoriichi couldn't help but frown, his doubts growing stronger.
The two strong ones disappeared, while the weaker one returned safely; no matter how you look at it, these events seemed somewhat suspicious.
Just as he was about to inquire for more details, Chōjirō Sasakibe turned to a new page of the report, cleared his throat, and continued his orderly report:
"It's still unclear whether the memory loss was caused by Shinigami technology or influenced by X-cution."
"If it's the former… we have to consider the possibility of Shiba Isshin defecting."
He raised his eyes, carefully watching Yoriichi Tsugikuni,
"Of course, I know this might sound a bit offensive."
"But no matter what, such acts of unauthorized memory alteration of a colleague, and his deliberate hiding and feigning disappearance, are intolerable to the Seireitei."
"Not to mention he is also a Captain, knowingly committing a crime, which makes it even worse."
"…" Yoriichi was silent again. Indeed, if all of this was Shiba Isshin's doing,
Even if he himself were the Captain-Commander, he probably couldn't protect him.
Chōjirō Sasakibe then continued, deliberately slowing his tone, seemingly wanting to ease the serious atmosphere in the room:
"Of course, Captain-Commander, this is just one possibility. It could also be the latter, the influence of X-cution."
"The opponent spared that Substitute Soul Reaper, probably to provoke us and demonstrate their power to the Seireitei."
Taking a deep breath, Chōjirō said with a serious expression:
"In any case, this matter can no longer be taken lightly. Please issue your orders, Captain-Commander."
"We must fully pursue and apprehend that Fullbringer to avenge Captain Shiba."
"…"
He spoke as if Shiba Isshin were dead, when currently it was only suspected.
To prevent some of the Shinigami involved in the mission from misunderstanding, Yoriichi Tsugikuni instructed:
"Capturing him is not the goal; capturing him and finding Captain Shiba's whereabouts is the top priority."
"Do not expand the impact, so as not to cause panic."
"Yes." Chōjirō Sasakibe responded crisply.
After speaking, he was about to turn and leave.
But then, he suddenly remembered something: "Oh, Captain-Commander, what should we do about that Quincy?"
He looked up at Yoriichi and expressed his concern,
"Although it's currently unclear whether she also met with misfortune along with Captain Shiba, even if she didn't, having been missing for so long…"
"How do you plan to handle her family?"
"This matter seems to have been caused by Captain Shiba's overly reckless actions."
"And Captain Shiba's problem, to some extent, is a problem for all of us Shinigami."
"Should we send people to comfort them? Or should we temporarily ignore it and wait and see?"
Although Chōjirō Sasakibe had no good feelings towards Quincy, it was only limited to the Quincy from nine hundred years ago.
And the missing Kurosaki Masaki, in the end, was just a human girl.
If a human girl went missing due to the influence of Shinigami and they did nothing, he would truly feel uneasy.
Yoriichi nodded, roughly understanding Chōjirō Sasakibe's meaning. After thinking for a moment, he waved his hand, signaling him to decide for himself.
No matter how he did it, or what he did.
As long as his conscience was clear, it was fine.
Seeing this, Chōjirō Sasakibe thought for a while, then stepped out.
He decided to observe the situation secretly first, to avoid counterproductive effects due to improper handling.
...
Human World.
Shiba Isshin was a bit anxious, because he had never expected that Fullbringer to be so troublesome.
When he found him, that guy, due to killing too many people, his power had already surpassed that of an ordinary Captain.
And although Shiba Isshin's strength was also above that of an ordinary Captain, unfortunately, being in a bustling city, he couldn't use Bankai.
Once the spiritual pressure released was too strong, it would affect the souls of the surrounding humans, a consequence he couldn't bear.
Therefore, that battle was extremely frustrating.
Fortunately, he still won in the end, and that Fullbringer, due to the fierce battle, was also killed by everyone's combined efforts.
But before dying, that guy slightly disgusted him.
In the dim room, the air seemed to solidify, permeated by a heavy atmosphere.
Shiba Isshin looked at the unconscious Kurosaki Masaki in front of him, his gaze sweeping over his empty waist, and he couldn't help but sigh deeply.
He had thrown away the Soul Pager, the purpose being not to let others discover the situation here.
Kurosaki Masaki was unconscious due to his influence, because he failed to protect her.
The ability that Fullbringer possessed was complete absorption.
By killing a person, he could completely absorb all of their spiritual pressure and all of their abilities.
In Shiba Isshin's opinion.
This was probably absorbing even the fragments of the Soul King within others.
He had thought his ability only targeted Fullbringer, but he never expected it could even absorb a Quincy's spiritual pressure.
And spiritual pressure is closely linked to a person's life; losing spiritual pressure means the soul is dead.
Although Kurosaki Masaki still had a glimmer of life remaining and hadn't completely died, the situation was not optimistic.
Shiba Isshin couldn't bring himself to let a girl wait for death.
So, initially, he had planned to immediately take Kurosaki Masaki to the Soul Society to receive professional treatment from the Fourth Division.
However, just as he had this thought and was preparing to act, a sudden change occurred.
For unknown reasons, Kurosaki Masaki's body mysteriously contained three distinctly different spiritual pressures: Hollow, Fullbringer, and Shinigami.
Combined with her own, there were a total of four types, and Shiba Isshin was stunned on the spot.
To avoid further complications, and for Kurosaki Masaki's safety.
He immediately used the machine he carried to erase part of the Substitute Soul Reaper's memory and abandoned the idea of returning to the Soul Society.
The Soul Society might, out of humanitarianism, unconditionally save an ordinary Quincy.
But it would absolutely not save a Quincy who had fused the power of Hollow, the power of X-cution, and the power of Shinigami.
This situation was too special, too dangerous.
He believed that once Kurosaki Masaki was brought back to the Soul Society, the ultimate outcome would inevitably be to be sent to the Twelfth Division and become a subject of research.
And if she didn't return to the Soul Society, Kurosaki Masaki would die due to soul weakening…
With no choice either way, he was in a dilemma.
Fortunately, just as Shiba Isshin was agonizing over this, the situation took a turn for the better.
The powers within Kurosaki Masaki seemed to have formed a strange balance with her weakened Quincy power.
Her life was temporarily saved, and her spiritual pressure did not continue to weaken, which was a good news, barely.
However, she still had not regained consciousness.
How to make her wake up was the next problem to solve.
Shiba Isshin had no solution for this.
This was why he was so anxious.
Just as he was wondering whether to put aside his concerns and seek Kisuke Urahara's help.
Because he felt that Kisuke Urahara should be able to help him keep this secret, he knew the other person's character very well… as long as there was a price to pay.
Just then, speak of the devil.
With a click.
A large white light bloomed behind him, and Kisuke Urahara, wearing a Captain's haori, slowly walked out from within the Senkaimon.
The expression on his face was somewhat complex, especially after seeing Shiba Isshin's unharmed state, it suddenly became even more complex.
His gaze swept over the woman behind Shiba Isshin.
Kisuke Urahara suddenly spoke:
"Captain Shiba, you are indeed here…"
"Don't turn around yet."
He interrupted Shiba Isshin's movement, "If you turn around now, I will consider your actions a betrayal of the Soul Society."
"When I learned from Yoriichi that you might have died in battle, I didn't believe it."
"Because you have monitoring bacteria left by Mayuri on you from back then."
"I originally thought your disappearance was to better complete the mission, that it was part of the mission, which is why I didn't tell the Captain-Commander about it."
"I didn't expect…"
Kisuke Urahara's tone became a bit wistful as he spoke here.
He looked at the unconscious Kurosaki Masaki and asked, word by word:
"Is this Quincy the reason you threw away the Soul Pager and arbitrarily violated your Captain's duties?"
"What exactly happened between you and her? To make you even abandon your Shinigami identity?"
...
Abandon… Yes, in Kisuke Urahara's view.
Shiba Isshin's actions were undoubtedly a distrust of the Seireitei and a desecration of his Shinigami identity.
He simply couldn't comprehend how someone could just abandon their Captain position, fake their death by disappearing, and hide here with Kurosaki Masaki to avoid trouble.
It wasn't like Gojoshibe Kenpachi, where Hueco Mundo was dangerous and understandable.
But what kind of massive threat could there be in the Human World?
The fact that they were still alive meant that the Fullbringer was already dead.
No matter how powerful a human was in life, they couldn't affect them after death.
Perhaps Kurosaki Masaki had encountered something extraordinary, Kisuke Urahara speculated.
He stared intently at Shiba Isshin, trying to discern some clues from him to determine if his thoughts were correct.
At the same time, before Shiba Isshin could break the oppressive silence, Kisuke Urahara suddenly noticed a strange spiritual pressure permeating the air.
He sniffed, finding it hard to describe.
It was as if someone had forcibly blended four completely different beings: Hollow, Shinigami, Fullbringer, and Quincy.
As a researcher, Kisuke Urahara was naturally extremely sensitive to such a situation.
The moment he perceived it, his gaze immediately focused on Kurosaki Masaki.
A hint of surprise flashed across his face, followed by a frown, and then, a sudden realization.
It was as if, in that instant, he had seen through part of the truth.
—So that's how it is.
"Captain Urahara, this isn't abandonment; it's just a pragmatic decision. Monitoring bacteria? Have you been monitoring me all this time?"
Shiba Isshin frowned, his tone containing a hint of accusation.
He didn't turn around, simply stood still, listening to Kisuke Urahara's words while calmly replying, seemingly unsurprised by Kisuke Urahara's appearance.
"This isn't what a Captain should do, not even trusting us... No wonder you found me."
"Correction," Kisuke Urahara held up a finger and gently waved it in the air, refuting Shiba Isshin's words,
"The bacteria weren't placed by me, but by Mayuri. It's not surprising for him to do something like that given his peculiar personality."
"I was about to ask, is discarding a Soul Pager something a Captain should do?"
"Tell me, what exactly is going on with the spiritual pressure on this girl?"
After speaking, Kisuke Urahara saw that Shiba Isshin seemed to have something difficult to say, so he temporarily put aside the idea of informing Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
He slowly walked to a chair, gently brushed away the thin layer of dust on it, and calmly sat down, saying casually:
"Alright, stop tensing up. I'm just here to check on the situation; I haven't informed anyone."
"You can turn around now."
Hearing this, Shiba Isshin breathed a sigh of relief.
He turned and sat down as well, composed himself, and then slowly recounted everything that had happened to Kisuke Urahara.
After listening, Kisuke was somewhat dazed, saying incredulously, "Captain Shiba, you're not joking, are you?"
"Just because that Fullbringer absorbed some of Kurosaki Masaki's spiritual pressure, Kurosaki Masaki's body inexplicably gained three new powers?"
"How is that possible?"
"Let's not even mention Shinigami power; it's likely that the Fullbringer killed a Shinigami earlier and took his spiritual pressure."
"After absorbing the spiritual pressure, when you killed him, perhaps a portion of the spiritual pressure was assimilated by Kurosaki Masaki, like a siphoning phenomenon, and integrated into her body."
"But Hollow power and X-cution power..."
"The former is like a deadly poison to a Quincy, instantly fatal upon contact."
"And the latter is a fragment of the Soul King's organs; logically speaking, it's something a Quincy shouldn't be able to acquire later in life."
"But she just happened to get it," Shiba Isshin said, shrugging helplessly.
He understood Kisuke Urahara's meaning, but the facts were right before his eyes, so how could he deny any of it?
Kisuke Urahara took a deep breath, raising a hand to interrupt Shiba Isshin, "Wait, let me process this for a moment."
"I think I understand why you discarded your Soul Pager and didn't want to contact the Seireitei."
"Her case is too unique, so unique that if she were brought to the Twelfth Division, I wouldn't want her to leave."
Kisuke Urahara suddenly looked up, his eyes burning with a certain intensity as he stared intently at Shiba Isshin, asking:
"Do you know what it means for a Quincy... no, for a human to be able to fuse the four powers of Quincy, Hollow, Shinigami, and X-cution?"
"This is an unprecedented case in the history of the Soul Society and even the entire Three Realms; even my Hōgyoku cannot replicate it."
"Because the Hōgyoku cannot bestow X-cution and Quincy powers upon others."
"Please tell me in detail what happened at that time again. I think I'm starting to get some ideas."
Everything must have been the Fullbringer's doing, but the question is, how did he manage it?
Can Shinigami achieve similar power fusion?
And how will Kurosaki Masaki's vital signs develop after acquiring this power? Will she remain in this coma indefinitely?
These were all difficult problems Kisuke Urahara wanted to solve.
Shiba Isshin wasn't sure what Kisuke Urahara's ideas were.
But for Kurosaki Masaki's safety, he could only once again reveal all the details without reservation.
After Shiba Isshin finished speaking, Kisuke Urahara fell into deep contemplation.
He lowered his head slightly, and after a long while, slowly straightened up, nodding solemnly:
"I think I understand now. Don't worry, the situation inside Kurosaki Masaki's body is likely a struggle between the four powers."
"Whoever wins will gain control over her body."
"The reason Hollow power hasn't affected her is because the Shinigami's spiritual pressure has given her soul more resistance to Hollow power."
"She won't be in danger until these powers break their balance. However, as the saying goes, it's better to be safe than sorry.
"Captain Shiba, I suggest you have her thoroughly examined in the Soul Society first."
"Once she regains consciousness, her spiritual pressure will inevitably increase, and if the balance is broken then, no one knows what the consequences will be."
As if to reassure Shiba Isshin further, Kisuke Urahara paused, then continued earnestly:
"I know many Shinigami have prejudices against our Twelfth Division, believing we always conduct crazy and dangerous research."
"But Isshin, you shouldn't be among those Shinigami."
"You should know my character; the last thing I want to do is force others, and Yoriichi is the same."
"Therefore..."
Kisuke Urahara patted non-existent dust from his clothes, as if trying to ease the slightly tense atmosphere with the gesture.
A gentle smile played on his lips as he held up two fingers to Shiba Isshin,
"You have two choices before you now."
"One is to let things take their course, wait for her to awaken on her own, with unknown time required and unknown consequences."
"Perhaps she'll be lucky enough to wake up and return to normal, or perhaps... various situations we can't imagine will arise."
"If nothing goes wrong, for the sake of our long-standing friendship, I can pretend this never happened."
"She can return to her parents and live a normal life, only needing to cooperate with me for a few small examinations each year."
"At the same time, you can also return to your Captain position; I will vouch for you throughout the Seireitei to ensure your position is unaffected."
"The second is to come back with me to the Twelfth Division. I will do everything in my power to treat her, to prevent her powers from going out of control."
"She is very valuable; even if it means breaking taboos, I will not let her die."
"Although you yourself are suspected of dereliction of duty, fortunately, the time wasn't long, and your disappearance can be entirely attributed to that Fullbringer."
"In a battle, a Soul Pager can be damaged or lost, anything is possible."
"You were severely injured and needed healing, but then the Fullbringer's comrades came after you."
"You had no choice but to hide with Kurosaki Masaki. All of this makes sense; no one will suspect anything."
"After all, you erased the Substitute Soul Reaper's memory, didn't you?"
Kisuke Urahara spread his hands, a confident smile on his face, as if all difficulties had been easily resolved by him, and everything was under his control.
His voice was not loud, but it was exceptionally powerful: "Choose, Captain Shiba."
Both choices seemed to hold a bright future for Shiba Isshin.
But Shiba Isshin knew that things would definitely not be that simple.
After some thought, his meaningful gaze fixed on Kisuke Urahara as he slowly asked a crucial question:
"If I choose the first option, and if Kurosaki Masaki loses control, what do you intend to do?"
"You're helping me conceal this incident on the premise that she's safe, right? If something happens..."
"Why ask what you already know, Captain Shiba?" Kisuke Urahara shook his head, interrupting Shiba Isshin,
"You and I both know that from the moment she became tainted with powers that didn't belong to her, she ceased to be a pure Quincy."
"I personally wouldn't do anything to her, but I'm afraid she might not be able to control this power and choose self-destruction. She's very kind, isn't she?"
"And I made it very clear earlier that I won't force anyone."
"So, if she is determined to die, then we can only let her."
Upon hearing this, Shiba Isshin's expression turned somewhat grim; he understood that he had no choice.
He would never leave someone's fate to chance; there was no other way...
Shiba Isshin sighed, then reluctantly looked up and asked:
"If I choose the second option, Captain Urahara, how confident are you that she won't lose control?"
...
Seireitei.
"Power fusion, huh, Kisuke? You really know how to surprise me. I didn't expect something like that to happen in the Human World..."
Yoriichi Tsugikuni looked at the message Kisuke Urahara sent back, a look of emotion on his face.
After a moment, he composed himself and decisively replied to the message: "Save her, absolutely save her."
"Later, I will personally explain the situation to the Kurosaki couple. For now, please return as soon as possible."
"Once you're back, have Shiba Isshin come to see me."
"I need to know the appearance and name of that Fullbringer so that we can conduct a full search for him in the Soul Society and find him."
"Since everything Kurosaki Masaki experienced was caused by him, then he must have a solution."
"The fusion of four powers is too dangerous."
It was no wonder Yoriichi Tsugikuni was so emotional.
Because if he remembered correctly, the Soul King possessed all four of these powers.
In other words, Kurosaki Masaki, in terms of status, was now infinitely close to the Soul King.
All that was missing was for her spiritual pressure to meet the standard.