In the days following Tosen's return, the Hogyoku experiments moved forward. The mass of Spiritual Pressure in the culture medium slowly reassembled within a blue light, and everything seemed no different from usual. However, Hasumi Ren's attention was no longer on the experiment itself; he was observing the returned Tosen Kaname.
Citing physical weakness, Tosen only handled a few auxiliary tasks. Taciturn and solemn, he looked completely indistinguishable from before on the surface. Yet, Ren could sense a subtle discrepancy beneath that flawless exterior.
"Tosen, help me verify the Spiritual Pressure data here," Ren said casually, handing over a document.
Tosen took the document. His fingers lightly traced the pages, and he fell silent for a brief moment. "The data is correct. It's ready to be used."
Ren's brow twitched slightly. He had intentionally altered a piece of data; with the real Tosen's expertise, he would have caught it instantly. Yet, the Tosen standing before him hadn't noticed at all.
"Is that so? Good then." Ren took the document back without exposing him.
Tosen lowered his head and returned to his work. Ren noticed that when handling the experiment, the output of Spiritual Pressure from Tosen's fingers was slightly weaker than the real Tosen's, and his rhythm was a bit off. These discrepancies were incredibly minute; if Ren hadn't been watching intentionally, they would have been impossible to detect.
Tosen's technical execution had declined. It was like he knew what to do but couldn't quite execute it perfectly. This indicated that the person before him inherited Tosen's memories and knowledge, but his physical operational capabilities fell short of the original owner's level.
Later, during the operations, Ren deliberately brought up the issue of the Hogyoku's Spiritual Pressure synchronization. "Tosen, what are your thoughts on the Hogyoku's Spiritual Pressure output frequency? I feel like the current synchronization can be optimized further." Ren asked casually while calibrating the spell nodes.
Tosen fell silent for a moment. "Lord Aizen has his own considerations. We only need to execute his orders; there is no need to make unauthorized changes."
The answer was seamless. But Ren noticed that when the Hogyoku was mentioned, a faint ripple of emotion crossed Tosen's demeanor.
Ren's heart sank slightly. The Quincy's objective was the Hogyoku. They hadn't sent a fake Tosen just to keep an eye on Aizen; they wanted to steal intelligence on the Hogyoku, or even find an opportunity to seize it.
This realization set off alarm bells in Ren's mind, but it also sparked a daring idea. The Quincy wanted the Hogyoku, and so did he. If the Quincy eventually lost their patience and made a move to steal it, he could capitalize on the chaos. He could have his Hollow avatar strike at the same time and seize the Hogyoku amid the confusion. If he succeeded, the Hogyoku would be his. If he failed, the blame could be entirely pinned on the Quincy. Aizen's wrath would be directed elsewhere, while he could continue to lurk in the shadows.
Ren suppressed the turbulence in his heart, keeping his expression completely calm. Over the next few days, he managed to gather a few more Schrift fragments from around Tosen. Each time, the tiny specks of light were imperceptibly absorbed into his body, and the system prompts flashed quietly.
[SYSTEM: Schrift fragment acquired. Schrift awakening progress +1%.] [SYSTEM: Schrift fragment acquired. Schrift awakening progress +1%.] [SYSTEM: Schrift: A - The Devourer (Awakening Progress: 5%).]
The moment the awakening progress crossed 5%, Ren felt the icy Quincy power within him tremor slightly. It felt like a slumbering beast rolling over; though not yet fully awake, its breathing had grown distinct. He could sense that his Schrift ability, The Devourer, could now be faintly channeled. Even if it was only to the slightest degree, it was undeniably there.
One day, after the experiments concluded, Tosen walked past him. Ren unobtrusively reached out and lightly patted his shoulder. "Good work today." The movement was natural and the tone casual, like an ordinary greeting. However, within his palm, the power of Schrift A quietly activated. Operating at an extremely faint level, The Devourer began to gnaw away at the leaking Spiritual Pressure on the surface of Tosen's body. The amount absorbed was so microscopic that had it not been for the system prompt, Ren wouldn't have even perceived it.
[SYSTEM: The Devourer activated. Spiritual Power EXP +1.] [SYSTEM: The Devourer activated. Spiritual Power EXP +1.]
Tosen's body stiffened slightly. He turned his head, his sightless eyes remaining tightly shut, but his brow furrowed slightly. "Is something wrong?" Ren asked, his voice steady. Tosen fell silent for a brief moment. "It's nothing. My injuries probably haven't fully healed yet, so I'm feeling a bit unwell." He turned and walked away.
Watching his departing back, a faint smile tugged at the corner of Ren's mouth. Once contact was made, The Devourer could automatically siphon the target's Spiritual Pressure. This was the true terror of this ability. As long as a being was composed of Reishi, once touched, their power would be unknowingly drained by Ren. That power would then convert into Spiritual Power EXP, gradually accumulating within him. When the Schrift's awakening reached 100%, that would be the moment its true might would be unleashed. Ren withdrew his gaze and turned to leave the depths of the laboratory, already calculating his next step in his mind.
A few days later, in the secret laboratory within the Nest of Maggots. Ren traversed the layers of corridors and stepped into the familiar room. Urahara Kisuke stood before the workbench, tinkering with the apparatus in front of him. Kurotsuchi Mayuri was no longer there. Looking up as Ren walked in, a rare trace of delight appeared on Urahara's face. "The gateway has been established."
Ren's brow arched slightly. "It's functional?"
Urahara walked over to the workbench and pointed to a pitch-black dot in the center. "Though I haven't completely mastered the Quincy technology to freely employ the Shadow Space, a basic imitation is within my capabilities now. As long as the device is activated, an entrance can be opened right here. Furthermore, I've prepared everything else we need."
With that, Urahara produced a small bundle. "Inside is a portable Gigai. Thanks to the Spiritual Pressure from Tosen Kaname that you gathered a few days ago, I was able to craft it. The enemy's abilities are terrifying indeed; that fake Tosen's Spiritual Pressure is identical to the genuine one. If you hadn't informed me beforehand, even I wouldn't have been able to tell them apart."
Ren took the bundle containing the Gigai and examined it closely. Its Spiritual Pressure fluctuations were a perfect match for Tosen's. "How long can this Gigai hold up inside the Wandenreich?"
"As long as the enemy doesn't perform a full dissection on it, fooling them for a short period shouldn't be an issue. Now, we can finally head into that world teeming with enemies to scout it out."
Hearing this, Ren looked at Urahara. "We?"
"Of course. I wouldn't dare let you take such a risk alone," Urahara's voice was perfectly calm. "Besides, do you really think I would miss out on something like this?" The corners of Urahara's mouth curved slightly as he pulled out two black cloaks from beneath the workbench, handing one to Ren. "This is a Spiritual Pressure-concealing cloak I developed. Put it on, and your Spiritual Pressure will be entirely suppressed, making you undetectable to anyone."
Ren took the cloak; the fabric was light yet resilient, feeling cool to the touch. He unfurled it and draped it over his shoulders. His Spiritual Pressure was instantaneously suppressed to practically zero, as though he had vanished from the face of the world. "Impressive." Ren fell silent for a brief moment before nodding. Having Urahara along would undoubtedly make things much more convenient, and it provided a safety net.
"Ready?" Urahara tapped the device lightly. The pitch-black dot began to expand, spreading through the air like a drop of ink in water. A few breaths later, a hexagram-shaped black vortex materialized above the workbench, reflecting a blurred vista of another world: a dim sky, stark white buildings, and the faint, shimmering glow of Reishi in the distance. Urahara turned his head to look at Ren. "Are you ready?"
Ren took a deep breath and pulled his hood low, obscuring most of his face. "Let's go." Both men stepped into the black vortex simultaneously.
Darkness, a brief sensation of weightlessness, and then, the feeling of solid ground beneath their feet. The two surveyed their surroundings. The sky of the Wandenreich was a pale grey, dominated by a dense layer of Reishi clouds blanketing the dome above, filtering the light into a crisp, frigid white. The air was saturated with pure, icy Reishi, completely distinct from the warmth of the Soul Society. Ren and Urahara stood inside a narrow alleyway flanked by towering white walls. In the distance, the silhouettes of high towers and palaces loomed, casting bold profiles against the greyish-white sky.
Urahara's gaze swept over the area. Immediately after, he extracted a compact device from his robes, channeling a bit of Spiritual Pressure into it to analyze their surroundings. The readings on the device fluctuated rapidly—Reishi concentration, spatial stability, Spiritual Pressure frequency; every single metric was logged and analyzed. "The Reishi composition of this space is entirely different from the Soul Society," Urahara noted in a hushed tone laced with a hint of excitement. "The Quincy managed to survive here for nine hundred years not just because of their concealment, but because of this fully integrated ecosystem."
Ren didn't reply. His eyes were fixed on the end of the alleyway, where a squad of Quincy clad in white uniforms was marching in their direction. Their steps were uniform, their Spiritual Pressures steady—clearly well-trained soldiers. Ren pulled Urahara back into the shadows, and the two pressed themselves flat against the wall, remaining completely motionless. The patrol marched past the mouth of the alley, none of them noticing the two dark silhouettes concealed deep within.
"Move," Urahara whispered.
The pair navigated deeper into the alleyway. Along the way, they evaded patrol after patrol, slipping through street after street. The architectural style of the Wandenreich was minimalist and severe: stark white walls accented with silver filigree, each structure looking as if it had been chiseled out of a single, massive boulder. As they walked, Urahara continuously recorded the layout with his device. His movements were swift and practiced, indicative of someone who had executed similar covert operations countless times before.
"The defenses and vigilance here are slighter than I anticipated," Urahara murmured. "Perhaps it never crossed their minds that someone could discover them, let alone infiltrate this realm. Of course, it's also possible that the bulk of their forces are stationed in the core sectors. We should remain cautious."
Ren nodded. He didn't speak, simply following Urahara while committing the route to memory as they walked.
Before long, the view ahead opened up. A colossal palace loomed in their field of vision, its towering spires piercing the greyish-white sky. The grand gates of the palace stood wide open, guarded by several soldiers in white uniforms with swords slung at their waists. Urahara stopped, pulling Ren into a patch of deep shadow. He produced a telescope-like apparatus from his robes, aiming it at the palace to adjust the focus. "Silbern," he breathed softly. "Based on the data gathered so far, this is the heart of the Wandenreich. Their Emperor resides within this very palace."
Ren stared at the palace, falling silent for a moment. "Where do you think Tosen Kaname is being held?"
Urahara shook his head. "Hard to say, but... we can always find someone to ask."
Ren's brow twitched. "What do you plan to do?"
Urahara didn't answer right away. His gaze locked onto a lone Quincy a short distance away. Clad in a white uniform with a sword at his waist, the man was stepping out from a side alley, seemingly heading somewhere.
Urahara vanished from the spot. Flash Step—utterly silent. Before the Quincy could even register a reaction, he was struck at the nape of his neck. His body went limp, caught by Urahara before it could hit the ground, and was dragged into the alleyway. Ren followed closely, watching as Urahara pulled out a small syringe and jabbed the needle into the Quincy's neck. "A sedative. It will keep him under for a quarter of an hour," Urahara said.
Then, he fetched another device from his robes—a circular apparatus resembling a headband. He affixed the device to the Quincy's forehead, channeling his Spiritual Pressure into it until it began to emit a faint blue luminescence. Ren observed the contraption, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "What is that?"
"A hypnosis device, specially modified for Quincies," Urahara whispered. "It guides the subject's mind without leaving a trace or alerting their awareness." He paused, then spoke. "What is your name?"
The Quincy opened his hollow eyes, his lips parting slightly as a vacant, mechanical voice escaped him. "Alphard."
"What is your rank within the Wandenreich?"
"A member of the Silbern Outer Patrol, Third Squad."
Urahara smiled faintly, proceeding to meticulously interrogate the Quincy regarding every detail he knew about the Wandenreich. Once he had recorded everything of value, he softly inquired about their primary objective.
"Are there prisoners being held inside Silbern?"
"Yes. In the subterranean dungeon."
"Who is confined there?"
"I... I do not know. I do not have clearance to enter."
Urahara's brow furrowed. He switched to a different angle. "Have any new prisoners been brought in recently? For instance, a Soul Reaper?"
"I do not know."
Frowning slightly, Urahara pressed further. "If a highly critical prisoner were to be kept, where would they be held?"
"The subterranean dungeon, the third level, the innermost depths."
Having secured the exact location and the means of entry, Urahara exchanged a glance with Ren.
Urahara pulled out a small cylinder from his robes and flashed it once in front of the Quincy. A faint shimmer of spiritual light blinked, and the Quincy's eyes shut. "When he wakes up, he won't remember a thing about what happened."
Urahara put away his tools and looked at Ren. "The subterranean dungeon, the innermost depths of the third level. The target location is roughly confirmed."
Ren nodded. "Let's move and scout the path. If possible, let's locate Tosen Kaname first. Everything else can wait."
Urahara gave a nod. Tucking their cloaks tightly around themselves, the two slipped toward Silbern. Behind them, the sedated Quincy slumped against the wall. A moment later, his eyes fluttered open as he scanned his surroundings in confusion. Meanwhile, in the shadows, the two dark figures vanished into thin air without a sound.