"Got hit?"
Ryūjin could not help but let out a faint chuckle, a trace of ridicule appearing on his face.
"The 'hit' you're talking about, are you referring to the Bakudō that old man secretly cast on me?"
Shinji Hirako's smile immediately froze.
He had believed that the Bakudō Hachigen Ushōda secretly placed on his opponent had gone completely unnoticed.
But it turned out that this guy had known about it the entire time.
"This bastard!"
Shinji cursed under his breath.
He had known that Hachigen was secretly setting up his Kidō, yet he remained completely composed. He had not even attempted to avoid it.
Just how little did he think of Hachigen Ushōda?
Boom!
The moment Shinji spoke, several enormous black petals suddenly burst from the ground beneath Ryūjin's feet. They expanded rapidly before closing upward with terrifying force.
Like the petals of a giant carnivorous flower, they swallowed Ryūjin whole in an instant.
Buzz!
Terrifying spiritual fluctuations surged from within the tightly closed petals.
"Did it work?"
Shinji Hirako and the other Visoreds stared at the giant flower nervously. Their eyes carried anticipation, excitement, and even a hint of hope.
"This is Bakudō #99, the Corrosive Spirit Flower, developed by Hachigen himself. It's the strongest Bakudō we have. It has to work."
Hiyori Sarugaki fixed her gaze on the massive flower and spoke seriously.
Lisa Yadōmaru, Kensei Muguruma, and the others also watched without blinking.
The Corrosive Spirit Flower was their final hope.
This was not merely a restraining Bakudō. While imprisoning the target, it continuously devoured the victim's Reiatsu and converted it into its own power.
The more one resisted, the stronger the Bakudō became.
If one struggled, the technique would grow stronger.
If one did not struggle, escape became impossible.
The Bakudō Hachigen had created was undoubtedly formidable.
That was precisely why the Visoreds had placed so much confidence in it.
However, they had overlooked one crucial point.
If the trapped individual's Reiatsu vastly exceeded the Bakudō's limits, it could be destroyed instantly.
Ryūjin Uchiha happened to be that kind of person.
Boom!
A terrifying wave of spiritual pressure erupted.
The Corrosive Spirit Flower exploded.
Violent energy surged outward in every direction, sending the already restrained Visoreds flying.
The countless wooden branches that filled the entire underground base were swallowed by the overwhelming storm.
Fortunately, those wooden barriers absorbed most of the impact. Otherwise, several of the Visoreds would have been gravely injured, and some might have died on the spot.
The energy released was simply that terrifying.
When the spiritual storm finally subsided, a figure once again appeared before the Visoreds.
He stood there exactly as before.
His clothes were untouched.
His expression remained indifferent.
Not a single hair was out of place.
It was as though nothing had happened at all.
Naturally, that person was Ryūjin Uchiha.
"How is this possible?! How did you do that?!"
Shinji Hirako's eyes widened in disbelief.
That was the Corrosive Spirit Flower, a Bakudō that had reached the ninety-ninth level, yet Ryūjin had shattered it almost instantly.
Just how terrifying was his Reiatsu?
Looking around, the secret base had become a complete wreck.
Every Visored present was injured and disheveled.
The scene was miserable.
The atmosphere had become unbearably heavy.
Ryūjin's overwhelming strength had completely crushed the confidence of the Visoreds.
"Ryūjin Uchiha, why did you come here?"
Mashiro Kuna stared at him and asked seriously.
With his strength, killing them would have been effortless.
Throughout the entire battle, Ryūjin had clearly held back.
Otherwise, they would already be dead.
Yet he had not killed any of them.
"With your strength, you'd better stay away from Aizen."
Ryūjin clicked his tongue.
"Leave Aizen to me. You don't need to interfere."
After speaking, the pattern within his eyes shifted into the Kamui Sharingan.
His body distorted like a phantom and vanished from the Visoreds' secret base.
Shinji Hirako: "..."
The other Visoreds: "..."
Everyone exchanged confused glances.
That terrifying Ryūjin Uchiha had simply left.
He had appeared, defeated all of them, and then walked away.
"Phew..."
The Visoreds collectively let out long sighs of relief.
The pressure Ryūjin had brought was simply overwhelming.
"So, Ryūjin Uchiha came here to see whether we were worthy of cooperating with him?"
Lisa Yadōmaru looked at the others and voiced her speculation.
"With his strength, does he even need allies?"
Hachigen Ushōda asked hesitantly.
"Don't forget that Aizen possesses the Hōgyoku."
Hiyori Sarugaki crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.
"No one knows what level he'll reach."
Then she suddenly grinned.
"Still, knowing that Aizen has an opponent like that is pretty satisfying."
While the Visoreds discussed him, Ryūjin had already arrived in the bustling streets of Karakura Town.
He entered a busy shopping district and slowly walked through it, enjoying the familiar atmosphere of a modern city.
It reminded him of the world from his previous life.
While strolling casually, Ryūjin entered the System Space.
The harvest had been extremely rewarding.
One ability from each Visored was available for him to select.
He did not hesitate.
Aside from Hachigen Ushōda, he chose the Zanpakutō abilities of the remaining Visoreds.
As for Hachigen, Ryūjin selected the powerful Bakudō he had used at the end, the Corrosive Spirit Flower.
Frankly, the technique was somewhat ridiculous.
Unless someone possessed power on Ryūjin's level, escaping it would be extremely difficult.
"Not bad."
Ryūjin was quite satisfied.
With a thought, he exited the System Space and continued wandering through the shopping mall like an ordinary person.
Since he had finally come to the Human World, he had no intention of rushing back.
First, it had been a very long time since he had experienced modern city life.
Second, the excuse he had given Captain Commander Yamamoto was that he was investigating Kisuke Urahara.
Returning too quickly would only raise suspicion.
He might as well enjoy himself.
As a result, Ryūjin remained in Karakura Town for nearly half a month.
Only after visiting nearly every lively location in the city did he finally return to Soul Society.
The first thing he did upon returning was naturally to visit the Captain Commander.
To report, of course.
Definitely not to collect rewards.
"Captain Ryūjin, you've returned."
At the First Division barracks, the Third Seat responsible for opening the Senkaimon greeted him respectfully.
Ryūjin merely nodded and headed directly toward the Captain Commander's office.
"System, sign in at the First Division barracks."
As always, signing in came first.
Although Kidō above number fifty had become less useful to him, some techniques still possessed considerable value.
"Ding! Sign in successful. Reward: Hadō #33, Sōkatsui."
Sōkatsui was a straightforward Hadō that released explosive blue flames from the user's hand.
Ryūjin was fairly satisfied.
"Captain Commander, I've discovered some clues."
"It appears that the item Aizen took from Rukia, the Hōgyoku, was originally researched by Kisuke Urahara."
"The exact function remains unclear, but it appears capable of affecting and altering souls."
Ryūjin used his knowledge of future events and presented it as the results of his investigation.
"Captain Ryūjin Uchiha, you've worked hard."
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto nodded.
He showed no suspicion regarding Ryūjin's investigation.
After speaking with the Captain Commander, Ryūjin left the First Division.
Over the following months, he continued serving as Captain of the Eleventh Division, managing its daily affairs and maintaining order within the Seireitei.
At the same time, he continued acting as a special investigator regarding Aizen.
However, as time passed, the Aizen incident gradually lost priority.
The Soul Society had countless responsibilities and could not devote all its attention to one enemy.
The information Ryūjin had already uncovered had exceeded everyone's expectations.
Within this atmosphere, half a year passed.
During those six months, Central 46 was reestablished, and the Seireitei gradually returned to normal.
Naturally, everyone remained vigilant regarding Aizen.
Yet for six entire months, Aizen seemed to have vanished.
There was no movement whatsoever.
The Soul Society temporarily regained its peace.
"Captain Ryūjin!"
"Captain Ryūjin!"
As Ryūjin walked through the streets of the Seireitei, Shinigami everywhere respectfully greeted him.
Ever since he had exposed Aizen's plans and wounded him six months earlier, Ryūjin's reputation had reached unprecedented heights.
Other than Captain Commander Yamamoto, no Shinigami possessed greater prestige.
Walking beside him, Ikkaku Madarame and the members of the Eleventh Division felt immensely proud.
"All Captains and Vice Captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, report to the First Division immediately. This is an emergency."
Suddenly, Chōjirō Sasakibe's voice echoed through the Seireitei via communication Kidō.
Ryūjin's expression remained unchanged, but he immediately realized that something serious had happened.
"Continue the patrol. I'm heading to the Captain Commander."
Leaving those words behind, Ryūjin headed straight toward the First Division.
The situation was urgent.
Every division responded quickly, and the gathering was completed in the shortest possible time.
"Captains and Vice Captains, an emergency report has just arrived from the Research and Development Department."
"In Karakura Town, a massive Hollow outbreak has suddenly occurred. The members of the Thirteenth Division dispatched to suppress it have suffered near total annihilation."
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto wasted no time and immediately explained the situation.
The expressions of everyone present changed.
The atmosphere instantly became heavy.
The Thirteenth Division specialized in dealing with Hollows.
Yet an entire squad had nearly been wiped out.
Was this truly the Human World?
How could such a massive Hollow outbreak occur there?
"A Hollow outbreak?"
Ryūjin's eyes narrowed slightly.
The situation felt strangely familiar.
It resembled the Hollow outbreak in Hueco Mundo from half a year earlier.
Could this incident also be connected to Aizen?
The possibility was extremely high.
Hollow outbreaks were already rare.
An outbreak large enough to nearly destroy the Thirteenth Division was almost impossible.
The location was not even Karakura Town, an area rich in Reishi, but some insignificant city that Ryūjin had never heard of.
Now that Hueco Mundo had fallen under Aizen's control, Ryūjin found it impossible to believe the incident had nothing to do with him.
"The Thirteenth Division has already requested reinforcements from the Seireitei."
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto slowly swept his gaze across the room.
"Captains, Vice Captains, who is willing to travel to the Human World and support the Thirteenth Division?"