With the fall of the Eighth Division Captain, Shunsui Kyōraku, the situation had completely changed.
Before him, three other captains had already been devoured by Brook: First Division Captain Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, Fifth Division Captain Sōsuke Aizen, and Thirteenth Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake.
Now, only nine captains remained in the Gotei 13.
And among them, Eleventh Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki was still locked in an endless duel with the sinner from Hell, Kokuto.
That left only eight Shinigami captains to deal with the Espada, including the terrifying Fourth Espada, Ulquiorra.
With his third stage Resurrección, Ulquiorra was strong enough to overpower two Shinigami captains at once.
Although the Shinigami still had more than a dozen vice captains and dozens of seated officers, their manpower was beginning to collapse. Hueco Mundo had also dispatched Gillian class Menos Grande and even several Adjuchas class Menos.
In terms of overall combat strength, Soul Society's Shinigami were now being overwhelmed by the Arrancar and Menos Grande of Hueco Mundo.
Among the Hollows of Hueco Mundo, the few remaining Vasto Lorde class Hollows had all been transformed by Aizen into the first four Espada.
The Espada ranked below them were all Adjuchas class Hollows, while the Ninth Espada, Aaroniero Arruruerie, was only a modified Gillian class Hollow.
With the capture of the eight Visoreds, the battlefield had completely collapsed.
"Move!"
Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin, the two former Shinigami captains, immediately fled back to Soul Society.
This time, they were determined to find a way to summon those bastards from the Zero Division.
Otherwise, the Three Realms would truly be doomed.
Kisuke Urahara was the former captain of the Twelfth Division and had once served as head of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute.
His predecessor in that position was Kirio Hikifune, who had later joined the Zero Division.
Urahara had once exchanged technical knowledge with Hikifune.
More than a hundred years ago, Kirio Hikifune created the technology of modifying souls and placing them into bodies, earning her a place in the Zero Division.
Kisuke Urahara had only served as captain of the Twelfth Division for a few decades before he was dragged into a terrible disaster.
Around one hundred and ten years ago, Aizen used the Hogyoku to Hollowfy captains and vice captains like Shinji Hirako. As a result, eight Shinigami captains and vice captains were treated as Hollows and sentenced to execution by Central 46.
Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin, two captain class figures, rescued those Hollowfied captains and vice captains, then defected to the human world as well.
Aizen's actions successfully forced away six captains, three vice captains, and one vice commander of the Kidō Corps.
The Gotei 13 had been completely reshuffled.
Aizen also successfully rose from vice captain to captain of the Fifth Division, while Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen were promoted to captain positions as well.
Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin were both special.
One was the former captain of the Twelfth Division and had a connection to Kirio Hikifune of the Zero Division.
The other was the twenty second head of the Shihōin family, one of the Four Great Noble Clans, as well as the former captain of the Second Division.
Even though the two of them had defected, they still knew Soul Society inside and out.
Their status was unique. At this critical moment, with the Three Realms on the verge of destruction, they chose to return to Soul Society and seek reinforcements.
But the moment they returned to Seireitei, they froze.
Despair rose in their hearts.
Their pupils trembled as they saw Shinigami corpses scattered across the ground.
Could the Lord of Hueco Mundo have sent other subordinates to attack Seireitei?
"Run... It's the Quincy... The Quincy from a thousand years ago..."
An old Shinigami coughed up blood foam. After forcing out those words, he died completely, his spirit particles dispersing back into Soul Society.
"Quincy?"
Kisuke Urahara was deeply shaken.
How could the Lord of Hueco Mundo and the Quincy be working together?
"Could the Quincy have taken advantage of Seireitei's weakened defenses and launched a surprise raid?"
Yoruichi Shihōin spoke with a grim expression, then immediately rushed toward the Shihōin estate in panic.
Had her clan been slaughtered too?
Kisuke Urahara was also shaken.
Too much had happened over the past two days. It was as if the entire world had erupted into chaos at once, with every hidden force suddenly jumping into the open.
Everything had far exceeded his predictions.
He looked toward the Soul King Palace.
The Quincy's target was the Soul King.
Would the entire Zero Division finally move now?
Urahara did not rush toward the Soul King Palace. Instead, he chased after Yoruichi Shihōin.
For now, they could only wait for the powerful members of the Zero Division to eliminate the Quincy, then use that chance to surround and attack the Lord of Hueco Mundo.
After all, when the Quincy invaded Seireitei a thousand years ago, Captain Commander Yamamoto had suppressed them alone.
With the even more powerful Zero Division guarding the palace, these Quincy should not be able to cause too much trouble.
Even so, Soul Society had suffered a devastating blow. No one knew how many years it would take to recover.
In this upheaval that swept across the Three Realms, far too many Shinigami had died.
Urahara and Yoruichi had originally returned to request reinforcements, only to find that their own stronghold had been raided by the Quincy.
Misfortune truly never came alone.
Meanwhile, in the present world.
The eight Visoreds who had fallen into Brook's hands stared at the Lord of Hueco Mundo in terror.
This man was even more terrifying than Captain Commander Yamamoto.
His spiritual pressure alone made them tremble.
"Are any of you interested in working for me?"
Brook chuckled and asked casually.
He knew very well that several of the Visoreds held deep resentment toward Soul Society.
If not for Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin guiding and restraining them, these hot tempered people would have charged into Soul Society to fight the Shinigami long ago.
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"I'm willing! I'm fucking willing to join you! Just don't kill me!"
The short-tempered blonde girl with pigtails, Hiyori Sarugaki, shouted first.
If she had not followed the rest of the Visoreds to help the Shinigami, she would never have bothered saving those bastards in the first place.
And after watching Shunsui Kyōraku get "eaten" by Brook, Hiyori had no desire to become his next meal.
"I don't want to die either!"
The little girl dressed like a tokusatsu hero, Mashiro Kuna, cried out as tears welled in her eyes. Even with that innocent, cute face, fear had already taken over.
"Sigh. If none of you want to die, then I don't want to die either."
Shinji Hirako, with his short blond hair, spoke in a helpless tone.
He had always believed Kisuke Urahara's words. He had believed that one day, Seireitei would give them justice.
But more than a hundred years had passed.
They were still wanted by Soul Society like rats in the shadows, with no hope in sight.
"Then let everyone choose for themselves. Those who want to live, surrender. Those who want to die for Soul Society, we won't stop them."
Lisa Yadōmaru, dressed in a sailor uniform with her hair in braids, spoke with a hint of ruthlessness.
Now that life and death were on the line, even a century of comradeship forged through blood and escape meant nothing.
Everyone had their own path.
If someone wanted to live, no one had the right to crush them with morality.
The four men fell silent.
The hot-blooded and straightforward Kensei Muguruma.
The calm and steady Hachigen Ushōda.
The easygoing Love Aikawa.
And the music-loving Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi.
In truth, they still clung to some hope of returning to Soul Society.
After all, three of them had once been proud Shinigami captains.
But Hollowfication was a capital crime in Seireitei.
Their choices were simple.
Either ask the Lord of Hueco Mundo to take back their Hollow powers and turn them into pure Shinigami again, which was impossible.
Or wait for the old fogies in Central 46 to abandon their hypocritical prejudice, which was even more impossible.
Unless they slaughtered every old man in Central 46.
For more than a hundred years, they had survived by holding onto a thin thread of hope.
Now, before death itself, should they keep their pride and die, or join Hueco Mundo and drag out a life?
"Time's up. Make your choice."
Brook gave them one minute.
Inside him, his devouring power had already begun to surge.
To the current Brook, these captain-level powers were nothing more than small fry. They held little attraction for him.
Aizen and Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni alone were monsters capable of defeating all the captains of the Gotei 13. Their combined strength far surpassed these captains.
Even so, Brook believed in not wasting anything.
Those who refused to submit would die and become his energy.
Drop by drop, his power would eventually evolve again.
And even if it could not advance his own evolution, it could still be used to modify his subordinates.
In the end, all eight Visoreds joined Brook's side.
Like the sinners of Hell, they were all branded with the Five Gods Slave Mark, cutting off any possibility of betrayal.
When the Shinigami captains saw the eight Visoreds join Hueco Mundo, panic finally spread through their ranks.
"Retreat!"
At Sixth Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki's command, their escape began once again.
"Tōsen Kaname, whatever Aizen promised you, I can give you as well. Ichimaru Gin, don't you want to return what Matsumoto Rangiku lost?"
As the Shinigami captains fled toward the Senkaimon, Brook suddenly smiled and spoke.
Those words made two captains stop in their tracks.
Gin Ichimaru hesitated.
Kaname Tōsen, however, only thought for a moment before decisively betraying Soul Society.
His enemy was Tsunayashiro Tokinada, one of the Four Great Noble Clans of Soul Society.
Without overwhelming power, even after becoming a Shinigami captain, he still had no chance of taking revenge.
"A good choice. I will grant you the power to transcend the boundary between Shinigami and Hollow."
Brook casually Hollowfied Tōsen Kaname, turning him into a powerful Visored Shinigami.
"Thank you, my lord!"
Feeling the immense power inside him, the Ninth Division Captain immediately bowed and submitted to Brook.
He did not care about the Five Gods Slave Mark on his body.
The only thing in his mind was revenge against the nobleman Tsunayashiro Tokinada, revenge for the woman he loved.
"Tōsen Kaname! You..."
The remaining Shinigami captains stared in disbelief at Tōsen's betrayal.
Now, the Gotei 13 had truly lost nearly half of its strength.
Gin Ichimaru glanced at Rangiku Matsumoto, then gritted his teeth and flew toward Brook.
For Rangiku, he was willing to pay any price.
Brook casually Hollowfied Gin as well and branded him with the Five Gods Slave Mark.
"My lord, please return that thing to her."
A bone mask appeared across Gin Ichimaru's face. He had become a Hollowfied Shinigami, but he still had not forgotten the missing soul and memories stolen from Matsumoto Rangiku.
"Why not bring her with you too? Wouldn't it be better for the two of you to live happily ever after?"
Brook chuckled, then tossed a fragment of memory to Gin Ichimaru, warning him not to even think about taking the power contained in the Soul King's fingertip.
"Thank you, my lord!"
The Hollowfied Gin Ichimaru flew swiftly toward Rangiku, threw that small portion of her lost soul and memories into her body, then immediately returned to Brook's side.
He completely ignored Matsumoto Rangiku's furious and confused expression.
He had achieved his goal.
He had no regrets.
"Lord Brook, are we really letting them leave just like that?"
Shuren, the sinner from Hell, asked in disbelief.
He could not believe this god would allow so much high-quality power to escape without devouring it.
"Let them leave? What makes you think that?"
Brook grinned.
"I just don't want to fight in the human world. I happen to want to enter Soul Society anyway."
After he devoured the Soul King, the Zero Division, and Yhwach, the Three Realms would all become his territory.
Why would he destroy his own future domain?
"Your wisdom is boundless, my lord!"
Shuren immediately began flattering him.
As expected, Brook was still that terrifying Devouring God. He merely looked down on the weak souls of the human world and intended to devour the Shinigami of Soul Society instead.
"Invade Soul Society!"
The Espada and the Six Deadly Sins shouted excitedly.
The eight Visoreds, the two Hollowfied Shinigami, the two Hollowfied Fullbringers from Xcution, and a great swarm of Hollows all poured into Soul Society.
Brook stepped into Soul Society with Nelliel, who had returned to her little girl form, walking beside him.
But the moment he arrived, it was not only the Shinigami captains who cried out in despair.
Even Brook frowned.
Someone was trying to steal his thunder.
"Is it Yhwach?"
Brook narrowed his eyes and looked toward the Soul King Palace.
Powerful spiritual fluctuations were indeed erupting there.
A terrifying battle was already underway.
.....
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