"Disappointed?"
Mayuri Kurotsuchi chuckled sinisterly, slowly stepping out of the darkness.
He was dressed in a prisoner's uniform, his face devoid of the strange makeup, but his usual playful expression remained unchanged.
He stared at Kenpachi Azashiro, who was bound to the restraint chair, a malicious curve on his lips as he teased, "Are you referring to my cooperation with the Quincy as disappointment?"
"Oh, dear, it seems the former Eighth Kenpachi is also a stubborn Shinigami."
He spread his hands, shaking his head lightly, his tone full of mockery, "The 1st Division being attacked is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
"I merely want to get out; I don't have such grand ambitions as you, Eighth Kenpachi."
"These Quincy are willing to help me, so naturally, I won't refuse them. And, it's not just me…"
As Mayuri Kurotsuchi spoke, the smile on his face gradually faded.
He slowly turned, his gaze directed into the depths of the darkness.
Before long, a faint sound of footsteps approached.
Dozens of Shinigami, also dressed in prisoner uniforms, emerged from the darkness and came before Kenpachi Azashiro.
Kenpachi Azashiro recognized them at a glance, and even though he was mentally prepared, his eyelids still twitched involuntarily.
The Third Kenpachi, the Fifth Kenpachi, the former former Seventh Division Captain, the former former ninth division captain…
All in all, there were at least eight Captain-level experts.
Given the current situation in Seireitei, this force was equivalent to more than half of Seireitei's combat power!
Mayuri Kurotsuchi, however, looked completely as if he was enjoying a show.
He stood to the side, his eyebrows slightly raised, a faint smile on his face as he slowly said, "These people, like me, were imprisoned under some trumped-up charges."
"They are merely a few commoners, a few Shinigami, that's all."
"It is their honor to sacrifice themselves for their superiors, however…"
Mayuri Kurotsuchi shook his head, not continuing to speak.
He turned his gaze to Kenpachi Azashiro again, with a hint of temptation in his eyes: "How about it, Eighth Kenpachi, will you join us?"
"I heard you were also imprisoned because of some experiments. It seems we should have a lot in common."
Kenpachi Azashiro remained silent, not answering Mayuri Kurotsuchi's question.
His gaze was fixed on the Quincy who had remained hidden in the darkness beside Mayuri Kurotsuchi, never showing himself, and he said coldly, "How impressive. To be able to bypass the alert system within Muken and release so many Captains in such a short time."
"I presume you must be the Dreamer, Gremmy."
"To even know how to utilize the appearance of a Shinigami… It seems you are not as foolish as I imagined."
As soon as these words were spoken, Gremmy, disguised as Abarai Renji, slowly emerged from the darkness, his eyes lowered.
He squinted slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
Kenpachi Azashiro, who had never left Muken, actually knew his name and title?
One should know that when he had just rescued Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Mayuri Kurotsuchi hadn't been able to see through his identity immediately.
Indeed… Muken truly had hidden talents.
This person seemed much more formidable than these Captains.
Gremmy lowered his gaze and whispered, "Thank you for the compliment. So, Kenpachi Azashiro, will you join us?"
"Don't worry about Yamamoto Genryusai and Yoriichi Tsugikuni."
"Even if they arrive, I am confident I can teleport you all to the Wandenreich in an instant."
"Having been imprisoned by the Shinigami for so many years, your heart must be filled with hatred, I presume."
Evidently, Gremmy hadn't done much research before coming, or perhaps he didn't know much about the former Shinigami.
He only knew their names but was ignorant of their deeds and potential personalities.
Kenpachi Azashiro let out a cold laugh, intending to retort.
But the next second, he heard Amau Zakuro's suggestion and abruptly stopped speaking.
This action, in Gremmy's eyes, became a sign of hesitation and wavering.
Gremmy's lips curved slightly, revealing a satisfied smile.
Immediately after, he stepped forward, preparing to use his imagination to unbind Kenpachi Azashiro, to show his sincerity.
He imagined the restraint chair as cookies and the reishi restraint ropes as gummy candies.
How could cookies and gummy candies trigger an alarm?
Watching Gremmy's actions, Kenpachi Azashiro finally understood why no one had discovered the anomaly here until now.
Click.
With a soft sound, all the restraints binding him collapsed into a pile of parts on the ground.
Kenpachi Azashiro moved his limbs, raised his eyes, a hint of indifference in his gaze, his tone still cold: "Even if you help me break free, I never said I would definitely join you."
"I have my own things to do. Let's part ways."
Gremmy didn't mind the willfulness in these words, because in his eyes, Kenpachi Azashiro couldn't possibly have good feelings towards the Shinigami.
He said with a smile:
"As long as you, Kenpachi Azashiro, don't take a hostile stance against us Quincy, that's fine."
"With you added, all the living prisoners in the entire Muken have now been released."
"Leave now, go retrieve your Zanpakuto, and by the way…"
Gremmy turned his body, looking at the Captains, "I need you to kill all the Shinigami guarding outside."
"You don't want to be forced into a corner by the Captain-Commander as soon as you show up, do you?"
Some Shinigami, due to their short temper, were about to refute Gremmy's words.
Because they wanted to act freely.
But then they remembered Yamamoto Genryusai's terrifying power and instinctively closed their mouths.
Seeing this, Gremmy's eyes curved into a smile, his hands in his pockets, and he continued to laugh, "Listen to my voice, and forget that I am the Dreamer, Gremmy."
"From now on, remember that it is the current Captain-Commander Yoriichi Tsugikuni's beloved disciple, Abarai Renji, who released you."
"Your mission is to create chaos. Only by killing an expert above the Vice-Captain level will you be qualified to enter the Wandenreich…"
Gremmy hypnotized everyone. Even the irritable Third Kenpachi and Fifth Kenpachi vaguely agreed to his words.
Kenpachi Azashiro was also slightly affected.
His eyes were a little unfocused, but the next second, he was awakened by Amau Zakuro's sharp voice.
He squinted, his expression normal, secretly manipulating some reishi to create a phantom of himself outside, quickly going to inform Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi pretended to be affected.
But in reality, his brain was rapidly working, contemplating how to trick these Quincy, both to extricate himself and to atone for his past actions.
Pledging allegiance to the Quincy? What a joke.
It was merely a one-sided utilization.
His greatest creation was still in Seireitei; it was his life's work, and he couldn't easily leave it.
What if Nemu Kurotsuchi was killed by those Quincy if he left?
Considering that his relationship with Nemu Kurotsuchi might already be known to those Quincy, his task might very well be to kill Nemu Kurotsuchi as a token of allegiance…
How to maintain his innocence after escaping was the top priority of this operation.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi's mind raced, various plans flashing through his head.
After Gremmy's hypnosis ended, he left Muken with the others.
The other prisons, guided by Gremmy's clones, also gradually rioted and gathered… advancing towards the First Level.
...
The First Level, which is outside the gate of the Underground Great Prison.
Abarai Renji, who was responsible for guarding the prison during wartime, felt a little uneasy at this moment.
He looked at Hinamori Momo, who had been dispatched from a distance after the Menos Grande attack ended.
He wanted to go forward and talk, to ease the somewhat tense atmosphere.
The next second, a noisy commotion came from underground.
Before he could react, with a bang.
The gate leading to the First Level underground was violently kicked open.
A large number of prisoners poured out all at once.
On the gate, the alarm had just sounded, flashed once, and then inexplicably went out.
Abarai Renji's eyes widened suddenly as he saw so many prisoners escaping.
—What's going on?
Though he didn't know the reason for the prisoners' assembly, he decisively drew his Zanpakuto.
Immediately after, he rushed forward with the crowd.
Outside the prison, chaos erupted instantly.
Gremmy didn't even look at them. He erased his own presence and walked directly to the room where the Zanpakuto were kept.
When he returned, he saw a floor covered in "corpses."
"Not bad."
He was very satisfied with the efficiency of the prisoners. He threw the swords to them and then let them act freely.
...
At the same time, outside the Noble District.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni had just arrived when he suddenly saw Kenpachi Azashiro.
His steps paused slightly. He observed carefully and found that Kenpachi Azashiro was in an ethereal reishi state.
It was similar to being embedded in a wall, only visible from certain angles.
"Why are you here?" Yoriichi asked, frowning.
Kenpachi Azashiro replied concisely: "A riot has occurred in the Underground Great Prison. At least eight Captains have escaped."
"The Shinigami responsible for guarding were massacred, including your disciple."
"However, I have already used my ability to replace their existence in advance."
"Therefore, you don't need to rush back. Regarding this matter, I have also informed Yamamoto Genryusai."
After Kenpachi Azashiro finished speaking, before Yoriichi Tsugikuni could react, he directly transformed into reishi and disappeared.
The entire process took no more than three seconds, like a simple NPC stating facts.
When Yoriichi heard the first sentence, he instinctively wanted to turn back.
However, when the latter sentence entered his ears, he immediately stopped that thought.
Hesitating for half a second, Yoriichi took a deep breath and advanced into the Noble District.
The prison being attacked was something he had anticipated, but the situation being so severe was a first.
He would go back and check after settling Uta in a safe place.
Seireitei was only so big; even if those prisoners could run, they couldn't get far.
Yamamoto Genryusai would let them know that only Muken was the safest place.
...
Tsugikuni Clan.
Ichimaru Gin looked into the distance, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily curved upward the moment he saw Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
He put away Shinsō, jumped down from a high place, and said to Rangiku:
"Captain-Commander has arrived, Rangiku. Later, you should leave with Uta."
"I need to stay here. There's something I haven't told you."
"A few days ago, I already advanced to Third-Class Spiritual Power and mastered Bankai."
"And after this war, Captains will inevitably be severely injured, fall, or retire…"
"This is our chance. I don't want to miss it."
Rangiku was slightly stunned. She truly hadn't expected Ichimaru Gin to say such words at this moment.
But upon further thought, it seemed reasonable.
He himself was one thing; his status and position fluctuated, entirely dependent on Yoriichi Tsugikuni's care to barely compare to a noble.
But Ichimaru Gin was different; he yearned to earn respect and status through his own strength.
Therefore, for him, to elevate his status so that he could retire peacefully with him in the future and live a quiet life, becoming a Captain seemed to be the only viable and respectable path.
After a few seconds of thought, Rangiku hesitated, then nodded, choosing to support Ichimaru Gin in doing what he wanted to do.
If she didn't even support her own man, then who could she support?
Let's just consider it for the sake of enjoying their later years and spending the rest of their lives together.
...
Time slowly passed. By the time Yamamoto Genryusai had recovered some of his strength and arrived at the 1st Division, all he saw was a scene of wreckage and ruins.
Kenpachi Azashiro's words echoed in his mind.
The air expelled from his nostrils seemed to incinerate the plants beside him.
"A bunch of ignorant brats!"
Yamamoto Genryusai had never been so enraged.
He knew in his heart that none of this was Yoriichi Tsugikuni's fault.
After all, if he were in his position, he might not have done any better.
The current casualty count was already the theoretically ideal number achievable in such a desperate situation.
Yamamoto Genryusai took a deep breath, suppressing his fury to avoid causing secondary damage to the buildings.
Then, he appeared in a flash near the prison.
Immediately after, he saw one of Kenpachi Azashiro's clones waiting there for a long time.
Kenpachi Azashiro informed Yamamoto Genryusai of the directions in which some criminals had escaped.
Yamamoto Genryusai narrowed his eyes and snorted coldly:
"Azashiro, don't tell this old man that you were also one of those escapees."
"I was." Kenpachi Azashiro admitted the fact frankly.
He was not good at lying, or rather, there was no need to lie in this situation.
Facing Yamamoto Genryusai's rage-filled face, he nodded and slowly said:
"Don't worry, Mr. Genryusai, I escaped to gain the trust of those Quincy. Only then can I better protect the Seireitei."
"For this, I specifically chose a place where the Quincy cannot monitor."
Yamamoto Genryusai was about to say something more, but Kenpachi Azashiro, considering the urgency of time, raised a hand to stop him:
"Please don't interrupt me. The situation is urgent, and I have two important pieces of news."
"Mayuri Kurotsuchi is not fully committed to the Quincy. When I was making dummies, I detected a certain toxin in the bodies of some people."
"This toxin can cause a person to feign death, which indicates that his escape might have the same purpose as mine."
"I hope you do not directly apprehend him when you find him."
"Another piece of news is that my Zanpakuto found a special device on PePe."
"This device poses a great threat to Zanpakuto. After Amau Zakuro's detection and analysis, it is highly likely that it was developed specifically for Shinigami's Bankai."
"Therefore, I hope you do not use Bankai casually."
"I have already sent it to the Twelfth Division for Kisuke Urahara to research."
"If there is any news, he will notify you immediately."
"That's all. I wish you good luck."
Kenpachi Azashiro bowed slightly, then vanished like smoke into the air, leaving Yamamoto Genryusai standing alone.
Yamamoto Genryusai said nothing, but his heart grew heavier.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi?
That crazy kid actually had the Seireitei in his heart? Truly, one cannot judge a book by its cover.
Never mind. Regardless of what he's thinking, he still needs to be caught.
The immediate priority is to first apprehend those Captains and restore order to the Seireitei.
As the thought crossed his mind,
Yamamoto Genryusai instantly vanished, then appeared before someone according to the location given by Kenpachi Azashiro.
He knocked him out in just a few moves.
Then, he quickly rushed towards the next target.
The second, the third…
...
Inside the Wandenreich monitoring room.
Haschwalth watched Yamamoto Genryusai defeat an opponent with a single punch, his stern face remaining unruffled.
These scenes were all within his expectations; he never anticipated that those Menos Grande could hold back Yamamoto Genryusai for long.
Therefore, he didn't expect all prisoners to escape Yamamoto Genryusai's capture.
If even one-tenth escaped, it would be a huge gain.
After all, the Shinigami side suffered heavy losses.
"It's enough. After all, this is a blitzkrieg; we can't expect them to do much."
"And those prisoners, having been imprisoned for so many years, can hold back Yamamoto Genryusai for even a moment, that's enough…"
Haschwalth's eyes flickered slightly.
His gaze swept over the few poisoned Captains and students on the ground of the Spiritual Arts Academy, and he said to Gremmy:
"Initiate Plan C. Capture those Fullbringer from the Human World and transform them into Quincy."
"These individuals are indispensable cornerstones on the path to peace."
"Don't spare some of the Quincy either; they should also return to His Majesty's embrace."
Gremmy: "…"
Another Plan C? Not only did the Shinigami not expect it, but he didn't either. Just how many plans were there?
From the start of the battle until now, it had only been a mere ten minutes at most…
Within ten minutes, the Spiritual Arts Academy fell, the 1st Division fell, Hueco Mundo fell, and the prison also fell…
No wonder Haschwalth could become the commander.
Such tactics were truly beyond his reach.
Gremmy stopped speaking, knowing that more words were useless at this moment, and quickly dispatched clones to execute the mission again.
Capturing Fullbringer was not difficult; several had already been captured and were being held, but these were clearly not enough.
According to Haschwalth, the more, the better, so anyone with a bit of combat power could not be spared.
However, considering that the Shinigami side had not completely lost their combat power, and Fullbringer were scattered across the world, they could not be captured all at once in a short time.
Therefore, for the overall combat power of the Wandenreich, they could only proceed slowly.
To avoid an all-out war that would affect His Majesty's absorption of power.
...
Forest of Menos.
Giselle sat idly on a large rock.
He watched batch after batch of Menos Grande being sent away, feeling a bit bored.
He had originally been full of anticipation to witness the dolls infecting Shinigami with his own eyes.
However, now, he could only passively carry out production work here…
He took back what he said before; this place was truly boring beyond belief.
He should have lured that Menos Grande over at all costs just now.
Perhaps he would have already succeeded by now.
Just as he was pondering when he could leave this godforsaken place, another batch of Menos Grande in front of him disappeared.
During the wait, Tokito Iwákatsu arrived, tracking along with three female Quincy.
Three minutes later, Gigi, irritably kicking at a stone, suddenly sensed Bambietta's reiatsu.
His eyes immediately lit up.
Kiruge naturally noticed it too. He frowned, pushed up his glasses, and was full of doubts as to why Bambietta would appear here.
She wasn't in the mission; could it be that Haschwalth sent her again?
Just as he was about to ask Haschwalth,
Gigi jumped off the stone and left directly.
"You…"
Kiruge instinctively spoke, but Gigi waved his hand to interrupt him,
"Oh, it's fine. Haschwalth must have sent her to assist us."
Haschwalth was only concerned with arranging the layout within the Seireitei and didn't pay attention to the three girls, so he didn't inform them.
Thus, Kiruge, completely unaware, could only watch Gigi gradually walk away.
Just at this moment, Tokito Iwákatsu successfully met up with Yoriichi Tsugikuni in the Forest of Menos.
Gigi hadn't gone far when he heard familiar voices and sensed familiar reiatsu again.
The excitement on his face could no longer be suppressed.
His luck was simply too good.
He had originally planned to defeat them one by one, but now it seemed there was hope for a double blessing.
Could Bangbi defeat a Vasto Lorde?
He couldn't care less about that.
He'd try first.
As long as a fight broke out, Leah would have a reason to leave the camp.
...
At the same time.
Seireitei.
Upon learning that Nemu Kurotsuchi was currently helping out at the Fourth Division, Mayuri Kurotsuchi immediately rushed there.
He stripped a Shinigami of his Shinigami robes to disguise his identity.
Without the face paint, besides a few Captains, no one would recognize him as Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
As soon as he got close, he twitched his nose and smelled an extremely foul odor.
Is it… bacteria?
Quite interesting.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi's lips curved slightly upward, and he walked to the source of the smell.
— The previous modifications to his body made him immune to most viruses in the world, including bacteria.
What met his eyes was a man covered in red fur, his golden hair particularly striking against the red fur.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi vaguely remembered that he was a Shinigami from the Fourth Division, Kira Iziru.
"Ugh…" Kira Iziru let out painful, hoarse moans, his fingers twisting and twitching.
According to Mayuri Kurotsuchi's observation, if nothing unexpected happened, he had at most about ten minutes left to live.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi suddenly recalled the zombie Menos Grande that the Shinigami on the way had mentioned…
He rubbed his chin, chuckling softly as he said:
"Interesting, truly interesting. I remember you had quite a close relationship with that detestable Yoriichi Tsugikuni."
"Although I really don't want to save you, repaying evil with good deeds should increase my favorability in his eyes, right?"
"Kid, you're lucky."
"To receive personal treatment from me, Lord Mayuri Kurotsuchi."
"Don't worry, you won't die, at least not by my hand."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he didn't care if Kira Iziru heard him or not.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi immediately vanished from the spot with Kira Iziru.
Not long after, they arrived at a place that looked like an ordinary mansion but was actually a laboratory.
He could go to Nemu Kurotsuchi's side anytime.
The immediate priority was to shed his identity as a criminal.
To atone for his sins through meritorious service was also fine.
He knew in his heart that he couldn't escape capture by Yamamoto Genryusai or Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
So, there were some things he had to do, even if he didn't want to.
Life was truly difficult.
He should have been more wary of Kisuke Urahara back then.
Fortunately, it wasn't too late to make amends now.