Note: The story now returns to the present timeline, 20 years after the main time skip. The events of Chapter 320 were a flashback leading up to this point.
Twenty years later, Katori Sora came to the Naruki region again.
"Damn Quincy, all the Shinigami stationed at this base have been killed by them!"
Akon frowned.
From the residual spiritual pressure here, he could imagine the terrible massacre that had taken place.
"War is cruel... to the loser go the spoils," Kisuke Urahara sighed softly.
"The Quincy's power annihilates the souls of Hollows, while the Shinigami must maintain the balance of souls in the three realms. The two are naturally opposed..." Mayuri grinned. "Do you think... this is a coincidence... or a careful design?"
Mayuri now had three main research topics: Quincy, Bounts, and the "Nemuri Project" to create new souls from scratch.
His years of research had made him wonder—
The birth of the Bounts was related to the Shinigami.
So how did the Shinigami and Quincy come to be? Were they the design of an even greater existence?
"A novel idea. Perhaps that is the truth."
Urahara stroked his chin, recalling some of the intelligence he had read about the Soul King.
"This shrine has been abandoned."
Urahara glanced at the deserted shrine in the mountains.
The last time he came, the shrine's maiden had helped them lure out the Bounts.
The shrine was still in the same place, and the conflict between the Shinigami and the Quincy had not affected it.
But there were no longer any signs of human activity inside. It looked like it had been abandoned for a long time.
"Miss Yakumo has become a Shinigami, so of course there's no one to take care of this place."
Sora glanced at a Shinigami girl in the ranks of the squad members behind him.
The shrine maiden they knew, Yakumo, had become Shinigami Yakumo and was now a member of the 12th Division.
Not long after they had left the Naruki region, she had died of illness.
The medical standards of this era were low; a simple flu could be fatal.
However, she had known many Shinigami when she was human and had spiritual potential herself. After coming to the Soul Society, a familiar Shinigami had taken her to the academy to study.
"No one is taking care of the shrine anymore!" Shinigami Yakumo felt a sense of nostalgia and was also somewhat glad she had died early. "If I had stayed here, I might have been shot and killed by a Quincy. If a Quincy kills you, your soul dissipates directly, and you don't even get the chance to become a Shinigami!"
The group soon arrived at the base on the mountaintop. It had been attacked by the Quincy not long ago, and there were no survivors.
"We'll first collect the residual spiritual particles to locate the target's position," Sora gave the order.
"Yes, sir!"
The researchers from the Technology Development Bureau, dressed in white lab coats, took out their instruments and began to collect the residual reishi.
This was the bureau's latest technology, which could locate the owner of the reishi through the information collected from the scene.
The more recent the event, the more accurate the location.
There was a reason Sora had chosen to lead the team to the Naruki region himself.
According to the Onmitsukidō's investigation, in the regions where Shinigami stations had been attacked by Quincy, there were usually Quincy settlements nearby.
But the location of the Quincy settlement in the Naruki region was the only one that had not yet been confirmed.
Therefore, the bureau needed to use the residual reishi information to pinpoint the target's location.
"Fortunately, it hasn't rained these past few days. The rain in a high-reishi area also contains a high concentration of spiritual particles, which would greatly affect the residual reishi in the environment."
Akon operated the instrument, collecting the residual reishi from a deep pit.
"What a waste of time. I still have a lot of work to do. I can't be held up here," Mayuri took out a glass jar from his sleeve. "Good thing I came prepared. Let's find them quickly, finish this, and go back early."
Mayuri unscrewed the lid of the jar, and a swarm of glowing insects, like fireflies, floated out.
"These are Spirit-Capturing Insects. They are more sensitive than the reishi instrument you made. With just a little bit of reishi, they can find a target within a range of tens of thousands of square meters," Mayuri made a small gesture with his two fingers.
"As expected of Third Seat Mayuri. My reishi instrument needs to collect a relatively large amount of reishi to locate a target."
Akon said with admiration.
After lingering in the ruined Shinigami station for a while, the Spirit-Capturing Insects all flew off in the same direction.
Mayuri's insects saved everyone a lot of time and quickly found the location of the Quincy who had attacked the station.
"Target found."
"Good work. Let's follow them. Akon, you take two teams and stay here to repair the reishi shield and rebuild the station."
"Yes, sir!"
Sora had a portion of his people stay behind to repair the shield.
A moment later, the group followed the insects to a riverside.
"This doesn't look like a place where a large number of Quincy would live..."
Urahara looked around but found no trace of any large spiritual pressure fluctuations.
"Heh, my Spirit-Capturing Insects don't make mistakes. Even a reishi shield that can block spiritual pressure can't fool their senses!"
Mayuri said with certainty, full of confidence in his technology.
"They can't be fooled even with spiritual pressure shielding?"
Urahara became interested. A line of blue reishi shot out from his hand, wrapped around one of the insects, and pulled it over.
"You rude fellow!" Mayuri looked at Urahara angrily. "Don't you know it's very impolite to touch someone else's things without permission?"
"Huh?" Urahara scratched his face. "Then who was it that came into my lab the other day and tampered with my security system?"
"Heh..." Mayuri pouted and said no more.
He had wanted to discuss the Bount research with Urahara but couldn't bring himself to ask.
So, he had gone to Urahara's lab on his own to check on his research progress.
Urahara played with the insect in his hand for a while, a thoughtful look on his face.
"I see... it can even sense the minute reishi traces left behind during movement. Those Quincy didn't just appear out of thin air. Even if there's a reishi shield here, the insects can still find the traces they left along the way."
Urahara quickly figured out the secret of the Spirit-Capturing Insects.
"How infuriating..."
Mayuri's breathing became heavy. His insects had been made with anti-cracking measures, yet Urahara had cracked them in an instant.
There was a small forest by the river, but there were no signs of a large number of Quincy having been active there either.
But Mayuri's insects kept flying around in this area, indicating that the target was here.
Just as Sora was about to use his control over the nearby shadows to confirm if this was the Quincy's hiding place,
laughter came from not far away.
"Hehe... to be able to find this place, the Shinigami do have some skill..."
The group looked in the direction of the voice. Several Quincy in white robes were standing on the branches of the trees.
"The Spirit-Capturing Insects were right after all. There are Quincy here," Mayuri stared at the cloaks on the Quincy and grinned. "Wearing cloaks that block spiritual pressure, hiding and skulking around. No wonder we couldn't find you."
In the center of the group was a blond boy with a hood and a man with gold-rimmed glasses.
"Our mission is now complete, right, Instructor Quilge?"
The blond boy turned to look at the man with glasses beside him.
He had his hands in his pockets and looked quite relaxed, seemingly unconcerned about the surrounding Shinigami.
"It is confirmed that the Shinigami have initiated war. The mission is complete. However, a small accident has occurred. We have been discovered by the Shinigami," Instructor Quilge pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and observed Katori Sora, who was wearing a captain's haori. "Then we'll just have to do a little more work."
This group of Quincy was the same group of Quilge and Gremmy who had been destroying Shinigami stations everywhere.
The station in the Naruki region had been destroyed by them.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Instructor. I'm heading back."
Gremmy didn't want to stay in this deserted place any longer and had no interest in slaughtering Shinigami.
He reached out and tore open the space.
The next moment, the black rift closed on its own.
"Oh?"
Gremmy turned his head and stared at the Shinigami in the captain's haori.
"That's a shadow ability, right?"
A hint of interest appeared on Gremmy's face.
The Wandenreich was located in the depths of the Soul Society's shadow space. An ability that could stop him from opening a passage to it was most likely related to shadows or space.
From what had just happened, he was more inclined to believe it was a shadow ability.
"The Sternritter..."
Sora thought to himself.
This war seemed to have another hidden story.
It was rare to see members of the Wandenreich, and he didn't want to let them go back just like that.
The combination of Gremmy and Quilge was indeed powerful, but his own lineup was not weak either.
"Lieutenant Urahara, Third Seat Mayuri, don't hold back! This is a strong enemy. Akon, take the others and retreat first," Sora waved his hand, signaling Akon to take his people and disperse to avoid unnecessary casualties.
Sora had the Surveillance Bacteria and already knew that Urahara and Mayuri had also recently mastered Bankai.
Otherwise, even he would not have the confidence to take on two of them at once.
...
Soul Society.
Retsu Unohana and Kana Azashiro received medical support requests from the 2nd and 7th Divisions.
The 2nd and 7th Divisions had already engaged the Quincy in battle and were beginning to suffer casualties. Both sides needed medical support.
Unohana was in charge of logistics for this campaign.
"Isane, you and Kana take a team to support the 2nd Division. I will take a team to support the 7th Division,"
Unohana arranged.
"Yes, ma'am!"
Isane Kotetsu stood next to Kana Azashiro, taller by almost two heads.
"This is your first time participating in a war as a medical team member. If you run into any problems, don't panic. If you can't solve it, contact me. Remember, you are the lieutenant of the medical team. Do not act alone. The safety of the medical team is also very important!"
Unohana was a little worried about Isane leading a team alone. "Kana, you have more experience with missions. If Isane does anything wrong, you must point it out in time."
"Understood!" Kana nodded with energy. "Don't worry, Captain Unohana. Isane and I are the best partners!"
After the two teams entered the Senkaimon, they split up in the Dangai and headed to different regions.
"We have to move at full speed. Hurry up and help senior sister Yoruichi reduce casualties."
Kana Azashiro took the lead, rushing at the front of the team.
"Yes, we need to hurry. The other areas will probably need medical support soon too."
Isane Kotetsu nodded.
"Full speed ahead!"
Kana raised her hand, giving the command to the Shinigami behind her.
Just then, the Dangai passage in front of them suddenly twisted.
A roar suddenly came from within the passage.
"Aaargh—!"
"I will tear you to pieces!!!"
Kana and Isane couldn't help but look at each other.
"Stop!"
Kana raised her hand, signaling everyone to halt.
She felt that the voice was somewhat familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere before.
The space of the Dangai twisted, and then a pink-haired humanoid creature appeared.
"A Menos?"
Isane became nervous. She sensed the terrifying spiritual pressure within the Menos.
Its spiritual pressure surpassed both hers and Kana's!
"Szayelaporro..."
Kana's face tightened. She recognized the identity of this pink-haired Menos.
It was Szayelaporro Granz, who had been swept into the time turbulence!
She hadn't expected him to appear at this time!
"Ha... I've grown a lot now!"
Kana gripped the hilt of her sword, and the slight fear in her heart quickly faded.
When she had encountered him with Kakyō, she had been almost completely powerless.
But things were different now. She had not been standing still all these years.
"So that's Szayelaporro..."
Isane's expression changed slightly. She had also heard about him and knew that he was a very powerful Menos.
After the incident where he was swept into the time turbulence, the Seireitei had dispatched Shinigami to patrol the Dangai for a long time, waiting for him.
But he had not reappeared after more than twenty years, and the patrol had long been canceled.
Today, they had run into him coming out of the time turbulence.
"Third Seat Yamada, you take the medical team to support the 2nd Division."
Isane saw Kana's confidence and felt a little more at ease.
The members of the medical team had little combat ability. Staying here would only get them slaughtered. She had Third Seat Kiyosuke Yamada take the team and leave first.
"Fourth Seat Ōtoribashi, you and the others protect the medical team. Leave Szayelaporro to me and Lieutenant Kotetsu."
Kana said to the 3rd Division's 4th Seat, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi.
"Yes! Please be careful, Lieutenant Azashiro!"
Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi nodded. He also knew that they couldn't leave the medical team here, or they would likely become a burden.
"Huh?"
Szayelaporro surveyed the environment of the Dangai and the large number of Shinigami who had suddenly appeared.
As the only scientist in Hueco Mundo, the moment he was hit by The Cleaner, he knew he had been swept into the time turbulence.
In his perception, it had only taken a short time to break free.
But from the current situation, it seemed a long time had passed since he had been hit.
"Did you bring people to block me, little Shinigami girl?"
Szayelaporro stared at Kana and said slowly.
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