Chapter 120: Eight Great Halos, Flash Type Appears Again.
Karakura Town, World of the Living.
"Clang, clang!"
"Oh! It fits perfectly, Orihime."
"So cute! Let me hug you, quick!"
"You need to calm down!"
"Ouch!"
Chizuru crouched on the floor, yelping after Tatsuki punched her. In front of the mirror, Orihime turned slightly, still unsure.
A forest green top with light, airy lace at the cuffs and hem. Denim hot pants. Thick black tights. Khaki ankle boots.
The look was fresh and stylish, but it also carried a cool, clean elegance. With her long hair flowing and the graceful line of her legs on full display, even soft fabric could not hide how good her figure had become.
"Does it really suit me?" Orihime asked quietly.
"It's great! You don't look like a high school girl at all!" Chizuru declared, stubbornly giving a thumbs up even as tears streamed from the pain.
The three of them were shopping in the commercial district, enjoying a rare winter break while preparing for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. And buying new clothes was, naturally, mandatory.
"Even though this girl always has ulterior motives, her taste is on point," Tatsuki said, looking Orihime up and down with a playful, investigative gaze. "It really does look great."
"But yeah, Orihime, you seriously don't look like a high school girl anymore. If you walk around like this, people will think you're a college student."
"And not just any college student. The kind from a good family, with proper manners and a sheltered upbringing."
Tatsuki's eyes narrowed slightly, still studying her like she was hunting for clues.
"Hey, Orihime… you usually don't care much about dressing up. You like cute cartoon stuff. The money you save goes to food or daily necessities."
"I'm always the one dragging you out to buy clothes. And you never used cosmetics either."
She leaned closer.
"So why the sudden change in style?"
"?"
Orihime stiffened mid glance at the mirror.
"…It does feel like that," Chizuru muttered, rubbing her reddened forehead, suspicion creeping into her eyes. "People mature in high school, sure, but this has never had anything to do with air headed Orihime."
"So there can only be one reason for a change this big!"
Chizuru slowly lifted her chin, grin turning wicked.
"That is…"
"Hehehe."
Under their oppressive, extremely unfriendly stares, Orihime turned around with a stiff smile and a dry laugh. "W what are you two even talking about? I don't understand at all."
"Don't play dumb!" Tatsuki snapped. "Ever since you came back from Kyoto during summer vacation, you've been weird."
"You disappear all the time. We can't reach you. And lately you've been sending emails from a new phone. When we ask, you just change the subject."
Tatsuki's eyes sharpened.
"Honestly… are you in love?"
"What?!" Chizuru wailed. "Orihime got abducted by a man… wuwuwu!"
"Don't twist people's words like that!" Tatsuki shouted, immediately covering Chizuru's mouth to stop her from saying anything worse.
Even so, it was more than enough.
Orihime's face went bright red. Her neck and ears heated up, and it felt like her whole body was overheating. If steam could rise from a human head, hers would have been the first.
"No, no, no! It's not like that!"
"I said it's love," Tatsuki pressed.
"There's none of that either!"
…
Tatsuki and Chizuru exchanged a look, disbelief written plainly on both their faces.
Orihime saw it too. She opened her mouth to explain again, but then her phone rang inside her bag.
One glance at the ringtone told her it was her denreishinki, not her everyday phone.
She stopped trying to explain and hurriedly answered.
"Shimiya kun?"
Shimiya.
Tatsuki and Chizuru silently noted the name. Their expressions turned even stranger as they watched Orihime's face light up the moment she heard the voice.
"Right now? I'm free. I have time these next few days… mm! Okay! I'll head over right now!"
She hung up, and a faint frown formed. A bad premonition rose in her chest. He had not said what it was, but her intuition screamed that it was not ordinary trouble.
If that was true, she could not afford to delay.
"Um… Tatsuki, Chizuru, I… eh?!"
She inhaled and turned to apologize, only to nearly jump when she found their faces right in front of hers, leaning in like hungry predators.
"All right, enough," Tatsuki said, pulling back and waving a hand with fake annoyance. "It's not the first or second time you've had to run off."
"You've been using all kinds of excuses to leave early or take time off from class. If we tried to stop you, you'd burst into tears, wouldn't you?"
"I'm not getting embarrassed in public, so just go."
"Orihime!" Chizuru cried, eyes sparkling. "Can I come with you? Don't worry, I'm definitely not trying to take down the villain who stole your heart… waaah!"
Before she could finish, Tatsuki put her in a chokehold.
At the same time, Tatsuki threw Orihime a casual reminder, her tone softer than her posture.
"Come home tonight. Even if you can't, stay safe."
She paused.
"In every sense of the word."
"It's just a friend who needs help with something," Orihime insisted, blushing even harder.
She quickly paid, then left wearing her new clothes. She handed her old clothes and her bag to Tatsuki for safekeeping as proof that she would be back soon.
It sounded convincing.
But Tatsuki and Chizuru still had no doubt she was going to see a boyfriend.
"I wonder if she'll get tricked," Chizuru muttered.
"Well," Tatsuki said, eyes narrowing. "Orihime's clumsy, but she's not easy to fool. Still, if things get rough… it's hard to say."
"What?! Dammit, if anyone dares bully Orihime, I'll beat them to a pulp!"
"Ugh… let… let go… can't… breathe…"
"Chizuru? Sorry, my bad! Wake up!"
On the other side, Orihime, completely unaware that her two friends were turning the clothing store into a circus, reached a deserted area and immediately shifted into her Shinigami form.
With Shunpo, she reached the senkaimon only a few hundred meters away.
Under the Kidō Corps' guidance, she passed through the Dangai and arrived in a world that felt unfamiliar.
"This place is…"
"Hueco Mundo," Takeru said as he stepped forward.
"Strictly speaking, we're inside Las Noches."
"Las Noches?"
"We'll talk as we walk," Takeru replied. "For now, come with me."
"Okay!"
Takeru led her through Las Noches, which was already occupied by the Kidō Corps and even the Research and Development Institute. The closer they got, the more people in white coats appeared. Cables crawled across the floor. Equipment lined the corridors in intimidating complexity.
Orihime felt dazzled.
But what shocked her, and worried her far more, was the situation behind all this.
While the Gotei 13 had launched an expedition into Hueco Mundo and achieved phased victories, every top tier combatant except Takeru had vanished without a trace.
"That's the situation," Takeru said.
"Based on my observations and the Spirit Particle Investigation Squad's detection results, we can tentatively conclude it was the effect of some kind of space time transfer."
"But we don't have enough intelligence to determine where the missing personnel went, so I thought of your Shiten Kōshun."
"It should react to reishi phenomena that affect space."
"Even if it can't disperse the phenomenon and force everyone back to their original positions, it should at least expose the traces of what happened here."
"If we can extract enough information, we can analyze it and decide our next move."
Takeru's expression did not change. His tone was steady, as if none of it weighed on him.
Orihime, who understood him, knew that was impossible.
He carried the burden of command, yet he could not lead everyone home in triumph. The combined panic of everyone running around this palace probably did not even reach half the torment he carried alone.
"I understand…!"
"Relax," Takeru said, seeing through her immediately. "Just perform normally. If you push too hard, you might erase the traces along with everything around them."
Orihime nodded, hard.
Then they arrived.
A corridor leading into a certain hall.
"Still no word from the investigation squad sent to the reitō pillars!"
"Call the Spiritual Wave Measurement Research Department and bring the reishi amplification device over here! Too much equipment, not enough power! At this rate the processing speed will collapse!"
"Kidō Corps, set the senkaimon further away. Yes, over there. Check for any special reishi reactions."
"It hasn't been long since it happened. There should still be residue like radiation!"
Akin, the Third Seat and vice director of the Research and Development Institute, was directing the work at full speed. With Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Nemu absent, Takeru had no choice but to transfer him from Soul Society to investigate this incident.
"Akin," Takeru called. "Have everyone stop for a moment. I brought the person."
"Understood!"
Akin knew the plan. After a polite greeting to Orihime, he immediately ordered the personnel to clear space and prepare for spiritual wave collection and observation.
Orihime stepped into the open area of the corridor, nervous under the expectant gazes, and activated her power.
"Shiten Kōshun… I reject!"
Takeru stood with his hands in his haori pockets, waiting quietly beside Akin before a reishi projection screen.
An orange yellow glow spread like a Reverse Membrane. Orihime carefully restricted it to a specific range so it would not pull in cables, equipment, or personnel.
"Whew…"
A full power Word Spirit, compressed into a defined area.
It was her first time doing it like this. Sweat instantly drenched her forehead.
"Is this… a failure?" Orihime asked, heart tightening as she saw no visible reaction. "Takeru kun, let me try one more time."
"No need."
Takeru walked forward. Under Orihime's startled gaze, he took her wrist and lifted it slightly.
"Takeru kun?"
…
He did not answer.
With his free hand, he ran a fingertip along the spine of her large blade.
Something like mud like grime came away on his finger.
"This is…?" Orihime stared, then examined her blade closely. Yet no matter how she looked, it was bright, sharp, and spotless.
"This is kōryū," Takeru said, rubbing the grime thoughtfully between his fingers.
"A special current that exists only in the Dangai."
"If someone enters the Dangai without preparation, it will entangle the soul and trap it until the Kōtotsu arrives."
"The Kōtotsu clears away the bound soul, along with any other matter stagnating within the Dangai."
"How could something like that be on my blade?" Orihime's mind snapped into place. "Or rather…"
She swallowed.
"Is this the residual trace of the reishi phenomenon you mentioned, the one that made everyone disappear?"
"The answer is obvious," Takeru said.
With precise control, he stripped the kōryū from his fingertip, sealed it, and flicked it toward Akin.
"Akin."
"I'll start the analysis right away!"
Akin's spirit surged.
No one could describe the shock he and his colleagues felt when they were suddenly summoned to Hueco Mundo and learned what had happened. Continuous scanning across the World of the Living, Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo had failed to find even a single trace of the missing personnel's spiritual pressure.
They had vanished as if erased from existence.
For a moment, it felt like the sky had fallen.
But Takeru had stabilized everyone quickly, issuing clear orders and restoring discipline.
And now, as expected, a dawn of hope had appeared.
Even if that grime was not exactly pleasant to look at.
Akin pulled Hiyosu and several other key members forward and got to work. They rolled up their sleeves and pushed hard.
In just one hour, they had results.
"Captain Shimiya, come quickly!"
Takeru moved at once, Orihime hurrying after him.
Most people were dismissed. Only a handful remained to witness the truth.
A blurry image formed on the reishi projection screen.
"Just as Captain Shimiya said," Akin said grimly, "space time type spiritual techniques have special properties."
"If traces are left behind, there's a high chance we can make them return and recreate past scenes."
As Hiyosu adjusted the output, the image sharpened slightly. It resembled a segment of recorded combat.
"Is that… Captain Commander Yamamoto and the two captains who defected to Hueco Mundo?" Orihime covered her mouth in shock.
Takeru did not speak. He watched without blinking.
There was no sound. To an ordinary person, it would be hard to even follow what was happening.
Only flashes of blade light tearing through a sky full of fire, and chunks of ruined buildings exploding into debris.
Yamamoto Genryūsai fought one against two, yet he surrounded Ichimaru Gin and Kaname Tōsen, forcing them into a corner.
Tōsen looked injured, unable to use his full strength. Even at his peak, he could not have lasted half a minute against Yamamoto Genryūsai.
Ichimaru Gin, however, had not fought earlier. He had only used the blazing water mirror as Las Noches' defense system to intercept the Kidō cannons' bombardment, so he was in perfect condition.
His strength was also considerable. He could exchange a few blows with Yamamoto without being instantly crushed.
But only a few.
As he was about to be defeated, he suddenly raised the blazing water mirror to block a strike.
That movement seemed to trigger it.
The mirror's surface erupted with an incredible, intense light.
In the instant the light bloomed, Takeru even saw Yamamoto's eyes widen in shock.
The recording ended there.
It was easy to imagine what followed.
The light emitted by the blazing water mirror was the reishi phenomenon that caused Yamamoto, Gin, Tōsen, and even Ichigo and the others outside Las Noches to vanish.
"Captain Shimiya," Akin said, looking toward Takeru, "it seems it was because of the blazing water mirror…"
Akin's gaze carried an obvious question.
Takeru shook his head. "I didn't know the blazing water mirror had this ability beforehand. Maybe no one else did either."
"There are no similar records in the Great Spirit Library Corridor intelligence files, at least not from the period around when Arturo was sealed."
"But Ichimaru looked like he planned it all along," Akin said, confused.
"Maybe he heard some myth or legend from somewhere," Takeru replied. "Wait a moment."
He stepped aside, picked up his denreishinki, and contacted Soul Society. After more than ten minutes and countless transfers, the voice he wanted finally answered.
"This is Amanmon Nayula. Is something the matter?"
"First," Takeru said evenly, "I have bad news for you."
"…Has something happened to my father?"
"I didn't see the bodies," Takeru said, "but the fact that Ichimaru could use an ancient artifact like the blazing water mirror, one that recognizes bloodline rather than the individual, is sufficient proof that the situation for all members of Central 46 is not optimistic."
…
A deep breath sounded on the other end.
Takeru did not interrupt. He waited in silence, letting her steady herself.
"Phew…" Amanmon Nayula finally said. "It's not good news, but thank you for informing me."
"So. What do you need from me?"
"I've run into trouble," Takeru said. "I can't give details for now, and I hope you won't investigate."
"I just want to ask this."
"Do you know any myths regarding the blazing water mirror, or mirrors and time travel? Even baseless rumors are fine."
"And also the origin of the family that kept the mirror."
"It seems an anomaly with the blazing water mirror has caused you a great deal of trouble," Amanmon Nayula said. "Unfortunately, I know very little."
"Each family's artifacts are highly classified. Even in the Great Spirit Library Corridor, it's hard to find specific information."
"If you really wanted to search, you'd have to sift through the past million years of history."
She paused.
"That would take a very, very, very long time."
"Skip the useless talk and get to the point," Takeru said flatly.
"Fine," she replied. "I haven't heard myths or rumors, but the time travel you mentioned does ring a bell."
"There is an artifact called the King's Seal."
"It's said to be a supreme treasure of the Royal Family, an object of the Soul King."
"Regardless of space or time, it can move all phenomena to another space time."
"But except for the Royal Family, no one has ever seen it, even though it is recorded in great detail."
"No one knows what it looks like or where it is kept."
"All that's certain is that it definitely exists. Yes, it's that certain."
"Even if no one has seen it, it's treated like common knowledge. Those who know of it do not doubt its reality."
"As for the family that kept the blazing water mirror," Amanmon Nayula continued, "they perished a thousand years ago. Their origins are untraceable."
"But there's one thing you might find interesting."
"The last descendant of that clan died after using the blazing water mirror."
"They had no offspring. The lineage ended."
Takeru's eyes widened slightly, a strange look crossing his face.
"Died after using the blazing water mirror…?"
"Yes."
Takeru's voice lowered. "Do you think that's normal?"
…
Amanmon Nayula fell silent, but she understood his meaning.
Gin, and even Arturo, could use the blazing water mirror to some extent through various means without immediate harm.
Yet the true owner, the clan that guarded it, died upon using it.
It was the height of irony.
And if it was simply a gap in spiritual power, it still did not add up.
To interfere in a battle between Arturo and Yamamoto without being crushed by their spiritual pressure, they must have possessed considerable power.
With their ability and an artifact that could absorb an enemy's spiritual power, they should have been able to endure, like Gin.
Yet they still chose to place the mirror inside Arturo's body.
That did defeat him at the time.
But did using it really require paying with their lives?
"Captain Shimiya…" Amanmon Nayula began.
"No need," Takeru said. "I have a rough idea of what's going on."
"Huh?"
"I have urgent business, so I'm hanging up," Takeru said. "And thanks. Every bit of that was crucial."
"If I have time in a few months, I'll send you a gift as thanks."
"Why in a few months?"
"Because this won't be settled quickly."
"…I see," Amanmon Nayula replied. "Then I wish you success in battle."
After the call ended, Amanmon Nayula stood in her residence in Soul Society, frowning, worry clouding her small face.
She knew about the Gotei 13 expedition.
It seemed the battle was not going smoothly.
Even that legendary man's voice carried a tone she had never heard from him before.
As if he had already prepared himself to die in battle.
"What happened in Hueco Mundo?" she murmured. "Why is it that even I cannot know?"
At the same time.
Inside Las Noches, Takeru ignored Akin and Orihime's questioning looks and stared at the empty corridor and the hall at its end.
Though he had been forged into a scientist quickly through the hyperbolic time chamber, his expertise in space time was real.
Even without equipment, simply standing here for a while let him sense the abnormality.
He could judge with certainty that a space time transfer had occurred, and it was not on the level of a senkaimon.
It felt far more exaggerated.
Like being swallowed by a black hole and hurled to the other side of the world.
Perhaps there was also a Hueco Mundo, a Soul Society, and a World of the Living over there.
Perhaps there were familiar people.
And perhaps the King's Seal, the artifact Amanmon Nayula was certain existed but could not locate, was there too.
"The blazing water mirror absorbs spiritual power," Takeru murmured, eyes fixed ahead. "That might simply be a way to store energy to activate its true ability."
"Or perhaps there is an upper limit to how much spiritual power it can absorb."
"Once it exceeds a threshold, or once it is damaged, the stored energy goes out of control."
"And then it drags every nearby life into the mirror, transporting and projecting them into other space times."
"In short…"
"The reason the person who used the mirror back then sacrificed themselves wasn't because they had to."
"It was the price they paid to prevent this situation from happening."
Suddenly, ink wash characters appeared before Takeru's eyes.
[System: A highly significant victory.]
[System: No one remains but you. This is the best opportunity to bring the Three Worlds under your control. The machine soul is delighted.]
[System: But you also know very well that this is no easy task. You need power. Power that can conquer hearts, take control of the situation, and establish supreme authority before your comrades return from being swept into a pseudo parallel world.]
[System: You gained inspiration from this campaign. You believe that if you could be like those pillars, not needing protection, but instead providing support to others, then without a doubt, you would be a god on the battlefield.]
[System: You have comprehended Focus Aura, Thorn Aura, Strong Strike Aura, Endurance Aura, Vampirism Aura, Brilliance Aura, Command Aura.]
Takeru's soul jolted.
It was as if eight different lights wrapped around him.
Warmth surged through his body. His mind became crystal clear. Corresponding Kidō knowledge flooded in, and he understood this strange Kidō series instantly, mastering it as if it had always been his.
Sensing the fluctuation in his spiritual pressure, Orihime stepped closer, concern on her face.
"Takeru kun, are you all right?"
"…I'm fine."
Takeru closed his eyes, forcing his spiritual pressure to settle.
When he opened them again, he looked no different than usual.
The ink wash characters were gone, leaving no trace, as if they had never existed, as if it had all been a hallucination.
But there were things that were not hallucinations.
"Akin," Takeru said, voice cold and absolute, "from now on, control all information. Only incoming, no outgoing. The same applies to people."
"At the same time, keep a close watch on Soul Society and refuse all visits and inquiries."
"Kill anyone who violates this."
[TL: My new fanfic is out now—One Piece: Pokémon Master of the Seas! Check it out!]
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