Bleach: Awakened — Chapter 79 - Before Us, No Enemies Shall Stand

Soul Society. Squad One. The captain's meeting room.

As usual, Captain-Commander Yamamoto sat at the head of the chamber, the captains arranged in two rows before him. One difference stood out from before, with Sosuke Aizen's defection, only ten captains remained.

"Three days remain," Captain-Commander Yamamoto said. The measured tone carried an undercurrent of quiet worry. "The Hogyoku will complete its fusion. At that point, Sosuke Aizen will launch an assault on Karakura Town."

"Captains. Are you prepared for battle."

Not one of them responded. More than half a month ago, the ones who had received a thorough lesson at Sokyoku Hill weren't only Ichigo, every captain present had been there too.

"Mayuri." Captain-Commander Yamamoto said evenly. "Is there still no way to break through the spatial barrier? The space there took such severe damage before."

"No way." Mayuri Kurotsuchi shook his head. "The space that took that damage was between Soul Society and the World of the Living. While it's been of some use to our research, it still isn't enough to break through the blockade."

"Is that so..." Captain-Commander Yamamoto fell into thought, then looked toward the traitorous subordinate in the floral shirt. "How are things on the World of the Living side?"

"The World of the Living Special Operations Squad has indicated they'll stand against Sosuke Aizen alongside us." Shunsui Kyoraku pressed a hand to the brim of the hat. "Isshin Kurosaki, Kisuke Urahara, and the others have said the same."

"I also made contact through Kisuke Urahara with Shinji Hirako and the group who went missing a hundred years ago, but we were turned away at the door."

"Is that so?" Captain-Commander Yamamoto gave a nod. "It is enough. The Hollows are no force worth counting."

"Then—what of Ichigo Kurosaki."

A brief silence. Mayuri Kurotsuchi said flatly, "Vital signs are normal. Everything else is beyond our ability to monitor."

"Possibly still within the cracks of space. Possibly outside the spatial boundary of the Three Realms entirely. Or perhaps entered Hueco Mundo."

"Is that so..."

The memory of ten days ago surfaced, that suffocating pressure that had saturated all of Soul Society. No spiritual pressure could be felt. It had come from the other side of space. And yet that terrifying weight had settled over everything like the imminent descent of death, a pall of dark clouds blanketing the sky above Soul Society.

Even the strongest Soul Reaper in a thousand years had, in that moment, felt truly powerless. That was strength from an entirely different dimension, power so vast it lay beyond even spiritual pressure to perceive.

"Squad Zero..." Captain-Commander Yamamoto looked toward another traitorous subordinate. "Has there been a reply?"

"There has." Jushiro Ukitake lowered his head and said slowly, "The members of Squad Zero have conveyed that the Soul King has given no directive."

"No directive means this is an event that requires no intervention from Squad Zero."

"No intervention?!" Sui-Feng couldn't hold back. "They didn't intervene ten days ago either! If not for Kurosaki, what state would Soul Society be in right now?!"

"Without Ichigo Kurosaki," Shunsui Kyoraku said calmly, "the Shinenju would have calmed the Valley of Screams on its own, rather than joining the World of the Living Special Operations Squad."

"This..."

Speechless. Having witnessed the events firsthand, Sui-Feng also felt that Senna not having to sacrifice herself was the perfect outcome, and without thinking, the option of calming the Valley of Screams had simply been erased from mind.

"Captain Sui-Feng." Jushiro Ukitake offered a quiet reminder. "In the matter of protecting the Court, not even a captain can afford the slightest carelessness."

"...I understand."

Having reconciled with Yoruichi Shihoin, having witnessed what Ichigo Kurosaki and Senna went through, Sui-Feng had shed some of the old obsession. And in a rare moment, relaxed ever so slightly the composed dignity expected of a captain.

"In that case, captains, make your battle preparations." Captain-Commander Yamamoto said finally. "There is no knowing what heights of power Sosuke Aizen will reach with the Hogyoku in hand."

"I hope that each of you will carry out, through your own actions, the meaning behind those two words, protecting the Court."

Karakura High School.

"It's already been ten days..."

At school, Orihime Inoue had come with Yasutora Sado and Uryu Ishida to pick up class notes. Now Orihime stood staring at that empty seat, a quiet murmur slipping out before there was any stopping it.

"Relax, Orihime." Tatsuki Arisawa gave Orihime a light pat on the cheek. "Ichigo isn't the type to just up and die. Something definitely came up that held him back, that's why he hasn't returned."

"But... it's already been ten days." Orihime's face was tight with worry. "What if he's injured? Without me, Ichigo..."

"Relax." Uryu Ishida flipped through the notes in hand, though thoughts were nowhere near the pages. "Ten days ago, my mother's strength—the power Ichigo granted her—suddenly grew stronger."

"Which means that guy isn't just fine, he's actually gotten stronger. The fact that he hasn't come back means he's either training, or something has held him up."

"I think the same." Yasutora Sado nodded. "That guy Ichigo, sometimes when he gets into a state, he loses track of time completely."

"Exactly." Keigo Asano put on the air of someone speaking from hard-won experience. "A muscle-brained idiot like that is probably out there doing push-ups right about now."

"You're the idiot, Asano." Mizuiro Kojima went through the notes filling in any gaps, careful not to slow down anyone's class progress. "No matter how much muscle fills that head of Ichigo's, he still wouldn't make everyone worry like this."

"There's definitely something Ichigo can't easily talk about."

"If things are fine on his end, there's really only one possibility left." Uryu Ishida pushed up the glasses. "In all likelihood, Ichigo is lost somewhere in the cracks of space."

"Probably hasn't drifted too far, still within range of the Three Realms. Otherwise, the power inside my mother would have grown correspondingly weaker."

"Ichigo is definitely out there trying hard to find a way back." Tatsuki Arisawa took Orihime's hand and smiled. "Relax. He told you he'd come back, didn't he? Then he will absolutely come back."

"That's the kind of person he is. He will absolutely come back!"

"...Yeah!" As if the feeling were contagious, a smile broke across Orihime's face. Eyes lifted to the distant horizon. "I believe in you... Ichigo..."

"You have to... come back..."

Hueco Mundo. Las Noches. The Espada assembly hall.

The Soul Reaper who defected. Former captain of Squad Five. Sosuke Aizen.

In complete contrast to a black Shihakusho, Aizen now wore a long white coat, a white sash tied at the waist. The brown hair was combed back, a single strand falling loose across the face.

Seated at the head of the long table, Aizen still wore the same gentle smile that had graced that face throughout the days in Soul Society. But the eyes beneath it held nothing but cold indifference. Here in Hueco Mundo, Aizen was no longer that courteous, refined captain.

Aizen was the king of Hueco Mundo.

"Everyone. The war is about to begin." Aizen lifted the cup of red tea from the table and spoke unhurriedly. "What are your thoughts, I wonder. I trust the Soul Reapers are making their own preparations as we speak."

The Espada, who had always been arrogant and domineering, were utterly silent. Even the most brazen among them sat with head lowered, saying nothing.

"It seems that nameless pressure ten days ago frightened the courage right out of you." Aizen took a sip of tea, turning the Hogyoku over in hand, it had appeared there at some unknown moment. "Relax. There is no need for excessive worry."

"Before us, there are no enemies."

➤ Next: The Strange Desert Siblings