Chapter 124 - The Unseen Invaders from the Wandenreich!
Chapter 124 - The Unseen Invaders from the Wandenreich!
In the human world, Karakura Town, at Karakura High School—
Ichigo was in the middle of class when he suddenly sensed something strange, causing him to glance toward the window. His eyes widened in shock as he muttered under his breath, "Byakuya, Renji, Rukia."
At that moment, Byakuya, Renji, and Rukia were present in their spirit forms, invisible to ordinary humans.
However, Ishida, Orihime, and Sado, who were also in the class, could see them. They knew that if Byakuya himself had come, something major must have happened.
"Could it be that something has occurred again?" they wondered. "The Soul Society just dealt with the Reishi disaster a month ago, and now this? Could it be that Aizen is making a move?"
As these thoughts swirled in their minds, Ichigo abruptly stood up and shouted, "Teacher, I have a stomachache! I need to go to the bathroom!"
Without waiting for a response, Ichigo dashed out of the classroom.
Orihime, Sado, and Ishida followed suit, claiming they also had stomachaches, leaving behind their confused teacher and classmates.
Tatsuki, noticing their abrupt exit, felt an uneasy premonition and muttered to herself, "Ichigo, Orihime, please be safe…"
On the rooftop of the school, Byakuya, Renji, and Rukia were already waiting. They weren't surprised to see Ichigo and his friends arriving together.
After catching his breath, Ichigo immediately asked, "What happened in the Soul Society this time?"
Orihime, Sado, and Ishida, still panting from their sprint, turned their attention to the Soul Reapers, waiting for an explanation.
Rukia didn't keep them in suspense. She quickly explained the situation, leaving Ichigo and his friends in shock and disbelief.
When she finished, Rukia added, "This time, it's a direct order from Captain-Commander Yamamoto. He wants to bring you back to the Soul Society."
She tried to reassure Ichigo, saying, "Don't worry. Captain-Commander Yamamoto won't harm you. He just wants to understand the connection between your zanpakutō, Zangetsu, and Yhwach."
If the Central 46 were still in power, Rukia wouldn't have been so confident. However, since Aizen had wiped out the Central 46, it hadn't yet been reconstituted. This meant that Captain-Commander Yamamoto was now the highest authority in the Soul Society.
Given Ichigo's history of aiding and saving the Soul Society, Rukia was confident Yamamoto wouldn't harm him—at most, his investigation would focus on Zangetsu.
Ichigo quickly composed himself, but instead of agreeing right away, he closed his eyes and entered a meditative state, trying to communicate with Zangetsu.
Seeing Ichigo's focused state, everyone remained silent, understanding his intent to seek answers directly from his zanpakutō.
After a few minutes, Ichigo opened his eyes with a conflicted expression. He looked at Rukia and said, "I need to go to the Soul Society. I need to know the truth about Zangetsu and his connection to Yhwach."
It was clear to everyone that Ichigo had failed to communicate with Zangetsu.
In Ichigo's inner world, Zangetsu stood on top of a tall building, gazing up at the sky with a complex expression as if watching Ichigo from a distance.
Meanwhile, Orihime, Sado, and Ishida still had many unanswered questions.
For example, they didn't know who the "Hero King" Rukia had mentioned was. Ichigo hadn't told them about him.
But despite their confusion, they suppressed their shock and quickly spoke up. "We want to come too."
Under normal circumstances, Byakuya and the others wouldn't have objected to Orihime and the others joining them in the Soul Society. After all, they had helped the Soul Society in the past.
But the situation was different now, and they didn't agree immediately.
Rukia, looking grave, said, "The Soul Society is on the brink of disaster. A catastrophe might occur that even Captain-Commander Yamamoto won't survive. Are you sure you still want to come?"
Ichigo, upon hearing this, was about to speak and dissuade his friends.
But before he could say anything, Orihime, Sado, and Ishida exchanged determined glances and nodded in agreement.
Orihime spoke first, "We're sure. If a disaster does happen, my abilities can help heal the wounded."
Byakuya, Renji, and Rukia all knew firsthand how valuable Orihime's abilities could be in a crisis.
In the end, Byakuya decided, "Fine, we'll all go together."
Using a special gate in Urahara's Shop, the group traveled to the Soul Society.
Inside the Dangai, Ishida couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer. "Ichigo, who is this 'Hero King' that Captain Kuchiki mentioned? And what did he mean by sending him back to his world?"
Sado and Orihime, equally curious, looked at Ichigo for an answer.
Ichigo blinked, surprised. "Did I never tell you about him?"
Seeing the trio shake their heads, Ichigo, feeling a bit perplexed, recounted what he knew about Gilgamesh.
As Ichigo explained, the expressions on Ishida, Orihime, and Sado turned to shock and disbelief.
Ichigo wasn't surprised by their reaction. He remembered how astonished he had been when he first learned Gilgamesh's identity.
After all, when myth becomes reality, it's hard to remain indifferent.
Meanwhile, back in the secret base of the Twelfth Division, Mayuri was busy studying the upper half of Yamamoto's body, searching for any clues.
As for Urahara, he was fawning over Gilgamesh, trying to please him.
Unlike Yamamoto, Urahara wasn't above using anyone—human, Soul Reaper, or Hollow—to achieve his goals.
But Urahara knew better than to try and manipulate Gilgamesh. He was well aware that Gilgamesh could see right through him.
So, Urahara chose to flatter Gilgamesh, hoping to gain some valuable information in return.
Gilgamesh didn't hold back. He freely shared what he knew with Urahara.
The reason Gilgamesh did this was simple—he didn't want them to fall too quickly.
In the original timeline, the Thousand-Year Blood War was supposed to occur around 18 months later.
By that time, the Gotei 13 would have grown much stronger, having undergone the trials of Aizen and the Arrancars.
Yet, despite their increased strength, they still suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of Yhwach and the Wandenreich.
At the current point in time, the Gotei 13 was much weaker, and Gilgamesh feared that if they faced the Wandenreich now, they would be completely wiped out.
That would cause too many complications for Gilgamesh, especially when he was trying to return to his own world.
Moreover, Aizen was still scheming in Hueco Mundo, and Gilgamesh wasn't sure whether Aizen or Yhwach would make the first move.
Whichever side acted first, it was bad news for the Soul Society.
Although Aizen's pride would prevent him from allying with Yhwach, Gilgamesh couldn't rule out the possibility of one side taking advantage of the other's chaos.
Urahara initially sought only a small bit of information from Gilgamesh but was shocked by the breadth of details he received.
These revelations—about the hidden Wandenreich, the Sternritter who could steal Bankai, and Yhwach's abilities—left Urahara deeply shaken.
Without hesitation, Urahara shared everything he had learned with Mayuri, seeking help to shoulder this burden.
Mayuri, upon learning the information, stopped his research on Yamamoto's body. He hadn't made any breakthroughs anyway, while Urahara, by simply currying favor with Gilgamesh, had uncovered almost everything about their enemy.
As for the authenticity of Gilgamesh's intel?
After spending a month with him, Mayuri trusted Gilgamesh's knowledge and had no reason to doubt the accuracy of the information.
While Urahara and Mayuri discussed the implications of Gilgamesh's revelations, Gilgamesh himself was lost in thought.
"Perhaps I should go to Hueco Mundo and deal with Aizen before he becomes a problem..."
"Then again, the Soul King likely won't let me kill Aizen just yet. After all, Aizen hasn't fulfilled his role as Ichigo's whetstone."
"I'll wait and see. As long as nothing interferes with my return to my world, I'll let it be. But if something does…not even the Soul King will stop me."
As time passed, Yamamoto and the other captains regrouped at the Twelfth Division, with Ichigo and his friends arriving as well.
Upon seeing them, Urahara paused his discussion with Mayuri and brought out the Tenshintai, handing it to Ichigo.
"You remember how to use this, right, Ichigo?"
Ichigo nodded. "I remember."
Taking a deep breath, Ichigo drew Zangetsu and stabbed it into the Tenshintai, pouring his spiritual energy into it.
The Tenshintai began to take form, and when the materialization was complete, Ichigo froze—so did future Yoruichi.
The manifested zanpakutō was not Zangetsu, but White Ichigo.
Yamamoto and the other captains were puzzled by the sight. The figure before them didn't resemble Yhwach at all but looked like a pale version of Ichigo himself.
Ichigo couldn't help but ask, "Why is it you? Where's Zangetsu?"
White Ichigo grinned with a twisted expression. "That coward is hiding in your inner world, too scared to show himself."
Ichigo frowned. "What do you mean?"
White Ichigo sighed in disappointment. "Boring. If you want to know, go ask him yourself. I'm heading back."
Just as White Ichigo was about to retreat into Ichigo's inner world, a commanding voice interrupted.
"You're not going anywhere. Ichigo's too weak right now. While you're here, you'll teach him how to properly wield Zangetsu."
White Ichigo's face twisted in displeasure, but when he turned to see who had spoken, fear gripped him.
It was Gilgamesh.
Though a month had passed, White Ichigo hadn't forgotten the overwhelming terror he felt in Gilgamesh's presence.
Without daring to object, White Ichigo reluctantly nodded, knowing Gilgamesh had the power to make him comply.
Orihime, Ishida, and Sado, hearing the voice, immediately turned to look.
The moment they saw Gilgamesh, they knew—this was the Hero King.
There was no doubt in their minds, no explanation needed. They just knew.
Orihime, surprised, gasped. "It's you!"
Her lost memories had returned, and she recognized him as the mysterious boy she had met that day in town.
Gilgamesh gave her a slight nod, about to say something when his eyes suddenly sharpened. "The Wandenreich…they're here already!"
Other than Urahara and Mayuri, who Gilgamesh had informed about the Wandenreich, none of the others knew what that meant.
But they all understood that an unknown presence had infiltrated.
The most alarming part? None of them had sensed it until now.
A deep voice chuckled. "Well, well. So, you're the Hero King that His Majesty Yhwach spoke of?"
"To think you could detect my presence…Impressive."
As everyone looked on in shock, a strange figure materialized out of thin air—a wrinkled, elderly man with wide, bulging eyes framed by hexagonal glasses, his head crowned by an absurdly large afro.
The old man grinned widely and introduced himself, "Allow me to introduce myself—I am Gwenhael Lee, Sternritter V: Vanishing Point."
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