"Give up. No matter what you try, you can't break through the anti-membrane's protection."
Leo's voice held a trace of triumph as he gazed at Uehara Shiroha from within the golden channel.
However, Uehara Shiroha merely smirked.
"I'm sorry to inform you… but you're already dead."
Before Leo could react, Uehara Shiroha's figure blurred, moving at speeds too fast for the eye to follow. His blade sliced through empty space, sending ripples through the void with each strike.
With every attack, the golden gears of his Bankai froze a shadow in place.
Leo's breath hitched as he examined the frozen figures more closely—his eyes widened in horror.
The shadows trapped within the gears were himself, Rodney, Cyril, and Jerome.
"What…?!"
A wave of dread washed over him. He had no idea what this space was, nor did he understand the meaning behind those shadows.
But if Leo had been able to step outside the influence of [Shunkyō Jikūsen], he would have noticed something terrifying—
The spots where Uehara Shiroha had attacked just now…
Were precisely the positions where he and his comrades had stood five seconds ago.
A chill ran down his spine.
What had just happened?
After finishing his attacks, Uehara Shiroha finally stopped. His eyes flickered with quiet satisfaction as he looked over the boundless space of golden gears surrounding them.
"Shunkyō, you've worked hard."
As his voice fell, the world began to shift.
The golden gears started fading, and in an instant, everything snapped back to reality—the desert landscape of Hueco Mundo returned to normal.
The suffocating energy of Bankai disappeared, leaving behind only the faint echoes of its lingering power.
Inside the anti-membrane channel, Leo let out a slow, relieved breath.
They had survived.
"As expected… Even a deadly attack from that Bankai was meaningless in the face of the anti-membrane's protection."
He forced a smile, exhaustion weighing heavily on him.
"That ability was terrifying… But in the end, it was futile."
Just as he was about to relax completely—
A sharp sensation coursed through his body.
The space inside the anti-membrane trembled.
And then—
Their heads disappeared.
Leo, Cyril, Rodney, and Jerome—all four of them were decapitated simultaneously.
It happened in an instant, as if the void had suddenly swallowed their heads whole.
Leo never even had the chance to process what was happening.
The relieved expression on his face never turned into a smile.
His headless body crumpled to the ground, blood spraying across the golden space.
The anti-membrane shattered.
The golden passageway collapsed, and the Gillian Hollows in the sky vanished, retreating into the closing black cavity.
Uehara Shiroha stood still, his expression unreadable, as the last remnants of his Bankai's effects faded into nothingness.
At that very moment—
Across the Three Realms, a collective chill ran down the spines of all powerful beings.
Whether it was Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, Aizen Sōsuke, Kyōraku Shunsui, or the high-ranking Hollows of Hueco Mundo—even the prisoners of Hell and the Quincy of the Wandenreich—
They all felt it.
An inexplicable, primal dread crept into their bones, triggering a moment of instinctive fear.
Even beings in the Soul King Palace and the deepest depths of Hell were not immune to this feeling.
The sensation was fleeting, lasting only a few seconds—
But it was real.
In the lofty halls of the Soul King Palace, a certain monk in black robes chuckled to himself, stroking his beard with interest.
"So, this is the true form of Shunkyō?"
His eyes gleamed with fascination as he muttered the name of Uehara Shiroha's Bankai aloud.
"Bankai: Shunkyō Jikūsen."
His deep voice echoed through the sacred halls.
"A Zanpakutō with a terrifying ability that transcends time and space… A power that manipulates temporal flow, yet does not disrupt the foundation of the Three Realms."
Though he was the leader of the Royal Guard, the ability itself did not particularly impress him.
After all, if the Blood Alliance Seal were lifted, even the weakest member of the Zero Division could unleash a Bankai capable of shattering the Three Realms.
But this was different.
This was the first time in Soul Society's history that a Zanpakutō could truly manipulate time and space.
"Interesting… But in the end, even space-time techniques are not rare among the Royal Guard. The only reason we do not use them is because they may destabilize the Realms."
A smile of approval tugged at his lips.
"Still… this one is different. He wields great power without disrupting the balance. That alone is impressive."
At the same time, in Las Noches, a heavy silence filled Kyonyaku Palace.
Aizen sat at the head of the room, his piercing eyes staring at the four headless corpses sprawled on the cold floor.
Beside him, Ichimaru Gin, Tōsen Kaname, and Szayelaporro Granz stood wordlessly, their expressions dark.
Gin, usually one to make light of any situation, narrowed his eyes and muttered,
"Whew… Good thing we didn't rely on the anti-membrane to escape, huh?"
A teasing smile tugged at his lips—but there was no humor in his tone.
This was terrifying.
How had someone like Uehara Shiroha graduated from the Academy before him?
Gin had always thought himself an anomaly—an unprecedented prodigy, a shadow lurking beyond Aizen's gaze.
And yet, compared to this man…
"Just what kind of freak did the Academy produce?"
Tōsen Kaname remained grimly silent.
If it hadn't been for Aizen's warning, he might have ended up like those four corpses on the floor.
Across the room, Aizen finally broke the silence, his voice cool and measured.
"Szayelaporro, have you learned anything from this?"
The scientist pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, his usual smug arrogance replaced by genuine intrigue.
"Fascinating…"
His eyes gleamed as he stared at the footage of Uehara Shiroha's Bankai on the surveillance monitors.
"According to the data, Uehara Shiroha eliminated all four Arrancars after they had been absorbed into the anti-membrane."
Szayelaporro let out a low chuckle, adjusting his coat.
"A truly interesting ability."
"To reach across dimensions… To manipulate time and space itself…"
He tapped his fingers thoughtfully against the table.
"It's difficult to say whether this is a purely space-time ability, or if it functions more like a delayed onset technique, akin to a cursed ability."
His lips curled upward.
"But tell me, Aizen-sama… Are all Shinigami Bankai this ridiculous?"
At this moment, Szayelaporro Granz turned his burning gaze toward Ichimaru Gin and Tōsen Kaname, his expression practically gleaming with excitement.
His golden eyes carried an unsettling intensity, as if he were mentally dissecting them on the spot—his fingers twitching with the urge to experiment.
Gin, ever the actor, placed a hand over his heart and feigned fear.
"Of course, that's impossible! And your eyes are terrifying, Szayelaporro!" he exclaimed dramatically.
Then, he tilted his head in curiosity, his tone shifting to one of genuine intrigue.
"Still… There's something I don't quite get. The surveillance footage only captured fragments of the battle, but didn't Uehara Shiroha's Bankai seem different from last time?"
A glimmer of sharpness flashed in his serpentine eyes as he continued,
"Could it be a new Bankai ability? Or…" Gin trailed off, his voice dipping into a whisper.
"Is this guy really Ōtsutsuki Naruto, using one of those bizarre techniques of his?"
The memory of that night—the night of the Hollowfication incident— was still fresh in Gin's mind.
The techniques used by Ōtsutsuki Naruto had been unlike anything a Shinigami should possess.
They were mysterious. Unnatural.
Aizen, who had been silent until now, smiled faintly and interjected,
"We've miscalculated once before. We can't afford to make the same mistake again. It would be foolish to make a hasty judgment on Uehara Shiroha now."
His glacial gaze then darkened slightly as he added,
"That said… the power of time and space is indeed quite tempting."
Aizen turned his thoughts to Hueco Mundo's former king, whose power revolved around the concept of aging—a manifestation of time itself.
However, even that terrifying aura of decay had never been able to affect space itself.
In comparison, Uehara Shiroha's ability was on an entirely different level.
"Interesting. Much more useful than mere decay."
Szayelaporro adjusted his glasses, his eyes gleaming with scientific fervor.
"I've already sent my little darlings to the battlefield to collect any lingering traces of his spiritual pressure and data."
His fingers twitched with barely contained excitement as he continued,
"Next time, I will enhance the anti-membrane's stability, refining the technology until it's flawless! We won't let him slip away so easily again."
But then, he hesitated for a brief moment before asking,
"Lord Aizen, about the Artificial Hollow project… Shall we proceed?"
His eagerness was palpable.
No scientist—especially not one like Szayelaporro—would pass up the chance to experiment on the forbidden power of time and space.
The excitement of unraveling the unknown was intoxicating.
However—
Aizen shook his head.
"Cease all further progress on that front."
A flicker of disappointment crossed Szayelaporro's face.
But then—Aizen's next words rekindled his excitement.
"However… it may be worth experimenting with an entirely new concept—using the souls of Shinigami to synthesize an entirely new breed of Hollow."
A cruel smirk tugged at his lips.
"Uehara Shiroha has opened my eyes to new possibilities within the realm of evolution."
Gin's smile sharpened, a cold glint flashing in his serpentine eyes.
"Lord Aizen… why not simply kill this old classmate of mine?"
His voice was soft, but there was a blade hidden beneath his words.
"That ability of his… it could interfere with our plans."
Tōsen Kaname tightened his grip on his Zanpakutō, Suzumushi, his expression dark and determined.
"Justice shall never retreat, Lord Aizen. Allow me to eliminate him immediately."
But Aizen simply closed his eyes for a moment, his smirk never faltering.
"Uehara Shiroha—or Ōtsutsuki Naruto—was fully aware that by revealing his ability, he would attract our attention."
He reopened his eyes, his gaze as cold and calculating as ever.
"And yet, he still chose to do it anyway."
Gin's expression remained unreadable.
"That means… he wants us to react?"
Aizen's smirk deepened.
"Exactly."
A glint of amusement flickered in his gaze.
"It's the same as Hollow Night. He's perfectly fine with us making our next move."
He turned away from his subordinates, his mind already a dozen steps ahead.
"Besides… he is the perfect tool to test the limits of the Incomplete Hōgyoku."
His voice was laced with pure confidence.
"Let him serve his purpose. If he eliminates unqualified Arrancars along the way, even better."
Though Gin, Tōsen, and Szayelaporro all lowered their heads in acceptance, a shadow of doubt flickered across Tōsen's face.
Gin, on the other hand, remained as unreadable as ever—as if he had already expected this outcome.
Szayelaporro, however, hid his true thoughts behind a sly smirk.
His mind was already racing with new experiments to conduct.
While Aizen and his subordinates had access to direct information, the same could not be said for the rest of Soul Society or the Visored.
Within the barrier of the Visored , tension ran high.
The sudden surge of spiritual pressure had startled them, leaving many to suspect that their Hollowfication process was destabilizing.
Hachigen Ushōda, the barrier specialist, wasted no time in reinforcing layer upon layer of protective seals, only to reach an unexpected conclusion—
"It's not coming from us."
A heavy silence settled among them.
If it wasn't them—
Then who the hell possessed such power that even their hidden barrier was affected?!
Meanwhile, in the human world—inside Urahara Kisuke's small, unassuming shop—
The atmosphere was anything but casual.
Tessai Tsukabishi, his towering frame imposing, finished casting a high-level Kidō before nodding toward Urahara.
"Manager… the confirmation is complete. Even Soul Society felt the disturbance."
A heavy pause followed.
"What do you think? Could it be Aizen's doing?"
Urahara Kisuke, who had been quietly analyzing the situation, finally spoke.
"If it were Aizen, he would have been much more subtle."
Adjusting his hat, his sharp eyes glimmered with intrigue.
"We didn't detect any significant fluctuations in spiritual pressure in the human world, nor did anything major happen in Seireitei."
Then, suddenly—his expression changed.
A spark of realization flickered in his gaze.
"That means—"
His voice dropped to a murmur.
"Hueco Mundo…?"
A slow smirk spread across his lips.
"Are you finally making your move…?"
He leaned forward, an unmistakable gleam of excitement in his eyes.
"This is going to be interesting… I'll be watching closely."
Tessai frowned in confusion.
"Manager?"
Urahara didn't answer.
Instead, his grin widened.
Hueco Mundo – Under the Moonlight
Beneath the pale crescent moon, Uehara Shiroha stood motionless, his white haori billowing in the cold desert breeze.
[Bankai: Shunkyō Jikūsen] is the first stage of Shunkyō's Bankai, and its effect is deceptively simple—it allows Uehara Shiroha to exert his power upon enemies in the past.
By erasing an enemy's past, he effectively destroys their present and future, eliminating them from existence itself.
Meanwhile, Shunkyō's second-stage Shikai grants him the ability to manipulate space, allowing him to strike his opponents using spatial distortions.
This attack, similar to the Kamui technique, possesses immense lethality and can bypass traditional defenses entirely. However, its biggest limitation lies in its accuracy—hitting a high-speed, evasive target is far more challenging than simply attacking a stationary foe.
Against ordinary enemies, this presents no issue.
But when facing true monsters—those who have mastered high-speed movement techniques or possess absurdly overpowered abilities—the window of opportunity to land a fatal strike becomes significantly harder to grasp.
Upon activating [Bankai: Shunkyō Jikūsen], Uehara Shiroha could directly attack enemies in the past, wielding the power of space as his weapon.
It was an ability that defied conventional combat logic—if his attack landed, the enemy would die, no exceptions.
It was, in short, broken.
The stronger the enemy, the greater the spiritual pressure consumption when invoking Shunkyō Jikūsen.
With his current level, he could guarantee an instant kill on a millenium captain-level opponent, but against those who had transcended that tier…
Even for him, it would still be difficult.
For now.
That, however, was only a matter of time.
With a Bankai this powerful, it would be greedy to ask for even more.
Uehara Shiroha turned his gaze toward Kyōnyaku Palace, where Aizen resided.
A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
"Aizen should be quite pleased with the little gift I sent him."
Logically speaking, with a hidden second-stage Bankai, there was a chance that he could deceive Aizen.
But Uehara Shiroha knew better.
Aizen was not someone who could be easily tricked.
And besides—he had no reason to try.
He was neither a noble nor a loyal dog of the Soul King. There was no obligation for him to take up arms against Aizen for the sake of Soul Society.
If Aizen was rational enough to establish an understanding, then Uehara Shiroha wouldn't mind maintaining a mutual non-interference.
Of course, his true confidence didn't come from alliances or diplomacy—
It lay in his trump cards.
The Soul Gem.
The Second-Stage Bankai.
And countless future mission rewards that had yet to manifest.
That was his true foundation.
While lost in thought, he slowly made his way back to the Hueco Mundo base.
Once a month, Uehara Shiroha conducted his routine patrol around the base.
The primary objective?
To eliminate any nearby threats—Hollows that posed potential risks to the base's stability.
However, after tonight's display, it was highly unlikely that any Hollow in Hueco Mundo would dare to act up for the next few years.
As he reflected on the previous battle, he analyzed the combat experience he had gained.
The Hollows' abilities and techniques had been flashy—but ultimately, they lacked real lethality.
"All that flair, but their actual damage was nothing more than scratches."
With his bankai mastery, their so-called ultimate moves barely registered as a threat.
Still, he would take note.
Upon arriving at the base, the atmosphere changed instantly.
The moment the subordinates saw him, their admiring gazes locked onto his figure.
These were no ordinary soldiers—many of them were once notorious villains, powerful and ruthless in their own right.
Yet now, as they stood before their commander, their expressions contained nothing but reverence and fear.
Even though they had only experienced the aftermath of his battle from afar, it had been enough to weaken their legs and choke their breath.
They could hardly imagine what it had been like at the center of that battlefield.
Some of them had harbored ambitions before.
Some had even entertained thoughts of defiance.
But now—
Every single one of those reckless thoughts had been erased.
Even the boldest among them knew better now.
"We may be ruthless…" they thought, "but compared to him… we are nothing."
Uehara Shiroha, however, paid them no attention.
He simply strode through the base, his presence alone commanding absolute silence.
He headed toward the very heart of the base—to a hidden entrance, concealed behind layers of security.
With a casual step forward, he passed through an invisible barrier, reaching a staircase that led deep underground.
Each step he took activated new layers of defense.
The further he descended, the more heavily fortified the barriers became.
In terms of defensive security, the protection here was on par with Soul Society's Great Noble Families—perhaps even more extreme.
At the end of the staircase lay a vast underground laboratory, brightly illuminated despite its depth.
The moment he stepped inside—
Dozens of researchers immediately stood up in unison.
"Commander, thank you for your hard work!" they saluted, their voices filled with absolute respect.
Unlike the soldiers, these technicians were his most trusted personnel.
To them, Uehara Shiroha was not just a leader—
He was a visionary, the one who had given them opportunities and trust that they never would have received in Soul Society.
Unlike the Shinigami's Technology Development Bureau, where scientists were undervalued, the Court Army had elevated them to their rightful status.
Here, their work was recognized. Their contributions mattered.
Uehara Shiroha nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
"I've already reviewed your research progress. You're doing well."
His voice was calm, yet it carried weight.
"The Court Army will not forget your contributions."
The technicians' eyes burned with passion.
"To serve the Comannder and the Court Army is our greatest honor!" they responded in unison.
For them, death meant nothing—if it was for the cause they now believed in.
Time passed in a blur.
Two months had gone by since the battle.
And during this time—
The world had grown eerily silent.
Whether in Hueco Mundo, Seireitei, or the Human World—
The strong had all chosen to lie low.
No major battles.
No unnecessary conflicts.
It was as if a silent agreement had been reached among the great powers—
For now, they would focus on their own developments, each one preparing for what was to come.
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