The crater still smoked. Seared earth groaned beneath the weight of residual spiritual pressure that clung like static in the air. Ash floated gently, a snowstorm of scorched memory drifting through the ruins where once a mountainside had stood.
Shinigami patrols arrived in waves, some wide-eyed with disbelief, others grim and wary. The few who had survived the onslaught spoke only in fragments: "Light and darkness… blended...", "Moved like nothing I'd ever seen…", "He looked like a god."
The evidence was impossible to refute. Cracked spirit barriers, fractured ley lines in the terrain, entire formations disabled with surgical precision. This wasn't a wild massacre—it was the footprint of controlled devastation.
Reports flooded into Seireitei.
Gotei 13 Headquarters – Captain-Commander's Office
Yamamoto stood motionless, Ryūjin Jakka resting against the floor. The scroll in his hand trembled slightly.
"Confirmed Bankai signature: Zhuoyin no Kouyami," a vice-officer recited. "Visuals describe dual-element manipulation of high-level Light and Void-based techniques. Estimated synchronization above 80%."
"And Aizen?" Yamamoto asked without turning.
"Sightings confirm coordinated tactics with illusion-based suppression. Estimated combat efficiency approaching Captain-class."
Yamamoto's gaze dropped to the flames within his teacup. "They grow stronger every time we delay."
"What are your orders, sir?"
His silence lingered.
Then—"Full mobilization. Squad 2 and Squad 6 will lead the pursuit. Order containment. If they resist… neutralize."
Central 46 Chambers
"They defied the decree!" barked a noble official. "They've obliterated property, assaulted officers—!"
"They were attacked first," one of the few unaligned voices countered. "And the noble agents they defeated were operating without formal sanction."
Tokinada Tsunayashiro smiled faintly from the shadows. "Does it matter? The damage is done. Now we act."
A new edict was written. Immediate capture or elimination of Akira and Aizen. All squads on high alert.
Elsewhere in Seireitei — Captain Ukitake's Quarters
"This is a mistake," Ukitake murmured, rereading the report.
Shunsui leaned beside the window, watching the reishi storm fading in the distance. "Feels like déjà vu, doesn't it?"
"They're not the same as the ones who came before. This isn't rebellion—it's survival."
"Then maybe we need to decide which side of history we're standing on."
Research & Development – Urahara's Lab
Urahara's smile widened as he held up the printout. "Fascinating… Zhuoyin's Bankai compression patterns resemble Soul King fragment harmonics. And the energy spike was felt as far as the Human World."
Tessai adjusted his glasses. "Shall I prepare the dimensional stabilizers?"
"No, not yet. Let's watch a little longer. The butterfly's wings are still flapping."
Kuchiki Manor
Byakuya read the combat summary with rigid posture. His hands, however, trembled slightly.
"Zhuoyin's Bankai… a dual-element glaive… constructs of light and void…"
He closed the report, eyes narrowing. "So even his raw power now surpasses me."
His next words were quiet but resolved. "Then I must ascend further."
Back in the Wilderness — A New Dawn
Akira and Aizen moved swiftly, concealed beneath layers of Kidō and misdirection. Zhuoyin's glow had receded, but the memory of its flare still reverberated through the land.
"They'll hunt harder now," Aizen said. "We've shown too much."
"They needed to see," Akira replied, his eyes clear. "Now they know we're not running because we're afraid."
"No," Aizen agreed. "We're running because the truth isn't ready to be heard. But when it is…"
[SYSTEM UPDATE: GLOBAL ALERT — Akira (Zhuoyin no Kouyami) marked: HIGH PRIORITY THREAT.][New Quest Triggered: "Survive and Subvert: Reach the Next Faction."]
Above them, the morning sun filtered through broken clouds, casting streaks of gold and shadow over their path.
The world had changed.
And the hunt had begun anew.