Information determines everything.
This is a time-honored truth passed down since the dawn of time.
A primitive man who lacks information about the forest is bitten to death by a tiger.
People who never learn a system of writing suffer for a lifetime.
Those ignorant of laws and regulations do not even realize they are being disadvantaged.
How much more so in war?
War is a place where blood mixes with sweat to flow back into the mouth, where groans and screams swirl like a small, boundless void.
As one rises above the rank of a mere soldier and into the chain of command, one must broaden their perspective to a macroscopic level.
Every small word and every single reaction must be carefully observed and judged.
And just as logical thinking expands in the process of evolving from an ignorant ape into a human...
Tricks and deceptions are bound to overflow.
This cannot be called cowardly or ugly; rather, it is the best possible action for the benefit of the collective.
Occasionally, there are fools who get carried away and brag about their own abilities, but their ends have never been pleasant.
But I digress.
This blessed fortress, maintained by His Majesty’s power, is also part of that deception.
By forming a hidden world within the Seireitei, like a shadow attached to one's feet, the Soul Reapers cannot even perceive us.
However, the greatest advantage is that the reverse is always true.
In this way, we have observed the ignorant Soul Reapers since a thousand years before I was even born, sometimes referencing their techniques to improve our own technology.
As the years piled up, this helped create an astronomical gap between us and them.
However, the current method requires one absolute premise.
'The Soul Reapers must not be able to perceive the Wandenreich.'
Unless this sentence holds true, this method becomes nothing more than a gamble.
In this critical time when His Majesty is regaining his reason, if the Soul Reapers—especially the veterans of the past war—were to realize the Wandenreich's survival, serious complications would arise.
For that reason, travel to the Soul Society is currently strictly prohibited, and operations in the World of the Living are only conducted locally.
And yet.
Bzzzt—
The 'Entry Detection Device' for the Wandenreich, which was considered a fail-safe, reacted.
Since the passages to the World of the Living are strictly controlled, the origin of this reaction is...
"The Soul Society."
"I will check it immediately."
At the news that burst in while a unit organization meeting was in progress, the two highest-ranking officials in the conference room rose swiftly.
Assistant to the Emperor and Grandmaster of the Sternritter, Schrift B, Jugram Haschwalth.
Operations Staff and Commander of the Forces, Schrift J, Quilge Opie.
"They opened the Schatten Bereich and entered. It is undoubtedly a Quincy."
"But just in case, I shall go personally. In exchange, please authorize eight Oberführers and one company to accompany me."
"Authorized."
Quilge's Schrift is 'The Jail.'
It forms a spherical prison that can almost absolutely imprison those who are not Quincies.
Therefore, as long as the target is not a Quincy, his ability allows for capture regardless of their numbers.
Furthermore, even excluding his Schrift, Quilge is a powerhouse within the top five.
A few Oberführers are merely insurance, treated as little more than porters.
Above all, while he may have a tendency to look down on others, he is not the type to fail by being loose-lipped or by underestimating or overestimating a situation.
It was a significant advantage that set him apart from the other Sternritter.
Both Haschwalth and Quilge himself knew this fact, so they did not waste time with tedious talk.
"Then, I shall depart. Follow me."
"Einverstanden!"
The sound of sharp military boots echoed.
****
Phenomena that could not be explained by modern science were scattered before my eyes.
A pitch-black sky, as if painted with dark ink, without a sun, a moon, or even celestial bodies or clouds.
A color alien even to space, where subtle colors mix due to the planets.
I wondered if a black hole that sucks in even light would look like that.
But it couldn't be a black hole.
In this place where there was no sun, no flame, and not even an artificial light source like a bulb, my vision was clear.
It was an environment where my eyes could perceive various colors beyond just black and white.
It was highly questionable how such a phenomenon was maintained when the objects themselves were not light sources emitting radiance.
But the strangest thing of all... was that white something rising in the distance.
It didn't look like the Hollows I saw before I died.
That thing was completely stationary, with a flat top, looking like a low hill that had been artificially sliced.
Since everything else was a flat plain where the horizon—the boundary of form—was visible, I decided that staying put would be a waste of time.
I began to approach.
As I drew closer, I could see that it was a single structure.
It wasn't paint. That was ice.
A temple made of ice? A palace?
Two massive rectangular parallelepipeds were placed horizontally like a dolmen, with pillars erected between them.
Pointy, curved cones in a semi-circular shape seemed to sprout from the ground.
There was no confirmation, but inferring the identity of the person who used the Gate earlier, that space belonged to them.
Them... they were, the Quincy.
Yes, it must be the Quincies' residence, or a part of it.
I didn't know whether the attitude they would show me would be one of hospitality or hostility, though.
"So it's you. The cause of this unnecessary variable."
It was instantaneous.
I had clearly been approaching from the direction of the building in front of me, yet it took only a moment for my back to be taken.
It was before I could even blink.
Blue footholds fluttered beneath his feet. The way the edges were frayed, unable to withstand the speed, showed the user's ability.
Soon, a large number of people surrounded me.
"My, a Quincy. For now, you'll have to come with us. Follow quietly."
I thought that perhaps I was someone who just didn't have very good social timing.
****
"What is the status of the search?"
The Seireitei, the headquarters of the Soul Reapers located in the center of the Soul Society.
The 1st Division barracks and the Captain-Commander's office located at its center.
And the Captain-Commander's office on the top floor, located at the very center of that.
The room next to that office was generally used for meetings of the Captain-class officers.
However, today was an exception, and a meeting was being held inside the Captain-Commander's office itself.
Twelve people in total, six on each side—the twelve Captains who lead the Gotei 13—were lined up.
And in the center.
An old man with a completely bald head, deep wrinkles, a beard long enough to be tied with a cord, and drooping eyebrows.
He was an old man who could somehow give off a benevolent impression.
However, no one in this place dared to take him lightly.
No, it went beyond that; he was a man of such authority that no one could even stand as his equal.
Captain of the 1st Division of the Gotei 13 and the supreme authoritative commander of the Soul Society.
'Captain-Commander' Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni.
He asked a question, revealing a very slight, yet heavy trace of anger.
"Yes, we are currently conducting a search by mobilizing all members under my command.
I am personally overseeing the investigation of the destroyed 12th Division barracks and laboratory wing through the 1st unit.
Considering the possibility of escape to the Rukongai outside the Seireitei, the 2nd unit has been dispatched, and the 5th unit is being utilized for information transmission to maintain confidentiality."
The Stealth Force, a private military group that performed intelligence, execution, and covert operations under the control of the Shihoin family.
The 2nd Division's Stealth Force, which inherited that lineage and operated in a form virtually unified with the division.
Captain of the 2nd Division, Soi Fon, delivered the report.
As one of the newest among the Captain-class, she was not very accustomed to such situations.
The mere atmosphere of the Captain-Commander, which seemed to weigh heavily on the air, was enough to make her break into a cold sweat.
Of course, the other Captains weren't exactly used to it either.
"Increase the personnel without leaking information. Preserve the destroyed facilities to secure evidence, and conduct a forensic investigation with the cooperation of the 12th Division.
Do not only consider physical exits; perform a multi-faceted analysis through Reishi technology."
"Yes, sir."
"—Mayuri Kurotsuchi."
"...Yes, Captain-Commander."
Genryusai's eyes turned toward Mayuri.
Not a violent flame that would burn everything, but a gaze even heavier... a gaze that seemed like it would melt rather than burn everything it touched, fell upon him.
"Punishment for this matter will be handled after the investigation is fully completed. Cooperate with the 2nd Division's investigation."
"...I shall obey."
As the heat subsided, his gaze returned to the center.
Now, all the Captains were within his sight.
"Additionally."
Thump!
He tapped his staff on the ground.
"A new possibility has been presented through this incident. If it was not a physical escape, it means there is a way for Quincies to freely enter and exit the interior of the Seireitei."
One cannot worry excessively just because a single Quincy who died in the World of the Living escaped.
However, if an unknown method of escape exists that the Soul Reapers are unaware of...
And if that method is commonly known...
Countless possibilities open up, one after another.
"Or they may still be hiding. Either way, it is clear that this will be a significant threat to the security of the Soul Society.
However, to prevent excessive chaos, this matter will be kept partially confidential, and a gag order will be issued to the outside.
Furthermore, identify and report on the behavior of Quincies who have survived or died in the World of the Living from now on. And through their cooperation, obtain even more detailed information on Quincies. The 12th Division will also continue analysis from a scientific perspective."
"Is that understood?"
""Yes, sir!""
Along with the solemn instruction, a synchronized response echoed.
"Of course, you are to report every single step of that process to me without exception, Kurotsuchi."
"Yes..."
Naturally, he did not forget the preventive warning.
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