Mayuri prepared enough seats for everyone while pondering about the snakes that were tying up the members of the Zero Division, 'Fascinating... To think something flimsy could hold someone like them. And they don't feel special at all.' His eyes landed on the black-haired girl but the latter just ignored him and sat down beside Kisuke, 'I only heard a nonsensical story, but I wonder how much truth was behind it?'
Tenjirou and Senjumaru didn't hesitate anymore and also sat down, "To think those idiots would actually start a civil war. Were they too bored?", muttered the former.
"Don't make it sound like you're not involved," Mayuri replied while giving him a side-eye.
"But we're not. It's not our problem unless the balance is threatened." Tenjirou shrugged his shoulders, "I can't say the same for Ichibei, though. He's the only one who has the freedom to act on his own."
"And it's not like we're aware of most of his independent actions." Senjumaru supplemented.
Kisuke and Mayuri glanced at each other. Although they are not saying it outright, they are trying to hint at their current stance in the current series of events.
Kisuke then turned to Ophis and said, "Ophis-chan, please release them."
Ophis tilted her head towards him, "Are you certain?"
Kisuke nodded at her with a smile, "Even if they start fighting, it's easy for you to erase them, right?"
Mayuri's eyes widened while Tenjirou and Senjumaru shuddered because he was not absolutely joking.
With the same small smile, Ophis let out a proud harrumph and said, "Of course. I'm strong, after all."
At the same time, the snakes coiling around Tenjirou and Senjumaru started disintegrating into nothing, freeing them and allowing them to utilize their Reiatsu. Naturally, both of them didn't do anything that would trigger the terrifying little girl and just sat obediently.
Also, at that moment, everyone felt Yamamoto's dense Reiatsu flaring up outside with the air slowly drying up.
While looking up, Mayuri commented, "This thing isn't going to take long. But it's going to be noisy for a while."
"Then what about going to my place? Can you leave your station for a while?"
Mayuri turned back to Kisuke with a suspicious look.
"I'm not going to do anything bad. I also want to check on Nimaiya-san's status and the work I left him."
Mayuri stood up and started operating his phone to send various messages, "Alright, let's go. Akon should know what to do in my absence. I'm also bringing Nemu with me."
Kisuke didn't mind and said, "I think I'll also bring Claire, Kunou, and Tanis. They'll be able to rest easier at home."
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Ophis led the way by teleporting everyone to their home which was a large mansion in the middle of nowhere.
"As expected... That house in the Human World was just for show. But to think you're hiding in the Valley of Screams... I'm regularly scanning these pocket dimensions but nothing like this ever came up."
"I'd be more amazed if you can actually find this place," Kisuke replied as they felt another presence quickly approaching.
It was only a split second later that Ouetsu appeared in front of the group with a surprised expression, "Urahara... And you brought Tenjirou and Senjumaru with you? How?"
Tenjirou glared at Ouetsu for a moment but immediately calmed down, "You know what? Forget it. We also don't know what the hell is going on. I'm curious about something though. How did you escape from Zero Division's contract?"
Ouetsu displayed a large grin and fixed his sunglasses, "I hope you haven't forgotten. I'm the one who created the brush he used to write that contract."
"So you already have an idea what Ichibei truly is." Senjumaru joined in.
"Of course I do. I've known him even before the initial conception of beings called Shinigami."
"Then what is he?" Tenjirou asked.
However, Tenjirou only received a shrug, "Who knows? At that time, all I knew and wanted to do is to swing my hammer and play with fire. I didn't care what those guys were doing with the Soul King." And while speaking, Ouetsu's eyes slowly drifted toward Kisuke, "If there's someone who knows, it's probably this guy."
That resulted in all eyes present landing on Kisuke, prompting him to respond, "I have a clue but I'm not certain. I intend to let everyone know my hypothesis in the process of planning out our countermeasures against those maggots. But before that, let's call in another person." Kisuke approached Ophis and continued, "Ophis-chan, I have another favor. Once that guest arrives, I want you to..."
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Half an hour after Kisuke's group's arrival, Ophis was standing alone in a wide field not far from the mansion. The task that was given to her this time was to wait for a certain man.
Because of her not-so-standard perception of time, Ophis didn't know that half an hour had already passed. Thankfully, Ophis didn't have to wait long as she detected a fluctuation in space.
She immediately sprung into action and summoned a six-foot wide and a hundred-foot long jet-black snake with glistening purple eyes.
A tall man wearing an all-black with a white trimming outfit, swept-back brown hair, and a pair of menacing brown eyes appeared with a calm expression after a violet light flashed briefly. However, that calm expression instantly turned bewildered when he saw a giant snake about to swallow him whole, "...Hmm?"
As a response, he released his absolutely massive Reiatsu that's enough to erase the existence of any normal people just by being around him.
His weaponized Reiatsu, which was enough to take down the Royal Palace, slammed into the incoming snake's mouth. But to his surprise, the snake only slowed down a bit, albeit started disintegrating.
The man's violet Reiatsu intensified. Even though the snake was about to gulp him down, it couldn't bite down and was blown off into countless pieces.
He immediately noticed that the snake was not a true living being and turned his attention to the little girl who attacked him, "You are... That being who fended off that mechanical lifeform from Urahara's memories."
He then pointed his right hand towards him and conjured a violet ball of pure destructive Reiryoku. Despite his calm demeanor, he still wouldn't easily let go of anyone whose attack almost reached him.
He released a second ball and sent it flying towards Ophis. To his surprise once again, Ophis didn't move at all and continued to stand her ground. The violet ball of destruction squarely hit her on the stomach and it was soon followed by a flash of violet light engulfing Ophis and her surroundings.
The violet light produced a massive explosion that sent debris and dust all around. The man, however, was in for the third surprise when the dust cleared up and found the little girl without any damage and still standing, now in mid-air because under her was just a giant crater still glowing red from the heat.
The man, Sosuke Aizen, smiled, "Interesting."
However, this man was fated to be surprised for the fourth time today.