BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted.
The entire screen was instantly engulfed in an overwhelming crimson light.
Then—Urahara's expression froze.
Struck by the Bala, he plummeted through the air like a kite with its string cut.
It seemed…
He had been defeated just like that!
---
Urahara Shop.
"Hahahahaha…"
"Wiped out the moment you appeared? Boss, were you trying to be funny on purpose? I never knew you had such a knack for comedy!"
Watching the scene unfold on the glowing screen, Tessai couldn't hold back his laughter.
He had to admit—
Urahara's entrance had been quite stylish.
But what was the point?
Not a single line of dialogue—instantly taken down in the blink of an eye.
It was the most pathetic kind of background character treatment!
"Now that I think about it…"
"When did you sneak off to film this? No way—don't tell me you actually want to be a movie star?"
Tessai was laughing so hard he nearly teared up.
As Kisuke's longtime friend, nothing brought him more joy than seeing the shopkeeper suffer a little misfortune.
However—
Despite Tessai's teasing, Urahara remained silent, his eyes locked on the upper right corner of the screen, his expression unusually serious.
This reaction—
Made Tessai realize that something wasn't right!
"Boss, what's wrong? Why the long face? This isn't like you."
He patted Urahara on the shoulder, unused to seeing him so grim.
"Tessai, look closely—there's another figure in the top right corner of the screen!"
Urahara pointed at a barely visible, hulking shadow lingering in the crimson glow.
"You mean…?"
"First—this isn't some movie. I have no recollection of ever being in this footage."
"Second—"
"The explosive red flash just now carried an intense, violent presence. Don't you think it feels just like a Cero?"
After his brief explanation, Urahara voiced his suspicion.
"No way! You're saying… the one who attacked you was a Menos?!"
Tessai immediately grasped the implication, his face filled with shock.
"It's very likely."
"I have to say, this glowing screen is truly incredible! Just from watching, I could actually feel the intensity of the spiritual pressure—as if I were right there! It's unbelievable!"
Urahara's voice was filled with amazement.
That explosion—
For a moment, he had felt as though he were physically experiencing it.
But what shocked him the most—
Was the wild, untamed presence hidden within that red glow.
It was unmistakably the spiritual pressure of a Menos!
"Boss, what the hell is going on?"
Tessai was completely bewildered.
For a second, he thought Urahara was just messing with him, that this was some crazy new technology he had developed.
But—
Urahara's reaction, his tone, and his words were all too genuine.
Tessai thought back carefully.
The boss was right!
The crimson light in the footage did resemble the spiritual pressure of a Menos.
Could it be…
Urahara had fought a Menos before, and someone had somehow captured the footage?
---
Elsewhere.
Fifth Division – Underground Base.
Just like at Urahara's shop, the atmosphere here was also strangely tense.
"…Captain Aizen."
"That was a Bala, wasn't it? Don't tell me the Espada have infiltrated the Human World without permission?"
Gin's usual sly grin faded, his voice laced with uncertainty.
This wasn't right.
As the overseer of Hueco Mundo, he dealt with Arrancar on a regular basis.
Those bloodthirsty monsters rarely acknowledged authority—even he wasn't an exception.
But not a single one would dare defy Aizen's orders.
And Aizen had never given the command to attack the Human World.
So how could this footage exist?
What exactly was happening?
"…Gin."
"It seems we may have misjudged Mayuri Kurotsuchi. He's not behind this."
Aizen's lips curled into a faint, knowing smile, his eyes gleaming with intrigue.
Kisuke Urahara…
He had been keeping tabs on him for a long time.
But seeing the man appear so openly like this—
Now that was unexpected.
"If I had to guess, I'd say this glowing screen is one of his latest inventions. However… it doesn't seem like he's trying to provoke us."
Aizen analyzed the situation calmly, trying to decipher Urahara's intentions.
"Besides—"
"The Arrancar have never left Hueco Mundo, that much is certain."
His voice carried absolute conviction.
He always had everything under control. There was no way his forces had disobeyed him.
Just then—
The footage changed again!
---
"Hmph! Hahahaha!"
"Shinigami! Let me tell you—"
"That move just now was called a Bala! By condensing spiritual pressure, I can unleash rapid explosions—twenty times faster than a Cero!
A massive figure clad in a white coat grinned wickedly.
Yammy Llargo.
His jagged teeth gleamed as he clenched his massive fists, a crimson glow swirling around them.
One punch after another—
Yammy fired multiple Bala, reducing the area where Urahara had fallen to rubble!
---
"That's… Yammy?!"
"What the hell?! A high-ranking Espada leading an invasion of the Human World?!"
Kaname Tōsen, usually silent, was visibly angered. His hand instinctively gripped the hilt of his Zanpakutō.
Defying Aizen's command.
Invading Karakura Town without permission.
To him, this was an offense punishable by death.
"Wait."
"Tōsen, don't be so hasty. Haven't you noticed?"
"Yammy isn't alone. Luppi and Wonderweiss are also there."
Aizen's calm voice interrupted.
Standing with his hands behind his back, he narrowed his gaze at a specific figure on the left side of the screen.
Wonderweiss Margela.
The one who seals flames.
Among the Arrancar, his importance was second only to the Espada.
Aizen had created him specifically to counter Captain-Commander Yamamoto's Ryūjin Jakka.
He had only recently been Arrancarized with the Hōgyoku.
And Aizen had strictly ordered him to remain in Las Noches until the perfect moment.
Yet here he was—
This was what truly caught Aizen's attention.
More than Yammy's presence—
Why was Wonderweiss there?
---
Hueco Mundo.
The sky was an endless expanse of blue, white clouds drifting lazily.
Inside the grandest palace of Las Noches, an enraged voice roared—
"Damn it! Why isn't that bastard dead?!"
"And—no way! There's no way I'm that weak!"
Staring at the enormous glowing screen, Yammy's furious expression twisted in disbelief as he watched his battered, burnt self.
With a furious roar, he slammed his fist against the wall beside him.
He had been completely humiliated.
He thought he had been dominating—
Only to get countered and wrecked in an instant.
The shame was unbearable!
---
(Side Note)
Bala (虚弹) is a technique used by Arrancar, a rapid spiritual pressure-based blast faster than a Cero.
Wonderweiss Margela was specially modified by Aizen to nullify Captain-Commander Yamamoto's fire-based abilities.
Las Noches is the palace in Hueco Mundo where Aizen rules over the Arrancar.