Chapter 469 - 469: Spatial Isolation, Arrancar, and the Plan for the World of the Living

Of course, all of Cyrus's conclusions depended on what happened next matching his expectations.

For now, he needed to wait until Soul Society began mobilizing Shinigami on a large scale and see whether that caused any unusual changes.

As for Aizen, Cyrus sent him off to Las Noches along with the Hollows who had yet to become Arrancar.

At this point, Aizen probably still couldn't fully fuse the Hōgyoku. One important factor was missing.

In the original story, the Hōgyoku required a considerable amount of time to awaken completely, though a woman in the World of the Living possessed a power that could accelerate the process.

The problem was that, according to the current timeline, that woman shouldn't even exist yet.

But if the World of the Living already existed in the era when Ichigo was around, then Cyrus's suspicions would be almost completely confirmed.

…

Aboard the Rose Hunter, Cyrus looked at Robin, Hancock, and Baby 5.

"Are you three staying on the ship this time, or coming with me to the World of the Living?"

"Will it be dangerous?"

Robin immediately focused on the important part.

"Not really."

Cyrus shook his head.

"At this point, there shouldn't be anything left here capable of putting me in real danger."

"Then naturally I should go and help Lord Cyrus."

Hancock answered without hesitation.

Baby 5 looked down, slightly dejected.

"Too bad I'm too weak to be much help."

"If this goes smoothly, we should be able to return to our world soon."

Cyrus reached over and patted her head.

All three women froze.

"We can go back?"

Surprise quickly turned to delight.

They hadn't been in this world for very long, but being completely cut off from their own still left them feeling strangely rootless.

Hearing that a way home might already be within reach was naturally welcome news.

"That's why I want you to wait here this time."

Cyrus raised one hand.

"I'll temporarily isolate the space around the ship."

An invisible spatial barrier spread outward, sealing the Rose Hunter and its surroundings away from the rest of Hueco Mundo.

"This ability?"

Robin immediately recognized it.

"If you isolate the space, wouldn't you trap yourself inside too?"

She knew how Cyrus's spatial ability worked. Once the area was sealed, even its user normally couldn't simply cross the boundary.

"I can leave with the Door-Door Fruit."

Cyrus waved away the concern.

"I won't be gone long."

"Then be careful."

Robin understood that Cyrus didn't want them following him this time, so she didn't insist.

Still, she couldn't completely suppress the frustration of not being strong enough to help.

Hancock showed it even more clearly.

She had never been particularly good at hiding her emotions, and like Baby 5, she was visibly annoyed that her strength wasn't useful to Cyrus right now.

After settling the three of them aboard the ship, Cyrus headed straight for Las Noches.

When he arrived, enormous numbers of Hollows were moving around like worker ants, rapidly constructing a vast palace complex.

"This guy…"

Cyrus had to admit Aizen was much better at putting Hollows to work than he was.

He had barely appeared when two figures approached.

Cyrus looked over the two women and raised an eyebrow.

"He already succeeded? That fast?"

Nelliel and Harribel had both changed.

Nelliel, whose Arrancar transformation had previously been incomplete, and Harribel, who hadn't become an Arrancar at all, had now both completed the process.

Nelliel still wore part of her ram-like Hollow mask on her head. She quickly nodded.

"Not just us. There are others too."

Harribel stood with one hand on her hip, watching Cyrus with an almost eager expression.

She clearly wanted to know how long her new strength would last against him.

Cyrus ignored the challenge in her eyes.

These Arrancar had evolved from powerful Hollows. Pride and aggression were part of their nature.

Even someone like Nelliel possessed some of that temperament.

By the time Cyrus found Aizen, he had just put the Hōgyoku away.

"You don't have to guard it from me."

Cyrus looked amused.

"I'm not interested in that thing."

"Not interested?"

Aizen smiled.

"That's only because you don't understand what it represents."

"It can grant the desires of its holder."

"Your desires."

Cyrus corrected him.

"Don't include me in that."

Aizen's smile stiffened.

The dismissive way Cyrus said it—as though everyone in this world were simply too limited to understand what real power looked like—was deeply irritating.

But Aizen still couldn't see through him.

Not even after witnessing his fight with Yamamoto.

Cyrus had seemed almost unaffected by the battle, as though this entire world were merely a playground to him.

Aizen, by contrast, had always felt the invisible restrictions of this world pressing down around him.

"I came because I'm heading to the World of the Living soon."

Cyrus looked toward the Hōgyoku.

"And that thing still needs a catalyst before it can fully awaken and let you truly grasp power beyond the limits of a Shinigami."

Aizen's expression changed.

"What catalyst?"

He couldn't stop himself from asking.

The Hōgyoku's fusion did indeed require time.

A great deal of it.

"A certain ability—or perhaps a certain kind of power."

Cyrus turned his head toward another part of the room.

"You'll need to find it in the World of the Living."

Rukia Kuchiki was being held nearby, dimly glowing chains of symbols wrapped around her body. She gritted her teeth as she glared toward them.

"How do I find it?"

Aizen noticed Cyrus looking at Rukia but paid her little attention. His interest was entirely on the information Cyrus had just revealed.

"That part is up to you."

Cyrus shrugged.

"Just remember that you don't have much time."

Aizen fell silent.

His thoughts returned to everything Cyrus had said before.

What bothered him most was Cyrus's repeated questioning about why the World of the Living consisted only of Karakura Town.

At the time, Aizen had seen nothing strange about it.

But after everything Cyrus had said since then, even he had begun to feel the absurd possibility that this world was artificial—or perhaps deliberately constructed by someone.

And coming from Cyrus, who had now openly revealed himself as an outsider, the claim carried far more weight.

There were things that seemed perfectly natural when viewed from inside a system.

An outsider could notice the flaws immediately.

"I understand."

Aizen nodded and stopped pressing him.

Cyrus clearly wasn't going to explain further.

Or perhaps he genuinely knew only that such a power existed and had no idea where to find it either.

"I need to borrow the strength of these Arrancar."

Aizen looked toward Cyrus.

The surrounding Arrancar turned as well.

Aizen might have helped them complete their transformations and obtain greater power, but they were still far more wary of Cyrus.

This was Hueco Mundo.

Strength mattered above everything else.

Cyrus glanced around.

Most of the Arrancar were now recognizable, their appearances increasingly close to what he remembered.

"Do whatever you want with them."

He waved a hand.

"But Soul Society will probably be active in the World of the Living soon too."

"That's hardly surprising."

Aizen had expected as much. After everything that happened in Soul Society, the Shinigami were bound to take the situation seriously.

He looked thoughtful.

"The World of the Living is the center of this conflict."

Then he asked the obvious question.

"What happens if Karakura Town is destroyed?"

Cyrus merely spread his hands.

He didn't give an answer.

Because until it actually happened, even he didn't know.