Control Center, Schatten Bereich
The Soldat were on even higher alert today.
They may have initially succeeded in decimating Seireitei and killing its Head Captain, but with the loss of Yhwach and the death of Haschwalth by an unknown foe, they were forced into a state of heightened vigilance. Every anomaly, every fluctuation in Reishi—nothing could go unchecked. The Vandenreich's Reishi Surveillance Network constantly monitored any distortions in the balance of power, scanning the Human World, Soul Society, and even their own realm for the smallest sign of disruption.
Inside the Wahrwelt's central control center, multiple Soldat were stationed at their surveillance posts, closely tracking energy signatures across all monitored dimensions. The atmosphere was tense, as though a storm had settled over them, but today, something had shifted.
"Captain, we've detected a strange distortion in the northern part of Karakura Town," one of the Soldat monitoring the Human World reported. His fingers flew across the glowing Reishi interface, adjusting the scanner's sensitivity. A ripple of foreign energy had flared into existence, only to fade and reappear moments later.
The overseeing officer narrowed his eyes. "Pinpoint the exact location and maintain focus on that anomaly. If it moves, track it."
Leaning behind the cold, silver walls of the control center, Bazz-B was eavesdropping. His eyes, once burning with rage, now carried something more dangerous—a calculating thirst
for revenge. The moment Haschwalth died, something inside him had cracked. He had lost his closest friend, his rival, his only equal. And now, an unknown force had taken that from him.
"The target is moving," the Soldat continued, eyes darting across the live-tracking Reishi grid. "It's heading for the riverbank, but we've pinpointed the exact coordinates where it first appeared: Kitakawase Prefecture, Ishida Residence."
The officer barely spared a glance at the report. "Disregard that Quincy. He is not our priority."
But Bazz-B had already heard what he needed.
He turned away from the control room, his boots echoing against the pristine white floors. Ahead of him, waiting in their cloaked white uniforms, stood Liltotto, Giselle, Candice, and Meninas. The air between them was thick with anticipation. He didn't need to say anything— his glare and a single nod were enough.
Just as they turned to leave, a voice called out from the shadows.
"Where do you think you're all going?"
Bazz-B stopped in his tracks. His fists clenched. He knew that voice. Slowly turning, he saw Askin Nakk Le Vaar leaning lazily against the nearby wall, his usual smirk plastered on his face. The Deathdealing Quincy was tall and slim, his medium-length black hair streaked with white, a single strand hanging down to his mouth.
"Don't try to stop me, Askin," Bazz-B warned, his voice carrying the sharpness of a blade. "I'm in a foul mood today."
"You've been in a foul mood since Jugo died." Askin shrugged, unfazed by the heat in Bazz B's words. "But hey, if you're hell-bent on picking a fight with whatever the hell that thing is, don't say I didn't warn you."
"Oi, stickman, do you have a death wish or something?" Liltotto snapped, rolling her eyes.
Askin smirked, shaking his head dismissively. "If you're looking to dig your own graves, be my guest. I just don't wanna be in the coffin next to you."
Ignoring him, Bazz-B and the female Sternritter vanished into the shadows, heading toward Karakura Town.
As the control center continued monitoring the anomaly, the overseeing officer furrowed his brows.
"The Reishi patterns… Something is interfering with our surveillance," he muttered under his breath. "The distortion isn't just Quincy or Shinigami energy. It's… something else."
Askin, still standing in the hallway, folded his arms, deep in thought.
Alex Mercer, huh? If this man was powerful enough to wound Yhwach and kill Haschwalth, then he might be able to shift the course of history itself.
Then again, Askin mused, something about Mercer's energy was off. He couldn't get a read on it. It was neither Hollow, Quincy, nor Shinigami. It was something beyond his understanding—something that didn't belong in any realm.
And if there was one thing Askin knew for sure…
When something doesn't belong, it becomes a threat.
Karasu River
The rain fell in steady sheets, drumming against the concrete and the river's surface in rhythmic pulses. The overcast sky loomed heavily over Karakura Town, its gray expanse casting a muted, somber tone upon the landscape. A teenage boy, his slender frame barely shielded by his soaked clothing, wandered aimlessly through the downpour. His glasses were speckled with raindrops, and his grip on the notebook in his hand remained unwavering, knuckles pale from how tightly he clutched it.
Uryu Ishida had spent weeks seeking the truth—the truth behind his mother's death. Now, with the pieces laid bare before him, the weight of revelation pressed down on his shoulders, heavier than the rain.
"Uryu!!"
A voice, sharp and familiar, cut through the rainfall. His gaze lifted toward the sky, where two figures descended upon him. One was his father, Ryuken Ishida. The other was an unfamiliar presence, a man clad in black, with piercing eyes that studied him with unreadable intensity.
"Dad? Who is this guy?" Uryu asked as they landed before him.
"You must be Uryu Ishida. Call me Mercer," the stranger introduced himself.
Before Uryu could respond, Mercer's posture suddenly stiffened. His instincts flared. Something was wrong.
"Duck."
Without hesitation, Mercer pushed Uryu and Ryuken out of the way as he braced himself. His right arm shifted, mass transforming in an instant, forming a shield—yet it was not the shield he expected. Instead of its usual craggy texture, an inverted five-pointed crimson cross was emblazoned upon its surface, glowing ominously. The moment the incoming projectile struck, instead of shattering, it dispersed into raw Reishi and was drawn into the shield like a vortex, causing it to glow brighter.
That's… new.
The Ishidas summoned their Heilig Bogen, scanning the area for their unseen assailants. "No… he's after me, not you." Mercer gestured for Ryuken to stand down. "But I thought you said they might conscript—"
"I thought so too, until I recognized this guy. Leave. Now."
Ryuken hesitated. He looked at Mercer and remembered their exchange in the archives. For all his indifference, for all his coldness, he would not let Uryu be taken. Mercer's gaze made it clear—this was his fight.
With a final glance at Uryu, Ryuken relented, stepping back.
A silhouette emerged from the rain—tall, broad-shouldered, adorned with Quincy regalia. The flickering embers at his fingertips pulsed with heat that defied the cold of the storm.
Bazz-B.
"Forget those two. We'll deal with them later," Bazz-B muttered to his hidden allies before stepping forward, eyes burning with uncontained rage. "That shield… Freund Schild… You're using Jugo's Schrift."
Mercer glanced at the emblem still lingering on his shield before letting it dissipate. "Jugo? Oh, you must be his friend, Buzzard Black."
The insult struck a nerve. "What right do you have to call me by my real name!?"
Bazz-B fired two successive Heilig Pfeil, their heat warping the rain as they surged toward Mercer. Yet, in one fluid motion, Mercer caught both arrows mid-air, their Reishi unraveling between his fingers before being absorbed into his form.
In response, Mercer lunged, claws poised for a kill. But Bazz-B was gone in a blink, the sheer force of his step propelling him backward at an impossible speed.
Such speed… He covered that much distance in a single step?
Bazz-B's eyes narrowed. "The way you move… the way you absorb Reishi… you move just like Jugo."
Mercer let out a dry chuckle. "I'd take that as a compliment, but…"
A shift. His blackened form twisted, reshaped. Where Mercer had once stood, a new figure emerged—a tall man with long blonde hair, draped in a pristine white coat.
Jugram Haschwalth.
The Sternritters watching from the shadows gasped, frozen in disbelief. Even Bazz-B staggered back, his hands trembling.
"This… can't be…"
Mercer, wearing the face of the fallen Grandmaster, tilted his head. "What? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Bazz-B's breath hitched. He could barely hear the others calling out to him, trying to shake him from his stunned silence. But before he could even react, a blur shot past him.
Bambietta.
"I don't care what you are." Her voice was venomous, her fury boiling over. "I'm going to peel Jugram's face off of you before I blow you up!"
Meninas followed, her powerful fist cutting through the rain like a missile, aiming straight for Mercer's face.
"Too sloppy."
Mercer intercepted both attacks in one swift motion—his left claw caught Bambietta's sword, his right hammerfist absorbing the impact of Meninas' strike. With a forceful shove, he sent Bambietta skidding backward before hurling Meninas across the riverbank.
From above, Candice materialized, Heilig Pfeil charged with searing electricity. "I'll wipe that smug off your face, you scumbag!"
Liltotto, watching from afar, sensed the mistake before it even happened. "CANDICE, YOU IDIOT! NO—"
"GALVANO BLAST!!"
A surge of pure electricity, over five gigajoules of energy, crashed down upon Mercer. The explosion illuminated the entire district, blacking out the surrounding area as the very air crackled with residual static.
As the dust cleared, Mercer stood unmoved, shield in place—cracked, but intact.
Candice, hovering above, suddenly gasped. Blood spilled from her mouth, her body wracked with invisible wounds. Her vision blurred, her strength failing.
The Balance had taken effect.
Jugram Haschwalth's Schrift. It redirected misfortune away from its wielder and onto those who had experienced good fortune. Candice's attack—meant to destroy Mercer—had instead turned against her, all damage reflected back tenfold.
Meninas barely caught her before she crashed to the ground, dragging her to Giselle for treatment.
Mercer flexed his hand, examining the burns on his arm. Even with The Balance, he hadn't escaped unscathed.
So this is Haschwalth's power… What a pain in the ass.
Bambietta, standing alone now, her eyes dark with fury, clenched her fists. "You… you used The Balance to kill Candice… you coward."
Reishi gathered in her palm, swirling violently, crackling with instability.
Mercer smirked, allowing his form to revert to his usual self. "I won't use The Balance again. But I won't hold back either." His arms twisted, morphing into massive, jagged swords.
Their eyes met.
The rain continued to fall, but the tension in the air burned hotter than any fire. "Don't… underestimate… me."
Followed by the thunderous roar, they lunged at each other, their battle truly beginning.
Karakura Hospital
Both Ryuken and Uryu landed on the rooftop of Karakura Hospital, the rain drumming against the concrete like a relentless war march.
Uryu barely had time to catch his breath before he turned on his father, his voice sharp with frustration. "What is the meaning of this? Who is that guy? What is going on?" The words came fast, almost frantic, as he struggled to piece together what had just happened.
Ryuken didn't answer right away. Instead, he grabbed Uryu firmly by the shoulders, his grip unusually tight—almost desperate. The weight of his hands sent a cold shiver through Uryu's spine. This wasn't the usual detached, apathetic man he had grown up with. Something was wrong.
"Uryu, listen to me very carefully." His father's voice was low, urgent—devoid of its usual dismissive tone. The slight tremor in it set off alarm bells in Uryu's mind. "Do not cross paths with that man. He may not be our enemy right now, but he is beyond dangerous. The reason we're still alive is because we are not his priority—but those who are fighting him…"
The words hung in the air like a death sentence.
Uryu opened his mouth to argue, to demand more answers, but then—he saw it. The look in his father's eyes.
He had spent his whole life trying to earn this man's approval, trying to break through the frigid wall that was Ryuken Ishida. Cold, distant, unreadable—his father had always been these things. But now, for the first time in his life… Ryuken wasn't just serious.
He was terrified.
Not annoyed. Not inconvenienced.
But completely and utterly filled with dread.
The rain couldn't mask the tension in the air, nor could the dim light of the city soften the stark horror written on Ryuken's face. Uryu had never seen this before—had never imagined he even could. His father, the man who had buried his emotions so deep that even grief hadn't cracked his cold exterior, was looking at him like a man who had just glimpsed the end of the world.
And in that moment, all of Uryu's questions evaporated.
Because if something had shaken Ryuken Ishida to this degree—if something had made even him feel fear—
Then perhaps Uryu truly didn't want to know what Mercer was.