After the war years ago, the remaining members of the Knights of the Star Cross took their emperor's "corpse" and vanished. Despite Shinigami searching extensively, no trace of them could be found—they seemed to have disappeared from the world entirely.
In reality, they were hiding right under the noses of the Shinigami.
While the Shinigami were rebuilding Seireitei on a large scale, the Quincy used their unique abilities to create a massive spiritual space in the shadows of Seireitei. This hidden domain became known as the Invisible Empire (Wandenreich).
Because this spirit space lay beneath Seireitei, the Quincy were able to observe everything happening there in secret.
For the Shinigami, the war with the Quincy had ended.
But for the Quincy, it was far from over.
They waited for their emperor to awaken, biding their time for the day they could exact their revenge.
To prepare for that future, they gathered as much information about the Shinigami as they could.
Throughout the history of the Gotei 13, many powerful Shinigami had risen to prominence. Some of them had died, while others were still alive. The dead didn't concern the Quincy; it was the living they considered the greatest threat.
Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, Fourth Division Captain Unohana Retsu—these warriors, who had fought in the war, needed no introduction.
Yamamoto's two apprentices, Kyōraku Shunsui and Jūshirō Ukitake, captains for centuries, were also figures to be feared.
There were others, too, such as Hikifune Kirio of the Twelfth Division.
And, of course, there was Arima—the former captain of the Twelfth Division.
Although Arima rose to prominence after the war, his rise was meteoric, and his strength was overwhelming.
Eventually, he was promoted to a division even more fearsome than the Gotei 13: Squad Zero!
To many in the Gotei 13, Squad Zero was shrouded in mystery. Most didn't know its true nature or location. They only knew that the Royal Guard was directly responsible for protecting the Soul King.
However, the Quincy of the Knights of the Star Cross knew the truth about Squad Zero.
During the war, it was Squad Zero that ultimately caused their emperor to fall.
Without their intervention, the omniscient and omnipotent emperor would never have been defeated.
When the Quincy began plotting their revenge against the Shinigami, they included Squad Zero in their plans.
Arima's promotion to Squad Zero naturally caught their attention.
What concerned them even more was that, for reasons unknown, Arima left Squad Zero and returned to Seireitei.
For years, the Quincy hid in the Invisible Empire, focusing all their efforts on awakening their emperor. Their powers were gradually drained by their emperor in this process, leaving them weak and unable to act. But they never stopped watching Seireitei.
Arima, who had long been under their surveillance, returned to Seireitei. How could they ignore this development?
Unfortunately for the Quincy, their long years of observation yielded no results. Arima, it seemed, had lost his fighting spirit and settled into a quiet life teaching at the Spiritual Arts Academy.
Even so, his strength remained a subject of deep concern.
When Shinigami launched an offensive against the Quincy in the human world, the Quincy, weakened and desperate, could only retreat to the Invisible Empire with the remaining pure-blooded Quincy.
But they never expected that the very figure they had been watching for years—the one who struck fear into their hearts—would appear here.
This was why Kirio Jirujie, a member of the Knights of the Star Cross, hesitated to act.
He recognized Arima and knew just how terrifyingly powerful he was.
In their prime, the members of the Star Cross Knights might have been able to stand against someone like Arima.
But now, after years of feeding their power to their emperor, they were at their weakest.
Even so, they firmly believed that once their emperor recovered, he would reward them with power far beyond what they had before.
"Shinigami, you won't be proud for long," Kirio Jirujie sneered.
He produced a Quincy Star, an item exclusive to the Star Cross Knights. With it, they could open a spiritual channel, much like a Garganta, allowing them to escape to the Invisible Empire.
As the Quincy Star activated, spirit particles began to fluctuate, and the channel started forming. Kirio Jirujie prepared to lead his men to safety.
The pure-blood Quincy they had recruited in the human world, many of whom had been slaughtered by Arima, were no longer their concern. Survival was the priority.
But before the passage could stabilize, a calm yet chilling voice rang out.
"You think you can escape?" Arima's deep voice echoed.
Kirio Jirujie suddenly realized that the spiritual channel he had been forming had collapsed.
As a Quincy, he should have been able to control spirit particles with ease. Yet now, he found himself completely powerless.
This was utterly unthinkable.
Arima spoke again, his voice steady. "Did you think I came here for those Quincy?"
"You, who participated in that war… a formal member of the Knights of the Star Cross… you are the one I came for!"
Kirio Jirujie's expression shifted drastically.
He tried to resist, but a Quincy without the ability to manipulate spirit particles was no different from an ordinary human. Even in close combat, their physical capabilities were far inferior to Shinigami or Hollows.
In his prime, Kirio Jirujie might have been able to activate his Holy Form and regain control of spirit particles, but those days were long gone. He and the other members of the Star Cross Knights were in their weakest state, unable to use their holy scripts or activate their Holy Forms.
Outside the spiritual space.
Aizen stood waiting.
A familiar figure emerged from the void.
"It's done," Arima said concisely.
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