"Oh? Some old friends, it seems."

As Ailin's spiritual pressure connected with the individuals he had targeted, he recognized several familiar faces.

"To all my friends in Karakura Town, if you can hear me, it means you've been identified. In the coming days, a major battle will occur in Karakura Town. To avoid unnecessary casualties, please leave within three days. Those who remain after three days will be considered hostile. You have been warned."

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

Golden ripples shimmered in the sky above Karakura Town, the blades of Zanpakutō glinting menacingly, radiating golden lightning, as if ready to strike at any moment. Each ripple targeted an individual with spiritual power.

At the Kurosaki Clinic, Isshin Kurosaki rolled his eyes at the golden ripple hovering above him. He didn't believe Ailin would mistake him for an enemy. He dismissed the threat, but the unsettling feeling of being targeted, the constant awareness of the impending attack, prompted him to seek out Kisuke Urahara. Perhaps Urahara could contact Ailin and resolve this… misunderstanding.

Isshin closed the clinic and headed towards Urahara's shop. He paused, however, noticing another golden ripple not far ahead. The ripple hesitated, then moved towards him. Isshin realized it was targeting someone else, someone like him.

Seconds later, a tall, slender figure emerged from a side street. Dressed in a white suit, with black, medium-length hair and spectacles perched on his nose… Despite not having seen each other for over a decade, their recognition was instant.

"Ryūken," Isshin greeted him with a smile.

"Hmph." Ryūken Ishida's response was a cold grunt.

Besides the longstanding feud between Quincy and Shinigami, Isshin had also… stolen the woman he loved. He couldn't bring himself to like the man. But there was also a grudging respect. Who could have anticipated that a single battle would result in Masaki being infected by a Hollow's reiatsu, nearly transforming her into a Hollow herself? If not for Isshin, he might have been forced to kill her. Still… he couldn't shake the feeling of resentment.

"Isshin," Ryūken said, gesturing towards the ripple above them, "is this your Soul Society's doing? Aren't they worried about inciting a rebellion?"

"Hahaha!" Isshin scratched the back of his head. "If you're referring to Captain Ailin, I doubt he's concerned. Even if everyone he's targeted joined forces, I don't think they'd stand a chance. He's the only one in the Gotei 13 who can rival Captain-Commander Yamamoto. I certainly wouldn't want to fight him."

After his battle against White, Isshin had accepted his limitations. While he possessed captain-level reiatsu, being injured by a large Hollow was… embarrassing. If not for him, Masaki wouldn't have been attacked, wouldn't have been infected by Hollow reiatsu. Furthermore, having suppressed Masaki's Hollowfication for over a decade, his own spiritual pressure, though replenished after her death, hadn't fully recovered. He couldn't practice openly, not with his children around. He estimated his current strength at ninety percent of his prime.

Even if someone organized an attack, he wouldn't participate.

"So, what do we do?" Ryūken asked.

"Let's go find Urahara. He might have a solution."

"Fine."

However, when they arrived at Urahara's shop, they found it surrounded by over a dozen golden ripples. Anyone with spiritual awareness could see them hovering menacingly above the building.

Isshin and Ryūken exchanged glances, then entered the shop. Inside, they found several familiar faces: Shinji Hirako and the other Visored. To their surprise, Urahara, Tessai Tsukabishi, and Yoruichi Shihōin were also targeted. Clearly, Ailin had identified them all.

"Well, well, Captain Shiba. Long time no see," Shinji greeted Isshin with a hint of mockery.

The Visored had been Aizen's test subjects long before Isshin. Compared to them, Isshin had been fortunate. Masaki had shielded him from Aizen's experiments, a sacrifice that had ultimately empowered their son. The Visored's feelings towards Isshin were… complicated.

"Captain Hirako," Isshin said, "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Neither did I," Shinji replied, shaking his head. "But with this thing hanging over our heads, we had to come." He glanced at the ripples above them.

Their best course of action would be to confront Ailin directly, to ask him to remove the threat. However, they couldn't be certain of Ailin's intentions. If he was benevolent, it would be a simple misunderstanding. If not… they would be walking into a trap. After some discussion, they had decided to seek Urahara's advice. But it seemed even Urahara and his companions were targeted.

"Don't worry, everyone," Urahara reassured them. "Knowing Captain Ailin, he must have a good reason for this. We simply need to wait."

Seeing that everyone he knew was present, Urahara began to understand Ailin's intentions. This would benefit the Soul Society as well, so he had no reason to object. He decided to calm everyone down.

The others exchanged glances, then nodded, accepting his words.

…

"Seven gone, thirteen remain." Ailin didn't bother identifying the seven who had left Karakura Town. It wasn't time to deal with them yet. He dispelled the ripples targeting them and turned his attention to Urahara's shop. He flew towards it.

Outside Karakura Town, Kugo Ginjo and his companions breathed a sigh of relief as the golden ripples vanished.

"Two hundred years have passed, yet Ailin seems even stronger," Ginjo murmured, looking towards Karakura Town.

Beside him, Shūkurō Tsukishima remained silent. Having used his Fullbring on Ailin, he had been affected by its backlash, his memories of their past encounters erased. However, even the fragmented images in his dreams were enough to instill a sense of dread. He suspected they had only survived their previous encounter because Ailin hadn't intended to kill them. It had been a lesson, a warning. Otherwise, they wouldn't have stood a chance.

Tsukishima said, "Ginjo, even if we don't understand what's happening, it's best we avoid Karakura Town for now."

"Yes, I know." Ginjo nodded.

During their time in Karakura Town, they had sensed the escalating tension between Hueco Mundo and the Soul Society. The Hollows attacking the World of the Living were unlike any they had encountered before. They were stronger, more numerous. And the Shinigami… their power was terrifying.

Furthermore, according to Ginjo's sources, the Shinigami's displayed strength was only a fraction of their true capabilities. Shinigami above lieutenant level, upon entering the World of the Living, had their reiatsu suppressed by a limiter that sealed eighty percent of their spiritual pressure.

"Compared to these Shinigami, we're too weak," Tsukishima observed.

"That's why we need to gather more allies." Ginjo clapped Tsukishima on the shoulder. "Tsukishima, you've seen the power of those two individuals with the Substitute Shinigami. Both Orihime Inoue and Chad Sado possess incredible abilities. If we can recruit them, our strength will increase significantly."

Tsukishima remained silent. His Fullbring, Book of the End, allowed him to easily gain others' trust. But each betrayal, each manipulation of their past, left a scar on his own soul. To insert himself into their memories, to share their hardships, to earn their trust, he had to immerse himself completely, to become a part of their lives. And then, to steal their Fullbring, to use their power for his own purposes… it tainted those experiences.

As their strength grew, Tsukishima had become increasingly withdrawn. Fortunately, most of those whose Fullbring they had stolen had been burdened by their powers, ostracized by their friends and families. This had prevented Tsukishima's complete descent into despair.

"Let's go," Ginjo said. "We'll stay in the next town for a while. Once the situation in Karakura Town is resolved, once the Shinigami return to the Soul Society, we'll come back."

"Yes."

…

"Hello, everyone. Long time no see. How have you been?" Ailin entered Urahara's shop, descending into the underground training area. He smiled at the thirteen individuals gathered there.

"Captain Ailin."

Hot tempered Hiyori Sarugaki started to rise, but Shinji Hirako restrained her, stepping forward to confront Ailin. He pointed at the ripple above his head.

"What is the meaning of this, Captain Ailin? Do you consider us to be anomalies, to be cleansed?"

As Shinji spoke, Love Aikawa, Kensei Muguruma, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, and the other Visored placed their hands on their Zanpakutō, ready to defend themselves. While they acknowledged Ailin's strength, they weren't the same weaklings they had been a century ago.

"I assure you, Captain Hirako, I bear no ill will towards you," Ailin said calmly.

As he spoke, the ripples above the Visored vanished. They breathed a collective sigh of relief. It seemed there wouldn't be a fight today.

Ryūken Ishida stepped away from Isshin. With the immediate threat removed, he intended to leave. As a Quincy, he preferred not to associate with Shinigami. But…

Whoosh! Boom!

A golden lightning bolt shot past Ryūken, striking the ground ahead, creating a powerful explosion that sent shockwaves through the training area. Everyone shielded their eyes from the dust and debris.

"Captain Ailin!" Ryūken turned, glaring at Ailin. Over a dozen ripples shimmered behind Ailin, weapons emerge; pointed at Ryūken.

Ailin's sudden attack startled everyone.

Isshin's heart was shaken, his Gigai instantly dissolved and he flashed forward. Perhaps because he had once been a captain, he wore a white haori sleeve on his left arm.

He stood between Ailin and Ryūken, arms spread wide.

"Captain Ailin, is there some misunderstanding? I can assure you, Ryūken, despite being a Quincy, has never harmed a Shinigami."

"Captain Shiba, do you really believe I'm targeting him because he's a Quincy? Have you forgotten? When the Quincy were on the brink of extinction, I was the one who proposed a truce, a pact between Quincy and Shinigami to protect the World of the Living. If not for me, the Quincy would have been annihilated two hundred years ago. I saved them. Why would I attack them now?"

"Ha… ha…" Isshin chuckled nervously, but he didn't move. While he and Ryūken might not get along, because of Masaki, he would defend Ryūken if Ailin attacked.

"Everyone, I assume you're all aware that in a few days, Aizen will arrive in Karakura Town with his Arrancar to battle the Gotei 13."