"This is the direction?"
Once the general location was confirmed, Uryū Ishida had already made up his mind to set off.
His will was firm, and Ichigo Kurosaki, as a close friend, could clearly sense that resolve.
Trying to stop him would be pointless. Realizing that, Ichigo abandoned the thought entirely.
"We… we'll be waiting for your return."
Uryū responded with a faint smile at those words.
Unconditional trust—this was the bond between them.
"Yeah. I'll take care of it quickly."
He declined Nel's offer to guide him and chose to travel alone.
He had only come to deliver something anyway—there was no need to prepare much. And based on Ryūken's intel, Uryū figured the man wouldn't give him trouble.
Activating Hirenkyaku, manipulating reishi, Uryū darted swiftly through the sky.
But the deeper into Hueco Mundo he went, the more his brow furrowed.
With each step forward, he could feel—clearly—multiple spiritual pressures brushing against him like watchful gazes.
"…"
There was no direct confrontation, but even so, sweat began to bead down Uryū's back.
These weren't amateurs.
Having studied under his father after the invasion incident, Uryū had vastly improved as a Quincy.
Not reborn, but certainly upgraded.
And yet...
He didn't believe he could survive an attack from any of those presences he'd just sensed.
They were monsters.
'So they really didn't make a move on me. Looks like Ryūken and that Arrancar weren't lying.'
It seemed Seiya really was waiting for him.
Focusing on his mission again, Uryū pushed himself to go faster.
Ichigo and Chad alone wouldn't be enough to hold off foes like these. He needed to hurry.
Soon after—
A powerful presence appeared ahead, and Uryū abruptly halted.
Standing in midair in his white garb, Ulquiorra silently observed him.
"Lord Arima has been waiting. Hurry."
With that, Ulquiorra turned, unleashed his reiatsu, and vanished ahead using Sonído.
"…"
That level of strength—was someone like that just a subordinate to Seiya?
Just how far had that man's power reached?
Uryū's chest tightened. His throat felt dry.
He accelerated.
A crystalline cube came into view.
Guided by Ulquiorra, Uryū stepped through the veil into a place filled with birdsong and the scent of flowers.
And there—
He saw Inoue Orihime.
"Inoue?!"
"Eh?! Uryū-kun?"
Of course he was shocked—wasn't she the reason they'd come here?!
She was right in front of him. This might be his only chance to take her away.
His brain ran at full speed. Uryū reflexively adjusted his glasses, analyzing the situation, weighing his odds.
Could he escape with her?
"You—"
Before he could speak—
The sliding door opened.
Seiya stepped out in a loose robe, smiling.
"Oh~ You finally made it, Uryū. I've been waiting."
——Chances of success, virtually zero.
Uryū didn't believe he could defeat Seiya—not to mention the powerful Arrancar nearby.
He stifled his emotions, expression flat, and stepped forward slowly.
"We're not that close. I'm just here to deliver something."
He reached into his coat, retrieved a pouch, and tossed it at Seiya.
The action was crisp, efficient. The tone—not friendly.
But Seiya didn't seem bothered by such trivial matters.
"A bit cold, huh? Though not unexpected."
After all, the first impression he'd given Uryū had been… unfavorable. His wariness was reasonable.
"By the way, did you peek inside?"
"I'm not the type to break a promise."
"I see. Then I suppose you don't know what's inside."
"I wasn't interested… Now that I've delivered it, I'll be going."
Taking Inoue with him wasn't an option. The best strategy was to regroup with Ichigo and Chad—and go all in.
"You're leaving already? That's a little premature… Uryū-kun, aren't you curious what's inside that pouch?"
Seiya's style wasn't to force things on people.
But if it was important…
That changed things.
Uryū instinctively took a step back, his voice cautious.
"I'm not interested."
The air turned heavy—even Inoue sensed it, despite her airheaded nature.
"Uryū-kun! I don't think Seiya-san means any harm…"
She wasn't persuasive, and Uryū clearly wasn't swayed.
Fortunately, Seiya had already prepared.
He calmly opened the pouch and said:
"Oh? What if I told you… this is related to your grandfather?"
"…?!!!"
The Ishida family.
A pureblood Quincy lineage, passed down through generations—but always to a single heir.
Ryūken, Uryū's father, seemed uninterested in the legacy…
And due to certain personal matters, their relationship had grown distant—practically estranged.
Because of this, Uryū had been raised by his grandfather, Sōken Ishida, and taught to be a proper Quincy.
Their bond had been deep.
Now, just hearing Seiya's words, blue reishi rippled around Uryū like a rising tide.
"You said what?!"
"Just what I said. I don't think I need to repeat myself."
Seiya paused, as if revealing the contents would unravel every hidden truth.
"Last chance, Uryū-kun."
"Do you want to know what your grandfather couldn't say… and what your father refuses to?"
"Of course, you can leave. As promised, I won't stop you."
The choice lay in Uryū's hands.
Left or right.
Danger… or curiosity?
He didn't take long.
Taking a deep breath, Uryū stepped forward and stood before Seiya.
"Please… let me see."
A knowing smile appeared on Seiya's face—as if this outcome had been decided from the start.
"As you wish."
He let go.
The cloth slipped away, revealing what lay beneath.
Uryū looked down—not at some rare treasure, but at two peculiar items.
To the left was an aged book.
Its cover was gone. Pages were wrinkled and yellowed, some curled from repeated handling.
It looked like a personal journal.
Not much to go on.
So Uryū turned to the second item.
It was a beautifully crafted silver disc—rounded and flat.
Like an ancient coin or medallion, its surface was etched with fine reliefs and indents.
His thoughts spiraled.
A book and a coin.
What did they have to do with him, with his grandfather?
Seiya also looked at the two items, an unreadable expression on his face.
Then, as if letting go of something, he chuckled.
"Ha… So this is your answer, huh?"
Uryū glanced at him. "What're you talking about?"
"Nothing. I made a deal with Ryūken Ishida. I asked for three things, but it looks like I'll only get two."
Still, that was enough.
Behind them, Inoue sensed the heavy atmosphere and awkwardly asked:
"Should I… leave for a while?"
Maybe she wasn't meant to hear this kind of thing?
But Seiya casually waved her down.
"Not so serious. If you're curious, feel free to listen."
This would be public eventually.
Since the subject had come up…
Seiya smiled and called out:
"Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, you're here, aren't you? Since you've heard this much, care to join us?"
"…?"
Uryū blinked in confusion.
Then a voice that made his blood freeze emerged from his own body.
"Ohohoho~ You noticed? I suppose I underestimated you after all, Seiya Arima~"
It was Mayuri's voice.
Why was it coming from inside him?!
A shudder ran through Uryū. Something flitted off his body, and moments later, a miniature Mayuri stood on the floor.
Barely half a meter tall—but looking just as loathsome and expressive as the real one.
"Seiya Arima, I'm intrigued by your so-called secrets. Let's begin, shall we?"
Uryū jumped in outrage.
"Wait—how did you get in my body?!"
"What a noisy brat. Your ancestors are weeping."
Mini-Mayuri picked his ear with exaggerated disdain.
"I merely implanted some surveillance bacteria while treating you. Relax~ No side effects. Actually improves your health!"
"And by the way—your lifestyle is atrocious. At this rate, you'll have chronic illness before you're thirty."
"GET OUT OF MY BODY RIGHT NOW!!"
The chaos didn't last long. Despite their bickering, both Uryū and Mayuri refocused on Seiya.
Enough distractions—now the real matter began.
Seiya beckoned Inoue to come closer.
"If we start from the beginning, it'll take a while."
"So first, let me explain what these two things are."
He pointed to the book.
"This is Sōken Ishida's journal. It records what he witnessed during his life. Among its contents… is mention of the man known as the Father of the Quincy."
"Its name is…"
The Book of the Quincy.
Then, he pointed to the coin.
"This item is a symbol—of the place where Sōken once operated in secret."
"Its name is…"
The Emblem of the Wandenreich.
Let's begin.
The story of the man who tried to destroy the world a thousand years ago—and returned to do so again a thousand years later—
Now began to unfold.
----------
Powerstones?
For 20 advance chapters: patreon.com/michaeltranslates