[Soul Society Arc] Part 64: The Shooting Star and The Five-pointed Cross

- We reach out with our hands

Brush away the clouds and pierce the sky

To grab the Moon and Mars

But still we can't reach the truth -

# Soul Society - Rukongai, Shiba House #

The teenagers stood in stunned silence, their eyes wide, trying to comprehend the incredible scene unfolding before them. Kukaku's voice boomed through the room as she yelled toward the ceiling, her demeanor commanding and authoritative.

Kukaku: "Koganehiko! Shiroganehiko!! Hoist It!!"

In response to her command, the gatekeepers, Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko, acted swiftly, displaying unwavering loyalty to Kukaku. With determination etched across their faces, they both lunged for a peculiar-looking contraption that hung from the ceiling. It had two large, sturdy cranks that appeared well-worn from years of use.

Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko seized the cranks and gripped them firmly, their muscles tensing as they prepared for the monumental effort required.

Koganehiko/Shiroganehiko: "Yes ma'am!!!" - Their voices echoed in perfect unison as they responded with respect and obedience.

With synchronized effort, they began to turn the cranks with all their might, their bodies leaning into the task. The room seemed to vibrate with the energy of their actions, and a sense of anticipation hung heavily in the air.

As they continued to rotate the cranks, the floor beneath the teenagers' feet started to rise, moving smoothly and steadily like a colossal elevator. Simultaneously, the ceiling overhead began to part, revealing the world beyond. The room's transformation was nothing short of astonishing.

Ichigo: "Whoa!" - He exclaimed, unable to contain his amazement. His eyes were practically bulging as he watched the room's metamorphosis unfold.

Tatsuki and the others exchanged wide-eyed glances, their astonishment clear on their faces. Orihime's fascination was evident in her sparkling eyes as she observed the room's incredible transformation.

After the exhilarating process, the group found themselves outside Kukaku's house, where the truth about the colossal iron pillar was finally revealed—it was a massive cannon.

Kukaku, brimming with excitement, turned to the bewildered teenagers, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Kukaku: "Did that scare you!?" - She asked with animated enthusiasm, almost as if their shocked reactions were precisely what she had hoped for. Her voice carried a mischievous tone, and she couldn't contain her thrill. - "This is Kukaku Shiba exclusive fireworks launch pad!! The–"

Ganju: "The Flower-Crane Cannon!!!" - He couldn't help but blurt out his excitement, caught up in the moment. But his joy was short-lived, swiftly crushed by a swift kick from his irate sister.

Kukaku: "Who said you could get on the pedestal?!!!" - She barked, irritation washing over her features as Ganju had interrupted her presentation.

Uryu: "This is no time for jokes!" - He bellowed, his voice laced with exasperation.

The Quincy's protest echoed through the air, his finger jabbing accusatorily at Kukaku. His face bore a mix of frustration and disbelief.

Uryu: "I don't care if you're a fireworks wizard, there's no way you're going to launch us with this thing! It's insane!! We'd be killed for sure–"

But before he could finish his passionate objections, they were unceremoniously silenced by a orb that slammed into his face, courtesy of Kukaku. The projectile struck Uryu's features with a resounding thud before landing into Ichigo's waiting hands.

Ichigo, perplexed, examined the mysterious object with a furrowed brow.

Ichigo: "....What is this?"

Kukaku: "This is a Reishukaku–a Spirit Core," - She explained with a smirk. - "You can press the palm of your hand against it and fill it with spiritual energy."

Ichigo stared at the sphere for a few seconds, squeezing the object with his hands, then glanced back at Kukaku with a puzzled expression.

Ichigo: ".....How do you do this?"

Kukaku, initially taken aback by his question, raised an incredulous eyebrow.

Kukaku: "Huh?!" - She looked at him as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. - "Isn't it obvious?! You just channel your power into your hands, like when you use Kido."

With a flick of her wrist, she created a small sphere of spiritual energy in her left hand, intending it as a demonstration. However, Yoruichi's words swiftly undermined her efforts.

Yoruichi: "Actually, as I explained to you before, Ichigo is something of a makeshift shinigami… he doesn't know how to use Kido..."

Kukaku: "What?!"

Kukaku's face contorted in disbelief, and her jaw dropped as she processed this surprising revelation. She sighed in exasperation, scratching her head as she attempted to teach Ichigo how to use the Reishukaku.

Kukaku: "Fine..." - She huffed, her irritation evident. - "Ganju! Show him how it's done."

Ganju: "Yes, Ma'am!"

Eagerly, Ganju rushed over to Ichigo, attempting to snatch the orb from his hand, but Ichigo skillfully avoided his advances.

Ganju: "Give it to me!"

Ganju made a few more attempts to grab the sphere, but Ichigo continuously eluded his grasp, dodging and weaving to stay out of reach.

Ganju: "Oh, so you want to play?" - He asked, a hint of irritation coloring his tone despite the playful smile on his face.

Ichigo: "Come and get it if you can!! I'd rather die than take lessons from you!"

Before their playful argument could escalate into a full-blown fight, Kukaku intervened abruptly, striking both Ichigo and Ganju with force and sending them sprawling.

Kukaku: "That's enough!!"

As tension-filled moments continued, Yato, who had been silent until now, slowly made his way over to where Ichigo and Ganju were recovering. He effortlessly retrieved the orb that had slipped from Ichigo's grasp, his smug smile reflecting the teasing tone in his voice.

Yato: "Allow me." - He chimed playfully, casting a sidelong glance at the somewhat annoyed Ichigo.

Yato was no stranger to controlling his spiritual energy, but he also possessed a unique advantage in this situation. He had watched the anime and knew the method that Ganju would have taught Ichigo. With this insider knowledge, he could visualize the process clearly in his mind. He envisioned a darker, denser circle, the details vividly imprinted in his memory from his anime-watching days. In his mind's eye, he mentally constructed this circle, visualizing himself diving into the center of it.

In no time, a semi-transparent blue barrier enveloped Yato, who gazed nonchalantly at Kukaku.

Yato: "Like this?" - He asked, his tone marked by a nonchalant, knowing smirk.

Yoruichi: "Oh..." The feline was genuinely impressed by Yato's performance.

Kukaku couldn't help but break into a wide grin, relieved to see that at least one of the teenagers wasn't a lost cause.

Kukaku: "That's right, kid!" - She affirmed with a smirk.

With the barrier still surrounding Yato, Kukaku redirected her attention to the rest of the group, gesturing towards him.

Kukaku: "This... is the cannonball."

Uryu: "Cannonball?"

Kukaku: "Listen carefully. If you think that the Seirei walls surrounding the Seireitei are the only thing protecting it, you're mistaken. The walls are made of a rare ore even within the Soul Society, called Sekkiseki, which completely blocks spiritual energy. That means you can't blast a hole through them using spiritual energy. And... another issue with Sekkiseki is that it emits waves that break down spiritual energy...so in effect...those waves form a sphere around the Seireitei...from high in the sky to deep in the ground!!"

Uryu: "Complete coverage..." - He muttered.

Kukaku: "Of course, If you flew into something like that…being made of reishi, you'd disintegrate…That's where the cannonball comes in!"

She emphasized her point with a small, playful punch to the barrier Yato had created, earning herself an arched eyebrow from him.

Kukaku: "This is my own invention…The special hard spiritual partition penetration device. By infusing the Reishukaku with your combined spiritual energies…you'll create a cannonball that can punch through the Seireitei's barrier. The plan is to fire it from the Flower-Crane Cannon…and in you go. It's a rough ride, but there's no other way! That's all!! Any questions?!"

Orihime, Uryu, and Chad were silent, their expressions a mix of uncertainty and determination. Ichigo, meanwhile, hesitated, unsure of how to voice his thoughts.

Tatsuki, ever the tomboy, couldn't contain her excitement.

Tatsuki: "I wanna give it a shot!"

Tatsuki's enthusiasm was palpable, and Yato couldn't help but grin at her eagerness. He saw right through her intention to provoke Ichigo, who seemed a bit puzzled by the situation. With a mischievous glint in his eye, Yato gradually decreased the spiritual energy around the Reishukaku until the blue barrier disappeared.

Yato: "Sure thing, take it. It's pretty easy." - His tone was light-hearted, fully aware of Tatsuki's ulterior motive.

From what Yato gathered, Tatsuki's Fullbring ability primarily amplified her focus, granting her supernatural concentration. She could perceive things that were usually quite intricate, like predicting attacks by detecting shifts in reiatsu and subtle muscle movements. This meant that if using the Reishukaku was relatively easy for Yato due to his prior knowledge, it would be even simpler for Tatsuki. Her heightened focus and exceptional concentration meant that tasks like this came naturally to her.

As soon as the orb landed in Tatsuki's hands, a sphere quickly materialized around her.

Orihime: "Whoa!!!"

Tatsuki: "Wow... it's actually pretty easy, Yato!" - She glanced sideways at Ichigo with a teasing grin.

Yato: "See? I told you..." - He responded playfully, enjoying the sight of Ichigo's annoyed expression in response to his friends' teasing.

Ichigo: "Screw you both..."

Kukaku: "You're dismissed! Head to the dojo and practice with the Reishukaku!" - She said casually, ignoring the interaction between the three teenagers. Then, she snapped her fingers, grabbing the attention of her gatekeepers. - "Koganehiko! Shiroganehiko! Escort them!"

In a rather comical scene, Shiroganehiko materialized next to the teenagers, effortlessly scooping up Orihime with a single arm and hoisting her onto his shoulder. On the other side, he held Ichigo, who struggled and protested, while Koganehiko effortlessly lifted Uryu, much to the Quincy's disgruntlement.

Yato, Chad, and Tatsuki could only watch the spectacle with a mix of amusement and bemusement, following along as if this were an everyday occurrence.

When everyone else had moved away, Ganju approached Kukaku cautiously, a hint of apprehension in his demeanor.

Kukaku: "Ganju, you can go now…help them practice."

Ganju: "But, sis…are you really...going to help them?"

Kukaku: "What do you mean by that?" - She replied sternly without looking directly at her brother.

Ganju: "I don't like this! Helping a shinigami, that's just... What am I supposed to tell big brother!? Sis, I–"

Kukaku: "Ganju! I've already told you to never...speak of that again..." - She looked at her brother with a serious expression.

Ganju: "Sis..."

Kukaku: "Now go! And don't ever...let them see your face like that..."

Ganju reluctantly nodded and walked away, his expression conflicted, leaving Kukaku standing there.

# Seireitei - Conference Room Two #

Two shinigami hurriedly walked across the wooden floor as they engaged in a brief conversation.

Renji: "Hmph. This is the first time I've gotten to use my lieutenant's insignia." - He grumbled to his bespectacled companion while adjusting the 6th division insignia on his left arm.

Iba: "Naturally! It's the first time I've been forced to use mine too." - Tetsuzaemon Iba grumbled as he adjusted the 7th division insignia on his left arm. - "All the lieutenants are supposed to put on their insignias and stand by in conference room two, eh?"

Both approached the conference room, and Renji noticed there was already a familiar girl sitting in the corner of the room, wearing the 5th division insignia on her left arm.

Momo: "Abarai-kun... Iba-san."

Renji: "Hinamori. Are you the only one here?"

Momo: "Seems like it."

While they were talking, suddenly another person joined the conversation.

Rangiku: "The captains and lieutenants are all busy running the Soul Society... It might take a whole day for everyone to gather here."

Said the woman with long and wavy blond hair, blue eyes, full lips, and a beauty mark located under the right side of her mouth. She had a curvaceous figure; her most distinctive trait being her very large breasts. Her shihakusho was slightly loose, and there was the 10th division insignia pinned to the sash that tied her shihakusho.

Rangiku: "I couldn't even get in touch with my captain; I don't know what to do..." - She muttered more to herself in an uncomfortable tone.

Renji: "By the way, who's Rangiku-san's captain again?"

Iba: "The kid Hitsugaya."

Renji: "Ah, the little genius... that's a pain."

Momo: "Abarai-kun..." - She called her colleague's attention. - "Have you seen Captain Aizen?"

The redhead looked a bit uncomfortable because he remembered the conversation he had earlier with Aizen.

Renji: ".... No, I haven't seen him."

Momo: "Oh... He's been acting strange all morning... He didn't tell me why..." - Her voice became increasingly shaky, and tears threatened to well up in her eyes. - "I don't know what to do."

Renji: "Don't worry... It's probably nothing... and I bet they'll cancel that order any minute now."

# Rukongai, Shiba House #

Ichigo, Orihime, Chad, and Uryu were deep into their practice session with Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko guiding them. Tatsuki joined in for a while, offering assistance to Orihime. However, there was someone noticeably absent from the group's interactions.

Amidst the training, Yato remained unusually silent. He sat in a far corner of the dojo, his face lost in thought. To his companions, it seemed as if he was simply observing their progress or trying to take a nap, but in reality, he was engaged in a private communion with his Fullbring, Cheshire, and his Zanpakuto, Ōkagetsu. His usually expressive face was now a mask of introspection, his eyes close deep in contemplation.

Yato was seated on what appeared to be a grassy expanse within his inner world. The crimson-furred Cheshire lounged comfortably in his lap, while the woman, Ōkagetsu, sat gracefully beside him. True to the surreal nature of his inner realm, a soft, otherworldly melody filled the air, emanating from all directions.

Yato: 'As I was pondering how to use the Fullbring to transform into a Quincy... I thought of a few things that might work in our favor.'

Cheshire: 'You mean, the fact that we're in Kukaku Shiba's house, right?' - The feline turned its luminescent eyes toward Yato, its grin almost tangible.

Ōkagetsu: 'It's worth noting that the Quincy king's palace supposedly lurks in the shadows of the Seireitei...' - She began her thought.

Yato: 'But their attacks on Hueco Mundo only occurred when Yhwach awoke... Plus, their brief appearances in the world of the living and Rukongai were quite specific.'

Ōkagetsu: 'This implies that they might not be actively monitoring Kukaku's house. Her frequent changes of location likely work in our favor.' - Her smile held a trace of cunning wisdom.

Yato: 'Let's not forget that unlike a Shinigami or a Hollow, a Quincy's reiatsu doesn't have distinguishing traits right off the bat...'

Cheshire: 'Unless you start absorbing reishi... then it'll become quite obvious. Ehehe~' - The feline playfully teased before stretching its body lazily. - 'Well, are you ready for your nap?' It glanced up at Yato.

Yato: 'Go ahead... let's add Quincy to my Soul Tree.' - He spoke with a touch of irony in his tone.