Chapter 288: Chapter 288: Ichirou
In a secluded monitoring room, a red alert suddenly lit up.
Urahana Ichirou and Urahana Jirou looked nothing alike. Ichirou wore a standard Shinigami attire, complete with tabi and a shallow tachi at his waist. He had a sturdy build and appeared to be in his thirties.
His face bore a stern expression, with a firm resolve evident in his eyes. Anyone who looked into his eyes could see his unwavering determination; once he made a decision, he wouldn't easily change his mind.
As the red warning light flashed, Ichirou hurried into the monitoring room. He saw Masaki Seizaburou, who had also pledged allegiance to Sosuke Aizen, sitting at the monitoring station, gazing at the screen with a hint of joy.
"Seizaburou, what did you find?" Ichirou entered the room and inquired.
Masaki Seizaburou was a rather handsome young man, with a smile that hinted at some hidden thoughts. Without turning his head, he replied:
"For Lord Aizen, it's good news. But for you, Ichirou, it's not so good."
Upon hearing this, Ichirou frowned discontentedly. "If it's good news for Lord Aizen, then it's even better news for me."
"Your brother is dead," Masaki Seizaburou said flatly.
Ichirou's expression changed abruptly. This news was truly terrible. He couldn't believe it; his brother!
Ichirou felt a sudden pang in his heart, unwilling to accept the truth. He had taught Jirou Shunpo and instructed him to run if he couldn't win. With Shunpo, how could he still be dead?
Jirou was really fast!
Masaki Seizaburou continued to stare at the monitor in front of him, a smile playing on his lips. "It's the 62nd District, Third Experimental Grounds in the Eastern Rukongai. Isn't that where your brother, Urahana Jirou, was stationed? Someone has entered the experimental grounds and killed the subject.
"I know you violated the rules of the Seireitei by teaching Shunpo to your brother, but I don't believe your brother would dare disobey Lord Aizen's orders and let this person into the experimental grounds to kill the subject."
Masaki Seizaburou pointed at H'el, who was directly facing the surveillance camera. In the next moment, the hidden surveillance was destroyed by H'el, and the screen turned to static.
"Jirou would never let anyone into the experimental grounds," Ichirou's expression fluctuated.
At this moment, he hoped Seizaburou was wrong.
If his brother hadn't let anyone into the experimental grounds, it meant that someone had forcibly broken through his brother's strength and entered the experimental grounds, leaving his brother in grave danger.
And if his brother had willingly allowed someone into the experimental grounds, it was equally bad. If Lord Aizen found out about this unauthorized act, his brother would be doomed, and Ichirou would be the next subject.
Regardless of how he guessed, Ichirou felt that his brother's fate was precarious.
"But, Ichirou, you don't need to be so burdened," Masaki Seizaburou smirked, his eyes shining. "This time, it might fulfill your long-standing wish and awaken your Shikai."
He brought up the surveillance footage showing H'el and the others entering the underground cell.
With a solemn expression, Ichirou looked at the monitor Masaki Seizaburou had brought up, seeing H'el and the others entering the underground cell, triggering the red alert on the detection device.
His heart skipped a beat. The red alert indicated that something or someone needed by Sosuke Aizen had appeared.
This item or person marked as important by Aizen was unknown to them, but it must be something of great significance to Aizen, marked as a priority.
For Ichirou and Masaki Seizaburou, the discovery alone was a great achievement, one that could even help them unlock their Shikai.
Ichirou's heart began to burn with excitement.
His brother might be dead, which was indeed saddening, but the power gained after awakening his Shikai was something he had coveted for years.
Most Shinigami never even reached Shikai in their lifetime, let alone specialize their Zanpakuto into their own. Therefore, those who reached Shikai were already a minority, able to hold positions in any division and become seated officers.
And Ichirou, for decades, had been an ordinary Shinigami who couldn't reach Shikai.
Having Shikai was his long-cherished wish.
"Is it him? Indeed remarkable, able to kill the subject," Ichirou suppressed his worry about his brother's fate and the sudden surprise, looking at the surveillance footage and seeing H'el effortlessly dispatching the combined spider.
"I don't know, but he must be one of these three kids," Masaki Seizaburou said with a smile. "His swordsmanship is truly extraordinary; he must have immersed himself in swordsmanship for many years."
"It doesn't matter. No matter how many years one has immersed themselves in swordsmanship, they are nothing before the power of a Shinigami," Ichirou said sternly, gripping his shallow tachi.
Shinigami were not just skilled in swordsmanship.
There was Kido, Hado, and the unique and immense Reiatsu. To those who weren't Shinigami, it was like being crushed.
Pressed down to the point of no return.
The immense pressure formed solely by Reiatsu was enough to overwhelm ordinary people as if they were being crushed. Resistance was futile, something that common folk simply couldn't withstand.
Ichirou didn't understand why the kid in the surveillance footage possessed Shinigami's Shunpo and stepped on Reishi, displaying stunning swordsmanship, but his Reiatsu was too weak.
Being so weak, they could only rely on exquisite swordsmanship to kill the stitched spider Hollow. This was indeed too weak.
This Hollow, pieced together by children, didn't dare to face them. Just releasing Reiatsu made it tremble in fear, unable to confront Shinigami like them, only passively waiting to be slain.
Facing this Hollow was as easy as pie for him; he wouldn't need to fight like this kid.
Ichirou had no doubt that as long as he released his Reiatsu, the kid before him would crawl at his feet like ants, unable to move at all.
This was a genuine, effortless achievement.
The only problem was the safety of his brother, Jirou.
"I still have half a month of vacation. It's just right to go back and see what's going on with Jirou," Ichirou said with a serious face.
In order to be able to help Sosuke Aizen gather various peculiar items at any time, they deliberately left vacation days so they could take time off from Soul Society whenever needed.
"May luck be with you. I believe it won't be long before I see Urahana's Shikai," Masaki Seizaburou smiled and wished him well.
Urahana Ichirou nodded with a solemn face.
Thinking about the uncertainty of his brother's life made him sad. But the thought of being able to awaken his Shikai made him extremely happy.
So, he left the monitoring room with a mixed expression of sadness and happiness, his face twisted into a half-smile, half-sad expression.
Masaki Seizaburou smiled as he watched him leave the monitoring room, then began to contact Sosuke Aizen.
°°°
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