We’ve been expecting you.
So that’s what he meant.
Damn it.
We’re not giving up because of this!
Kurosaki.
I’ll try and hold them off here.
You two get past them!
What are you saying?!
A suicide dash?
How pathetic of you.
Yoruichi!
I’m not alone.
You’re all…alive?!
Now then, it’s time to fight.
But where were you guys hiding this whole time?
Well, Kukaku saved us from quite a close call.
Soi Fon!
Oh! Kukaku!
Damn. Who are they?!
I didn’t expect there were still others.
Just in case, I took measures beforehand.
We healed our injuries at Kukaku’s place
and waited for the opportunity to strike back.
You’re in the way!
Stay back!
What did you just say?!
He’s right.
We’ll handle things here. Get going!
Yoruichi!
Let’s go!
Come back, you bastards!
Now there’s nothing in our way!
How many times have I fought you people?
Damn it!
This time, I’m settling it once and for all!
Hey, you okay, Ichigo?
I’m fine.
Never mind me.
Let’s find Kageroza’s lab quickly.
Ichigo!
Kon…
Mr. Urahara…
You almost turned into a Hollow again.
I see.
I’m guessing that
the balance between the Hollow powers and
the Soul Reaper powers inside of you is breaking down.
This isn’t easy for me to say, but…
I want you to remain here, Kurosaki.
Mr. Urahara!
Hey! Hang in there, Ichigo!
Come on!
Kurosaki, you know your body best.
Ichigo, you stay here!
Let me handle this!
I’ll restore your Spiritual Pressure.
I swear, you hear?!
Yeah, but…
Why can’t you just say something like “I’m counting on you”?
Don’t you dare think of me as a mere stuffed animal!
What is it, Kon?
I’m coming with you!
Kon, that’s...
I don’t know if I’ll be any help.
You know, since I’m like this.
But I want to save Nozomi too.
No, I will save her!
You’re right.
Huh?
I’m counting on you, Kon.
I wasn’t expecting that!
Kinda gives me the creeps!
Oh, and one other thing.
Take this with you.
The Reishi Collector?
It’s in good hands.
Say… Was that really necessary?
Well, just to be safe.
Don’t know if it’s going to help him, though.
Anyway, let’s try to get back as soon as possible, Kon.
Alone with this guy?
Did you say something?
Jeez…nothing!
DEPARTMENT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
No matter how many times we fight, it won’t do any good.
There is only one true head of the Kuchiki Clan.
Exactly…
And that one is me.
Not bad.
Still want more?
Now that’s the way I like it!
-The fun starts now! -The fun starts now!
Lady Yoruichi!
Right!
She has good reflexes.
A little too good.
They’ve improved their capabilities.
This is going to be troublesome.
Man, you’re no challenge at all!
I suppose your pride won’t let you
turn away from a Reigai and run, eh?
You’ve got it all wrong.
It’s because protecting the Soul Society is
the mission of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads!
Hey, Clogs.
DEPARTMENT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
What is it, Kon?
Isn’t this the place we just escaped from?!
BACK DOOR
Yes, which is why we’re going through the back door.
That’s not what I meant!
Why did we go the long way around
just to come back here?!
You know the saying,
“to deceive your enemies, deceive your friends first.”
I get that!
But explain why we took our sweet time!
The truth is, I wanted to
investigate Kageroza’s unit, Squad 12, first.
But to do that,
I needed to make our pursuers think we went somewhere else.
Are you telling me the truth?
Unfortunately, there’s nothing left from my time here.
Hold on.
You used to be in Squad 12, like Kageroza?
You mean I never mentioned it?
I never heard about it!
That means you knew about Kageroza all along!
Actually…
He wasn’t inducted yet when I was here.
You’re so useless!
Now then…
Let’s hope we find something.
Hey, it’s asking for a password!
I know.
Every piece of equipment here is under Kurotsuchi’s control.
It’s not too difficult to figure out
what Kurotsuchi might come up with.
Too bad. Wrong.
Oh dear.
Hey!
Then, how about this?
Too bad. Wrong.
Hey!
Then this one.
See?
Wasn’t that just a lucky guess?
I can’t make heads or tails of it.
Is this what you wanted?
Yes.
According to this, Kageroza was
inducted approximately sixty years ago.
Sixty years, eh? What about Nozomi?
I don’t see any data on Kujo.
What is it?
Hey, Clogs! Stop ignoring me!
Say something!
Let’s go, Kon.
Huh?
Hey, where are you going?!
Give me an explanation!
To the library.
There are some records I want to check.
Wow!
Look at all these books!
So, what are you checking?
The records of each squad’s recruits and discharges
between the time I was banished and Kageroza appeared.
I see.
Let’s go to the Squad 10 barracks.
Huh?
Stop keeping things to yourself!
The bastard is all about himself!
Are they gone?
Looks like it.
So, did you learn something?
It’s time you told me.
If you don’t, I’ll shout out!
Calm down, Kon.
Do you remember what Kujo said before?
What Nozomi said?
He…
I…
-…developed the Mod Souls. -…developed the Mod Souls.
And then she also said…
The very first Mod Soul developed…
was…
me.
However, Kageroza….
It’s simple, really.
Simply put, Nozomi and I
were born from the Reishi of a single Soul Reaper.
Their stories are clearly different.
So that means one of them is lying!
Perhaps so.
But what if what they both said is true?
Huh?
In other words, what if Kageroza was a Mod Soul himself?
The two were once a single Mod Soul.
And that was the first Mod Soul?
But what did he mean by “developer”?
Who created that Mod Soul?
Like the invasion force, Mod Souls were originally created from
the Reishi of a particular Soul Reaper,
and then imbued with enhanced capabilities.
If so, then there’s only one answer.
The developer used himself as the base for the Mod Soul?
Exactly!
Which would mean, then, that Kujo and Kageroza
are both the developer and the first Mod Soul.
So they were both telling the truth?
We’re going to the Squad 10 barracks to find out.
If we can uncover the true developer,
we can probably find the lab, as well.
And if we find the lab,
we can restore Ichigo’s Spiritual Pressure.
Hey, Clogs, when did you figure all that out?
I had my guesses before we came here to the Soul Society.
Then you should have just told us instead of keeping it to yourself!
Which is why I’ve been gathering the evidence to prove it.
At the Squad 12 barracks…
I reviewed the records from the time I left the Soul Society
until the time Kageroza took his post in
the Department of Research and Development.
And?
I expected to find a Soul Reaper
who disappeared before Kageroza showed up, but…
Those records had all been erased.
And that’s why you went to the library?
Yes. I thought the library might still have records
that had not been erased.
So, how’d that go?
I found nothing in Squad 12’s registry of names,
but I did find signs of
alterations to the books of another squad.
And? What book was that?
It was a book of Squad 10’s records from 96 years ago.
Come on, haven’t you found it yet?
Nothing that looks like it.
But there’s no way that these records could’ve been changed.
Bring me more books.
Here it is!
Huh?
What?! You found it?
Yes, I’m positive.
It’s dated 96 years ago.
Transferred to Squad 12…
What’s the guy’s name?
OUKO YUSHIMA
Ouko…Yushima…
Hey!
This guy does sort of look like Nozomi.
So, where is this guy now?
What’s this cross mark mean?
It means he doesn’t exist in Squad 12.
He must be there.
The Special Underground Confinement Station,
also known as the Maggot’s Nest.
Maggot’s Nest?
The Thirteen Court Guard Squads make no provision for resignation.
That means that if no records exist after
their time in service, this is the only place they could be.
There’s no one here.
There wasn’t even a guard at the entrance back there.
Doesn’t this seem strange?
Yes, I know.
That’s because…
We thought you might come, Kisuke Urahara!
We’ve been waiting for you!
Today, I’ll put an end to you with these hands!
It’s the Bee Chick and Diet Fatso!
Who’re you calling Diet Fatso?!
Don’t go putting me with that original!
Are you ready, Kon?
I’ll hold them off here.
Right!
Gotcha!
Omaeda, go after him!
Right!
Just as I thought, this is the place.
This is where Ouko Yushima, the developer of Mod Souls, is.
Damn you!
Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi!
Come back here, you bastard!
I can’t outrun him!
Hey, Clogs!
Help me!
Huh?!
This way!
Shibari Benihime.
Wow!
Hiasobi Benihime, Juzutsunagi.
Damn it!
You did it!
The doppelganger plan worked!
Thanks to you, Kon.
Well, yeah, but I didn’t do much!
Come on, let’s go.
Right!
Let’s go meet the real developer!
Hey, is he really in a place like this?
This is the facility’s lowest level.
If he’s not here,
then those two we met earlier
were guarding this place for nothing.
Good point.
Are you Ouko Yushima?
He’s not responding.
Hey you!
Get up!
Time to wake up!
Good morning?!
It’s no use.
Huh?!
It doesn’t look like he’ll ever regain consciousness.
What?
I’m sick of being so small!
Man, I wish I were inside a big, strong Gigai!
I agree.
Right?
So you’re saying you’ll take
my place to go up against Omaeda and Soi Fon.
Even if you get beaten down into pulp.
Umm…I’ll stick with being small after all.
Illustrated Guide to Soul Reapers!
Thanks to the rest we got here…
It looks like everyone’s healed.
Now that I think about it, during the time he was healing,
Kuchiki was going somewhere every night.
After Kuchiki left, you could hear
the sound of wood being pounded on until dawn.
So that was the sound of him training.