...

-Tessai-

"Kisuke-san, are you sure sure you wish to go now?" Tessai questioned from beside the man, the worried expression on his face intensifying as he watched Urahara open the gate between realms.

"The Hogyoku's more than likely in Hueco Mundo..." Urahara remarked passively, his expression shadowed. "With Aizen still in Soul Society, it's our best bet to get it now."

Tessai, at the proclamation, minutely turned his head towards the gagged and bound captain in the room, currently being pushed by Ginta with a stick. His thoughts however whirling around the idea Hueco Mundo was safer than Soul Society... For some odd reason, the thought sent red flags running up his spine, as if they were missing something crucial...

"Besides... The Gotei 13's benevolence towards our shop's existence has more than likely ended..." Urahara added on, his thoughts surrounding Rukia.

"What about Yoru-" Ururu started.

"How do you expect me to save her alone!?" Urahara immediately snapped towards the girl in the room, causing her to stiffen.

"Sorry..."

Tessai's brow creased at the outburst, unsure of what to do nor say, Urahara hadn't come back from Soul Society unscathed, though he simply refused to explain what had happened in detail.

"Let's go," The man shook his head and stated with a sigh, "Before she wakes up and tries to blow Karakura Town up again..."

"Why are we even taking her with us?" Ginta questioned him, quieter than usual. Tessai reminded himself not to overwork him for his courage. He hadn't felt like opening any unseen wounds himself.

"...I doubt any other captains willing to come see the truth for themselves..." He admitted morosely before he turned towards him. "Don't forget to have them follow us as soon as you find them," He still wasn't entirely sure what had ended up happening to Hirako and everyone else. Though if he had to guess...

"I'll send you the signal if I find them in Hueco Mundo, until then try and lay low... It's currently open season on Urahara Shoten,"

Tessai, as much as he didn't want to agree with the man, nodded.

...

-Kisuke-

He'd been arrogant, he realised, rather too late.

Far too late.

Urahara suppressed the fifth sigh that minute. His gaze locked ahead of him as he walked on through the darkness. Ururu and Ginta mumbling by themselves as they each pushed the cart carrying the unconscious, sealed, captain.

He shouldn't have assumed Aizen would slow down following his exile... He'd been his only enemy after all, at least the only one he knew off. He shouldn't have just assumed that he himself was the only that progressed. That, with all the freedom he'd obtained would help him develop enough to turn the tides.

To come back far more dangerous than he could've ever anticipated.

The unknown threat that could end him at the worst possible moment.

He'd known Aizen would go on to improve his powers, his abilities and of course, his still yet unknown Zanpakuto, but he hadn't expected that.
Even then. Whatever his theories had on the man's sword itself, none of them accounted for the trial going the way it did. Which either meant he had an ally with a similar power... Or Aizen had somehow figured out how to modify his own soul. Successfully enough to do... That.

He wasn't sure what was worse.

And that was to say nothing of his use of Black Coffin.

He'd thought Aizen would stagnate.

He hadn't considered him to evolve. Not without the Hogyoku...

After all, it had been his goal, one of the few potential ways to truly evolve...

And unlike Aizen, he hadn't just considered looking for another way...

His freedom had allowed to master Kido of all kind.

Aizen had used that time to reach a new level. Had figured out how to do what he did, without a care. As if he wasn't breaking history.

He himself had spent most of his free time working on and improving his knowledge surrounds around souls.

Aizen had somehow figured out how to twist the very fabric of his soul... Enough to fool the governing body of soul society.

His arrogance had led him here. Had led him into that game unprepared.

And now here he was, running off to Hueco Mundo having lost near everything.

And perhaps the worst part of it...

The bastard had been toying with him. Not once, not a single damn moment did the bastard take him seriously.

And in response? What had he, the Urahara Kisuke, given him in return?

His. Own. Bloody. Partner.

...

Urahara's nerves tinged as he rapidly increased his pace, his eyes darting around the expanding darkness. It was taking too long to reach the other realm-

'Fwoosh'

His eyes darted to the side the moment he felt the miniature flare, of what? He wasn't sure.

Though he had no intention of sticking around to find out as he promptly leapt forward, his reiatsu quickly covering Soi-fon and picking her up.

He ignored Ginta's curse, his gaze locked ahead, his Zanpakuto in his hand.

Though he never landed as a flash suddenly encompassed him and company.

...

Urahara blinked his eyes open, rapidly straightening up before he felt the smothering reiatsu in the air. When he made to get up, he felt that same reiatsu crash down onto him filling him with dread.

What the hell is going on!? His frantic thoughts didn't help him as he fell to one knee, his gaze still up-

He held in the wince at the sudden flash of blue before him. The reiatsu coming out of thin air before condensing into what looked like a screen that dwarfed him and the rest behind him put together.

Briefly turning back he noticed the others had yet to wake. He quickly turned his attention back to the giant screen as an image flickered on. He blinked at the sight of the pink-haired stranger...

"-ello! You've reached administration-"

What.

"-my name is Grantz!"

The.

"-how may I help-"

Hell is going on!?

"Holy shit! The Urahara Kisuke!" The voice suddenly exclaimed bringing him out of his stupor.

He blinked at the sheer joy that had suddenly filled the stranger's expression.

"Ok! I don't usually do this but seeing as it's you..." The man remarked twirling one of his locks.

His nerves quickly started to scream at him to run at the sight of the demonic smile that had filled the creature's face.

"I'll let you choose. You can either start at the bottom like everyone else..." The creature stated, a malevolent aura quickly filling the clearing, with a smile.

He quickly tensed as he tried and failed to reach for the Zanpakuto on the ground before him, his body frozen.

"Or you can go straight to the boss stage," The creature remarked, a dark glint in it's eyes.

"Aizen's here!?" Urahara quickly exclaimed at the sudden words, his eyes panicked... Atleast until he took in the utter baffled look that had filled the creature's expression.

"Who the fuck is Aizen? Gah, doesn't matter! You've ruined it! Hurry up and choose, stage 1 or boss room!" The creature's face quickly turned passive, an utterly dull expression filling it as he leaned his head on one of his arms.

Urahara briefly wondered if it said anything about him that he felt somewhat insulted, still he steeled his nerves and opened his mouth, briefly earning a curious look out of the pink-haired lunatic.

"What's stage 1?"

The creature blinked, his tattoo'd eye twitching. "The Adjuchas Forest."

His eyes minutely widened at the words.

"Don't you mean Menos forest?" He promptly questioned, his words harried. His dread only intensifying at the sudden grin that grew on the creature's face.

"Nope, sorry buddy, wrong Huaco Mundo," He remarked, flashing him a set of sharpened teeth.

He made to open his mouth, still unsure of what to even say, before the horror spoke over him.

"Just so you know, there's a bounty on your head over there... The winner get's Eren Jeegerj' spot-" The horror's face twisted into what likely amounted to a snort-"- on the council, now choose, no more hints,"

He, given he was practically frozen on the spot, hadn't even needed to put any effort into holding a passive expression on his face as he stared at the two boxes that suddenly manifested in front of him.

-Stage 1- -Boss Stage-

He promptly closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, and forcibly grabbed his Zanpakuto, his rapidly shredding hand ignored as he raised the sword. Entirely indifferent to the creature's widened eyes.

"I've quite frankly had it." He opened his eyes, a livid expression forming. "Bankai!"

...

Urahara blinked, bemusement marring his face as he stared at the non-plussed reaction on the screen before him. His aching hand a sore reminder of it's state, said hand quickly dropping his sword as it reached magnitudes of pain he hadn't prepared for.

His words had resulted in nothing but a humorous expression from the creature inside the screen.

When the screen to enter a password popped up before him, he let out a groan.

-Admin Privileges Required-

He grit his teeth as he quickly pulled his shredded hand back to himself, grasping hold of it and attempting to cover it in reiatsu, his eyes barely holding themselves from tearing up as he glared at the chuckling monster.

"Hard Mode it is,"

The creature remarked as it snapped it's fingers.

His eyes barely had the time to widen as he watched his Zanpakuto disappear. The panic increasing when he felt the sudden loss of something deep within, his connection to his Benihime disappearing with it.

The last thing he saw was a brilliant white flash that quickly encompassed everything.

...

He reopened his eyes, his gaze snapping to every barren side as he whirled on his feet. When he noticed the absence of pain, his gaze immediately snapped towards his unscarred hand. Though his relief was short-lived as he suddenly felt a small piece of skin slowly tear itself off. On the other side of his hand he found a large number etched on it, a number that slowly started to count down, each tick coming with more pain as his hand slowly reverted.

"Tick tock, the bone pops and off your hand goes~"

A sing-song voice startled him out of his pain, his eyes snapping towards the empty clearing before him. It was only then he'd realised Ginta and Ururu were missing, while just behind him was Soi-fon's crumpled form.

When his eyes landed on the cracked Sealing surrounding the captain, his hand promptly reminded him of his pain, earning the first scream from him.

"The Hollows swell as the doorman bells, their hunger set ablaze~" The voice continued, though this time, Urahara noticed something shift in the distance. A line slowly forming, growing closer and larger with each second of pain that wracked across his hand. His eyes bloodshot from the pain.

It took him a moment to realise the line was made up entirely of humanoid hollows. Hundreds, if not thousands, of Adjuchas class hollows dashed towards him, trampling and cutting across one another in the process.

"The Captain's slumber tears asunder as~ Sheee~ Joooiins~ Theee Fraaaay~" Grantz voice's quickly jumped to a high note, as an image of him flourishing his arms, a manic grin on his face appeared in the middle of the sky.

Urahara minutely turned his gaze behind him, eyeing the Captain as she silently released her Zanpakuto, her expression cold, her eyes ignoring the impossible mountain of Adjuchas Hollows in favour of him.

...

Author Notes: Hope you enjoyed! Don't forget feedback!