"Here's how we're going to do this contest, Ichigo Kurosaki; once I break this tablet, hollows will start coming to Karakura. Whoever kills more Hollows wins. That's simple enough for you to understand, isn't it?"

"Are you crazy Uryu? You're putting innocent lives in danger!" yelled Ichigo.

Uryu's face hardened. "If you aren't strong enough to protect them, I am." And with that statement, he broke the tablet. A hollow immediately appeared in the sky. In one fluid movement, Uryu cocked his bow and one-shotted the unfortunate hollow. "That's one for me. You'd better hurry up." Ichigo gave Uryu a furious glare before running off.

Suddenly, someone flash-stepped up beside Uryu. "Uryuu, I need your help."

Uryu jumped back and prepared to fire an arrow at the cloaked figure. "Who are you? What do you want?"

The figure threw a metal staff at Uryu's wrist before he even had time to react. "Stop fooling around. You're just like Ryuken, cocky and temperamental."

"You shut up! If you don't tell me who you are, don't blame me for injuring you."

Ignoring Uryu's warning, the figure cloaked in red started walking calmly towards him, staff in hand. Uryu fired an arrow at the figure, but they knocked it aside with the staff as if it were nothing. "I just need to know one thing: Do you know how to get to the Soul Society?"

"Why does it matter? And the answer is no." With that answer, the figure disappeared. Uryu sighed. "Good riddance. Now I need to go and kill those hollows since Ichigo Kurosaki is incompetent and Rukia Kuchiki can hardly do squat."

Unbeknownst to Uryu, the figure was high above on a telephone pole, watching and listening. Kuchiki? She must be related to Byakuya.

Meanwhile, at the Soul Society, the 5th Division Captain Aizen Sosuke received a knock at the door. "Come in."

* * *

"Aizen, you sent for me?"

Aizen turned around and saw a familiar face. Mai Yoshimura had hardly gotten older after 17 years in the world of the living; she still had her curly, light brown hair and green eyes. "Mai Yoshimura, always a pleasure," he said with a smile.

"You can cut the acting Aizen, what did you drag me here for?"

Aizen turned his back to her and straightened his glasses. "Mai, do you remember how you managed to escape from the Soul Society?"

"Yes..."

"Do you remember who prevented the others from capturing you and the Quincy?"

"Yes..."

"And now you stand here acting as if I haven't done anything for you. Now Mai, I've extended your lifetime by 17 years. I let you go to the world of the living, be happy, perhaps even raise a family, but if I can save you life, I can take it away as well. You see, Mayuri—you remember him, don't you?--has recently found your file again." Aizen stopped and turned to face her. "I'm sorry Mai, but I'm going to have to kill you. I can't have the Soul Society find out about me, not just yet."

Mai's eyes widened. "You can't eliminate me that--"

With a single, swift movement, Aizen had murdered Mai Yoshimura. He glanced down at the corpse. "You were saying?" He chuckled at her foolishness before straightening up and calling Lieutenant Momo Hinamori. "Momo, it appears that someone has made a mess here, could you please clean it up?"

Momo glanced at the pile of broken dishes and torn books. "Yes Captain!" she said while smiling.

"Thank you Momo," he as he patted her head. Hopefully Mayuri hasn't found anything out from Byakuya.