Chapter 387: BSUS - 390: Keep Heading Toward the Moon, and You Will Eventually Reach the End

By the time Hirako and the others rushed to the Urahara Shop, Hiroe was already long gone. He had already taken his team and departed for Hueco Mundo.

"Why didn’t he discuss this with us? Taking just a few brats with him—is that guy Chōzuka going to Hueco Mundo just to throw his life away?!"

Faced with this interrogation, Urahara remained remarkably calm. "Time was of the essence. Besides, the majority of the people Hiroe took with him are unaffected by Kyōka Suigetsu. That is the fundamental requirement for taking back Karakura Town."

"But..."

"Even if he had discussed it with you, the outcome wouldn’t have changed. You should understand that, Hirako. The Seireitei’s priority is still to protect what they currently hold. Hiroe wouldn’t take you all to Hueco Mundo and leave a gap in our fighting strength here."

Half of Karakura Town falling into Aizen’s hands would undoubtedly have a substantial impact. For instance, they had to be much more cautious with how they deployed Hirako and the others. Even if they knew Aizen wouldn’t attack here again before the final battle, they still couldn’t afford to weaken their defensive forces under these circumstances.

Hirako was well aware of this, and he certainly wasn’t someone who lacked a sense of priority. "But what can they possibly accomplish on their own?"

"They will do everything in their power to create a miracle."

Urahara watched the gradually dissipating black mist. Since he had used the word "miracle," the world behind that mist was bound to be fraught with danger. Even someone like Hiroe would have to commit himself entirely to survive it.

...

Beyond the gate of black mist lay a fractured space. Even though they were surrounded by endless darkness, Ichigo could tell it was broken; one wrong step, and they would fall into an unknown rift.

Between the Soul Society and the World of the Living lay the unstable Dangai, but the space separating them from Hueco Mundo was completely shattered. There was nothing that could be called a path; all they could rely on were the turbulent currents of Reishi within the void.

By using Reiryoku to temporarily stabilize the Reishi beneath their feet, they could form a path for the group to traverse. The path stretched endlessly onward, its destination unknown. However, according to Urahara, as long as they kept moving forward into the darkness, they would eventually find a way out.

The group maintained an arrow formation. Ichigo led the way at the very front, while Hiroe brought up the rear to watch over everyone. They moved forward in a half-run, half-skip—at the very least, it looked rather cheerful.

However, this cheerfulness was entirely out of necessity. The path beneath their feet was temporarily formed by controlling Reishi with Reiryoku, meaning its shape and stability depended entirely on the person leading the way. And the path Ichigo was paving could only be described as incredibly difficult to walk on...

Rukia leaped over a sudden pit, casually grabbing Chad to pull him up when he nearly stepped into the void. Her patience with Ichigo had reached its limit. "Can’t you walk a little steadier?!"

"I’m fine," Chad said, speaking up in Ichigo’s defense, but that only made Rukia more relentless.

"Put some effort into it, Ichigo!"

"It’s not a matter of effort! I’m just genuinely bad at this!"

Ichigo’s brow furrowed slightly, his teeth unconsciously clenching. It was obvious he was taking it seriously, perhaps even a bit nervous, but mastering Reiryoku control wasn’t something that could be achieved overnight.

"Mr. Kaien, how about you lead the way?" Ichigo asked, turning his head. Seeing Kaien smile and shake his head, he shifted his gaze to Hiroe. "Mr. Chōzuka?"

"Just treat it as training. Don’t stress over it," Hiroe said, waving his hand dismissively before addressing the rest of the group. "Rather than obsessing over whether the path beneath our feet is smooth, I’ll take this opportunity to tell you all a bit about Hueco Mundo."

At those words, everyone perked up, their breathing seemingly growing lighter. Even Ishida, who had claimed not long ago that he wasn’t here to help Shinigami, quietly moved a little closer to Hiroe. Everyone was curious about what the world inhabited by Hollows was actually like.

"Similar to the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo is a boundless world. There’s a legend in the Seireitei that the end of the Soul Society is Hueco Mundo, but you can just take that as a story, because no one has ever actually reached Hueco Mundo on foot."

"Unlike the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo has a very distinct two-tiered structure, separated by a middle layer of sand. The upper layer is an endless, sprawling desert. Most of the Seireitei’s records regarding Hueco Mundo refer to this upper layer. Beneath the desert, however, is a forest, which we call the Forest of Menos."

"The Forest of Menos?" Kaien asked, somewhat confused. Hiroe seemed to know exactly what he was thinking and shook his head.

"The so-called Forest of Menos isn’t what you’re imagining—a forest where all Menos gather. It’s actually a gathering place for ordinary Hollows that frequently invade the World of the Living and the Soul Society, as well as the lowest class of Menos, the Gillian. There might be some Adjuchas there, but their numbers are definitely small."

"Then Aizen’s location must be in the upper layer of Hueco Mundo, right? If the Forest of Menos really has so few Adjuchas, it stands to reason that most of them are in the upper layer. Those Arrancar are all at least Adjuchas-class Menos, or maybe even... Vasto Lorde."

Renji voiced his deduction, though he clearly stumbled over his words when he mentioned "Vasto Lorde."

"Even your blockhead is starting to work. That’s an improvement."

Hiroe offered Renji a backhanded compliment before confirming, "Not only is Aizen in the upper layer of Hueco Mundo, but it’s safe to assume he has already established himself as the sole ruling power there. Therefore, the palace he built for himself will be right in the center of the upper layer."

"How are we supposed to know where the center is?" Ishida voiced his doubt.

"When you guys first broke into the Soul Society, didn’t you end up near the Seireitei in the center? To establish a Senkaimon, you first have to find a stable spatial location. As for how to find it, it’s actually based on Reishi density and previously recorded Reiatsu. This rule applies to Hueco Mundo as well; places where the Reishi density is too thin are very difficult to lock onto."

"So you’re saying that as long as we can reach Hueco Mundo, we’ll definitely end up in the center?"

Hiroe nodded. "Even if we aren’t exactly in the center, we won’t be too far off. Moreover, Hueco Mundo has a very distinct feature: it has no day, only night. And in that night sky, a crescent moon hangs eternally. No matter where you are in Hueco Mundo, as long as you keep heading toward the moon, you will eventually reach the center."

This was almost entirely different from what everyone had imagined Hueco Mundo to be. A world of eternal night—it sounded mysterious and tranquil, yet somehow beautiful and desolate at the same time. Inoue’s eyes even grew a little hazy as she pictured it.

Hueco Mundo. They had imagined it to be a filthy, chaotic place, something akin to a gladiatorial arena. Yet now, it sounded unexpectedly beautiful. Kaien couldn’t help but ask, "Really?" But realizing Hiroe wouldn’t just make up stories, he quickly corrected himself. "Why are you so familiar with Hueco Mundo?"

"Yeah, it’s almost as if you’ve toured it yourself, Captain Gulliver?" Ginjō teased casually. His remark prompted the others, who hadn’t considered it, to start wondering the same thing.

"Just because I haven’t doesn’t mean Shinigami never have. In fact, throughout history, the Seireitei has launched offensives against Hueco Mundo more than once. It’s not strange for us to have some understanding of it."

Hiroe cast a casual glance at Ginjō. "So, I’m not Captain Gulliver. I’m just a reader who had the privilege of perusing the travelogues."