The Architect of Shadows
The sands of Hueco Mundo lay still, the echoes of battle fading into silence.
Harry stood at the center of the battlefield, his newly fused Zanpakutō resting on his shoulder, his perfect Hollow mask dissolving into mist. His body still hummed with the balance of Shinigami and Hollow energy, a perfect unity unlike anything the Soul Society had ever seen.
But his battle wasn’t over yet.
A slow, deliberate clap broke the silence.
Harry turned sharply, his emerald eyes locking onto the mysterious figure standing atop a nearby dune.
The man wore a tattered white haori, its edges frayed with age. His silver hair flowed past his shoulders, and his piercing golden eyes gleamed with amusement. A subtle, controlled reiatsu pulsed around him—not overwhelming, but eerily refined.
Behind him, the Shadow Guard tensed.
Shinji stepped forward, his usual smirk gone. “Tch… I know you.”
The man smiled. “Of course you do, Hirako Shinji. We were once Captains together, weren’t we?”
Lisa adjusted her glasses. “But you were erased from history.”
Harry’s grip on his sword tightened. “Who are you?”
The man tilted his head, studying Harry with an almost scientific curiosity.
Then, he spoke.
“My name is Saigo Kurotetsu.”
A chill rippled through the air.
“I was once the Captain of Squad 0—The Royal Guard.”
Harry’s eyes narrowed. Squad 0? The division that protected the Soul King himself?
But Saigo wasn’t finished.
“…And I was the first to unlock the secret of true Hollow-Shinigami fusion.”
Silence.
Even Shinji, Kensei, and Lisa—who had all lived through the Visored experimentations—looked shaken.
Saigo smiled faintly. “You interest me, Harry Potter. You’ve done what no other has done—achieved true balance. Just like I did.”
Harry stepped forward, sword at the ready. “Then why the hell are you creating monsters like Vael?”
Saigo sighed. “Because I am seeking the next step.”
His golden eyes gleamed. “And now, I have found it.”
The Offer
Saigo took another step forward, his presence pressing against Harry’s mind like a whispered secret.
"You are wasted in the Soul Society, Harry Potter."
Harry’s expression didn’t change. “And let me guess—you think you have something better to offer?”
Saigo smiled. “Of course. You and I? We are above them. The Gotei 13 fear what they don’t understand. They would have exiled you if not for your convenience.”
He gestured around them.
"Look at this world. Hueco Mundo. A place that has always been ruled by chaos and power. But what if it could be more? What if we could turn it into something… greater?"
Harry remained silent.
Saigo's smile widened. “You feel it, don’t you? That pull deep inside you? You are not like them, Harry. You are beyond them.”
A slow pause.
Then—Saigo raised his hand.
“Join me.”
The air grew deathly still.
The Shadow Guard tensed, waiting for Harry’s answer.
For a moment, Harry considered it.
He had spent his entire afterlife feeling like an outsider. Even now, as a Captain, there were whispers. Doubt. Fear. Distrust.
But then… he thought about his squad.
The ones who had fought beside him.
The ones who had followed him.
The ones who had given him a place.
And just like that, his choice was clear.
Harry smirked.
“Yeah… that’s a no.”
And in a flash—he attacked.
The Showdown
Harry’s new blade clashed against Saigo’s with a thunderous shockwave.
For the first time, the ex-Royal Guard looked surprised.
Harry didn’t hesitate—he pushed forward, overwhelming Saigo with a flurry of devastating strikes. His speed, his power, his balance—it was perfect.
But Saigo was not ordinary.
With a flick of his wrist, his sword shifted, morphing into a blackened spear lined with silver runes.
And then—he vanished.
Harry barely had time to react before a blade of pure energy ripped across his side, sending him skidding across the sand.
Saigo stood calmly, his expression unreadable.
“…Impressive,” he murmured. “But you’re still unrefined.”
Harry gritted his teeth. His wound was already healing, his Hollow powers reinforcing his body.
But Saigo was right.
He was stronger.
For now.
The Shadow Guard rushed forward, **ready to fight—**but Saigo simply raised a hand.
“Enough.”
And then, to Harry’s shock—he stepped back.
“I have no interest in a battle today,” Saigo said smoothly. “Your strength is still growing. I will wait.”
He gave Harry one last, knowing look.
“And when you’re ready to embrace your true self… you will come to me.”
Before anyone could react, Saigo vanished into the void.
Return to the Soul Society
By the time they returned to the Seireitei, news of the mission had already spread.
The Hollow threat had been neutralized. But the real problem?
Saigo Kurotetsu now lurked in the shadows.
Yamamoto’s expression remained unreadable as Harry delivered his report. The other Captains listened in tense silence.
“He called himself a former member of the Royal Guard,” Harry finished. “And he’s after something much bigger than just controlling Hollows.”
The Captain-Commander’s brow furrowed. “This will not be ignored.”
Soi Fon scoffed. “So what? We hunt him down and kill him.”
Harry shook his head. “It’s not that simple. He’s not just some rogue experiment. He was trained by the Soul King’s own protectors.”
Shinji leaned forward. “So the real question is… what does he want?”
Silence filled the room.
Finally, Yamamoto spoke.
“The threat of Saigo Kurotetsu is now the highest priority. Squad 0X—you will lead the investigation.”
Harry nodded. “Understood.”
The meeting adjourned, but as the Captains dispersed, Byakuya stopped in front of Harry.
“You understand what this means, don’t you?” he said, his voice even.
Harry met his gaze. “Yeah.”
Byakuya narrowed his eyes slightly. “Then do not fail.”
Harry smirked. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
As Byakuya left, Shinji walked up beside Harry, arms crossed.
“You ever get the feeling,” Shinji muttered, “that things are about to get a whole lot worse?”
Harry exhaled, glancing toward the sky.
“…Yeah.”
And he wasn’t wrong.
Because Saigo was waiting.
And the next time they met… it would be war.