Bleach: Gazing Mirage

Urahara's eyes bore into Yuichi's, gauging his reaction. "If you use the tenshintai, you have three days to force your zanpakutō into submission. If you fail, you’ll lose the opportunity to materialize your zanpakutō spirit naturally. It's a significant risk, Yuichi. Are you sure you're prepared for that?"

Yuichi, although somewhat shocked showed no reaction, he had anticipated such a risk. "I know the risks, but I still need it."

Urahara chuckled softly. "You don’t qualify to use it just yet. As a bare minimum to use it, one requires the reiryoku of a lieutenant, and you don't even have enough to be considered a third seat, let alone a lieutenant." Urahara then changed the subject, asking Yuichi, "But enough of that. Tell me, why are you really here? What did you come for?" With a laid-back smile, but Yuichi felt a sudden, crushing pressure as he was about to answer, and Urahara warned him. As the pressure increased, Urahara's voice took on a chilling edge. "Answer truthfully."

Yuichi struggled to breathe under the weight of Urahara's spiritual pressure. Knowing he had no way out of this situation, he forced himself to look up, meeting Urahara's gaze with a defiant smile. "I'm here for the Hōgyoku."

The pressure lifted abruptly, leaving Yuichi coughing and gasping for breath. Urahara turned back to the koi pond, resuming his feeding of the fish as if nothing had happened. He hummed a soft tune, his back to Yuichi, who was still catching his breath.

Yuichi watched Urahara nervously, unsure of what the enigmatic captain would do next. The tranquil scene of Urahara feeding the fish contrasted sharply with the tension that hung in the air, leaving Yuichi on edge.

"Interesting," Urahara finally said, his voice calm but with an underlying edge. "Tell me more, Yuichi. How do you know about the Hōgyoku, and why do you seek it? Remember, no lies. I know when you’re lying, and I don’t appreciate it."

Yuichi, still recovering from the intense pressure, steadied himself. "I have my sources, this one being your future self, Captain. But I want you to understand, that I don’t seek the Hōgyoku for power, but rather because I believe it holds the key to preventing a catastrophe on a level you can’t imagine. The stakes are higher than you might realize."

“Ah, so in the future, we’ll have to deal with either someone destroying the Soul Society or attacking the Soul King.” As Urahara said this, he observed Yuichi’s expression and continued, “Looks like this matter concerns the Soul King after all.”

Yuichi was shocked that Urahara figured out so much from such a short interaction, but he couldn't fail here now that Urahara knew. He needed to either get access to the Hōgyoku or find out how it was made. He had a theory on how it was made, but since neither the show nor books confirmed it, the process still remained a mystery. Yuichi answered, "I can't say any more at this time. But if you allow me to see the Hōgyoku, I promise I will reveal everything to you when the time comes, holding nothing back, including my identity."

Urahara looked at Yuichi with a serious expression, then walked past him. "Follow me," he said. "You and your small friend."

Yuichi grimaced as he stood up, realizing that Urahara had seen through everything, even Miel. He exchanged a glance with Miel, who was now perched on his shoulder seeing that it was useless to hide. Together, they followed Urahara through the mansion's winding corridors.

As they walked, Yuichi couldn't help but feel a mix of apprehension and curiosity. Urahara was a man of many layers, and it was impossible to predict what he might do next. The silence stretched between them, broken only by the soft sound of their footsteps and the distant splashes of the kio in the mansion's pond.

Finding the way to the study, Urahara revealed a heavily secured door, which he unlocked with a complex sequence of kidō spells. The door swung open, revealing a hidden chamber filled with various artifacts and devices. In the center of the room, suspended in a protective barrier, was the Hōgyoku a small bluish-purple orb.

Urahara stepped aside, allowing Yuichi a clear view of the powerful artifact. "There it is," he said softly. As Yuichi stepped toward it Urahara blocked his path as he said, "The Hōgyoku. It’s not something to be taken lightly. Now, tell me, what do you hope to achieve with it?"

Yuichi stared at the Hōgyoku, feeling a strange feeling, rather than an immense spiritual pressure emanating from it he felt more of a void pulling him towards it. He took a deep breath, steadying his resolve. " Preferably I need to understand its creation process to the last detail. However, if you do not wish to tell me then I’ll need to examine that one."

Urahara watched Yuichi intently, his expression unreadable. "You speak with conviction, Yuichi. But knowledge of the Hōgyoku is not something that I’d wish to part with so easily. If I am to trust you with this, you must prove your intentions beyond any doubt."

Yuichi nodded, understanding the gravity of Urahara's words. "I will do whatever it takes, Captain Urahara. The future depends on it."

Urahara considered this for a moment, then finally nodded. "Very well. I will teach you what I can. But remember, I still don’t trust you too much so I’ll be observing you as we go. Should I deem you to be a threat then I’ll act in the interest of eliminating you so be prepared for the consequences."

As they left the chamber, Yuichi felt a sense of relief mixed with trepidation. He had just taken a big first step in his mission to survive the oncoming events. He had seen the Hōgyoku now all he needed to do was touch it. Urahara might not trust him enough to give him the Hōgyoku but all he needed was one touch for its ability to sense the hearts of those around it and materialize their deepest desire to activate.