"Captain-Commander Yamamoto, now that Aizen has Rukia, do you think he'll hand her over and proceed with the Sōkyoku execution?" Yusuke aske
"Captain-Commander Yamamoto, now that Aizen has Rukia, do you think he'll hand her over and proceed with the Sōkyoku execution?" Yusuke asked Yamamoto Genryūsai with a smile.
Aizen was an exceedingly arrogant man. It was this arrogance that led him to choose the Sōkyoku execution over the method he'd learned in the Dangai, to extract the Hōgyoku from Rukia Kuchiki.
Besides obtaining the Hōgyoku, he aimed to taunt the Shinigami he manipulated!
However, his arrogance stemmed from his control over the situation.
Kisuke Urahara and Yusuke had exposed him as the mastermind behind the Hollowfication experiments.
Even without concrete evidence, Yamamoto Genryūsai had lost trust in him.
Under these circumstances, Aizen wouldn't hand Rukia Kuchiki over to the Gotei 13; he intended to extract the Hōgyoku directly.
Hearing Yusuke's words, Yamamoto Genryūsai temporarily ceased his attack, turning his gaze towards Aizen.
Aizen still wore a gentle smile, his eyes fixed on Rukia Kuchiki.
"Kuchiki Rukia, do you know why you suddenly regained your spiritual power?" Aizen asked slowly.
Rukia Kuchiki paused, uncertain of the answer herself.
Aizen placed his right hand on Rukia Kuchiki's shoulder, his left hand producing a gem emitting a faint blue light.
This gem was, of course, the Hōgyoku, but not the one from Rukia Kuchiki; it was one he had created using Shinigami souls.
Because Yusuke had replaced the correct method for extracting the Hōgyoku from souls in the Dangai, Aizen mistakenly believed he could use his own Hōgyoku to draw out Rukia Kuchiki's.
Looking at the stunned Rukia Kuchiki, Aizen said slowly, "Hidden within your soul is a similar artifact to the one in my hand; it's called a 'Hōgyoku.' Its power facilitated your evolution. You didn't regain your spiritual power; you experienced a significant increase."
Hearing Aizen's explanation and seeing the avarice in his eyes, Rukia Kuchiki guessed that Aizen didn't intend to hand her over to the Gotei 13 but sought the Hōgyoku within her.
"So, you want to extract the Hōgyoku from me?" Rukia Kuchiki said coldly.
Aizen nodded. "Correct. I intended to use the Sōkyoku to extract the Hōgyoku from your soul, but it seems that opportunity has passed. Fortunately, I have another method, and the key is this Hōgyoku in my hand."
"Captains, the Hōgyoku Aizen holds was created using countless souls. Some came from the Rukongai, while many were Shinigami from the Seireitei! The Soul Disappearance Incident of one hundred and ten years ago—Aizen was the true mastermind!" Kisuke Urahara shouted, his voice carrying over the sound of Gin Ichimaru's interference.
Tōshirō Hitsugaya turned to Kisuke Urahara. "If what you say is true, then why does Kuchiki Rukia also possess a Hōgyoku?"
Kisuke Urahara continued his explanation. "The Hōgyoku within Rukia Kuchiki was my creation. However, I didn't use Shinigami souls; I used Hollows that exist between Soul Society and the human world."
Kisuke Urahara then explained why he'd hidden the Hōgyoku within Rukia Kuchiki and the reason for her weakened spiritual pressure.
"Rukia, I apologize. The calamities you've faced are all because of this Hōgyoku. Otherwise, Aizen wouldn't have secretly manipulated the Central 46 into ordering your execution." Kisuke Urahara apologized to Rukia Kuchiki.
"So it was all your doing, you bastard!" Byakuya Kuchiki, having regained consciousness, his body heavily bandaged, glared at Kisuke Urahara with murderous intent.
Aizen didn't refute Kisuke Urahara's words, seemingly accepting them.
The truth revealed that Aizen was the deepest-hidden player.
A slight smile played on Aizen's lips. While events hadn't unfolded as initially planned, his objective was within his grasp.
Slowly removing his glasses, Aizen slicked back his hair, his demeanor undergoing a dramatic transformation.
The previous Aizen was mild-mannered and unremarkable among the captains.
Now, he exuded an aura of commanding authority, as if he were the center of the universe, drawing everyone's gaze.
"Kuchiki Rukia, your purpose is to bring the Hōgyoku to me, to witness the birth of a being who transcends this world!"
Aizen then turned to Yusuke.
"Uchiha Yusuke, I owe you a debt of gratitude for facilitating my acquisition of the Hōgyoku. Without you holding off Captain-Commander Yamamoto, I would have needed to exert considerably more effort." Aizen said with a smile.
Aizen appeared calm and collected, as if everything were under his control.
Yusuke smiled faintly. "Perhaps I should be thanking you."
Aizen dismissed Yusuke's words as mere posturing, paying them little mind.
Aizen pointed the Hōgyoku at Rukia Kuchiki's chest, channeling his spiritual pressure to activate the Hōgyoku's power, aiming to draw out the Hōgyoku within Rukia Kuchiki's soul.
Besides Yusuke and Aizen, only Kisuke Urahara, fully aware of the Hōgyoku's danger, felt a surge of panic.
However, Gin Ichimaru stood firmly in his way, preventing him from interfering.
One second… five seconds… ten seconds passed, and the Hōgyoku failed to materialize.
Aizen: "..."
Just as Aizen was puzzled, a crow suddenly appeared, its beak aimed at the Hōgyoku in Aizen's hand.
Aizen was startled but reacted instantly, retracting his arm to avoid the crow's attack.
"Uchiha Yusuke!?"
Aizen recognized the unusual eyes of the crow—identical to Yusuke's—and, with his exceptional perception, realized he was under some form of genjutsu.
In a flash of insight, Aizen realized his mental focus was completely captivated by the crow!
Realizing the danger, Aizen desperately tried to regain control of his attention, but it was too late.
A searing pain shot through his arm.
His arm, holding the Hōgyoku, flew through the air, Mirai Saru, having returned to Aizen's side, swiftly snatching the Hōgyoku from the severed limb!
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