"—So anyway, I bought all this."
After the Ichigo investigation debriefing ended, I was showing off my haul from the mortal world in the kitchen.
Even DJ, who'd been busy with various Hollowfication preparations in the lab, came dashing over. That's how perpetually short on ingredients and seasonings Hueco Mundo is.
I immediately called Loca over and had her copy-paste everything with the Negación Thread. It might seem criminal, but there's no law allowing mortal world judicial administration to arrest and judge Shinigami, and no law prohibiting the perfect replication of food ingredients, so this isn't a crime. (Stated definitively)
"...Hinamori, did you properly select organic products? Most mortal world seasonings these days are full of additives that ruin the flavor."
"Absolutely. There was a specialty section at the Naruki City supermarket, so I bulk-bought the entire selection."
"Huh? But this box is all just snacks. Momo-chan, you're baaaad."
"I-it's fine, isn't it? Captain Ichimaru can eat them too once Loca finishes reproducing them."
Three former Gotei Thirteen captain-class officers huddled together, rummaging through three cardboard boxes—it was absolutely surreal. Number Ten was even sucking on a Papico like it was delicious. I told you to wait until after copying!
"Why don't we try making something right away? Since there's so much, let's use up the perishable originals quickly."
"The tofu hamburger steak you made before was a masterpiece that pleased Aizen-sama. I'd like to exchange recipes with my simmered yellowtail daikon."
"Nah, when ya say hamburger, it's gotta be ground meat mix. Momo-chaaan, I'll have my usual, please."
Loca, in the middle of copying ingredients, perked up at the mention of hamburger. I'd often treated her to feasts as work rewards, and even emotionless characters apparently can't resist food.
Come to think of it, I learned in the mortal world that Yammy was looking forward to this too. And Ulquiorra gained a mouth when he became an Arrancar, so he should be interested in eating.
...Oh, right. Before that, I need to heal Yammy's arm first.
"—Tentei Kura."
"Ya just use that so casually, huh?"
I'd gotten used to this kido. Since Loca was here anyway, I summoned that giant to bring his arm to the kitchen. While I was at it, I'd let Ulquiorra try the hamburger steak too.
A while later, the two appeared at the perfect timing—right when the food was ready. In Hueco Mundo's spirit particle paradise, we souls didn't need to eat or drink, but delicious food was still delicious. We spread everything on the table and enjoyed it buffet-style.
"How is it, Ulquiorra? Delicious, right?"
"...This is... taste..."
The stylish Arrancar's eyes widened as he slowly brought his fork to his mouth. Actually, providing him with food was one of the promises I'd made when recruiting Ulquiorra. Originally I'd wanted Orihime-chan's homemade cooking to be his first meal for maximum Ulquihime shipping, but I gave up on that due to suspicions of her being a terrible cook.
And it seemed Momo-chan's delicious cooking became a good memory for him. Good, good.
...But what an incredibly peaceful scene. Shinigami and Arrancar from Aizen-sama's faction holding plates at a standing buffet. It was exactly like that party illustration from the Arrancar arc conclusion, and I couldn't help but laugh.
That's right—since we had the chance, I should let Aizen-sama enjoy this disgustingly relaxed atmosphere too. He was probably watching anyway, so I showed the tofu burger mixture to the kitchen surveillance device and made a "delivery coming" gesture. If the Gotei saw the four of us traitors enjoying fine cuisine in such harmony, they'd lose their minds—this was true pleasure.
Afterward, I rolled a cart loaded with food to Aizen-sama's lab, knocked on the door, and was let in.
Captain Aizen, Momo-chan's Western-style tofu hamburger steak delivery!
"—A nostalgic flavor. You made this for me often during my Fifth Division days."
With Aizen-sama looking pleased, Momo-chan beamed. Canon Hinamori-chan was also a good cook, and in this life I'd honed my skills considerably to capture Shiro-chan's stomach, occasionally cooking for everyone in the division. I put extra effort into cooking for Aizen-sama especially, since he'd been cooperating with me in various ways.
After the meal, I brewed tea from the farm-direct SFTGFOP Grade 1 leaves I'd bought in the mortal world. It was commercially available top-grade summer-picked new Darjeeling that cost nearly four thousand yen for fifty grams, so savor it well.
Wrapped in the rich aroma unique to black tea, the atmosphere relaxed, so I glanced around the lab and asked about something that had been bothering me. It was just the two of us, so it should be fine to discuss somewhat核心 matters.
"By the way, Captain Aizen."
"Yes?"
"Captain Ichimaru told me you're conducting some strange research in your lab. What are you working on?"
Right—Aizen-sama seemed about to make another canon-breaking move out of boredom. I was already surprised that he'd spent fifty years raising his spiritual pressure through the organ training method I'd proposed, but if he could show a bit more passion for making those final boss moves like in the manga...
"It's for you, Momo."
"For me?"
Aizen-sama nodded magnanimously at my parroting. He seemed in a slightly better mood—perhaps he liked the tea.
"You remain fragile as an individual, yet you're already approaching the limits of a soul."
"...Mmph."
"There's no need to be ashamed. Everyone who seeks the heights eventually hits this wall."
Having watched my battle through Solita Vista, Aizen-sama seemed convinced and confronted me with my current stagnation.
It was true that my spiritual pressure growth from my daily harassment of my Saketsu and Hakusui and training in sword, fist, flash step, and kido had been slowing. I knew my limits as a Shinigami were approaching.
But my superior Aizen-sama, who saw me as a transcendent being on a different mental plane, apparently wasn't satisfied with that. That's unreasonable.
"Captain Aizen is trying to surpass that wall through fusion with the Hōgyoku, but..."
"Ah, but you probably can't keep up with that boy's growth rate, can you?"
"...There's no such thing, you know?"
While enjoying the tea's aroma, the final boss deepened his thin smile at my reaction. It felt like he'd figured out that Ichigo was this Bleach world's protagonist—it was terrifying, and it completely ruined my mood for enjoying the premium tea.
...Anyway, this flow wasn't good for my mental health, so I attempted a course correction.
"U-um. If I were to surpass a Shinigami's limits, would it be through Hollowfication like Captain Tōsen is planning?"
"How obvious. That role has already been filled by Kurosaki Ichigo."
Aizen-sama denied it with an exasperated sigh.
Hollowfication is Ichigo's role...? Canon Aizen-sama's role for Ichigo was as an "evolution speed meter," wasn't it?
There was a proper reason why Aizen never used Kyōka Suigetsu on Ichigo throughout the BLEACH main story.
Having long grasped Ichigo's tremendous potential, Aizen-sama considered surpassing the growth rate and combat ability of Ichigo—who possessed talent for all spiritual powers existing in this world: Shinigami, Hollow, Quincy, and Fullbringer—to be proof of becoming a true transcendent being who commanded the Hōgyoku.
In other words, to Aizen-sama, Ichigo was—to put it kindly—a rival, or to put it badly, a measuring stick or ruler. That's why he didn't use Kyōka Suigetsu and didn't hypnotize him to prevent distortion in his strength benchmark.
...Wait.
Then the correct implication of what Aizen-sama just said—"that role"—would mean a Hollowfied rival...
(Does that mean I'm also one of Aizen-sama's rivals and measuring sticks, just like Ichigo, since he hasn't used Kyōka Suigetsu on me either...?)
When I glanced at him, a smile that seemed to produce terrible sound effects like Nichaa...was ruining his beautiful face.
...Hey, wait just a minute!
"U-um, Captain Aizen? I told you before that I'm just an ordinary person who happens to have slightly different memories and slightly strange hobbies, right...?"
"How amusing. That's an inadequate description for someone who makes even me a toy in their game."
"No, you're the one who's always making ME the toy!"
At such absurd words, I stood up without thinking and pointed sharply at him.
Honestly, Aizen-sama had been entering a doting phase lately and being kind more often, but his hobby of teasing and toying with Hinamori apparently hadn't changed.
I certainly had some crazy aspects, but I prided myself on having reasonably normal sensibilities. Except for staking my life on canon recreation and sadistic hobbies, I was a perfectly ordinary person.
Aizen-sama knew all this, yet he enjoyed pressuring me by calling me a god, general, or rival, and tormenting a flustered girl.
See? Who's the toy here?
"...So what do you actually want to do with me, Captain Aizen?"
I wanted to vent all the arguments I'd assembled in my head, but I was a mature Hinamori-san, so I held back. Instead, I asked about his true intentions.
Originally, canon Hinamori-chan was a beautiful ryona character who, through desperate effort, could only barely become a vice-captain without achieving Bankai. In this world, I had the insanity of organ training and the full support of Aizen-sama's faction, but my combat ability was probably still at its limit. It was like being a ★5 Level 100 in Bleach Brave Souls.
If Hollowfication or Arrancar transformation like Tōsen's was out, the hope for breaking through my limits was slim. For a pure Shinigami without a pedigree bloodline like Ichigo, the only other remaining method would be... with the Hōgyoku, like Aizen-sama—
...Hey, wait just a minute! (Second time)
"Don't tell me what you're researching, Captain Aizen, is..."
My face twitched as Aizen-sama's lips curved upward.
With a wicked smile brimming with delight, he made his declaration and cheerfully poured tea into my empty cup.
"What do I want to do with you, who is closest to godhood... Isn't it obvious?"
—The same thing you're doing to them, Momo.
Wrapped in the gently rising muscatel fragrance, I couldn't help but feel that the amber color adorning the bottom of the white porcelain cup resembled the will of Aizen Sōsuke, trying to fill this empty world with colors of his own preference.
Who "them" referred to, and which of "the things you're doing" he meant—I didn't understand Aizen-sama's thinking.
But I grasped one thing: a new canon-breaking development I'd be involved in soon.
—[Breaking News] Hinamori Momo (Ecstatic) to be Awakened to ★6 Using Defective Hōgyoku ×1!
That day, in my confusion, I issued a bizarre order to have Szayelaporro's research lab create an underground training ground like the Urahara Shop for daily quest rewards from a certain game. Naturally, neither power-up stones nor Hōgyoku dropped.
Also, this year's Karakura Town Kite Festival prize was still five kilograms of freshly-pounded neighborhood association mochi.
Damn you, developers! (Unrelated)
[Hōgyoku]
An item necessary to awaken ★5 characters to endgame ★6 (like remodeling in Kantai Collection). It's treated even more carelessly than Holy Grails in FGO—casually using three or five at once, finding them in the Urahara Shop underground practice area, having Head Captain Yamamoto hand them out at New Year's parties, or being participation prizes at kite festivals—but it's still an important item you can't do without.
By the way, Hinamori-san also has a proper ★6 awakening implemented, so Hōgyoku Ecstasy Hinamori won't break BLEACH content! (Serious face)
And so—next time for sure, Di Roy dies!
***
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