Chapter 266: Hollowfication Experiment!
The sky was clear, and the breeze was gentle.
Tōsen sat on the rooftop, feeling the breeze brush against his cheeks.
Another peaceful day.
Watching the busy Eleventh Division members in the distance, he couldn't help but feel emotional.
Compared to the filthy and corrupt Seireitei, the Eleventh Division was like an oasis in the desert.
No struggles for profit, no scheming against each other, no oppression by power.
This was the ideal society he had envisioned.
He lifted the corners of his mouth.
Just then, a voice suddenly reached his ears—
"Zaraki, this can't go on!"
"...Huh?"
Not far from the training ground, Zaraki was lying in the shade of a tree, taking his afternoon nap.
Hearing the voice beside him, he slowly opened one eye.
He saw Rangiku squatting nearby with a serious expression.
"Zaraki, now's not the time to be sleeping!"
"Our group of brothers is facing an unprecedented crisis!"
"If we don't realize it in time, we're bound to face a great calamity!"
"?"
Zaraki gave her a puzzled look, then closed his eye again.
"Hey, don't sleep, don't sleep! I'm being serious here!"
Rangiku reached out and patted his shoulder repeatedly.
"Annoying, just say what you want to say!"
Zaraki frowned.
If it were anyone else, he would have thrown a punch long ago.
It was only because of Rangiku, Tōsen, Komamura... these guys who joined the division around the same time as him and gathered around their leader that he could show a bit more tolerance.
Under his impatient gaze, Rangiku coughed:
"Zaraki, haven't you noticed how much Satoru is doting on that Ichimaru Gin?"
"Think about it—back when we were studying at Shin'ō Academy, Satoru never visited us that frequently!"
"Does that mean in Satoru's eyes, that kid is more important than us?"
Zaraki said indifferently, "I never studied at Shin'ō Academy. I joined the division directly."
"Hey, you know what I mean! Don't get hung up on the details!"
"..."
Zaraki was speechless.
After thinking for a few seconds, he replied dismissively, "Back then, so many of you enrolled together. How could the leader have the energy to take care of each of you individually?"
"Ichimaru is different. He was the only one from his batch to study at Shin'ō Academy. It's only natural the leader would give him more attention."
Hearing this, Rangiku wagged her index finger.
"You're missing the point!"
"What about that Isshin? Didn't he pledge allegiance in the same batch as Gin? Satoru doesn't dote on him as much as he does on Gin."
"That Gin is extremely dangerous. If we don't act soon, he'll become a major threat in the future!"
Zaraki said lazily, "Gin was adopted by the leader. Isshin follows that Aizen guy. Of course the leader would prioritize his own people."
Seeing that Zaraki wasn't at all on her side, Rangiku fell into thought.
A few seconds later, she said:
"Zaraki, Satoru's judgment has never been wrong, right?"
"Of course not."
Zaraki never doubted Satoru's judgment.
Whether it was someone like Komamura, who had some foundation to begin with, or pure novices like Tōsen and Matsumoto, Satoru could accurately identify and nurture them.
The results proved that all of them grew to captain-level strength.
Rangiku snorted, "Since Satoru cares so much about that Gin, it means that even among geniuses, he's an even greater genius."
"Such a prodigy, if he could grow up quickly, wouldn't you gain another partner to exchange blows with to your heart's content?"
Hearing this, Zaraki showed a thoughtful expression for the first time.
Rangiku pressed her advantage: "I suggest, Brother Zaraki, that you frequently train that guy! Use your passion, your sword, to make him understand the beauty of battle!"
"Under your guidance, Gin will surely become your perfect sparring partner in the future!"
Zaraki lay on the ground, eyes open, thinking for a few seconds.
Then he suddenly sprang to his feet and ran toward the division barracks' main gate.
Watching Zaraki's retreating figure, Rangiku clenched her small fist and grinned.
With that battle maniac Zaraki harassing him every day, that brat Gin definitely wouldn't have time to stick with Satoru anymore!
In high spirits, she picked up her sword and went looking for someone to fight.
Tōsen: "..."
He had been too naive after all.
Just as Lord Satoru had said.
Where there are people, there are conflicts.
There was still much work to be done before he could see the ideal society he envisioned.
...
...
"Too many useless movements."
"Don't step out here—your center of gravity will shift."
"When executing this cutting motion, don't use full force. If the enemy is prepared, they can easily exploit your opening for a fatal strike."
"Keep thirty percent of your strength in reserve, ready to change techniques. If you miss, withdraw promptly."
In a small grove, Aizen's calm voice rang out.
Not far away, a young Shinigami in Shinigami uniform swung his sword with a nearly tearful expression.
His name was Shiba Isshin, a member of the Shiba family, one of the Five Noble Clans.
Although from a branch family, his reputation as a "genius" had surpassed most main family members within the clan.
Usually, even the elders treated him with considerable care.
These wonderful days had continued until he received the clan head's order to join the Eleventh Division.
Initially, Isshin had been quite fond of the Eleventh Division.
He had heard many stories about Captain Satoru.
He was extremely curious about this legendary man.
Unexpectedly, after joining the division, his instructor wasn't Satoru, nor even any of the division's seated officers.
It was Sosuke Aizen, vice-captain of the Fifth Division!
Hearing this arrangement, Isshin immediately protested.
Since he had joined the Eleventh Division, his actions represented the Eleventh Division's honor.
How could he accept guidance from the Fifth Division?
Hearing Isshin's protest, Aizen nodded.
Then he took him to the training hall.
Thirty minutes later, Isshin emerged in tattered clothes, bruised and battered.
He immediately declared his unwavering loyalty to Vice-Captain Aizen.
Kisuke recognized true expertise when he saw it.
Listening to Aizen's cold instructions, Isshin didn't dare slack off, quickly retracting his foot and adjusting his sword swing strength.
After a few practice swings, he was surprised to discover that this technique felt much more comfortable than before.
For a moment, his gaze toward Aizen held newfound excitement.
"As expected of Senior Aizen! Thank you for your guidance!"
"Hehe... I'm glad it was helpful."
Aizen adjusted his glasses, his eyes hidden behind the lens reflections as he revealed a somewhat eerie smile.
He picked up a folder.
It was filled with today's planned training content for Isshin.
Just as he was about to begin in order, a voice suddenly called out—
"Sōsuke!!!"
Hearing this shout, Aizen paused briefly, then put away the folder.
Isshin's eyes lit up as he turned toward the direction of the voice.
There, the familiar figure flickered into view not far from the two of them.
"Captain!"
Isshin grinned widely and called out.
"Oh, Isshin... Practicing as usual?"
While greeting Isshin, he moved to stand beside Aizen.
Under the latter's gaze, Satoru chuckled.
"Sōsuke, I've prepared a big gift for you."
"A big gift?"
Aizen narrowed his eyes.
His first thought was that Satoru had caused some trouble that required his intervention to clean up.
But he quickly dismissed that idea.
Judging by the triumphant look on the other's face, it was clear he had genuinely accomplished something good.
Well... At least in someone's own opinion, it was good.
He turned to Shiba Isshin.
"Shiba, switch to independent training today."
"Master that Zanjutsu sequence we just practiced within the day. I'll conduct a surprise inspection during tomorrow's training."
"If you can't execute it perfectly on the first attempt, your training intensity will be doubled for the next week."
Under Isshin's despairing gaze, he delivered the merciless order.
Nearby, Satoru suddenly seemed to remember something and spoke up:
"If you need a training partner, you can go find Vice-Captain Zaraki... I'm sure he'd be more than willing!"
Isshin's mouth twitched.
Indeed, when it came to who in the Soul Society enjoyed cutting people down the most, that vice-captain would undoubtedly rank first.
"Captain, when you have time, could you give me some guidance?"
He looked at Satoru with hopeful eyes.
Satoru nodded: "Sure, I'll come find you when I'm free."
After speaking, he flashed away and vanished into the air.
Nearby, Aizen also disappeared using Flash Step.
Watching the spot where the two had vanished, Isshin showed a yearning expression.
Their Flash Step was so fast that he, a "genius," couldn't even track their movements at all.
The thought that these two weren't much older than him made him sigh with emotion.
Compared to these two, what kind of genius was he anyway...
...
...
Seeing the scene before him, Aizen was momentarily stunned.
Even with his profound composure, he couldn't help but feel surprised at this moment.
In the laboratory, over a dozen people were tightly bound and neatly arranged in rows.
From the Reiatsu fluctuations emanating from these individuals, it was clear they were all skilled Shinigami.
Especially conspicuous in the crowd was that two-meter-tall, six-hundred-pound brute.
His presence was too overwhelming to ignore.
After a quick assessment, Aizen's eyes lit up.
Strong Reiatsu... Captain-level!
"Satoru, what is this?"
Though he had already guessed, he couldn't resist asking.
Satoru chuckled.
"Rejoice, Sōsuke, this is the foundation I've laid for you, your humble chancellor."
"That Captain-level one is called Kiganjo, a bully from Rukongai."
"Back then, he wanted to challenge me and take my position as Captain of the Eleventh Division."
"Captain Unohana happened to be present and scared him off with her killing intent."
"These past few days, I went to Rukongai to look for him, wanting to see what he's like now."
"After some inquiries, I found out he was relatively well-behaved for the first two years, but then went back to being a local thug and bully."
"Keeping someone like this around would only cause trouble, so I decided to use them for experiments!"
Aizen quickly nodded.
With such excellent test subjects, even if Satoru wanted them back, he wouldn't return them.
Then, Satoru pointed to the others.
"These were selected from among the Tsunayashiro clan members in Hueco Mundo."
"They're full of fighting spirit and energy. Not long ago, they gathered together, planning to secretly open the Senkaimon while we were away and return to Soul Society to report us."
"To reward their courage, I brought them all here so they could obtain new power."
Hearing Satoru's words, Aizen nodded without comment.
He wasn't the least bit surprised by these Shinigami's rebellious behavior.
Because the information about the Senkaimon's location was something he had "accidentally" leaked.
After two days of preparation, Aizen began his experiments.
One by one, the Shinigami broke through the forbidden boundary under the power of the Hōgyoku.
Although none of them survived in the end, the various data they exhibited had already allowed Aizen to grasp the key.
After organizing the data, he began improving his own Hōgyoku.
Another half month later, he finally brought out the most precious specimen.
Kiganjo!
Hollowfication of Shinigami, whether successful or not, would cause them to fall into a temporary out-of-control state with multiplied power.
To prevent accidents, he specifically called Satoru over.
The two set up over a dozen layers of barriers, making thorough preparations.
Then, under Satoru's watchful gaze, Aizen took out that brilliant gem.
Slowly, he pressed it against Kiganjo's forehead.
Light, blazing forth!
Dosed with a powerful anesthetic, Kiganjo, who should have been completely unconscious, suddenly began to struggle violently.
"Oh... roar! Roar, roar, roar!!!"
Under the watchful eyes of Satoru and Aizen, Kiganjo let out an eerie roar.
His massive body actually shook off the effects of the anesthetic, thrashing wildly.
Thick white sludge gushed from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
Almost instantly, it formed a ghastly pale mask over his face.
Behind the mask, Kiganjo opened his eyes.
His originally black pupils now emitted a sinister red glow.
"Roar... Satoru... Satoru...!!"
On the mask, two rows of teeth parted, and the black void within produced a grating, metallic sound.
The next moment, a terrifying Reiatsu suddenly erupted!
BOOM——————!!!!
Centered on Kiganjo's body, a pillar of Reiatsu shot upward violently.
But just as it rose a few meters, it was brutally suppressed by two new Reiatsu pressures.
Almost simultaneously, Satoru and Aizen released their own Reiatsu, descending like a falling sky, forcefully pressing down Kiganjo's Reiatsu.
They couldn't afford to joke around—if this guy broke through the barrier and released his Reiatsu, nearly half the Soul Society would detect the commotion here!
Feeling the intensity of the Reiatsu erupting from Kiganjo, Satoru clicked his tongue in surprise.
Before the experiment, he had already imagined Kiganjo's power after Hollowfication to be high.
But he never expected it to be this strong.
Clearly, aside from Shinji, the rest of the Visored were utterly useless.
Except for Ichigo, none of the other Hollowfied Shinigami were particularly strong.
So why was Kiganjo so damn powerful?
In truth, he didn't know that due to various changes, Aizen's research progress far exceeded the original timeline.
In the original story, Aizen never managed to develop a perfect Hōgyoku before his betrayal.
The one used to create the Visored was essentially a failed product.
If not for Kisuke repeatedly cleaning up the mess, none of those Hollowfied captains and vice-captains would have survived.
Now, although his Hōgyoku wasn't perfect, it far surpassed the one used to create the Visored!
"Satoru! Be careful, the test subject's strength exceeds expectations!" Aizen warned.
Hearing this, Satoru grinned.
"Don't worry, Sōsuke."
"My strength also exceeds your expectations!"