Gin kept his ever-smiling eyes, but when he looked at the zanpakuto in Tousen's hands, a hint of surprise slid across his gaze.
He knew the owner of that blade. His name was Koga—son-in-law to the Kuchiki clan, once the Third Seat of the Sixth Division in the Gotei 13.
By seniority, even Byakuya would have to call him uncle.
But three hundred years ago, Koga committed the capital crime of betraying Soul Society and was jointly sealed by Head Captain Yamamoto and the Kuchiki clan head, Ginrei.
To this day, no one knew where he'd been sealed away.
And from what intel remained, even if he hadn't been sealed, his strength was only that of an ordinary captain at best.
What was there to care about with a man like that—let alone when this was merely his zanpakuto?
Thinking so, Gin said, smiling, "Captain Aizen, this is just a zanpakuto. Do you really think a zanpakuto will answer back?"
Aizen's tone stayed mild. "Gin, don't underestimate this blade. Back in Soul Society, it was fearsome enough to nearly bring about our destruction."
Gin's brows knit. He regretted not digging deeper. But it wasn't all on him: Koga had been part of the Kuchiki family, and to cover their shame, the clan buried every scrap of information about him. Across Soul Society, there was almost nothing on Koga—only a note in the Great Spirit Book Gallery, and Gin had only followed Aizen there twice.
Seeing no response from the zanpakuto, Aizen wasn't surprised. He smiled. "Muramasa, won't you talk to me? If I said I can help free your master Koga—would you listen?"
At that moment, Gin, Tousen, and Szayelaporro all changed expression—not at Aizen's words, but because a strange reiatsu had appeared. The three snapped their heads toward a spot not far away.
A figure had materialized out of thin air.
He was a bewitching, sinister man—tall and thin, pale-skinned, with tousled dark-brown hair and two bangs crossing his nose. He wore a long white coat with a thick fur collar, a purple neck-scarf fixed by a ruby brooch, a wide belt striped with purple, pointed boots, and purple manacles at the wrists.
The first impression: gloomy and treacherous. What truly unsettled Gin and the others was that none of them had sensed his approach at all—he had simply appeared.
Under their gazes, the man looked at Aizen and said coolly, "Aizen, you claim you can help me rescue my master, but as far as I know, you don't even know where he is—do you?"
Gin's pupils tightened. "This guy… is a zanpakuto…"
He stared in disbelief at the demon blade Muramasa. Shinigami always said to treat a zanpakuto like a partner, but it was just a figure of speech—no one believed a zanpakuto could take the initiative to face its master.
And yet the man before them was unmistakably the zanpakuto in Aizen's presence. Not only had it incarnated, but it clearly had lethal intent as well.
What kind of zanpakuto was this?
Aizen didn't look surprised by the man's arrival. He smiled. "You're right. I don't know where your master was sealed—he is the Kuchiki clan's disgrace. They would rather he remain sealed until he dies."
"Then why call me here?" Muramasa's eyes chilled. "To have me kill a fellow traitor to Seireitei—namely you?"
"Mind your tongue!" Tousen barked, drawing Suzumushi without hesitation. "Watch yourself. You're just a masterless zanpakuto. What right do you have to slight Lord Aizen?"
Gin also raised Shinso with a smile. "How rare—an incarnated zanpakuto."
Both prepared to strike: one to teach the blade a lesson, the other to probe its power.
Muramasa only gave them a flat glance.
The very instant the two swung, their faces changed.
"Ah!"
"—Tch!"
Blood flashed.
A red line opened across Tousen's shoulder. A cut opened on Gin's arm. Blood flowed like water, staining half their clothes. But neither cared about the pain—both stared, incredulous, at their own zanpakuto.
Suzumushi and Shinso.
Fresh blood was sliding along their edges.
It wasn't Muramasa that had wounded them—it was their own zanpakuto.
Muramasa said evenly, "Gin, your zanpakuto Shinso is deeply dissatisfied with you. It craves slaughter and blood. It doesn't want to be suppressed anymore. It wants to cut loose with a glorious stroke."
Then he looked to Tousen. "And your zanpakuto is filled with sorrow for you. It has strained every nerve to support you, yet now you would throw it away."
Shock rippled through Gin and Tousen. This blade's power could make their zanpakuto betray them—and even hear their "hearts."
Aizen explained with a smile, "Gin, Tousen—you may not know this, but Muramasa's power is immense. In Seireitei, he was hailed as the strongest blade. There was a shinigami who faced Koga in battle; before the fight even began, he was grievously wounded by his own zanpakuto. That's why, though Koga wasn't a captain, it still took the Head Captain and Ginrei together to seal him."
Hearing this, neither Gin nor Tousen dared belittle the masterless blade. To turn a zanpakuto against its master—what a terrifying ability. Imagine: in the midst of battle, the weapon you trust most turns and carves your back. The result would be catastrophic.
Aizen's curiosity stirred. "Muramasa, what about my zanpakuto? What does it 'say'?"
Muramasa frowned slightly. "…Your zanpakuto, Kyouka Suigetsu (Mirror Flower, Water Moon), asks me to tell you it wants incarnation—to help you achieve your goal, to go to Soul Society and buy time for you to complete the Hogyoku."
Aizen chuckled and drew his zanpakuto, interest glinting in his eyes. "Is that truly your will?"
Kyouka Suigetsu quivered faintly, as if pledging its loyalty. Aizen shook his head. "No, Muramasa. That isn't its true thought. You must have been deceived."
Muramasa remained indifferent. "Aizen, I'm not interested in your blade. You said you would save my master. How?"
Aizen smiled and casually produced a damaged Hogyoku. "This is a broken Hogyoku. It can grant you Hollow power and greatly amplify your ability to suborn a shinigami's zanpakuto. With your power, you can turn more blades—then follow the trail back to the place where Koga is sealed. That's why I invited you to work with me."
Muramasa glared at the Hogyoku in disgust. "You think I'd accept such a vile power?" He was, after all, the zanpakuto of a shinigami. Hollow power repulsed him—it was a desecration.
Aizen was unbothered. "Muramasa, how much of Koga's lifespan do you think remains?"
Muramasa's brows drew tight. "What are you saying?"
Aizen said, "The stronger a shinigami's spiritual power, the longer the lifespan. By what I know, Koga's reiatsu was not especially high—comparable to Love Aikawa's. His natural span would be around five hundred years. He was already two hundred before the seal, and now more than three hundred have passed. He has only about a hundred left. If you delay decades longer, even if you free him, he'll soon die of old age."
Understanding dawned—and turmoil clouded Muramasa's face. He wrestled with it for a long while, then made up his mind. He gave Aizen a long, deep look and took the broken Hogyoku. "You truly are frightening."
From the moment this man set his sights on him, he had seen straight through him—knew Muramasa would never abandon his master. And to save Koga, he would pay any price.
Aizen's smile widened. "Then let's cooperate. You stall the shinigami—I'll help free Koga."
Muramasa snorted. "So your price is only a discarded test piece?"
"No." Aizen lifted Kyouka Suigetsu. "I'll also give you my zanpakuto's incarnation. Hasn't it always longed for freedom? I'll grant it."
Muramasa's heart jolted. This was a lavish gift. A zanpakuto was part of its master. Once incarnated, it possessed not only its ability but also its master's terrifying reiatsu. If Kyouka Suigetsu incarnated, it would be a second Aizen. If he could control it, he'd have a fighting chance even against Aizen himself.
As Muramasa pondered, Aizen glanced at Gin and Tousen. "Gin, Tousen—I won't ask you to go to Soul Society. But letting your zanpakuto incarnate and go with Muramasa—no problem, right?"
A shadow passed over Gin's eyes. He smiled. "I'll pass, Captain. I've no intention of giving up my zanpakuto."
He shot Muramasa a grave look. This blade filled him with deep unease. Once Shinso incarnated, it would not only wield shikai—it would also hold the bankai he'd never revealed. That would be a second "him." And that was his hidden dagger for killing Aizen.
Unlike Gin's refusal, Tousen, after a few seconds of silence, nodded without hesitation. "Yes. Muramasa, I'll entrust my zanpakuto's incarnation to you. I hope you'll assist Lord Aizen's plan."
Muramasa gave a slight nod, and his figure faded away.
A few seconds later, Gin stared solemnly at two new silhouettes that had appeared out of nowhere. One was the spitting image of Aizen. The other was dressed head-to-toe in black, a strip of dark cloth over his lenses, Suzumushi in hand, glaring at Tousen with hateful eyes. His voice was cold: "Tousen—does Hollow power lure you so strongly you would even betray me?"
Tousen said nothing.
—
World of the Living, early morning.
In Cole's grand villa, on a soft white bed, a sleeping Orihime suddenly flushed and let out a soft hum, feeling her body go numb and tingly. She opened her eyes to a well-built figure.
"Cole-kun…"
[Time skip: non-explicit intimate scene omitted.]
An hour later, Cole dressed comfortably and looked at the woozy Orihime on the bed with a smile. "Orihime, time to get up for breakfast."
Orihime murmured assent, but the fatigue was too much—she drifted back to sleep. Cole chuckled soundlessly and stepped out of the room.
Seeing him finally emerge, Unohana smiled. "Cole-kun, doing that sort of thing so early in the morning isn't proper, is it?"
Cole deadpanned, "Hana-nee, are you really qualified to say that?"
They'd crossed blades in pure swordplay for an hour last night; the rest of the time had been spent fulfilling Unohana's cravings. Even when her body had gone soft as water and he'd teased her to helplessness, she still wouldn't release her grip.
A faint blush touched Unohana's cheeks. "Enough, Cole-kun—we needn't say such things. Let's go eat."
For all her thousand-plus years, she still felt a bit shy about that topic. Cole nodded slightly.
They left the villa together and stepped into the clinic across the street. Before they even made it through the door, they heard Isshin's booming laugh. "Hahaha—Cole, welcome! Yuzu made a lot of good food today."
Cole gave him a strange look. "Old man, you didn't ambush me today. That's so unlike you."
Isshin gave a dry laugh. "What are you talking about? I'm an adult—why would I do something so childish?"
Cole sighed. "If you're going to say that, could you at least wipe the sweat off your forehead?"
Isshin's mouth twitched—despite himself, he glanced at Unohana. The peerless fiend of old stood right there. How was he supposed to keep calm? He absolutely must not provoke her, or his scrawny body wouldn't survive it.
Thinking so, he barked a laugh toward Unohana. "Cole, I'm just happy! You've boarded with us for years, and this is the first time I've seen your mother visit."
Cole: "???"
Unohana: "…"
(End of Chapter)
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