The definition of the Spirit World was actually quite broad.
Beyond Seireitei — where the shinigami and noble families resided — the rest of the territory was divided into four major sectors, located to the north, south, east, and west.
These were the so-called Districts of the Destitute (Rukongai).
According to official information from the Thirteen Protective Divisions, Rukongai was also subdivided into multiple subdistricts.
The closer one was to Seireitei, the better the security and living conditions.
On the other hand —
the farther away, the more common murders, arson, and crimes became. Basically, these were lawless zones.
"People who kill just to covet our Zanpakutō, or because they see value in our belongings… it's regrettable."
"Indeed, it's sad. In their view, human life has no value whatsoever."
"Shinya-kun, Tousen — you two were born here, in the Districts of the Destitute. I imagine you understand well this misery that makes us sigh."
Aizen calmly observed the small crystal in his hands. His expression was serene, unperturbed.
Three spirits of rough appearance were scattered on the ground around them. Their bodies were loose, lifeless, completely devoid of spiritual energy.
Arima Shinya watched as the liquid souls were extracted one by one, absorbed into a translucent sphere.
Inside it, something murky and ethereal took form — like an invisible shadow writhing within.
The Hōgyoku.
The origin and function of that thing had already been explained by Aizen moments earlier.
It possessed power beyond comprehension. Even the spiritual pressure emanating from its inert state alone was enough to prove it.
"Impressive… Although it appears to be a mere object, I can feel within it a vibration resembling consciousness."
The Hōgyoku was absorbing souls.
That was why Aizen had come to Rukongai.
In that lawless land, life and death held no meaning.
Even if someone disappeared without a trace, at most it would become a cold note in the shinigami records…
Just a short, insignificant unit of measure.
Unlike the Hōgyoku created by Kisuke Urahara — which used hollows as the main material — Aizen's was constructed from powerful human souls, those with the potential to become shinigami.
The so-called "destitutes with spiritual talent."
Killing, for Aizen, carried no emotional weight.
Or rather — within Rukongai, its inhabitants held no importance whatsoever.
In the records of the original canon, on the eve of the Thousand-Year War,
the Quincy had exterminated so many hollows that, to balance the flow of souls, Captain Mayuri ordered the extermination of twenty thousand Rukongai residents.
And Yamamoto, upon being informed, merely responded: "Why didn't you report this earlier?"
There was perhaps a touch of resignation in that answer.
But, in any case, the central ideal of the Thirteen Divisions had never involved protecting the common people.
After two hours of collecting souls, Aizen finally halted the process.
The three were preparing to return,
when they heard desperate screams echoing through the nearby streets.
Immediately after, a bloodied man came running around a corner, screams of pain escaping his throat — his left arm had vanished.
"Help! Somebody, please…!"
Before he could finish,
a monstrous creature appeared behind him, bringing him down to the ground with its membranous claws.
The monster's body was white, long like a serpent.
With a deformed mouth, it devoured and licked every fragment of flesh scattered around.
A hollow.
After consuming what remained on the ground, the creature cast a cautious glance toward the trio — and slowly retreated until it disappeared among the trees.
Hollows invading the Spirit World were not new.
When Shinya still lived in Rukongai, he had often heard of such "night massacres."
These monsters became far more active at night.
Thus, although there was no curfew, most people simply stopped circulating after sunset.
The three remained silent, watching the hollow disappear.
They did absolutely nothing.
After all, Aizen had made it clear earlier:
"Eliminating hollows within Rukongai is the duty of the shinigami from Seireitei.
We are not here for that.
Pretend you didn't see it."
"Normally, purification missions begin with an investigation.
After confirming the hollow's area of operation, the responsible Division sends its men to combat it."
But the real reason was different —
Aizen simply did not want to risk exposing himself.
He did not know if that hollow was already being monitored by other shinigami.
And if they acted and drew attention, it would ruin everything.
Moreover…
"The weak are devoured by the strong.
Death is just another link in the natural cycle.
We shall merely observe."
With such cold words, Aizen made it clear what he thought of the people of Rukongai.
His view was practically identical to the strictest captains of Seireitei.
Still, Shinya noticed something subtle —
Aizen's gaze on the hollow was different.
Recalling what he knew about the future,
he realized: perhaps Aizen was already considering using these monsters in his experiments —
the fusion between shinigami and hollow.
When the day ended, Aizen led the two back to Seireitei.
"That's enough for today, Shinya-kun, Tousen."
"In three days, same time and place, I will meet you again."
"If there's any special situation, I will contact you beforehand."
The three-day cycle was not a personal choice of Aizen.
As vice-captain of the Fifth Division, he was already overburdened — a man of many masks and few free moments.
Furthermore…
"Captain Hirako seems suspicious of me.
He's been monitoring me frequently lately.
To avoid suspicion, try not to get too close to me during duty."
Understood.
Those three days were, in fact, the break Aizen allowed himself.
So, Hirako Shinji had already started suspecting him?
It seemed that nothing had changed,
but silently, destiny was already moving —
preparing to collide with the inevitable.
There was a certain unease in the air.
But, regardless,
Shinya's priority remained to become stronger.
Only by attaining sufficient power could he resist when the storm came.
⸻
Three days later.
A new training session.
Another collection to feed the Hōgyoku.
Shinya believed the day would end like that.
But, before returning, Aizen decided to do something different.
"Hmm… this place is quite isolated.
We'll use it right here."
"…Huh? What do you mean by that, sir?"
Aizen smiled, his eyes glinting with a spark of interest.
"As a reward for enduring all the training until the end — twice —
I will grant you special instruction regarding your Zanpakutō."
Then he said, with an enigmatic smile:
"Release your Zanpakutō, Shinya-kun."
(End of Chapter)
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