Tōsen Kaname stood at the edge of a rooftop.
Without making a sound, he "watched" the scene before him from afar — lips pressed together, body tense.
"Are you nervous, Kaname?"
Aizen's voice echoed beside him, making Tōsen's already rigid expression grow even more serious.
"Yes… I am very nervous right now, Lord Aizen."
There was no disguise, no false composure — only a direct and honest answer.
Something rare, especially coming from him.
But the reason was clear: Tōsen simply could not understand Aizen's actions now.
His right hand clenched and relaxed several times before finally resting on the hilt of his zanpakutō, unsure where to place it.
"Lord Aizen, Arima Shinya's power truly has evolved greatly. We all witnessed it happen. But even so…"
BOOM!
A violent explosion resounded in the distance.
Light and heat surged toward the heavens, echoing in a roar like a blast of dust and fire.
The rumble wasn't small — and considering it was the dead of night, under normal circumstances, it would have already drawn the attention of other shinigami.
But, as Aizen had planned, the location was chosen precisely for that reason — isolated, quiet, and far removed.
As long as nothing overly extreme occurred, no one would come.
Aizen, wearing a faint smile, held his zanpakutō upside down in his hand and murmured, almost thoughtfully:
"Kaname, I've said before — Shinya-kun is completely different from you. Don't judge him using your own way of thinking."
"But, Lord Aizen!"
Tōsen's tone grew grave, nearly fierce. His expression was pure unease.
"No matter how much Arima Shinya has evolved, it's impossible for him to reach the level of a captain!"
"Putting aside skill and experience — since that hardly matters at this moment — his spiritual pressure was level six. Even now, at most, it's level four!"
"He is, indeed, talented! Possessing gifts I can only envy! But still…"
Aizen, expression unchanged, pushed his glasses up with a finger and answered in a serene tone:
"Even so, it's still hard to imagine him defeating Giranjō, isn't it?"
Indeed.
The battle between shinigami is, in essence, a clash of reiatsu — and the classification of spiritual power levels is something vague and, to some extent, irresponsible.
For even two shinigami of the same level can display immense differences in an actual fight.
And above all —
the enemy possessed the power of bankai!
Everyone knew: upon releasing bankai, a shinigami's spiritual power and combat strength increase explosively — typically five to ten times, depending on the individual.
Under such conditions, Arima Shinya stood no chance of victory.
And it was precisely that which left Tōsen so bewildered.
Aizen fully understood that disparity. So why… did he still insist?
"Kaname, it seems you've misunderstood something."
Aizen rose to his feet, smoothing out the folds of his uniform and brushing away an invisible speck of dust from his shoulder.
"I never said I wanted Arima Shinya to defeat Kiganjō Kenpachi."
"My true goal is simply for Shinya-kun to discover the true name of his zanpakutō. Even if, in the end…"
"…all I asked was that he challenge him."
"Think carefully — isn't that exactly what I said, Kaname?"
"…?"
Tōsen fell silent, completely confused, unable to respond.
Meanwhile, Aizen had already turned his gaze toward the horizon.
Yes, that was exactly it.
He had never expected victory.
And yet… a faint spark of expectation burned deep within him.
After all, under these particular circumstances—
that young man named Arima Shinya wasn't entirely without a chance.
"The opponent won't be able to fight at full strength — captains are forbidden from releasing their bankai within the Seireitei."
"And, considering the respect and fear Kiganjō holds for Captain-Commander Yamamoto, it's likely he'll only use that power if he's truly cornered."
"In other words… if Shinya-kun can push him to that point, wouldn't that alone prove his strength?"
Aizen kept his eyes fixed on the distance, that same faint smile still on his lips.
Beside him, Tōsen remained silent.
A fragile and delicate balance lingered in the air.
Before Giranjō's patience ran dry, Shinya would have to discover the true name of his sword — to break the cycle and escape alive.
That was the true purpose of this mission.
…
A few minutes earlier —
Because the information had been shared with him, Arima Shinya had known from the very beginning what Aizen's true plan was.
And that was precisely why, now, he had no intention of holding back.
His opponent faced restrictions — and that was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
The thin, light blade of his zanpakutō took shape, and a steel chain coiled around his wrist.
The "labyrinth" he had constructed to trap Kiganjō was of immense complexity.
Exploring it and finding a path to survival within required an enormous expenditure of spiritual energy.
But Shinya had confidence in his own growth.
During his training under Yoruichi Shihōin's guidance, his attributes had improved remarkably:
[Swordsmanship: 59][Hand-to-hand: 60][Movement: 65][Kidō: 40]
Close combat and shunpo were now his primary strengths.
Under Yoruichi's direct instruction and with Yushirō's constant sparring, his learning efficiency had increased drastically.
Even if kidō wasn't the Shihōin Family's strong point, for a true master, all knowledge was interconnected.
And Shinya had learned much from that.
For that reason, he had even temporarily set aside kendō, focusing on pushing his other three abilities to their utmost limits.
The soul is the condensed form of strength — and it bears its own weight.
Spiritual level: Class Five.
That was Arima Shinya's current power.
Still insignificant before the true monsters of the Soul Society — yet the very peak a young man could achieve so far.
His spiritual energy began to boil, surging like crashing waves.
The colors around him began to fade.
Time intertwined — and stopped.
Bursts of reiatsu erupted, forming visible silhouettes to the naked eye, radiating from Shinya as though the world itself trembled.
In his hollow pupils, hues of blue and red alternated.
Failed futures, successful futures —
countless possibilities emerged, collided, and shattered.
Like an endless cycle, a Möbius ring spinning without end.
The steel chain around his wrist began to move…
Chains of steel tightening — time converging.
And in that fleeting instant—
Arima Shinya saw it.
The point capable of breaking the infinite cycle of the Möbius ring.
⸻
(End of Chapter)
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