Chapter 46: Reaching an Understanding
Mizuma stared into Aizen's calm, unwavering eyes. "That makes the conclusion obvious, doesn't it? As you yourself said—you intend to overturn the current order, don't you?"
"An excellent deduction."
Aizen seemed entirely unbothered by having his true intentions exposed. He simply smiled, then began to clap slowly, deliberately. "Truly admirable."
The two, each harboring their own secret motives, seemed to have reached some curious understanding. Their gazes met—and laughter followed.
"I need a partner with a few particular traits," Mizuma continued once the laughter subsided. "First, overwhelming strength. Power belongs only to the strong, and a weak partner would do nothing but hold me back."
"In that regard, I'm in agreement with Miss Messenger," Aizen replied.
"Second, extraordinary courage—enough at least to grasp the truth of this world and the will to act upon it."
"Very reasonable."
"And lastly, he cannot be a supporter of the old order."
After a long buildup, Mizuma finally voiced his stance. "I'm sure you already know—the system of the One King and Five Houses is twisted at its core."
Aizen gave her a curious look.
"Indeed," he said. "But hearing that from the mouth of Miss Messenger… sounds rather strange, doesn't it?"
The implication was clear—for one of the Five Great Houses to say such a thing is tantamount to self-condemnation. Even Mizuma found that irony a little amusing.
"Hmph. Then let me confirm something for you."
Mizuma dispelled the mosaic that veiled her palm, pinching the Messenger's Emblem between two fingers and letting it sway. "You've heard of this, haven't you?"
"The identification bestowed by the Soul King to his 'Messenger,'" Aizen said with a light shrug, giving the right answer.
"Seems your history lessons paid off. Now let me tell you something that isn't written in the books." Mizuma let the mosaic reform over her hand, then gave a soft, mocking laugh as if sneering at fate itself. "When His Majesty the Soul King granted this emblem, he was discussing his own death with my ancestor."
"What—"
For the first time, shock appeared on Aizen's face.
With his intellect, he hardly needed time to grasp the implication behind those words.
Why did the Soul King fall to the Four Great Noble Houses? Why did the Urahara family act so strangely? Questions long left to speculation suddenly began to align.
Then Mizuma spread her arms wide, lifting them as if in reverence to the heavens.
"Do you understand now? It was all by the Soul King's will."
"I see…"
The earlier crack of surprise had split through Aizen's composure. His expression became far livelier than before, his smile no longer shrouded in mystery but shining with sudden realization.
Exactly as Mizuma intended.
All the "truths" she'd thrown out earlier were carefully chosen to make that last line convincing. She'd only met the Soul King once and had no idea what His true will was. But to "borrow His name" in front of Aizen, she needed to lace her deception with a thread of truth—a blend of authenticity and misdirection.
By making him believe she acted under the Soul King's command, she could proceed to the real goal: negotiating an alliance while maintaining an air of mystery.
"The Soul Society faces a looming crisis," Mizuma said firmly. "At this rate, Seireitei will be crushed beneath the feet of the Quincy King. In that war, the One King, Five Houses system will only drag us down. To survive the calamity that will strike a century from now, the current order must be overthrown. But clearly, I can't talk the Central 46 into stepping down, nor can my fists move Yamamoto Genryūsai himself. So I'm looking for a partner."
That wasn't a complete lie—deception works best when nine parts truth, one part falsehood.
At this point in time, with Yhwach and his Sternritter looming, the Soul Society indeed faced an overwhelming threat.
After all, even Ichigo's mother hadn't been born yet.
"I understand."
After a moment of thought, Aizen nodded sincerely. "Miss Messenger, your proposal is… undeniably compelling."
"Much obliged."
"But—" His tone shifted slightly. "Before I respond, I must ask Miss Messenger a few questions."
Perfect.
Business secret: when a client stops rejecting and starts asking for terms, the deal is already half done.
Mizuma hid her smirk behind the mosaic and nodded calmly. "Go ahead."
"As things stand," Aizen said, pushing up his glasses, "our goals do overlap. There is potential for cooperation. However, we've only just met and know little of each other—and understanding one's partner is the foundation of any alliance. You see my strength, my courage, and my convictions. But what about the other way around?"
"Looking for benefits? Who knew you could be so refreshingly straightforward."
Mizuma's voice carried quiet confidence. "The cards I can offer are simple—information. On the Quincies, the noble families… or even the Zero Division. If my data is accurate, you were born a commoner. You may have access to books and theories, but the oral secrets passed down through generations would be much harder for you to obtain."
"That is indeed my weakness," Aizen admitted without hesitation. "Then, my second question: how can I be sure Miss Messenger truly intends to stand on my side?"
"Reasonable concern," Mizuma nodded. "Since I proposed this partnership, it's only right that I show sincerity."
Aizen smiled, gracious and composed. "If that's how you feel, then I'm quite pleased."
"Then—how about this?" Mizuma revealed her final card. "You've been conducting research on breaking the boundary between Hollows and Shinigami. And since you haven't destroyed your test subjects, I can guess you're using them as bait to draw in stronger prey."
"Miss Messenger's insight is… impressive."
"In that case," she said, tilting her head with a playful grin, "allow me to assist you with your experiment. I can think of no greater show of sincerity than defying the Soul Society itself, don't you agree?"
"Excellent."
Aizen bent slightly at the waist in a polite bow. "Then… we have a deal."