Just as Soifon had predicted, after discovering the key to Muken was lost, Central 46 did not make a fuss, because doing so would damage their reputation.
Though, in the hearts of the Captains, these old geezers didn't have much face to begin with anyway.
They merely sent the Gotei 13 to Muken on an implied patrol mission. After discovering that the prisoners inside were still securely imprisoned, the matter was left unsettled.
At the same time, the verdict for Tokinada Tsunayashiro was also released: for coveting forbidden power and straying from the right path, he was to be imprisoned in Muken.
Regarding this, Azashiro Kenpachi expressed his welcome; he had gained another cellmate to chat with.
Several years later, at the Department of Research and Development.
"Captain Soifon, the item you asked Lord Mayuri to make is ready."
Nemu Kurotsuchi, acting as robot-like as ever, came before Soifon holding a black box. She opened it to reveal a pair of custom-made glasses lying inside.
"Alright. Same rules as always: if you need test subjects, go to the Second Division prison and pick them up yourself."
It felt a bit like placing an order for store pickup.
After taking out the glasses and putting them on, Soifon saw the Reishi flowing in the air of the Soul Society.
To save Masaki Kurosaki and Kanae Katagiri, Soifon had taken great pains, even preparing the post-Auswählen surgical tools for Ryūken Ishida.
Returning to her office, Soifon glanced at the calendar on the wall, then immediately opened a Garganta to head for Las Noches.
At this moment, Aizen was standing before a set of complex monitoring instruments, the streaming data on the screens reflecting off his lenses.
Floating around him were several culture tanks, in which the embryos of the "Prince of Extinguishing Fire" were immersed.
Soifon's figure appeared silently at the entrance of the laboratory.
"Still researching this?" She walked to Aizen's side. "I thought you would be more focused on the evolution after the Hōgyoku fusion."
Hearing Soifon's remark—which was easy for her to say as she stood there doing nothing—Aizen pushed up his glasses helplessly.
"But the evolution of the Hōgyoku requires external pressure to trigger, and His Excellency the Captain-Commander's Ryūjin Jakka is simply too uncontrollable..."
Aizen needed Captain-Commander Yamamoto's powerful strength to facilitate the Hōgyoku's evolution, but he couldn't afford to play with fire and destroy himself in the process.
"So I've been saying, why not consider sparring with me?"
Soifon gathered Reishi, generating a massive Reishi arrow in her hand.
"Captain Soifon's abilities cannot be fully displayed during a spar." Aizen shook his head gently. "A battle without killing intent is useless to the Hōgyoku."
If you had killing intent, you would be just as dangerous as the Captain-Commander.
Aizen thought to himself.
The laboratory was quiet for a while, save for the slight hum of the instruments running.
With a subtle movement of Aizen's hand, the screen before him switched. Recent photos of Masaki Kurosaki, Isshin Kurosaki, as well as Ichigo Kurosaki and his two younger sisters appeared on it.
"Speaking of which..." Aizen suddenly changed the topic. "Isshin Shiba and Masaki Kurosaki's child... Ichigo Kurosaki. Is Captain Soifon not going to meet him?"
Years ago, Soifon had frequently visited the couple in the World of the Living. Why had she become distant after the child was born?
"No rush." Soifon's answer was concise. "We will meet very soon."
Soifon made a mental calculation. Ichigo was this old now; Yhwach should be preparing for the Auswählen.
Aizen pushed his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses lingering on her face for a few seconds.
"It seems as if Captain Soifon knows everything..."
He then let out such a sigh of admiration.
Soifon did not respond, simply looking at him calmly.
"Then..." Aizen shifted the conversation. "Regarding Ichigo Kurosaki, what are Captain Soifon's thoughts?"
This time it was Soifon's turn to raise an eyebrow. She hadn't expected Aizen to ask this proactively.
"What do you think of him?"
She threw the question back.
Aizen turned around, hands in the pockets of his white robe, looking out at the sunlight under the artificial sky outside the laboratory window.
"Theoretically speaking..."
"Ichigo Kurosaki's body should have inherited three types of power simultaneously: Shinigami, Hollow, and Quincy."
"Isshin Shiba's Shinigami power, the Hollow power of 'White' inside Masaki Kurosaki, and her bloodline as a pure-blooded Quincy."
He walked to the console and pulled up a simulation chart.
Three energy curves of different colors were entangled with each other, yet maintained a delicate stasis at a certain critical point.
"But the problem lies in the fact that these three powers maintain a delicate balance within Ichigo Kurosaki's body."
"If there is no catalyst, he might peacefully spend his whole life as a 'normal human with relatively strong spiritual power,' never realizing what lies dormant within him."
After saying this, Aizen looked meaningfully at Soifon beside him.
He did not believe that Soifon would let such a fine seedling like Ichigo Kurosaki remain so ordinary.
As they were discussing, the Soul Pager in Soifon's inner pocket suddenly began to vibrate urgently.
Taking out the Soul Pager, she saw the screen light up. A small icon representing Masaki Kurosaki was flashing red continuously.
Next to the icon was a line of small text: [Hollow · Approaching · Not Cleared]
Soifon stared at the screen for a second, sighed softly, and snapped the Soul Pager shut.
With Masaki Kurosaki's strength, there was no reason she would let a Hollow get close for so long without eliminating it.
Then the truth was obvious: Yhwach had initiated the Auswählen.
Soifon looked up out the window. It was expected that she wasn't targeted by Yhwach's Auswählen; after all, her power did not originate from this Progenitor of the Quincys.
"Captain Aizen, you really need to manage the Menos in Hueco Mundo properly." Soifon sighed. "The guy who sneaked out decades ago has been found."
Aizen tilted his head slightly. "Decades ago? Which test subject?"
Too many had run away; which one was she talking about?
Anyway, it wasn't anything important. Soifon didn't explain. She simply turned around, her fingers carving a Garganta in the air.
"I'm going to handle it."
The next moment, her figure vanished from the spot.
World of the Living, Karakura Town.
A misty drizzle floated in the sky, making the dusk sky appear even dimmer.
Soifon stepped out of the Garganta, the Captain's Haori on her body swaying slightly in the air. She glanced at the Soul Pager lighting up again in her hand and sped toward Masaki Kurosaki's location...
In just a few breaths, Soifon arrived at a path by the river in the suburbs.
A semi-transparent spherical shield flowing with pale blue fluorescence protected Masaki Kurosaki and the little boy in her arms. The hideous Grand Fisher was drooling, occasionally clawing at the Reishi shield.
With every impact of the claws, the blue light on the shield's surface flickered violently, its color dimming visibly.
"Mom!"
Ichigo Kurosaki cried out in panic, his small hands tightly gripping Masaki's clothes.
Boom—
Just as the light of the shield was about to be completely extinguished, the head of the Menos in front of them suddenly caved in. The white mask covering its face shattered in an instant.
A dashing big sister dressed in white clothes had shattered the monster before their eyes with a single punch.
Ichigo Kurosaki opened his mouth wide. He could never have imagined that such a terrifying monster could be defeated so easily.
He stared unblinkingly at the pure white Captain's Haori on Soifon's body, and the giant character "Two" on the back of the Haori.
After being rescued, Masaki Kurosaki collapsed on the ground, drained of strength, panting violently.
"Captain... Soifon..."
She looked at Soifon with the gratitude of a survivor.
Soifon walked up to the mother and son, using her Reiatsu to push away the surrounding rain, and bent down to extend her hand to Masaki Kurosaki.
"Can you still stand?"
"I'm sorry, I probably can't for the time being..."
"No choice then. I'll carry you on my back."
"What about Ichigo..."
"It's fine. I'll hold his hand."
____
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