Chapter 19: Aizen Makes a Move |
Yeruashi had no intention of keeping a low profile.
He might have considered such a thing in a more perilous world, but in the world of Bleach, it served no practical purpose.
Whether it was Sosuke Aizen after merging with the perfected Hogyoku, the Kaiser of the Wandenreich Yhwach, Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryusai, the members of the Zero Division, or even the Soul King—who was now far from his true peak—none of them posed a genuine threat to Yeruashi. Even if they were to unite, they had virtually no chance of victory.
Their combined strength might have rivaled his own, but the abilities of the Illusory Clock were far too potent. Furthermore, his ability to separate himself from the flow of time protected him from any other time-based powers they might wield.
Because of this, he felt quite at ease in this world.
Aizen, with his formidable intellect and uncanny perceptiveness, was bound to take notice of Yeruashi unless the traveler specifically wished otherwise. However, that was hardly something Yeruashi bothered himself with.
He never viewed Aizen as a rival or an enemy because they simply existed on different planes. It was much like how a grown man could not perceive a child who had only just learned to walk as a threat.
Should Aizen eventually manage to claw his way to the absolute summit, Yeruashi would be there to greet him.
Ascend to the peak!
'Aizen.'
Yeruashi smiled and whispered the names in his mind, continuing his steady walk forward.
The lives of demon kings standing at the pinnacle are often dull and monotonous. They find a taste for life only when observing brave heroes challenge them, watching as those champions slowly realize their own impotence and spiral into despair.
Most demon kings meet a crushing defeat at the very end of the tale, but unfortunately for this world, that would not be his fate.
He was not subject to the destiny of this world.
He was destiny itself.
...
A few days later, the cherry blossom festival began.
Souls generally lead very long lives, especially within the Seireitei and its surrounding districts. The lack of a constant struggle for survival had fostered a rich and diverse culture of entertainment.
The cherry blossom festival was held once every three years to celebrate the peace and tranquility reigning over the Seireitei. It was one of the grandest and most significant holidays, celebrated by common souls and members of the noble houses alike.
However, the Shinigami of the Gotei 13 were not granted leave during these days. On the contrary, they were tasked with ensuring the security of such a massive celebration. The squads of the Gotei 13 were responsible for maintaining order through a rotation system. A Shinigami would receive a day off for only one out of every three festivals; during the other two, they worked overtime without even receiving extra pay.
This time, the third, fifth, seventh, and thirteenth squads were responsible for patrolling the four cardinal directions—north, south, west, and east.
Security for the central zone was managed by the first, second, sixth, and tenth squads. These four divisions—one belonging to the Captain-Commander and two representing the Great Noble Houses of Soul Society—would conduct cross-patrols throughout the central region.
Several Shinigami sat in a spacious, open-air restaurant located near the overlapping patrol sectors of the fifth and second squads.
Among them was the Lieutenant of the fifth squad, Sosuke Aizen, along with the Lieutenants of the third and seventh squads, Chikane Iba and Jin'emon Kotsubaki.
"A pleasure to meet you, Lieutenant Iba, Lieutenant Kotsubaki."
Yeruashi ascended the stairs at a leisurely pace and offered a polite smile to the figures seated at the table.
"Oh, it seems Lieutenant Hatake has graced us with his presence," they remarked.
The Lieutenants greeted Yeruashi warmly.
The current generation of Lieutenants and Captains in the Gotei 13 was quite formidable, yet Yeruashi remained one of the most prominent figures despite his youth. Naturally, the other Lieutenants did not dare underestimate a colleague who had already attained Bankai. Even the Captains usually treated him with great courtesy, to say nothing of his fellow Lieutenants.
"My patrol sector just happens to be nearby," Yeruashi explained.
He took a seat and smiled at the three officers.
From this elevated vantage point, the restaurant offered an excellent view of the wide plaza and several adjacent blocks.
"Have you grown accustomed to the daily life of a Shinigami yet?"
Aizen filled Yeruashi's glass and raised his own with a gentle smile.
Yeruashi lifted his glass and replied calmly, "I feel quite wonderful. Thank you for your concern, Lieutenant Aizen."
Chikane Iba chuckled. "With such spiritual power and a Bankai at your disposal, the duties of a Lieutenant must be a trivial matter for you."
"Indeed. It seems Lieutenant Hatake will become a Captain as soon as a vacancy appears."
Aizen nodded in agreement.
The Lieutenants sipped from their glasses and gazed down at the bustling streets.
"Sometimes it is pleasant to simply relax and watch the festivities from afar, forgetting our work for a moment. By the way... Lieutenant Hatake, Lieutenant Iba, you haven't seen my Shikai yet, have you?"
Aizen smiled and drew his Zanpakuto.
This movement did not provoke the slightest hint of wariness from the other two Lieutenants, as Aizen radiated an aura that was exclusively friendly and approachable.
Yeruashi took a sip of his wine and watched the show unfold, perfectly aware of Aizen's true intent.
"...My Zanpakuto, Kyoka Suigetsu, possesses the ability to distort an opponent's visual perception by refracting light through currents of water. Its release is quite beautiful; it is certainly something worth enjoying during a festival like this."
"I truly haven't seen the Lieutenant's Shikai before," Chikane Iba said, looking at Aizen with curiosity.
Shinigami naturally held a certain interest in the Shikai and Bankai releases of their colleagues, as each was unique, and Bankai represented the pinnacle that every Shinigami aspired to reach.
"I have seen Lieutenant Aizen's Shikai before. It really is a sight to behold whenever the opportunity arises," Lieutenant Kotsubaki added with a nod.
Aizen smiled. "In that case, I shall show you... Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu."
Accompanied by Aizen's soft voice, a white mist billowed from the blade of his Zanpakuto, seemingly composed of countless droplets of rain and morning dew that shimmered in the sunlight.
Yeruashi set his glass on the table and lightly applauded as he watched the stunning, rainbow-hued display. "Ah, your Shikai release is truly magnificent, Lieutenant Aizen. It is such a pity that there is a ban on releasing Bankai within the Seireitei, otherwise, I would be inclined to show you my own..."
"I hope I truly get to witness your Bankai one day... Sigh, for I am still far from achieving such a feat myself. Honestly, I'm a bit jealous of your talent, Lieutenant Hatake."
Kotsubaki offered a slightly wistful smile and shook his head.
Yeruashi waved his hand dismissively. "Talent isn't all that important, as long as a person sincerely pursues their dreams and goals."
"Beautiful words."
Aizen stood amidst the countless water droplets radiating their rainbow glow and said slowly, "A person who pursues their goals with all their might will have no regrets."
Yeruashi stood up and smiled at Aizen. "I hope you achieve all your goals, Lieutenant Aizen."
"I sincerely wish the same for you, Lieutenant Hatake."
Looking at Yeruashi in that moment, Aizen felt as though the youth was seeing right through him, yet he remained perfectly confident that his opponent saw only the first level—the facade he had chosen to put on display.
Yeruashi likely believed he was on the second level, controlling the situation, never suspecting that Aizen himself had been standing on the third all along!
Or so Aizen thought...
In truth, Yeruashi was on the fourth level, seeing through every layer of the deception.
"Sigh... let's not dwell on such things. We don't often get the chance to meet and drink in such an atmosphere."
Kotsubaki raised his glass, smiling at both Aizen and Yeruashi.
But.
Just as Yeruashi smiled and prepared to raise his own glass, a powerful surge of Reiatsu erupted to the northwest.
This spiritual pressure clearly did not belong to any of the Gotei 13 Captains, yet it was remarkably close to their level!
"It seems our little gathering has come to an end."
Yeruashi lowered his glass and glanced at Aizen out of the corner of his eye before instantly vanishing from the spot.
"Isn't that the first squad's patrol zone?"
"Let's go!"
Kotsubaki and Iba exchanged worried glances before dropping their glasses and dashing out of the restaurant.
At the same time, Aizen adjusted his glasses and whispered softly, reacting much slower than the others, "It has begun."
...
Somewhere in the northwestern region of the Seireitei stood a red-haired man. He was covered in various wounds, but his gaze radiated excitement and triumph.
About ten Shinigami stood around him, though they were all struggling to stay on their feet under the influence of his powerful Reiatsu.
In the past, this red-haired man, Hasegawa Oeda, had been a member of one of the lower noble families.
His right hand gripped the hilt of a Zanpakuto, while his left held a mysterious, dark-purple sphere about the size of a fist.
This massive Reiatsu did not originate from the man himself, but from the small sphere clutched in his left hand!
Furthermore.
The sphere was greedily absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy, and its Reiatsu continued to intensify steadily.
As it grew, the Reiatsu became unstable and erratic.
"Get out of my way!"
"We created this, yet the Central 46 deemed us a threat that had to be eliminated immediately! My entire clan was wiped out..."
"I'll make you pay! Central 46!!"
Hasegawa shouted loudly and looked around before charging directly toward the residence of the Central 46 Chambers.
Any Shinigami who dared to stand in Hasegawa's path was crushed in a matter of moments.
Whoosh!
But as Hasegawa Oeda neared the residence, a figure finally appeared in his path capable of withstanding Reiatsu at a Captain's level.
The Lieutenant of the first squad—Chojuro Sasakibe!
"Don't even dream of it," Sasakibe said coldly, halting Hasegawa's advance.
The first squad, holding the highest status among all the Gotei 13 divisions, was responsible for guarding many extremely vital locations and artifacts.
Besides the residence of the Central 46, the first squad guarded other significant sites, such as the restricted zone in the northwestern Seireitei.
Various dangerous items obtained under diverse circumstances were stored there, including perilous weapons used by the Quincy thousands of years ago, and special substances capable of destabilizing space itself.
The object Hasegawa held was exactly one of those items—a Reikoa, or Spiritual Core. This extremely dangerous artifact, created by merging countless souls, possessed the ability to boundlessly absorb surrounding Reiatsu and spiritual energy!
This item was considered lethal because absorbing a massive amount of spiritual energy could lead to only two outcomes: either a colossal explosion accompanied by an incredibly destructive burst of Reiatsu, or a qualitative transformation similar to the birth of a Gillian after devouring many ordinary Hollows.
Therefore, the Central 46 had assigned the highest danger level to the Reikoa as soon as they learned of its existence, and it had been sealed in the forbidden zone under the guard of the first squad.
The restricted zone had one of the highest security levels in all of the Seireitei, but today, through a stroke of misfortune, several patrol units had shown negligence, allowing Hasegawa to successfully infiltrate the area.
"Chojuro Sasakibe..."
"The Lieutenant of the first squad."
Hasegawa sneered and lunged at Sasakibe without a hint of fear or hesitation.
During their close-quarters clash, the Reikoa rapidly drained the Reiatsu and spiritual energy of the first squad Lieutenant.
Soon, Sasakibe's face turned pale, and his Reiatsu visibly faltered.
"This weapon was forged at the cost of my entire clan's existence... someone like you doesn't have the power to stop it!"
Hasegawa shouted coldly and intensified his assault, sensing his opponent's strength was fading.
After a few more clashes of their Zanpakuto, Sasakibe's frame shuddered violently, and he was sent flying backward.
Boom!
The Lieutenant of the first squad flew several dozen meters before crashing into the wall of a building.
Sasakibe's face was white and his breathing labored, but he continued to grip his Zanpakuto firmly, prepared to block Hasegawa at any cost.
But.
At that very moment, the voice of Yamamoto Genryusai rang out.
"You may step back, Sasakibe."
The Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 stepped forward impassively, while his thick wooden cane transformed into a deceptively simple-looking blade.
"Captain-Commander!"
Sasakibe relaxed visibly at his captain's appearance but cried out in concern, "The intruder has a Reikoa capable of absorbing spiritual energy from his surroundings!"
"I know exactly what it is," Genryusai replied with a calm nod.
He vanished, and in the next heartbeat, he reappeared directly in front of Hasegawa and swung his blade without hesitation.
Upon the Captain-Commander's arrival, Hasegawa tensed up, realizing that such an opponent would be extremely difficult to handle even with the Reikoa.
Clang!
Hasegawa managed to block Yamamoto Genryusai's attack with his own blade, but he was instantly thrown back, crashing into the ground, unable to withstand the Reiatsu of the strongest Captain.
However, Yamamoto Genryusai did not relax; instead, he became much more serious despite his clear superiority in power.
His spiritual energy was being absorbed.
The Captain-Commander had not released his Shikai and was controlling his Reiatsu with extreme precision, yet he had still lost a small portion of his spiritual power at the moment of impact.
Hasegawa slowly emerged from the rising dust clouds, his Zanpakuto in his right hand. "As expected of the Captain-Commander, but I won the moment I survived your first blow!"
"Arrogant whelp," Genryusai said indifferently.
Although the Reikoa was indeed a dangerous object capable of causing a great deal of trouble, it was utterly foolish to hope it could stop him.
Yamamoto Genryusai could have easily crushed Hasegawa with his overwhelming Reiatsu and taken the Reikoa without resistance if they were in a deserted area suited for battle.
No matter the Reikoa's absorption limit, his immense spiritual pressure would have been enough to suppress Hasegawa completely!
Except in the current situation.
For such a crude and unrestrained application of his power would inevitably damage the Central 46 residence.
Therefore, he had to suppress his opponent using Kendo, Hakuda, and Shunpo.
As the supreme leader of the Gotei 13, Yamamoto Genryusai naturally possessed the highest mastery in each of these arts.
He decisively cast off his white captain's haori, revealing muscles that were not overly bulky but incredibly dense and compact. He then threw a punch toward the approaching Hasegawa.
"Ikkotsu!"
Boom!
Hasegawa blocked the attack with his Zanpakuto, but it held for only a fleeting second before he was sent flying like a cannonball, obliterating several buildings in his path.
At that moment, several figures rushed toward the battlefield, including the Captain of the second squad Yoruichi Shihoin, the Commander of the Onmitsukido's Punitive Force Shaolin Fon, the Lieutenant of the second squad Yeruashi Hatake, the Lieutenant of the third squad Chikane Iba, and the Captain of the third squad Rojuro Otoribashi...
Whoosh!
Yeruashi leaped onto a high wall nearby and scanned the battlefield, assessing the situation.
His gaze lingered on Hasegawa, who lay amidst the rubble and swirling dust. A torrent of scenes from Hasegawa's past flashed through Yeruashi's pupils with lightning speed, accompanied by a pale gold shimmer.
'Such a crude use of Hasegawa draws far too much attention...'
'What are you after, Aizen?'
Yeruashi whispered softly, glancing toward the Central 46 residence.
He had little interest in Aizen's current objectives, whether it was infiltrating the Central 46 Chambers or something else entirely. It all seemed primitive and dull when he possessed the ability to look into any place with the Eyes of God and into any time with the Illusory Clock.
Yeruashi turned his attention back to Hasegawa.
'Quite an intriguing little object... perhaps I can make my way to the Soul King Palace even sooner than anticipated if I study its mechanics.'
Although he had mentioned before that the Zero Division, Yamamoto Genryusai, Yhwach, and Sosuke Aizen could not defeat him even together, such a confrontation could still be tedious. Only with the power of the Soul King would such matters become truly irrelevant.
Therefore, Yeruashi was more than happy for any chance to obtain the Soul King's power sooner than originally planned.