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The requirements for forging the Ōken were laid bare before him: one hundred thousand souls and a spiritual land spanning a radius of one kilometer.
"How… interesting."
Seated comfortably, Aizen turned the pages of the archive with unhurried grace, his eyes glinting. The so-called jūreichi—the heavy spiritual land—was defined as a singularity of concentrated reiryoku in the human world. It shifted across ages, always becoming the place most capable of drawing supernatural phenomena.
Karakura Town was one such land.
And to ascend into the Royal Realm, the Ōken was indispensable.
"Karakura Town," Aizen murmured, his tone thoughtful, "a most fitting choice."
Once he had read all that mattered, his palm pressed flat against the document. A flood of spiritual pressure surged through his hand, unraveling the paper into scattered reishi particles that dissolved into nothingness.
Two shadows appeared before him.
Ichimaru Gin, smiling as always, and Tōsen Kaname, expression unreadable, stood in silent deference.
"Master Aizen," Tōsen bowed, voice respectful yet edged with unease. "Captain Unohana may have detected irregularities. After Komamura and I departed, I left Kuchiki Shiraha and Kyōraku Shunsui to face her alone. Will this disturb our plan?"
"Unohana Retsu," Aizen said, the faintest flicker of admiration in his eyes. "Even under Kyōka Suigetsu's complete hypnosis, she still noticed something amiss. Remarkable—but anticipated. That woman was once the first Kenpachi. To overlook her would be careless."
He adjusted his glasses with one finger, a faint smile curving his lips. "Still, it matters little. I have already acquired what I sought. The reason I summoned you here is simple: the plan must change."
Of all within Seireitei, only two figures lingered in the depths of Aizen's caution—Yamamoto Genryūsai and Unohana Retsu. That she alone could pierce the veil of his illusions only confirmed the weight of her legend.
Originally, Rukia's execution had been slated for one month hence, a span of time meant to cloak his true purpose. But now, with his goal attained, delay was no longer required.
"Gin," Aizen's smile sharpened, "your report."
"All Ryoka save one have been captured," Ichimaru replied, hands folded loosely at his waist, eyes narrowed to slits. "Only Kurosaki Ichigo slipped away—spirited off from the Repentance Cell by Shihōin Yoruichi."
This was the task Aizen had set Gin: watch the Ryoka, and especially Ichigo, reporting every movement.
"Shihōin Yoruichi…" Aizen's voice lowered as he repeated the name, then curved into amusement. "How fitting. But Kurosaki is of no concern. In his current state, he is too weak to matter."
His tone turned soft, conspiratorial. "If the Sōkyoku fails to claim Rukia, you two will enact the contingency. Use the Senka no Hakuen to move her to the designated location."
The Thousand-Anti White Snake was a forbidden kidō—an esoteric technique using spiraling cloth to bind caster and target, warping them into a pre-set space. Long before now, Aizen had accounted for every outcome, ensuring that even failure at the scaffold would not derail his scheme. It was also part of his quiet arrangement with Shiraha: Rukia Kuchiki must not die.
"Captain Aizen," Gin drawled, smile unwavering, "what if Shiraha interferes? Tōsen and I alone can't match him."
For once, the foxlike grin was not entirely feigned. He remembered Baidaimon clearly—where Shiraha had forced him to unveil Bankai before he could even fight at full strength. If Shiraha wished, he could shatter their mission with ease.
"Do not trouble yourself, Gin," Aizen replied, voice silken. "Shiraha will not hinder you. And even if you falter, I remain."
The implication was clear. Should obstacles arise, Aizen himself would resolve them. The only difference would be a slight inconvenience in process.
"Then… shall we kill Rukia, once the Hōgyoku is retrieved?" Gin asked, the curve of his smile hiding the weight of the question.
Years beside Aizen had taught him one rule: once a tool was spent, it was discarded. If Rukia's value as a vessel ended with the extraction of the Hōgyoku, her life was already forfeit.
But Aizen shook his head. "No. Once the Hōgyoku is secured, Rukia is meaningless. Why risk offending Shiraha over such triviality?" His eyes gleamed faintly. "I still intend to draw Shiraha to our side. It would be foolish to antagonize him needlessly."
"Understood," Gin murmured, bowing lightly.
"Then, prepare yourselves," Aizen concluded, pushing his glasses once more.
Gin vanished in a flash of Shunpo, leaving only silence.
"Master Aizen," Tōsen spoke once Gin's presence had faded, "can Kuchiki Shiraha truly be trusted? He is heir to the four great noble houses, a son of the Kuchiki clan."
For Tōsen, the nobility was the embodiment of corruption—Central 46, the noble courts, all symbols of the injustice that had claimed his dearest friend.
"Kaname," Aizen said gently, "do not be blinded by prejudice. Shiraha is unlike the rest—neither arrogant nor rotten. Perhaps, in time, he will stand with us."
"…I understand, Master Aizen." Tōsen bowed deeply, then melted into the shadows, vanishing.
"Shiraha," Aizen whispered, a smile tugging at his lips, "what surprise will you deliver me yet?"
---
At that same time, Shiraha and Kira Izuru had returned from the Repentance Cell, stepping into their division's barracks just as Komamura Sajin and Iba Tetsuzaemon entered with Seventh Division members.
"Captain Shiraha."
The group bowed in unison, Komamura's towering figure lowering with them.
"Vice Captain Komamura," Shiraha greeted with a calm smile, "did you uncover traces of the Ryoka?"
"Of the five, four have been apprehended," Komamura rumbled. "Only the one who faced Captain Zaraki remains at large. The others are secured in Fourth Division custody." His gaze flickered briefly. "One of them was a Quincy. He defeated Captain Kurotsuchi in battle, though at cost to himself. On the way to the Repentance Cell, he was subdued and captured by Captain Tōsen."
Shiraha's expression remained serene, though his eyes sharpened. "A Quincy… I see. You've done well."
The one Komamura mentioned could only be Ishida Uryū. For him to defeat Mayuri was no small feat, though it was a victory paid with the loss of his Quincy powers.
"You too have worked hard," Shiraha added.
Komamura bowed once more, as did Iba and the other men.
Just then, a fluttering shadow descended. A Hell Butterfly alighted on Komamura's finger.
"A Hell Butterfly?" he murmured, surprised.
The message whispered into the air:
"Notice to all captains and vice-captains: the execution date of criminal Rukia Kuchiki has been revised. Her execution will now take place tomorrow at noon. This decision is final and will not change."
The voice faded. The silence that followed was heavier than steel.
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