For a long time afterward, Masatsuki Aozaki continued his monotonous and uneventful routine.
Each day was the same—either overseeing the Arrancar transformation process for the Menos of Hueco Mundo or indulging in leisurely affairs with the female Arrancar.
Life was repetitive, dull to the extreme.
In truth, there was little that required his attention.
With Aizen, Kaname Tōsen, and the Arrancar maintaining order, Hueco Mundo was practically at peace.
Thanks to the relentless efforts of Aizen and the Arrancar, the reconstruction of Las Noches was progressing at an astonishing pace and was now nearing completion.
Masatsuki Aozaki frequently wandered the construction site, offering unsolicited critiques and comments on the progress.
On occasion, when the mood struck him, he would personally step in and make adjustments to certain designs.
For instance, to commemorate his unrivaled achievement in unifying Hueco Mundo, he once ordered Aizen to construct two massive statues at the entrance of Las Noches—one on each side—each holding a sword pointed toward the sky, a grand display of his magnificence.
Upon hearing this, Aizen was utterly speechless.
Without hesitation, he flatly refused.
Masatsuki Aozaki was undoubtedly a man of striking appearance, refined and charismatic in demeanor.
It was clear that, like any ordinary person, he had an appreciation for aesthetics.
Logically speaking, someone with such a sense of style shouldn't have such bizarre ideas about architecture.
But considering his inherently unreliable personality, perhaps it wasn't so surprising after all.
Of course, Aizen would never agree to build such statues—he had too much dignity to suffer that kind of humiliation.
Time passed quickly, and before long, a year had gone by.
Masatsuki Aozaki had now ruled over Las Noches for an entire year.
And with nothing better to do, he and Aizen spent their time conducting experiments on Arrancar, expanding their forces.
In theory, without the Hōgyoku, Aizen should have lost the ability to create Arrancar.
But after a year of self-study, he discovered that when the Hōgyoku shattered, part of its power seemed to have fused with his body.
Masatsuki Aozaki wasn't the least bit surprised.
He knew that in the third fusion stage, the Hōgyoku had already become an intrinsic part of its wielder.
Simply put, Sōsuke Aizen was now a walking, incomplete Hōgyoku.
With the Menos cooperating voluntarily, the experiments progressed in an orderly fashion.
One after another, powerful Adjuchas queued up and entered the laboratory.
A moth-like Menos stood outside, shifting nervously as she waited her turn.
Ahead of her, a leopard-like Menos slowly stepped into the lab.
She recognized him instantly.
He was the one other Adjuchas mockingly called a "hero."
Though the title sounded like praise, it was, in truth, a sarcastic insult.
On his very first day in Las Noches, this leopard-shaped Adjuchas, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, had foolishly attempted to challenge the ruler of Hueco Mundo.
However, things had not gone as he had expected.
Not only had he failed miserably, but he had also been utterly humiliated by that ruler's attendants, Loly and Menoly.
And yet, instead of executing him, their supreme lord had shown unexpected generosity—granting him a chance to become stronger.
The nickname "hero" was nothing more than a cruel mockery, a reminder of his arrogance in challenging a power far beyond his reach.
The moth-like Menos, however, had little interest in petty insults or name-calling.
What truly caught her attention were the two attendants who had defeated Grimmjow.
Rumor had it that, before receiving their power boost, they had been nothing special among the Adjuchas.
But after undergoing the process, they had effortlessly crushed one of the strongest Adjuchas-class Menos.
The thought sent a thrill of anticipation through her.
As a Hollow, she craved that kind of power.
She only hoped that once she completed her Arrancar transformation, she would meet the expectations of their ruler.
According to certain whispers, the method by which their ruler enhanced his Arrancar was... unconventional.
And he was notoriously selective about whom he granted such power.
As she pondered her uncertain fate, the doors to the laboratory slowly creaked open.
A tall, blue-haired man with a broken mask emerged.
A simple white cloth draped over his shoulders, and in his hand, he held a long sword.
Ignoring the curious stares of those around him, he strode forward, exuding confidence.
Aizen stood in the doorway, adjusting his glasses before frowning.
The moth-like Menos hurriedly flapped her wings and flew forward. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a dark-skinned man disposing of a corpse.
After all, using the power of what was essentially a semi-complete Hōgyoku to perform Arrancarization still carried a risk of failure.
Cautiously, she asked,
"Aizen-sama, is something wrong?"
For Adjuchas, their entire existence was a battle against degeneration.
If they failed to grow stronger, sooner or later, they would regress into a lowly Gillian—losing all memories, all reason, with no hope of ever evolving again.
This chance at Arrancarization was hard-won. If she succeeded, she would never have to fear the looming threat of regression again.
"Cirucci Sanderwicci?" Aizen asked, glancing at a document.
"That's me," the moth-like Menos nodded eagerly.
"Female?" Aizen asked for confirmation.
"You're in the wrong place," Aizen stated flatly, setting the document down.
"The Arrancarization area for female Hollows is on the other side."
"I know, but Aozaki-sama isn't here today."
She responded quickly, as if afraid of being turned away.
"He's skipping out again?"
Aizen muttered to himself, clearly annoyed.
That Masatsuki Aozaki—he said he was leaving the management to Aizen, yet he never lifted a finger!
In the entire year they had ruled Hueco Mundo, Masatsuki Aozaki had only done one serious thing—Arrancarizing the Hollows.
And even then, only the female Menos were left for him to handle.
But knowing that guy, slacking off was to be expected.
Aizen had been around him long enough to understand his habits all too well.
There was no need to even guess—he was definitely off fooling around with an Arrancar somewhere.
Yesterday it was Harribel.
Today... it was probably Nelliel's turn.
Because Masatsuki Aozaki's schedule in Las Noches was arranged by none other than Aizen himself.
"Maybe I've been too lenient with him. He's really pushing his limits..."
After a year of being around him, he had come to realize something—
Masatsuki Aozaki constantly preached about "kings and their mounts," but he had never truly treated Aizen as a subordinate.
Instead, he acted as if they were... friends.
That made things complicated.
Having been defeated by Masatsuki Aozaki, Aizen had initially felt nothing but resentment. But as time passed, those feelings had grown strangely... conflicted.
At times, he even considered attempting to treat Masatsuki Aozaki as a "friend" in return.
But he had never had a friend before.
He had no idea how one was supposed to act in such a relationship.
And that uncertainty was nothing short of frustrating.
This... this was a challenge unlike any he had faced before.
"Then wait until tomorrow," Aizen said expressionlessly.
However, before he could finish his thought, something caught his attention in the distance.
His lips curled into a faint smirk.
"Looks like we won't have to wait after all."
p@treon com / PinkSnake