"There's no need to be so hasty, Kaname."
Aizen said softly, "Compared to our goal, the City of Daylight is merely a pebble beneath our feet. A bit annoying, but stepping over it is all."
"Although the City of Daylight's strength exceeded my expectations, it hasn't reached a level that requires you to take action."
"Alright then, go call Gin. Let Gin make a trip."
"Yes, Aizen-sama."
Tosen stood up and walked out.
Although he held some wariness towards Gin, feeling Gin wasn't truly aligned with Aizen, Tosen still acknowledged Gin's strength.
'With Ichimaru Gin making a move, the City of Daylight shouldn't pose a threat anymore.'
"Oh, right, Kaname."
Just as Tosen was about to leave the main hall of Las Noches, Aizen stopped him.
"Aizen-sama."
"I previously assigned a task to Ulquiorra, to bring someone back from the living world."
"But now that Ulquiorra is gone, you should go make the trip."
"Understood, Aizen-sama."
"As expected, what Kyoya-sama said is true. The human world and the Soul Society are different."
Hitsugaya walked with his hands in his pockets, his eyes observing everything in the Living World.
Before, he was somewhat puzzled about why Kyoya sent him to the Living World.
But after actually arriving in the Living World and learning more about its situation, Hitsugaya could deeply feel that compared to the Living World, the Soul Society was too backward.
Most ordinary people in the Living World possessed mobile phones for instant communication.
Even at opposite ends of the world, they could talk in real-time.
In the Soul Society, communicating over some distance required using Kido.
For longer distances, they needed to use Hell Butterflies to convey messages.
Was the Soul Society's technology underdeveloped?
No, that wasn't the case.
Even within the Revolutionary Army, there was a [Research and Development Department].
However, the Revolutionary Army's R&D department was clearly just starting.
But the technology in the Seireitei surpassed that of the Living World.
After all, the Seireitei's 12th Division could monitor the three worlds, and successive Captains had their own specialties.
For example, the former former Captain, Hikifune Kirio, invented a method to fuse temporary souls with one's own Reiatsu through food, significantly boosting Reiatsu.
Even the Mod Souls that the former Captain, Kisuke, played around with were failed results from this research.
The former Captain, Urahara Kisuke, was a formidable person who could create Hogyoku without using the Soul King's body, classified by Yhwach as a [Special War Potential].
The current Captain, Mayuri, was even more remarkable.
He created genuine artificial souls.
Nemu was Mayuri's ultimate masterpiece.
This was a true artificial soul, no different from an ordinary Shinigami.
The Bleach World was a world on a countdown to destruction.
Because the Creator God had left, the total amount of Reishi in this world was fixed, no longer increasing.
But Hell absorbed the souls of the world's wicked people, growing constantly.
One could say, the number of souls in this world was decreasing all the time.
Once Hell grew to a point where the three worlds couldn't suppress it, it might directly devour the three worlds, becoming Hell's nourishment.
However, these technologies were too 'high-end'.
Almost no researcher would turn their gaze towards the lowest strata of the populace.
Therefore, before Kyoya appeared, the people in the Rukongai lived even more bitterly than people in the Living World.
"Hey, hey..."
"Huh?"
Hitsugaya, immersed in his thoughts, looked at the black-haired girl beside him with a puzzled expression.
"You are?"
"Good grief, I called you several times, didn't you hear?"
Kurosaki Karin frowned, hands on her hips. "I remember, you came with cousin Kukaku."
"Why are you still outside so late at night?"
"Haven't you found a place to sleep?"
From what she heard today, Karin knew her so-called cousin Kukaku and these people came from the world after death to the Living World to fight those terrifying monsters.
But they had no base in the Living World, so they needed to find their own places to rest.
Karin saw Hitsugaya on the street during the day when he was wandering around.
Now, late at night, Hitsugaya was still wandering.
Hence, Karin had such suspicions.
"A place to sleep?"
Hitsugaya glanced at Karin and shook his head. "I don't need it."
"Why?"
Karin asked, puzzled. "If you don't rest properly, what if your condition is poor during battles?"
"Compared to fighting, I have more important matters."
Hitsugaya said.
"And my strength is decent. Against ordinary enemies, I can handle even without rest."
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Karin grew somewhat curious. "Are you stronger than cousin Kukaku?"
"How do you compare with Ichigo-nii?"
"Kukaku?"
Hitsugaya pondered slightly. Since Kukaku received the Zanpakuto granted by Kyoya, she seemed never to have released it.
But since it was a Zanpakuto granted by Kyoya, its ability surely couldn't be underestimated.
However, Hitsugaya had sufficient confidence in himself.
"I should be a bit stronger than Kukaku."
"As for comparing with Kurosaki Ichigo..."
Thinking of Ichigo, Hitsugaya shook his head.
If it was Ichigo when he invaded the Seireitei, Hitsugaya felt he could instantly defeat him.
If it was Ichigo from some time ago who had learned Bankai, Hitsugaya also felt he had a good chance of winning.
But meeting Ichigo this time, Hitsugaya detected Reiatsu on Ichigo no less than that of the 11th Division's Zaraki.
In fact, it might even surpass it.
Once, Hitsugaya was acknowledged as a genius.
But after meeting Ichigo, Hitsugaya no longer felt he was a genius.
In this regard, Hitsugaya also learned from Kyoya's occasional teasing that Ichigo seemed to have several very powerful fathers.
Bloodline father, Kurosaki Isshin, was the former Captain of the Gotei 13's 10th Division.
Hollow power father, White, was a Vasto Lorde-class Menos possessing Shinigami power.
Quincy power father, Yhwach, was the progenitor of the Quincies, emperor of the Wandenreich.
Fullbring power father, was the world's only 'god', the Soul King residing in the Soul King Palace.
The current Ichigo had already fully mastered his Hollow power, Shinigami power, and Quincy power.
"Kurosaki Ichigo is very strong."
"Those who can surpass him, in my view, are only two or three people."
"Huh? Ichigo-nii is that strong?"
Hearing Hitsugaya's words, Karin's heart felt a surge of joy.
Although Karin was still young, she knew that the stronger Ichigo was, the safer he would be during battles.
But at the same time, Karin worried. If there were two or three people stronger than Ichigo, what should he do if he encountered them?
"Don't worry."
As if reading Karin's thoughts, Hitsugaya said calmly, "Kyoya-sama thinks highly of Kurosaki Ichigo."
"If Kyoya-sama is there, your brother won't encounter any real danger."
"Kyoya-sama? Where is he now?"
Karin looked around but didn't see anyone with a demeanor similar to Hitsugaya.
"Idiot!"
Seeing Karin like this, several black lines appeared on Hitsugaya's forehead. "If enemies of that level required Kyoya-sama to personally intervene, then what would be the point of our existence?"
"Kyoya-sama should still be in the Soul Society right now."
"Tch, and you said Ichigo-nii isn't in danger..."
"He's not even in this world. How could he save Ichigo-nii if he encounters danger?"
"When lying, at least say something more believable?"
"How could someone like you comprehend Kyoya-sama's power?"
Hitsugaya gave Karin a sideways glance.
'This girl really wasn't cute.'
"Although Kyoya-sama isn't here, Kyoya-sama's ability is 'light'."
"Wherever light exists, Kyoya-sama's power can be transmitted at any time through light."
"What?"
Karin was shocked. "That Kyoya-sama, is he a god?"
"I don't know."
"But in my view, Kyoya-sama is no different from a god."
"Even, Kyoya-sama is more reliable than a god!"
This sentence was Hitsugaya's heartfelt words.
That 'god' resided high above, overlooking all living beings, yet remained indifferent to countless souls suffering undeserved hardships.
But Kyoya gradually changed the Rukongai, pulling it out from suffering, allowing the ordinary souls in the Rukongai to live better lives than they had in their previous lives.
Given the state of the Rukongai over twenty years ago, Hitsugaya didn't know how they had the nerve to say to souls in the Living World are suffering, that they were guiding them and go to the Soul Society to enjoy happiness.
Could it be because they knew souls guided to the Soul Society would lose their memories of the Living World, retaining only basic survival instincts, so they wouldn't see through the lie?
Before, Hitsugaya thought the Rukongai was good enough. But this trip to the Living World made him realize that the 'good' in his eyes might not even reach a passing grade in Kyoya's view.
But how to change it, Hitsugaya had no idea.
He couldn't understand.
"Tch..."
Karin pouted. "You say he's a god. If I call out to him now, will he answer?"
"Originally, I didn't intend to answer. But I think if I don't, you might believe Hitsugaya is lying."
After Karin's words fell, the streetlights beside them gathered, coalescing into Kyoya's image, appearing before Hitsugaya and Karin.
"Kyoya-sama!"
Seeing Kyoya's image, Hitsugaya quickly saluted.
"You, this, what is this?"
Karin stared at Kyoya's image ahead, shocked.
Karin had Reiatsu and could see 'souls'.
Ordinary souls had bodies fainter than ordinary people. Kyoya's current projection formed through light was similar to a spiritual body.
"Hello, young lady of the Kurosaki Family. I am Kyoya, whom Hitsugaya mentioned earlier, the one who can protect your brother from life-threatening danger."
"Now, you should believe I can do it, right?"
"This..."
Karin hesitated. "Your appearance is hard to believe..."
'Just a projection. Who knew what kind of strength it could exert?'
"Haha, although being separated by a world causes considerable weakening in the power I can transmit."
"But I think, if I wanted to take your brother away, probably no one could stop me."
"Pity there aren't any enemies here right now for me to demonstrate my power and boost your trust in Hitsugaya."
Kyoya was quite attentive towards Hitsugaya.
If Momo hadn't already become shaped by Aizen, Kyoya might have tried to match Hitsugaya and Momo.
Today, accidentally discovering Hitsugaya and Karin, Kyoya suddenly felt they seemed to have great couple potential.
Moreover, if Hitsugaya became the Revolutionary Army's Supreme Commander in the future, Karin might become his capable helpmate.
As the eldest daughter of the Kurosaki Family, Karin had a strong personality and considerable intelligence.
Although she could see spiritual bodies, she pretended not to, treating those souls making ridiculous actions in front of her as nothing.
And as someone living in the modern world, Karin surely had appropriate understanding of how to develop the Rukongai.
"Huh? Why must I gain this girl's trust?"
Hitsugaya widened his eyes, asking Kyoya.
"Hitsugaya, if you want to develop the Rukongai well, using the Living World as a reference is the most effective method."
"But after all, you grew up in the Soul Society. Your understanding of the living world surely can't compare to Kurosaki Karin, who grew up in the Living World."
"If you could invite young lady Kurosaki to the Rukongai, she would likely give you many practical suggestions."
"..."
"The Rukongai?"
"Is that where souls go after people die?"
Karin's eyes lit up. "Right, my mother died seven years ago. Is her soul also in the Rukongai?"
"I'm sorry, Kurosaki-san."
Kyoya shook his head. "Your mother was killed by a Hollow, her soul devoured. She did not enter the Soul Society..."
"How is that possible?"
Karin's face turned pale.
Although from Ichigo and her father's conversations, Karin learned the truth of her mother's death, hearing from Kyoya, this 'god', that her mother didn't even leave a soul behind was still a heavy blow.
"Kyoya-sama, can't even you save my mother?"
"If you mean resurrecting your mother's soul, I cannot."
"But in a period in the future, I indeed possess the ability to have your mother avoid that disaster..."