"A test subject?"
Mayuri Kurotsuchi's words made Akane Shizuku's expression change slightly.
After a moment, realizing there was a clear ambiguity in his words, Mayuri Kurotsuchi added, "My apologies, a slip of the tongue. It's to cooperate with our experiments… Captain Tsugikuni, please don't look at me like that."
"You also know the situation of my Twelfth Division; it's easy to accidentally treat her as experimental material."
"..."
Yoriichi merely frowned slightly, not paying much attention to Mayuri Kurotsuchi's explanation, but instead asked directly, "A soul candy?"
Mayuri Kurotsuchi immediately gave a quick explanation of such existences. The soul candy was something they had found in ancient texts.
From ancient times to the present, although other soul candys existed, most of them had never been discovered by Shinigami.
Because they had no physical form, once they disappeared, anyone who had seen them would have their memories related to the soul candy erased.
This situation was truly tricky; if one didn't remember the soul candy, even if its existence was recorded on paper, later generations might not take it seriously.
It was only this time that the soul candy was caught by Yoriichi and showed an abnormal identity.
Otherwise, those related records would have remained shelved for at least several hundred or even a thousand more years.
"Is that so?" Now that Akane Shizuku's identity was known, everything became clear.
Yoriichi slowly stepped forward and unfastened the cold, heavy sealed stone handcuffs from Akane Shizuku's hands.
Akane Shizuku then came to her senses, her expression slightly flustered, and asked, "So... I'm not a Shinigami?"
"I'm... a mass of memories?"
To be honest, the impact was too great; she found it difficult to accept.
It was like suddenly discovering one day that you were actually a piece of data... and this data was something discarded by others...
All her past, all her self-awareness, instantly became precarious.
When faced with such a situation, a normal person's first reaction is often confusion.
Then, they either sink into oblivion, entertaining themselves to death; or they end their own lives, since everything has lost its meaning anyway.
After all, as data, there would come a day when she would silently disappear into this vast world, leaving no trace.
The air grew heavy as the truth emerged.
Just then, Mayuri Kurotsuchi clicked his tongue, breaking the suffocating silence, and he casually said,
"Memories? No, not such an ethereal thing."
"You are an aggregate of countless consciousnesses, countless soul fragments."
"Similar to an Adjuchas evolving from a Gillians."
"Essentially, it is indeed memory, but without soul support, you wouldn't be able to possess a body."
"Biologically, you are still a Shinigami."
"So... Ms. soul candy, come participate in our experiments; we need your power."
"We are quite interested in your ability to quickly filter out relevant combat techniques from so many complex memories and thoroughly master them."
This was similar to an empowerment; if this situation could be replicated, a small piece of soul could be artificially created, and corresponding memories could be fabricated and bestowed upon a Shinigami.
In this way, Shinigami would directly possess all the abilities mastered by that artificial soul.
Becoming a Seat Officer in one year and a Captain in three years would no longer be a dream... Of course, this only refers to combat techniques.
But even if it was just combat techniques, it would still be a remarkable achievement.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi seemed to have already seen that brilliant future, only lacking... the cooperation of the soul candy.
Akane Shizuku did not respond to Mayuri Kurotsuchi's words; her mood was extremely low.
No matter how Mayuri Kurotsuchi explained it, it couldn't change the cruel fact that she was a mass of memories...
No wonder she was born knowing how to fight, no wonder she was quite skilled at some techniques even without having learned them... It turned out they were all someone else's things.
Yoriichi looked at Akane Shizuku's increasingly dejected appearance and lightly coughed twice, breaking the oppressive atmosphere:
"Mayuri, no need to say more. Whether to participate in the experiment must be her own decision."
"Moreover, although she is a soul candy, she also has her own name."
"I think, therefore I am. As long as you believe you are unique, what does it matter what you are made of?"
"After all, even a Shinigami is made of a pile of reishi."
"There's not much difference from memory."
Mayuri Kurotsuchi's smile stiffened upon hearing Yoriichi's words.
He always spoke his mind, and his intentions were unconcealed.
Precisely because of this, he had long been prepared.
He knew that once his words were spoken, Akane Shizuku would likely fall into confusion, and then she would search for the meaning of her own existence.
At that time,
As long as he said that the Twelfth Division could give her the meaning of existence, he believed Akane Shizuku would directly join the Twelfth Division.
For this moment, he had even prepared the research topic, just waiting for Akane Shizuku to nod in agreement.
But...
Yoriichi Tsugikuni's simple sentence directly gave Akane Shizuku the meaning of existence, instantly pulling her out of the abyss of confusion.
All his previous calculations and small plans had now become useless.
One could clearly see Akane Shizuku's eyes brightening little by little.
As if she had figured something out, Akane Shizuku slowly raised her eyes, with a hint of gratitude and relief, and thanked Yoriichi Tsugikuni deeply:
"You are right, Captain Tsugikuni, I was being stubborn. I am not a soul candy; I have a name. My name is Akane Shizuku."
"No matter who I am, I am who I am now. I apologize, Mr. Painted Face, I don't want to cooperate with your experiment."
"Although you might indeed need my power, your words make me very uncomfortable. Are you a Captain?"
Mayuri Kurotsuchi was not a Captain, so his words could only represent himself, not the entire Twelfth Division.
Seeing his silence, Akane Shizuku became even more certain of her thoughts: "You're not a Captain, are you...?"
"I knew it. Even though my memories are vague, I know that Captains are a very good group of people."
"Let your Captain talk to me instead."
At these words, Mayuri Kurotsuchi's expression changed, and he couldn't help but grit his teeth.
Damn it... A chance for widespread fame, lost simply because he wasn't a Captain.
He could already imagine Kisuke Urahara's expression upon hearing this...
What did this little girl's words mean? Was she saying he wasn't worthy of being a Captain?
How infuriating.
After speaking, she seemed not to notice Mayuri Kurotsuchi's grim expression and indignant mood at the moment.
Akane Shizuku turned her eyes towards Yoriichi Tsugikuni and tentatively asked,
"Captain Tsugikuni, I wonder if I can stay here for a while?"
"Or, sending me to the Human World would also work. As the saying goes, the most dangerous place is the safest place..."
"Why are those people trying to catch me?"
Yoriichi looked at the documents Mayuri Kurotsuchi had sent, pondered for a moment, and then explained roughly.
The Ryūdōji Clan? Never heard of them, not sure if they're related to Aizen...
I'll have to investigate the Dangai later.
If there is a connection,
I'll catch them early to prevent them from affecting the Three Realms.
...
Hueco Mundo.
Aizen's plan failed once again due to the stupidity of his subordinates; both the soul candy and he were taken to the Soul Society by Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
Are those guys all useless? Why is there not a single one who can be used?
That Menos Grande was fine; at least it caught the soul candy. If Yoriichi Tsugikuni hadn't appeared immediately afterward, the plan would have been completed long ago.
But why did Yoriichi Tsugikuni appear?
After reviewing the entire process, Aizen discovered that it was caused by the Dark Clan.
Their reiatsu alerted the Soul Society to an anomaly, turning them into a signpost, and a group of people were held up by the Quincy...
If not for this, the operation should have been foolproof.
At the same time, even if Yoriichi Tsugikuni appeared, he wouldn't have been able to affect this plan.
Because by then, the Menos Grande would have already left with the soul candy...
"..."
Thinking of this, Aizen took a slight breath, lowered his eyelids, and was somewhat annoyed.
Even he, who had been composed for hundreds of years,
had an impulse to smash a cup at this moment. He finally understood what it meant to have a team of incompetent allies.
He had told them to act discreetly...
Was almost slapping a Quincy to death considered discreet?
If they had the ability to slap her to death, why didn't they just take Akane Shizuku away directly?
Just to show off their power?
Truly... a group of people who mess things up more than they accomplish.
He would have to go himself!
...
Of course, although he had decided to act, Aizen had not yet finalized the specific implementation of the plan.
Kyōka Suigetsu might be able to fully hypnotize the Shinigami who discovered him, but this ability had no effect on machines.
The current situation was truly quite tricky.
Aizen thought it over and decided it would be best to let Ryūdōji Genryū test the waters first.
As long as he didn't encounter Yoriichi Tsugikuni, with Ryūdōji Genryū's strength, which was almost at the peak of Shinigami, he would probably be able to escape smoothly even if he encountered Yamamoto Genryusai...
Hmm, probably...
...
Soul Society.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni stood quietly outside his house and gently said to Akane Shizuku,
"You can stay here for now."
"Regarding your identity and subsequent arrangements, we still need to discuss further."
"You also know that this soul candy is quite special."
"Although it now exists as Akane Shizuku, its essence cannot be ignored in the slightest.
All previous soul candys without exception disappeared completely, and all memories related to them were thoroughly erased."
"If we cannot ascertain the reason for their disappearance..."
"Akane Shizuku, you should understand what kind of situation you will face, right?"
Akane Shizuku pursed her lips and fell into deep silence.
The evening breeze drifted gently, and the cold air made the surrounding atmosphere somewhat dead.
She exhaled heavily, raised her eyes, looked directly at Yoriichi Tsugikuni, and responded with a resolute tone,
"I understand, but I will not give up."
"No matter if the final outcome awaiting me is to disappear from this world, or something else, I just want to live each day to the fullest."
"Captain Tsugikuni, you are truly bothering yourself. I will follow your advice and write my diary every day."
"Also, to protect me, you're letting me stay in your home..."
"Your wife shouldn't mind, right?"
As soon as she finished speaking, with a "creak," the large gate of the Tsugikuni house behind them slowly opened.
Uta Tsugikuni, having received the news beforehand, stepped out.
She had heard Akane Shizuku's words, and a smile of complete indifference immediately appeared on her face.
That smile was as warm as the spring sun, instantly dispelling some of the surrounding chill: "It's fine."
She said gently to Akane Shizuku, "You must be the homeless child Yoriichi mentioned."
"Nice to meet you. I am Yoriichi's wife, Uta Tsugikuni."
"You can just call me Uta."
Akane Shizuku turned her head, and what met her eyes was a beautiful and gentle woman.
Seeing this, Akane Shizuku quickly bowed slightly, politely yet with a hint of restraint, and said,
"Hello, Uta. Nice to meet you. My name is Akane Shizuku. Please take care of me from now on."
"Captain Tsugikuni, is this your wife? She's really beautiful."
Anyone would feel happy upon hearing compliments, and Uta Tsugikuni was no exception.
This was not only because she could help the child in front of her,
but also because the child was sweet-mouthed and articulate...
Perhaps the feeling between people is just like this, varying from person to person.
And so, the two chatted back and forth.
The relaxed and pleasant atmosphere gradually dispelled some of the dark clouds that had been covering Akane Shizuku's heart.
It also eased Akane Shizuku's mood considerably.
Yoriichi quietly watched the two walk into the courtyard, a hint of helplessness in his slightly flickering eyes.
The soul candy has no concept of age, but Akane Shizuku does.
In her memory, as the main consciousness of Akane Shizuku, she was only about a dozen years old.
In the Human World, she was roughly the age of a high school student.
Outgoing, lively, and talkative.
Because of this, she and Uta probably had many common topics.
With her around, Uta's life should become more colorful.
After all, Rukia and Hisana are both quite steady, and when he's not around, it's hard for Uta to find someone to chat with…
A hint of relief welled up from the bottom of his heart, and after realizing this, Yoriichi's expression relaxed a little.
Then, considering that there were still many matters to deal with, Yoriichi pondered for a moment where he stood before turning and leaving the place.
He needed to go to the Dangai, handle things as soon as possible, so he could return to accompany Uta sooner.
He only wanted to live a peaceful life, but things kept coming one after another…
Is this what the Monk said earlier, a series of chain reactions triggered by changing the future?
No wonder he only wanted to follow the path of the future foreseen by the Soul King…
Variables are indeed troublesome.
…
Dangai.
Ryūdōji Genryū was extremely displeased, especially after hearing Aizen's tone and the faint reproach, which made him even more so.
This wasn't his fault; it was that group of clansmen who were too incompetent. What did it have to do with him?
He had thought it would be easy to obtain, but he didn't expect to be messed up by the Quincy and the Shinigami…
How did these two races get involved together?
He couldn't understand.
His mind was still stuck in the time a thousand years ago when Shinigami and Quincy were locked in a death feud.
Thump, thump, thump…
Hollow footsteps echoed continuously around him.
Ryūdōji Genryū walked through the Dangai with downcast eyes and a solemn expression.
The vastly different flow of time here compared to the Soul Society gave him more time to ponder carefully.
How to reclaim the soul candy from those Shinigami… This was indeed quite tricky.
Forcibly breaking in was clearly not an option.
Although his strength had been enhanced by the Hōgyoku and was at the peak of Shinigami power.
Recalling the formidable power of Yamamoto Genryusai a thousand years ago, he still shivered involuntarily.
Once bitten, twice shy; no one wanted to be burned to death by the sun.
Before meeting Aizen, he was already a very cautious person.
Even if there was a plan to destroy the Soul Society, he had arranged it for a hundred years later.
Because the further into the future, the older Yamamoto Genryusai would become, and his strength would decrease.
At the same time.
After some veteran captains passed away or retired, the newly appointed captains, due to lack of experience, would certainly not be as strong as their predecessors.
This way, his plan would have a greater chance of success.
He never expected that after Aizen appeared, everything changed.
"Damn it…" Thinking of this, he couldn't help but curse in a low voice, "If I had known this, I would have gone myself."
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.
"That guy talks a good game, but in reality, he still treats us as pawns. Now that the soul candy is lost…"
"Even if it's not in Yamamoto Genryusai's hands, it must be in the hands of other veteran captains."
"Sending me to scout… Is he trying to make our Tsugikuni clan a scapegoat?"
With his intelligence, he could only think of this.
Yamamoto Genryusai knew him.
Once Ryūdōji Genryū appeared.
All the previous events would naturally be shifted onto them.
Thereafter, even if he managed to survive by chance, the Tsugikuni clan living in the Dangai would be fully suppressed by the Soul Society…
It could be said that Aizen was using their exposed position as a price to divert attention and buy time.
Ryūdōji Genryū was filled with dissatisfaction and resentment, but he had no choice.
After all, even if the Soul Society didn't act, Aizen alone could wipe out their Tsugikuni clan.
Obeying Aizen's orders at least offered a glimmer of hope for survival.
But if he resisted Aizen…
He wasn't stupid, just not highly intelligent. He could still tell whether to choose slow death or immediate death.
Step.
Just as Ryūdōji Genryū was deep in thought, footsteps suddenly sounded not far ahead.
The sound was very soft, yet clearly audible.
In this quiet environment, it was as sudden as a clap of thunder, making him suddenly snap back to reality…
He widened his eyes slightly.
What's going on?
This was the depths of the Dangai!
Normal Shinigami generally wouldn't come here because they usually choose safer areas for missions…
And now…
Damn it…
Has someone noticed something amiss?
His mood instantly became tense.
…
…
Yoriichi walked through the Dangai.
Since the Tsugikuni clan had been expelled from the Soul Society for a thousand years.
Therefore, even the Soul Society did not know their current location.
Considering that they might be connected to Aizen, Yoriichi could only resort to the simplest and most direct method of slowly searching.
Fortunately, the flow of time here was two thousand times slower than in the Soul Society.
Staying here for two thousand seconds meant only one second had passed in the outside world.
Even if he searched here for a week, it would only be a few minutes in the outside world.
So, he had plenty of time.
After an unknown amount of time, Yoriichi suddenly faintly heard footsteps.
When he stopped, the footsteps also stopped.
Although he didn't know who was making the footsteps, Yoriichi instantly vanished from his spot and flashed towards the direction of the sound.
The entire process took only one second.
And at this moment.
It was when Ryūdōji Genryū's thoughts had just settled.
Thus.
Yoriichi saw a man in black.
"…"
There was something Yoriichi had wanted to ask for a long time: why do villains like to disguise themselves as villains?
With this appearance, even if Yamamoto Genryusai pointed at his nose and said he was a good person, Yoriichi would never believe it.
You know, even Kibutsuji Muzan had several human aliases.
Aizen, of course, goes without saying.
His image as a good old man was maintained in front of everyone for over a hundred years, always deceiving everyone…
Yoriichi's gaze slowly swept over Ryūdōji Genryū.
Although the black robe completely covered his body, Yoriichi couldn't clearly see his exact appearance beneath the robe.
But relying on his many years of experience and keen intuition, the identity of the person could already be clearly recognized in his mind.
"You…"
Ryūdōji Genryū did not recognize Yoriichi Tsugikuni. At first, seeing an unfamiliar and young face, he couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
In his opinion, youth equated to weakness.
Precisely because of this, he was about to open his mouth to ask who the other person was, so he could quickly state that he was just passing by.
He never expected.
Swish.
He had barely uttered a word when Yoriichi had already drawn his sword in response.
As if declaring.
—Execution, immediate!
…
In an instant, clang, clang, clang!
A dense and crisp sound of metal clashing suddenly erupted in the silent Dangai.
The sound echoed continuously like surging waves, reverberating through this dark space.
Ryūdōji Genryū manipulated the surrounding reishi to defend himself, but he was incredibly frustrated.
He looked at Yoriichi Tsugikuni, who sometimes flashed and disappeared before his eyes, a feeling of depression mixed with a mountain-like heavy pressure, making him almost unable to breathe.
Damn it, is this kid a monster?
You know, their bodies had been transformed by the Dangai, becoming completely different from Shinigami.
They could freely manipulate the matter in the Dangai to launch attacks and defenses.
Even without a Zanpakuto, they could condense reishi into blades to attack their opponents.
Under normal circumstances, Shinigami of the same rank were simply no match for them.
Especially in the Dangai.
In the story, relying on this ability, Ryūdōji Genryū even once beat Kurosaki ichigo in his Bankai state, leaving him utterly defenseless.
What's more, after evolving with the Hōgyoku, his strength had become even more formidable, reaching a new level.
The result…
How was he the one getting thrashed in return?
Is this normal?
Also… you don't even ask who I am, aren't you afraid of hitting the wrong person?
Yoriichi truly wasn't afraid, because among the Three Realms, the Shinigami who could fight him were few and far between.
If he killed them in one blow, even if he later discovered he attacked the wrong target, since he didn't kill the opponent, there was still room for redemption.
And if they weren't killed in one blow by him, possessing the strength to fight him.
Then, was there any need to guess their origin?
It was obvious.
It must be related to Aizen, and they must have come into contact with the Hōgyoku…
After all, not everyone could reach the peak of Shinigami power by their own strength like Yamamoto Genryusai.
Ryūdōji Genryū was filled with frustration. He wanted to explain, but Yoriichi simply didn't give him the chance.
At this moment, Yoriichi only wanted to complete this task as quickly as possible, defeat this person who was likely connected to Aizen, and then take him back to the Soul Society for interrogation.
He also wanted to return to Uta's side as soon as possible.
Efficiency was the most important thing, whether during his human period or now.
Thus, under Yoriichi's relentless and continuous assault, like a torrential downpour, Ryūdōji Genryū was beaten dizzy and completely lost his ability to resist.
Bang!
With a dull thud, he was fiercely cut into the Dangai's torrent by Yoriichi's sharp blade.
The purple torrent instantly erupted with a massive suction force, transforming into invisible large hands that tightly pulled Ryūdōji Genryū, making it difficult for him to break free even with all his might.
At this time, the mask on Ryūdōji Genryū's face had long since disappeared during the intense battle, revealing a slightly ferocious face.
Blood also overflowed from the corner of his mouth, slowly dripping down his chin, clearly indicating severe internal injuries.
The torrent still tightly entangled him, and Ryūdōji Genryū struggled madly:
"Brat, I refuse to accept this! If you have the guts, wait until I recover to my best state! Where in this world is there a reason to fight the moment we meet?!"
"Do you know me?"
Yoriichi indeed didn't know him, because the head of the Tsugikuni Clan clan a thousand years ago was not Ryūdōji Genryū.
But…
"No need to know you. You're a member of the Tsugikuni Clan clan, right?"
Yoriichi said, while unhurriedly sizing him up and down, his tone as calm as ever,
"I regret to inform you, you have been arrested."
"Whatever you have to say, save it for the Forty-Six Chambers. See if they're willing to believe your explanation…"
"Hiding in the Dangai, acting so furtively…"
It was still the same point: anyone with decent eyesight wouldn't believe he was a good person.
Even the group of "assassins" from the Second Division looked much more upright than him.
"Cough…"
Ryūdōji Genryū coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of blood, unsure if it was from anger or from being beaten.
His identity being recognized was one thing, but what was wrong with his clothes?
He felt there was nothing wrong with wearing all black; after all, he had dressed that way a thousand years ago, symbolizing patience…
He never expected…
"Bastard!"
Ryūdōji Genryū's eyes were bloodshot, his fists clenched, as he cursed through gritted teeth.
At this moment, his anger wasn't just because he had been captured by a Shinigami, nor was it because he had been easily crushed and defeated by a Shinigami.
He mainly felt that he had been tricked by Aizen.
That guy only told him to retrieve the soul candy, but he never mentioned that Soul Society had such a powerful younger generation.
Although it might not have been useful even if he had said it, he could have…
Begged for mercy.
Maybe Yoriichi would have softened his heart and not attacked.
But now, not only did he get beaten for no reason, but he also lost his freedom…
Damn it, Aizen really deserved to be cut into a thousand pieces…
Ryūdōji Genryū fell into deep despair.
Even now, he still didn't know Aizen's true name…
…
…
Ninth Division.
"The person has been captured, it took five minutes."
"Although there are still members of the Ryūdōji Clan in the Dangai, with him, we should be able to find out their clan's location."
"Karakura, it's up to you. Make sure to get this information out of him."
"No problem, Boss!" Zaraki Kenpachi lifted his head, a ferocious grin spreading across his face.
He looked at Ryūdōji Genryū, who lay weakly on the ground, entangled by spiritual restraints, and extremely frail.
The bloodthirsty desire hidden deep within his heart couldn't help but emerge.
"What do you want to do?" Ryūdōji Genryū saw Zaraki Kenpachi's expression and shuddered violently. He said, putting on a brave front, but inwardly fearful,
"I'm warning you, I was once a high-ranking noble in Soul Society."
"Although I was expelled, my connections are not something you ordinary Shinigami can compare to! If you know what's good for you, let me go quickly!"
"High-ranking noble?" These words piqued Zaraki Kenpachi's interest slightly.
He looked at Ryūdōji Genryū with a hint of amusement:
"Very noble?"
"What?"
What kind of ridiculous question was this? It wasn't about being noble or not, it was…
"Hey." Seeing Ryūdōji Genryū fall into a brief thought, Zaraki Kenpachi interrupted, "Are you very noble?"
"Noble, of course noble!" Ryūdōji Genryū snapped out of his daze and quickly replied.
"Noble, huh…"
Zaraki Kenpachi's ferocious grin became even more pronounced. He suddenly drew the Zanpakuto from his waist.
Swish!
"Noble is good. I've never cut a high-ranking noble before!"
"Boss, as long as I don't kill him, any method is fine, right?!"
"Kid, you're in luck. My name is Zaraki Kenpachi, remember my name!"
"Barring any accidents, from today on, you will remember it for the rest of your life!"
"You're welcome to seek revenge anytime!"
…
Ryūdōji Genryū's mental state had already collapsed.
Zaraki… Kenpachi?
How the hell is a Kenpachi in the Ninth Division?
And.
You've never cut a high-ranking noble before… That proud tone, anyone who didn't know would think high-ranking nobles were just ordinary people!
Was this something to be proud of?
Although he was born when the Gotei 13 had just been established.
At that time, he was still young and didn't have much of a deep impression of the title of Kenpachi.
But his grandfather had once solemnly told him about the past events of Soul Society.
Those stories were like etched into his mind, and now they were flashing through his mind scene by scene.
"Lunatics, they're all lunatics."
Ryūdōji Genryū's lips trembled more and more, and his face visibly lost its color.
Tiny beads of sweat gradually seeped from his forehead, sliding down his cheeks, yet he was completely unaware.
The chaotic thoughts spread wildly in his mind, already allowing him to imagine the miserable situation he was about to face.
He couldn't help but shout loudly:
"You can't do this to me! It's just information, I'll give it to you!"
"It was that damned bastard who told me to come and steal the soul candy!"
The word "steal" immediately caught Yoriichi's attention. He gestured, temporarily stopping Zaraki Kenpachi's movements, and asked:
"Who is that damned bastard? Is it Aizen?"
"Aizen? No, I don't know who he is. He never told me his name. We only know him as King."
King, meaning monarch or ruler, the meaning was very clear.
Yoriichi pondered for a moment, then asked:
"Then, was your strength, which is close to a Shinigami's limit, also given to you by him?"
"Shinigami's limit?" This phrase made Ryūdōji Genryū's eyes widen suddenly. At this moment, his mind was full of questions.
For example, if he had already reached a Shinigami's limit, why was he still so easily defeated?
However, seeing Zaraki Kenpachi's restless, eager expression beside him.
He ultimately swallowed these questions, not daring to ask another word, and replied in a humble tone:
"Something like that. A few days ago, he suddenly found us and said he wanted to help us reclaim Soul Society."
"We asked him where he got the confidence, and he took out a nearly spherical gem."
"We didn't know what it was, but that thing could give us power, allowing each of us to have stronger abilities than before."
"It's just that because we've been away from the Three Realms for too long, without a reference for power comparison, we also don't know to what extent our power had increased at that time."
"After all, we were all crushed by King."
Recalling the situation at the time, Ryūdōji Genryū felt a bit indignant. Despite having such powerful strength, he still made them act as vanguards…
Is this a King? A slave-driving King, more like!
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and continued:
"Forget it, there's no point in talking about this now, since I've already been captured."
"Whatever else you want to know, I will tell you everything, as long as you don't let that big guy get close to me."
"I surrender, I give up, we were also the ones being used…"
…
After some time, Ryūdōji Genryū had confessed everything he knew.
Yoriichi also roughly understood the events he had experienced through this narration.
In short, Aizen was short on military strength and attempted to approach from other angles, seeking absolute safety by threatening Soul Society.
While the soul candy's destruction of the Three Realms would take time, under normal circumstances, destroying key nodes would completely dismantle the plan.
However, this was just the conventional approach.
If there was a conventional approach, there were naturally extreme circumstances, and Ryūdōji Genryū was not a scholar, so he naturally wouldn't think of this point.
Aizen was different.
According to Ryūdōji Genryū's account.
Aizen probably possessed a method to destroy the Three Realms using the soul candy in a short period, which was why he was so focused on the soul candy.
Thus, the matter became clear.
As long as the soul candy was protected, Aizen's scheme would never succeed.
Because in a short period, only one soul candy would appear in the Three Realms.
If Aizen wanted to obtain it, he could only confront Yoriichi directly, and Yoriichi feared nothing more than a head-on clash.
His main concern was Aizen fleeing without regard for his reputation, thereby endangering the Three Realms.
It was important to know that Hell could not revive beings below third-grade spiritual pressure.
Yoriichi gently exhaled, instructed Zaraki Kenpachi to keep a close watch on Ryūdōji Genryū, and then stood up and left the Ninth Division.
After he informed Yamamoto Genryusai about this matter, Yamamoto Genryusai immediately declared that the importance of the soul candy would be elevated to Shudora-level starting that day.
The Shudora-level mentioned here was different from the Shudora Alert System within Soul Society; it was merely a measure of an individual's danger level.
But it still showed Yamamoto Genryusai's emphasis on the soul candy.
Akane Shizuku was unaware of this, but it was for the best. Setting aside her identity as a soul candy, she was merely a teenage high school student and part-time Shinigami.
Because of this matter, the Twelfth Division launched an urgent investigation.
They mobilized their limited remaining personnel to begin exploring how to prevent the soul candy from disappearing.
It was important to know that once a soul candy disappeared, the next one would immediately condense.
When it would emerge was difficult to determine.
It could be a few years, or more than ten years, but if it was just a few days… even if the probability was extremely small, there was still a risk of it being seized by Aizen.
Moreover, even without Aizen, in the future, Soul Society could not guarantee that other ambitious individuals would not appear, so this risk had to be completely eradicated.
Of course, during the process of conducting these studies, Kisuke Urahara also did not forget to develop a device that could interrupt the appearance of the Black Cavity.
Two days later.
When Kisuke Urahara arrived with the first device, Yoriichi knew that resolving Aizen would happen today.
…
…
Tsugikuni Clan Clan.
"Besides Hueco Mundo, Aizen also has a base in the Dangai?"
Kisuke Urahara listened to Yoriichi's explanation, his brows slightly furrowed.
However, immediately after, as if he remembered something, his brow smoothed out.
"That's fine. If he's in the Dangai, then there's truly no escape. He'll be trapped."
"That place isn't boundless like Hueco Mundo. Besides, according to what you said, that so-called base is just a temporary stronghold found by the Ryūdōji Clan."
"There's always a risk of it being destroyed, because the space in the Dangai is quite fragile."
"If he wants to fight you, it can only be within the Three Realms. Carry this with you; it can seal all surrounding space in any world."
"He won't be able to open a Black Cavity again, and those Menos Grande won't be able to tear through space and use Negación to take him away."
"Thus, you can drag him into Hell."
Developing something to seal space wasn't difficult, just relatively complex.
Just like Aizen in the story.
Only one year after his betrayal, he developed the Negación of the Traitor, which could permanently seal others in a different dimension.
If he had possessed this before his betrayal.
A group of Captains would have fallen victim.
Yoriichi listened to Kisuke Urahara's explanation, already understanding what he needed to do next.
Of course, before that, he had to properly settle Akane Shizuku, to prevent Aizen from using Kyōka Suigetsu to launch a sneak attack on their home.
One cannot overestimate a person's bottom line, especially after they have lost hope.
While Yoriichi Tsugikuni and Kisuke Urahara were discussing, Uta Tsugikuni watched quietly from the side.
She suddenly felt that this was probably Yoriichi's last busy period.
According to Yoruichi's description… hope might appear soon…
She gently rubbed her lower abdomen, a hint of maternal affection flashing in her eyes. Her gaze seemed to be longing for a beautiful future, and also silently praying for Yoriichi.
…
…
At the same time, in the Dangai, Aizen looked back at the Arrancar Menos Grande behind him and asked:
"Are you ready?"
The leading Arrancar Menos Grande immediately straightened his body, saluting him respectfully, and indicated:
"Lord Aizen, all Menos Grande in Las Noches have assembled."
"Including one Vasto Lorde and seven hundred and fifty-five Arrancar Adjuchas, none are absent."
"Please give your command!"