Ichimaru Gin was highly curious about what Aizen's current attitude might be, while Kōe was simply nervous.
His plan was to push Shiba Miyako forward as a fake vessel for the Hōgyoku, solely to use the Hōgyoku as leverage to save the Shiba couple. But if Aizen actually wanted to extract the Hōgyoku right now, it would be a complete disaster.
Therefore, he had to ensure Aizen remained curious about the Hōgyoku on one hand, while convincing him not to extract it immediately on the other. But was it even possible to achieve these two seemingly contradictory points at the same time?
This matter depended heavily on the timeline. If it were delayed by a few decades, when Aizen poured all his energy into searching for the Hōgyoku, no amount of silver-tongued persuasion from Kōe could stop Aizen from extracting it.
But right now, according to Kōe's deductions, Aizen's research into Shinigamification had likely just achieved a phased breakthrough. Aizen hadn't yet waved the white flag regarding the Hōgyoku; he was currently brimming with confidence.
In fact, during the fifty-two years since Urahara left Soul Society, if Aizen had truly wanted to seize the Hōgyoku, Rukia probably wouldn't have survived until Kurosaki Ichigo's birth.
Based on Kōe's speculation, Aizen had his own stubborn pride during this period. He simultaneously acknowledged Urahara in his heart while looking down on him. Thus, even knowing a completed Hōgyoku existed, he stubbornly continued his own research. Deep down, he probably believed that whatever Urahara could do, he could do as well—or even better.
Judging by the outcome, Aizen failed, ultimately choosing to rely on Urahara's results to achieve his ideals. Counting his entire life, there were only two instances where he was influenced by others. He wasn't an arrogant, stubborn fanatic, but he was an arrogant man, even if he never deliberately showed it.
But did Aizen's experiments truly fail in the end? Not necessarily. However, that was a matter for the future and had no immediate connection to Kōe's current goal.
To put it bluntly, what Kōe needed to do right now was ensure Aizen continued acting along his historical trajectory, even with the Hōgyoku seemingly dangled right in front of him.
If Aizen could just declare that he didn't care about some pre-made Hōgyoku and insisted on creating his own, that would truly be the best outcome. But hoping for that was just deceiving himself...
The ownership of the Hōgyoku seemed to be the only angle he could exploit. That is, he needed to reach a consensus with Aizen on *using* the Hōgyoku, but fail to agree on who would *keep* it. Both sides needed to exist in a delicate relationship of simultaneous cooperation and opposition; crossing the line even a little was unacceptable.
Therefore, when discussing the Hōgyoku, Kōe had to highlight Aizen's importance in every aspect, while simultaneously revealing his own intent to manage the Hōgyoku—a classic case of feigning cooperation while holding back.
At the same time, he had given the other party a reason that was almost insulting, yet entirely factual: agreeing to take the Hōgyoku now meant waving the white flag. This ensured Aizen wouldn't even have the interest to agree first and break the promise later.
But what if Aizen really did just agree on the surface first? It was hard to believe, but not impossible, so it had to be factored into his considerations.
That would absolutely be the worst-case scenario. He would likely have to abandon Shiba Miyako, or even forcibly take Kaien and defect from Soul Society together, hoping for a better future.
But wouldn't a Kaien like that be little more than a walking corpse? And when he eventually learned the whole truth, what kind of despair and breakdown would he suffer?
For someone like Kōe, simply saving a life or two wasn't difficult. But to save those lives along with their radiant character and happy existence was far more difficult than destroying it all—it almost felt impossible.
Nervousness? Or prayer? Kōe felt his current mood couldn't be described with a single word. As the mastermind behind this plan, he was naturally nervous, but as Kaien's friend, he wanted to pray—even beg—for everything to go smoothly. If begging worked, he absolutely wouldn't spare his own dignity.
Unlike Kōe, Aizen's heart was currently filled with regret—not for himself, but for Kōe Shihouin. "Why did you leave Soul Society back then, Mr. Shihouin?"
There wasn't a trace of anger, nor a hint of disappointment. Even the content of the question sounded completely unrelated to the matter at hand. Aizen's reaction was entirely outside of Kōe's expectations.
"To shake the existing boundaries. But what does that have to do with you, Captain Aizen?"
Before he could even finish the second half of his sentence, Aizen interrupted him, continuing to ask, "Have you touched it now? That boundary?"
"I'm still a bit short, but I can already see it. Captain Aizen should be the same, right? Therefore, the Hōgyoku is of utmost importance to both of us, isn't it?"
Offering neither confirmation nor denial, Aizen merely looked at Kōe with a calm expression, remaining silent. No one could hear the sigh echoing in his heart at this moment.
He had silently sighed for Urahara Kisuke, lamenting that someone with such extraordinary intellect was constrained by his own vision, making him appear narrow-minded and pedantic.
Compared to Urahara, Kōe Shihouin, who made no effort to hide his methods, could never be associated with the word 'pedantic'. He possessed talent far beyond ordinary men, along with a vision to match. He acted decisively, without dragging his feet. Perhaps in his own eyes, there had never been any blinding fog on his path forward.
But unfortunately, when this decisiveness lacked the support of pride, it became a fatal flaw known as an eagerness for quick success. This was a flaw Kōe Shihouin had never overcome from the very beginning.
It was just that, in Aizen's heart, he had always hoped Kōe didn't possess such a flaw, just as he wondered why Urahara would pedantically submit, leaving the magnificent scenery for him alone to admire.
*'Everyone has flaws, but such words shouldn't apply to them...'*
"Indeed, to both you and me, the Hōgyoku is of utmost importance..."
Kōe's heart tightened. *'Did I push too hard and end up playing the guiding mentor? It shouldn't be to this extent!'*
While he rapidly formulated countermeasures in his mind, Aizen slowly pulled a black orb, about a third the size of a fist, from his robes. "However, there isn't just one Hōgyoku, Mr. Shihouin."
Talk about a light at the end of the tunnel! Kōe really wanted to let out a long sigh of relief, but it wasn't the time yet. "Is this the thing causing Shinigamification? So Captain Aizen also calls it a Hōgyoku. But I imagine compared to the Hōgyoku Urahara created, it's merely a defective product, right?"
The moment Aizen brought out his own Hōgyoku, Shiba Miyako's life was essentially secured. But that didn't mean this conversation could end here. Kōe was very clear about his current positioning: he was someone who needed to borrow Aizen's power to obtain the Hōgyoku. He still had to put in the necessary effort.
So the phrase 'eager for quick success' had actually always been a misunderstanding by others, hadn't it?
"And is Urahara's Hōgyoku not a defective product?" Aizen said with a smile. "The Hollowfication of Hirako Shinji and the others hasn't been erased yet, has it?"
"Captain Aizen is very confident. It seems you don't intend to accept my proposal." Kōe spread his hands and shrugged. "A waste of time for both of us. What a pity."
"Unless Mr. Shihouin can extract the Hōgyoku right now, such words can hardly be called a proposal." Aizen shook his head and smiled again. "Therefore, why don't you let me make a viable proposal?"
"Oh?" Kōe extended a hand, indicating he was willing to listen. Aizen raised the Hōgyoku in his hand to Kōe's eye level and spoke slowly. "Just as Mr. Shihouin said, this Hōgyoku is still just a defective product. But at the same time, it possesses infinite potential, completely unlike Urahara's Hōgyoku, which has already stagnated."
"And so?" Kōe thought of a possibility. *'If it really comes to this...'*
"Your acute Reiatsu perception and astonishing Reiryoku manipulation are extremely valuable, even impossible to replicate," Aizen said, suddenly extending his right hand, speaking with utmost sincerity. "Come assist me, Kōe."
"We will soon cross the endpoint of this world and forge a brand new history!"
*'Aizen might actually invite me to cooperate? If that's really the case...'*
"Then I would be deeply honored..."