~ Next Bonus, 100!
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A few days passed in the blink of an eye. The decision was made: Rukia Kuchiki would be executed on Sōkyoku Hill.
'Kikōō.'
Shin thought of the giant, phoenix-shaped executioner, the unsealed form of the Sōkyoku, said to possess the destructive power of one million Zanpakutō. It was the Soul Society's ultimate tool for executing criminals.
Shin, however, was skeptical of its proclaimed power. In the original story, it had been destroyed by Shunsui Kyōraku, Jūshirō Ukitake, and a few vice-captains. Even Ichigo had been able to block it. This was why Shin had never bothered with this "ultimate weapon" during his time in the Soul Society.
"The Ryoka have invaded the Soul Society. It seems Ichigo and his group made it after all."
Though Shin was no longer a captain, he still had his sources. Soi Fon kept him informed of everything she knew.
'I wonder if Ichigo's rescue will be as smooth this time.'
Shin was curious to see if Ichigo could still successfully save Rukia, given all the changes.
The old man Yamamoto was taking the invasion seriously, even dispatching captains to deal with them. He was certainly overreacting.
"Aren't you going to Sōkyoku Hill? I thought you were going to save that little girl," Yoruichi asked Shin, watching him with a puzzled expression.
If he didn't act soon, Rukia would be taken to her execution. Was he just going to watch? Knowing Shin, that seemed unlikely. Since he had already expressed his intention to save her, he wouldn't just stand by.
"No rush. Let's just wait and see." Shin wasn't in a hurry at all.
Aizen hadn't even made his move yet. Why should he be in a rush? This time, Shin was just a spectator. At most, he would protect Rukia when the time came.
"Lord Shin, latest news—Captain Aizen was found dead in his barracks."
Momo Hinamori arrived at the 2nd Division barracks to report to Shin. She was now Shin's pawn for monitoring Aizen, though whether she could actually monitor him was another matter entirely.
'So that's how it is. It seems things are about to get interesting.'
A faint smile played on Shin's lips. He had been wondering when Aizen would make his move. Now that he had, Shin still wasn't in a hurry. He had plenty of patience.
"I feel like you're hiding something from me. What's the deal with Aizen?" Yoruichi asked Shin.
Originally, Yoruichi had paid little attention to Aizen, but because of Shin, she now had a feeling that the seemingly ordinary captain was not what he seemed.
Just then, Retsu Unohana suddenly arrived at the 2nd Division barracks.
"Shin, Aizen faked his death," Unohana said to him.
Aizen's body had been brought to the 4th Division barracks in the hopes that Unohana could determine the cause of death. But the body that was brought to her wasn't Aizen at all—it was his Zanpakutō.
Under the complete hypnosis of Kyōka Suigetsu, even Unohana had found it difficult to see through the illusion. In the original story, she had only noticed that something was off. But now, with her strength far greater than in the original, she had discovered Aizen's deception.
Remembering Shin's interest in Aizen, she hadn't reported it to Captain-Commander Yamamoto. Instead, she had come to tell Shin.
"Faked his death?"
Yoruichi's face was filled with suspicion. Could Aizen really fake his death right under everyone's noses? And for what purpose? Her instincts told her Aizen's ambitions were immense.
Her gaze then shifted to Shin. It was obvious he knew what Aizen was planning, but she didn't press him for details. She knew that even if she asked, he probably wouldn't tell her. In that case, it was better not to ask.
"It's fine. As long as you know."
Shin didn't say much more. It was good that Unohana and the others knew Aizen had faked his death. At least they would be on guard. Of course, even with their guard up, there was little they could do against Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu.
Unohana and the others didn't reveal Aizen's faked death, and the news of his "murder" caused a great stir in the Soul Society. The blame was placed on the Ryoka. No one would suspect it was an inside job.
Aizen had faked his death to use Ichigo and the others to throw the entire Seireitei into chaos, allowing him to break into the Great Spirit Book Gallery and research the creation of the Ōken.
Clearly, the current Aizen didn't have the power to conquer the Soul King Palace. Even reaching it required the Ōken. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths.
Aizen's faked death brought a lot of trouble for Ichigo and his group, who were now shouldering the blame. But they wouldn't have to bear it for long. Aizen himself would soon reveal his true colors. From the very beginning, he had never intended to hide forever.
In fact, if Unohana announced that Aizen wasn't dead, his cover would probably be blown. But it was also possible that no one would believe her. After all, Aizen's "body" was lying right there for everyone to see. Though the body was a fake, besides Shin, no one could tell just by looking. Even Unohana had only discovered the truth upon examining the cause of death.
In the blink of an eye, the day of Rukia's execution arrived. Shin couldn't just sit back and watch anymore. This whole affair was about to reach its conclusion, and Aizen was about to defect to Hueco Mundo.
"Are you still not going to act?"
Yoruichi whispered in Shin's ear.
"You seem to really want to see me in action," Shin said, looking at Yoruichi with surprise.
"Yes, I do. It would make things in the Soul Society much more interesting. It's been a long time since anything exciting has happened." Yoruichi had a look of someone who was just here for the show.
"Lord Shin, when the time comes, I will stand with you," Soi Fon said to Shin with determination.
"Thank you for your decision, Soi Fon. But there's no need to worry. A good show is about to start, but I won't be the main character."
The main character of this show was Aizen. Shin had no interest in stealing the spotlight. After all, he still needed Aizen to be his workhorse.
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