Chapter 278: Little Kisuke Is Meant to Be Eaten by the Captain~
"Ehehehehe!!"
"Kisuke, where do you think you're going?"
"Little Kisuke was born to be eaten by the captain!!"
Mid-air, Kisuke's face turned ashen as he fled for his life.
Behind him, a demon followed with gleeful laughter and terrifying pressure, closing in fast.
His fingers twitched slightly, preparing to covertly use Kidō to trip up the demon.
"Hadō Number Sixty-One, Rikujō…"
"Rikujōkōrō."
Bam bam bam bam!!!
Several light-construct panels materialized out of thin air and, to Kisuke's astonishment, tightly bound him.
Under the powerful restraint of Rikujōkōrō, Kisuke lost the ability to create Reishi footholds in mid-air and plummeted straight down.
BOOM!!!
Kisuke crashed headfirst into the ground from dozens of meters high, letting out a muffled groan.
As he tried to get up, Satoru dropped from above and sat right back on him.
Wham!!
"Ugh!"
Kisuke's eyes widened.
Satoru's landing hurt more than the fall itself.
"Hehehe!! Kisuke, run! Go on, run!"
"Let's see where you can escape to!"
Satoru sat astride Kisuke's stomach, arms crossed, chin raised, and a triumphant grin on his face.
From the shadows nearby, Aizen slowly emerged.
He was the one who had cast Rikujōkōrō from a distance.
Though he started a bit later than Kisuke, his technique was faster.
This was all thanks to his daily sparring sessions with Satoru.
That troublemaker had incredibly fast attack speed and his Rinbō clones would sneak attacks from time to time.
To use Kidō during a fight with Satoru, one had to be extremely quick.
Any delay, and he'd seize the opening and pummel you relentlessly.
Over time, his speed in using Kidō had reached a level unattainable for ordinary people.
Pinned down by Satoru with Aizen standing nearby, Kisuke knew he had fallen hard into their trap.
He sighed and closed his eyes.
"I'm prepared."
"Kill me."
"Hmph, do you think I wouldn't dare kill you?!"
Satoru snorted coldly, uttering the classic line of a villain... ahem, a righteous person.
Aizen glanced at him almost imperceptibly.
What, had this guy really changed, willing to kill Kisuke?
Then Satoru grinned, leaning down slightly to lock eyes with Kisuke at close range.
"But simply killing you won't satisfy my hatred."
"I heard Mayuri has developed a new invention—a half-mechanical, half-biological insect that can be implanted into a person's brain."
"The insect's tentacles and limbs will tightly intertwine with the brain, emitting special electrical signals to control their thoughts and actions."
"If I deliver a powerful Shinigami, already halfway to captain-level, as a test subject to him, he'd probably dance with joy~"
"What do you think?"
Kisuke widened his eyes, momentarily unable to tell if Satoru was serious or joking.
His lips trembled slightly: "S-Satoru-san, what grudge could there possibly be between us?"
Satoru scoffed: "Did you think I was completely unaware of you slacking off every day?"
"A project that should take one month gets dragged out for three."
"One that should take three months gets stretched to a full year!"
"I've recorded all these accounts in my little notebook, just waiting to settle them today!"
Hearing this, Kisuke was first shocked.
His boss was actually this petty!
Then the surprise faded.
What surprise? His boss being narrow-minded was just part of the natural order.
Coming back to his senses, he noticed Satoru holding a syringe, examining him carefully.
"Satoru-san, what are you doing?!"
Kisuke panicked.
Such a large needle—was he going to extract bone marrow?
Satoru gave him a strange look: "Administering anesthesia. It'll be easier to send you for experiments if you're unconscious."
"Who uses such a thick syringe for anesthesia?!"
"Sōsuke gave it to me."
Aizen, you bastard!!!!!!
While mentally roaring the name of that scheming strategist, Kisuke tried to stop Satoru:
"Satoru-san, is there any chance for reconciliation?"
"I've bled for the Technical Department!"
"If not for merit, at least consider my hard work!"
Hearing Kisuke's plea, Aizen narrowed his eyes.
What a pity.
If Kisuke had persisted with negotiation tactics, Satoru would probably have tormented him longer.
But now, with this act of cute begging for mercy, he'd likely be spared.
Sure enough, Satoru burst into laughter, then casually stuck the syringe into the ground nearby and stood up.
"Alright, enough teasing. Let's go."
"Sōsuke and I didn't come here in the middle of the night to ambush you just for fun."
Hearing this, Kisuke's expression turned serious.
He knew what Satoru intended to take him to do.
Next, he would be touching upon these two men's core secrets.
If he could understand their ideas and walk the same path, everyone would naturally be happy.
If one cannot accept it and insists on going against the tide, then this time... it won't be resolved by simply backing down.
Before long, the three arrived at Aizen's laboratory located at the edge of Rukongai.
Looking at the scene inside, Kisuke swallowed hard.
All high-end equipment... How much would each of these cost?
Even if he combined all the salary he had earned since becoming a Shinigami, he probably still couldn't afford a single one of them.
Thinking back, if it weren't for the Mikami Technical Bureau, he might have had to make do with a few handcrafted devices in his dormitory, forcing his research forward.
That kind of life, just thinking about it, was truly unbearable.
Watching Aizen casually fiddle with a few things and open a Garganta to Hueco Mundo, Kisuke felt envious once again.
If he could go to Hueco Mundo so easily, he would have captured a thousand Hollows for experiments long ago.
Stepping onto the silver desert, his initial unease gradually turned into anticipation.
If a laboratory in Rukongai was already this impressive, what would Las Noches be like?
Although, according to the records, the two of them had only occupied Las Noches for a few years, and the entire palace was still in a state of reconstruction, it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect it to be five times larger than the Rukongai laboratory and have twice as much equipment, right?
Damn it, tears of envy are about to drip from the corner of my mouth!
Over ten minutes later, the tears of envy turned into tears of blood.
Kisuke gritted his teeth tightly as he stared at the scene before him.
Here, in the depths of Las Noches, lay a secret laboratory housed within a certain tall tower.
The laboratory spanned nearly three thousand square meters, equipped with every conceivable device.
Numerous Arrancar clad in white lab coats bustled about the space.
Some recorded data, while others operated equipment.
Noticing Satoru and Aizen, several nearby Arrancar quickly approached.
"Lord Satoru! Lord Aizen!"
"Lord Aizen, please look—the fourth-phase Arrancar candidates have been screened and are ready for experimentation at any time!"
"The selection criteria this time were even stricter than last... As you instructed, we chose only powerful, strong-willed Menos Grande loyal to Lord Satoru!"
Hearing this, Aizen nodded with satisfaction.
"Have them prepare. I'll proceed with the procedure after finishing matters here."
The Arrancar researcher nodded without hesitation. "Understood, Lord Aizen!"
Watching the cheerfully departing Arrancar, Kisuke struggled to process the reality before him.
"If I'm not mistaken... that was a Hollow just now?"
"Correct. A member of the third-phase Arrancar. His memory was specially enhanced during the Arrancar Transformation, so he was assigned to research duties," Aizen explained, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Kisuke: "..."
Arrancar—as the name implied, were Hollows who had broken their masks.
In his view, any Hollow achieving this state represented premium experimental material. He'd gladly weep while clinging to someone's leg just to obtain one.
Yet here with Aizen and Satoru, they had so many they could assign them as clerical staff?
If this was their standard, how terrifying must their "Three Generals" and "Privaron Espada" be?
Ugh, kurushi!
Next, under Aizen's guidance, Kisuke toured the surgical ward, archives, and other departments.
Finally, he observed an Arrancar Transformation experiment.
Watching Aizen use the Hōgyoku to transform Menos Grande into Arrancar one after another, he barely restrained himself from begging to try it himself.
Eventually, the three gathered in a room.
"So, Kisuke, what do you think?" Satoru asked unabashedly, his pride evident.
He didn't fully understand the technical prowess of the Mikami Technical Bureau's Las Noches branch.
But judging by Aizen's previously unreserved satisfaction, he knew the standards must be exceptional.
Sure enough, though somewhat reluctant to admit it, Kisuke nodded emphatically.
"Marvelous! Truly magnificent!"
"Conducting research here would be any researcher's greatest joy!"
"Heheh, in that case, let's have you sign this servitude—ahem, cooperation agreement!" Satoru chuckled, sliding a document across the table.
Kisuke immediately reached for the pen.
Then suddenly came to his senses and set it back down.
Frowning, he looked between the two men.
"Mr. Satoru, Mr. Aizen... I must ask—what exactly are you trying to achieve?"
Aizen spoke slowly:
"We intend to change this pathetic world."
"Kisuke, with a mind like yours, you must have pondered this question..."
"Why is it that while entrusting resources to the capable could better guide people toward a brighter future, the reality remains that the Central 46—composed of the Five Noble Clans and other aristocrats—maintains an iron grip on everything?"
"Countless rules and frameworks have rigidly cemented Soul Society's social hierarchy."
"No matter how strong one becomes through training, the pinnacle is merely becoming a captain—a new blade in the hands of the nobility."
"Those who scheme with wisdom ultimately find themselves arbitrarily convicted by Central 46 and imprisoned in Muken."
"Is such a world truly reasonable?"
Kisuke remained silent.
Of course this world wasn't reasonable.
But... though unreasonable, it was stable.
This seemingly pathetic system had been operating for millions of years.
The Soul Society already possessed a mature framework for how to continue functioning.
If changes were made recklessly, blindly pursuing "fairness," it might lead to even more extreme injustice.
Currently, the nobility still needed resources produced by commoners.
Therefore, although commoners lived miserable lives, the Seireitei would ensure their basic subsistence.
If they truly pursued "fairness," overthrowing all nobility and dismantling all order, allowing everyone to seek status through power and schemes, the Soul Society would become nothing but a bloody battlefield.
Geniuses like Aizen and Satoru naturally wouldn't see anything wrong with this.
But for ordinary people, it would undoubtedly be catastrophic.
Pursing his lips, he pondered how to respond.
Suddenly, Aizen laughed.
"Kisuke, are you worried?"
"Worried that I want to create a world of survival of the fittest, one of absolute 'fairness'?"
Hearing this, Kisuke looked at him in surprise.
Aizen curled his lips into a smile, his eyes hidden behind the glare on his glasses.
"If it were the me of the past, I might have done exactly that."
"But now I understand that everything in this world requires a process to develop."
"Whether in the living world or the Soul Society, what reformers can see is merely an insignificant fragment in the long river of history."
"Yet, even this small change is enough to provide reference for future generations, allowing them to envision more possibilities."
"I've abandoned the idea of pushing the world to extremes."
"For the current Soul Society, the best approach is to first break the noble lineage, letting aristocracy fade into history."
"As for how society should develop, we can learn from the living world, combining their experiences with the Soul Society's circumstances to forge a path with Soul Society characteristics."
Listening to Aizen's words, Kisuke's eyes widened.
Good heavens!
Such moderate strategies actually coming from Aizen's mouth.
It felt utterly discordant.
He instinctively glanced at Satoru sitting nearby, who had started yawning from failing to follow the conversation.
So that's it...
If there was anyone around Aizen capable of changing his thinking to this extent, it was undoubtedly this dozing fool.
Despite Satoru's usual lack of decorum and his fighting style,
this guy was fundamentally a very gentle person.
So gentle that it seemed he hadn't grown up in this pathetic world.
Kisuke fell into deep thought.
Satoru and Aizen weren't in a hurry, waiting quietly.
After who knows how long, Kisuke let out a long sigh.
He raised his head and looked at the two.
"I want to join the Hōgyoku project! As an assistant or whatever - I need to participate personally and see how far it can ultimately develop!"
"No problem," Aizen nodded immediately.
"I want the right to withdraw at any time. If I see your actions deviate from today's words and threaten to bring chaos across all three realms, I will definitely stop you, even if it costs me my life."
"No problem," Satoru nodded.
"Finally!"
Kisuke's expression was extremely grave.
"I demand a reduction in workload, especially for the gaming console projects! There's too much work, it's severely impacting my daily life!"
"Denied."
"At least hesitate a little!!!"
"Keh keh keh, Kisuke was born to work for the boss! Keep working hard!"
Amid Satoru's roaring laughter and Kisuke's miserable cries, the Soul Society's greatest strategist officially joined the Satoru Corporation!