Chapter 353: Forward to Ten Groups, Kisuke Urahara Apologizes!
Whoosh!!
Satoru reached out and pulled, sending Ichimaru Gin flying uncontrollably toward him.
Mid-air, Ichimaru Gin struggled briefly but found the chains binding him too tight to break free. He immediately aimed his Zanpakutō at Satoru again.
Just as he prepared to fire his Shinsō, a blue flame surged along the chains and ignited on his body with a roar!
"Argh!"
The intense burning pain made him furrow his brow, slowing his Zanpakutō release by a split second.
That momentary delay was all it took for him to be pulled right in front of Satoru.
"Lord Mikami, I..."
Before he could finish, Ichimaru Gin saw Satoru's expressionless face as he thrust his blade straight into his chest.
Rip!!
After piercing Ichimaru Gin's chest, Satoru horizontally sliced open his upper body.
As the Risō Jakumetsu chains retracted, Ichimaru Gin collapsed to the ground with a thud.
Though his Shinsō's lethality was nearly invincible, he had practically no defensive attributes to speak of.
Satoru's single strike had completely severed his life force.
Lying before Satoru, who looked down at him with contemptuous eyes, Ichimaru Gin weakly opened his mouth.
Ah... truly worthy of being the man my true self admires.
Facing someone who shared both appearance and Reiatsu with his true self, he could strike so decisively, delivering a fatal blow in one move.
This charisma is really...
Ichimaru Gin's consciousness faded, his vision turning completely dark.
Under Satoru's gaze, Ichimaru Gin's body suddenly developed countless cracks like pottery, losing all color.
Then, it crumbled and disintegrated into dust, scattering into the air.
All that remained was a small red sphere.
Seeing this red sphere, Satoru raised an eyebrow.
He crouched down and picked up the sphere.
Within it, he could sense the presence of a soul.
"Is this... an artificial soul?"
Upon realizing this, a flash of insight struck his mind.
Something was about to emerge.
While pondering hard, he abruptly leaned backward.
Swish!!
Retsu Unohana's blade swept through the space where his neck had been just moments before.
Having dodged Unohana's strike, Satoru straightened up and continued studying the sphere in his hand.
He lifted his foot slightly as a light cannon from Sōgyo no Kotowari shot through where his leg had been.
"Fire-spitting little..."
"Enough! Can't you let me think in peace!!"
A vein bulged on Satoru's forehead as he turned around.
Facing Love Aikawa, who was raising his black club high to smash down, Satoru threw a punch—
Triple · Ikotsu!!
Boom!!!
Under Love Aikawa's stunned gaze, Satoru's single punch shattered his massive spiked club into fragments.
The shockwave from the punch continued unabated, surging into his body.
Love Aikawa hurriedly gathered his Reiatsu, preparing to resist the impact on his body.
However, his efforts lasted less than two seconds.
Under the watchful eyes of the pursuing Quincy father and son, Love Aikawa let out a distorted cry of agony.
Then, his entire body chaotically swelled before bursting apart into a firework of flesh and blood.
Ishida Ryūken: "..."
Though Satoru had claimed these were fakes, based on their earlier exchanges, this was undoubtedly a Captain-level Shinigami.
A Captain... eliminated in an instant?
Though he knew Satoru's strength was terrifying, being this powerful was simply absurd...
Just like Ichimaru Gin, Love Aikawa, who had been defeated, dropped a small red sphere.
Satoru stroked his chin.
To be honest, the red sphere looked quite appetizing.
He wanted to taste it.
Just as he was hesitating whether to do so, a figure appeared beside him using Flash Step.
"If you're thinking about whether to taste this thing, I advise against it."
"Oh, Sōsuke!"
Seeing Aizen, Satoru grinned.
Then, he suddenly became alarmed.
"Wait, how did you know what I was just thinking?"
"Because it's written all over your face."
Aizen's voice was calm.
Even though the battle had descended into chaos, he didn't seem particularly concerned.
He took out two red spheres and tossed them toward Satoru.
"I just checked, these are Modified Souls."
"Over two hundred years ago, Sōya Azashiro's Vanguard Project aimed to use these things to create a batch of fearless troops to purify all of Hueco Mundo."
"According to my investigation, all data related to the Vanguard Project was destroyed under the supervision of Central 46 - even the Tsunayashiro clan doesn't possess corresponding records."
"It's hard to imagine that someone could still utilize this technology to create Modified Souls."
Hearing about Modified Souls, Satoru thought for a few seconds.
Then he suddenly gasped.
"So that's it... Now I understand what's going on!"
Earlier, he had found these little red balls familiar but couldn't place them.
When Aizen mentioned Modified Souls, he thought of Kon.
Thinking of Kon reminded him of this storyline.
Seeing Satoru's reaction, Aizen's eyes lit up.
"What did you think of?"
Satoru chuckled proudly: "I've figured out the entire chain of events from cause to effect."
Though disliking Satoru's showboating, Aizen decided to tolerate it for the detailed information about the Vanguard Project.
"Explain in detail."
Against the background sounds of Kyōraku and Ulquiorra's battle, he took out a small notebook, ready to record everything Satoru said.
If Satoru dared to say "forgot the beginning, forgot the middle, forgot the end," he'd make this guy understand what physical memory loss really meant.
Satoru stroked his chin, pondering for a few seconds.
Then he said:
"There's a green-haired girl with a great figure and pretty face, who appeared naked in her debut - quite striking."
"?"
Aizen held his pen, showing a confused expression.
What nonsense was this?
Satoru continued:
"The culprit also has green hair... no, actually half green and half yellow - quite a unique style."
"The culprit kept trying to capture the green-haired girl, though I forgot the specific reason. But I'll take a wild guess - probably to destroy Soul Society."
"After all, these villains' ultimate goals mostly involve destroying Soul Society."
Aizen: "..."
"Let me think some more."
Satoru sat cross-legged, extending his index finger and drawing circles above his head.
The Reigai Arc - an anime-original storyline he never expected to appear in this world, which was why he'd almost completely forgotten it.
Now recalling, Kōga was actually an original character too. Since that guy appeared, the Reigai Arc's appearance made perfect sense.
The biggest problem now was that the Reigai Arc's plot was too messy.
When he originally watched it, he'd used double speed.
So by the time he finished, very little content remained in his head.
Most impressions were of the green-haired girl's figure.
Oh, and the OP was quite good - he'd kept it in his MP3 player for quite some time.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes.
"I remember now..."
"The villain's Zanpakutō is incredibly powerful, like it's cheating - absolutely ridiculous."
"That guy can absorb everyone else's techniques and reflect them back."
"Not only that, he can even create a time-stopped space to store others' released techniques, then unfreeze and release them during battle."
"Tsk tsk, if I had that Zanpakutō, fighting my teacher would be child's play."
Hearing Satoru's description, Aizen showed a contemplative expression.
If what Satoru said was true, that Zanpakutō would indeed be difficult to deal with.
However, no matter how powerful a Zanpakutō's ability is, one must consider the difference in Reiatsu and skill between both parties.
Just like Nelliel's "Cero Doble" - theoretically, it should be invincible against opponents who use Cero.
But if she were to fight Starkk and Lilynette, she would definitely lose.
Their firing speed is far faster than her swallowing speed.
After organizing the information provided by Satoru, Aizen felt satisfied.
Although there were some meaningless bits of garbage information, the overall value was quite high.
Especially the description of the mastermind's appearance.
Half yellow hair, half green... Even in the Seireitei where hair colors vary widely, this would be an extremely rare appearance.
Once he returned to the Soul Society, it wouldn't take half a day to identify the target.
He closed the notebook and looked at Satoru, preparing to have him get ready to return to the Soul Society together.
But before he could speak, Satoru slapped him on the shoulder.
"Sōsuke, time is tight! We need to hurry to the Soul Society!"
"What do you mean?" Aizen asked, confused.
Under his gaze, Satoru spoke with utmost seriousness:
"The green-haired girl didn't come to the Living World, which means she's likely still in danger right now."
"We need to act quickly and rescue her!"
Looking at Satoru, Aizen's eyes turned cold.
After such a major incident, all you can think about is girls?
He brushed off Satoru's hand from his shoulder and flashed to the fake Komamura's side.
Seeing Aizen, a flicker of fear appeared in the fake Komamura's eyes.
It roared: "Howl, Te..."
"Too slow."
Aizen drew his Zanpakutō and swung it diagonally upward.
A cold light flashed, and blood sprayed from the fake Komamura's body as its massive form collapsed to the side.
Meanwhile, Satoru had already arrived near the fake Unohana.
Seeing Satoru, Unohana showed an excited expression.
Although she was just a replica, her personality was highly similar to the original.
Towards Satoru, she felt an instinctive desire to possess him.
The fake Unohana ignored Kyōraku, whom she had been fighting, and charged directly at Satoru.
Her eyes were wide open, carrying a strange light.
In her memories, she seemed to have had an epic battle with the man before her.
As a replica, she couldn't fully recall these experiences.
But she could recreate that battle here!
She was stronger than the original Unohana, so she could definitely satisfy him more than the original Unohana could!
Moreover, if the memories in her mind were correct, in recent years, the original had frequently sparred with Satoru without any significant difference in combat power.
Although Satoru won every time, they were all narrow victories.
Since she was stronger than the original, maybe she could actually win?
Filled with excitement and boiling killing intent, Unohana swung her sword down!
But before the blade could reach Satoru, she was shocked to see Satoru throw a punch.
Thump!!!
Unohana's body, still in its sword-swinging posture, had its chest pierced through by Satoru's fist.
"Cough!!"
Unohana spat out a mouthful of blood.
Satoru withdrew his fist and used Risō Jakumetsu's flames to burn away the blood on it.
Then, he turned to leave.
On the ground, Unohana struggled, speaking in a hoarse voice:
"Wh-why..."
"The original... clearly... could spar with you... evenly matched..."
Hearing this, Satoru stopped in his tracks.
He turned his head with an exasperated expression.
"Your original form is my Flower Sister, so of course I had to go easy on you."
"As for you, even though you look the same, have the same abilities, and even similar memories, you ultimately aren't her."
"You're just someone unrelated to me."
"Against you, I have no reason to hold back."
After speaking, he turned around and walked toward Aizen with a triumphant smile.
"Sōsuke! Did you see that! My heroic stance just now when I defeated her with one punch!"
"I saw, I saw... Go stand over there and don't bother me."
Watching the laughing Satoru and the helpless-looking Aizen, Retsu Unohana's vision gradually darkened.
After her body disintegrated, she turned into a Modified Soul Pill and fell to the ground. With a flick of his finger from afar, Satoru collected it into his hand.
The remaining Jūshirō Ukitake, also shocked by Satoru's formidable combat power, lost his composure and was seized upon by Shunsui Kyōraku, who personally finished him off.
Shiba Isshin, Shinji Hirako, Ichimaru Gin, Jūshirō Ukitake, Komamura Sajin, Retsu Unohana.
In one battle, six captain-level opponents were dealt with, and six Modified Souls were collected.
Looking at these bright red, glossy little spheres in his hand, Satoru once again couldn't suppress his appetite.
These things looked incredibly tempting, like some kind of divine elixir.
However, the moment he remembered that these were all artificially created souls, he lost interest.
After finishing the battle, Satoru returned to Kurosaki Masaki's side and once again channeled his spiritual power into her.
But the moment his energy entered Masaki's body, he couldn't help but click his tongue in annoyance.
Originally, he had almost completely separated Hollow White, needing just a few more minutes to fully extract it.
But being interrupted by the Modified Souls had forced him to stop the treatment halfway.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Hollow White had completely fused with Masaki.
Aizen also came over to examine Kurosaki Masaki's condition.
Shiba Isshin and Ishida Ryūken waited anxiously for the results.
After thinking for a moment, Aizen shook his head.
"The fusion is too complete. There's no way to resolve this in a short time."
"The urgent priority now is to deal with the Modified Souls first."
"If the enemy truly possesses a large number of fake Shinigami created from modified souls, then the current situation in Seireitei is likely already dire."
Satoru tilted his head:
"What about this girl then? We can't just leave her to fend for herself."
"First take her to my laboratory. We'll use equipment to halt the Reishi activity within her body."
Aizen spoke slowly.
"This way, we can at least ensure her physical condition won't continue deteriorating."
"After we resolve matters here, we'll use the Hōgyoku to treat her."
Hearing this, Satoru's eyes lit up.
That's right - the Hōgyoku was a universal problem-solver that should be able to handle Kurosaki Masaki's situation.
Although Isshin still had some reservations, since both his teacher and senior had spoken, he could only restrain himself for now.
Aizen gripped his Zanpakutō and made a thrusting motion into empty space.
As he did so, two Senkaimon materialized out of nowhere, sliding open with a whoosh.
The deep Dangai tunnel appeared before them.
Shunsui adjusted his straw hat and prepared to step inside.
But before his foot could land, Satoru reached out and pulled him back.
"Wait a moment, Uncle Kyōraku."
Just as Shunsui was about to enter, Satoru had suddenly felt a bad premonition.
Seeing Satoru's reaction, Aizen closed his eyes and released his Reishi perception.
After a few seconds, he opened his eyes and looked at the two.
"Satoru's perception is correct. There's something wrong with this Dangai."
"The routes frequently used by Soul Society see heavy Shinigami traffic daily. Wherever they pass, Reiatsu traces are inevitably left behind."
"But this path appears newly opened - there are no traces inside at all."
Hearing this, Isshin raised his hand:
"Teacher, could it be that the Reiatsu was cleaned up by the Kōtotsu?"
The Kōtotsu, resembling a large train with a bright headlight and an elongated body, was a special entity within the Dangai responsible for clearing various debris, including Reiatsu residues that didn't originally belong in the Dangai.
If they happened to catch it right after the Kōtotsu had passed through, the lack of Reiatsu traces wouldn't be surprising.
Aizen looked at his disciple and narrowed his eyes.
Seeing this expression, Isshin instinctively shuddered.
Not good - he must have made some basic mistake!
Before he could react, Shunsui already spoke up to remind him:
"Captain Shiba, have you forgotten? Earlier, Old Man Yama and Satoru fought in the Dangai and destroyed the Kōtotsu."
"Even now, there are no signs of the Kōtotsu regenerating."
"Oh, that's right, I remember now."
Isshin suddenly understood.
"Ulquiorra, capture some Hollows."
Aizen commanded.
Ulquiorra nodded and disappeared into a Garganta.
Watching this scene, Shunsui's eye twitched.
Well now, not even bothering to pretend anymore, are we?
Soon enough, Ulquiorra emerged from the Garganta, dragging several Hollows.
Following Aizen's instructions, he threw all the Hollows into the Dangai.
Having barely escaped with their lives, the Hollows didn't hesitate and charged forward together.
But after just over a hundred meters, the previously stable Dangai walls suddenly began melting like candles, violently surging toward the center.
The Hollows didn't even have time to struggle before being swallowed by the Kōryū and disappearing into the Dangai.
Watching this scene, Shunsui couldn't help clicking his tongue.
Isshin wiped sweat from his brow.
Those swallowed by the Kōryū would become lost within the Dangai.
With good luck, one might "drift" back to the real world in the "vast ocean" of the Dangai.
With bad luck, one would remain forever in the cracks of the world, turning into cosmic debris.
Observing the scene before him, Aizen showed a contemplative expression.
"After Mayuri Kurotsuchi became captain of the Twelfth Division, he took over the supervision of the Dangai."
"Aside from his side, no one can interfere with the selection of Dangai paths."
"It seems the enemy has infiltrated the Twelfth Division, or rather, they are personnel related to the Twelfth Division."
"Hmm... let's use this line of thinking as our starting point for the first wave of investigation."
As he spoke, he looked at Satoru.
"Satoru, open the Senkaimon."
"Me?"
Satoru was slightly taken aback.
"Yes, you can directly connect to the Shihōin Clan's exclusive gate. That's a passage reserved for nobles and shouldn't have been swapped out in such a short time."
"I see."
Satoru nodded.
He drew his Zanpakutō and thrust it into the air.
However, the Senkaimon failed to appear.
An invisible force prevented the passage from forming.
Seeing this, Shunsui Kyōraku also drew his sword.
The Kyōraku family were also upper-class nobles of the Seireitei with their own exclusive Senkaimon.
But just like with Satoru's attempt, it couldn't be opened.
Aizen curled the corner of his mouth.
"They anticipated I would use this method."
"Hmph, that's right. If they couldn't manage even this much, they wouldn't be capable of recreating the Vanguard Project."
Satoru sheathed his Zanpakutō:
"Couldn't we just go to Hueco Mundo first, then infiltrate the Soul Society through a Garganta?"
"If even you can think of that, wouldn't our opponents have considered it too?"
"Judging from the performance of those modified souls earlier, they likely possess memories similar to the originals."
"If that's truly the case, then the Garganta passages we commonly use must all be trapped by now."
As he spoke, Aizen took out a remote control and pressed several buttons.
Satoru thought for two seconds.
Then suddenly froze.
"Wait... Sōsuke."
"If the copied captains have the original's memories, then the copied Gin, Isshin, and others... wouldn't they have revealed all our information?"
Aizen made an affirmative sound: "We can't rule out that possibility."
"The Prime Minister appears so calm. Do you perhaps have a brilliant strategy already planned?"
"No."
Aizen shook his head.
"Even for me, facing such a sudden event without warning, it's impossible to have prepared in advance."
"However, since things have come to this, panicking is meaningless."
"Rather than worrying about what has already happened, it's better to focus on what we can do now."
While speaking, he had already completed his work.
Satoru moved closer.
"What is this?"
Aizen didn't answer, merely clasping his hands behind his back and looking up at the sky.
Everyone instinctively followed his gaze.
They saw a massive vortex slowly opening in the sky.
Through the vortex, they could vaguely see scenes from the Soul Society!
Satoru was first stunned.
Then his eyes lit up: "Howling Gorge!"
"Correct."
Aizen raised the corner of his mouth: "Over this past month, using Ryudoji Yanlong's body, I have completely finished modifying the Howling Gorge."
What he was doing now was quite similar to what Ryudoji Yanlong had done before.
First pulling the Howling Gorge between the Living World and the Soul Society, then controlling its expansion.
When the Jōkoku expands to a certain volume, it simultaneously touches the barriers of the Living World and the Soul Society, creating a passage that connects the two realms.
Using this passage, one can bypass the traps in the Dangai and the blockade of the Senkaimon to launch a direct assault!
Satoru laughed heartily, "Well done, Sōsuke! Let him taste the power of your extraordinary wisdom!"
"Big brother, master, the combination of your strengths is absolutely invincible!" Shiba Isshin also roared with laughter.
Shunsui Kyōraku: "..."
He felt completely out of place in this atmosphere.
What did they mean by modifying the Jōkoku?
And what was the meaning behind using Ryūdōji Yanlong's body?
While Satoru was laughing joyfully, Shunsui couldn't bring himself to smile.
Old Man Yama, where have you run off to? Please come back quickly—I really can't handle this situation...
...
...
Seireitei, Eleventh Division barracks.
Akane Shizuku was practicing sword swings when she suddenly sensed something and ran out of the dojo.
Many squad members were already standing outside, pointing and looking up at the sky.
Akane raised her head and was shocked to see the inverted image of Karakura Town floating in the sky!
Her pupils contracted.
Jōkoku?!
Wasn't the Kyōgoku already taken away by Satoru and the others? How could it have reappeared?
As she pondered this, she suddenly sensed a familiar Reiatsu emanating from the Kyōgoku passage.
It shone like the dawn sunrise, powerful as a colossal peak rising from flat ground!
Sensing this Reiatsu, the members of the Eleventh Division all revealed excited expressions.
"It's the Captain!"
"The Captain has returned!!"
Akane Shizuku's furrowed brows relaxed, and her entire body eased.
Within the Kyōgoku, Satoru's body radiated a brilliant Reiatsu glow, making him resemble a miniature sun as he charged straight toward the Soul Society.
He had no intention of concealing himself whatsoever.
With the Kyōgoku already so conspicuous, any attempt at hiding would be meaningless.
Rather than skulking around, it was better to directly announce to the entire Seireitei that Satoru had returned!
Aizen followed behind Satoru, their figures alternating in flashes as they advanced.
Suddenly, Aizen turned to look beside him.
The walls of the Kyōgoku were being compressed by tremendous force, buckling inward.
A flicker of doubt passed through Aizen's eyes.
Could the Twelfth Division's manipulation of the Dangai reach such intensity?
He circulated the Reiatsu within his body, preparing to use it to support the Kyōgoku's outer walls.
But before he could act, the overall strength of the Kyōgoku suddenly increased by a level.
The mountains, rivers, and landscapes within the Kyōgoku all began to shine with light.
The masterless souls, as if summoned, all became active and began resisting the Dangai's suppression.
The Kyōgoku's outer walls, which had begun to cave inward, suddenly straightened back out.
Sensing the familiar presence around them, Satoru laughed:
"It's Akane, she's helping us."
Aizen nodded: "As expected of the Jōgyo, possessing innate dominion over the Kyōgoku."
Supported by Akane, the connection between the Soul Society and the real world was stabilized.
Under the gaze of the Shinigami looking up from below, Satoru, Aizen, and Shunsui Kyōraku burst forth together from the vortex in the sky.
The moment the three emerged, Aizen waved his hand, closing the passage behind them.
On the ground, Akane Shizuku breathed a sigh of relief and withdrew her power that had been amplifying the Kyōgoku.
In the sky, Satoru looked in her direction, giving her a bright smile and a thumbs-up.
Akane also smiled and returned the thumbs-up.
In a certain research lab of the Twelfth Division.
A man in researcher's clothing stared at the three figures emerging on the screen, his eyes nearly bulging with rage.
"Damn it... These bastards actually used the power of the Kyōgoku to force their way in?!"
"What do these scum take the Soul Society for?"
"This is practically criminal! Damn it! Damn it!!"
As he said this, he suddenly seemed to remember something and revealed a sinister smile.
He turned to look to the side.
"Yadōmaru, go notify them..."
From the shadows in the corner of the room, a Shinigami resembling Lisa Yadōmaru stepped forward.
After receiving the instructions, she bowed her head:
"Yes, Lord Inaba Kagerōza."
The next moment, she disappeared from the room using Flash Step.
After Lisa Yadōmaru left, the man snorted coldly.
He raised his hand and adjusted his yellow-and-green hair.
"No need to rush... Although Satoru is powerful, his control over the Seireitei isn't sufficient yet."
"As long as I act cautiously, he won't be able to trace this to me for quite some time."
"I'll use this opportunity to replace the last few Captains!"
"Hehehe... So what if you're strong enough to fight Yamamoto Shigekuni? By the time you realize what's happening, there won't be a single person left in the Soul Society standing by your side!"
The man let out a triumphant laugh.
Then, he took a deep breath and calmed himself.
Now wasn't the time to completely break with Satoru.
Once he perfected the fusion stabilizer and merged with his other half soul, fully mastering his Zanpakutō... not just Satoru, even if Yamamoto Shigekuni returned, it would be useless!
At this thought, a question he'd been overlooking suddenly surfaced in his mind.
Speaking of which, why had that guy Satoru returned so quickly?
The six captain replicas he sent to the Living World—even if they couldn't defeat him, they should have been able to buy more time than this.
Never mind how long the actual fighting would take, just identifying them as imposters should have taken two or three days.
What exactly happened in the Living World?
Inaba Kageroza frowned deeply, lost in thought.
Suddenly, he felt a vibration in his pocket.
Pulling out the communicator, Inaba Kageroza put it to his ear:
"What is it?"
"Reporting, Lord Kageroza! Satoru has attacked the Kensei Muguruma we sent!"
"What?"
Inaba Kageroza's face showed astonishment.
He just sent Kensei Muguruma over—how could he have been exposed so quickly?
"Recall him immediately! Don't engage Satoru directly!"
Though confused about what happened, Inaba Kageroza quickly issued orders.
The person on the other end seemed to hesitate before reporting:
"Apologies, Lord Kageroza. Kensei Muguruma was killed by Satoru with a single sword strike. We couldn't do anything in time."
"..."
Inaba Kageroza's face contorted.
Satoru... just what kind of monster is this guy!
After a brief moment of rage, another brilliant scheme occurred to him.
Since Satoru was so reckless as to "kill" someone in public, he might as well steer the narrative.
This time, he'd label him a traitor—a shapeshifter invading the Soul Society!
Let's see how he opposes me now!
With this thought, Inaba Kageroza grinned viciously.
Don't blame me for being ruthless, Satoru.
Blame your own brainless, reckless nature!
...
...
"ZEHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
High above the Seireitei, Satoru gripped his sword and let out a heroic laugh.
Kensei Muguruma's body collapsed before him, blood spraying everywhere.
On the ground below, countless Shinigami watched the scene, their jaws nearly hitting the floor.
What's going on?!
Why did Captain Mikami just kill former Captain Kensei the moment he returned?!
Civil war?
A grudge killing?
Captain Mikami, have you betrayed us again!
Huh? Why did I say "again"?
Shunsui Kyōraku stared in stunned silence, his chest hair trembling.
Before he could process what was happening, Satoru reached out and snapped his grip around Kensei Muguruma's neck.
The latter struggled briefly before cracks spread across his body, causing it to disintegrate and shatter.
His form turned to dust, leaving behind only a bright red Artificial Soul Pill.
Satoru pinched the pill between his fingers and declared in a voice everyone could hear:
"Brothers!!"
"Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Kisuke Urahara have created fake Shinigami, disguised as people we know, hiding among us!"
"Just like the fake Kensei I just cut down!"
"They made a bet with me! Said their research was flawless, that I could never identify all the fake Shinigami!"
"I burst into tears right then and there!"
"Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Kisuke Urahara said that as long as we forward this message to ten groups...Peh peh, as long as everyone works together to help me identify all the fake Shinigami, they will publicly apologize and admit they underestimated the heroes of this world!"
"Brothers, this is our moment to prove our unity! We can't let those two bastards look down on us!!"
These words ignited the Shinigami's fury.
What? Mere scientists dare speak of Captain Mikami like that?
Especially the Shinigami from the Eleventh Division, who immediately began howling and nearly rioted on the spot, almost leading troops to storm the Twelfth Division.
In no time, every corner of the Seireitei began scrutinizing their own leadership.
The Captains were overwhelmed, hastily hiding to avoid being reported as fakes by their own squad members.
The entire Seireitei instantly descended into chaos.
Shunsui Kyōraku initially didn't quite understand, but soon realized the rationale behind Satoru's maneuver.
By publicly revealing the news about fake leadership within the Seireitei through this entertaining exercise, he could subtly prepare the squad members for the potential major internal conflict that might follow.
Although it might cause some temporary chaos and even casualties, compared to complete internal division and a crisis of trust, this was already a rather favorable outcome.
He looked at his junior with some surprise.
Could this junior actually be a Modified Soul in disguise?
He instinctively glanced toward Aizen.
There he saw the latter with a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, wearing the pleased expression of someone watching their own child grow up.
The relationship between these two was quite peculiar indeed.
Kyōraku adjusted his straw hat, revealing a complicated expression.
Not bad though.jpg
On the ground, a seated officer shouted:
"Wait! Don't listen to him! There must be something wrong here!"
"How could such a strange thing happen? Captains aren't that easy to impersonate!"
"I think this must be..."
Before he could finish, he suddenly stopped speaking.
Under his somewhat terrified gaze, all the surrounding Shinigami turned to look at him.
The crowd stared at him for a few seconds, then one by one, they grinned, revealing eerie smiles.
"Restrain him!!"
"He's a fake!"
"Quickly inform Captain Mikami!!"
The few modified souls attempting to regain control were swiftly subdued by their surrounding comrades without even making a ripple.
Standing in the sky, Satoru crossed his arms over his chest and nodded with satisfaction.
"Excellent! With you all here, I can rest assured!"
"However, everyone must be careful. The impostors are very skilled at disguise. Acting recklessly might lead to friendly fire!"
"When encountering suspicious individuals, prioritize restraint measures over immediate execution!"
The Shinigami loudly acknowledged the order.
In the past, they might have hesitated regarding Satoru's commands.
But after Satoru's epic battle with Yamamoto, all Shinigami had developed trust in Satoru.
Especially after Yamamoto abandoned court affairs and Satoru took over as acting ruler, the Shinigami's compliance with Satoru's orders had rapidly increased.
Now, with both Crown Prince Satoru and Second Prince Shunsui Kyōraku present, how could the orders be false?
When Inaba Kagerōza received the report from the front lines, he nearly spat blood in frustration.
Had his carefully arranged frame-up been broken so easily?
Why?
Since when had the Seireitei become so easily manipulated?
After confirming the situation was temporarily stable, Aizen departed alone.
Satoru and Shunsui Kyōraku proceeded to various squads to verify how many captains were genuine and how many had been replaced.
...
...
Central 46 main conference hall.
Behind numbered partitions, the old men gathered together.
Sitting in their high positions, they issued commands.
From behind the partition marked "Three," an old man slowly spoke:
"Satoru is plotting rebellion. His crimes warrant execution."
"Immediately order the Onmitsukidō to dispatch personnel to apprehend Satoru and his companions."
"Simultaneously, announce to the entire Seireitei that Satoru, Sōsuke Aizen, and Shunsui Kyōraku have committed treason."
"Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto was harmed by these three!"
Hearing this command, the member of the secret mobile corps responsible for relaying orders couldn't help but pause.
He wanted to say something, but as a member of the Onmitsukidō, unconditionally executing superior orders had long become their instinct.
He lowered his head, about to acknowledge the order, when suddenly he noticed a figure appearing beside him.
Looking up in surprise, he saw a young man with glasses, brown curly hair, and a gentle expression standing nearby with a smile.
The man wore an armband with the number "Five" written on it.
Seeing this person, the old men of Central 46 were shocked.
"Sōsuke Aizen!"
"One of the rebels!"
"Guards! Seize him!!"
As the voices rang out, numerous Shinigami wearing white masks and carrying iron tridents rushed out from the corridors, surrounding Aizen.
Looking at the surrounding crowd, Aizen raised the corner of his mouth.
"Calling me a rebel upon our first meeting?"
"Before coming here, I was contemplating how to determine whether you had been replaced or not."
"I'm not too worried now..."
"To be honest, I've wanted to try this for a long time, but considering someone's position, it wasn't convenient until now."
"Now seems like the perfect opportunity to test it out."
As he spoke, Aizen drew his Zanpakutō.
An invisible wave of Reiatsu, accompanied by visual distortion, swept through the entire conference hall.
An old man shouted angrily:
"Seize him! Kill him if he resists!"
Shinigami armed with steel tridents roared and charged forward.
But after just a few steps, they suddenly became confused.
How had Aizen suddenly moved so far away?
And how had he reached the seats of Central 46's sages?
The Shinigami panicked immediately.
If the sages of Central 46 were taken hostage by Aizen, it would be a major incident!
Everyone rushed toward the high platform with furious shouts.
The old fools of Central 46 watched in astonishment as their subordinates charged toward them, their faces showing bewilderment.
"Bastards! Who told you to come up here!"
"He's over there! Over there!"
"Don't, don't!!"
"Argh!!!"
For a moment, the conference hall echoed with the Shinigami's angry roars, the screams of Central 46 members, and the sickening crunch of steel tridents piercing flesh and shattering bones.
Soon, the slain Central 46 members turned into scattered red Gigai pills scattered across the floor.
Lisa Yadōmaru watched this scene, feeling a chill run through her entire body.
Aizen walked step by step toward her.
"I was planning to find a test subject along the way."
"This saves me the trouble."
Watching Aizen's eerie smile as half his face remained hidden in shadow, his hand reaching toward her, Lisa's pupils trembled.
She suddenly began to wonder: in this chaos, were they the ones in control, or were these two the true masters?