Hasumi Ren stood at the laboratory entrance, taking in the scene before him.
Sensing movement nearby, Tosen Kaname's body suddenly stiffened. He quickly raised his hand to wipe away the tear tracks on his face, stood up, and turned toward the entrance, looking as if he had been caught doing something shameful. Traces of moisture still lingered on his dark face, but he had already forced his expression back to a state of rigid calm.
"It seems I've arrived at an inopportune moment," Ren said, his tone flat as he walked into the laboratory.
Aizen glanced at Ren, the corner of his mouth curling into a slight smile. "No, you arrived just in time." He turned back around, his gaze piercing as he looked at Tosen. "The real Tosen Kaname has returned. This confirms that the one currently by our side is an impostor."
Hearing Aizen's words, Tosen's brow furrowed sharply. His expression shifted from confusion to bewilderment, then to shock, finally settling into an incredulous rage. "Are you saying... someone disguised themselves as me and infiltrated our experiments?"
Aizen nodded gently. "It is the Quincy."
Ren picked up the conversation at this point. "It seems that during your imprisonment, the Quincy sent a spy capable of perfectly replicating your appearance, Spiritual Pressure, and even your memories to take your place. He has been lurking by Vice-Captain Aizen's side and participating in the Hogyoku experiments for some time now."
Tosen's breathing quickened. "The Quincy... those bastards." His voice was low and raspy. "Crushed by Yamamoto Shigekuni nine hundred years ago, and purged in the World of the Living a century ago... yet they still dare to hide in the shadows of the Seireitei." He raised his head, an undercurrent of suppressed fury in his voice. "Lord Aizen, should we expose this matter to the Seireitei? The Gotei 13 shares a blood feud with the Quincy. If we make their existence public, the captains will inevitably move to wipe them out. When that happens, the Gotei 13 and the Quincy will whittle each other down. Wouldn't that be even more advantageous for our Hogyoku plan?"
Aizen fell silent for a moment. He walked up to the Hogyoku container, tilting his head slightly to gaze at the suspended sphere. "Before they are wiped out, they would first expose our plans and experiments. Once the Seireitei learns of the Hogyoku and Hollowfication, the Gotei 13's execution blades will turn from the Quincy toward us." Aizen turned around to face Tosen. "It is a scenario where we all fall together."
Tosen fell silent and bowed his head. "I was short-sighted."
Aizen shook his head gently. "It is not that we cannot expose this to the Seireitei, but now is not the time." He looked at Tosen, shifting the topic. "What matters more right now is the counterfeit Tosen. He still has no idea you've returned, let alone that we have seen through his identity. That is our advantage."
"What are your orders, Lord Aizen?" Tosen asked.
"Go rest in the secret chamber for now and wait for the impostor to appear," Aizen said softly. "Of course, you only need to watch; there is no need to act. Leave the rest to Ren and me."
Tosen hesitated. He clearly did not want to step down just like that, reluctant to hand over the opportunity to deal with the impostor to Ren. But Aizen's voice brooked no argument. He could only lower his head, turning to enter the secret room at the deepest part of the research area.
...
When Royd, in his guise as Tosen, pushed open the laboratory's stone door and entered, Ren was at the workbench calibrating the Hogyoku's energy output. Aizen sat at the head desk, a file spread open before him. He looked up, spotting Royd, and the corner of his mouth curved into his usual gentle smile.
"You're here."
"Lord Aizen, you requested my presence?" Royd bowed, his movements precise and his tone respectful.
Aizen set the file down, scanning him from head to toe. The gaze didn't linger long, yet it carried an unsettling sense of scrutiny. "I called you here today because I need a small favor. I want to test the enhancement of Ren's Hollowfication abilities." Aizen raised his hand, pointing at Ren, who stood on the other side of the workbench. "We need someone with extensive combat experience to serve as his test partner, and there is no one more suitable than you."
Royd froze for a moment. This was clearly not the task he had anticipated. "A sparring match between Ren and me?"
"Correct." Aizen nodded, the smile remaining on his lips. "Your injuries have mostly healed as well, so it's a good opportunity to stretch your limbs and verify the results of your recent recuperation."
Royd fell silent. Finding no plausible excuse to refuse, he lowered his head after a moment. "Understood."
Ren had already put away the experimental apparatus by now, stepping into the center of the open space within the research area. He stood firm, his hand resting on the hilt of the Zanpakuto at his waist. Though the blade was still sheathed, a calm yet frigid aura radiated from his entire body.
Royd walked over to face him and drew his Zanpakuto, focusing his guard while secretly trying to deduce Aizen's true intentions.
In the next instant, a dark crimson Spiritual Pressure surged from Ren's body. A bone-like mask spread from his forehead across both sides, covering the upper half of his face. The Spiritual Pressure expanded violently, scattering papers across the laboratory and making them snap loudly in the air. The power of Hollowfication churned within him, driving the intensity of his Spiritual Pressure to a completely new level.
Royd's sense of alarm instantly peaked. Yet Ren gave him no time to adjust. His figure vanished from the spot, his Zanpakuto tracing an arc through the air as it slashed toward Royd's right shoulder with fierce Spiritual Pressure.
Blades clashed, sending sparks flying. Royd barely managed to parry the strike, but the massive impact forced him back several steps.
Following his transformation, he could acquire roughly seventy percent of his target's power. Even if he could use his injuries as an excuse to mask this deficit, it was still incredibly difficult to withstand Ren's raw strength.
'This guy didn't seem this powerful in Tosen Kaname's memories. Is this the boost brought by Hollowfication?' Royd thought to himself, his arms growing completely numb from the vibration.
Yet before he could steady himself and readjust his stance, Ren's second strike was already hacking in from the flank. He pivoted aside, the edge of the blade brushing past the hem of his robe. Shifting momentum, the blade came crashing down once more over Royd's head.
Royd raised his blade with both hands to block, the colliding edges exploding in a deafening metallic screech. His knees buckled slightly, nearly forced into a kneel under the crushing weight.
Ren disengaged his blade, his offensive pouring down like a torrential downpour—no intervals, no room to breathe. The Zanpakuto seemed to come alive in his hands, each strike carrying devastating force, landing precisely on Royd's weakest defensive points.
Pressed hard, Royd retreated continuously, his Shihakusho shredded into several gashes by the gale-force slashes as his breathing turned rapid and heavy. Ren's swordsmanship was powerful beyond his wildest imagination. Within moments, several lacerations lined his body, and this was already the result of Ren holding back.
Royd gritted his teeth, fighting fiercely without giving ground, but he already realized he was no match for Ren in a direct clash of blades. Even his Shikai, Suzumushi, could do nothing against Ren. This fact was etched deeply into his acquired memories. At this point, the urge to retreat began to bloom in his mind.
However, Aizen, watching from the side, showed no intention of calling a halt. It seemed he wanted to see the extent of Ren's limits.
Left with no choice, Royd wiped the trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, took a deep breath, and his Spiritual Pressure began to fluctuate violently.
"Bankai," his voice was raspy and resolute.
The Zanpakuto's blade dissolved into rings that scattered outward, and a black barrier surged from all directions, swallowing the entire research zone. All light and sound were utterly consumed by this darkness.
Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Korogi.
Royd exhaled silently within the void. This was his final trump card: Tosen Kaname's Bankai. Stripping away all senses, leaving only the sense of touch. Anyone trapped within this darkness would become his prey. He gripped his Zanpakuto tight and charged soundlessly toward the spot where Ren stood.
Yet he had barely taken two steps forward.
"Hado No. 33: Sokatsui."
The incantation-abandoned Kido erupted from Ren's hand, striking precisely at Royd's flank. Shocked, Royd forcefully twisted his body to evade it.
'How is this possible?! He shouldn't be able to perceive anything! In this absolute darkness, no one should be able to lock onto my position. Just how on earth did this guy do it...'
In the pitch blackness, the corner of Ren's mouth curled slightly upward. He raised his right hand, and a dense network of Spiritual Pressure threads extended from his fingertips, spreading across the floor like a massive spiderweb. These threads, condensed from pure Spiritual Pressure, were a sensory technique he had engineered by modifying Bakudo No. 4: Hainawa. It was a custom-made Kido specifically designed to counter Tosen Kaname's Bankai.
The vibration of each single thread transmitted Royd's current location directly to Ren. Ren raised his hand, and incantation-abandoned Hado poured down. No matter where Royd moved, Ren's Hado locked onto him with absolute precision.
Royd exhausted himself dodging, failing to notice the extremely subtle Bakudo hidden amidst the barrage of Hado. Just as he believed he had figured out the rhythm of Ren's attacks and sought a brief moment to catch his breath, a purple beam of light shot out from the dark, striking Royd's right shoulder dead center.
He looked down in astonishment as a second and third beam shot forward in rapid succession, locking down his limbs.
Bakudo No. 62: Hyapporankan.
Rods formed from spiritual energy plummeted from all directions, pinning him firmly to the spot. The Bankai space began to crack and fracture, the darkness shattering outward like shards of glass.
The illumination of the Reishi lamps flooded back in. Royd remained pinned in place, panting heavily. There was no longer any need for him to struggle. Ren's capabilities had been fully demonstrated, and the enhancement from Hollowfication was immense. Royd felt that this test had served its purpose.
'Even though I ended up looking a bit disheveled, I shouldn't have exposed any flaws... right?'
Aizen stood to the side, nodding slightly. His gaze lingered on Ren for a moment. This young man's growth rate surpassed all his expectations. Although this counterfeit Tosen had held back and his power wasn't as abundant as usual, the sheer dominance Ren displayed was incredibly overwhelming. He was an exceptional all-rounder in every single aspect. His comprehensive strength after Hollowfication was not even inferior to some newly appointed Captains.
Truly... a pleasant surprise.
"Lord Aizen, I concede. You may release the Bakudo now."
Hearing Royd's voice, Ren stepped up to him, raising his hand as Spiritual Pressure condensed in his palm. Royd waited for Ren to undo the bindings; this was merely a test, and it was already over.
Yet instead of releasing him, another layer of Bakudo slammed down as Ren invoked his technique. Bakudo No. 61: Rikujokorou activated, golden beams manifesting from thin air to lock Royd's body down completely, nailing him to the spot.
His Spiritual Pressure was entirely sealed, his body completely pinned; Royd could not even raise a hand. By now, he realized something was terribly wrong. Royd snapped his head up to look at Aizen. Yet Aizen merely watched Ren's actions without making a single gesture.
A wave of dread surged from the depths of Royd's heart. His Adam's apple bobbed as his voice turned dry. "...Lord Aizen?"
Aizen still did not speak.
Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from the depths of the laboratory, drawing closer and closer. Royd extended his senses toward the source of the noise. Then, he froze.
A figure slowly emerged from the shadows. A black Shihakusho, dark skin, tightly shut eyes. Tosen Kaname...
'But... how is this possible...'
Tosen stopped right in front of Royd, looking down at him. "So you are the Quincy who disguised themselves as me?"
Royd's pupils contracted violently. No longer caring about maintaining his cover, he snapped his head toward Aizen. Aizen's eyes held nothing but cold scrutiny. In this moment, Royd finally understood—he had been exposed long ago.
"...How are you here?" Royd could not fathom how Tosen could possibly be here. He was supposed to be locked away in the underground dungeons of the Wandenreich. How could he have escaped under his own power? Was it Aizen's doing?
"I should be the one asking that question," Tosen's voice was even and frigid. "You stole my place to try and pilfer our secrets. Quincy... what is your objective?"
Royd did not answer. Countless thoughts churned frantically in his mind. His fingers twitched slightly, attempting to form a seal to escape, but Ren's Bakudo locked him down seamlessly from head to toe. The formula for the Shadow Domain required a Quincy's Spiritual Pressure to activate, but right now, he couldn't manipulate even a single particle of Reishi.
"You thought you hid yourself perfectly, and that Lord Aizen wouldn't notice?" Tosen continued, his tone growing colder by the second. "Yet your kind never expected that Lord Aizen had already seen through your stratagem from the start."
At this point, Aizen finally stepped forward, arriving before Royd. "I did indeed suspect you quite early on—from the very first day you were returned to me." Aizen's voice was as serene as ever. "Your disguise was truly exceptional, so much so that even I could not find a flaw for a time. But unfortunately, you are ultimately not the real Tosen."
Aizen looked down, locking eyes with Royd. Royd's pupils trembled violently. His lips twitched as if he wanted to speak, but Ren's Bakudo had already firmly sealed his mouth shut as well.
"Ren, reinforce the Bakudo. Do not give him an opportunity to commit suicide."
"Understood." Ren nodded, Spiritual Pressure surging from his fingertips once more as he layered two additional sealing formulas over the rest.
Royd's final muffled cry was choked down in the depths of his throat, leaving only a pair of eyes staring intently at Aizen. They held terror, resentment, and a trace of unspeakable despair.
Aizen nodded gently, observing the multiple layers of seals binding Royd. "Since the Quincy dared to plant a spy by my side, they must bear the corresponding consequences. Tosen, this happens to be your primary duty. Put the interrogation capabilities of the Penitentiary Corps on full display."