Chapter 356: Having a Party?
"Guh..."
In a deserted alley of Seireitei, the Reigai Aizen clutched his shoulder, leaning against a wall as he slowly staggered forward.
He had completely lost the composure he possessed just minutes earlier.
A clean, circular gap pierced through his left shoulder, the entire arm missing without a trace.
A massive crater had been blasted into his abdomen.
Had it not been for the pre-triggered Reishi shield he had set up earlier, it would have suffered the same fate as his shoulder.
One of his lower legs was shattered, forcibly bound together only through Kidō.
If he weren't an artificial body, every step forward would have been excruciating agony.
Yet, even in such a wretched state, he had only bought himself a sliver of time.
Before coming, anticipating the possibility of negotiations breaking down, he had prepared over a dozen contingency measures.
He had thought that even if talks failed, he could at least retreat unscathed.
He never imagined that Satoru's terror would far exceed his expectations.
Several times, he had been certain escape was impossible.
Fortunately, fate had not abandoned him, and he had managed to survive.
Now, all he needed was to return to Inaba Kagerōza's laboratory, where he could effortlessly create a new artificial body, transfer into it, and fully recover from all his injuries!
Gritting his teeth, the Aizen copy pushed forward with all his might.
If he could just reach that place...
Suddenly, a voice rang out:
"How pitiful, my copy."
"?!"
Hearing the voice, the Aizen copy's eyes widened sharply as he looked up.
There, standing at the alley's entrance, was a figure gazing at him with a faint smile.
"Sōsuke... Aizen!"
Seeing the man before him, the Aizen copy clenched his jaw.
Under his watchful eyes, Aizen slowly approached with the casual grace of a leisurely stroll.
Stopping just short of him, Aizen spoke.
"Hmm... Two Multi-Strike Blows, one Evening Elephant. It seems you've already met him."
"How does it feel? To go forth with hope, only to return empty-handed?"
"Silence!!"
The Aizen copy's face twisted with rage.
"Sōsuke Aizen, are you so pleased with yourself?"
"You've merely been luckier than I, blessed with more opportunities and resources."
"My intellect is no less than yours. Given the same resources and life, I could achieve no less than you!"
He swung his arm violently:
"If I had a powerful enforcer like Satoru, someone who could gather followers everywhere to serve me, fulfilling every need of a mastermind—who's to say our positions here wouldn't be entirely reversed?"
Hearing this, Aizen narrowed his eyes slightly, as if pondering something.
After a few seconds, he curled his lips:
"Just to be certain, I'd like to confirm—is this your genuine belief?"
"What else?"
The Aizen copy took a deep breath.
"Just like now, if I possessed Satoru and everything you have, how could you afford such composure, standing here with that condescending demeanor?"
"If you were me decades ago, without this Reiatsu far surpassing mine, how would you dare stand here so casually?"
Gazing at the man burning with fury before him, Aizen's eyes held pity.
"I see."
"It seems I owe you an apology."
"An apology?"
The Aizen copy was momentarily stunned.
Then, his gaze grew even more enraged.
What does an apology mean?
What are you so smug about? What is this superior attitude of yours?!
Under his furious stare, Aizen nodded.
"Yes, I owe you an apology."
"Before speaking with you, I had assumed this would be a conversation between relative equals."
"Although merely a replica, it is, after all, a replica of me, Sōsuke Aizen."
"Once, I conversed with another version of myself from a different world. Though he was a failure, disheveled and even pitiable, there was no doubt he was an existence of the same standing as me."
"From him, I could sense that he was another me, truly 'Sōsuke Aizen.'"
"But you are different."
"Admittedly, whether in appearance, the nature and aura of your Reiatsu, or even parts of your thoughts, you are no different from me."
"Yet... compared to me, and to that Sōsuke Aizen from another world, you lack the most crucial element."
Under the somewhat stunned gaze of the replicated Aizen, Aizen approached him.
Due to severe injuries, he struggled to stand fully upright.
To him, Aizen closing in felt like a god looking down from a divine perspective.
"These past days, aside from issuing orders at the Central 46, I have spent my time studying the modified souls I obtained earlier."
"I pondered: if modified souls and their originals are truly identical, sharing the same abilities, thoughts, and memories, why would they remain loyal to their creator?"
"Even if bound by some powerful restraint, it would at most force them to use their powers, not behave as I witnessed before."
"Isshin toward me, Jūshirō Ukitake toward Kyōraku—they share deep bonds. It is impossible for them to wield their blades so indifferently."
"Through my research these days and my conversation with you just now, I have finally formed a preliminary hypothesis."
"When creating you modified souls, Inaba Kagerōza used the breath of the Soul King to fuse fragments of his own soul into yours."
"Thus, sharing the same origin and will as Inaba Kagerōza, you remain so loyal to him."
Hearing this, the replicated Aizen frowned slightly.
"What of it? Exerting strong control over weapons one creates is something any researcher would do."
"Such a shallow conjecture, and you actually needed..."
Mid-sentence, as if realizing something, he showed a shocked expression.
Seeing his reaction, Aizen smiled.
"It seems you understand now."
"Yes, by fusing with Inaba Kagerōza's soul, you not only gained strong control from your creator."
"Your will and thoughts have also aligned with his."
"The replicated captains exhibit a distinct trait in battle... even in chaotic multi-person fights, they strive to split the battlefield, creating one-on-one or many-against-one situations."
"The reason they avoid many-against-many scenarios is simple."
"Under the influence of Inaba Kagerōza's will, they cannot trust their companions and naturally avoid cooperative combat styles."
"And you are no exception."
"Your desire for Satoru stems from reliance on great power and doubt in yourself."
"What you see in your eyes is what you lack, what you believe should rightfully be yours."
"Whereas in my eyes, there is only the goal and the path to reach it."
"Even without that guy, I would still become the one who stands above all."
At this point, he paused slightly and glanced around.
After confirming no one was present, he spoke calmly:
"I stand with that man because we share the same ideals, because I am willing to share what I possess with him, because... I want him to become the one who stands above the heavens."
"Not because of what he can offer me, or what he can help me accomplish."
"Much less because of your foolish notion of treating him as a mere enforcer."
Gazing at the man who looked exactly like him, Aizen gently shook his head.
"When we first met, I referred to you as 'my replica'."
"That designation was problematic."
"You are merely an entity bearing my name."
"With your limited capacity, you are unworthy of bearing it."
Hearing Aizen's words, the replica Aizen's expression twisted into a vicious snarl.
"Sōsuke Aizen!!!"
He roared, spreading his hands toward Aizen:
"Ominous turbid emblem... arrogant rampaging talent!"
"Surge, deny, paralyze, instantaneously, obstruct eternal slumber!"
"Crawling iron princess, endlessly self-harming earthen doll!"
"Unite, rebound, extend to the earth... know your own powerlessness!"
Aizen remained quietly in place, waiting until the man before him completed the entire incantation.
Only at the very end did he simultaneously speak:
"Kidō 90, Kurohitsugi."
Bzzzt bzzzt bzzzt!!
Chaotic black Reiatsu rose from the ground like twin coffins, enveloping both of them.
Seconds later, the turbulent Reiatsu dissipated.
The replica Aizen collapsed with a thud, blood gushing from his body, filled with rage and resentment.
Under his fading gaze, Aizen drew his Zanpakutō.
"Farewell, nameless one."
Squelch!
...
...
Storing his Gigai pill, Aizen turned to leave.
But as he turned, he was surprised to see a very familiar figure standing at the alley entrance, smiling as he looked their way.
"Satoru... since when?"
Aizen slightly furrowed his brows.
"Not long," Satoru replied cheerfully.
Hearing this, Aizen felt an uneasy premonition.
"So from when I said... 'I stand with him because we share the same ideals, I'm willing to share what I possess... holy shit!"
Before he could finish, Satoru instantly Flash Stepped away into the distance.
Expressionless, Aizen gripped his Zanpakutō and swept it through the space where Satoru had just been.
Watching Satoru who had Flash Stepped into the distance, Aizen raised his head and gazed quietly at him.
"Satoru, I have a test that requires assistance."
"Come and help me now."
Satoru chuckled.
"Sōsuke, have you been contaminated by the replicas? Even a fool wouldn't fall for such an obvious trap."
"The Sixth Division captain succession battle."
Aizen spoke gravely.
"You still owe me one thing from the Sixth Division captain succession battle."
"I'm invoking that condition now."
Satoru froze momentarily:
"But back then, you said that promise was meant for..."
"At the time, you claimed you'd do it regardless of any promise, so you never accepted that condition."
Aizen cut him off directly.
Hearing this, Satoru's expression changed.
Damn, now that he thought about it, that really did happen...
He drew a sharp breath, his mind racing as he tried to devise a way to weasel out of this.
Suddenly, a massive Reiatsu disturbance erupted in the distance.
Satoru quickly said:
"Sōsuke, the battle's urgent! Let's discuss this later... I need to check the situation first!"
With that, he vanished in a flash.
Watching Satoru's departing figure, Aizen took a deep breath, feeling as frustrated as if he'd been screwed over by Komamura.
He had clearly confirmed no one was around earlier, yet that bastard still managed to sneak close enough to evade his detection.
That damn brat... wasn't his growth rate becoming absurdly fast?
...
...
First Division, main gate.
The area had been reduced to ruins by released Zanpakutō, Kidō spells, and Reiatsu collisions.
Amid the chaotic battle, Chōjirō Sasakibe stole a glance around and couldn't help feeling as frustrated as if he'd been screwed over by Komamura.
The First Division barracks - the place he had painstakingly maintained and cared for - had been reduced to this state!
Lord Genryūsai, if your spirit is watching... cough what would you think seeing this spectacle?
Initially, facing replicas with far superior Reiatsu and numbers, the captains found themselves in an unprecedented tough battle.
But soon, sharp observers like Kyōraku noticed the key point Aizen had mentioned earlier.
These replicas weren't completely identical to their originals.
Having fused with fragments of Inaba Kagerōza's soul, they fought with almost no concept of "comrades."
Fighting individually was one thing.
The most absurd part was how these replica captains wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice their allies when facing life-threatening dangers.
For example, in three-on-three battles, when originals were at a disadvantage, the other two would immediately assist, while the struggling captain would hold the line firmly to prevent breaches.
The replicas were different.
At the slightest disadvantage, struggling replicas would retreat temporarily, leaving the battlefield to their "teammates."
Thus, the one-sided battle gradually became evenly matched.
Kenpachi Zaraki grew increasingly exhilarated, his Reiatsu erupting in layers as he brutally suppressed the replicas.
Just as everyone prepared to press their advantage, a figure suddenly descended from the sky, crashing between the two forces!
Everyone - both originals and replicas - showed astonishment at the sudden arrival.
But their expressions quickly diverged.
The original side became invigorated, as if they'd gained their backbone.
On the side of the replicas, their faces turned pale, and some with weaker willpower even began to entertain thoughts of retreat.
Under everyone's gaze, Satoru slowly rose to his feet.
He rested his Zanpakutō on his shoulder and grinned as he looked around.
"Yo, having a party?"
"Why didn't you wait for me?"
Yoruichi smiled and was about to say something.
But then she saw a green-haired head emerge from a slowly floating shadow beside Satoru.
Yoruichi's eye twitched.
This guy... even on his way to a fight, he could pick up a girl?
That's just a bit too absurd.