Looking at the blown-to-pieces Kyōraku Shunsui, Naraku Sora nodded in satisfaction. He reached up, wiped a hand across his face, and directly deactivated his Hollowfication.
The stronger clone captains had all come to besiege him; among the remaining captains, it seemed none were particularly powerful.
He counted them off on his fingers.
The ones left were nothing more than the clones of Rōjūrō, Kensei, and their ilk.
With the strength of Komamura Sajin and the others, they should be able to handle them easily.
Moreover, given their level of genius, surviving a life-and-death struggle might even boost their strength by another margin.
Naraku Sora appeared atop a spire, looking down at the chaotic Seireitei.
Seated Soul Reapers led their respective squads, weaving through the streets and alleys to take over key facilities.
When the clone captains of their respective squads died, most people witnessed their corpses turning into clay, collapsing and crumbling away, displaying a state of death completely unlike that of a normal person.
Therefore, a new interpretation of the news regarding Naraku Sora's rebellion quickly emerged.
*'The reason Lord Naraku did this is entirely because there are traitors within the Gotei 13!'*
The Soul Reapers believed that Lord Naraku was willing to suffer the false accusation of treason just to protect the Seireitei.
Such a profound sense of responsibility was beyond the reach of ordinary men.
*'Only a man like this is worthy of our loyal following!'*
With complicated emotions, more and more Soul Reapers joined the faction crusading against the clones, beginning to search everywhere within the Seireitei.
Squad 12, inside a certain research laboratory.
Inaba Kagerōza stared fixedly at the screen in front of him. His eyes darted wildly, and while anger surfaced on his face, a trace of fear also appeared.
*'Damn it, damn it!'*
*'I finally know why I couldn't clone this guy. It turns out his soul has actually been contaminated by Hollow poison.'*
*'But...'*
*'Under the infection of Hollow poison, no Soul Reaper can maintain their sanity. They would only turn into beasts with minds full of murderous desires.'*
*'Yet looking at Naraku Sora, he isn't affected in the slightest. At most, his aura just seems a bit more brutal.'*
*'Just how did this guy do it?'*
*'Also, what exactly went wrong with the Reigai clones that Naraku Sora could easily distinguish them?'*
*'Didn't they say this guy had no brains and relied entirely on brute force?'*
*'Which idiot was spreading these rumors?'*
*'Shattering the Hakutōmon, murdering a colleague in broad daylight, and publicly declaring rebellion, all to allow the Soul Reapers of Shino Prison to directly take over the Seireitei.'*
*'Does this look like the work of someone with no brains?'*
*'The people who believed such nonsense are the real brainless ones!'*
Watching the data constantly scrolling across the screen, Kagerōza's expression shifted unpredictably, his gaze turning extremely gloomy.
*'The Dangai side won't be able to hold out for much longer. I must capture the other half of the soul as quickly as possible.'*
*'As long as the fusion is complete, everything will be fine.'*
*'When that time comes, no matter how strong Naraku Sora is, he won't be able to make any waves.'*
Thinking up to this point, Kagerōza seemed to make a firm decision. He turned and walked over to the adjacent operating console, forcefully pulling open the drawer underneath.
A row of Artificial Soul gemstones was neatly arranged inside.
Kagerōza reached out and picked up a gemstone, a flash of absolute resolve passing through his narrow pupils.
"Fortunately, I made backup preparations in advance."
"This time, I will make sure Naraku Sora never returns!"
Following a series of fluid operations, several figures flashed briefly within the laboratory before vanishing into the shadows.
"Well done."
Naraku Sora patted Komamura Sajin's shoulder with considerable force.
The large dog immediately bared his teeth in a grimace, but this expression was quickly replaced by a genuine smile.
Ever since joining the squad, he had constantly thought about how to repay Lord Naraku's kindness.
Unfortunately, his strength was insufficient; his spirit was willing, but his flesh was weak.
In order to one day become Lord Naraku's right-hand man and assist him, he had been training diligently.
Now that his dream had come true, how could he not be happy?
"I have one more task to entrust to you next."
Naraku Sora checked Komamura Sajin's condition and found no serious injuries. Any random healer in the squad could easily cure him, so he simply put his mind at ease.
"Look for a green-haired girl. She's very pretty, and her strength is just so-so, probably around the same level as Senna. The moment you find her, capture her and bring her back immediately!"
"I only want her alive."
Hearing this, Komamura Sajin's expression turned a bit strange.
He realized that Lord Naraku was great in every aspect, except that he was a bit too lecherous.
Previously, during the Valley of Screams crisis, even when facing extremely ferocious enemies, Lord Naraku hadn't forgotten to carry a young girl on his shoulder, bringing her back to the barracks afterward.
Now, the Seireitei was facing an unprecedented crisis, a time when everything needed to be rebuilt from the ground up.
Yet Lord Naraku was actually sending him to look for a pretty girl.
*'Well, I suppose there's nothing wrong with that.'*
*'Among the werewolf clan, powerful males usually have multiple mates. Only in this way can the prosperity and expansion of the tribe be guaranteed.'*
*'Given Lord Naraku's current strength, the fact that he doesn't even have a single official partner means he is already keeping himself quite pure.'*
*'The importance of this mission goes without saying.'*
Thinking up to this point, Komamura Sajin's expression turned solemn. He puffed out his chest and declared loudly,
"Yes, Lord Naraku!"
Naraku Sora nodded in satisfaction.
"Good, go on then."
"Also, don't forget to inform the others about this task. Try to get it done as soon as possible."
Komamura Sajin gathered a group of squad members who were in relatively good condition and hurriedly left.
Watching their retreating backs, Naraku Sora stretched his limbs and turned to walk in the direction of Squad 12.
If he remembered correctly, that Kagerōza had been staying inside his own laboratory the entire time in order to control the overall situation.
Scientists had a lot of personal belongings, which usually couldn't be moved around easily.
If he could find this guy ahead of time, he could put an end to this crisis that had engulfed the entire Seireitei.
Aizen left the underground assembly hall feeling refreshed and invigorated.
Having resolved the trouble that had constantly lingered in his mind, he felt significantly lighter.
Although Central 46 had restrained themselves considerably ever since the fall of the Tsunayashiro Clan and a certain someone taking up the position of Prison Warden.
But that was only in comparison to before.
In Aizen's view, this bunch of deadbeats occupying positions without doing any work was still one of the major factors behind the decay of the Soul Society's order.
Now that they were all dealt with in one fell swoop, it was like ruthlessly scraping barnacles off a sea turtle. Naturally, his mood was exceptionally pleasant.
However, this didn't mean the problem was solved once and for all.
Once this incident was over, there was a high probability that the Seireitei would elect a new batch for Central 46.
But in the meantime, it was enough time for him to accomplish many things.
He could even alter the landscape of the Soul Society.
Before that, however, he still needed to eliminate the crisis hidden in the shadows.
Otherwise, whenever he tried to do something, there would always be malicious individuals staring at his back, making it impossible to focus.
Aizen executed a Flash Step. The moment his foot landed, his figure had already appeared at the edge of the horizon.
Compared to a certain someone's reckless and rampaging method of movement, he was evidently much more elegant.
Every gesture and movement gave off an aura of unhurried composure.
However, just as he crossed a spacious street, Aizen suddenly stopped in his tracks, casting a questioning gaze forward.
From the shadows of the buildings, a figure slowly stepped out.
Messy short brown hair, a refined and easygoing temperament, and plain glasses that glinted eerily in the sunlight, obscuring any shifts in his gaze.
An unexpected presence.
Upon clearly seeing who had arrived, Aizen raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.
"We meet for the first time, Lord Aizen."
Seemingly fully aware of his own purpose, the Reigai Aizen opposite him curled his lips slightly, a calm and composed smile surfacing on his face.
It was as if everything was under his control.
"I thought you would go look for Sora, or perhaps the Gold Seal Noble Assembly and their ilk. I didn't expect you to come looking for me. It's quite surprising."
A thoughtful look flashed in Aizen's eyes.
"But thinking about it carefully, this is indeed something 'I' would do. My previous assumption was a bit narrow-minded."
The Reigai Aizen nodded and smiled.
"Then why don't you take a guess at my purpose for seeking you out, Lord Aizen?"
"Does it have to do with Sora?"
"As expected, you are the only one in this world who can synchronize with my thoughts."
A satisfied expression appeared on the Reigai Aizen's face.
As Aizen's clone, he possessed scientific research capabilities that the other Reigai could not match.
As early as when he was first created, he had detected the traces of control placed upon him.
The Reigai, having inherited Aizen's memories, was utterly disgusted by such an act.
Therefore, after spending a little time, he temporarily broke free from the control, deviated from the original plan, and sought out Aizen.
"Lord Aizen, do you still remember your original goal?"
"If there is nothing wrong with the memories in my head, it should be to change this sin-filled world and redefine its so-called rules."
"Just like the thought we had at the very beginning—"
"The sky is colorless."
"But looking at it now, what exactly are you doing?"
The Reigai Aizen stared into Aizen's eyes, as if doing so would allow him to see through to the truest thoughts deep within his heart.
"You are held back by so-called friendship, restraining yourself with Naraku Sora's moral principles. Whether in your schemes or your actions, you've become bound hand and foot."
"Aizen Sōsuke, you have become weak."
Aizen met this with silence, a thoughtful look flashing in his brown eyes.
A few seconds later, he raised his gaze, a gentle smile appearing on his face.
"Modified Soul, I suppose I'll call you that for now."
"Although you are the creation of another, being able to say such things means you have reached the same height of thought as the past 'me'."
"However, a person cannot empathize with their past self."
"The reason progress exists is because one's thoughts are constantly changing."
"You say Sora has influenced me, but in my view, it is the exact opposite. His appearance has allowed me to find a new direction, broadening my originally narrow horizons."
"I am no longer limited to merely redefining the rules."
"As for the changes you mentioned, I'm sorry, but I don't think you have ever truly understood 'me'. From beginning to end, all I have ever wished for is—"
"To find a kindred spirit who can stand at the same height as me."
"You are too arrogant..."