I'm only saying this now, but honestly, I never thought Aizen's plan would actually succeed.
It wasn't that I doubted Aizen's abilities; it was because the situation itself was a total mess.
To use an example from an old manhwa that's still burned into my brain, it's like Rachel and the Twenty-Fifth Bam.
Aizen is in Rachel's position, and Urahara is in Bam's.
The traitor who drove a blade into a friend's back in secret, and the victim whose resentment for that betrayal reached his very marrow.
If they had just had a physical brawl while shouting, "Dammit Urahara, I hate your guts!", it would've been better. But how could anyone forgive a bastard of a traitor who didn't just stab them in the back, but drove a knife straight through the back of their skull?
"I have successfully brought Urahara Kisuke into the fold."
That's why I couldn't believe the news Aizen brought back from the World of the Living.
Of course, I would have understood if it had taken years of gradual persuasion.
Take Ichimaru Gin, for instance—didn't he play the part of a double agent for over a hundred years just to get a chance to stab Aizen in the heart?
If he had approached him slowly like that, maybe. But how do you succeed in recruitment not even a day after I told you to go make peace?
And it's not like the target was some brainless, gullible kid like Ichigo. We're talking about Urahara.
No matter how talented or brilliant Aizen is, that should have been impossible, right?
"So, did you actually make up? You didn't just coerce him?"
"Indeed. Both Urahara and I are reasonable men. Once we sat down for a proper conversation, he accepted both my apology and my proposal."
Usually, we don't call someone who stabs others in the back a 'reasonable man.'
I almost blurted out a retort at Aizen's nonchalant answer, but I managed to swallow it.
"Ah… I see."
Maybe he's just trying to get through the moment? Maybe he's just talking his way through to buy time for his next scheme?
If that were the case, I would've let it slide. It would've been typical for him.
But looking at his spiritual power—as calm and still as a quiet lake—he didn't seem to be lying at all.
Which made it even more horrifying.
I mean, seriously, how did he pull that off? Better yet, how could it work?
Was Urahara's desire for revenge against Aizen really that shallow?
Even if the circumstances have changed drastically from the original story, it shouldn't be enough to make him abandon his grudge….
'Wait, is he pulling an Ichimaru Gin and pretending to cooperate just to infiltrate us?'
It was a plausible suspicion, but Aizen wasn't some fool who wouldn't notice something like that.
With Ichimaru Gin, he might have let it happen out of curiosity or overconfidence, but if it's Urahara, there's no way he'd miss it.
At that moment, a hypothesis flashed through my mind.
What if Aizen and Urahara have joined hands behind my back?
The trope where two sworn enemies team up for a common goal isn't exactly rare.
In a way, it's a classic, even a cliché.
So, who would be a threat dangerous enough to make those two join forces?
The Zero Division who've gone off the deep end? Or perhaps the Soul King fully awakening and shattering his seal?
But neither of those are immediate threats, so if you exclude them, all that's left is….
'...Me?'
Seriously? What did I even do?
All I did was take Aizen and Urahara's original plans and arrange them in my own way, right?
Do they think my plan is inferior to theirs, but can't say it to my face because of the gap in our power?
Is that why they're trying to dismantle my plan from the inside or warp it to their liking?
'…Why does that actually make sense?'
First off, both Aizen and Urahara are geniuses.
Secondly, neither of them are the type of people who enjoy bowing to someone else.
Aizen chose rebellion for the sake of his ideals, and Urahara is practically an iconoclast in human form.
And both of them are willing to do whatever it takes to see their plans through.
The only difference is that Aizen is the type who will do anything, while Urahara is the type who will find a way, but regardless.
If they've teamed up behind my back to wreck my plans, I'm in a bit of a bind.
'They could've just talked to me, why go to such lengths…'
It's not like I can throw a tantrum if my plan doesn't go my way, nor can I force it through with sheer strength.
And I certainly can't just beat them half to death and drag them by their hair, shouting, "You guys are my teammates from today on, got it!?"
That's exactly the kind of behavior I hate most. I smashed other people's skulls specifically to tell them not to live like that; if I did it myself, I'd be the ultimate hypocrite.
'I don't want to be like that, so I should probably set up a three-way meeting as soon as possible.'
Even if an alliance between Urahara and Aizen seems nonsensical, in a world where anything can happen, I have to be prepared.
After all, the world of Bleach is a place where the nonsensical happens on a daily basis.
People are constantly pulling the "The truth is actually this," or "Here is a fact you didn't know," or "I was actually hiding my true power" card.
I mean, there's a reason why the most frequent line in the series is practically "Nan… dato…!"
'Experiencing it firsthand is actually pretty damn annoying.'
Of course, ninety percent of it was somewhat expected, so I wasn't that surprised.
But anyway, even if keeping secrets and throwing plot twists around is necessary for a story to progress, this isn't a manga or a novel anymore; it's reality.
There's no need for me to sit back and watch things spiral out of control just for the sake of a "twist."
The biggest reason things go wrong is always the breakdown of communication….
I finished my train of thought in a fraction of a second and nodded.
"Honestly, I didn't think it would work, but you actually managed to convince him. Is it because you're both scientists?"
"I consider myself more of a seeker than a scientist, but yes. Perhaps that played a role."
"Really? Then let's head to the World of the Living together. I need to iron out the details of the plan."
Screw it. They say strike while the iron is hot. Let's finish this while it's on my mind.
Aizen went to nod at my words, then flinched, his body trembling slightly.
"Pardon? What did you just…"
"Don't play deaf. Do I have to say it again? I'm saying let's go to the World of the Living for a three-way meeting with Urahara."
I just finished the last of the squad paperwork, so I can go right now.
"I understand your urgency, but rushing a plan so haphazardly is bound to create complications. Moreover, I have already reported my return from the World of the Living today. Going back out again so soon would be…"
"Is it because of the Senkaimon? Don't worry about it. We don't need to get passes issued. I'll just open it myself."
"Master Shaku, is your plan not supposed to be top-secret? Considering the risk, a plan to remove 'The Wedge' could potentially turn the Gotei 13, the Quincies, and even the Zero Division—the Soul King's Royal Guard—into enemies. This is not something that should be handled with such reckless abandon."
"It's not exactly top-secret, you know? I'm only keeping quiet now because we're in the prep stage. Once the groundwork is done, I'm going to explain it to the kids. That we're going to set the Soul King free."
"…No, I… wait."
Aizen looked at me with an expression that clearly said, This guy has completely lost his mind.
He quickly reined in his emotions and returned to his poker face, but my words had shaken even Aizen's composure, if only for a fleeting second.
Was what I said really that shocking?
Honestly, from my perspective, it wasn't. Because I know the true nature of this plan.
But I suppose for Aizen, who doesn't know the full story, it must have been earth-shattering.
"Let's talk once we get there. Any misunderstandings you have can be cleared up then."
"Understood. Then, how do you intend to travel to the World of the Living?"
"Follow me out. If I do it here, the paperwork I just finished approving will get trashed."
I stood up and walked out of the Squad 3 barracks, where I had spent the last part of my day.
Having been stuck in a back room processing documents all day, the sun was already starting to set.
Unohana usually gets home around 7 PM, so I'll have to finish this conversation as fast as possible.
With that thought, I headed toward a secluded spot.
"You asked how I was going to get to the World of the Living, right?"
Well, there's only ever been one way I travel to the World of the Living.
I reached out and gripped the empty air, then physically tore space apart.
As soon as he saw that, Aizen's spiritual pressure wavered violently.
His expression remained calm, but he was clearly stunned deep down.
"How do you like it? Does the method look familiar?"
I'm the original behind that sacrilegious joke of tearing the air your former captain used to do.
I bit back the nonsense I almost spewed and gestured toward the rift in space.
When we emerged, we were in the sky above Karakura Town.
Since it had only just entered the 20th century, there weren't any of the modern buildings I recognized.
Still, the landscape felt familiar somehow.
Ah, I remember where I saw this. Demon Slayer.
If the Bount incident had happened during this era, they really might have ended up filming Demon Slayer for real.
After a brief moment of nostalgia for the late Meiji era landscape, I spread out my senses to scan the Karakura area.
"Oh? You're already here?"
"…No matter how many times I see it, that sensing ability of yours is terrifying."
I turned around to find Urahara standing there, wearing a black cloak identical to the one Aizen had worn.
Had he already anticipated that I would come to the town?
"Well, fine. This is actually better. Let's have a little chat."
"Indeed, let's. I have plenty to say as well."
For a split second, Urahara's gaze flickered toward Aizen.
These two were definitely in league with each other.
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