At this crucial moment, Yhwach found himself genuinely perplexed by Aizen's psychological motivations and strategic thinking.
He fixed his omniscient gaze upon the sealed captain and demanded an explanation for such defiant refusal to cooperate.
[In the projection, faced with Yhwach's mounting confusion and irritation, Aizen maintained his characteristic expression of supreme arrogance. Even while restrained upon his prison chair, he somehow managed to convey the impression of gazing down upon Yhwach from an infinitely superior position.]
[With casual dismissiveness that bordered on deliberate provocation, he stated his reason for rejecting the Quincy Emperor's proposal.]
["I simply cannot bear the sight of the so-called King of the Quincy being reduced to such a pitiful state - following behind me like a loyal subordinate."]
[The words struck like lightning. Aizen was openly mocking Yhwach, implying that even if he were to escape his current imprisonment, Yhwach would inevitably become nothing more than his junior partner!]
[Upon hearing such blatantly sarcastic commentary, Yhwach's eyes turned glacially cold. Anger and embarrassment flickered across his usually composed features as his mood deteriorated rapidly.]
It has become abundantly clear that this Aizen will never willingly join forces with anyone.
He truly lives up to his reputation! Absolutely unwilling to accept a subordinate position under any circumstances!
Cooperation between us appears impossible.
In the future, conflict with Aizen Sosuke seems inevitable!
If I possessed the time and opportunity at this moment, I would eliminate him immediately!
[Yhwach muttered with barely contained displeasure.]
["Is that your final answer? Very well. Our conversation has reached its natural conclusion."]
[He turned to depart without ceremony, though his desire to eliminate Aizen burned within his consciousness. However, this was clearly not the optimal time for such decisive action.]
[Seeing the Quincy Emperor's retreat, Aizen called out with deliberate provocation.]
["Leaving so soon? Didn't you come here specifically because you recognized my power as a legitimate threat to your ambitions?"]
[Yhwach paused and responded with calculated honesty.]
["That assessment is correct. However, now that you have achieved fusion with the Hōgyoku, whether I choose to kill you directly or transport you elsewhere for sealing would require considerable time and effort."]
[His admission revealed profound respect for Aizen's current capabilities. When Kurosaki Ichigo had employed Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō and unleashed Mugetsu to bisect Aizen completely, even that devastating technique had proved insufficient for permanent elimination.]
[Following that ultimate attack, Aizen had relied upon the Hōgyoku's power to restore his physical form and continue evolving to even greater heights! Such regenerative capabilities approached true immortality - the domain of genuine divinity!]
[Meanwhile, Ichigo had lost all of his Shinigami powers and could no longer oppose Aizen's continued evolution. Only through Urahara Kisuke's pre-planted sealing technique had they achieved Aizen's temporary containment.]
[This demonstrated just how extraordinarily difficult a Hōgyoku-fused Aizen was to handle permanently. Even Yhwach, without employing his full omnipotent capabilities, could not casually eliminate such a transcendent being.]
[With Soul Society's invasion requiring his immediate attention above, he needed to return swiftly to the battlefield. The question of whether his forces could successfully handle Captain-Commander Yamamoto remained uncertain - it would be prudent to deal with that legendary Shinigami as quickly as possible!]
[Observing Yhwach's departure, Aizen responded with characteristic lightness.]
["Indeed! A very intelligent judgment."]
["Individuals with fundamentally different ideals cannot work together harmoniously. Therefore, the shorter our time spent in each other's presence, the better for all concerned."]
["Furthermore, we both understand that eventually, one of us must eliminate the other."]
[He watched Yhwach's retreating figure with his face displaying pure contempt and amusement.]
[At this moment, Yhwach remained completely unaware that he had already fallen victim to Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu. His perception of time had been subtly disrupted!]
[Yhwach, still operating under this deception, offered no further words and departed directly from Muken's depths.]
[The Quincy Emperor would now continue his campaign of conquest above!]
Although the Shinigami felt desperate concern about Yhwach's next destination, they possessed no means of discovering his intentions.
The terrifying reality remained undeniable: Yhwach at this stage appeared truly invincible throughout Soul Society. Even Captain-Commander Yamamoto would face mortal danger when confronting such overwhelming power.
As this scene gradually concluded, it brought tremendous shock throughout the entirety of Soul Society.
[Urahara Kisuke]: As anticipated, Aizen remains fused with the Hōgyoku at this time? Yhwach has directly confirmed this fact. It appears that despite being bisected by Kurosaki Ichigo previously, complete elimination remained impossible!
[Shiba Isshin]: This Aizen is incredibly difficult to handle permanently. The Hōgyoku truly represents a terrifying existence beyond conventional understanding!
[Yhwach]: Ah, I see. I acknowledge that Aizen is not easily dealt with at this particular time! However, this presents no real problem. The next time I encounter him, I can dispose of him with relative ease.
[Yhwach]: Although I was slightly affected by his techniques later, such influence carries no lasting significance!
[Yhwach]: His illusions cannot possibly pose a fatal threat to my existence.
Yhwach maintained absolute confidence in his supreme capabilities!
[Unohana Retsu]: Impossible! Even after his Hōgyoku was shattered into fragments... can it still function, just as when it was briefly taken by Ichimaru Gin previously?
[Hitsugaya Toshiro]: Even if the Hōgyoku is not physically in his possession, it still recognizes him as its rightful master. So even if the Hōgyoku were completely destroyed, could he still access its power?
At this moment, the Shinigami experienced profoundly mixed emotions - simultaneously elated and deeply concerned.
The positive aspect was that Aizen still possessed the Hōgyoku, meaning he retained sufficient power to compete with Yhwach as an equal!
However, they also had to worry about their own future security.
With such an overwhelmingly powerful Aizen, would Soul Society possess any means of controlling or balancing his influence in coming conflicts?
Previously, even when Ichigo Kurosaki had employed Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō, it had required the combined efforts of all available Shinigami forces to achieve his defeat - and such an opportunity would never present itself again!
The Shinigami also had to consider how Aizen would engage Yhwach in future combat scenarios.
It appeared that this meeting between Yhwach and Aizen represented merely a preliminary assessment rather than the anticipated battle of the century.
Would Yhwach have opportunities to fight Aizen in future conflicts? Would there be genuine hope for victory?
These questions consumed the Shinigami's thoughts as they awaited answers from the Three Realms Projection.
After receiving these revelations, the Quincy forces regained their composure and resumed their arrogant commentary through the interdimensional chat.
[Gerard]: Haha! It appears your precious Aizen is merely average at best. At most, he managed to affect our Majesty temporarily. Do you seriously believe he can exert significant influence over our sovereign? Such thinking represents pure wishful thinking.
[Jugram Haschwalth]: This may represent the final time he encounters our Majesty face-to-face.
[Lille Barro]: You remain nothing but a prisoner. Do you still harbor delusions of fighting our Majesty? Such fantasies are utterly ridiculous.
[Pernida Parnkgjas]: Our Majesty has not yet employed his omniscience and omnipotence. Once our Majesty becomes serious, Aizen will certainly prove no match for his absolute power.
[Askin Nakk Le Vaar]: Perhaps later, our Majesty will find the time to destroy both Aizen and his Hōgyoku with a single technique. The power of omniscience and omnipotence transcends anything a mere Hōgyoku could hope to achieve.
The Sternritter once again began cheering enthusiastically for Yhwach's inevitable triumph!
They refused to believe that the combined forces of Hueco Mundo and Soul Society could cause them meaningful trouble!
Yhwach would undoubtedly rule Soul Society with effortless ease!
[Yhwach]: What a disappointment! It seems I will not have the opportunity to battle an unrestricted Aizen after all? The next time I encounter him, he will perish miserably. Such a waste! If you refuse to cooperate with me, this is the price you must pay!
[Aizen Sosuke]: Really? I find it difficult to believe that my role in these events will conclude so abruptly. It remains uncertain how much strength I can demonstrate at this moment, or whether I can break free from this so-called seal through my own capabilities.
Aizen harbored no genuine fear of Yhwach at this critical juncture.
As long as their official duel had not yet commenced, he would never acknowledge Yhwach's supposed superiority!
The devoted members of Hueco Mundo maintained absolute confidence in their Lord Aizen, rallying to support their revered master!
[Ulquiorra]: Indeed, our Lord Aizen might simply be entertaining himself with these proceedings. Ultimately, he will be the one to save Soul Society. Soul Society can never abandon our Lord Aizen!
[Harribel]: You Soul Society Shinigami must express gratitude to our Lord Aizen. Without his intervention, your continued existence would be impossible.
[Tosen Kaname]: The only individual capable of dealing with Yhwach effectively is our Lord Aizen.
The expressions displayed by the Shinigami at this moment appeared extremely complex, as they genuinely struggled to formulate appropriate responses.
After all, subsequent events had definitively proven that the Shinigami, even working alongside Ichigo Kurosaki, could not defeat such an overwhelmingly powerful Yhwach through conventional means.
They could only anticipate future scenes to discover how Soul Society would address this existential crisis.
They needed to observe how Soul Society would utilize Aizen's power against Yhwach!
The optimal scenario would naturally involve reasonably employing Aizen's capabilities while maintaining Soul Society's control over the situation.
Ideally, they could use Aizen as their champion and arrange for both Aizen and Yhwach to eliminate each other in mutual destruction!
Such an outcome might represent Soul Society's best possible resolution to this cosmic conflict.