At this moment, beyond just Aizen himself, the other members of Hueco Mundo were eagerly anticipating witnessing their former master's return to action.
[Ulquiorra]: Excellent. Aizen-sama will now demonstrate the full extent of his overwhelming power.
[Tier Harribel]: Neither Yhwach nor any of these other Quincy can possibly compare to Aizen-sama's magnificence.
[Tosen Kaname]: Shinigami and Quincy alike—prepare to tremble before his might!
Then, under the expectant gazes of countless spectators across the three realms, the projection continued to unfold.
[Kyoraku Shunsui methodically released three of Aizen's restraints: the seals binding his left ankle, mouth, and left eye. Each seal's removal was accompanied by a subtle but ominous shift in the spiritual pressure emanating from Muken's depths.
With the partial release complete, Kyoraku fixed Aizen with a penetrating stare, his usual laid-back demeanor replaced by the serious bearing of a Head Captain.
"Well then," he said, his voice carrying both authority and a hint of uncertainty, "now that you have some degree of freedom... do you wish to leave this place?"
After hearing Kyoraku's carefully worded question, Aizen maintained that insufferably arrogant expression that had become his trademark. His response dripped with condescension.
"I don't recall asking you to release me."]
Arrogant! Thoroughly, completely arrogant! This was the kind of supreme pride that only Aizen Sosuke could display with such natural ease.
Even in this moment—when he was being offered a chance at freedom—Aizen remained utterly dismissive. His attitude suggested that he would only consider leaving if Soul Society properly begged him to do so, as if granting them his presence would be an immense favor on his part.
This display of hubris immediately reignited the fury of countless Shinigami. This bastard really doesn't know when to quit! they thought collectively. He's been temporarily freed from his bonds—what more could he possibly want?
Does he expect the Shinigami of Soul Society to kneel and grovel for his assistance? How shameless can one person be?
At this moment, the Shinigami of Soul Society found themselves seething with indignation, yet they couldn't afford to voice anything too harsh against Aizen Sosuke. Their precarious situation demanded his cooperation, no matter how galling it might be.
However, the Quincy of the Wandenreich felt no such restraint and immediately began their verbal assault.
[Gerard]: Hahaha! You Shinigami are truly pathetic beyond words. Not only must you beg your former enemies to fight us Quincy, but you have to endure being rejected and humiliated in the process. What a disgraceful display!
[Lille Barro]: Let's see you Shinigami try to act superior now. Is there anything left to say? This is hilarious!
[Pernida]: Are you feeling frustrated? Too bad—you still have to rely on Aizen's power to even dream of competing with us, so you'll need to swallow your pride and humbly request his aid!
[Ulquiorra]: While I find the Shinigami thoroughly distasteful, I do take pleasure in watching them grovel before Aizen-sama. For the sake of Soul Society's survival, our lord should be gracious enough to accept your pitiful pleas for assistance.
[Tier Harribel]: Why don't you show proper gratitude and beg Aizen-sama with the humility befitting your desperate position?
[Tosen Kaname]: At this point, you should abandon any pretense of pride. You have no right to arrogance whatsoever.
[Nnoitra]: These Shinigami had their Bankai stolen with laughable ease by the Quincy, and they quickly lost all power to resist before being routed completely!
[Grimmjow]: In the end, you'll have to depend on Hueco Mundo's strength to have any hope of standing against these Quincy!
The Arrancar were reveling in their moment of superiority, each adding their voice to the chorus of mockery. Though the Shinigami felt their anger burning like molten steel, they found themselves unable to offer any meaningful rebuttal.
The painful truth was that they truly had no choice but to swallow their pride and ask Aizen to emerge from his prison to help them. If someone didn't know the context, many observers thought, they might assume Aizen was some revered ancestor emerging from peaceful seclusion to aid his descendants.
Who could imagine that Aizen was actually Soul Society's most carefully guarded and dangerous prisoner?
This reversal of fortune was almost too ironic to bear. Though the situation was deeply humiliating, they still had no choice but to rely on Aizen's power.
The Shinigami of Soul Society could only pray that Aizen would prove capable of defeating Yhwach. After debasing ourselves by begging him to fight for us, they thought desperately, if he fails to defeat the Quincy King, we'll never recover from this shame.
Please, just defeat Yhwach quickly! Our hearts can't take much more of this humiliation!
Meanwhile, the projection continued to unfold before their eyes.
[Upon hearing Aizen's arrogant dismissal, Kyoraku Shunsui responded with his own pointed observation.
"Would someone who truly doesn't want to leave ask me whether I intend to use the remaining two keys?"
It was a reasonable response from Kyoraku. Though he had always been known for his easy-going nature and distaste for confrontation, he was still a Head Captain addressing a prisoner of Soul Society. Even if they needed Aizen's cooperation, he couldn't allow himself to appear completely subservient.
In response, Aizen's smile took on an even more knowing quality as he posed his own question.
"Then why would you come to visit someone who supposedly doesn't wish to leave... while deliberately embedding the keys within your own body?"
Hearing this, Kyoraku realized that Aizen had already seen through the truth of his situation. With a rueful smile, he pushed aside his captain's haori and exposed the surgical scar visible over his heart.
"You're absolutely correct," he admitted.
"When I applied for authorization to use these keys..."
"The requirement was that they be surgically implanted within my heart."
"Otherwise, do you think those paranoid fools in Central 46 would have permitted me to come here at all?"
Seeing the evidence of Kyoraku's sacrifice, even Aizen seemed momentarily taken aback. It appeared that escape wouldn't be as simple as he might have initially assumed.
"I see. So if you were to be killed, the door to Muken would remain sealed forever," Aizen mused, his tone growing cold with displeasure. "Do those narrow-minded bureaucrats in Central 46 actually believe I would consider murdering you simply to obtain the keys to my prison?"
Aizen's words carried a chill that seemed to drop the temperature in Muken by several degrees. His contempt for the Central 46 was palpable—a disdain that had clearly persisted unchanged from his days as a captain.]
The depth of Aizen's disgust for the governing body was evident. They had always been obstacles to his vision, and apparently, they remained just as shortsighted and paranoid as ever.