With the Tsunayashiro clan pushing from behind—and Head-Captain Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's assent—the order to found a brand-new armed division spread quickly through Seireitei.
The Tsunayashiro seemed especially invested: the day after the decree naming Higashino Shuuichi the inaugural Great Blade-Hunting Chief of the Katana-gari-shū, a pristine captain's haori was delivered to him.
Sitting in the Tsunayashiro-provided residence, Higashino ran his left hand across the fabric. Since arriving in this world, it was his first captain's haori that truly belonged to him (the one in that fabricated future didn't count). Per his request, a bluish lotus was stitched at the right cuff.
"Looks like you do rather like the captain's seat, hm?"
Across from him, a man in glasses and a white haori spoke.
"Of course I like it. It's about as high as a Shinigami can climb. What makes me sentimental is that I should've worn this decades ago. It's late—by decades."
Higashino sighed.
"But that's not a bad thing for you, is it?
This isn't some ordinary captaincy. The nobles want to turn you into a second Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni."
The man's tone was steady, a smile in his eyes.
"A 'second Yamamoto,' huh…"
Higashino snorted. "Aizen-sama, as a Tsunayashiro-direct Great Blade-Hunting Chief, I have to project strength before the Gotei 13—be ready to flip the table with them at any time. Between me and the Gotei 13 inside Soul Society, there's no room to mend fences.
They don't want a 'second Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni.'
Because one is enough—or even…
none."
"But that's precisely why they trust you, isn't it?
You had captain-class strength, yet your own captain suppressed you from taking the post.
You mastered dangerous power, yet Yamamoto still didn't trust you.
You passed the trials, yet Shihōin Yoruichi, head of the Shihōin, sealed your blade; from then on your fighting was at others' mercy.
Add that you are convinced you were framed by three sitting captains, and were finally besieged by multiple captains and forced to flee to the World of the Living.
Any one of these, alone, would suffice to make you raise your zanpakutō against the Gotei 13.
And you stack all of them.
I doubt there's been a Shinigami in centuries with more reason than you to hate the Gotei 13 led by Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni.
Frankly, if in such a situation you bore no grudge toward them, that would be the strangest thing of all."
"So that's why, back then, you were so sure I'd be the Tsunayashiro's optimal choice?"
Higashino met Aizen's gaze.
"To be chosen by the Tsunayashiro, three things are mandatory: strength, motive, and loyalty.
For strength, you were a bit short at the time—escaping a siege by five captains is far from enough to oppose the entire Gotei 13.
For motive, as I've said—you already had it.
The third—and most important—what proves loyalty to the nobles better than serving first the Kasumiooji and then the Kabuma clan, and delivering results both times?
Of the three, the latter two are actually the harder. As for the first, I never doubted you'd reach it.
And clearly, I was not mistaken."
Aizen answered.
He left one thing unsaid: Higashino's showing exceeded expectations. That ability to seal zanpakutō release was practically tailor-made to counter Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni.
The lone concern was whether it would work on Yamamoto. Higashino's reiatsu had surged with initial Hollowfication, but he still had distance to go. If Aizen's own theory held, a power that suppressed releases might not bite if Higashino's reiatsu lagged too far behind Yamamoto's.
Not that this was hard to "fix." If all they needed was raw reiatsu and not holistic combat power, then feeding strong Hollows to Higashino to devour would do. Of course they couldn't make that obvious: better to orchestrate "attacks," have Higashino arrive "by chance," and slay the Hollows as a Shinigami—no suspicion.
If Yamamoto could be handled, Aizen's remaining difficulty was storming the Soul King Palace and removing the meddlesome Royal Guard.
Time to pivot the research…
That was the private decision Aizen made two days ago after witnessing Higashino's frightening new ability: the "Extinguisher" project built solely to counter Yamamoto could be shelved. Higashino's power eclipsed a mere fire-putter-outter.
"Naturally, Aizen-sama—your eye is ever keen."
Flattery greases all wheels; Higashino offered a polite pat, then drew his trump card.
"By the way, Aizen-sama—do you know what happened to me in the World of the Living?"
"I don't. But I am very interested in those missing ten years~"
Aizen narrowed his eyes.
He knew they were at the crux. In truth, that was why he'd come: curiosity toward a subordinate he'd assumed dead—mourned for a heartbeat—who now returned louder than ever.
Hell? He doubted it. From Higashino's prior account, Hell was nonsense stacked upon nonsense; the only reason he'd lasted five years there was under Kuruyashiki Kenpachi's protection. Without that bleeding-heart brute, even Aizen wouldn't care to endure endless torment.
What came out of Higashino's mouth next, however, struck him as more outlandish than a decade in Hell.
"A fabricated future?"
For once, Aizen wore a puzzled look.
Good thing the Hōgyoku wasn't fully merged; who knew what direction it would force his "evolution" with that expression.
"Yes. Per intelligence from the Tsunayashiro, the Fullbringer who constructed it must have seen the true future first to model a copy to target me.
According to the current Tsunayashiro head's account, even that Fullbringer could only alter a limited portion of the future; he couldn't change too much, and whatever he changed would be corrected back to the predestined track.
So he couldn't edit anything too far from the entry point."
Higashino paused. What came next was the core of today's talk—something that might warp the future he knew beyond recognition.
He'd thought it through and chose to proceed.
His fight with Akimi left a chill. If Akimi could see the true future, then what about the real Yhwach?
In canon, it took layered coincidences to buy a single chance to kill Yhwach.
Higashino admitted it: he balked. He refused to gamble on the same pattern repeating.
Compared to an omniscient, omnipotent Yhwach, a Hōgyoku-ascendant Aizen was the safer antagonist.
Even if he failed to kill Aizen and accidentally helped him become a god—well, as an original shareholder and long-serving retainer, life under Aizen wouldn't be so bad.
Either way, Yhwach—the one who aims to erase Shinigami and Hollows—must die.
"Aizen-sama, in that future, I saw you—and my death."
Higashino studied Aizen's eyes, seeking a reaction.
He found one—but couldn't parse it.
Shock? Doubt? Delight? Excitement?
Conflicting emotions burst behind the black frames.
"You mean… in the future, I die?"
Aizen spoke very slowly, as if wrestling each word into the open.
"Yes, Aizen-sama. Not only you—me, Tōsen Kaname, the Gotei 13, the nobles, even the Arrancar you create in Hueco Mundo—everyone dies."
Higashino drew a long breath.
"In that future, the sky isn't blue, the earth isn't gray, and Hueco Mundo lacks its pallor. Everything, everything is red—black-red like spilled ink.
Except the World of the Living—Soul Society and Hueco Mundo are wiped out."
His voice trembled.
Aizen said nothing, watching Higashino's eyes for a tell. There was none—Higashino wasn't lying. Exaggerating some "achievements," yes; lying, no.
"Who?"
After a long silence, Aizen spoke a single word.
"Yhwach—the Quincy king Yamamoto defeated nearly a thousand years ago. He isn't dead. In the future, he leads his Quincy army back to Soul Society."
Higashino answered.
"Heh… hahahaha… the Quincy king? And for what?"
Aizen laughed. For a moment, his own fate seemed irrelevant.
"By his account—to reclaim the world that 'belongs' to him."
Higashino said.
"For that laughable goal, you'd destroy the world?"
Aizen didn't look at Higashino as he spoke. His clearing gaze seemed to pierce time itself, to that fixed future, to a man on high like a god.
"Will such a world be better than now?
You don't understand this world's essence.
You don't know how to build a better one.
A true new world keeps advancing, keeps evolving—ascending to higher states.
If all you can do is break everything and crawl back to dull yesterdays, what right have you to end this world?"
Then he drew his eyes back from that endless river.
"Tell me, Shuuichi—where is that man now?"
"Aizen-sama, after his defeat by Yamamoto nearly a millennium ago, Yhwach's body was carried by surviving Quincy into Soul Society's shadows. There, he needs nine hundred years to take back his heartbeat, ninety to take back his mind, nine to take back his power, and nine days to take back the world.
So now, Yhwach should still be without consciousness."
Higashino replied.
"Still mindless, is he?"
Aizen's smile turned colder. "And such a thing is 'Quincy king'?"
"Aizen-sama, I also brought back a method from that future to infiltrate the realm of shadows—the principle isn't complicated. Replicating it now shouldn't be too hard. If you wish, we could enter the shadows immediately and strangle this threat in its cradle—"
Higashino produced the notes he'd recreated from memory—the reverse-invasion tech for the shadow realm (Schatten Bereich) developed by Kurotsuchi Mayuri in that fabricated future.
He hadn't told the Tsunayashiro; he wanted to limit the blast radius. Given the blood feud between Quincy and Shinigami, if the nobles learned Yhwach lived—and might uproot Soul Society and Hueco Mundo—they'd likely widen the conflict to innocent Quincy in the World of the Living.
Then Kurosaki Ichigo might never be born—and even his own Quincy construct might get caught in the blowback.
Aizen, by contrast, would handle it discreetly.
Higashino misread him. Aizen cut him off.
"Shuuichi, there's no rush. You said it yourself: ninety years for consciousness, nine for power.
For this foolish 'Quincy king,' I want him to see with his own eyes how foolish he is. This world will rise only according to my design."
"…"
Higashino flipped through the author's "script" in his head. This wasn't how Aizen Sōsuke was supposed to react.
Wake up—you haven't fused with the Hōgyoku yet!
Where's the caution?
When even I want to kill the future threat in its crib, you're… lecturing him on your new world?
How important is it to 'show' Yhwach?
"But, Aizen-sama… in the future, Yhwach kills you."
He felt obligated to remind him.
Aizen still didn't care. "Remember, Shuuichi: only the unknown breeds fear. Now that we know him—even time is on my side.
In this world's future, Yhwach cannot kill me.
More importantly—don't you think it will be more amusing to make him realize his own folly?"
"…"
Higashino was speechless.
Fine. Let it burn. Should've dumped this on the Tsunayashiro; now that Aizen knew, he'd surely meddle in the Yhwach affair—and Higashino might never get a clean shot again.
"Understood, Aizen-sama. I, Higashino Shuuichi, will do my utmost to shape this world to your vision before that Quincy king reclaims his power—and then give Yhwach a little 'shock.'"
"Mmm~"
Aizen nodded, his gaze already savoring the future scene of his meeting with the Quincy king.
It would be… delightful, indeed~
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