Hearing Aizen utter that classic line so early, Kensei couldn't help but circle around him a few times, curious.
He stopped, waving a hand in front of Aizen's face. "How much have you had to drink to get like this? Aren't you only at the Fourth Reiatsu Grade?" He leaned closer and sniffed. "Don't smell any alcohol either..."
"You should at least reach Old Man Yama's level before saying stuff like that!" Kensei started counting on his fingers, listing items one by one. "Let me tell you the standard procedure."
"First, you should act like a normal, mild-mannered, polite Shinigami every day, pretending to get along with everyone on the surface."
The corner of Aizen's mouth twitched subtly.
"Then, while conducting all sorts of crazy experiments in secret..." Kensei, completely oblivious to Aizen's gradually stiffening expression, continued gushing, "...you should also secretly train your spiritual pressure, striving for a breakthrough as soon as possible."
"Once your spiritual pressure reaches Old Man Yama's level, it's time to expand your influence in Hueco Mundo! Act like a tyrant there, recruit a bunch of Hollows as underlings, build yourself an extravagantly pompous palace, preferably with a throne—the throne must be high, so you can look down on others with grandeur!"
"Then, when the time is ripe, kill your way back to the Soul Society. First humiliate the other Captains, then have a final showdown with Old Man Yama, tearing the Seireitei asunder..."
Aizen's hand, which had been pushing up his glasses, froze mid-air.
"Finally," Kensei swept his hair back stylishly with his hand, "the two of us, best friends, stand on either side under a waterfall, shouting each other's names for our ultimate duel. Then you get defeated by me, I become Captain-Commander, and you become my right-hand man."
Aizen: "..."
Taking several deep breaths, Aizen removed his glasses and began polishing them slowly, though the unusual sounds coming from the frames betrayed his less-than-calm inner state.
How did this guy's brain even come up with this? Parallel world scenario?
"Speaking of which," Aizen said, putting his glasses back on and fixing Kensei with a sharp look, "didn't you used to only aspire to a decadent life of multiple wives and concubines? Why this sudden keen interest in Soul Society affairs?"
Kensei immediately assumed a solemn expression, clasping his fists before his chest and speaking in a mysterious cadence Aizen couldn't decipher: "The Soul Society is my hometown. Kyōka Suigetsu cannot reflect my homeland. The righteousness of Shinigami, the stubbornness of Quincies, my hometown is oh so complicated, y'all."
The Soul Society's East Branch Bureau is also 'East,' right? Otherwise, why haven't the Soul King's feet been found?
Regardless of whatever madness Kensei was spouting now, Aizen was actually quite pleased to see him taking an interest in Soul Society matters.
"Tell me, where does your confidence come from? Don't tell me you can foresee the future."
Seeing Kensei asking a rare, normal question, Aizen led him to his Hōgyoku fabrication apparatus, where a faint light pulsed and flickered as the core rotated slowly.
"I am not prophesying the future. I am merely stating facts."
With the power Kensei possessed, combined with the recently acquired Fragment of the Soul King, Aizen was confident he could complete the Hōgyoku's prototype in the near future.
By then, his own talent would be on par with Kensei's, perhaps even surpassing him.
"That explains it." Looking at the nearly-formed Hōgyoku prototype, Kensei understood the source of Aizen's confidence. "But even if you use the Hōgyoku, how much can your power really increase? Can it compare to whatever contingency plans the Tsunayashiro clan has?"
"You seem to be overestimating the Tsunayashiro clan somewhat." The corners of Aizen's lips lifted in a faint, ambiguous smile as he sat back down in his chair, his expression composed. "As one of the historically eminent Five Great Noble Families, the Tsunayashiro clan certainly possesses hidden methods, but that is all."
"Moreover, you should not forget the Captain-Commander. As long as he is present, the Soul Society cannot descend into chaos."
Kensei nodded in agreement. Indeed, as long as Old Man Yama lived, there was no situation he couldn't handle.
"And this Hōgyoku isn't just for me to use," Aizen's voice suddenly softened. He turned and walked towards the reagent cold storage, his fingertips tracing a row of labeled glass vials. "A part of you... is in here."
Kensei blinked. "A part of me?"
"The blood samples collected last time, and the spiritual pressure records from even earlier." Aizen turned, walking towards the sample freezer, his tone unusually calm. "Your reishi composition is unique, with extremely high stability. It has significantly accelerated the Hōgyoku research."
"However, it's a pity the previous samples are almost depleted." Aizen produced a nearly empty vial of dark red liquid. "For the completion of the Hōgyoku, and to verify some hypotheses... I require a fresh supply from you."
Watching Aizen approach unceremoniously with a syringe, Kensei rolled up his sleeve and extended his arm. "Ah, fine, take it. The sooner it's done, the sooner I'm free."
Aizen took his proffered arm. When her fingertips brushed the warm skin, her movement imperceptibly stilled for a fraction of a second. Lowering her gaze, she skillfully inserted the needle beneath Kensei's skin, first injecting something, then preparing to draw blood.
"Why do you need to give an injection before drawing blood?"
Kensei watched the clear liquid in the syringe slowly enter his vein, tilting his head in confusion.
Aizen's movements were gentle and professional, as if this were merely standard procedure.
"A sedative." Aizen's voice was calm and even, his fingers steadying the needle. "The reishi in your body is excessively active. Direct extraction might compromise sample purity. This is a necessary pretreatment."
"Makes sense. Blame my talent being too strong. Even my body is better than others'."
After drawing a symbolic amount of blood, Aizen stood up to tidy the equipment on the table.
Kensei felt the Zanpakutō at his waist grow slightly warm, as if issuing a warning. But he hadn't consumed anything Aizen offered. False alarm, this sword.
"Sōsuke, did you take too much blood? My head feels fuzzy."
Kensei yawned, his eyelids growing heavy.
"Feeling drowsy after blood draw is a normal reaction," Aizen's voice seemed to come from somewhere far away. "Rest for now. Tonight's experiments will still require some time."
Looking for someone in Makassar today
Willing to lie about how we met
"Alright, don't overwork yourself."
Kensei mumbled a reply, skillfully finding his way to the bed in Aizen's room, skillfully placing his Zanpakutō on the bedside table. Feeling the slight tremor from the scabbard, he gave it a few comforting pats before closing his eyes.
Kūkon's hum did not cease; instead, it grew more urgent.
Aizen stood by the bedside, looking down at Kensei's utterly defenseless sleeping face. The gentle, calm expression faded from her features. Behind the glasses, deep in her eyes, lay a tightly rational-bound desire.
"Now I find myself somewhat grateful... that you are this unguarded."
Aizen murmured, her voice carrying a long-suppressed throbbing.
Returning to her original form, Aizen reached out. Her fingertips lightly touched Kensei's cheek, tracing along his jawline to his lips.
"What a troublesome sword."
She glanced at the still-humming Zanpakutō on the bedside, the corner of her lips curling into an extremely faint arc. Without looking back, Aizen casually waved a hand behind her, releasing a specially developed sealing Kidō aimed at suppressing Zanpakutō.
Kūkon's hum was once again suppressed by chains, just like last time, rendered powerless.
Having dealt with the troublesome sword, Aizen turned her attention back to Kensei. Her fingers moved to his waist, gently loosening the belt of his clothes. As the garments fell open, Aizen slowly leaned down, bringing her lips close to Kensei's ear.
"Your body... remains so honest with me."
The warm breath caused a ticklish sensation, making Kensei's brows furrow slightly. But under the gentle strokes of Aizen's fingers, they smoothed out again. Seeing this, a triumphant smile played on Aizen's lips.
Time was short, the task urgent. There was no time to waste.
Aizen swiftly kissed Kensei's lips. It began like a tentative drizzle, then the rain intensified, deepened. There was no need for restraint now. She was unrestrainedly releasing the possessiveness and desire in her heart.
Aizen knew the data of Kensei's body too well, even better than he knew it himself. Aizen knew exactly how to elicit pleasure from him, how to make him yearn.
Slender fingers intertwined with Kensei's, palms pressed tightly together. Aizen wanted to carve her own existence deep into the very core of Kensei's being through this most direct contact.
In the dim room, the boundaries between the two continually intersected and separated. Apart from the familiar vibrations from the Zanpakutō on the bedside, there was no other sound.
***
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