Chapter 31: Uryu Ishida Being Pummeled by the World
Hearing that Aizen was finally going to take the field personally, Ichigo Kurosaki's fighting spirit soared far higher than before.
Momo Hinamori, as a Lieutenant, had already given Ichigo a massive surprise. Although her reactions were slow and her will to fight was low—the type who could be beaten into tears with just a few punches—she had an extraordinary strength. Despite Ichigo landing several heavy blows and leaving visible injuries, he had a strange intuition: if he truly wanted to kill her, his current strength would make it difficult.
In gaming terms, Ichigo had caught a glimpse of Hinamori's HP bar through his attacks, and his instinct told him that his lethal-looking punches had only shaved off an infinitesimal sliver of her health.
If a Lieutenant could provide such a surprise, the real Captain, Aizen, would surely be on another level. The mere thought sent Ichigo's adrenaline and testosterone skyrocketing. To his eyes, Aizen looked more "beautiful" and promising than any woman he had ever seen.
As he obsessed over the coming clash, Ichigo grew so excited that his body physically flushed with blood. This wasn't a metaphor—under Aizen's watchful gaze, Ichigo's muscles subtly expanded. While far from Rukia's "Demon Muscle" form, he was now exceptionally burly by mortal standards.
Aizen, observing Ichigo's gaze, felt a flicker of oddity. He felt that the way Ichigo was looking at him was a bit... greasy and inappropriate.
But Aizen didn't dwell on it. He spoke calmly:
"Ichigo, be careful. My Zanpakuto, Kyoka Suigetsu, is a water-illusion type. It can use the chaotic reflection of mist and water to confuse enemies and make them turn on each other..."
The description of Kyoka Suigetsu was, of course, false. However, Aizen's warning wasn't malicious; it was a habitual way of veiling even his rare moments of goodwill.
"Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu."
As the blade was released into Shikai, the treacherous power of Complete Hypnosis bloomed through the shattering air. However, this power was met by the iron fist of an impatient Ichigo, striking with overwhelming force.
In that instant, Aizen realized that Complete Hypnosis seemed to have a poor effect on Ichigo.
Aizen didn't know that inside Ichigo, Old Man Zangetsu had let out a soft, cold snort. Ichigo's surface power was merely the tip of a vast iceberg. A mere Shikai trying to dominate Ichigo's five senses? Aizen would need to be a tier or two stronger for that to work.
The battle state was "deadlocked." Aizen and Ichigo traded blows back and forth. But the truth was evident in the fact that Aizen still had the leisure to offer pointers during the fight:
"Ichigo, your power is entirely devoted to speed and strength, using your sharp instincts to make your attacks as precise and lethal as possible. It is an excellent combat style. However, in the Soul Society, Zanpakuto with diverse miraculous powers, Kido, and various treasures are enough to stall your tactics. You need to further refine your power—make it change, or make it more extreme."
After the battle continued for a while, Aizen stopped swinging his blade. He raised his hand and cast a Kido.
Endless, tireless effort over eons, combined with brilliant talent, had left Aizen's power without a single flaw. He was top-tier in every aspect, including Kido. Whether it was healing Bakudo, destructive Hado, or the most esoteric forbidden sealing arts, Aizen was a master. With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed a powerful binding spell.
Although Ichigo quickly broke free with raw strength, he stopped his assault. He knew that in the time he spent struggling, Aizen could have cut him down seven times over with Kyoka Suigetsu. He might not have died, but he would have been severely crippled.
"An excellent spar. Your Purity has made my blood boil for the first time in ages."
Aizen wasn't being comforting; these were words from the heart. Ichigo's fists carried a burning, pure Purity with a powerful infectious quality. During their brief exchange, Aizen had felt the urge to throw away all caution and fight Ichigo to the death more than once.
Aizen knew this was highly abnormal for him. That was why he ended the spar abruptly with a forbidden Kido.
Aizen deduced that Ichigo's Purity was acting as a form of mental interference. Ichigo hungered for slaughter, and that Purity influenced Aizen to match that desire. Aizen kept this deduction to himself, continuing his evaluation:
"I know you have cards you haven't played yet. Your transformation against Fisher is remarkably similar to a Soul Reaper's Bankai, capable of massively boosting your physical functions. In that regard, you already possess power rivalling some of the weaker Captains. You should be proud. If we truly continued, even I—who has never excelled in direct combat—might not be your match."
Aizen smiled thinly. He wasn't lying; he was just habitually blurring the truth. As the "Captain of the 5th Division," his public strength might indeed lose to a "bursting" Ichigo. But his praise was genuine. To rival a Captain-level Soul Reaper after only "awakening for a few days" was terrifying.
Confirming the possibilities within Ichigo was Aizen's goal, and he was satisfied.
"I will arrange the matter you desire in the coming days. Before that, I wish to speak privately with the 'Observer' behind you."
Aizen went straight to the point. Ichigo didn't mind and shouted at the sky, "Observer, you there?"
The holy voice appeared instantly: "I am. I am always here."
Ichigo motioned to Aizen. Aizen nodded with a smile and walked a distance away. Once alone, he retracted his gentle facade, replaced by a cold, sharp edge. He spoke softly:
"Tell me... are you the Soul King?"
Mo Yu, watching through the screen, scrutinized Aizen. He noticed something interesting: others usually looked up when speaking to him—an instinctive reaction. Only Aizen kept his gaze level, instinctively refusing to look up to anyone.
"I am not. But I could be. As the Darwin Awards suggest, life is full of infinite possibilities."
Aizen remained calm. "From what I know, the Soul King was dismembered by rebels. Many parts were scattered, leaving only the more controllable and important torso. I have a hypothesis: perhaps the Soul King's brain was also among the discarded parts. Over the years, it evolved into a sentient 'consciousness.' That would explain why you seek the Soul King's body, and why you are confident you can turn the Three Worlds into an Ark once you reclaim it."
Mo Yu stroked his chin. It was a reasonable explanation. In lore, parts of the Soul King did have their own consciousness—like the Right Hand, Pernida Parnkgjas, who joined the Wandenreich.
Mo Yu simply said, "An interesting guess. But like the ultimate answer of the universe being 42... does it really matter?"
Mo Yu wasn't a "riddler" by nature, but he found being one with Aizen quite fun. Don't confirm, don't deny, add some nonsense in the middle, and let the other guy "enlighten" himself.
Aizen actually preferred this way of communicating. Through this brief talk, he felt he understood many things (though even God didn't know what he "understood"). He asked:
"Do you know me?"
"A bit, but not much. In my view, you're interesting and have good taste. Though, your Las Noches palace in Hueco Mundo is a bit too empty and cold for its size. Waste of space. You have the real estate, I have the channels—with the 'long-term rental' market being so hot lately, we could partner up."
Aizen ignored the nonsense. To him, if the betrayed and dismembered Soul King's will was only this level of insane, it was actually a good thing.
"If you truly know me, then you know my attitude. I will not be a good subject. You shouldn't have sent Ichigo to me, because I could kill him at any moment."
Regarding Ichigo, Mo Yu's tone grew serious. "What a coincidence. I'm not a very good God either. We're quite alike. As for Ichigo—even without me, you couldn't kill him. You are destined to meet, fight, and then choose to stand side-by-side against the Great Darkness. That fate already exists; it's only a matter of when."
Aizen had infiltrated the Shiba archives and read that the Soul King had the power to see the future. Mo Yu's words seemed to verify this. He pondered for a moment before asking:
"What do I gain once the Ark sets sail?"
Mo Yu countered: "What do you want?"
Aizen said with a half-smile, "To become the God of the New World. How about that?"
"People who say that usually get pushed to their death by a certain detective. But if that's your wish, fine. I'll be blunt: in my plan for the Ark, there shouldn't be a Soul King. The idea of worlds depending on one person being used as a 'sacrificial pillar' is nonsense. Once the Soul King is gone, if you're strong enough, why shouldn't you be the God of the New World?"
This was Mo Yu's honest thought. In the original ending, Yhwach's corpse was used as the new Linchpin. If not for him, the Zero Division was prepared to turn Ichigo into a "pillar" (essentially a living vegetable). Mo Yu hated that and wouldn't tolerate it.
True or not, Mo Yu's attitude satisfied Aizen.
"There are two ways to the Soul King Palace. First, the Royal Guard (Zero Division) leads the way. Second, creating a Oken (Royal Key) to enter. Both require Ichigo to invade the Soul Society as a 'Ryoka' and cause a massive disturbance. Do you agree? If so, I need someone near Ichigo to act as the catalyst."
Mo Yu smiled. He saw through Aizen. Ichigo causing a scene would indeed draw out the Zero Division, but the Royal Key was a different matter—Aizen clearly had his own agenda there involving the Hogyoku. Mo Yu said calmly:
"No problem. But you have your plan, and I have my script. You cannot touch Rukia!"
Aizen's eyebrow twitched. He realized Mo Yu had guessed his intent. Seeing Rukia transform into the Demon Muscle Man and turn Hollows into martial artists made Aizen realize the Hogyoku was likely inside her. Aizen had his own half-finished Hogyoku and wanted hers to complete it. He intended to use Ichigo's invasion as a cover to bring Rukia back to the Soul Society.
Aizen wasn't an impulsive man. He smiled. "We can set the matter of Rukia aside for now. I'd rather hear about your 'script' instead."
Mo Yu grew enthusiastic. "I was just about to tell you! I have a wonderful guest actor. Compared to Rukia, he's much better suited for the 'damsel in distress' role to draw the protagonist into a rescue mission. He has a special identity. If handled well, we can even draw out some bosses from the later parts of the story early..."
As Mo Yu spoke, Aizen's expression shifted, but he listened intently. After a while, he even looked at the sky with an expression that said: "When it comes to being evil, you truly are the master."
Time passed. In another part of Karakura Town, Uryu Ishida was in a state of anxiety. He was frantically shooting his Reishi bow at a giant rock, training his fundamentals.
"Not enough! This strength isn't nearly enough!"
After finishing his role as the "heroine" in the first episode, Rukia had secretly unsealed his powers. But the experience had left an indelible trauma on his soul. Coupled with the world crisis, he was increasingly dissatisfied with his strength.
"Is it my Purity? What the hell is Purity?! We're both Quincies—why is Ichigo so strong because of it? Do I really have to go back and ask my dad if there's a 'Secret of Purity' in our inheritance? No... I'll figure it out myself."
Uryu's relationship with his father was terrible. He chose self-reliance. Just then, the holy voice descended:
"Young man, I have good news. After careful study and deep communication with my partner, I've found the perfect mission for you in the 'Wandering Ark' plan..."
Uryu asked, "Why are you whispering? There's no one else here. What's the mission? Let me be clear: I'm willing to help save the world, but I'm not as strong as Ichigo. I can't beat the world. If the task is too hard, go find him."
Uryu didn't trust Mo Yu. He had figured out who the mastermind behind his "Episode 1" trauma was. If not for the undeniable Void crisis and the fact that Mo Yu had the only solution, he wouldn't be this calm.
"Relax, relax. I don't need you to beat the world. Your task is very simple: just lie down and let the world beat you. From now on, your only line is repeating 'I did everything.' If you want cooler dialogue, my partner will help."
"Huh?! What? My mission is that weird? And who's your 'partner'?" Uryu was lost.
Right then, several figures appeared near him. At the front was Byakuya Kuchiki, looking cold and stern:
"Are you the culprit behind the time-reversal event? By decree of Central 46, you are under arrest."
Uryu tilted his head, question marks appearing over his brow. "Wait... what are you talking about?"
Byakuya's face hardened. "Incredible. You actually dare to admit the plan to destroy the Soul Society was formulated by you, Uryu Ishida?"
Uryu waved his hands frantically. "Hold on! I didn't say that!"
Byakuya's gaze grew even sharper. "So it was all for the 'Sacred Quincy Plan'? I hope you maintain this honesty during your interrogation."
"Hey! Are you some kind of schizophrenic with auditory hallucinations?! Do you even hear what you're saying?!"
As Uryu struggled to explain, Aizen—standing beside Byakuya with his "Deeply Hidden Hero" persona—gripped Kyoka Suigetsu and said calmly:
"Captain Kuchiki, there is no need for further words with such a criminal. Take him back to the Soul Society."
The power of Complete Hypnosis had a unique utility in "dubbing" over other people's words. Now, Uryu Ishida, completely oblivious to what was happening, was about to experience it firsthand.
End of Chapter
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