Chapter 73: The Limit of a Soul Reaper
This realization was not something on the level of raw power, but an understanding in other aspects.
Savoring these thoughts, Sosuke Aizen's mood was slightly complex.
After creating the Hogyoku, Aizen conducted many experiments around it, the most frequent being the experiment to break the limits of a Soul Reaper. The logic behind this experiment was not complicated and consisted of two steps: artificially creating Hollows through a large number of souls containing Soul Reaper spiritual power, and then combining those Hollows with Soul Reapers to break the latter's limits.
The attack on Shinji Hirako and the other Visoreds, and their involuntary Hollowfication, was Aizen's experiment. The fact that Shinji and the others fled to the World of the Living and hid for so many years was partly due to Aizen's deliberate indulgence; he wanted to see the long-term results of their condition.
As far as results went, they were not ideal—one could even describe them as a failure. After years of development and adaptation, the Visoreds did indeed gain a boost in power during Hollowfication, but it was not an essential transcendence. In fact, due to the negative side effects of Hollowfication, their overall combat effectiveness hadn't necessarily increased.
Aizen possessed a resilient mind. Though disappointed by the results, he did not abandon the experiment but persisted. While the ultimate goal of breaking the Soul Reaper limit was not achieved, it produced many practical technical byproducts—for example, the mass production of Menos Grande and the process of Arrancarization.
Though merely byproducts, they contained enough power to subvert the Three Worlds, giving Aizen the idea and the confidence to conquer Hueco Mundo. And indeed, even the King of Hueco Mundo, Baraggan Louisenbairn—who possessed the mighty power of Senescence—was ultimately forced to bow his head and surrender the throne, becoming the first of Aizen's Espada.
However, conquering Hueco Mundo was not Aizen's ultimate goal; it was merely a means to gather resources and verify technology. After the conquest, Aizen's experiments continued. Finally, in a fusion experiment using a large number of Soul Reaper spirits as a base, an extremely special Hollow was born.
At first, Aizen didn't pay much attention to this Hollow. He casually sent it to the World of the Living to attack the stationed Soul Reapers. The Hollow was quickly killed due to its own instability and an encounter with an enemy, but the observation results brought Aizen a massive surprise.
This special Hollow possessed extraordinary potential. Before it died, it wounded an enemy. Then, through the Hollow's unknown talent or perhaps pure coincidence, it didn't truly die but eroded the enemy's body through the wound, eventually merging with the enemy's unborn fetus.
That fetus was the yet-to-be-born Ichigo Kurosaki!
The ancient blood of the Shiba clan—stretching back to the era of the Soul King—combined with a mother's pure Quincy blood and the extraordinary potential of Hollow power, led Aizen to view Ichigo as the most important experimental subject of his life. Since then, he watched over him with the utmost patience after his birth.
Aizen knew every detail—he even knew the several times Isshin Kurosaki forgot Ichigo's birthday, because Aizen was silently spying every single year for over a decade!
Though Aizen was conceited and arrogant, he had always held Ichigo's potential in high regard and sensed that his achievements would be limitless. However, even Aizen didn't expect everything to happen this fast.
From awakening to now, it hadn't even been a full half-month, yet Ichigo Kurosaki had evolved from an ordinary human to a level that Aizen could no longer comprehend.
The unconscious Ichigo was still fighting in his dreams. His aura and power shifted constantly—sometimes peerlessly strong, like a detonating nuclear bomb or a rising sun; sometimes ethereal like the heavens, vast and empty, with no detectable boundary or depth. Even looking up with all one's might to peer at him, one could only sense a flickering silhouette, unable to confirm if it truly existed or if it was merely a cognitive error of the observer.
But what truly made Aizen's mood complex was not this. It was that Ichigo, despite being unconscious, seemed to know Aizen was observing him from the outside. Consequently, he was making an effort to lower the fluctuations of his aura and power.
That ethereal, boundless sky-like state was Ichigo's actual current realm. The "nuclear bomb" and "rising sun" levels of power were merely Ichigo's efforts to downgrade his own level so that Aizen could "understand" what he was seeing.
This damn kindness and sincerity left Aizen with a whirlwind of emotions.
"Dear friend, I believe in you. You won't lose to anyone. Catch up... I'm waiting for you here..."
Vaguely, Aizen seemed to hear Ichigo's silent whisper.
As a master of illusions, for the first time in his life, Aizen could not distinguish between reality and hallucination—nor did he wish to. He simply stood there, watching, savoring the complex thoughts surging within him.
Were these feelings the loss of a shattered ego and pride? Or was it, for the first time in his life, an impulse to do something?
After a long time, Aizen reached up, removed his glasses, and crushed them. He slicked back his loose hair. Those slanted, sharp eyes and the deep-seated arrogance within them were exposed without disguise for the first time. He whispered:
"Ichigo Kurosaki... it seems I have been underestimated by you!"
Discarding all pretense represented a decision. Aizen stopped focusing on Ichigo and turned to leave. Kaname Tosen followed him without a word.
The lab door opened. Gin was waiting outside with his squinting smile, and Momo Hinamori was there too!
After being enlightened by Ichigo and firmly believing Captain Aizen was not dead, she had followed Ichigo. On the day the Monk exposed them, she had rushed toward Aizen's appearance, only to be swept up to the Soul King Palace by Rukia's "Hair-Slick Ascension." After leaving the palace, Urahara and the Visoreds returned to the Living World, but she chose to follow Aizen to Hueco Mundo!
Aizen paused slightly, staring at Hinamori, before finally saying:
"I will explain nothing to you. If you have the resolve to follow me even into Hell, then come. If you still care for your bonds in the Soul Society, then leave!"
Aizen resumed his stride without looking back at her again. Granting her a chance to follow was merely an acknowledgment of her persistence in coming all the way to Hueco Mundo.
Hinamori saw the version of Aizen that no longer hid—a figure completely different from the gentle and kind man of the past. She felt his indifference and disregard. She bowed her head slightly as if making a choice, but quickly decided: "Yes, Captain Aizen. I am willing to trust you as always, to follow you, and I will never betray you!"
Aizen did not respond; he didn't deign to respond.
Thus, he didn't notice that when Hinamori looked up, a trace of morbid fanaticism flickered in her gentle eyes, along with a certain budding, pure power. But even if he had noticed, Aizen wouldn't have cared. Compared to this era of vast and violent change, such things were trivialities.
In the spatially weak zone where Hueco Mundo borders the Soul Society, an endless tide of Hellish Macho-Men poured in, turning the boundless white sands of Hueco Mundo pitch-black. A large number of Hollows were already on the front lines, led by the Espada, battling the Hellish army.
Aizen arrived at the front. He gazed at the infinite black tide and saw the Espada's offensive stalled, being pushed back instead of advancing. He whispered flatly:
"Kneel."
A majestic Reiatsu—at least ten times that of an ordinary Captain—crushed outward like a tidal wave. Row after row of Hellish Macho-Men fell to their knees involuntarily!
Aizen did not draw Kyoka Suigetsu. He slowly clenched his fists and, relying on his flawless, polished martial arts, charged into the black flood of muscle.
At that moment, in the underground lab of Las Noches, the unconscious Ichigo Kurosaki's finger twitched.
Within his inner world, mountains made of steel and bone were trembling. Searing rivers of fire and blood exploded and flowed backward. Thunders woven of infinite lightning boomed like mad war drums.
There was a reason for the instability of Ichigo's inner world: a world-shaking war was being staged here.
Old Man Zangetsu fell like a meteor, his momentum so great he shattered a mountain of steel and bone. A white figure followed immediately, crashing heavily into the debris. As the dust cleared, the white figure crawled out first, roaring:
"Ichigo Kurosaki, you animal! I'm just a mount! No matter how much you beat me, I won't just magically get stronger out of nowhere!!!"
The white figure was identical to Ichigo in appearance—"White," the source of his Hollow power.
Ichigo, hands in his pockets, strolled forward leisurely. He didn't respond but looked up as if sensing something, muttering to himself:
"As expected of my dear friend, he's already groped his way to the mysteries of Purity. I wonder what a punch driven by his hidden arrogance and ambition will taste like? I'm looking forward to it. Though, that Hinamori is interesting too. To reach the Absolute Realm relying solely on a fanatical, twisted admiration without the fire of battle intent? That's a new one. I hope my friend notices soon; otherwise, I feel that girl's drifting killing intent will bring some karma his way..."
Though his body was unconscious, to Ichigo, the uses of Purity were infinite. Through Purity's sensing, he could know anything he wished to know. From the Seireitei to Hueco Mundo, the Living World, and even the Soul King Palace—anywhere covered by the Purity system was within his "knowledge."
Ichigo also knew that his power and technique were stepping out of the human realm, his performance increasingly defying common sense. But he didn't care. If he couldn't crush mere common sense, how could he, as the Strongest, carry out his absolute will to protect everything he cared for, even at the cost of beating the entire world?
To truly achieve that, his current strength—which had only just begun to break common sense—wasn't enough. Not nearly enough. He needed more, stronger, and more potent power.
And his way of getting stronger was to keep swinging his fists and delivering even more intense beatings!
Ichigo looked away from Aizen's direction and focused on White, saying gently:
"You are my power and an irreplaceable part of my life. I believe you can do it, so you must. Whether you explode your potential or explode your heart, liver, and lungs, you must get stronger. If you can't do it yet, it's likely only because I haven't beaten you enough..."
White's face twisted. Beyond the word "animal," he didn't know what else to say!
Old Man Zangetsu walked out slowly, a look of sentiment on his face.
"Ichigo... I thought this day would come, but I didn't think it would be so soon. Stop the struggle. I acknowledge that you now have the qualification to thoroughly control all your power. Now... let us say goodbye..."
The latent power in Ichigo was too vast—so vast that upon awakening, it naturally birthed the forms of Zangetsu and White. White aside, Zangetsu had sensed his end through Yhwach's wisdom since the moment of his birth. One day, when Ichigo was strong enough to control his power, Zangetsu's existence would be retracted and merged!
The final controlling will of power can only be one. Like the Monk or Yhwach, they have no secondary souls or personas to help share the power. Only complete and perfect self-control is the foundation of transcendence.
Of course, this wasn't the only reason. Since Ichigo used his peerless Purity to call White out to take a beating during the fight with Fisher, Zangetsu had a premonition that he might be in for a beating one day too!
And that day had finally arrived!
Ichigo turned his gaze toward Zangetsu. Though they hadn't interacted much, as he looked at Zangetsu through the lens of Purity, a flood of information entered his heart. He knew how much trouble he had caused Zangetsu during his awakening and how much effort Zangetsu had spent to balance his power.
The power in Ichigo was absolutely and extremely strong—so strong that even the original Yhwach couldn't compare. Zangetsu was not the real Yhwach, but a shadow derived from his bloodline; the hardship required to persistently suppress that power was unimaginable.
Ichigo knew everything. And being kind, he would never choose to simply merge and erase Zangetsu.
"Old Man Zangetsu, I became the strongest specifically so I wouldn't have to choose. I don't want you to disappear. So, continue to fight! I will keep beating you, and you must keep getting stronger until, together with me, we transcend the common sense of having to make a choice!!!"
Ichigo's silhouette vanished. It wasn't Shunpo, Sonido, or Hirenkyaku. In the moment he stepped forward, an extreme and unpredictable god-speed naturally pierced through space!
As a derivation of Yhwach, Zangetsu's combat wisdom was identical; his reaction was fast, but futile! Focusing on a single point allows one to reach the peak. In the field of speed, Ichigo had reached the absolute limit. Even if one reacted, there was no way to defend.
Appearing from Zangetsu's visual and psychological blind spot, Ichigo threw a punch. Immeasurable light and heat bloomed.
Facing a fist that felt like a star exploding, Zangetsu's lip twitched. Honestly, facing an Ichigo who had learned the essence of Zanka no Tachi's Bankai just by fighting Yamamoto once, Zangetsu felt that following this monster's beyond-common-sense footsteps was a chore even for his original self. As a mere derivative shadow, being merged would actually be much easier.
White, caught in the shockwave, felt the exact same way!
But a powerhouse's will is not easily denied. If Ichigo didn't want them to disappear, they would find it hard to even die!
Zangetsu and White resisted with all their might, but were still vaporized by the punch that felt like a literal sun descending. In the next instant, they were forcibly reshaped and called back by Ichigo through Reishi Recomposition and peerless Purity.
"That was death number sixty for you both. Keep it up! Your power and technique have already improved quite a bit. At this rate, after ten thousand... no, at most twenty thousand deaths, you will be stronger than ever before, and we will transcend that destined fate together!!!"
Faced with Ichigo's gentle voice, Zangetsu and White fell silent for a moment before screaming in unison:
"YOU ANIMAL!!!"
Ichigo's world-shaking metamorphosis continued. Elsewhere, the war in Hueco Mundo raged on.
Relying on his peerless Reiatsu, Aizen blasted the incoming Hellish Macho-Men punch by punch. Black cocoons formed, and the dead were spat back into the world. Perhaps because it was Hueco Mundo, most of the returnees were Hollows.
As a complex race, Hollows had never consisted solely of weaklings over a million years; the truly prominent ones had simply been killed. Those powerful ones returned to Hell, and now they were back—each possessing unique and powerful abilities.
But Aizen didn't care. No matter how strong a Hollow was, it was still just a Hollow. He did not value them.
Because he had already reached the limit of a Soul Reaper!
Spiritual energy, Reiatsu, Zanjutsu, Kido, and even Taijutsu—he had mastered them all to perfection. Even the power of Purity had manifested within his surging, pure will once he discarded his pretenses, allowing every punch he threw to possess a lethal force the enemy could not evade.
Flashy abilities were nothing before his superior eyesight, wisdom, and the rigorous, sharp mind developed through years of research! His strength was unquestionable, forged by talent and time.
Yet, the more he fought and the more enemies he slew, the more dissatisfied Aizen became with his current "strength." The limit of a Soul Reaper still imprisoned him like an unbreakable cage.
The so-called "Soul Reaper Limit" was a conclusion Aizen reached himself. One day, after finished a busy day of research, he practiced his sword skills and realized his lethality had decreased—only by a tiny, subtle margin, and he quickly trained it back, but it plunged him into thought. He began to wonder what "strength" truly was.
He had learned everything—Zanjutsu, Kido, Taijutsu, Reiatsu. He was more proficient than anyone. But what was the point? He had more tools for combat, and required more time to maintain them. On the surface, his power was growing, but in essence, was he truly becoming "stronger"?
To put it bluntly, he could learn Quincy Reishi manipulation or Hollow physical applications, but did turning these into techniques count as "becoming stronger"?
Regardless of what others thought, Aizen reached a conclusion. He had reached the limit of what a Soul Reaper—or he himself—could achieve. Any further skills were just a heap of quantity and a list of tactical options. What he truly wanted was a change in quality!
End of Chapter
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