Kisuke Uhara's eyes narrowed slightly as his mind raced. Aizen's appearance confirmed Makiya's suspicion, and by observing the Hollowfication of Kensei and the others, he had made a new discovery.
Aizen was also researching the Hogyoku. Both his and Aizen's Hogyoku were incomplete, and the two seemed... capable of complementing each other?
"Vice-Captain Aizen." Makiya feigned a look of surprise, his expression shifting several times before he finally reached a realization. "Kaname Tosen was also sent by you to stop me. Do you not care whether he lives or dies?"
"You seem to have misunderstood something." Aizen walked over to Makiya's side and looked up at the battle in the sky, appearing completely unconcerned that Makiya might launch a sneak attack on him.
"Kaname and I were only fellow travelers for a short time; it was he who unilaterally developed expectations he shouldn't have had."
"Heh, truly cold-blooded."
"The path to the peak is destined to be lonely, and the weak will naturally fall behind." Aizen tilted his head slightly, his tone playful. "This is true for Kaname Tosen, and it is true for these mediocre Captains. Their only contribution is to provide [nourishment] for the strong. Makiya, wouldn't you agree?"
Makiya couldn't refute him. Kaname Tosen's Spiritual Pressure was still hidden within his body. Aizen's words had a double meaning; on the surface, he was explaining his motive for experimenting on the Captains, but in reality, he was subtly referring to Makiya's Zanpakuto.
'It seems this guy has guessed my Shikai's ability,' Makiya thought to himself silently.
He suspected Kisuke Uhara had also guessed something, but the shopkeeper was a smart man; even if he had guessed it, he remained silent and even proactively arranged opponents for Makiya to spar with.
The stronger Makiya became, the more helpful it was to his experiments. The two shared a relationship of mutual benefit.
"Aizen." Kisuke Uhara took a step forward, gripping the Hogyoku as he asked, "How far has your research into Hollowfication progressed?"
His hat brim was pulled low, shadowing Kisuke Uhara's eyes. He gripped his Zanpakuto, waiting for Aizen's answer.
"Heh, Captain Uhara, my results are about to take the stage. You should observe them for yourself with your own eyes." Aizen looked up slightly, the light reflecting off his glasses and obscuring his gaze. "I am also quite interested in Captain Uhara's experimental progress. Hiyosu and Akane—the Spiritual Pressure of those two is already approaching Captain-level, isn't it?"
Aizen wore an appreciative expression as he looked at Kisuke Uhara and Makiya, but then he looked regretful. "Despite possessing such precious talent and ability, why are you so conservative as to bestow the precious opportunity for evolution upon two mediocre individuals? If the test subjects were Captain-class, you would surely have gathered much more valuable data."
Having said that, he gazed at Makiya. "Clearly standing at the top of the food chain, why do you suppress your predatory instincts and play friends with mere scraps of bread? Does it make you happy?"
Makiya spoke with a serious expression, "I became strong entirely through my own efforts. Sparring with others is always based on the principle of mutual consent. What 'predatory instinct'? Don't go slandering me, Aizen."
"Hehe," Aizen chuckled. "On the road to reaching the summit, I do not remember how many steps I have trodden upon."
As Aizen's words fell, spiritual pressure erupted from the surrounding woods one after another, a cold and malevolent aura spreading alongside it.
The bushes rustled as Gin Ichimaru walked out from the depths of the forest with his signature, unchanging fake smile. He slowly tucked his blood-dripping Zanpakuto into his robes. "Lord Aizen, it has been dealt with."
"You've done well, Gin." Aizen gave his approval with a smile. He knew Gin Ichimaru's motives and knew that the other man dreamed of killing him, but Aizen valued Gin's talent. The journey to the summit was too boring, and he hoped Gin could bring him some different surprises.
"AIZEN!!!"
A roar erupted from the depths of the forest, the raspy voice filled with rage and indignation. Intense spiritual pressure overturned the bushes, revealing a disheveled figure behind them.
The Captain of the 5th Division, Shinji Hirako, panted as he chased after them with his Zanpakuto in hand. Large amounts of white fluid were oozing from his seven orifices. He pulled a glass bottle containing the neutralizer from his robes and tossed the whole thing into his mouth.
His sharp teeth crushed the glass bottle, and the medicine mixed with blood flowed down his throat, though part of it was pushed back out by the gushing fluid.
"Captain Shinji, stay calm. Anger will accelerate the erosion," Makiya called out to warn him in time.
Hearing those words, Hirako glared intensely at Aizen, his chest heaving with deep, ragged breaths. As his emotions settled, the white viscous fluid that had been steadily oozing out finally stopped.
Boom!
The Hollowfied Mashiro Kuna slammed into the ground like a cannonball, half of her body buried in the soil. Her bone mask was shattered, and she had fallen unconscious.
In the sky, the victorious Kensei Muguruma had just turned his gaze toward the group when a tall, thin figure appeared behind him. The Captain of the 3rd Division, Juro Otoribashi, had used his Shikai in his Hollowfied state.
"Play, Kinshara."
The golden whip lashed across Kensei Muguruma's back like a spiritual serpent. Struck by the attack, Kensei let out an angry roar. The two mobilized their spiritual pressure and clashed, their moves lethal and intended to kill. Ultimately, both were wounded and fell from the sky.
Battles were occurring everywhere, with spiritual pressure constantly erupting and dissipating. As a massive Cero streaked across the sky, another figure crashed onto the ground.
Makiya frequently visited the Research and Development Bureau, so he was very familiar with this figure. Based on the height alone, he knew it was Hiyori Sarugaki!
Hiyori Sarugaki was covered in wounds, the bone mask already covering her entire face. Her pupils glowed with a golden light as she struggled to stand, only to collapse face-first on the ground.
It seemed the neutralizer had taken effect, as Shinji gradually regained his composure. He looked around and found that his colleagues and friends had all met with foul play, falling one by one into unconsciousness as white fluid continuously seeped from their bodies.
"Aizen Sosuke, I knew something was off about you for a long time, you beast!" Shinji grit his teeth, raising his Zanpakuto, Sakanade, as he walked toward Aizen step by step.
"Perhaps you should apologize to your companions instead," Aizen said slowly as he watched the approaching Shinji. "It is because you were chosen by me that you and your companions have fallen to the ground one after another, Captain Shinji."
Those calm words carried immense weight. Shinji Hirako's blood boiled instantly, his only desire to cut Aizen down. The violent emotional fluctuation triggered an intensification of the erosion, but since Shinji had taken the neutralizer, the white bone mask only grew slightly larger.
"Oh?" Aizen was quite surprised. He turned to look at Makiya and Kisuke Uhara. "It seems your research has been quite effective."
Receiving a signal from Aizen's gaze, Gin Ichimaru drew his sword and blocked Shinji's path. Their Zanpakuto clashed violently as they fought from the ground into the air.
"Makiya, Kisuke Uhara, I originally planned to have you expelled from the Soul Society, but now I've changed my mind." Aizen placed a hand on Kyoka Suigetsu and looked at Makiya with a smile. "If there is no one to walk with on the road to the summit, even the most beautiful scenery will be greatly diminished. I hope in the days to come, you can bring me some surprises. The stage has been set; please, step up and perform."
As the words fell, all the Hollowfied Captains and Vice-Captains erupted with spiritual pressure simultaneously. Even the collapsed Mashiro Kuna and Hiyori Sarugaki struggled to their feet, raising their swords toward Makiya and Kisuke Uhara.
Makiya looked around. They were surrounded by Hollowfied Soul Reapers in every direction, both in the sky and on the ground.
"Collapse, Sakanade."
A massive spiritual pressure erupted in the sky as Shinji Hirako released his Shikai, sending Gin Ichimaru flying with a single strike. Gin crashed into the ground, kicking up a large cloud of dust.
Shinji pursued the attack into the smoke, only to find that Gin Ichimaru had vanished. He raised his head to scan the surroundings, his fierce gaze locking onto Makiya. "Aizen, I'm going to kill you!"
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