Chapter 141 – For the Soul King, I Can Only Trouble Urahara for Now

Chapter 141 – For the Soul King, I Can Only Trouble Urahara for Now

"Yes, I've already told you, it's alright!" This time, Sōsuke Aizen's tone was slightly sterner.

"My apologies, Lord Aizen." Kaname Tōsen immediately dropped to one knee before Aizen, bowing his head. "Please forgive my insolent words and disrespectful behavior just now."

After a long silence from Aizen, beads of cold sweat dripped from Tōsen's brow.

Ignoring Tōsen, Aizen smiled at Kisuke Urahara. "Captain Urahara, I'm afraid I know nothing about these Hollowfication experiments you mentioned. I merely happened upon several injured captains and lieutenants here, victims from the investigation into the disappearing souls. I was attempting to assist them when you arrived."

"You bastard..." Shinji Hirako, half his face covered by a Hollow mask, clutched his wound as he glared coldly at Aizen. "I'm truly honored to be 'assisted' by a lieutenant striking me with his Zanpakutō."

Without Urahara and Tessai's intervention, that last attack would have killed him. And if he died, the other captains' and lieutenants' fates became even harder to predict.

Listen to how Aizen referred to them - research subjects!

"Aizen, the truth is exposed, seen through by Tessai and myself. Why keep lying?"

"Lying? Captain Urahara, do you doubt a lieutenant's attempt to save his wounded captain?"

"Aizen, you know full well what I speak of. The disappearing souls crisis has persisted for nearly a century. Shinigami investigating it have gone missing one after another. Surely this stems from your secret Hollowfication experiments on them?"

"I see. Captain Urahara, you are as perceptive as I expected." Rather than panic at being exposed, Aizen's response was an ominous smile. "Your presence here today is truly fortuitous. Gin. Kaname. Our goals have been achieved beyond our wildest dreams. Let us depart..." With those words, Aizen sheathed his Zanpakutō and turned to leave.

Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen followed behind.

"Wait, Aizen, you haven't -"

"Captain Urahara, stand aside!"

As Urahara moved to stop Aizen, Tessai Tsukabishi's booming voice came from behind, his immense reiatsu flaring.

Urahara turned to see the Grand Kidō Chief, right palm facing Aizen's group, left hand gripping his wrist.

This was...?

Before he could process it, Urahara swiftly Flash Stepped away from his previous position.

"Bakudō #88 - Flying Dragon-Striking Heaven-Shaking Thunder Cannon!"

Boom!

The massive reiatsu coalesced into a meter-thick bolt of lightning, surging straight at Aizen's trio.

The overwhelming attack carved an arc-shaped crater in the earth, its thunderous path extending forward.

"How is that possible? Maintaining their current state to move them? Tessai, what do you intend?"

"I will freeze them in temporal stasis, then use spatial transference to relocate us all to the 12th Division."

"But those abilities are forbidden techniques, banned by Soul Society!"

"Then I ask you temporarily look the other way, Captain Urahara..."

***

At the Kuchiki Manor, Ailin sat atop the roof of the main hall. Since returning from today's captains' meeting, he had climbed up to survey the sky.

The events to unfold, though potentially diverging, largely aligned with Ailin's expectations. After all, this grand "performance" was orchestrated by that man.

Ailin's distant gaze pierced the seventy-two barrier layers separating the Soul Society from the Royal Realm, into the Soul King's inner sanctum. There, a mutilated man was imprisoned within a green crystal.

His expression vacant, four irises in two eyes.

Limbs severed, chest and abdomen hollowed of organs.

Rather than the exalted "Ruler" sovereigns proclaimed, he seemed a "Linchpin" jailed between realms to stabilize existence.

Perhaps the Soul King's compliance stemmed from visions his eyes beheld of the future.

This explained why, upon betrayal by the five great nobles, he offered no resistance - having glimpsed what lay ahead.

The Progenitors likely understood this truth as well.

Though the Tsunayashiro clan systematically weakened the Soul King over generations, fearing his power, they dared not blind him.

For they knew the Soul King's grotesque, "dehuman" state resulted from Visions of the Future.

Deprive him of that sight, and he would surely unleash unbridled devastation upon his traitorous captors.

Suddenly, a shift in Ailin's focus turned his gaze outward, toward the Rukongai districts outside Seireitei.

"That potent spatial disturbance - someone is using dimensional Kidō. It seems Urahara and Aizen's first clash has concluded."

Ailin shook his head, no longer observing the scene.

My apologies, Urahara. Though I owe you some favors, just as you acted for Soul Society's sake, now my every action serves the Soul King. So I must trouble you for a time.

After all, you've only borne a century's burden - the Soul King has shouldered this world's weight for over a million years! If he wishes to rest, to pursue oblivion, I cannot bring myself to deny him...