Soul Society.
Rukongai is the first place where ordinary souls arrive after leaving the living world and is where the vast majority of souls will reside for a long time.
Compared to Seireitei, this place is entirely a land of the poor.
Except for some of the higher-ranked districts, most areas suffer from a lack of resources and chaotic order, where looting and killing are common occurrences.
District 80, Zaraki District, is the farthest from Seireitei and has the worst law and order.
Countless souls perish here daily, yet no one pays any attention to them.
A spatial rift slowly appeared, and a group of people stepped out.
Each of them was dressed as a ninja from the empire of the living world.
Behind them followed several large mechanical dolls, each carrying massive storage chests filled with strange-looking fruits.
Hakumen looked around at the desolate surroundings and furrowed his brows slightly before giving an order:
"Go and bring everyone around here."
The squad of ninjas immediately took action.
Hakumen casually picked up one of the fruits from the storage chest—these were creations of the Institute of Biological Science: artificial Zoan-type Devil Fruits.
This batch of Devil Fruits was large in quantity, enough for over a thousand people to consume, the result of the Institute's long and arduous research.
The side effects of these artificial Devil Fruits were still unknown, but it didn't matter.
As long as they achieved their intended purpose, that was enough.
Meanwhile, in Seireitei, the Kuchiki Clan, one of the Four Great Noble Houses, was hosting a grand banquet.
The Kuchiki Clan's prestige demanded respect, and all invited guests attended without exception.
The courtyards of the Kuchiki estate were filled with people—hundreds of guests celebrating in a lively atmosphere, as if a joyous event was taking place.
At the banquet, exquisite gourmet dishes and fine wines were served, along with an additional selection of uniquely shaped fruits.
Kuchiki Byakuya, the head of the Kuchiki Clan, stated that these were special delicacies from the living world of this realm—something that did not exist in their original world.
As rarity increases value, each guest was allowed to consume only one fruit and was strictly forbidden from taking any home.
The attendees marveled at the grandeur of the Kuchiki Clan and indulged themselves in the lavish feast.
............
Inside the Imperial Palace of the Living World.
Makoto had specifically summoned Aizen Sosuke, the captain of the 5th Division of the Gotei 13.
A question had been weighing on Makoto's mind—why had Ukitake Jushiro, the captain of the 13th Division, mysteriously vanished?
Given Ukitake's strength in the original work, it was unlikely that anyone could have killed him without leaving a trace.
After all, he was the right arm of the Soul King, and the Soul King was the keystone maintaining the stability of the Living World, Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo.
Could it be that the original Soul King from the Bleach world had not been transported to this new world?
If that were the case, then Ukitake, being a part of the Soul King, must have remained in the original world as well.
And if that were true, then the Hogyoku, also a fragment of the Soul King, would not have made it to this world either.
This could explain why Aizen had chosen to remain in hiding after the great upheaval of the world.
Aizen, maintaining his usual refined and intellectual demeanor, respectfully asked, "May I ask what His Majesty wishes to discuss?"
Makoto replied leisurely, "I have a few questions for Captain Aizen."
Aizen's gaze flickered slightly behind his glasses before he responded with a warm smile, "I would be honored to assist Your Majesty in any way I can. What would you like to know?"
"It's about the whereabouts of Captain Ukitake of the Gotei 13."
Aizen wore a contemplative expression and said, "This... Captain Ukitake's disappearance remains a complete mystery to us. When we arrived in this world, he suddenly vanished without leaving any clues or traces."
Makoto chuckled lightly, then abruptly changed the topic.
"I've heard that beneath the Central 46 Chambers, there is a place called the Great Spirit Book Archive. Is that correct?"
Aizen adjusted his glasses and smiled. "It seems His Majesty knows quite a lot about us."
Makoto asked, "Have you ever been inside?"
Aizen replied, "That place is one of the most heavily guarded locations in all of Soul Society, managed by the Tsunayashiro Clan, one of the Four Great Noble Houses. Ordinary people have no right to enter."
Makoto smiled knowingly. "Are you sure you've never been inside?"
Aizen's eyes flickered slightly as he responded with a calm but cautious tone, "What exactly does His Majesty mean by that?"
In the original Bleach storyline, Aizen had used the time after faking his death to sneak into the Great Spirit Book Archive, where he meticulously studied Urahara Kisuke's past research.
This allowed him to acquire the technology necessary to extract foreign substances directly from souls.
Whether Aizen had ever entered before that, however, was something even Makoto wasn't sure of.
Makoto carefully observed Aizen's expression.
This man was a master of deception—seeing nothing unusual was to be expected.
After a long silence, Makoto suddenly spoke. "Captain Aizen, have you lost something?"
Aizen's heart trembled slightly.
He hadn't expected such words to come from the Emperor of the Living World.
What exactly did the other party know about him?
Seeing that Aizen remained silent, Makoto continued slowly.
"It seems my guess was correct."
Aizen asked, "Your Majesty... what do you mean? Have I lost something?"
He was still unwilling to admit anything.
As the 5th Division Captain of the Gotei 13, there was no need to put himself in a dangerous position.
But Makoto directly spoke the name of the missing item.
"Hogyoku."
"..."
Aizen fell into silence, and the refined, scholarly aura he had maintained began to fade away.
There had originally been two Hogyoku—one created by Urahara Kisuke and the other by Aizen himself.
Later, Aizen had seized Urahara's Hogyoku, merging the two to obtain a complete and fully awakened version.
The Hogyoku possessed a will of its own, capable of absorbing and materializing the desires of those around it.
It also granted its host immortality, preventing their physical destruction.
When its host reached the limits of their abilities or faced mortal danger, the Hogyoku could push them to evolve into a higher state of existence.
Simply put, the Hogyoku was an object capable of granting wishes, with the condition that one must possess the power to realize that wish.
Urahara had hoped for the Hogyoku to break the boundary between Hollow and Shinigami, so it acted in accordance with that subconscious desire, erasing the distinction between the two.
This was precisely what Aizen had desperately sought.
Now that he knew the Emperor had already seen through everything, Aizen no longer felt the need to feign ignorance.
If the Emperor of the Empire was willing to have such a direct conversation with him, it meant that their relationship was not necessarily destined to be one of enmity.
And Makoto had already obtained the answer he was looking for.
Makoto stated, "In this world, there is no longer a Soul King."
Neither did Yhwach come to this world—there was no omniscient and omnipotent enemy lurking in the shadows.
Makoto then asked, "Aizen, what is it that you desire now?"
Aizen remained calm and leisurely countered, "What I desire... does that truly matter to Your Majesty?"
Makoto replied, "I won't allow something that threatens me to continue growing unchecked."
One of them had lived for centuries, the other for only decades.
And yet, it was the one who had lived for hundreds of years who lowered his stance.
Despite Makoto's words, Aizen's expression remained unchanged.
Instead, he smiled faintly and remarked, "For Your Majesty to speak with me like this, you must believe that what I can bring you in the future is not just a threat."
Makoto slowly turned his chair, shifting his gaze toward the giant outside.
"That colossal 'Brutal Justice,' as it is called, has been revered by the people as the 'God of Justice.' They believe it was sent from the heavens to assist me in ruling the world."
"But in this world, there exist true gods."
Aizen narrowed his eyes slightly. "What kind of gods?"
"Is the 'god' Your Majesty speaks of one that serves humanity, existing solely to aid and protect mankind?"
"Or is it merely a being far superior to humans?"
In human culture and mythology, those who are worshiped as gods are often figures that govern specific domains, acting in service to the world and humanity.
These deities require nothing more than faith and reverence, things that cost humans nothing to give.
But if a truly omnipotent and powerful god existed, would it really care about insignificant mortals at all?
The so-called "gods" were nothing more than a self-imposed illusion meant to satisfy human desires.
Makoto could hear the underlying message in Aizen's words, but he didn't bother to argue or explain.
Instead, he continued speaking at his own pace.
"Beyond this sky exist beings far stronger than humanity. Among their kind, the strongest have transcended all limitations and ascended to higher dimensions."
Among the Otsutsuki Clan, Otsutsuki Shibai had spent thousands of years devouring chakra fruits, continuously evolving until he became a being that approached true divinity—one that had surpassed the boundaries of space and time, transcending even the very concept of life and death.
Hearing this, Aizen fell into contemplation before asking, "Are they stronger than Your Majesty?"
Makoto turned his head toward him and suddenly smiled.
"Aizen, how strong do you think I am?"
Aizen responded calmly, "Stronger than the vast majority of people I have encountered."
The "vast majority" in his words excluded only Head Captain Yamamoto.
Aizen had never personally witnessed Makoto in battle.
He could only gauge his strength from the pressure he exerted and the terrifying presence of the Ten Crown Guards—each of whom already possessed immeasurable power.
If this Emperor of the Living World were only slightly stronger than them, how could he completely subjugate them?
The key lay in the fact that this Emperor of the Living World was far too young.
His history was easy to trace—he was only in his early twenties.
If he were given hundreds or even thousands of years, Aizen could hardly imagine what the outcome would be.
This was precisely what the Seireitei of the Soul Society had always feared.
If the Emperor of the Empire were to pass away naturally in a hundred years like an ordinary human, what would become of his soul when it arrived in the Soul Society?
In fact, granting him immortality seemed like a better solution.
Hearing Aizen's words, Makoto's smile did not waver.
He casually asked, "That small exception you spoke of—are you referring to Head Captain Yamamoto?"
Aizen replied, "Head Captain Yamamoto has always been regarded as the strongest Shinigami."
"Is that so?"
Makoto lifted his hand slightly, and an invisible force swept across Aizen.
On the surface, nothing seemed to change, but the moment that strange force brushed past him, Aizen's mind shuddered violently, his eyes widening in shock.
It was an indescribable sensation—he suddenly realized that his time had stopped.
He was completely isolated from the outside world.
His body no longer moved forward in time.
He could move, he could think… but this unfathomable feeling was beyond explanation.
Time… was this truly the power of time itself?
For the first time, Aizen was too stunned to speak.
During the Two Realms Exchange Conference, the Emperor of the Empire had demonstrated the ability to restore a completely destroyed battlefield.
Aizen had suspected something along these lines before but never dared to believe it completely—because such an ability was simply too absurd and inconceivable.
If time could be controlled... No, how could time possibly be controlled?
Such a concept—
For a moment, Aizen's mind raced.
What was happening before his eyes had completely shattered his understanding.
Yet, he quickly regained his composure and said, "Your Majesty, I misspoke earlier."
"Oh?" Makoto's lips curved slightly as he smiled, watching Aizen with amusement.
Aizen slowly corrected himself, "Your Majesty is indeed stronger than anyone I have ever encountered."
Makoto replied calmly, "Yet, the power I possess now—the power this planet possesses—is nothing more than what those beyond the sky have left behind."
Aizen asked, "Your Majesty, do you fear them?"
Makoto responded, "How could one not be wary of something stronger than themselves?"
Aizen, however, countered, "If there were nothing in this world to make one feel wary… would such a world truly have any meaning?"
"..."
Makoto suddenly fell silent.
At that moment, he realized just how twisted Aizen's philosophy had become.
In the original Bleach, Kurosaki Ichigo once said that Aizen was a very lonely person.
Aizen had always watched Ichigo grow stronger, perhaps in hopes of finding someone who could finally understand him.
But Makoto was not that kind of person.
Suddenly, he thought of Orochimaru…
Makoto shifted the topic, saying, "Aizen, what I admire is your strength."
Aizen noticed that Makoto didn't respond to his previous words, and his eyes flickered slightly.
They were not the same kind of people.
"Soul Society will soon change."
Aizen was not surprised and said, "Your Majesty wants me to do something, doesn't he?"
Ambition was the most natural thing in the world.
When a person became strong enough, it would take root in their heart alongside their power.
Makoto spoke calmly, "I intend to create a new order in this world. Those who oppose me will die."
............
Tsunade's Residence.
Hokage Tsunade looked at the item Tsunade handed her, hesitating for a long time but not taking it.
"Isn't this what you wanted?" Tsunade asked.
Hokage Tsunade immediately became flustered and snapped, "I don't want this thing!"
What Tsunade was holding was a small metallic object, with an exquisitely crafted tiny bell attached to it.
Tsunade spoke again, "Didn't you ask me for this?"
"…"
Tsunade added, "Don't worry, this is yours—it's different from mine."
These words made Hokage Tsunade even more embarrassed and frustrated.
But after hesitating for a long time, she still reached out and took the object into her hand.
It was just an inanimate item, lying quietly in Hokage Tsunade's palm.
When shaken, it emitted a crisp, clear sound.
That sound—which had haunted her countless nights like a nightmare—was tied to something that had trampled on her dignity and self-respect.
And yet, at this moment, she willingly accepted it.
Hokage Tsunade felt like she had completely lost her mind.
Tsunade looked at her calmly and said, "Why think so much about it?"
"…"
"Haven't you already weighed what you stand to gain and what you might lose?"
"…"
Hokage Tsunade took a deep breath and clenched the object tightly.
She had willingly sought out Hyuga Makoto, and he had demanded that she change her demeanor before meeting him—wasn't that just his way of making her degrade herself?
She had endured pain so close to death itself.
What did any of this even matter?
A body, just a body—one that had never truly belonged to her in the first place...
Hokage Tsunade had tried to convince herself of this countless times.
"Of course I know. I don't need you to remind me."
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