Chapter 48: Ichimaru Gin's Report Letter
"What?"
Ignoring Ichigo's stunned reaction, Aizen leisurely continued his story. His relaxed posture was almost identical to Takeru's, making it hard to tell whether he was truly opening his heart or simply performing.
"Though it may sound arrogant," Aizen said quietly, "when I was young, I was also a genius no less than either of you."
"Joy, exhilaration... those overwhelming emotions surged through me again and again. But before long, all that was left was emptiness. The so called dream I once had turned into a black and white picture in my memory, completely losing its color."
"Yes. My dream died."
"...That is it?"
Ichigo was dumbfounded.
"That is it."
"..."
"..."
Silence spread through the steam filled air.
Takeru and Ichigo both looked at Aizen with subtle, almost accusing expressions, as if to say, "Sensei, do you really feel good about yourself giving us something that half hearted?"
Aizen's lips curved into a faint, bitter smile.
"I have no intention of toying with you. Those are my true thoughts."
"Let us assume it is true..." Ichigo said slowly, "but why did it end up like that?"
He sounded torn between curiosity and restraint, afraid of prying into someone else's secret scars.
"Perhaps it is because I was not as fortunate as Takeru."
Ichigo could not help glancing at Takeru.
Takeru raised an eyebrow but did not speak.
"If, back then, I had also had a friend like you at my side, Kurosaki kun," Aizen went on, "perhaps things would have turned out very differently."
"No, I still do not really get it. Even without friends, that is no reason to lose hope in your dream, right?"
"Kurosaki kun, have you ever had this experience? When you were young, you wanted badly to do something. But by the time you grew up and had the ability to do it, you had already lost interest."
His words made both of them fall silent at the same time.
It was as if they were each searching their memories, quietly tasting the feeling Aizen described.
"Like an omnipotent god who loses interest in everything because of his own omnipotence. Like a wealthy magnate who has nothing left to buy because there is nothing he cannot afford."
"That was my state of mind back then."
Aizen's expression remained serene as he stared at his reflection trembling on the water's surface, his gaze drifting slightly out of focus.
"What about now? What does Sensei think now?"
Takeru suddenly spoke up.
"In my view, someone without a dream, someone that pessimistic, should not be able to become a captain loved by everyone. Right?"
Ichigo jerked back to himself, his eyes lighting up as he fixed them on Aizen.
Aizen let out a helpless sigh.
"So you noticed after all, Takeru."
"Yes, I was like that back then. But people change."
"By chance, I happened to hear a certain story. It gave me inspiration, and from there I became the not so pessimistic Aizen Sosuke you see now."
"...How poetic. Sounds like something out of a novel."
"Brother Kurosaki, do not interrupt."
"The story itself is not complicated."
Aizen's tone was light, almost indifferent, like a narrator detached from the tale.
"It speaks of a time when the entire world was swallowed by darkness and hope had vanished. At that time, a single hero was born. He gathered the very best among mankind and led them to save the world, ultimately accomplishing the immense feat of ascending from human to god. He did indeed become a godlike existence."
"But the good times did not last. His companions killed him and used his body to create a new world."
"He offered no resistance. Perhaps he believed that outcome was not a bad one."
"A new world was created. But it was not without hidden dangers. There was no way to turn back, and nothing that could completely fix it."
"Some of those companions did not care. Some were eager to move forward. Some reluctantly accepted the role of ruler and guardian of the new world."
"That is where the story ends."
"The first time I heard it, I felt a surge of intense emotion in my chest. It took me a long time to understand that what I felt was contempt."
"Contempt for the story itself."
"It no longer mattered what became of the people in it. The mere fact that such a story existed was what I found unbearable."
"As someone born strong, as a victor who had achieved shining deeds, he should have shaped the world with his own hands and carried his mission through to the very end, instead of leaving it to others. That so called willing sacrifice without resistance was nothing more than a shameful escape."
"Takeru. Kurosaki kun. You two are also born strong. You are destined to achieve great feats as victors. Do you not agree?"
"This..."
Ichigo hesitated, unable to answer easily.
"Takeru, what do you think?"
"Me?"
Takeru did not even blink.
"I do not care."
"Huh? What is that supposed to mean?"
"What a coincidence. Takeru and I share the same opinion."
Aizen's lips wore a smile, but his eyes did not.
"No matter how deeply you think about right and wrong, sooner or later you reach the point where you stop thinking about the story itself and start thinking about yourself. You begin to wonder..."
"What would I do if I faced such a situation one day?"
"If I happened to be a naturally gifted existence, if I saw the world's crisis with a special vision and was destined to accomplish immortal feats, a hero on the path to becoming a god... What would I do?"
"The answer is very simple."
"I would rather die than become like that. I would rather die than leave such a choice to those who come after me."
"If there is something wrong with the current world, then as the victor, I will walk that path to the very end and redefine this world myself."
"That became my dream."
…
After soaking in the hot spring, the group found a Japanese restaurant on the commercial street near the bathhouse and ate their fill.
By the time the moon had climbed into the sky, they were already on their way back, chatting about problems they had run into during training. The long walk passed in no time.
Even when they arrived at the Fifth Division barracks, there was no talk of parting.
The Spirit Arts Academy was on summer break, and students were not forbidden from staying out overnight.
For Takeru and Ichigo, this was nothing new.
They had stayed over at the Fifth Division more than once. Each of them had a temporary room there, complete with spare clothes and toiletries. To the other squad members, they were no different from recruits who had started their practical training early.
"Today really was satisfying," Ichigo said with a yawn. "It was not all that busy, but I feel like I learned a lot. My head is starting to go fuzzy... I am going to bed. Night."
"Mm. Good night."
They walked side by side down the corridor, about to split off toward their respective rooms, when a figure suddenly appeared in front of them.
It was a member of the Fifth Division.
"You two, Captain Aizen wants to see you in his room. It is urgent."
"?"
Takeru and Ichigo exchanged a look.
Their drowsiness vanished instantly.
When they arrived at Aizen's room, they found him in pajamas, clearly having been about to sleep before being interrupted by the Hell Butterfly perched on his finger.
"You are here. Let us skip the small talk. I will be brief..."
Aizen's expression was solemn.
"News just arrived from Central 46. The judgment regarding Thirteenth Division member Kuchiki Rukia has been changed."
"It has been revised from one hundred years of imprisonment to execution by Sokyoku, to be carried out in one month. This is the final judgment and will not be altered again."
"What?!"
Ichigo's face went pale.
Takeru glanced at him, then turned back to Aizen and asked calmly, "By rights, Central 46 would not overturn its own ruling so easily. What happened in between, Sensei?"
"A dozen hours ago, Third Division Captain Ichimaru Gin submitted a report."
Aizen's voice was soft, but the contents were explosive.
"He claimed that Kuchiki Rukia's body is harboring a dangerous substance capable of destroying the order of Soul Society. Its name is... Hogyoku."
"Central 46 investigated and confirmed it as true. In order to destroy it, they chose execution by Sokyoku."
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