The Cat of Rukongai

Aizen's Zanpakuto had returned to its original, ordinary, Asauchi form, its light subdued, showing no abnormalities.

"Huh? What happened?"

Xuanxin frowned, glancing at Aizen, then at his own sword hilt, now cold again, his heart filled with doubt. "That's it? What just happened?"

Aizen, standing in the center of the dojo, clearly saw Xuanxin's subtle movement of bowing his head.

"Failed... To fail at a time like this, due to an unexpected action. Was it luck or a warning from the teacher's Zanpakuto? This is getting more and more interesting."

Aizen felt a storm raging in his heart, but his terrifyingly honed mental fortitude forced him to suppress all his amazement and excitement in less than half a second.

Instead of showing any disappointment, he quickly dissipated the Reiatsu he had just gathered.

He Zanpakuto, a bitter smile tinged with embarrassment and shame on his face.

"Please excuse my poor performance, teacher. Just now, when I was pushing my Zanpakuto into deep release, my spiritual energy output suddenly became extremely unstable and disordered, causing the release to be interrupted." Aizen bowed slightly and explained naturally.

Hearing Aizen's flawless explanation, Xuanxin's brows furrowed even deeper.

In Xuanxin's memory, Sōsuke Aizen was a person who planned everything carefully before acting and pursued ultimate perfection. Such a mistake should not have happened to him.

Although he was filled with doubts, Xuanxin did not expose him on the spot since Aizen had given him a way out.

Xuanxin simply waved his hand dismissively, then comforted Aizen before leaving the dojo under the pretext of official business.

As dusk fell, Xuanxin walked alone on the path leading back to the Shihoin Clan.

In his mind, the sudden the Heat sensation in his palm and Aizen's unusual behavior kept replaying in his mind.

"What exactly happened just now? If the hilt hadn't suddenly gotten so hot..."

Just when Xuanxin was completely baffled...

Suddenly, a long-silent voice rang in his ears!

"All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows, dew, and lightning. Thus should you contemplate them."

Since the incident Sōya Azashiro, Musashi has either fallen into a deep sleep or spent all his time fooling around with Urozakuro, and has never taken the initiative to communicate with Xuanxin again.

However, this time, Musashi's voice no longer carried the previous playfulness and teasing, but instead exuded a strong sense of Zen, like that of a Zen master who had been meditating for many years.

Upon hearing this famous verse from the Diamond Sutra, Xuanxin abruptly stopped in his tracks.

"Musashi? You're awake? What do you mean by that?" Xuanxin wondered to himself.

However, apart from those words, Musashi made no further sound. That unreliable idiot, after uttering that verse, vanished once more, and no matter how Xuanxin called out to him, there was no response.

"This guy... he's getting more and more into playing tricks."

Xuanxin sighed helplessly. Since Musashi refused to speak plainly, he could only rely on his own wisdom to comprehend the Zen meaning contained in those words.

"All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows..."

Xuanxin repeatedly chewed over these words. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, connecting all of Aizen's unusual behavior within the dojo in an instant!

"Kyōka Suigetsu... the moon in the water, a flower in the mirror... isn't this what they call a 'dreamlike illusion'?!"

Xuanxin recalled Aizen's posture when he Zanpakuto upside down, the smooth, mirror-like blade, and the eerie, water-like light that rippled across its surface at the last moment.

[I understand. Aizen's Zanpakuto is probably not a direct-attack weapon at all. The so-called 'Kyōka Suigetsu' is most likely some kind of illusion-type Zanpakuto that creates visual deception through 'mirror reflection' or 'light refraction'!]

Following this line of reasoning, Xuanxin found it increasingly reasonable, and a bead of cold sweat even broke out on his forehead.

"No wonder he immediately sheathed his sword and lied that the release failed due to a disruption in his spiritual energy when I lowered my head. His illusion technique, which creates visual deception through the refraction of light and shadow, probably has certain triggering conditions. Perhaps the target must witness the release with their own eyes at the very moment of release!"

Sōsuke Aizen actually used this method to test me; it seems Aizen harbors considerable ambitions.

Thinking of this, a dangerous glint flashed in Xuanxin's dark eyes. Having learned his lesson, he decided that in the future, whenever he faced Aizen, he must never again look easily at the blade called "Kyōka Suigetsu".

Time flies like an arrow, and the great wheel of history will not stop turning because of anyone's conspiracy or provocation.

After that meeting at the dojo, which was fraught with danger, Aizen seemed to have truly become a well-behaved and exemplary student.

Soon, he became the Seated Officer of the Fifth Division with his outstanding performance. Moreover, Aizen showed amazing talent and efficiency in handling complicated divisional affairs and documents.

His gentle temperament and perfect persona allowed him to quickly establish himself in the Fifth Division, and he even began to show his talent to the new captain Shinji Hirako, becoming a trusted and capable assistant.

Meanwhile, the handover of Gotei 13 has finally come to an end.

Captain Kirio Hikifune of the Twelfth Division, having completed all the handover work with the Seireitei, officially promoted to the Zero Division aboard the Tenchūren, led by the members of the Zero Division.

As a result, the position of captain of the Twelfth Division became vacant.

Thus, thanks to Yoruichi Shihōin's relentless and enthusiastic recommendation, an unexpected yet perfectly logical candidate stepped into the spotlight.

Kisuke Urahara, the man who usually hid in the Maggot's Nest and conducted his research on his own, was naturally pushed to the forefront by the two of them. After all, in the Thirteenth Division, this unreliable man was probably the only one who could inherit Kirio Hikifune's mantle.

So, after Kisuke Urahara passed the captain's test, he was able to don the white haori that symbolized power and officially become the new captain of the Twelfth Division.

On Kisuke Urahara's very first day in office, his terrifying drive, hidden beneath his languid exterior, was fully unleashed.

He submitted an application to the Central 46 Chambers, requesting the establishment of a new independent agency called the "Shinigami Research and Development Institute" within the Twelfth Division.

Inside this organization called the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, in an underground laboratory with layers of top-secret barriers.

Kisuke Urahara lowered the brim of his hat, looking at the pile of complex soul data before him, his eyes gleaming with a fanatical light that transcended his time.

A top-secret experiment called "Hōgyoku" was officially launched.

The mad gears of the new era of Soul Society meshed completely at this moment.

Chapter 59 The Cat of Rukongai

With the official establishment of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, Kisuke Urahara began to look for research-oriented talents within the Thirteenth Division.

When it comes to scientific research talent, the first person Kisuke Urahara of is a dangerous individual he had been closely monitoring at his old workplace, "The Maggot's Nest."

So, on the third day after he officially took office, Kisuke Urahara, at some unknown cost, took the strange man imprisoned in the Maggot's Nest from Yoruichi.

He then returned to his old workplace and stopped in front of a dark, damp room sealed off by multiple top-secret barriers.

"Ah~ it's been a long time, Mayuri Kurotsuchi. What's your decision? How about getting out of this moldy cage? I've prepared an amusement park ten thousand times bigger than this one."

Kisuke Urahara looked at the man covered in bizarre paint and a sly smile crept onto his lips.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi's eyes, which gleamed with a mixture of madness and wisdom, narrowed slightly as he looked at Kisuke Urahara's pristine white haori, letting out a low, eerie laugh:

"What, the captain of the Twelfth Division, has actually stooped to looking for help in this garbage dump?"

Kisuke Urahara ignored the other person's sarcasm and instead said seriously:

"If you're willing to become my deputy and dissect the 'truth' of this world, you can squander the funds and equipment as you please."

Upon hearing this, a glint of greed and arrogance flashed in Mayuri Kurotsuchi's eyes. He then licked his chapped lips and said:

"Hmph, do you treat me like your subordinate? Well, since you've come to me for help, I'll reluctantly go and take a look at your so-called amusement park."

The two geniuses then reached some undisclosed agreement in the shadows.

With Mayuri Kurotsuchi joining the Research and Development Institute, its establishment progressed at an alarming pace.

In that top-secret laboratory buried deep underground, Kisuke Urahara at the cluster of Reishi reacting violently in the test tube, his gaze becoming terrifyingly profound.

"The Temporary Soul is just the beginning. Captain Hikifune's idea is to infuse the essence of the soul into the body to enhance power... Unfortunately, Shinigami have their limits, while Hollows can continuously evolve. So, is there a way to surpass the limits of Shinigami?"

Kisuke Urahara muttered to himself, his gaze fixed on that ultimate, forbidden topic since ancient times—transcending the boundaries between Shinigami and Hollows.

Perhaps this is why geniuses all end up the same way, no matter how many paths they take.

Meanwhile, the Shinigami Research and Development Institute officially began operations.

Sōsuke Aizen, the newly Seated Officer of the Fifth Division, was also not idle.

After joining the Fifth Division, he completely transformed into a perfect junior who was "eager to learn" and "humble and eager to learn".

Having decided to engage in a century-long contest with Shihoin Genshin on this chessboard, Aizen knew very well that before seizing the highest throne, he had to complete the "staticization" of all the top combat forces in this old world.

And that Zanpakuto named "Kyōka Suigetsu" became the sharpest paintbrush in his hand.

"Commander Kyōraku, I've recently encountered some bottlenecks in the flow of Reiatsu during my Shikai. Could you please offer some guidance?"

"Captain Ukitake, I've heard that your Zanpakuto also has a water-based branch. Could you please take a look at the release trajectory of my sword and see if there are any flaws?"

Faced with this young Seated Officer had a gentle smile, a respectful attitude, and was indeed extremely talented, none of the captains or vice-captains felt wary.

They were even quite willing to offer advice to this seemingly promising junior.

Thus, in one sparring session after another, where participants "humbly sought guidance," and after each cry of "Shatter, Kyōka Suigetsu!"...

Sōsuke Aizen, in this brazen manner, dragged almost all the high-ranking Gotei 13 into his Absolute Abyss, which he called Complete Hypnosis!

Each time Aizen successfully sheathed his sword, a cold mockery would rise in his heart as Aizen bowed in gratitude.

"Everything is going according to plan. So, in Teacher Xuanxin's opinion, I might be the ultimate victor in this long game."

However, simply controlling the captains of Seireitei was not enough. Aizen knew very well that he could not create true "perfection" on his own, after all, even Shinigami have their limits.

He began to gather his companions in the shadows.

He quickly set his sights on his first target— Kaname Tōsen, a Shinigami who was naturally immune to the Kyōka Suigetsu of life.

However, in this life, Kaname Tōsen's fate took a subtle turn due to Shihoin Genshin's ruthless suppression of the nobility.

In this life, due to Xuanxin's strict reform of the aristocratic class, Tsunayashiro Tokinada, despite still marrying Tōsen's best friend out of his own twisted and perverse sense of humor.

However, due to the strict management he has recently been under under Xuanxin's leadership, he dares not act as recklessly as he did in the original story.

Therefore, the tragedy of the husband killing his wife did not occur.

However, for that woman from Rukongai, this might be the beginning of another kind of despair.

In that aristocratic family with strict social hierarchy and deeply ingrained class consciousness, although she survived, she became someone who suffered endless emotional abuse and had her dignity trampled upon.

She lived like a walking corpse, and the light of justice in her eyes was gradually worn away.

All of this was clearly "seen" by the perceptive Kaname Tōsen.

One evening, Kaname Tōsen stood under a withered tree at the border of Rukongai and Seireitei, gripping his cane tightly in anguish. He had just sensed the faint, suppressed, and despairing Reiatsu emanating from his dearest friend.

"It must be painful, Tōsen."

A gentle voice, seemingly able to see through everything, slowly sounded beside him.

Kaname Tōsen turned his head sharply. Although he couldn't see him, he could sense that a man with unfathomable Reiatsu was standing beside him.

"Who are you?"

Who I am is not important. What is important is that I can see the 'justice' that is crying out in your heart.

Aizen adjusted his glasses, gazing at the towering white walls of Seireitei in the distance, his tone carrying a bewitching allure:

"Shihoin Captain Xuanxin is indeed a remarkable person. He used his power to suppress the arrogance of the nobles, but... then what?"

Aizen turned his head, his gaze fixed intently on Kaname Tōsen: