The Captains' Meeting After Aizen's Defection

Three days passed in the busy Seireitei. Most of the ruins of Sōkyoku Hill had been cleared, and the wounded were gradually recovering under the care of the Fourth Division. Order was slowly but steadily being restored. But everyone knew in their hearts that beneath the surface calm, undercurrents were gathering.

The Captain-Commander’s Conference Room of the Gotei 13.

In the solemn hall, thirteen seats were arranged in a semi-circle. At this moment, except for the Captains of the Third Division, Fifth Division, and Ninth Divisions, whose seats were vacant, the other ten Captains were all in their places. Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai sat upright on the central high platform, leaning on a wooden cane with both hands. His old eyes were half-open, but no one dared to underestimate the authority of this Captain-Commander at this moment.

A heavy, oppressive atmosphere hung in the air. Aizen's betrayal was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake; the ripples continued to spread, and everyone was pondering the same question: What should they do next?

"The meeting will now begin," Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's voice broke the silence, "Call Liu Hao in."

In the corridor outside the gate, Liu Hao stood quietly. He had changed into a brand new Shihakushō, without the Vice-Captain's armband or any Captain's insignia. For the past three days, he had been helping the Fourth Division treat the wounded, briefly exchanging ideas with Ichigo Kurosaki and the others, while also contemplating their next move.

The door opened. Chōjirō Sasakibe — the Vice-Captain of the First Division —peeked out. "Liu Hao, the Captain-Commander summons you."

Liu Hao nodded, took a deep breath, and stepped into the conference room.

Ten pairs of eyes fell on him simultaneously. Those eyes were complex and heavy—there was scrutiny, doubt, curiosity, and also hidden hostility. Liu Hao could feel the weight of these gazes, but he did not back down. He simply walked calmly to the center of the hall and finally stopped in front of Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.

"Captain-Commander Yamamoto." Liu Hao bowed slightly, his voice steady.

"Hmm," Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto nodded, his aged eyes fully open, his sharp gaze seemingly piercing through to the heart. "Liu Hao, tell the other Captains about Aizen and his purpose."

"Yes, Captain-Commander."

Liu Hao turned around and faced the Captains lined up on both sides. He looked around, his gaze sweeping over the faces of each Captain —from Kenpachi Zaraki on the far left to Byakuya Kuchiki on the far right, from the gentle Jūshirō Ukitake to the dangerous Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

Then, he spoke slowly, his voice clear and firm. "Aizen's ultimate goal is to ascend to the Soul King Palace and replace the Soul King."

These words were like a second boulder thrown into a calm lake. The Captains tensed slightly. Although many of them had already guessed, they still felt a chill when the target was stated so directly.

"At this stage, what he needs to do is perfect the Hōgyoku and then fuse with Hōgyoku," Liu Hao continued, his tone as calm as if stating a matter of course. "Afterward, he will go to the World of the Living to create the Oken —the key to enter the Soul King Palace —using the Spiritually Dense Land. And the Spiritually Dense Land for the past hundred years has been Karakura Town."

A brief silence fell over the hall. Everyone was processing this information— the Soul King Palace, the Hōgyoku, the Oken, the Spiritually Dense Land... Behind these terms lay a war powerful enough to overturn the balance of the Three Worlds.

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto broke the silence. "Liu Hao, when do you think Sōsuke Aizen will begin to execute his plan?"

Liu Hao frowned slightly, seemingly calculating. "Originally, after he took the Hōgyoku away, he planned to have the Hōgyoku he made himself devour this Hōgyoku to make it whole. This would take about a year."

He paused, his tone becoming uncertain. "But he didn't take the Hōgyoku with him now. He'll probably try to perfect the Hōgyoku he has first, and then fuse it with the Hōgyoku. I don't know how long that will take."

"So what are your plans?" Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto continued to ask.

Liu Hao's expression hardened again. "I've already had Kisuke Urahara start manufacturing a replacement for Karakura Town. We can intercept him there then."

"A replacement?" Second Division Captain Soi Fon frowned slightly. "You mean, relocate the entire Karakura Town?"

"Yes," Liu Hao nodded, "We'll transfer the residents of Karakura Town to Soul Society, and then create a Copies in their original location. That way, even if a battle breaks out, ordinary humans won't be harmed."

The plan sounded almost insane, but no one present questioned it—having experienced Aizen's betrayal, they knew that no means were too much when facing such an enemy.

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto continued, "If Aizen were to attack Karakura Town, how many soldiers would he have?"

Liu Hao's expression turned serious. "He currently commands an Arrancar army led by the Espada. Although their quality varies, some of them are stronger than Squad Lieutenant."

Several Captains ' expressions changed slightly. More than Squad Lieutenant —this meant that even the top fighters of the Gotei 13 might not be a match for those Arrancar.

Liu Hao added, "Furthermore, Aizen will likely create some special Arrancar to seal the abilities of his Zanpakuto —especially those of the Captain-Commander."

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's eyes narrowed slightly. He wasn't afraid, but rather beginning to seriously assess the enemy's threat.

"Then how can we guarantee victory in this battle?" the Captain-Commander asked the most crucial question.

Liu Hao remained silent for a few seconds. After that, he slowly shook his head. "Victory cannot be guaranteed. The key to this war lies with Aizen himself. Although the Arrancar army is strong, they are not a significant threat. However, once Aizen fuses with the Hōgyoku, his own strength will break through the limits of his soul, and its growth will reach a terrifying level. At that time, apart from the Captain-Commander, no one else may be a match for him."

These words made the atmosphere in the hall even more somber.

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto stared at Liu Hao: "So, do we really have to rely on that Ryoka boy?"

"Let's keep it as a backup plan," Liu Hao replied. "After all, no one can guarantee how far Aizen will grow. Ichigo Kurosaki possesses special potential; if it can be fully unleashed, it might be the key to defeating Aizen."

"With your current strength?" Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto suddenly asked a question that made everyone prick up their ears.

Liu Hao smiled wryly, "It's hard to say. My strength isn't particularly great; it's more about the ability of my Zanpakuto that allows me to somewhat counter Aizen."

The Captain-Commander didn't press for details, but instead turned to another crucial question, "How do we become immune to Kyōka Suigetsu?"

This problem drew the attention of all the Captains. Kyōka Suigetsu —that Complete Hypnosis ability—was Aizen's greatest weapon. If this could not be broken, even the strongest forces could be exhausted in infighting.

Liu Hao took a deep breath and Shikai, "Cultivating the spirit body to the state of Hunyuan Yiyi is the foundation for immunity to Kyōka Suigetsu. Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu's ability is to radiate light Reishi into the soul, controlling the central nervous system within the soul to achieve a Complete Hypnosis effect. This is why you can only be captivated by Kyōka Suigetsu when you see him unleash his Zanpakuto —that's the moment when the light Reishi are released most concentrated."

He paused, then continued, "The reason I'm immune is through the power of my Zanpakuto. If I trained on my own, it would be impossible to do this—after all, the soul's absorption of external Reishi is instinctive. But through the Zanpakuto's power, I can control the Reishi that enter my body. After I saw Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu, I also used the Zanpakuto's power to remove the light Reishi that had seeped into my soul."

These words made Mayuri Kurotsuchi's eyes light up. The head of the Research and Development Institute seemed to want to say something, but ultimately held back.

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto nodded, seemingly satisfied with the explanation. He looked around. "Do you have any further questions?"

After a brief silence, Tōshirō Hitsugaya spoke first. The youngest Captain's face was still somewhat pale—the injuries he had sustained from being severely wounded by Aizen three days ago had not yet fully healed—but his eyes were sharp as ice.

"I want to know, Liu Hao, when did you find out about Aizen's plot?"

The question was direct and pointed. All the Captains looked at Liu Hao, waiting for his answer.

Liu Hao was silent for a few seconds, then said, "A long time ago."

"Specifically?" Tōshirō Hitsugaya pressed, his voice filled with suppressed anger—he remembered Momo Hinamori's tears, the letter, and the sword fight he had with his childhood friend.

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto suddenly spoke up, interrupting the potentially escalating interrogation. "There's no need to ask that question. Liu Hao already reminded Captain Unohana and me about it. But considering Kyōka Suigetsu's abilities, we can only let Aizen go for now."

The Captain-Commander paused, his authoritative gaze sweeping across the room. "Does anyone else have a question?"

After a brief silence, Mayuri Kurotsuchi spoke. The Twelfth Division Captain, who always wore a strange smile, now had a serious expression, and his golden eyes flashed with a dangerous light.

"I'd like to know, Liu Hao, what's the technique you used to seal Kyōka Suigetsu? Will it be useful in the future when we deal with Aizen?"

This is a very practical and crucial question. If we could replicate that sealing technology, future battles would be much easier.

Hollowfication Liu Hao shook his head. "That can only be used once. It's an item created based on Aizen's Soul Reaper Hollowfication —it involves injecting a specially made Hollow into Aizen's body, forcing him to be unable to use his Zanpakuto for a short period. Aizen can easily solve this problem, so this method won't work on him in the future."

"Won't this method allow him to acquire Hollow powers?" Byakuya Kuchiki suddenly asked. The Squad Six Captain's voice remained calm, but the question went straight to the point.

Liu Hao nodded. "That's possible. However, the improvement from something like that is nowhere near as good as the improvement he received after fusing with the Hōgyoku."

At this moment, Shunsui Kyōraku spoke up. The Eighth Division Captain, who always wore a straw hat, rarely showed such a serious expression, his tone filled with worry. "Liu Hao, do you have any way to defeat Aizen?"

Liu Hao remained silent for a long time. Only the sound of breathing and the wind whistling from the distant courtyard filled the hall. Finally, he slowly spoke, "Well, there's currently no other way besides absolute force."

"Then who has the ability to defeat him?" Shunsui Kyōraku pressed.

Liu Hao's gaze lingered on Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto for a moment before shifting away. "Captain-Commander Yamamoto, Ichigo Kurosaki. However, Aizen is immortal after fusing with the Hōgyoku, so we can only weaken him and then seal him."

These words made Jūshirō Ukitake frown. "Ichigo Kurosaki, does he have that ability?"

"Currently, he has the potential," Liu Hao replied. "In the days to come, we need to help him fully convert that potential into real strength."

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto nodded slowly, seemingly having made a decision. He glanced around at the Captains present, his voice steady and powerful. "Alright, since Aizen will invade the World of the Living, let's bring him into it. However, what we need is to increase our own strength. Your task from now on is to continuously improve the combat power of the Gotei 13."

The Captain-Commander's words were orders. All the Captains bowed slightly to show their obedience.

Just then, Liu Hao suddenly added, "By the way, World of the Living's also the Visored. They'll likely make contact with Ichigo Kurosaki soon, so we can try to get in touch with them. After all, while they can't defeat Aizen, they'll still be an indispensable force for the Seireitei."

"The Visored?" The Captains looked puzzled.

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto seemed to know something and slowly asked, "Is it Shinji Hirako and the others?"

"Yes," Liu Hao nodded, "They were subjected to Hollowfication Experiments by Aizen back then, and after being rescued by Kisuke Urahara, they have been hiding in the World of the Living ever since. Moreover, each of them has mastered the initial ability of Hollowfication. In future wars, they are an indispensable fighting force."

These words plunged the hall into deep thought once more. Shinji Hirako — the Fifth Division Captain —suddenly disappeared a hundred years ago; it turns out there was such a hidden story behind it. If these people truly possessed the power of Hollowfication, they would indeed be a force to be reckoned with.

After a moment's thought, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto finally made a decision. "A future war... alright. If we can make contact with them, we can guide them back to Soul Society."

This decision means that Soul Society will officially recognize the existence of the Visoreds, and may even grant them legitimate status. This is a significant concession, but it also reflects the Captain-Commander's foresight—facing an enemy like Aizen, any force needs to unite.

Finally, Liu Hao made a more sensitive suggestion. "One more thing, I hope that the Gotei 13 will temporarily take over the Central 46. After all, we can't afford to have anyone holding us back in the war we're facing now, and in the wars to come."

These words sent a chill down the spines of the Captains. The Central 46 —the highest legislative and judicial body of Soul Society —comprising forty sages and six judges. Although all of them are now dead, the organization itself still exists. The Gotei 13's temporary takeover of the Central 46 means that military forces will directly seize judicial and legislative power.

This has never happened before in the history of Soul Society.