The Death of Kurosaki Makoto

For more than a century, the only person Chiba Makoto had never dared to underestimate in the slightest was Aizen Sōsuke...

Precisely because of that, Chiba Makoto's understanding of Kyōka Suigetsu's abilities was far beyond anything the others could compare to.

Illusion had always been built upon reality.

If reality did not exist, then illusion would be meaningless.

As for what Aizen Sōsuke currently defined as "reality," Chiba Makoto knew very well. It was the particle of reishi he had left within Kyōka Suigetsu a century ago.

After a hundred years—or rather, after the Hogyoku had completely fused with Kyōka Suigetsu—Aizen Sōsuke had finally found that particle of reishi.

And then, Aizen Sōsuke had defined that particle as "reality."

That was why what Chiba Makoto and Unohana Retsu saw were, in truth, entirely different scenes.

Since that "particle of reishi" had originally been part of Chiba Makoto's body, Chiba Makoto had, in a sense, been defined as "reality." Thus, the illusions that had ensnared countless Soul Reapers... were utterly meaningless to Chiba Makoto.

Still... even if Urahara Kisuke's instruments smoked from overwork, he probably would never have imagined that Aizen Sōsuke would calmly place Kyōka Suigetsu's sole weakness on someone else.

Yet that only made Chiba Makoto regard Aizen Sōsuke more highly.

Aizen Sōsuke's actions had undoubtedly caused Chiba Makoto's trust in him to rise dramatically, allowing him to fully sense Aizen Sōsuke's sincerity.

"Teacher Unohana, it seems things are proceeding far more smoothly on Aizen's end than expected. Next, you'll need to make preparations according to the plan," Chiba Makoto said.

"Alright. I understand."

Unohana Retsu rose to her feet, nodded, then asked, "Makoto, what about the identity of 'Kurosaki Makoto'?"

"Kurosaki Makoto? Didn't he die beneath Aizen Sōsuke's blade?" Chiba Makoto asked in return.

"I see."

At those