After the Matsumoto Rangiku incident came to an end, Aizen remained intensely active for some time.
It seemed he believed the Hōgyoku had accumulated enough power to support its progression into the next stage...
But reality was never so accommodating.
After half a year of attempts and adjustments, Aizen soon encountered another bottleneck.
"The Hōgyoku's evolution has begun showing signs of stagnation again."
Standing before the office bookshelf, Aizen spoke those words calmly.
As he sorted through the various manuals and collected books before him, he spoke in an even tone, as casually as if discussing everyday matters.
"Although I have made many more attempts since then, the Hōgyoku has not given any clear feedback."
"The soul's demand has reached its limit. I can sense the emotions conveyed by the Hōgyoku—it is already tending toward satisfaction."
"So if we wish to go further, what we need now is something else..."
Arima Shizuya sat in his chair, drenched in sweat, his expression rather awkward.
Was this really the sort of casual conversation one could have in broad daylight?
After all...
Arima Shizuya was currently inside the Fifth Division's Division Barracks.
He had only taken the opportunity during his internship outing to pay Aizen a visit.
Even now, he had merely intended to stop by and say hello.
Yet the other man had opened with such a bombshell.
"Um, Teacher Aizen..."
Aizen paused for a moment. Seemingly able to understand exactly what Arima Shizuya was thinking, he smiled and said,
"It is fine. My office is right beside Captain Hirako's. Normally, no division members come through here, so it is a very quiet place."
No, no, no. Discussing this sort of thing beside the captain's office was already absurd enough...
Aizen returned.
He had two thick books in hand, which he placed