Churning Steel Chains, Converging Time. Tōsen Kaname stood at the edge of the roof, silently gazing at the distant scene. His lips were pressed together, his body taut.
"Kaname, are you nervous?"
Aizen's voice came from beside him, making Tōsen Kaname's already tense expression grow even more solemn.
"Yes... I am very nervous right now, Lord Aizen."
There was no perfunctory attempt at composure—only a straightforward confession.
Such honesty was rare even under normal circumstances. As for why he was being so direct now—
It was because Tōsen Kaname could not quite understand Aizen's actions at this moment.
His right hand clenched and loosened, as though he did not know where to put it. In the end, Tōsen rested it on the hilt of his sword.
"Lord Aizen, Arima Shizuya's strength has indeed improved greatly. We have all seen that for ourselves. But even so..."
Boom! A violent explosion rang out from not far away.
Light and heat surged skyward, accompanied by a roaring echo like a dust explosion.
The commotion was far from small. Coupled with the fact that it was deep into the night, it would normally have easily drawn the attention of others.
But as stated before, this location had been chosen after careful consideration by Aizen's group, and naturally, arrangements had been made.
It was secluded enough, quiet enough. So long as nothing too outrageous happened, it would be fine.
Smiling, Aizen held his Zanpakuto in a reverse grip and spoke with something like a sigh.
"Kaname, I told you before—Shizuya-kun is completely different from you. So do not impose your way of thinking onto him."
"But Lord Aizen!"
Tōsen Kaname's tone suddenly became much more severe, and even his expression took on an indescribably fierce look.
"No matter how exaggerated Arima Shizuya's rate of improvement