"Ahhhhhhh! No!!!"
Rukia finally came to her senses. She suddenly screamed.
Even the Zanpakuto in her hand began swinging wildly at Aoto.
But in the next second, a chop to the back of Rukia's head finally knocked her unconscious.
Ukitake Jushiro caught Rukia as she fell. His gaze filled with apology as he looked at Aoto. "I'm sorry, Aoto. Kaien, he..."
Making Aoto kill Kaien with his own hands only made Ukitake Jushiro's already-ailing lungs feel worse. He could barely catch his breath!
"I understand, Captain Ukitake. This is Kaien's battle for his dignity!" Aoto changed the spiked club back into the shape of an Asauchi and replied with an impassive expression. "Though I've never agreed with this way of doing things, it was Kaien's own decision. I have no objections, even if it costs him his life."
With that, Aoto turned to leave.
"Cough, cough. Let's go back together! Sentaro and Kiyone should be here soon." Captain Ukitake struggled to keep his illness under control, refusing to collapse just yet.
Aoto thought it over, then said earnestly to Captain Ukitake, "Captain Ukitake, I have to go see someone now... Urahara Kisuke."
At the name, Ukitake Jushiro abruptly looked up, his eyes suddenly brimming with hope. "You mean..."
Aoto nodded. "Kaien is still alive. The Hungry Ghost has him in its mouth, but it hasn't swallowed and broken him down. Only Urahara Kisuke can treat the fusion of a Soul Reaper's and a Hollow's souls!"
"Then go, Aoto!" Hearing that Kaien wasn't dead, Ukitake's spirits soared, delight flooding his face again. "Go now. I..."
"Captain Ukitake, I need to make something clear..." Aoto looked at Ukitake Jushiro with utter seriousness. "Even if Kaien is saved, he won't be able to return to the Gotei 13!"
Seeing Captain Ukitake's expression change, Aoto continued, "His situation is just like that of the captains from over fifty years ago. Even if he's saved, if anyone discovers a Hollow's soul inside him, he'll be executed immediately!"
"So just consider him dead! Even if I find Urahara Kisuke and save him, he'll only be able to live in the World of the Living from now on! That's the price he paid for staking his dignity."
Ukitake Jushiro looked at Aoto, gradually calming down. "So you're going to take the blame for killing Kaien?"
"Yes!" Aoto glanced at Rukia in Ukitake Jushiro's arms. "So, Captain Ukitake, please don't tell Rukia the truth. Let her be a witness who can testify that I'm the culprit!"
Ukitake looked at Aoto and couldn't help giving a bitter smile. "You and Kaien really are... He wanted Rukia to help him end his own life, while you won't let Rukia kill Kaien, yet you're still making her unknowingly witness his death..."
"You two really are ruthless!" Ukitake Jushiro shook his head. "And Rukia is one thing, but how will you face Kūkaku and Ganju in the future?"
Aoto gazed up at the moon and murmured, "If Kaien is saved, I'll tell them the truth in ten years or so."
"Until then..." Aoto took out a wooden sword and tossed it to the ground, then turned away. "I'll be going, Captain Ukitake!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Aoto vanished from Ukitake Jushiro's sight at top speed.
But Ukitake Jushiro's attention had already been drawn to the wooden sword.
It had floated into the air, radiating the exact same spiritual pressure as Aoto.
"Captain Ukitake!"
Even the voice was exactly like Aoto's.
Ukitake Jushiro immediately understood what it was. "A Mod Soul?"
"I'm Blue Oni!" the Aoto look-alike said. "I'm one of the oni inside Lord Aoto's Zanpakuto!"
Ukitake Jushiro nodded to show he understood.
So that was it. The reason Aoto's Zanpakuto could take so many forms was that he'd added Mod Souls to his blade, giving each oni independent thought.
Even without using Bankai, they could greatly increase his combat strength.
That was also what allowed this oni to exist outside the Zanpakuto.
No wonder Aoto, who had once studied Mod Souls under Kirio Hikifune, had come up with research of his own.
And using the fruits of his research to increase his own strength put him not so far from Urahara Kisuke and Kurotsuchi Mayuri in style!
Just then, Kotsubaki Sentaro and Kotetsu Kiyone finally arrived... Their Flash Step was nowhere near as fast as Aoto's.
They took in the scene and couldn't help asking...
"Where's Vice-Captain Shiba?"
Keeping his spiritual pressure concealed, Aoto made his way toward Urahara Kisuke's location.
Looking up at the moon, Aoto murmured to himself...
My original self, will this much of a change interfere with your plan?
Probably not!
Otherwise, why didn't you stop me?
World of the Living, Urahara Shop.
Urahara Kisuke was getting bored and preparing to close up when he heard the door chime ring.
"Welcome, how can we..." Urahara Kisuke hadn't finished speaking when he saw Aoto walk in.
He still wasn't wearing a Gigai. He'd come in as a Soul Reaper.
Aoto didn't wait for Urahara Kisuke to say anything. He released his Zanpakuto.
Urahara Kisuke folded his fan shut, his expression turning serious.
Yoruichi appeared on the counter beside them in her black cat form.
Aoto didn't have time to explain. He simply made the Hungry Ghost open its mouth and release Shiba Kaien, who had already lost consciousness.
"Save him!" Aoto said to Urahara Kisuke, his expression grave.
Seeing Shiba Kaien in a state of "soul suicide," Urahara Kisuke's expression grew even more severe. "What happened?"
"It was probably Aizen's doing," Aoto replied without emotion. "Shiba Miyako was killed. When Kaien went to avenge her, a Hollow's soul invaded his spiritual body."
Urahara Kisuke turned to Aoto. "Then why bring him here? Aren't you worried about Aizen..."
"Save him. Stop talking and hurry!" Aoto's expression grew even grimmer!
Urahara Kisuke said nothing more. He brought Aoto and Kaien to a room behind the shop, took out a syringe, and injected its contents into Shiba Kaien.
It contained human souls, a vaccine meant to counteract the Hollow.
Thanks to what he'd learned from the Visored, Urahara Kisuke had no trouble saving him this time.
Shiba Kaien's ragged breathing finally began to slow. It seemed the "vaccine" was working as intended.
Even so, Urahara Kisuke added some auxiliary medicine as a booster shot. He worked for quite a while before finally resolving Kaien's "soul suicide" completely.
Treating Shiba Kaien also gave Urahara Kisuke firsthand information on Aizen's research into Hollowfication.
"Done!" Urahara Kisuke opened his little fan and grinned at Aoto. "Mr. Shiba has been saved. But just like Hiyori and the others, the Hollow's soul inside him can't be completely removed. He can't return to the Soul Society!"
"I know." Aoto's expression remained impassive. "I already explained everything to Captain Ukitake before coming here. Whether Kaien was saved or not, he'll be treated as having died in the line of duty!"
"Oh, Mr. Hyakume really is a very sensible man!" Urahara Kisuke's irritating smile appeared on his face again.
But Aoto still took something from his coat and tossed it to Urahara Kisuke. "This is payment for the treatment!"
Urahara Kisuke reached to catch it, but Yoruichi snatched it away.
Aoto paid no mind to whether the two of them were flirting. He sat beside the still-unconscious Kaien and waited for him to wake up.
Hachigen Ushoda came over just then, carrying a tray with some food and water.
Aoto accepted it. "Thank you very much, Grand Kido Chief!"
Hachigen Ushoda nodded and left without another word.
That Grand Kido Chief really was a man of few words!
After Urahara Kisuke finally managed to get the "treatment fee" back from Yoruichi, he discovered that it was Aoto's research materials on Mod Souls.
Research on extending Mod Souls' lifespans.
Unlike Kurotsuchi Mayuri's Nem Project, which aimed to make Mod Souls completely independent and give rise to true selves, Aoto's research focused on making Mod Souls completely dependent on the people who used them.
As long as the user didn't die, the Mod Soul's lifespan limit disappeared. Whether it continued to exist depended only on whether it received enough Reishi from its user.
As long as its Reishi wasn't used up, a Mod Soul could exist indefinitely.
It was a very unusual piece of research, and it gave Urahara Kisuke some fresh ideas.
"From the look on your face, I'd say you made quite a haul!"
Yoruichi said this after seeing Urahara Kisuke's drooling expression.
"It's given me some great ideas!" Urahara Kisuke tucked the research materials away like a weasel that had just stolen a chicken. "Mr. Hyakume's treatment fee could even cover a few follow-up sessions."
Still, Urahara Kisuke knew Aoto hadn't handed over all of his research.
After all, the most important part of it—the method for continually increasing a Mod Soul's combat strength—wasn't mentioned.
Without a way to increase their combat strength, the lifespan of a Mod Soul held little value to most Soul Reapers!
After all, the Rukongai was full of souls with no combat strength who could live for hundreds of years.
If they really needed cannon fodder, they could always capture those souls!
Mod Souls were surely more expensive to make than ordinary souls!
When Shiba Kaien opened his eyes again, he heard the most familiar voice.
"We meet again, Kaien!"
At the sound of that voice, Shiba Kaien abruptly sat up and saw Aoto sitting not far away.
Shiba Kaien stared at him blankly. "I... wasn't I dead? How can I still see you?"
Aoto replied with exasperation, "Because we're in Hell right now. You've done so many bad things that you fell into Hell, and I got dragged here with you!"
"Huh?" Shiba Kaien's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
"You really believed me?" Aoto rapped him on the head, making sure he knew he wasn't dreaming. "Congratulations on surviving, Kaien!"
Shiba Kaien stared blankly at Aoto, then gave him his trademark smile. "Thank you very much, Aoto."
"Thank you for saving me!"