"Was I abandoned by the Hōgyoku?" Aizen cried out in disbelief, unable to accept such a claim no matter what.
The seal continued to spread, already covering a third of Aizen's body. Urahara Kisuke said calmly, "Yes. The Hōgyoku's power comes from its user's heart. If you had no hesitation whatsoever, it would have been impossible for it to fail. But as long as one is human, it is impossible to remain utterly unshaken. That is why I designed a new Kidō specifically for this situation."
"A new Kidō?"
"That's right. A sealing Kidō designed to target the hesitation in your heart. It can sever the connection between you and the Hōgyoku, provided your heart has already wavered. And from the looks of it, it's working quite well. I taught this Kidō to Uchiha Shin earlier, and during the battle, he planted its power inside your body in advance."
Aizen narrowed his eyes, and his expression gradually calmed. Scenes from the earlier battle flashed through his mind, and he roughly understood when Shin had planted the Kidō within him. It had been when he first faced the Sword of Time.
"So that's how it is. Uchiha Shin, you sought out Urahara Kisuke from the very beginning." He muttered softly, a trace of relief in his eyes. At least now he knew exactly where he had lost.
He turned his gaze toward Shin and asked one final question. "The one thing I do not understand is this: how did you know Urahara Kisuke? As a powerhouse from another world, you seem to possess a special understanding of the Hōgyoku, of me, and of many others."
At this question, both Urahara Kisuke and Saga focused their attention. This was something they wanted to know as well.
The two of them had suspected