Soul Hunting Forest

Hitsugaya Toshiro.

The captain of the Gotei 13's Tenth Division, a short boy with silver hair and green eyes.

After obtaining the Character Template, Aizen immediately gained compatibility.

"Genius youth!"

Hitsugaya Toshiro compatibility +10%, Hyōrinmaru awakened.

"He looks very young, but he is quite mature inside."

Hitsugaya Toshiro compatibility +10%, ice-type Zanpakuto usage experience awakened.

"Soul Power has reached Level 29."

Hitsugaya Toshiro compatibility increased to 30%, Shikai skill awakened: Flock of Birds Ice Pillar.

The string of upgrades caught Aizen off guard.

He looked at his information panel.

Name: Aizen

Race: Human (Convertible)

Age: Six

Level: Level 29 Soul Power

Martial Soul: Zanpakuto (Kyoka Suigetsu, Hyōrinmaru)

Skills: Complete Hypnosis, Ice-Type Attacks, Flock of Birds Ice Pillar, Kido Spells No. 1 through No. 39

Aizen Sousuke Template: 20%, Hitsugaya Toshiro: 30%

Toshiro's compatibility had risen quickly, which was something worth celebrating.

But seeing Aizen Sousuke's compatibility stuck at 20%, Aizen felt somewhat troubled.

How could he raise Aizen Sousuke's compatibility?

In his impression, Aizen Sousuke was an extremely ambitious man with a cold and ruthless personality.

His power had left everyone else far behind.

Because he was too powerful, Aizen Sousuke had always been lonely.

Other than Ichigo, almost no one could understand what was in his heart.

After Ichigo learned the Final Getsuga Tenshō, his blade clashed with Aizen's.

What Ichigo felt from Aizen Sousuke's sword was loneliness.

Aizen Sousuke had possessed extraordinary abilities from birth. Perhaps he had spent his whole life searching for someone who could stand on the same level as him.

When he realized he could not find such a person, two extreme choices appeared before him.

One was to fall into obscurity and become an ordinary Soul Reaper.

The other was to climb to the peak and become a true king.

At first, Aizen Sousuke chose the latter.

But after discovering Kurosaki Ichigo, he believed Ichigo could be the one to defeat him, so he nurtured him all the way.

Finally, after being defeated by Kurosaki Ichigo, he felt satisfied and gave up on becoming stronger.

This was Aizen's conclusion after drawing on the experiences of both his lives.

Since he wanted to become compatible with Aizen Sousuke and obtain his abilities, he had to walk the path Aizen Sousuke had chosen.

And wasn't Tang San, like Kurosaki Ichigo, the child of destiny in this world?

From now on, Aizen planned to nurture Tang San and give him a chance to defeat him in the future.

But could Tang San really defeat him?

Aizen remained doubtful about that outcome.

If Tang San could not defeat him,

then he would take the God King's Throne himself.

"My goal has aligned with Aizen Sousuke's at this moment."

Aizen Sousuke compatibility increased to 30%, swordsmanship talent awakened.

The sudden increase in compatibility surprised Aizen, yet it also felt perfectly natural.

At the same time, Aizen understood that if he wanted someone's power, he had to make the same choices that person had made.

Do the same things, possess the same state of mind, achieve the same goals, and so on.

By approaching that person from every angle, he could obtain their talents and power.

And in some ways, Aizen Sousuke was actually similar to Hitsugaya Toshiro.

Both were geniuses, and the abilities of their Zanpakuto were equally earth-shattering.

As for who was stronger between a fully Bankai Hitsugaya Toshiro and Aizen Sousuke, no one could know without seeing them fight.

Drawing Hitsugaya Toshiro as his second template was, to some extent, Aizen's good fortune.

After finishing the character summoning and template draw, Aizen left the inn with the other two.

Just as Aizen had expected,

when they passed the counter, the innkeeper's wife was still asleep and did not notice that there was one more person.

Ulquiorra used the key to wake the innkeeper's wife, and in her cheerful mood, they got back one Gold Soul Coin.

They left the inn and headed for Spirit Hall.

Before leaving, Aizen had spent ten Soul Coins on Ulquiorra, raising him by one level to the Level 20 cap.

The purpose of this trip was to obtain a permit to enter the Soul Hunting Forest.

To obtain a permit, one first had to prove that one's strength had reached the peak of a stage and that one needed a soul ring to advance.

Second, one needed the guarantee of three nobles.

However, Aizen and Ulquiorra were key figures under Spirit Hall's watch, so they quickly received a permit at Spirit Hall in Notting City.

The reason it had gone so smoothly was that when Aizen and Ulquiorra received Spirit Hall's help, they promised Spirit Hall

that if they were to join a Soul Master organization, Spirit Hall would be their first choice.

Otherwise, Spirit Hall would not have helped them so much.

After leaving Spirit Hall, they went to the market to buy things they might need in the Soul Hunting Forest.

For example, fire starters, dry rations, medicinal powder, Soul Beast guides, and so on.

Aizen, Ulquiorra, and Grimmjow intended to stay in the Soul Hunting Forest for a while.

Once everything was ready, Aizen had Ulquiorra go to the academy to request leave.

The reason was not that Ulquiorra needed a soul ring, but that Aizen needed one.

Aizen had never had a soul ring from beginning to end, and the academy had always believed that he was a Level 10 Soul Scholar.

They quickly received the academy's permission.

For exceptional people, taking leave was just that simple.

With the permit in hand, they hired a carriage and hurried nonstop toward the Soul Hunting Forest.

Four hundred li was neither a long journey nor a short one.

Aizen and Ulquiorra could endure it, but Grimmjow was like a restless cat, clawing and pacing all over the place.

It was not until noon the next day that the three arrived at their destination, the Soul Hunting Forest.

After getting out of the carriage, the three stared at the camp, which was as bustling as a marketplace, and froze slightly.

There were so many Soul Masters here, far more than could be seen in Notting City.

Aizen recalled that the system required the lives of Soul Masters in exchange for Soul Coins.

Soul Coins could be used to purchase levels and characters.

Aizen's hands itched to act.

Many Soul Masters had gathered outside the forest, their cries rising and falling. Amid the clamor, even Grimmjow seemed much quieter.

"Got a permit! Hunting defensive Soul Beasts as a group, need three more!"

"Hunting power-type Soul Beasts! A team of ten, only missing a permit! The price is just ten Gold Soul Coins!"

There were not only groups recruiting people to hunt Soul Beasts, but also small stalls selling weapons, equipment, food, and supplies.

The appearance of three children immediately attracted a great deal of attention.

"Kids, you're here to hunt Soul Beasts, right? Do you have a permit? If you do, our team can help you. The price will definitely be fair."

"Hey, what are you doing? We spotted these customers first! Kids, if you're looking for a team, choose us. We're much stronger than them, and our price is lower too. Honest dealing, guaranteed!"

"Get lost! With that bunch of crooked melons and cracked dates, you dare steal business from us? You courting death?"

"Fair competition. What do you want to do?"

"I want to..."

Aizen and the other two ignored them and headed straight for the Soul Hunting Forest.

Seeing their customers leave, the two men knew they had no chance. One of them could not help cursing, "Those little brats dare enter the Soul Hunting Forest? They're dead meat!"

The other said regretfully, "What a pity about the Soul Coins on them, abandoned just like that in the Soul Hunting Forest."

The three arrived at the forest's outskirts, where a massive steel fence formed a ring around the area. A squad of soldiers patrolled outside the fence.

At the entrance to the Soul Hunting Forest, the officer checking permits looked at the permit, then at the three children, and could not help frowning.

"Just you three?"

Aizen answered, "That's right."

The officer continued, "You're not hiring any Soul Masters?"

Aizen shook his head. "No need."

The officer did not ask any more questions. Since they had a permit, he had to let them pass.

Even asking those two questions had already been somewhat out of line.

As Aizen and the other two entered the Soul Hunting Forest, they did not notice that a group of Soul Masters had set their sights on them from behind.