Aizen Demands an Explanation

Darkness, like a tangible tide, instantly engulfed the entire stronghold.

That wasn't ordinary darkness; it was the manifestation of Reiatsu.

Cold and heavy.

It carried a suffocating sense of oppression.

Wang Xun stood at the end of the passage, watching the darkness spread in all directions.

Wherever it passed, all sound was swallowed up, and all light was annihilated.

Only Kaname Tōsen's Reiatsu surged wildly in the darkness.

"The Fifth Seat Tōsen!"

Wang Xun's voice echoed in the darkness.

There was no response.

The darkness continued to spread, engulfing everything around it.

Sound, sight, and perception were all swallowed up by darkness.

Wang Xun gritted his teeth, channeling his Reiatsu in an attempt to resist the encroachment of darkness.

However, Kaname Tōsen's Bankai was too overpowered; the darkness was not physical darkness, but rather an absolute suppression of Reiatsu.

He could feel that he had completely lost his senses, and even breathing had become difficult.

Wang Xun stopped trying to stop him and instead turned and rushed towards the office area, away from the site of the conflict.

Based on his memory, he tried his best to salvage the experimental data.

In the darkness, he found the filing cabinets by touch and stuffed the documents he found into his pocket.

Fifteen minutes later, the darkness began to recede.

Kaname Tōsen's Reiatsu gradually subsided, and the suffocating sense of oppression dissipated.

Wang Xun raised his head and looked in the direction of the passage.

Kaname Tōsen stood in the center of the ruins, holding a glass container in his hands.

His face was expressionless, but his blind eyes were tightly closed.

Behind him lay a scene of carnage.

Those experimenters, those guards, those experiment subjects who didn't even have time to resist, all fell to the ground, their Reiatsu dissipated, and their lives ended.

The ruins were littered with charred remains and broken limbs, the air thick with the stench of blood, and flames raged.

The ground was covered with the remnants of the Soul Reaper's Zanpakuto's Reiatsu and the cracks from the Kidō explosion.

Wang Xun walked out of the office area, carrying a bulging backpack.

He looked at the glass container in Kaname Tōsen's arms, inside which floated a faint light.

A fragment of a soul floats in the container; it is the remnant of Kakyō's Reishi crystal, and also the fuse that ignited all of Kaname Tōsen's madness.

At this moment, Kaname Tōsen dazed, his usual composure and coldness completely gone, leaving only a lost and dejected appearance.

Wang Xun stood in front of him, a few pages of salvaged experimental data held between his fingers, still smoldering with embers.

He turned to look at the flames rising from the explosion of the Kidō, his tone calm and even, yet carrying a chilling coldness.

"The base was completely destroyed, more than half of the Reishi resources were lost, as were the experimental data, and the commotion at the scene was so great..."

"When you get back, think carefully about how to explain this to Lieutenant Aizen."

Kaname Tōsen paused, but did not respond.

He simply carried the glass container and followed Wang Xun blankly towards the Seireitei.

The road was eerily silent.

Aizen sat at the experimental table, with the report of this mission spread out in front of him.

His gaze wasn't on the report, but rather on the two people standing in front of him.

Kaname Tōsen stood on the left, holding the glass container in his hands, head down, without saying a word.

Wang Xun stood on the right, carrying a bulging backpack, his expression calm.

The laboratory was quiet, with only the sound of a few people breathing.

"So, the mission failed."

Aizen's voice was calm, devoid of any emotion.

Kaname Tōsen's body trembled slightly.

"Yes."

"What's the reason?"

Kaname Tōsen silent for a long time.

"I... lost control."

Aizen didn't speak; he turned his head and looked at Wang Xun.

"You say."

Wang Xun put down his backpack, took out the salvaged data, and placed it on the lab table.

"The Fifth Seat Tōsen found that thing in his arms at that base while on a mission."

"Afterwards, he lost control of his emotions, Bankai, and wiped out all personnel within the base."

"Most of the experimental resources were destroyed; I only managed to salvage these documents and some of the experimental materials."

Aizen looked at the documents.

His gaze then swept back and forth between Kaname Tōsen and Wang Xun, as if he were judging something.

Finally, Aizen's gaze fell on the object in Kaname Tōsen's arms.

"This is?"

His voice was very soft.

Kaname Tōsen's fingers clenched slightly.

He gritted his teeth and uttered the name.

"This is... Kakyō."

Aizen's brow twitched slightly.

He had heard of that name before.

Kaname Tōsen's best friend, the woman who was murdered by the Tsunayashiro Clan.

Aizen was very familiar with the state of the fragments in the container at this moment.

This is exactly what the Soul King Fragment in the soul looks like after it has been extracted.

"Her fragments of soul actually appeared there?"

Kaname Tōsen didn't answer, but simply lowered his head slightly.

Aizen was silent for a moment, then stood up and walked to Kaname Tōsen.

Kaname Tōsen's body stiffened slightly, but Aizen simply took the glass container from his hand.

He held it up to his eyes, looking at the faint light inside.

"These are fragments of Kakyō's soul?"

Kaname Tōsen's voice was a little hoarse.

"Yes."

Aizen remained silent.

He carefully examined the ball of light, his Reiatsu flowing through his fingertips as he probed into the container.

A moment later, he withdrew his Reiatsu and returned the container to Kaname Tōsen.

How can you be sure this is hers?

Kaname Tōsen's fingers gripped the container tightly.

"Your subordinate... recognizes her Reiatsu."

Aizen looked at him and remained silent for a long time.

Are you sure?

"Sure."

Aizen nodded, without asking any further questions.

He turned around, walked back to the lab bench, and sat down.

"The mission failed, the base was destroyed, resources were completely lost, and things have escalated to this extent."

"Someone has to take responsibility for this."

Kaname Tōsen knelt down on one knee.

"It was my fault, and I am willing to take full responsibility."

Aizen didn't speak; he simply stared at Kaname Tōsen with a deep gaze.

He didn't speak for a long time.

"We'll talk about responsibility later."

He paused.

"What do you plan to do with this fragment?"

Kaname Tōsen's fingers trembled slightly.

His heart was undergoing its most intense struggle.

Finally, he gently lifted the container in his hand, but then seemed to put it down as if he were setting it aside.

"Lord Aizen, please fuse it into the Hōgyoku."

Aizen's brow twitched slightly.

"Melted into Hōgyoku?"

"Yes, this is the only thing I can do for her."

"Dwelling on the past is pointless... If it can contribute to a peaceful new world in the future, she would be willing to do so."

Aizen remained silent for a moment.

He reached out, took the container, and looked at the faint light inside.

His fingers gently traced the edge of the container, as if he were thinking about something.

Then, he returned the container to Kaname Tōsen.

"The Hōgyoku doesn't lack even this small Soul King Fragment."

"Since this is something important to you, then you should keep it."

Kaname Tōsen was stunned.

"Lord Aizen..."

Aizen looked at him, his gaze calm.

"Take her with you to see our new world."

Kaname Tōsen's lips trembled, and tears streamed down his cheeks.

He knelt on the ground, holding the container in his hands, and wept uncontrollably.

After that, Aizen did not look at Kaname Tōsen again.

He turned his head and looked at Wang Xun.

"Wang Xun, you did a good job rescuing these documents in this mission."

Wang Xun bowed slightly.

"It's my duty."

Aizen nodded and said nothing more.

He stood up, walked to the lab bench, and began organizing the data.