This Kid Was Pretty Mysterious

When Sōsuke Aizen walked out of the Fourth Division Barracks, it was already late at night.

A cool breeze blew by, and a few leaves twirled and fell onto his shoulder.

Aizen led several team members toward the barracks, but his pace was slower than usual.

Aizen lowered his eyes, and memories slowly surfaced.

Wang Xun, Shin'ō Academy, fifth reincarnation.

Because it was somewhat concealed at the time, it left a slight impression on Aizen.

Until he discovered that this person was nothing special.

After that, Aizen almost forgot about this person's existence.

After all, there were too many things that required his attention.

The development of Hōgyoku has entered a crucial stage.

The Hollowfication Experiment needs more samples.

Moreover, Shinji Hirako has been scrutinizing his behavior with exceptional care lately.

A student with decent talent is not worth wasting your energy on.

But...

The boy appeared abruptly in his sight in a different form.

Aizen recalled the calm gaze he had received in the emergency room.

Today, Captain Unohana has asked that boy to participate in this rescue work, and the other person assisting her is her vice-captain.

How long would it take for the Fourth Division to reach this level Kaidō training?

Aizen slowly closed his eyes, then opened them.

From the Second Division to the Fourth Division.

Aizen recalled the letter from Kaname Tōsen after his failed attempt to capture Amamiya Shin not long ago.

Obstructed by members of the Second Division, the capture of Amamiya Shin failed, and he was placed under house arrest for acting without authorization.

He had read the letter, but only glanced at it.

Amamiya Shin was merely a pawn; regardless of whether the process went smoothly or not, the outcome was already predetermined.

Kaname Tōsen's rash move was unexpected, but it did not affect the overall situation, since he had a backup plan.

For some reason, Aizen suddenly felt an inexplicable urge to confirm certain things.

After giving instructions to a few team members, he turned around and headed towards the Ninth Division.

"Aizen."

A familiar voice came from behind, carrying a hint of casual laziness.

Aizen paused in his tracks.

"Team leader."

Shinji Hirako walked out from around the corner of the corridor, his short golden hair standing out in the twilight.

He carried the Captain's Haori in his hand, casually draped it over his shoulder.

"How are the Fourth Seat doing?"

"They are out of danger."

Aizen replied.

"Captain Unohana personally took action, and the damage to her liver and kidneys has been treated. She should recover after a period of rest."

"That's good. If I had arrived any later, we would have had to change to a Fourth Seat."

Hirako nodded, his serious expression relaxing somewhat.

Aizen nodded in agreement.

"Yes, thankfully... the captain arrived in time."

Hirako glanced around, looking in the direction Aizen was facing.

Where are you going?

Aizen was silent for a moment.

"I want to go check out the Ninth Division."

"Ninth Division?" Hirako raised an eyebrow. "What are you looking at?"

"That Adjuchas."

Aizen's tone was calm, tinged with just the right amount of curiosity.

"Adjuchas- level Hollows are usually very difficult to capture alive. This time, the captain managed to capture it alive. I'm curious to see what the Ninth Division can find out."

Hirako looked at him, her eyes slightly narrowed.

"You're still interested in this kind of thing?"

Aizen smiled.

"I've always been interested, but I haven't had the right opportunity usually."

Hirako did not respond immediately.

The evening breeze passed between the two, stirring up a few fallen leaves.

"Alright, I'll go to the Ninth Division with you."

He glanced at Aizen.

"I'm curious too, what can that thing possibly get out of you?"

Hirako turned around, and the two walked one after the other. Before long, the Ninth Division barracks came into view.

As the Prison Squad responsible for interrogation and detention, its architectural style is more imposing and solemn than that of other squads.

When Shinji Hirako and Aizen arrived, the members of the Ninth Division respectfully greeted them.

"Captain Hirako, Lieutenant Aizen."

"Where is the Adjuchas?"

"In the underground prison, it's being guarded by the Captain Muguruma. The Deputy Kidō Master has just arrived and is currently reinforcing the seal."

"Yes!"

The group walked through the long corridor and down the stone steps.

The deeper you go, the colder the air becomes.

The walls on both sides gleamed with a faint blue light under the illumination of the spirit stones.

Occasionally, a low growl would come from the depths, only to disappear again quickly.

The innermost interrogation room had a door made of heavy cast iron, with a sealing barrier engraved on its surface.

After several team members injected Reiatsu into the barrier node, the door slowly slid open to both sides.

Inside, a gigantic Void was bound to a central sealing platform by dozens of chains.

Several cracks were visible on the bone of its cheek, and several penetrating wounds on its body were slowly oozing Reishi, indicating that it had experienced an extremely fierce battle before being captured.

Those cloudy eyes darted around, staring at the people around them, and a low, indistinct roar came from his throat.

Kensei Muguruma was overseeing things on one side, while Vice Kidō Master Hachigen Ushōda was reinforcing the barrier.

When Kensei Muguruma saw the newcomer, he nodded slightly in greeting.

"Why are you back again?"

Aizen was curious about this Adjuchas, so he came back to see if he had found out anything.

Kensei Muguruma shook his head, his eyes downcast.

"Although Adjuchas possesses intelligence, he is untamed by wildness. A few words were barely uttered, all incoherent babbling, and of no use whatsoever."

He paused.

"Although we will continue to try interrogation, it's highly unlikely to yield any results. In a while, we'll prepare to transfer him to the Shin'ō Underground Great: The Jail."

Hirako hummed in agreement and didn't ask any further questions.

He wasn't surprised.

Even when a Void evolves to the Adjuchas level and gains consciousness, it remains difficult to communicate with.

It's unrealistic to expect to extract valuable information from them.

Hirako turned his head to look at Aizen, who was looking up at him.

Aizen stood before the sealing platform, quietly watching the Adjuchas.

"Its Reiatsu characteristics seem somewhat peculiar."

Vice- Kidō Hachigen Ushōda, turned and glanced at Aizen.

"Indeed, this Hollow's spiritual pressure contains a small amount of remnants of Shinigami spiritual particles, possibly because it recently absorbed a Shinigami."

Aizen nodded.

"I see."

After a moment, he withdrew his gaze and gave a slight bow to Kensei Muguruma.

"Thank you, Captain Muguruma. Sorry to bother you."

Kensei Muguruma nodded.

"No problem. If you're interested in this, I'll let you know if there's any news later."

Aizen thanked him and followed Shinji Hirako as they turned and walked out.

Shinji Hirako yawned and glanced at Aizen beside him.

"I knew it, you wouldn't get anything out of him."

"The captain is right," Aizen said gently, "I was being presumptuous."

The two walked up the stone steps they had come from.

At the end of the corridor, a figure appeared.

The man was wearing the Shinigami uniform of the Ninth Division, had dark skin, and his eyes were closed.

Fifth Seat of the Ninth Division, Kaname Tōsen.

Hearing footsteps and sensing Reiatsu, he bowed slightly in that direction.

"Captain Hirako, Lieutenant Aizen."

Shinji Hirako nodded casually and walked past him.

Aizen paused for a moment.

The two then passed each other.

Shinji Hirako seemed to sense something and turned around to look.

All that could be seen was Aizen's calm expression and the departing figure of the team member.

"Aizen, do you know him?"

Aizen paused slightly, then turned to look.

"We've only met once, so we're not very familiar with each other. Although the Fifth Seat of the Ninth Division is blind, I've heard he's exceptionally capable."

"Yeah."

At the other end of the corridor, Kaname Tōsen walked slowly, the sound of their conversation fading into the distance behind him.

And in his hand, a small note had appeared out of nowhere.

He lowered his head, gently tracing the words ground out by Reiatsu on the letter.

I understand.