Bleach: The Fifth Division Captain

Although Seiya understood that Aizen had no real reason to refuse his earlier request, hearing the man's calm affirmation still made him exhale in relief.

"Thank you for understanding, Aizen-sensei."

Aizen responded with a serene smile, his tone as steady as ever.

"There's no need to thank me, Seiya-kun. I merely made the decision that any mentor would make."

With Seiya's concerns addressed, Aizen smoothly shifted the conversation to a new topic.

"Well then, let's set aside discussions of the distant future for now. Seiya-kun, there's another matter I'd like to discuss with you today."

It wasn't often that Aizen actively sought him out to talk, and Seiya was more than happy to oblige.

"I'm listening, sensei."

"It's about the Hōgyoku."

Direct and to the point—this approach was uncharacteristic of Aizen, who usually preferred to weave his intentions with subtlety. But perhaps dealing with Seiya allowed him to bypass such formalities.

"The Hōgyoku…"

Seiya blinked, his expression contemplative.

He recalled the fragment of the Soul King's fingertip extracted from Rangiku's body during their trip to Rukongai. Aizen had set his research on it aside for a time, but it seemed he had recently resumed his work.

"Have you made new progress with it?"

Aizen chuckled lightly, adjusting his glasses with a calm shake of his head.

"No, not exactly. The research itself has stalled. The Hōgyoku still hasn't shown any notable reaction, and I haven't been able to move beyond this stage."

"…?"

Then why bring it up?

Aizen continued, a faint, enigmatic smile gracing his lips.

"However, my efforts over the past few days haven't been entirely fruitless."

Reaching into his robes, he retrieved a familiar transparent container. The faintly glowing Hōgyoku gleamed within, its azure hue reflecting a mysterious light in his dark pupils.

"The breakthrough occurred three days ago."

Aizen's tone grew measured as he recounted his findings.

"As usual, I ventured into Rukongai, harvesting the souls of thirteen individuals with latent Shinigami potential to feed to the Hōgyoku. Once again, there was no reaction."

"Even I," he admitted, "found the lack of progress disheartening."

"But just as I was preparing to leave, I encountered a Hollow."

Aizen's gaze turned reflective, as though replaying the moment in his mind.

"It was carrying the mangled remains of a soul in its mouth, clearly a rogue entity preying on the district."

"Ordinarily, I would have ignored it—it held no interest for me. But in that instant, a thought occurred to me."

He swirled the Hōgyoku in its container, the faint glow flickering with the motion.

"What would happen if I introduced Hollow energy to a living soul? If I brought them into direct contact, what kind of reaction might I observe?"

Seiya couldn't suppress a sigh at hearing this.

Here we go.

As expected, Aizen had grown bored of his previous experiments and had now turned his attention to Hollows.

"Doesn't that idea intrigue you, Seiya-kun?"

Aizen's tone carried a hint of exhilaration.

"What is the true nature of a Hollow's power? What is it that makes them so antithetical to us, the Shinigami?"

It doesn't intrigue me at all, Seiya thought. But instead of voicing this, he played along to avoid souring the mood.

"I suppose… I am a little curious."

Aizen's smile widened, evidently satisfied with the response.

"As expected of my disciple. Curiosity is essential for progress—it's something you must never lose."

Rising from behind his desk, Aizen moved to stand before Seiya.

"Let's start by reviewing the basics."

"The Soul Society is a haven for spirits, a place where souls return after death."

"This applies not just to those born here, but also to spirits whose physical bodies perished in the World of the Living."

"Hollows, on the other hand, are entities that devour souls, forcibly merging their prey with their own essence. Their very existence is akin to a toxin to this world."

Aizen paused, his voice softening.

"You understand this, don't you, Seiya-kun? It's foundational knowledge taught in the academy."

Seiya nodded as he poured his mentor a fresh cup of tea.

"Yes, sensei. It's standard material."

Aizen took a sip, his expression thoughtful.

"Good. Then let's build on that."

"As you know, Shinigami techniques are categorized into four disciplines: Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō. Each of them, when mastered, can elevate a Shinigami to incredible heights."

"But here's my question, Seiya-kun: once you've mastered all four, what comes next?"

Seiya's expression twisted slightly in discomfort.

The question didn't surprise him—Aizen was nothing if not inquisitive—but he had no satisfactory answer to offer.

I wouldn't know, sensei. My own skills are barely above average.

Aizen seemed to sense his hesitation and offered a reassuring smile.

"Forgive me. Perhaps that was an unfair question. Let's simplify things."

"My ultimate goal," Aizen continued, "is to identify the means by which we Shinigami can transcend our current limits. I want to find the spark that can break the shackles of our boundaries."

His voice remained calm, yet there was an undeniable passion behind his words.

"Hollows," Aizen continued, "consume everything in their path. They are ruthless, destructive, and only a select few among them develop anything resembling human thought or emotion."

"I've already conducted preliminary experiments involving the fusion of Hollow and Shinigami essences. Unfortunately, they've all failed. It seems that ordinary souls simply cannot endure the process."

Setting his teacup down, Aizen adjusted his glasses, the light reflecting off the lenses masking his eyes.

"But perhaps," he mused, "if I were to use a stronger subject, one with greater spiritual resilience, the outcome might differ."

He leaned back slightly, his lips curving into a subtle smile.

"What do you think, Seiya-kun? Isn't this an intriguing possibility?"

Seiya's thoughts churned.

He had no doubt that Aizen was on the verge of taking his experiments to a far more dangerous level.

"In fact," Aizen concluded, "I've already devised a plan. But before I proceed, I need to make the necessary preparations."

Seiya felt a chill run down his spine.

The future is shifting, he thought grimly.

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