Soul Society – Central 46.
"Its essence lies in the composition of forty sages gathered from all over the Soul Society, along with six judges."
"These individuals are mostly nobles, with prestigious lineages and considerable renown."
"From both a societal and utilitarian standpoint, those chosen hold authority that commands respect."
And because of that—
"They represent the will of the Soul Society, passing judgment and making decisions through discussion and voting."
"From determining the fate of a common soul to deciding the tenure of a Gotei 13 captain…"
"It is a body that, in theory, could remove even Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni without resistance."
Of course, that would also depend on whether the subject was willing to comply.
Walking through the pitch-black corridor, Seiya and the others followed silently behind Aizen Sōsuke, listening to his monologue.
"How noble… a parliament claiming dominion over all things."
"It appears as if powers are distributed, and the value of discussion is honored…"
"But with that premise, one would think that any decision made through this system must be the best outcome."
However—
Aizen Sōsuke disagreed with such thinking.
"It is nothing more than shared guilt diluted among the old and rotten, lacking even a shred of personal accountability."
"These are malformed beasts—an amalgam of greed, obsession, and complacency."
"Isn't it truly pathetic, gentlemen?"
Tōsen Kaname remained silent, fists clenched at his sides, his emotions far from calm.
Gin Ichimaru shrugged noncommittally, clearly uninterested.
Seiya let out a couple of coughs, his expression blank as he stared ahead in that classic "see no evil" expression.
—Boss is having another midlife philosophical breakdown. Just play along.
After all, it was only polite to let the man vent.
Still…
Aizen's words did reveal his political idealism.
This guy clearly leaned toward autocracy. In a normal society, such a centralized system would be weak and flawed—how long did humans live anyway?
Few even lived long enough to understand themselves, let alone lead others.
But in a world of Soul Reapers, where lives spanned centuries, placing power in the hands of the experienced wasn't such a bad idea.
The King of Souls was supposed to fill that role.
But the old fossil probably foresaw the past and future with his four pupils and had long since written his ideal script into existence.
If one understood the whole picture, even rebellion became meaningless.
Aizen just hadn't reached that perspective yet. But once he did, things might turn out very differently.
Seiya, thoughts drifting, lowered his head and closed his eyes.
Since they'd made it this far, he might as well let the boss finish his pre-battle speech.
As Seiya lost himself in thought, Aizen pressed on, undeterred by the silence of his companions. He seemed almost jubilant.
The group descended the spiral steps, deeper and deeper, until the lighting faded.
None of them were unfamiliar with this place.
After all, becoming a captain required standing before the Central 46 and earning their approval.
Even the least experienced among them had been here twice at minimum.
Just before entering the main chamber—
The stench of blood filled the air, making Seiya sigh.
Ah… he really went through with it.
Inside the chamber—
The spiral-seated council chamber was deathly silent.
Pale lights descended from above, casting warped shadows across the pools of vivid red.
Bodies.
All Seiya saw were corpses.
The judges, once hidden behind numbered masks, now lay in broken, twisted heaps.
Severed limbs, exposed organs—utter carnage.
Even Seiya, no stranger to violence, found his brow furrowing.
It wasn't the death that bothered him.
It was the malice behind it.
Knowing Aizen lacked any sadistic tendencies, Seiya turned toward another figure.
Almost as if sensing it, Tōsen Kaname responded without turning.
"Yes. I killed them all."
—Of course.
As mentioned before, Tōsen was a man whose idealism turned to vengeance, sharpened by his time among the Gotei 13.
He'd developed a profound hatred of the elite.
There was no grand scheme here. No careful weighing of consequences.
Just the opportunity and Aizen's approval.
That was enough.
As Aizen once said—
Tōsen was a man cloaked in the flames of vengeance. Even if it burned him to ash, he'd carry out acts others would call monstrous.
Gin glanced subtly in Tōsen's direction, shifting ever so slightly into a defensive stance.
Meanwhile, Seiya, as his old friend, muttered—
"Tōsen…"
"No need, Arima."
Cutting him off, Tōsen shook his head and continued quietly.
"We've talked about this before. I understand what you're trying to say…"
"But I won't let go of this hatred. It's what keeps me alive. It's what brought me this far."
"It's part of me now. Stripping it away would be impossible."
Even from a friend's perspective, there was no refuting that.
Seiya sighed and shook his head. Trying to reason with Tōsen now would be useless.
He could only hope the man would regain clarity once the bloodlust faded.
As thoughts churned, Aizen stepped calmly onto the platform—into the very center of the chamber.
This was where the accused once stood.
It was the brightest spot—meant to symbolize "the light."
Here, every detail of the accused's history, actions, and intent was laid bare.
Meanwhile, the judges, cloaked in darkness, asked whatever invasive questions they pleased.
It was a one-sided process.
Seiya had stood here once, during the Visored incident.
This space held no mystery for him.
Now, Aizen closed his eyes as if sensing something—or perhaps capturing it.
After half a minute—
He raised his right hand.
Drew his zanpakutō from his waist with a soft shing, the polished metal ringing as it left its scabbard.
With a serene smile that said all was under control, Aizen turned the blade downward and whispered—
"Let us begin."
He released.
The blade plunged through the air, like a drop falling into still water.
Ripples of Kyōka Suigetsu's power spread, crashing through the underground chamber in waves of overwhelming reiatsu.
Since no hostility was present, none of the three reacted.
When the surge passed—
Everything had changed.
The grotesque chamber vanished.
In its place was a somber, orderly hall, just like before.
All forty-six judges sat at their stations, faces hidden behind screens, brows furrowed, lips pursed in thought.
It looked real.
"Done already…"
Gin's voice carried mild admiration. Even Seiya's expression shifted slightly.
Yes. It was done.
Massacring Central 46, then replacing them with illusions from Kyōka Suigetsu.
That was Aizen's plan.
They'd worried whether it would work, but now that they'd seen it—
There was nothing left to criticize.
Seiya leaned in and looked at the judge labeled "Eleven."
To his surprise, the man turned to him and snapped,
"Impertinent fool! Mind your manners!"
"…"
He can talk?!
This level of detail exceeded any illusion or disguise. It was near creation itself.
Kyōka Suigetsu had grown far stronger.
Seeing Seiya test the boundary, Aizen's smile remained unchanged.
"Please refrain from unnecessary actions."
"Each behavior I simulate costs a proportional amount of reiatsu."
"Until our plan is complete, we must maintain this illusion."
Seiya let out a soft "ah" and stepped back.
"Sorry…"
"No harm done. You didn't know."
Now then—
"Let us review the plan once more."
Aizen looked around, arms open, the image of complete control.
"We'll use control over Central 46 to revise the judgment against Rukia Kuchiki."
"Instead of debate and deliberation, we'll enforce the swiftest, harshest ruling possible—"
"Death."
Giving Soul Reaper powers to a human—
A clear violation of law.
Yet in Soul Society, law and privilege often blended. Even grave crimes could be smoothed over through influence and negotiation.
As a noble adoptee, Rukia had access to such privileges.
But Aizen had no intention of letting that happen.
After reiterating the plan, he looked at the three of them.
"Any questions?"
Of course there were.
And Tōsen Kaname was the first to speak.
"I don't understand…"
"Go on," Aizen said.
"Why are we targeting a minor noble's daughter with no notable ability?"
Oof. Harsh, Tōsen.
Even if Rukia was above average among Soul Reapers, from a captain's viewpoint, she was still lacking.
"She's not strong. Not influential. So why?"
Aizen's smile deepened.
"I appreciate your honesty, Tōsen. It shows growth."
"Because I can sense it. The other half of the Hōgyoku I've long waited for… is hidden within her."
"…???"
Even Seiya was taken aback.
The original story never explained how Aizen located the Hōgyoku.
But now, the missing piece was revealed.
"Kisuke Urahara possesses the other half of the Hōgyoku. But unlike me, he feared its power and never studied it deeply."
"Thus, he never realized…"
"With full control over one half, I can sense the other."
Aizen pulled out the orb from his robes.
It shimmered faintly—sinister and unnatural.
Half a Hōgyoku, glowing in his palm.
"But recently, I felt its signal shift."
"It's still in the Human World, but its movement and frequency… it couldn't be Kisuke himself."
"So I investigated recent events."
Thanks to Kyōka Suigetsu, Aizen's intelligence network was unmatched.
"Kisuke tried to hide the Hōgyoku inside a gigai."
"A clever idea… but cowardice, reverence of power, and indecision made him sloppy."
"A tragic flaw of the weak."
That explained a lot.
Urahara's weird actions early in the story now made sense.
His rejection of the Hōgyoku meant he could never wield it like Aizen.
So, dear shopkeeper…
You'll have to wait until the next arc to truly shine.
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Powerstones?
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