Early sumr in Seireitei brought a warmth both humid and lazy.
Standing between the water pavilions of Squad 4's barracks, Higashi Shuuichi stretched his limbs with comfortable ease.
They say a dead pig doesn't fear boiling water.
That was exactly his state of mind.
With so many looming threats pressing down on him, one after another, Shuuichi had paradoxically begun to relax.
Panic was useless now.
About half an hour later, Shuuichi clocked out of duty and quietly left Seireitei, returning to his humble residence in West Rukongai, District 2.
Second floor. Sa position as always.
"Speak."
Aizen Sōsuke wasted no ti on pleasantries.
Shuuichi was direct in return:
"Lord Aizen, is it possible to begin the Hollowfication experints ahead of schedule?"
He had contacted Aizen of his own volition this ti, requesting a private eting.
Originally, he'd suggested the ran shop the two often frequented within Seireitei. Aizen, as always, changed the location—to Shuuichi's own ho.
"Hollowfication, ahead of schedule?"
Aizen raised an eyebrow, interest piqued.
He had indeed conceived of this plan after completing the Hōgyoku and testing Arrancarization on a group of Adjuchas-class Hollows.
He had even ntioned it once to both Higashi Shuuichi and Tōsen Kana—but had also made it clear:
"It's far too early."
Unlike previous experints—extracting a bit of reiryoku from Shinigami or soul-reaping qualified Rukongai civilians—Hollowfication required full-scale abduction of Shinigami.
That was a much bigger gamble. One misstep, and Soul Society's watchdogs would be on full alert.
That's why Aizen had prioritized his Royal Guard Provocation Plan—baiting the Zero Division to descend. Shinigami could be taken later. But once Seireitei beca wary, pulling off anything major would be ten tis harder.
Aizen didn't say all this out loud—but he knew Shuuichi was smart enough to have figured it out.
Shuuichi nodded firmly.
"Yes. And this ti, I think we can even secure a highly reliable ally."
Aizen's eyes narrowed.
"Kasatani Mayuu? No... you an Yunoi Yōgaku."
He imdiately saw through the implication.
Kasatani Mayuu might be ambitious, but as the head of an upper noble house—one aiming to join the Five Great Noble Clans—he would never dare violate Soul Society's deepest taboos.
But Yunoi Yōgaku?
Shuuichi's years of infiltration had long since inford Aizen: the Bakuyaō Blade Project was Yunoi's idea to begin with.
And everyone who knew about the Bakuyaōs understood their true nature.
To replace Zanpakutō with abominable constructs, to corrupt and enslave Shinigami—Yunoi had clearly thrown morality to the wind.
"So, what's your plan?" Aizen asked, beginning to realize that he might've underestimated his subordinate.
Higashi Shuuichi didn't have raw genius. He wasn't a scientist.
But over the years, he'd proven ti and ti again that in real combat, he could outwit even those with superior reiatsu.
Now, it seed he might have a talent for scheming as well.
Shuuichi looked Aizen straight in the eyes and uttered seven words:
"The Spirit King's Heart—Hollow Cocoon."
Aizen's gaze sharpened.
Now it was interesting.
Smart n never needed to speak much.
In canon, Aizen only learned of the Spirit King after Hikifune Kirio ascended to the Zero Division. But this tiline had changed.
With early access to the Great Spirit Book Archive, Aizen had already uncovered the dark truth:
The Spirit King was no god—just a mutilated puppet, dissected by the Five Great Noble Houses to serve as a linchpin.
He had shared the basics with Tōsen and Shuuichi. They all knew about the grotesque human sacrifice chained to the balance of worlds.
But the Heart of the Spirit King? That wasn't even listed in the Archive.
So when Shuuichi ntioned it—along with the phrase "Hollow Cocoon"—Aizen knew:
This wasn't literal.
This was a smokescreen. A fake legend they could plant.
They'd sell Yunoi Yōgaku on the idea that the Spirit King's heart had beco a cocoon, capable of "birthing new Hollow-Shinigami hybrids".
And what was a Hollow Cocoon, really?
Hollowfication.
Would Yunoi believe it? That wasn't Aizen's concern.
If Shuuichi dared pitch this, that ant he had already prepared a convincing angle.
And if it failed—well, he would deal with the consequences.
"How do you need to assist?"
For the first ti, Aizen asked a subordinate this question. But Shuuichi had earned it.
Because there was no greater pleasure than having the enemy gleefully count your money, unaware they'd already been sold out.
Shuuichi replied with confidence:
"Lord Aizen, I only need you to let Yunoi Yōgaku 'stumble across' a certain docunt in the Great Spirit Archive. One that describes the Hollow Cocoon. Leave the rest to ."
Aizen nodded.
"Very well."
He was impressed. Shuuichi was, without a doubt, his most useful and least troubleso pawn.
If only his reiatsu potential weren't so poor...
Then, Aizen rembered sothing.
Hadn't Shuuichi recently reported a strange Rukongai commoner? One whose body radiated spiritual waves akin to the Spirit King's fragnts?
At the ti, Aizen had been busy refining customized Arrancar abilities and hadn't followed up.
Besides, he already knew that Spirit King body fragnts could boost lower-tier Shinigami, helping them break through their limits.
But to Aizen, now possessing the Hōgyoku, such scraps were tasteless—not worth the trouble.
That was why he hadn't pursued it.
But now, rembering the timing...
Why did Shuuichi bring that to exactly then?
The answer was obvious.
Aizen stared into Shuuichi's eyes, his voice silent—but his intent loud and clear:
You want the Spirit King fragnt for yourself... don't you, Shuuichi?
And that... wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Aizen never feared ambition.
He only cared whether his subordinates had the strength to match it.
And Shuuichi, in this mont, had him very intrigued.
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