“You will witness firsthand the power of the God they foolishly placed their faith in. I will become that God they have no choice but to believe in.” — Sosuke Aizen.

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[Hueco Mundo]

Following Aizen’s ‘alliance’ with Baraggan, the once sparse and unchanging evernight city of Las Noches started seeing some changes in its architecture.

While the dumb Hollows wondered what brought about the alliance between their king and the Shinigami, Aizen went unimpeded about his plans slowly and stealthily after beating Baraggan into submission. All it took was little to no effort on his part. While strong and with a very lethal ability – even to Aizen – and could definitely be called the peak of his race, Baraggan was still nowhere strong enough to fight squarely against Aizen.

“What are you going to do now? The surprise invasion didn’t succeed in killing anyone of importance from the Shinigami side, and you even lost one of your special projects. The Shinigami definitely knows that you are here… and yet you still remain calm.”

Baraggan entered into one of the rooms that Aizen had marked as prohibited to everyone else except on occasions when he sent for them.

“An ‘invasion’ you say. Quite the term you’re using for something that was basically a cheap distraction.” Aizen replied calmly, standing before a pedestal that he was slowly pushing his Reiatsu into.

Baraggan stared hard at the back of Aizen’s head wishing nothing more than to lay his hands on the Shinigami and reduce the arrogant soul to dust.

Aizen smirked away from Baraggan’s view as he removed his hand from the pedestal and took a step back and watched as it slowly opened up to reveal a shining purple jewel.

His prize, or at least half of it. The Hōgyoku.

“You asked what I’m to do now? Simple.” Aizen turned around and stared at Baraggan with a sly smile in his eyes. “We invite some capable people into our gathering.”

He walked past Baraggan and went to another room where Tōsen was recuperating. Looking at Tōsen, Aizen's eyes couldn’t help but express disappointment. Hardly anyone was on his level, and the impossible few they were couldn’t understand him, so he never once expected an equal in any form. But was it so hard for him to find sufficiently capable people?

He didn’t need them to trust him, he let them know from the beginning, he just needed them to do what he said efficiently.

“Lord Aizen… I’m sorry for failing you.” Tōsen was filled with great shame that, even though blind, he couldn’t even look in Aizen’s direction.

“My justice was so lacking and baseless that I lost to a no name Shinigami.” Tears fell from his eyes in great sorrow while Aizen kept looking at him without saying a word since his arrival.

“Lord Aizen…”

“What do you desire, Tōsen?” Aizen finally said.

“One more chance.” Tōsen replied. “Give me one more chance, Lord Aizen, and I will not fail your expectations.”

Aizen said nothing and left Tōsen lying there without his arms.

“How arrogant of you, Tōsen. Why would I expect more from someone with so little and so less?” He shook his head in amusement. Humans, flesh or soul, were so amusing… even as flawed as they were.

“What are you doing now, Kisuke Urahara?” Aizen believed himself above emotions like hate as no one was intellectually capable enough to draw out such intense feelings from him, but he’ll admit truthfully to himself that Kisuke Urahara was the only one he felt something like that towards, to a vastly lesser degree.

“Letting yourself wallow in mediocrity, I presume.” Kisuke Urahara was no interesting piece – A vastly capable piece – but one so jarringly mediocre.

Stolen novel; please report.

“Itachi Uchiha, you on the other hand…” Now that was an interesting variable. One sufficiently capable for his own level, and even kind enough to give Aizen a parting gift.

He looked at his hand and a smile came to his face, especially when he remembered that Bankai. Now he finally understood.

But that was all for a later time. Now he needed to find a few ‘special’ Hollows.

……

[World of the Living]

Four people – Kisuke, Shinji, Tessai and Yoruichi – sat together in one of Kisuke’s hideouts with myriad expressions flickering across their faces as they listened to the newest piece of information concerning the Soul Society that Yoruichi had brought to them.

The first to speak was Shinji who had a hateful scowl on his face after Yoruichi rounded her little exposé with Aizen’s successful defection.

“So what are we waiting here for?” Shinji asked, mostly at Kisuke who had appeared mostly calm through the whole thing. “We know he’s in Hueco Mundo. If we fight him there the Soul Society will definitely be alerted and will be forced to join.”

Tessai frowned and looked silently at Kisuke who looked to be in serious contemplation.

Yoruichi replied Shinji in Kisuke’s stead with a derisive scoff. “Are you an idiot, Shinji? You can barely control your Hollowfication for more than ten minutes and you want to fight in Hueco Mundo? You’ll lose control in less than a minute. Plus we have no way of knowing what Aizen has prepared for a possible counter–”

“Watch your words, Yoruichi.” Shinji coldly threatened. “Criticizing me is one thing, underestimating me is another.”

Yoruichi returned his cold gaze with an impassive one of her own. “Aizen directly attacked the Gotei 13 and left unharmed. You think you can do better than that? If so, feel free to go.”

They fell into an uncomfortably tense silence as they waited for Kisuke to speak, luckily not having to wait for that long.

“From Itachi’s report, we can infer the time Aizen has had to set a stronghold there and it’s a relatively short one.” Kisuke said after carefully mulling over his words.

“–hence the best time to attack him.” Shinji supplied, pressing on his point to stick one to Aizen.

Kisuke looked at Shinji with completely serious eyes. “You and I both know that the imperfect Hollowfication is as much of a drawback as it is a boost. You can’t draw too much from both sides or else you lose control, which is most likely to happen in a negative zone like Hueco Mundo.”

Shinji faltered but he wasn’t fully convinced. Aizen was his subordinate and he failed to stop him – something that added to his regrets and forced him to take responsibility for the Vizards.

“So we wait until he amasses an army of Hollows? And who knows what he’ll be able to do with his imperfect Hōgyoku?”

To Shinji’s question, Kisuke’s head dipped a little but the sharp light in his eyes never left Shinji.

“And the most important reason why we won’t approach Hueco Mundo for now is because of you, Shinji. You and the Vizards specifically.”

Shinji was confused but having calmed down a little, it didn’t take him more than a few seconds to figure out where Kisuke was heading.

“Most of you, if not all of you in fact, are probably under Kyōka Suigetsu’s influence. That’s an automatic failure on your part if we were to go about attacking him blindly.”

Shinji fell silent and looked up at the ceiling with distant eyes before letting out a somber exhale.

“I’ll be seeing you in a few days.” He said as he got up and left.

Tessai sighed somewhat in pity as he watched Shinji leave. “I won’t blame him so much. He has all rights to hate Aizen more than any of us.”

Yoruichi scratched her head irritatedly and grumbled. “That doesn’t excuse him to act foolishly.”

She laid down on her side with a small amused smile on her face. “He should be close to it right now. Or maybe he has already achieved it? With him it’s never ever straightforward.”

Kisuke looked at her with raised brows and just chuckled. “You think it’s that easy to achieve Bankai? If I were you I would be worrying about him not being convicted instead.”

“‘Not easy to achieve Bankai’ he says.” Tessai muttered sarcastically to himself while Yoruichi guffawed uncontrollably.

She wiped a tear from her eyes and remarked amidst snickers. “Trust me, Kisuke. I know that guy. Getting convicted was never one of his worries.”

A longing look appeared on her face as she reminisced a little. “I kinda miss them.”

Kisuke smiled widely and happily replied. “Why don’t you go visit them, hmm?”

Yoruichi snorted and Kisuke dodged the kunai she flicked towards him. “That’s how they’ll welcome me back. Maybe even add some restricting chains and cuffs as a welcome back gift.”

Kisuke tapped his chin thoughtfully, still joking. “That sounds more like your little hornet. What about the brooding brat?”

His intent worked as Yoruichi laughed lightheartedly this time and got in on the joke. “He’ll probably give me the silent treatment for a long time.”

Kisuke, head resting on his hands, watched Yoruichi with a sly smile on his face that she couldn’t see. “Who knows? Maybe you’ll see him sooner than you think? Tell him how you’ve missed him, I’m sure that’ll soften him up a bit.”

“I might just do that. Hahahaha!” The image got Yoruichi rolling over. “Oh his reaction will be priceless!”

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