Aizen's heart churned with unprecedented frustration and mixed emotions. He had finally been granted an opportunity to demonstrate his true capabilities, only to have his moment cut short by Mayuri Kurotsuchi's technological intervention. The situation was unprecedentedly humiliating.
Is it really true that I still cannot exert my full strength? he wondered with growing irritation. These seals from Soul Society—Kyoraku Shunsui, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Urahara Kisuke, and the others—are genuinely annoying obstacles.
However, Aizen refused to allow himself to become too frustrated by this temporary setback. He maintained absolute confidence that he hadn't yet displayed his true power. He firmly believed that he would have opportunities to showcase his abilities in the near future.
Does this mere technological device from Soul Society really have any chance of controlling me permanently? Is it truly possible that my full efforts cannot affect or overcome it?
Even if they can barely control me for a short while, they cannot maintain that control indefinitely. When Soul Society faces Yhwach's true arrival, they will still be forced to beg me to take action against the Quincy King!
Meanwhile, the Quincy quickly seized this opportunity to mock Aizen's apparent limitation.
[Gerard]: Hmph! Aizen amounts to nothing special after all! Previously, I thought you were genuinely going to demonstrate something impressive, but I didn't expect you to be interrupted so quickly. You can't even overcome a device created by your own Shinigami, yet you still want to fight His Majesty? Pure wishful thinking! Do you really lack the opportunity to exert your full strength? Then what exactly were you boasting about?
[Lille Barro]: They're just a collection of useless weaklings. Even if you actually exerted your full strength, it would be impossible for you to bring down the Soul King Palace. At most, that's merely your own delusion.
[Ulquiorra]: Don't celebrate prematurely. Aizen-sama will soon have his moment to shine brilliantly. He simply lacks the opportunity at present.
[Tosen Kaname]: It won't be long before he proves himself through his own overwhelming strength. You will pay a heavy price for underestimating his capabilities.
[Tier Harribel]: How could a mere Soul Society device possibly restrain Aizen-sama permanently?
[Stark]: How could someone like Yhwach possibly defeat Aizen-sama? Our lord will definitely be the one to reshape Soul Society's entire order. Just wait and witness his triumph!
[Ichimaru Gin]: Indeed, Captain Aizen possesses incredible strength! When Yhwach descends upon Soul Society, his fantasies of victory will come to a definitive end.
At this moment, countless observers eagerly anticipated witnessing an intense battle and discovering how Aizen would perform in the coming conflicts. They wanted to understand what kind of crucial role he could play in the final confrontation.
However, what surprised them considerably was that after reaching this point, the projection slowly faded to black once again. It appeared to be transitioning to the next scene, leaving everyone wondering what had ultimately transpired between Aizen and Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
The mechanical voice of the Three Realms Projection system resonated once more.
[BEEP!]
[Next, we will insert an important plot development]
[Ichigo Kurosaki's training to restore his Shinigami powers!]
[This represents the key to Ichigo Kurosaki's future battle against Yhwach.]
Upon hearing this announcement, the audience expressed surprise once again. Was there no continuation of Aizen's scene? What exactly is this so-called important plot development?
Without question, the viewers understood clearly that Ichigo Kurosaki's current strength was indeed insufficient to defeat Yhwach in direct combat. At minimum, he would need considerably more allies and power!
[Hitsugaya Toshiro]: Speaking of which, in the previous scenes, Ichigo's Tensa Zangetsu was completely shattered by Yhwach's Almighty power... So how should he fight in future conflicts?
[Matsumoto Rangiku]: Will he have any opportunity to repair his weapon?
[Unohana Retsu]: Judging from the implications of this Three Realms projection, it seems someone can restore his zanpakuto. This represents one of the few possibilities for Ichigo to continue participating in battle.
[Sasakibe Chojiro]: After all, Aizen at this moment appears somewhat inadequate—insufficient to defeat Yhwach alone.
[Rukia Kuchiki]: Yes, at this point, Yhwach has already accumulated all the power enhancements available to him. His original strength was already formidable. He can utilize the Almighty, and in the future, he will absorb the so-called power of the Soul King.
[Sui-Feng]: This is indeed extremely difficult to contend with! It appears that defeating him will require combining the strengths of all available parties.
[Gerard]: Hmph! You also recognize that your power is quite limited, don't you?
[Lille Barro]: But regardless of how many of you unite, it will prove useless in the end.
[Jugram Haschwalth]: This represents an absolute difference in strength. Even if your entire army mobilizes, they're merely cannon fodder sent to die. Against His Majesty's Almighty, no matter how many enemies appear, it won't make any meaningful difference.
[Pernida]: Weak cannon fodder has no real effect—at most, it can only prolong your survival time slightly.
The Quincy once again gained the upper hand in their verbal exchanges and began mocking the Shinigami extensively. The Shinigami and Arrancar found themselves speechless in response.
They genuinely wanted to know whether they would have any chance of defeating this hateful Yhwach in future conflicts. Although they continued attempting to refute these claims, the Shinigami themselves might not truly believe in their chances of success.
Because Yhwach's power is genuinely terrifying. Even Aizen, who possesses such overwhelming strength, might not have the opportunity to inflict meaningful damage upon him.
Although the use of Kyoka Suigetsu had short-term effects previously, there seems to be no possibility of achieving complete victory.
Furthermore, the previous encounter involved Yhwach meeting Aizen in his most ordinary state, correct? If Yhwach releases his full strength, will Aizen's Kyoka Suigetsu still prove effective? It's difficult to believe!
Contemplating these sobering realities, everyone's hearts slowly sank into despair once again.
Under the expectant gazes of countless viewers, the next scene finally began to unfold. What appeared before their eyes was the familiar figure of Ichigo Kurosaki.
[In the subsequent projection, Ichigo had returned to his original hometown and was living an extremely ordinary life.
It appeared that he had lost his Shinigami powers after his confrontation with Aizen, and he could no longer participate in soul battles casually.
Although he felt helpless about this development, there was nothing he could do to change his circumstances.
People always need to slowly accept reality, he thought with resignation. Although I miss my past life, I can't remain obsessed with what I've lost. I can only begin this new chapter of my existence.
But it seemed that fate refused to allow him peace and tranquility.
Later, he learned that his friends—Uryu Ishida and others—were being attacked by mysterious assailants one after another.
The mastermind behind all these incidents was Shukuro Tsukishima!
Ichigo felt tremendous helplessness regarding this situation. Although he desperately wanted to capture the perpetrator behind these attacks, he was genuinely powerless without his spiritual abilities.
Eventually, the desperate Ichigo decided to visit the residence of another mysterious individual to meet with him.
This so-called mysterious man was Kugo Ginjo.
At this time, many viewers were unfamiliar with Ginjo's identity. Only a few individuals in Soul Society knew about him.
They understood that he was actually the earliest Substitute Shinigami in history.
Ginjo quickly received Ichigo and began explaining his background and experiences.
It turned out that Ginjo was the leader of a special organization called "XCUTION."
This was an organization composed entirely of Fullbringers!
A race that was even rarer than purebred Quincy!
Then, Ginjo explained that he possessed a method to help Ichigo restore his Shinigami powers.
Hearing this revelation, Ichigo naturally felt tremendous excitement and wanted to understand exactly what this process involved.
So Ginjo demonstrated his unique abilities.
He performed a telekinetic technique, directly extracting wine from a glass at a distance, which amazed Ichigo, who had no idea what kind of power this represented.
And this was the so-called Fullbring technique!
A power derived from fragments of the Soul King himself!]
[Ichigo Kurosaki]: This Ginjo guy... there's something about him that feels familiar, but I can't place it.
[Uryu Ishida]: So these Fullbringers derive their power from Soul King fragments? That's... concerning.
[Urahara Kisuke]: Interesting. The Soul King's influence extends far beyond what most people realize.
[Rukia Kuchiki]: Ichigo, be careful. Something about this situation doesn't feel right to me.
[Ginjo Kugo]: Finally, my moment in the spotlight arrives. You'll all understand the true nature of Substitute Shinigami soon enough.
The revelation about Fullbring powers and their connection to the Soul King added another layer of complexity to the already intricate web of spiritual powers and their origins.