"What I want to become is also the god of this world."
"It's just that I won't be the wedge that stabilizes this world."
Sōsuke Aizen smiled softly, as though Yuta's words were expected. "I know that people like you would never submit to that kind of Spirit King. You and I will become gods of this world. However, there is no room for two gods in one realm. I'm afraid we're destined to clash-a battle between two gods."
Yuta smiled and placed the chess piece in his hand onto the board with a crisp sound. In the silence broken only by the wind and falling snow, the sound echoed clearly, subtle but unmistakable. There was no fear in his expression-only the trace of amusement.
"I'm also looking forward to fighting with you."
"Between you and me-who is the world's final choice?"
They stared at one another across the chessboard, wind and snow gliding between them. The tension in the air seemed to create its own border-a silent agreement neither of them spoke aloud, understood only by those who stood where they did.
Yuta continued. "I have to admit-you represent justice."
"You seek justice for the common people of this world and wish to hold the nobility accountable for the crimes of their ancestors."
"Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni has his version of justice. Urahara Kisuke has his own. Yhwach had his. And you-you have yours."
"Justice isn't universal. Some people are willing to accept sacrifices to achieve great justice-others aren't."
"You've known your path won't be accepted by the world around you, but you continue forward anyway. That's also part of your strength."
"You may not be righteous, but Yamamoto Genryūsai and Urahara Kisuke-they're not clean, either."
"If someone from my hometown were to speak up, they might say: 'I don't hate aristocrats-I just hate that I'm not one.'"
"People are always like that."
"Aizen, Tōsen wanted to save the Spirit King and resented the nobility's crimes. That was his motive."
"But does the Spirit King want saving? Is sacrificing oneself, spreading one's power across the Three Realms for universal balance-was that what he chose?"
"In the Spirit King's eyes, the Five Noble Houses are simply people born from fragments of his power. The secret from one million years ago is just the tale of children stabbing their father in the back… As the father in that story-was the Spirit King sad?"
Sōsuke Aizen's expression tightened slightly.
Centuries-old corruption, the sins of the nobility, the twisted foundations of Soul Society-now recalled by Yuta and reduced to the simple metaphor of familial betrayal.
Yuta went on: "Either way, this is speculation. No one knows what the Spirit King truly thinks. He might have contingency plans… He might even resurrect when the time comes."
"As for me-I believe in balance. Humans, Hollows, Shinigami-with the Living World, Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo forming the three-dimensional structure, the system works, even if there are flaws. There's no immediate reason to break it."
"That's why I don't agree with Yhwach's version of justice."
"As for your justice…"
Yuta's eyes narrowed slightly. "To me, you're just another idealist."
Sōsuke Aizen held his chess piece in his right hand and gave a small smile. "Interesting. Go on."
"If I'm being direct, your goals boil down to two things."
"First-you want to become your own kind of king. Unfettered. Unlike the shackled existence of the Spirit King-you refuse to become that. You won't stoop to that level."
"There's nothing wrong with that."
"But if it were me-I wouldn't kill the Spirit King. I'd keep him in place as the wedge that maintains the Three Realms. There has to be someone in that role."
"If I were the one stabilizing the Three Realms-I wouldn't bother. Too troublesome."
"As for myself? Just call me 'God.' I would have greater power than the Spirit King and make final decisions. Anyone who disobeyed would be sent to reincarnation without question."
"But I wouldn't personally manage things. That's too tedious. There'd be someone else-a secretary at most-who'd handle the rest."
"My only duty would be to enjoy the sun and sleep beside beautiful women."
Sōsuke Aizen was silent, his gaze narrowing in response to the absurd ease with which Yuta discarded power for leisure.
Yuta continued. "Second-you want to destroy the aristocracy and punish the current ruling class. Since they're the ones who committed those ancient crimes."
"But even if the result is the same, my methods aren't yours."
"Central 46 has always served the nobility-covering their crimes and shielding them from justice."
"If it were up to me? I'd remove their power entirely."
"I'd create some kind of governing body-a 'Commoners' Council'-which would hold most of the authority. Central 46 would only handle minor affairs."
"That way, when nobles do commit crimes, there's someone with the authority to punish them."
"Tsunayashiro Tokinada? He'd be judged by the Commoners' Council."
"And the authority of that Council? It would fall under me."
"If any noble objected to their judgment? They'd be reincarnated."
"If I remain here-and the Council remains-then crimes among the nobility would decrease."
"Most noble families are ordinary enough-only the Tsunayashiro bloodline seems excessively… twisted. The outliers would be dealt with directly."
"As for the crimes against the Spirit King by the ancestors of the Five Noble Houses?"
"Well, those who served as military commanders and guards have long since died. Their ancestors probably hide in some fold of space and time."
"If the Spirit King wants revenge-he should find them himself and kill them."
"After that, just reassemble whatever parts of Him were scattered-arms, legs, organs-and restore Him to his role."
"And if we fight at that time-he'd only be the second strongest. I'll achieve a higher state than him."
"And if one day the soul King cries: 'I won't be the wedge anymore!'…"
Yuta exhaled slightly. "I guess I'd have to commit that crime. Wake him up-cut him apart-and make him the wedge again."
"Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Isn't that just your version of justice? Killing innocents for the greater good?"
"If it comes to that-and the Soul King is unwilling-then find someone else who's willing. Kurosaki Ichigo might volunteer."
"Afterall, as long as that guy tells him, 'if you don't become the Spirit King, the world will collapse and your sister and family won't make it,' then that guy will be willing to sacrifice everything."
After Yuta finished speaking, Aizen Sōsuke lowered his head and remained silent for some time.
Wind passed through, pushing his hair with it.
He appeared to be deep in thought-whether for just a moment or much longer, it wasn't clear.
Eventually, he raised his head. The reflection on his glasses masked his eyes as he said, "Yuta, you truly are terrifying-someone even scarier than Urahara Kisuke."
"With just your words, you nearly destroyed me."
"You say I'm the idealist, but in my eyes... you're even worse. If anyone else heard those words, they'd think you were insane."
"'Surpassing the Spirit King'? They'd be shocked just hearing the idea."
"What you're trying to resist is no less than what I've resisted-maybe even greater."
"If you had existed centuries ago… perhaps I would've chosen to follow you and try to enact the world you see as righteous."
"It's unfortunate. I no longer feel confusion about my path-and I don't feel that kind of emotion anymore."
"So next time we meet honestly-we'll be enemies."
"I won't show you mercy."
As Aizen stood, the clink of the mirror hanging at his waist echoed faintly.
"…Right." Yuta spoke up suddenly, stopping him. He held out Urahara Kisuke's Hōgyoku.
Once the dark gem was revealed, it seemed to devour the light around it.
"Take this broken jade. I want you to become stronger-to contend with me and this world's resistance."
"Let's see how far you'll go."
Yuta's expression remained composed. It was the confidence of someone who believed he had already calculated the outcome. Even if Aizen gained the Hōgyoku's power, Yuta didn't seem concerned in the slightest.
Seeing the gem, Aizen hesitated before leaving.
He looked at Yuta carefully several times before reaching out and taking the Hōgyoku.
"I didn't expect… you'd actually hand the Hōgyoku over to me."
"If it were anyone else-I wouldn't be able to comprehend it."
"But because it's you..."
"I understand."
Taking the gem from Yuta's palm, Aizen added, "Now I just have to fuse these two Hōgyoku into one."
"But I won't use it right away. I want to give you some time-enough to become stronger."
"I hope you'll be ready to face me fully when that time comes."
"Whether I win or lose… I want it to be worth it."
"No matter which of us succeeds in changing the world, it will be meaningful."
Yuta rested his hands on the back of his head. "You've misunderstood me. I'm not stubborn about changing the world."
"It's like a branch bending left-if you force it to the right, it'll snap and possibly destroy the tree entirely."
"I'm just someone who watches. I'm not in a rush. I'll observe the rise and fall of clouds and heroes alike. Even if the world ends-I'll be here."
Hearing that, Aizen didn't respond right away-but then smiled faintly.
He turned and walked toward the 46th Room of Central Government. Along the corridor of the Great Spirit Book Hall, he spoke to himself:
"You want to remain outside the world's grasp… but will Yhwach or Tokinada Tsunayashiro allow that? When the world begins to change, you'll have to choose where you stand-and I already know what your answer will be."
"People may accuse me-saying that I, who seeks the Ŋing's Key, show no respect for the Spirit King. Yet they don't realize: Yuta is the one who disrespects him most."
"He dares to say the Spirit King must be dismantled… turned into countless fragments..."
He chuckled once beneath his breath.
"But if it wasn't you… it wouldn't be Yuta."
…
After Aizen departed, Yuta withdrew the Boundless World technique.
He stood alone in the vast corridor of the Great Spirit Book Hall.
Before him, the Sea of Knowledge glimmered-like the surface of the ocean beneath night skies.
An idea formed in Yuta's mind.
Although he had initially come to study Kidō above level 90…
Before him lay the cumulative knowledge of Soul Society's entire million-year history.
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's Bankai.
Unohana Retsu's Usakai.
Sōsuke Aizen's first insights.
Shutara Senjumaru's Bankai.
Hitsugaya Tōshirō's Bankai.
…
And not just the current Gotei 13. Even abilities from the original Gotei 13 were recorded here.
Every discovery made by every person throughout history was here.
What if-Yuta truly absorbed it? All of it?
How far could he go?
With his current strength, and enough spiritual pressure, he could surpass every Shinigami who had ever existed across the last million years.
Even imagining that level made his body tense with anticipation.
He smiled slightly at the thought.
"…Bring it on."
And with that, he leapt into the sea of history and knowledge.
…
Meanwhile, at the 46th Room-
Tōsen Kaname bowed respectfully, placing his hand in front of his abdomen. "Lord Aizen."
Sōsuke Aizen gave him only a nod. "Kaname, Yuta is not our comrade. He is our enemy."
Tōsen asked, "Shall I eliminate him?"
Sōsuke Aizen shook his head. "No. You're not his match."
"He has only one opponent-and that's me."
He then withdrew Urahara Kisuke's Hōgyoku-given to him by Yuta-and paired it with the one he had created himself.
Despite being forged by different people, the two Hōgyoku were nearly identical.
Dark and spherical, each rested within translucent polygonal frames.
Even Tōsen-though blind-could feel the spiritual pressure radiating from them; it was familiar and overwhelming.
His usually serious expression showed the slightest hint of joy.
"Congratulations, Lord Aizen. You now possess the complete Hōgyoku."
"That single broken piece already held formidable power..."
"Now, with Urahara Kisuke's Hōgyoku added… your strength will be unimaginable."
"The perfect Lord Aizen is about to be born."
"From now on, none shall rival us."
At the same time in different places-
Both Yuta and Aizen Sōsuke continued evolving in ways beyond reason.
Reflected in the deep violet light of the two Hōgyoku, Aizen's calm eyes carried renewed expectation.
He brought Urahara Kisuke's Hōgyoku closer to his own.
As they neared each other…
It was as if Aizen's Hōgyoku suddenly awakened, its energy pulling strongly-like the force of gravity itself.
Urahara's Hōgyoku seemed to submit, drawn inward as though offering its soul in unity.
When the two joined together…
An overwhelming power emerged-unlike anything seen before-emanating from the now-complete Hōgyoku.
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