I can only bring you this far. Someone will come to escort you the rest of the way. When you meet the sages and judges of the Central Forty-Six, do not—under any circumstances—make a disrespectful move. Answer their questions properly. I'll be waiting here for you.
"Yeah, yeah, you're too naggy. I've already decided I'm joining the Gotei 13, not some noble clan's private guard. That should settle it."
"…Good."
Listening to Sasakibe Chōjirō's endless lecturing along the way, Aoyama had already pieced most of it together.
A new "genius" had appeared. The nobles wanted to snatch him away from the Gotei 13, so they stirred up the Central Forty-Six to intervene.
Why? The answer was obvious enough—there was no way the Gotei 13 and the nobles could ever get along. It was the same as civil officials versus military generals; each side found the other intolerable.
Even though Bleach's original plot didn't dwell much on Soul Society's noble families, the fact that they could secure a whole division—Squad Six—just to serve them said enough about their influence and strength.
But… what did that have to do with him?
Aoyama was frustrated.
He'd already experienced life in the "Big Three" worlds: he had survived in the shinobi world, and now he was living as a Shinigami. The only one left was the pirate-infested seas of the One Piece world. In a way, he was truly sampling the big three shōnen universes firsthand.
The shinobi world had taught him that betrayal and deceit were routine. It wasn't the sunny, idealized version Naruto Uzumaki believed in. No one was that naïve. People fought to survive, and killing—or being killed—was the most common fate of all.
The friend laughing with you today could stab you in the back tomorrow over the smallest profit.
The beggar you spared in the morning might, by nightfall, fire a signal flare to summon a band of cutthroats to ambush you.
Yes… The shinobi world was cruel.
By comparison, the Shinigami world was simpler. As long as you ignored noble politics, all it took was drinking, eating, and cutting down Hollows—or clashing blades with fellow Shinigami and testing your Zanpakutō.
Soon, a new attendant arrived, confirmed Aoyama's identity, and silently led him onward.
No nagging like Sasakibe. No threats. Just a quiet escort into the presence of the so-called Forty-Six sages and judges.
When the massive doors of the Central Forty-Six Chamber creaked open—
It was empty.
No people.
Nothing but a single Zanpakutō was planted in the floor ahead of the attendant. Something about that blade looked familiar.
"My lords, I've brought him here."
"Understood. I'll go and negotiate with the Head Captain's men."
The moment he saw the Zanpakutō and heard the attendant muttering to himself, Aoyama instantly realized the truth.
The Central Forty-Six had already been wiped out—massacred by none other than the mastermind himself, Aizen Sōsuke.
Everything here was nothing but illusion.
The strongest illusion-type Zanpakutō: Kyōka Suigetsu.
It could manipulate all five senses, twisting what one saw, heard, smelled, and touched—into whatever the wielder desired.
The attendant had been under its hypnosis all along, never realizing the Forty-Six had been slaughtered, mistaking the Zanpakutō for the forty sages and six judges.
Aoyama shivered. As expected of the strongest illusion…
He drew in a sharp breath, eyes narrowing warily. Then his gaze lifted—
From the shadows, a slender figure emerged, clapping slowly with a fake smile on his face.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
"My, my… such an enviable little fellow. So young, and already so gifted. If I recall, your name is Aoyama, yes? Pleased to meet you. I'm Gin Ichimaru, captain of Squad Three. Who knows? I might even become your teacher one day."
The one who appeared was Gin Ichimaru. Officially a Gotei 13 captain—unofficially, Aizen's right-hand man, a blade willingly serving his command. Yet beneath that, Aoyama knew Gin carried another secret: the role of a would-be avenger, lying in wait for a chance to strike down Aizen.
Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu… and now Ichimaru Gin's ever-smiling face.
To be honest, Aoyama's skin crawled. He half-expected a blade that could extend and contract at impossible speeds to shoot straight for his throat at any moment.
But even through the fake smile, he felt no killing intent from Gin. Relieved—if only slightly—Aoyama feigned ignorance and asked, "Weren't we supposed to meet the dignitaries of the Central Forty-Six? Why is it you, Captain Ichimaru?"
He couldn't afford to let on that he knew too much. Best to play dumb.
Still smiling, Gin stepped closer, drew Kyōka Suigetsu from the floor, and said:
"First, let me say—welcome to this place. I'm here under Captain Aizen's orders to extend you an invitation."
"Don't be too hasty to shake your head and refuse. If you do… I'll simply kill you. After all, I'm a captain. I have the power to end your life in an instant. Surely, you don't want that… right?"
"So, to avoid that, you'll accept the invitation."
What—Aizen's after me?
Aoyama's expression wavered. Was this truly Aizen's eye falling on him, or just another test? The man himself hadn't shown up, only Gin. It was impossible to be certain.
But standing before him, Gin's hand on Kyōka Suigetsu's hilt, Aoyama could feel it—the blade could kill him in a heartbeat if it so much as left the sheath.
He hesitated, then asked cautiously:
"Captain Ichimaru, are you inviting me to join Squad Three? If so, I'll need to think about it. My preference is still Squad Eleven, the battle division."
Gin shook his head, smile never fading.
"No, no… not Squad Three. I'm inviting you to join Captain Aizen's personal ranks. Don't be fooled by my title—I may be a captain, but I'm also one of his subordinates."
"To put it simply, Aoyama-san: if you refuse, I have two choices. I can kill you right here… or drag you before Captain Aizen and then kill you there. His order is very clear—anyone who refuses may be eliminated."
He leaned forward, voice still dripping false cheer:
"And don't tense up so much. If I really meant to kill you, it would already be over in an instant."
"So—what will it be? Will you join Captain Aizen's ranks? Here's a little hint: Captain Aizen is a man who will one day stand above the clouds themselves, a true god—not just another executioner wearing the mask of a Shinigami."
The weight of Gin's killing intent descended like plunging into the depths of the abyss, freezing Aoyama's breath in his lungs.
It was a coldness without end, one that stripped away all thought of resistance.
If Kenpachi Zaraki's reiatsu was like the crushing presence of a savage beast, Gin Ichimaru's was like an infinite, all-devouring chill.