If Kyōraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jūshirō were standing here right now, their pupils would be shaking.
Because the man they had already confirmed dead—the Ninth Division captain, Tōsen Kaname—was currently standing in front of Aizen in perfect condition.
"I'm ready, Aizen-sama."
Tōsen Kaname was still wearing the Ninth Division captain's haori.
You could even see the remnants of the earlier battle on it.
Which meant Tōsen really had gone through that fight against Kyōraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jūshirō.
It was just that, at the end, Aizen had saved him using Kyōka Suigetsu.
The Tōsen Kaname "corpse" lying in Soul Society's morgue right now was nothing more than an ordinary Rukongai civilian body.
And acquiring a body like that was effortless for Aizen.
"Even I can't guarantee this Hollowfication will be safe," Aizen said to Tōsen.
Because what Aizen was about to do wasn't the old, already perfected Hollowfication procedure.
This was the "complete form" Hollowfication he had designed long ago—something that only needed the complete Hōgyoku to begin.
A process meant to force the subject to go all the way in one step: skipping the conquest of Hollow power and directly mastering Goreii (Resurrección).
Until now, that had only existed in theory.
Not a single experiment had ever been performed.
So in the strictest sense, Tōsen Kaname was the first test subject.
Originally, under Aizen's plan, Tōsen was supposed to undergo this only after Aizen had run a few trials first.
But ever since arriving in Hueco Mundo, Tōsen had realized that his strength had fallen behind the main group completely—so he volunteered.
He needed Hollowfication as soon as possible.
So he could accomplish more.
In the beautiful future Aizen-sama was building, Tōsen Kaname had to be one of its builders.
Thankfully, this Hollowfication was a success.
Thanks to the complete Hōgyoku's terrifying effect, Tōsen encountered almost no resistance in the process of gaining control.
Feeling the reiatsu within him swell several times over, Tōsen finally felt he was once again qualified to stand at Aizen-sama's side.
But unfortunately, the reason Aizen saved Tōsen this time had nothing to do with kindness.
It was because Aizen had already made a secret agreement with Higashino Shuuichi.
That agreement was simple:
After helping Aizen obtain the complete Hōgyoku and openly break with Soul Society, Higashino Shuuichi would head to the legendary Quincy nation—the Muei Teikoku (Wandenreich), hidden within the Kage Sekai (Shadow World).
Aizen himself could not go with Higashino Shuuichi.
After all, Aizen had done something that massive in Soul Society.
For a very long time to come, countless eyes inside Soul Society would be locked onto Hueco Mundo.
If Aizen left Hueco Mundo for too long, the overall structure he had cultivated there for over two centuries could be forcibly shattered by Soul Society's shinigami.
And that was something Aizen refused to allow.
To Aizen, Hueco Mundo was more than territory.
It was his test field, his base, and his status.
With Hueco Mundo, he could keep experimenting, keep moving in the shadows, keep acting beyond the walls.
Without Hueco Mundo—and without absolute certainty that he could seize Soul Society in front of an "ally" like Higashino Shuuichi, who could change sides at any time—Aizen would never permit himself to become like Urahara Kisuke once was, exiled into the World of the Living like a stray dog.
So Hueco Mundo could not be lost.
But Aizen also didn't trust Higashino Shuuichi to enter the Muei Teikoku (Wandenreich) alone.
Don't misunderstand—Aizen wasn't worried about Higashino Shuuichi's safety.
He was worried Higashino Shuuichi would disgust him.
For example, by killing the Quincy King, Yhwach, ahead of time.
Aizen would not allow that to happen.
For Aizen, Higashino Shuuichi could kill anyone he wanted inside the Muei Teikoku (Wandenreich)—
Anyone except Yhwach.
Yhwach had to be left for Aizen to defeat personally.
Aizen had that confidence now.
He was a king who stood above all realms, and only by personally crushing every "king" could he prove his rule was legitimate.
So Tōsen Kaname was the man Aizen sent into the Muei Teikoku (Wandenreich)—
Officially to "help."
In reality to watch Higashino Shuuichi.
Aizen didn't expect Tōsen—no matter how much he strengthened him—to truly stop Higashino Shuuichi.
Aizen knew that was unrealistic.
He only needed Tōsen to stall Higashino Shuuichi, to hold him long enough for Aizen to arrive and "save the situation."
Truthfully, among Aizen's subordinates, the best choice for this mission was Ichimaru Gin.
But both Higashino Shuuichi and Aizen understood what Gin really was.
So this time, even the fact that Tōsen Kaname hadn't died was kept hidden from Gin.
And because of that, Higashino Shuuichi—who had originally planned to head to the Muei Teikoku (Wandenreich) immediately after helping Aizen obtain the complete Hōgyoku—ended up lingering in the World of the Living instead.
That was what led to the earlier scene: Higashino Shuuichi celebrating Shiba Isshin's recovery together with Kurosaki Masaki and Urahara Kisuke inside Urahara Shōten.
And it was also on that same day that Higashino Shuuichi and Kurosaki Masaki watched Shiba Isshin leave.
Unlike the original story—where Shiba Isshin remained in the World of the Living because of Kurosaki Masaki—
In this timeline, Isshin hadn't "happened" with Masaki yet, and Aizen had revealed everything early.
So while Soul Society was clearing the names of Hirako Shinji and the others, they also cleared Shiba Isshin's name as well.
However, the direct reason the warrant against Isshin was revoked was still the same absurd trigger as always—
A sentence Ichimaru Gin deliberately said in front of everyone:
That Shiba Isshin had discovered Aizen's problem and tried to stop them, so Gin had nearly killed Isshin.
Only after that did the newly formed Central 46 accept Isshin as a "good man."
Simple. Brutal. A complete farce.
Just like old times.
But there was no helping it.
After two mass-slaughter incidents of Central 46 over the past century-plus, the nobles had basically reached a consensus:
Serving on Central 46 was no longer a "prestigious job."
It was a high-risk profession.
First came Higashino Shuuichi—who openly "rebelled" and, in a rage, wiped out Central 46 (back then, Higashino Shuuichi and Aizen had made a deal, and Higashino Shuuichi took the blame for Aizen).
Then came Aizen Sōsuke—who also "rebelled" openly, and once again used Central 46 as the knife block.
So who could guarantee the next traitor wouldn't copy the trend, feel embarrassed if they didn't butcher Central 46, and swing the blade again?
You already had one. You already had two. Why wouldn't there be a third?
So the kind of nobles still willing to take those seats now… you could imagine what they were like.
They were only pushed into making those choices because, during the discussions, Kyōraku Shunsui—acting Head Captain while also serving as the Eighth Division captain—reminded them.
And why was he the "acting" Head Captain?
Because Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni had been severely injured in the earlier battle.
And because Yamamoto had activated Bankai in that battle—
Causing horrific impact across all of Soul Society.
Some young shinigami near the area did nothing at all and still got burned by that terrifying heat. They were still lying in the Fourth Division barracks, receiving treatment.
And that wasn't even counting the ordinary civilians and buildings.
With damage like that, Yamamoto couldn't accept it personally—and the newly rebuilt, flimsy Central 46 troupe also wanted a scapegoat, so they dumped responsibility onto Yamamoto's head.
With no other choice, as Yamamoto's student, Kyōraku Shunsui had to shoulder the burden for his teacher for now.
As for how long… that depended on when Yamamoto recovered.
And because Kyōraku's title had that "acting" stamped on it, he basically had the name but not the authority.
He could represent Soul Society in accepting Shiba Isshin back—
But he could not convince the new Central 46 to accept Hirako Shinji's group, who were still in the World of the Living.
As for Muguruma Kensei and Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō—who had already been in Soul Society—this time they followed Kabuma Sayako's faction in making a move, so they were inevitably driven into the World of the Living to reunite with Hirako Shinji and the others.
Kabuma Sayako was still arguing with Central 46 and the other nobles, but during this war, Kabuma Sayako's side also lost several major pieces in a row.
Nemu had been personally designated by Higashino Shuuichi to be taken away next, so she simply stopped showing her face.
Yushima Ōko had his foundation shattered by that battle with Aizen. Having refined the Dangai into something like a personal life-bound artifact, the Dangai's total destruction hurt him no less than having his Zanpakutō destroyed.
So for a while, Yushima Ōko was basically useless.
And as for Matsumoto Rangiku—she was physically fine, but after fighting Ichimaru Gin, no one knew what Gin did to her. Her Zanpakutō's release was completely sealed.
Which left Kabuma Sayako with only one person still standing up front:
Kisaragi Shūsuke.
(Kisaragi Shūsuke: "In the end… this family still has to rely on me, huh~")
At most, you could also count Azashiro Sōya—the man who never stepped outside the Azashiro household.
So the other noble houses began speaking far more arrogantly toward Kabuma Sayako.
Only the Kabuma clan's status as one of the Four Great Noble Houses—and the backing of another Four Great Noble House, the Shiba clan's head, Shiba Kukaku—kept the other nobles from turning into wolves and dragging the Kabuma clan off their pedestal.
Of course, it wasn't like you could say the Shiba clan was safe, either.
In truth, in Soul Society right now, the Kabuma clan and the Shiba clan were in a "lips and teeth" relationship—if one fell, the other would not survive.
As two special Four Great Noble Houses with almost no minor noble vassals beneath them, the only reason they could keep their seats was, aside from certain unique information their families held—
Overwhelming force.
The Kabuma clan relied on the "inheritance" Higashino Shuuichi had left behind.
And the Shiba clan relied on Shiba Isshin—returned to Soul Society, reinstated, and once again taking the captain's seat from the former Tenth Division captain, Kisaragi Shūsuke.
Neither clan was much stronger than the other anymore.
So they could only huddle together for warmth.
Otherwise—even if Kuchiki Byakuya and Shihōin Yoruichi personally had no such intentions—they still wouldn't be able to stop others in their families from developing them.
All of these shifts in Soul Society after Aizen's betrayal—
Higashino Shuuichi didn't know.
Not because he couldn't.
Because he didn't care.
Kabuma Sayako believed that, for now, they could still protect themselves. With Kisaragi Shūsuke and the former Kenpachi, Azashiro Sōya guarding them, their safety wasn't in question—so there was no need to let such trivialities disturb Higashino Shuuichi.
Right now, the Higashino Shuuichi in the World of the Living faced a different headache.
On the third day after Shiba Isshin left—
When Kurosaki Masaki was about to leave home for school, she suddenly collapsed on the floor, unconscious.
"So, Father… what exactly happened to Masaki?"
Standing outside the bedroom where Kurosaki Masaki lay, Ishida Ryūken—who had rushed back from his company—furrowed his brows and asked his father, Ishida Sōken.
Ryūken had no romantic feelings for Masaki, but the two were childhood friends. Ryūken was a few years older and had always treated Masaki like a little sister.
So at this moment, he looked genuinely worried.
Ishida Sōken, however, first exchanged a look with Higashino Shuuichi at the side. Only after seeing Higashino Shuuichi nod did Sōken let out a sigh, helpless.
"Kabuno-san and I first took Masaki to the hospital, but the hospital couldn't find any physical issue at all.
So Kabuno-san examined her directly and discovered that the portion of Quincy power that originally belonged to Masaki has… almost vanished."
"How is that possible?" Ryūken challenged, unable to accept it.
"There's nothing 'impossible' about it," Sōken said, voice heavy. "To that lofty Quincy King, ordinary Quincies are nothing but tools—tools whose power he can take whenever he wants.
And the name of that tool is… Seibetsu (Auswählen)."
The moment he said it, Ishida Sōken seemed to age several years.
If he could, Sōken didn't want his son to know such a cruel reality.
But with Kabuno Takuya—someone almost certainly from the same world as Sōken—standing right there, if Kabuno didn't intend to hide it, Sōken couldn't hide it alone.
"I'm sure you still have questions," Higashino Shuuichi said, leaning against the wall as he lit a cigarette. "Like why I'm fine, why you're fine, why your father's fine… and why your current little girlfriend is fine too.
That's because Seibetsu (Auswählen) only targets pure-blood Quincies, and right now our 'king' seems to only be absorbing the power of the Quincies in the World of the Living.
As for us… heh. It's only a matter of time~"
That line was basically Higashino Shuuichi admitting where he came from.
Ryūken still couldn't quite believe it.
But when he looked at his father and saw the same "once the prey is gone, the hounds get cooked" expression on Sōken's face, he could only force himself to accept it.
After a long while, Ryūken quietly pushed Kurosaki Masaki's door open a little, peering through the gap at the girl lying on the bed with her eyes shut—his "little sister."
"Then… Masaki… she can't be saved?"
Even after accepting his own fate, Ryūken still couldn't bear to watch Masaki suddenly die right in front of him.
"Yeah."
"No."
Two completely opposite answers left Ishida Sōken and Higashino Shuuichi's mouths almost at the exact same time.
Ryūken immediately turned to Higashino Shuuichi—the one who said "No."
"If I really explain it properly, it's pretty complicated," Higashino Shuuichi said. "But to keep it simple, you can think of it like this:
Masaki learned some special techniques I created, so under Seibetsu's (Auswählen's) special mechanism, she might have slipped through."
And deep inside, Higashino Shuuichi added another thought to himself:
"Those were techniques Yhwach himself created. Even a bunch of Sternritter never got the chance to learn them.
If Seibetsu (Auswählen) misunderstood something because of that… it's not exactly unreasonable."
The explanation sounded absurd.
But it was also the only explanation Higashino Shuuichi could think of after confirming that Kurosaki Masaki still had a faint breath left.
Of course, for Higashino Shuuichi, whether Masaki lived or died wasn't the important part.
The important part was that she had been hit by Seibetsu (Auswählen)—
Which meant Yhwach had awakened earlier than the time in his own prophecy.