"Who's the one with no morals, filling Hueco Mundo with so much sand?"
The moment Kensei Kenzuru stepped out of the Senkaimon, a faceful of white sand assaulted him, making him spit a few times in disgust.
No wonder Hueco Mundo never developed. With such lousy conditions, who'd want to visit?
After a few Shunpo flashes, Kensei appeared above the temporary base established by Aizen and Yoruichi. To avoid Hollow harassment, Aizen had built the laboratory underground and placed numerous Kidō barriers around it.
Kensei had just pushed the door open, before he could even strike a cool entrance pose, a black shadow slammed into his chest at a speed far exceeding the naked eye. If not for the cushioning effect, several of his ribs might have cracked.
"Kensei, you're here?" Yoruichi's arms wrapped around Kensei's neck, her smile completely unconcealed. "They didn't discover our activities back in the Soul Society, did they?"
"Someone as reliable as me? No chance of slipping up." Kensei wore an expression of "you can trust me with this." "But you, not only gathering intel here but also dealing with that recluse Sōsuke, who's always experimenting. Where is she?"
"In there." Yoruichi jerked her thumb backward, her tone subtly pausing. "Been holed up with her research, all secretive."
Yoruichi seemed to want to say more but ultimately just urged, "Go on in. She seems to have something to discuss with you."
Aizen's laboratory was considerably larger than the outer area, filled with various unknown instruments in operation. Before the central workbench, the familiar figure stood with her back to Kensei, intently observing the flowing data on the screen.
"Sōsuke!" Kensei casually slung an arm over Aizen's shoulder. "Your genius best friend has come to visit! Aren't you moved to tears?"
Aizen turned. She adjusted her glasses; the gaze behind the lenses remained as calm as ever, but lingered on Kensei slightly longer than usual.
"You're here." Aizen's voice betrayed little emotion. "Did you encounter any Hollow attacks on the way?"
"Nothing but a mouthful of sand." Kensei waved a hand dismissively, curiously leaning over the workbench. "Having any experimental difficulties lately? Let this Technology Development Bureau leader offer you some guidance."
Yoruichi leaned against a nearby wall with crossed arms, her gaze shifting between Aizen and Kensei, not interrupting.
Instead of answering, Aizen, with a serious expression, pulled up a set of data and graphs. Knowing Kensei wouldn't understand, she explained directly.
"Before you get up to speed on Hueco Mundo, there's a matter concerning you that needs addressing first."
"Details, please."
Kensei straightened his back. When it came to his own body, there was no room for carelessness. He didn't want to end up like Kuchiki Sōjun.
"Do you remember the results of my previous blood analysis?"
"Of course. You drew blood, and I fell asleep afterward. Slept pretty comfortably."
Behind him, Yoruichi, with crossed arms, tightened her grip, leaving red marks on her own skin.
"This was your body's data back in the Soul Society." Aizen manipulated several charts with her fingers, then called up another set with drastic fluctuations. "This is the data from the new blood sample I took after you last came to Hueco Mundo."
Yoruichi's eyes widened in disbelief. She hadn't expected Kensei's body to harbor such a secret.
"Originally, they were in a dormant state, having no effect on your body." Aizen paused. "Perhaps the high spirit particle concentration of Hueco Mundo stimulated you. Currently, the Hollow factors within your body are being rapidly activated and show a trend of continuous enhancement."
After Aizen finished speaking, the lab fell into brief silence.
Yoruichi shot toward Aizen like an arrow, her eyes locked onto her, trying to detect any sign of deception on Aizen's face.
"You're saying Kensei is in danger?"
"Uncertain."
Hearing this, Yoruichi immediately turned, grabbing Kensei's hand to pull him toward the door. She was taking him back to the Soul Society. Even if the Shihōin family couldn't solve it, Captain-Commander Yamamoto certainly wouldn't stand by.
"Sister Yoruichi, calm down."
Kensei quickly tried to soothe Yoruichi. This wasn't a big issue for him; as long as it wasn't like Sōjun's case, it was fine.
"If Sōsuke brought it up, she definitely has a solution. And I'm not experiencing any problems right now."
"It likely won't trigger immediate Hollowfication yet."
Aizen refuted the worst-case speculation, but her tone didn't relax. She couldn't predict when issues might arise in Kensei's condition or if they could be resolved in time.
"Since the Hōgyoku can affect Hollows,in theory it should be able to suppress, or even help Kensei control, this power."
Yoruichi finally let out a sigh of relief. But she knew Aizen's current experiments with the Hōgyoku on Hollows were still basic, while Kensei's situation was unique.
"Alright, you two, relax. It's just Hollowfication." Kensei casually sat down in a chair, perfectly calm. "Though I haven't researched it, I know a thing or two."
Under Yoruichi and Aizen's skeptical gazes, Kensei slowly explained Shinigami Hollowfication, making the two understand the several processes a Shinigami needed to undergo to master Hollow power.
"How do you know all this in such detail?"
Yoruichi eyed the confident Kensei suspiciously, as if he'd conducted these experiments himself.
"The Soul King also entrusted this knowledge to me in a dream." Kensei cupped his hands respectfully toward the ceiling. "Anyway, that's the general process. So you two don't need to worry too much."
Aizen nodded, presumably this was also information Kensei learned from parallel worlds. With an answer in hand, the direction for future experiments could be determined.
"Besides, I'm looking forward to Hollowfying and testing myself against Baraggan. Let's see who's really in charge of Hueco Mundo—him or me."
"No way! Staying in Hueco Mundo any longer is just asking for trouble!" Yoruichi still wasn't convinced. If staying in Hueco Mundo stimulated the Hollow factors, returning to the Soul Society was undoubtedly the safest option.
Aizen reached out and took hold of the arm Yoruichi wasn't pulling, her tone steady. "Kensei staying in Hueco Mundo facilitates real-time monitoring and data collection. We can detect any anomalies in him immediately."
"So you want Kensei to stay here as your lab rat?"
Yoruichi's voice rose slightly, carrying clear displeasure. To her, Kensei's safety was naturally more important.
"This is a necessary measure to completely eradicate the hidden danger within Kensei's body." Aizen's tone remained calm but carried an undeniable firmness. "Moreover, I believe Kensei wouldn't back down from something like this."
"Could you two stop acting like I'm about to turn into a Hollow any second?"
Caught between the two, each pulling one of his arms, Kensei felt like he was about to be split in half.
"And I trust Sōsuke. She's my best friend. She wouldn't just stand by and do nothing."
Feeling this kind of unreserved trust from Kensei, Aizen's heartstrings trembled slightly, causing the mix of concern and desire within her to churn like boiling water.
"Besides, since I have a certain allure to Hollows right now, I can act as bait to help Sōsuke catch more experimental subjects while also getting a clearer picture of Hueco Mundo's current state."
Kensei's proposal was audacious. Knowing she couldn't dissuade him, Yoruichi gave up with a sigh, reluctantly agreeing. But she still had to issue a few warnings before letting go.
"Aizen, I hope you can resolve Kensei's problem."
After saying this solemnly to Aizen just before they set out to hunt Hollows, Yoruichi turned and hurried after Kensei, who had already started to leave.
Aizen silently watched their departing figures, merely speeding up her movements at the experimental console.
***
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