His reiatsu had evolved.
After absorbing a portion of the Soul King's power, Bai Chen's strength surged again—so visibly that it was impossible to ignore.
It wasn't just the density and pressure of his reiatsu.
Even its color had changed—
deepening into the same pitch-black shade as the Soul King's force itself.
It looked heavier.
Darker.
And the oppressive feeling it gave off was several times stronger than before.
"This is… evolution?"
Ukitake stared, stunned.
Just by looking with the naked eye, the gap between Bai Chen's reiatsu and the Soul King's power… had clearly narrowed.
He lowered his gaze and swept it across the dojo, watching the last traces of residual force peel away from his body as the treatment ended. A strange feeling rose in his chest—hard to describe.
The process had been full of twists and danger.
But the results were undeniable.
Not only had his lungs regenerated, returning him to a state he hadn't felt in centuries…
The one who gained the greater benefit was Bai Chen.
Ukitake was shocked—yet, strangely, genuinely happy for him.
Because a normal soul—even a captain-class Shinigami—
no matter how long they trained, would still eventually hit limits and bottlenecks.
To reach the true summit without crossing forbidden lines usually required external power…
or methods that the Seireitei would never permit.
And yet Bai Chen had achieved what countless people—even Aizen—could only dream of…
simply by healing someone.
If Ukitake didn't owe Bai Chen a debt of gratitude deep enough to shake his soul, he might've felt envy.
He didn't.
He felt awe.
Bai Chen didn't respond to Ukitake's amazement.
The satisfied smile faded from his face as he lifted his eyes again, fixing his gaze on the massive shadow in the air—the manifested presence of the Soul King's Right Hand.
"The objective has been achieved."
"So now… it's time to make this shadow disappear."
If anyone else heard him say that, they would break out in a cold sweat on the spot.
But Bai Chen looked relaxed now—calm, even confident.
He was no longer frowning like he had been earlier.
At this stage, with his power now elevated, he was certain he could suppress Mimihagi in reverse—
until that massive shadow dissolved completely…
and the will of the Soul King's Right Hand fell back into slumber.
He shifted his gaze and looked directly at Ukitake.
"From here on, I need you to cooperate with me."
His tone was firm—almost commanding.
Ukitake nodded immediately, eyes steady and clear.
"No problem."
"Now that my lungs have returned, I finally have the strength to protect myself."
"And I can contribute—properly."
Although he had been a devoted believer in Mimihagi…
now that he had miraculously regained his peak condition, Ukitake's mind was sharper.
Instead of blind worship, he chose reason.
The priority was simple:
End this incident. Restore everything to its proper course.
It didn't take long.
With Ukitake's cooperation, Bai Chen controlled the battlefield with far greater ease.
He continued suppressing the torrents of black power—
then used his extreme ocular hypnosis one final time, forcing Mimihagi's will to sink into deep unconsciousness.
The outcome remained unchanged in one sense:
Mimihagi still resided within Ukitake.
But the way it resided had fundamentally changed.
It no longer demanded his life force.
It no longer eroded his body.
It no longer weakened him.
This was no longer parasitism.
It was coexistence.
Ukitake accepted that result.
He had always intended to remain the Soul King's substitute—just as he had for centuries.
He was still prepared to sacrifice himself if that day ever came.
Three days later—
even though Bai Chen had warned everyone to keep the incident as quiet as possible…
Ukitake appeared in public.
And the moment people saw him—
saw that after only three days of recovery, his long hair had become black and glossy again—
the entire Seireitei erupted.
The shock spread like wildfire.
Naturally…
Aizen's group heard as well.
Fifth Division Barracks — Underground Base
In the hidden facility beneath the Fifth Division, the mood was heavier than usual.
"Aizen-taichō…"
"This is getting worse."
Gin Ichimaru lowered his eyelids.
His voice no longer carried that lazy, teasing drawl.
For once, it was unmistakably serious.
"We still don't know what Bai Chen gained from Ukitake…"
"But his growth rate—and everything he's done lately…"
"It's beyond common sense."
Gin's concern wasn't just caution.
It was personal.
He was an undercover blade aimed at Aizen's throat.
And Bai Chen's explosive rise introduced variables Gin couldn't control.
If Bai Chen's overgrowth caused unpredictable chaos…
and it interfered with Gin's long-awaited chance to kill Aizen—
what then?
Gin's relationship with Bai Chen was distant at best.
Borderline unfriendly.
And given Gin's temperament, he would never risk approaching Bai Chen privately to propose cooperation.
In his view, that was far more dangerous than sticking to the original plan.
So, despite living in a constant game of lies with Aizen…
Gin found himself leaning toward Aizen's side for the moment—
and speaking a rare, honest warning.
Aizen stood with his hands behind his back, face cold, watching the glow of the surveillance monitors.
Behind the reflection on his glasses, his eyes flickered.
He looked calm.
But Gin's worry was also Aizen's.
After a long silence, Aizen finally spoke.
"How is the enhancement of Hollow White progressing?"
He turned slightly, looking toward Tōsen Kaname.
Tōsen bowed respectfully.
"Aizen-sama…"
"Everything has been proceeding smoothly."
"After continuous refinement and the installation of a new hollowfication module…"
"The newest version of White has reached at least Vasto Lorde-level combat power."
"And it still has limitless potential for growth."
As he spoke White's name, a fanatic heat surged into Tōsen's expression.
It was the face of a man admiring his greatest artwork.
Aizen's voice remained flat.
"Can we go see it now?"
"The research site is near the edge of Rukongai, correct?"
Gin raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised.
"Aizen-taichō… did I hear that right?"
"You're actually going in person?"
Normally, Aizen controlled everything from the shadows.
Tōsen handled the practical progression of the hollowfication experiments.
Aizen rarely intervened directly—rarely stepped into that remote facility himself.
But Bai Chen's chain of "butterfly effects" had clearly disturbed Aizen's composure.
He couldn't sit still anymore.
Aizen's reply was cold and ruthless.
"If we cannot approach Bai Chen openly…"
"And cannot display Kyōka Suigetsu's Shikai before him…"
"Do you have a better method?"
Gin fell silent.
Aizen had once been confident because he believed time was on his side—
that with Kyōka Suigetsu's power, he would eventually find the perfect chance to control Bai Chen through complete sensory hypnosis.
But after witnessing Bai Chen's battle with the Captain-Commander…
Aizen had realized something disturbing:
Even setting aside hypnosis—
Aizen's greatest advantage, his power at the "upper limit" among Shinigami…
no longer seemed overwhelmingly superior against Bai Chen.
That was why Aizen shifted his focus onto hollowfication.
If he could replicate what he once did to Hirako Shinji's group—
force Bai Chen into hollowfication and frame him—
then even if he couldn't control Bai Chen through strength,
he could still kill him indirectly.
Drive him out of Soul Society.
Let the Seireitei destroy him.
Gin shrugged lightly, instantly switching his tone.
"Aizen-taichō, I didn't say anything."
Then his eyes sharpened.
"But if you plan to activate White…"
"You can't leave it near the outskirts of Rukongai anymore."
"The last incident with the Espada already forced Central 46 to take things seriously."
"If something like that happens again…"
"Even those stiff old fools will realize there's a hidden hand manipulating everything."
Aizen answered without hesitation.
"Agreed."
Gin smiled faintly.
"Sounds like you've already chosen a location."
Aizen's response was immediate.
"Not Karakura Town."
"But nearby—Narumaki City, and several other smaller cities."
He knew Karakura Town was a spiritually significant area.
And he also knew that former Shinigami who had defected could be hiding there.
So, to avoid alerting them…
and to give White time to slaughter and awaken further power through repeated killing…
Aizen chose caution.
He avoided Karakura—for now.
That decision soon created a terrifying rumor across the Human World.
Especially on rainy nights—
a monster that hunts Shinigami was said to appear.
If it marked you…
you would be beheaded.
Your body would be cleaved in two.
At first, it was just a story.
Then the bodies began to pile up.
More and more stationed Shinigami were butchered.
And only then—
did the Gotei 13 truly begin to treat it as a crisis.
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