Shinji Hirako walked leisurely toward the edge of the battlefield. He stopped near a tidy dirt slope.
This spot was not too far from where Mirai and Sosuke Aizen stood.
It was close enough to hear their conversation clearly. However, it did not look intentional.
He yawned loudly and stretched his arms and legs. Then he sat down suddenly.
He crossed his hands behind his head. He leaned back until he was resting on the burnt ground.
He narrowed his eyes and watched the disturbing Garganta in the sky.
The technical devices from Squad 12 were slowly sealing the Garganta. Shinji sang a quiet and messy song.
Only he knew that his senses were focused on the two young officers nearby. He used his hearing and side vision to observe them.
Several soldiers surrounded the pair. These soldiers were recently saved by Mirai and Aizen.
Their faces showed relief because they survived. They also looked excited to meet famous people.
"Thank you so much, 5th Seat Mirai! 5th Seat Aizen!"
"5th Seat Mirai! My younger brother is a huge fan of your stories! Could I get an autograph? Please write it here, on the inside of my sleeve!"
"5th Seat Aizen, remember that calligraphy you helped me with for the report? The Lieutenant actually praised it! Could you teach me again sometime?"
Shinji heard those grateful and enthusiastic voices. He clenched his teeth together until they made a clicking sound.
He clicked his tongue. "They really are popular."
One person used a cold face and stories to gain fans.
The other person used a friendly mask and perfect social elegance.
Together, they fooled these simple soldiers completely.
Shinji thought they should continue acting.
He believed that one day he would catch them making a mistake. Then he would remove their masks.
He planned to capture them both and throw them into the deepest level of Muken as permanent neighbors.
He imagined this scene with some malice.
After ten minutes, the soldiers finished thanking them. Their superiors called them back.
Only Mirai and Sosuke Aizen remained. They stood opposite each other.
Aizen spoke first.
He raised a hand to push up his black-rimmed glasses.
His eyes looked happy behind the lenses. A warm smile appeared on his face.
"It seems your reputation among the squad members is even higher than I imagined, Mirai."
Mirai's expression did not change. He replied in a steady and calm voice.
"You overpraise me. Your promotion speed is where the real talent lies. This 5th Seat position is likely just a temporary stop; a Lieutenant's seat must be within your reach. It is quite enviable."
"You joke, Mirai."
Aizen's smile remained perfect. His tone was humble.
"I only have what I have because Captain Hirako hasn't given up on me. He gave me the opportunity. If I relied only on my own limited skills, who knows how long I would still be in the bottom ranks."
He looked away as he spoke. His gaze observed the battlefield where the fighting had ended.
Broken weapons, burnt banners, and fading soul sparks covered the ground.
Further away, soldiers started to collect the bodies from both sides.
Aizen used a sad tone of empathy.
"Wars in the World of the Living are always so direct and cruel. So many lives vanish so easily. Many of them likely did not even understand the reason they used their blades until the very end."
Mirai also looked at those scenes.
His face looked hard and cold in the fading light.
He stayed silent for a moment before speaking. His voice had no emotion.
"The cruelty is a fact. But what sustained them until the end was likely something in their hearts worth risking everything to protect. A home, a lord, or perhaps just the comrades beside them."
"Oh? Is that how you see it?"
Aizen turned his head slightly to look at Mirai.
The lenses of his glasses reflected the light from the repair devices at the Garganta. This hid his true emotions.
"At the very least," Mirai said flatly, "most of these warriors died holding onto that belief."
Aizen nodded slightly in agreement.
Then, he spoke in a conversational tone like he was making small talk.
"Then, in your opinion, would you say a life like theirs was... wasted?"
Mirai paused longer this time.
He watched a member of Squad 13 perform a Konsō on a confused soul.
The soul bowed slightly. Then it turned into light and ascended.
"If they walked the path they believed in until the very end," Mirai said as he looked away, "then for them, the journey had meaning."
Nearby, Shinji Hirako pretended to watch the sky. His brow twitched several times.
He wondered why these two were discussing the meaning of life on a battlefield full of bodies.
On the surface, they talked about human soldiers. But Shinji felt that something was wrong.
His mind worked quickly. He thought about Mirai's book, The Murderer of Meteor Alley.
On the surface, it was a fictional story about a different world.
But the story felt exactly like the Rukongai, especially the chaotic outer districts.
Shinji knew Mirai used fiction to criticize reality. He also used metaphors to attack others.
So, this conversation looked like a complaint about human war. However, it was likely a reflection on Soul Society and the Shinigami.
Aizen's words sounded like he felt sorry for the blind human soldiers.
But Shinji wondered if he was hinting that ordinary members of the Gotei 13 were the same.
They went to battle for big titles like "Maintaining the Balance" or "Protecting the Seireitei."
Perhaps many died without understanding the high-level plans. They just followed orders with loyalty.
Mirai's response seemed to defend the beliefs of those soldiers.
In reality, was he expressing a different view?
He wondered if Mirai believed that meaning was real even if it was fake or one-sided.
He thought that as long as the person accepted the belief and acted on it, the meaning was real for them.
What were they hiding under this topic about soldiers and worth?
Was it a hidden question about the current rules? Were they thinking about their own positions?
Shinji felt his suspicion growing. He tried to listen even more closely.
Aizen's voice drifted over with the wind again. The topic changed away from the battlefield.
"It is interesting, though. The opposing armies do not seem to have fully withdrawn yet. Look at the faint banners behind those hills. Their 'King.' At this moment, he is likely sitting safely, far from the bloodshed, quietly observing the 'value' of this sacrifice."
Mirai did not respond immediately.
He followed Aizen's gesture. He looked coldly at the distant hills where tents and banners moved in the wind.
His face remained expressionless. It was impossible to know his thoughts.
Aizen acted as if he were just sharing an observation. He did not expect a reply.
He continued in the same peaceful tone.
"It seems Squad 12's technology worked. The closure of the Garganta is stable. It looks like we should prepare to return to Soul Society soon."
However, Aizen's comment about the "King sitting safely and observing" made Shinji feel cold.
He thought about the words "observing," "safe place," and "King."
He wondered if Aizen was really talking about a human king.
Could those words refer to something else?
Did Aizen have an interest in a high position for observing and judging?
Shinji thought about usurpation.
The thought made him stop his song for a moment.
Under his golden hair, his eyes narrowed. He was no longer relaxed.
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