Aizen had made thorough preparations to seize the Hōgyoku. Although it was possible to steal it silently relying on Kyōka Suigetsu, just in case, he was fully prepared to take it by force in front of everyone.
Therefore, he had long formulated a retreat plan in his mind—perhaps more than one. But the most ideal method was undoubtedly having Menos tear open a Garganta and use their unique Negación to bring them to Hueco Mundo. Their exit door would be in the sky.
However, this method required some time to prepare. The Seireitei was, after all, the stronghold of the Shinigami. Casually tearing open a hole in the sky was not something easily accomplished.
Generally speaking, any Hollow attempting to open a Garganta in Soul Society could potentially be detected by the Department of Research and Development. If it was within the Seireitei, that probability was one hundred percent.
Kyōka Suigetsu could not hypnotize instruments, but through the complete hypnosis of the monitoring personnel, no one in the Seireitei would receive any relevant intelligence until the very moment the Garganta appeared.
But this did not mean leaving the Seireitei was foolproof. Once the Negación descended, it could not be stopped. Yet, tracing it back to the source, if the Menos failed to open the Garganta, or if spatial instability delayed its opening, it could lead to irreversible consequences.
Under these circumstances, Hyōrinmaru's ability to control the weather became rather intriguing. Unlike Old Man Yama's Ryūjin Jakka, which affected the surrounding environment through extreme heat, controlling the weather was Hyōrinmaru's intrinsic ability. Its underlying principle might very well be the manipulation of space itself.
This was merely a guess. Kōe didn't know if Aizen had actually confirmed this point, but to go to such great lengths to specifically set a trap for Hitsugaya meant the brat definitely had something unique about him.
"So, Captain Aizen has a weakness too. Because of a mere Shiba Miyako, there's really no need for all this, is there?"
"There is still a difference."
"Do you think I have no way of affecting your departure?" Kōe asked. Aizen did not answer, maintaining a noncommittal expression.
*What a man who refuses to act without a guaranteed payoff. Of course, this could also be him trying to fish for information. After all, Shiba Miyako was currently in Aizen's hands, but Kōe couldn't prove that his own words weren't just an empty verbal threat. That was the difference.*
"Captain Aizen should be aware of the battle at the Sternritter Fortress back then, right?"
"I had the privilege of participating."
"Then you should understand the Kidō that Teacher Ao used to seal the Sternritter Fortress. The Three Locks Sealing Three Gates is a Bakudō capable of perfectly sealing off the space of a designated area, and I just so happen to have learned it." Kōe said, lowering his head with a chuckle. "I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I can't cover an area as massive as the Sternritter Fortress, but covering Sōkyoku Hill should still be within my capabilities."
Aizen did not answer immediately this time. He turned and walked back to his desk, casually organizing his documents. The candlelight flickered across his glasses, obscuring his expression and making his thoughts impossible to read.
"Going to such great lengths just to stay here? Even without my interference, no one will appreciate what you've done. There is no place for you here, Kōe."
"Whether there's a place for me or not isn't the point. For the sake of the Seireitei, I am willing to give everything, including my life."
Aizen looked up at Kōe's deadpan face, then silently lowered his head again, softly uttering a single phrase: "A cliché answer."
"Right? I think so too. I wonder if Old Man Yama would believe it? What do you think?"
"..."
Another night passed. Yoruichi sat by the edge of the cliff, resting her head on her hand. The eastern sky was already beginning to pale; a new morning sun would soon rise.
She had just gone to check—the item under the tree remained completely untouched. It seemed that old man Shunsui still hadn't made a decision. What a headache.
On the other side, Ichigo's Bankai training still hadn't made any substantial progress. A full day had already passed, leaving only two days in their initially planned training schedule.
Kuchiki Rukia's execution date was set for twenty-five days after she was brought back. During that time, their training in the World of the Living and the construction of the Senkaimon had taken up seventeen days. After entering Soul Society, they had stayed in the Rukongai and at Kūkaku's house for two days, and had been separated for two days since arriving in the Seireitei.
Calculating it all, after the three days of Bankai training, Yoruichi would only have a single day left. That one day was meant for unsealing that spiritual tool and teaching Ichigo how to use it. There was absolutely no room for adjustment in their schedule.
Of course, that was the original plan. After entering the Seireitei and meeting with Shunsui, Yoruichi learned from him that Rukia's execution was actually scheduled for thirteen days from now. In other words, according to Soul Society's timeline, only twelve days had passed since Rukia's arrest.
The discrepancy likely stemmed from the Kōtotsu that appeared while they were passing through the Dangai. At the time, their group was nearly devoured by that scavenger, which inadvertently caused them to arrive in Soul Society seven days early.
Such a phenomenon was theoretically possible, but actually experiencing it was a first. However, thanks to this accident, they now had an extra seven days at their disposal.
That meant even if Ichigo failed to achieve Bankai within these three days, they still had eight days left—more than enough to support a second round of training.
*But having already pushed his potential to the absolute limit under the pressure of a three-day deadline, if she suddenly told Ichigo he had eight more days, would he still be able to achieve Bankai?*
*Unlikely. To be honest, Yoruichi had never been optimistic about Ichigo. The reason was simple: three days was the record set by Urahara Kisuke—that genius, the very bastard who had indirectly caused this current mess.*
*So, should she go find Ukitake one more time, or continue training Ichigo?*
*She would observe for one more day. Just one day. If Ichigo's Reiryoku still showed no obvious changes, she would have no choice but to take a gamble.*
Meanwhile, in the Squad 10 barracks, sunlight streamed into the room through the latticed windows, but the atmosphere remained oppressive. For Hitsugaya and Matsumoto, this night had been far too long.
Hinamori hadn't woken up. For her current state, getting some proper rest was probably for the best.
Hitsugaya had already read the suicide note. He had compared the handwriting with documents brought over from Squad 5, and it was indeed Aizen's handwriting without a doubt.
*So, just how much of that suicide note had been tampered with?* Judging by the actions of Kōe and Ichimaru Gin, they were definitely plotting something sinister. Furthermore, from the fragmented details Matsumoto had shared, Kōe seemed to be connected to a certain vicious incident that had occurred in the Seireitei in the past.
*In other words, the inclusion of Kōe Shihouin's name in Aizen's suicide note was accurate, but was their plot truly to seize the Sōkyoku?*
"Matsumoto, you..."
Just as the words left his mouth, the faint sound of a wind chime suddenly drifted in from outside the door. Hitsugaya and Matsumoto looked out simultaneously to see a black butterfly leisurely fluttering toward them.
*A Hell Butterfly? Did Central 46 have new orders?*
"To all Captains and Lieutenants, an emergency notification. There has been a final change regarding the execution date of Kuchiki Rukia. The final execution date is set for..."
"Twenty-nine hours from now."