"To be honest, there's one thing I actually have to thank you for. Thanks for wiping out those old bastards in Central 46. I've hated them for a long time."
Of everything Aizen had done, Kazuma thought this was the finest.
It had done a lot to strengthen the authority of the Gotei 13.
As for electing new sages to rebuild Central 46? Kazuma would be the first to object!
And if anyone refused to accept that, he'd just bring his sword over and have a nice, reasonable talk with them.
He was a firm believer in winning people over with virtue!
"Captain Kazuma, you've told me all this because you want me to lend a hand when you face Yhwach down the line, don't you? So what are the terms of the trade? If the only condition is that you won't kill me, that won't be enough."
Aizen had more or less caught Kazuma's intention.
If Kazuma wanted cooperation, he had to show some sincerity.
A few words wouldn't be enough to move him.
"Sincerity, huh?"
Kazuma stood still and lowered his eyes, sinking into thought.
For a brief moment, the silence seemed to freeze the whole space.
In his mind, the possibilities around Aizen unfolded one after another, like a scroll slowly opening.
To Kazuma, the Aizen of now was like a star hidden in the dark.
Its light hadn't fully bloomed yet, but the power inside it was enough to satisfy him.
From how Aizen had performed in the Thousand-Year Blood War, it was clear he'd make a decent ally.
In truth, the condition Aizen had raised wasn't harsh at all.
When he said Kazuma should let him leave, that was only the bare minimum buried deep in his heart.
This man had always been good at calculation.
Making this request now was simply an attempt to squeeze a little more out of Kazuma and offset his current disadvantage.
Aizen understood his own situation very clearly.
Kazuma might look easygoing, and his words might even carry a bit of warmth, but who could promise this man wouldn't suddenly turn and show a cold, merciless side?
Aizen had never truly seen through Kazuma.
If he had, he'd never have been tricked into this state by this sneaky bastard.
Just like with Tōsen more than twenty years ago — Kazuma had killed him the very moment he said he would.
That scene stayed with Aizen like a sharp dagger, always reminding him that in this cruel world, there were no permanent friends, only permanent interests.
Everything he was doing now was to keep himself alive and find a path that would let him rise again.
"I can give you the Hōgyoku. I'll also hand you some forces in Hueco Mundo."
The condition Kazuma offered was extremely tempting.
"Hueco Mundo has long since—"
Before Aizen could finish, Kazuma cut him off.
"You really think they've submitted to you?"
"Could it be…"
"That's right. Barragan and the others submitted to you because I told them to."
Cold sweat ran down Aizen's back at that.
Everything he'd done had actually been under this man's control! No wonder he'd sometimes felt a chill run down his spine.
"You have conditions too, don't you? What do you want?"
Aizen forced himself calm and asked what Kazuma wanted.
There was no free lunch in the world.
Since Kazuma's offer was this generous, he'd surely want something of equal value in return.
"Work with us against Yhwach. That's something you have to guarantee."
"Fine."
"Hand over Matsumoto Rangiku's missing soul fragment."
Kazuma's words made Ichimaru Gin, sitting nearby, tremble with excitement.
His whole reason for working with Kazuma back then had been to recover Rangiku's soul fragment.
But Gin had always been doubtful about it, and had never fully trusted Kazuma.
"Fine. But her soul fragment is already inside the Hōgyoku I made. I may not be able to separate it."
Aizen was blunt and agreed at once.
"What else?"
"That's all."
"That's all?"
"Are you sure?"
"That's really all."
Aizen's face twisted completely, as if some invisible force had pulled it out of shape.
His expression showed the shock and disbelief he could barely hold back. He'd never expected Kazuma to name such simple conditions.
It was so far beyond what he'd imagined that it left him at a loss.
"You've truly given me quite the surprise."
Aizen forced down the turmoil inside him and dryly pushed out those words.
There was a faint tremor in his voice, but it was hard to catch.
A complicated look flickered in his eyes — confusion at Kazuma's behavior, and a certain wariness he couldn't name.
Kazuma stared right back at him, not hiding a thing, as if looking at an idiot.
There was a kind of open contempt in that gaze, as if to say, 'How are you this dense? Who actually complains that the terms are too light? Is there something wrong with your head?'
He lifted his chin slightly, the corner of his mouth curving into a faint, mocking smile.
Inwardly, he was full of scorn for how stupid Aizen was being!
"If you think it's too little, I can add more conditions."
Kazuma spoke teasingly, a hint of provocation in it, as if deliberately poking at Aizen's nerves.
He wanted to see how the man would react to more conditions, and whether he could hold on to that proud attitude.
"Then it's settled. Give me the Hōgyoku."
Aizen cut in at once.
What a joke.
Who would ever complain that the terms were too light?
Was there something wrong with their head?
"Give me the Hōgyoku you made first. I'll separate Matsumoto Rangiku's soul fragment."
Kazuma wanted to secure Rangiku's soul first before paying his own side of the deal.
Caution never hurt. Better safe than sorry!
"You're really not trying to cheat me out of this Hōgyoku, are you?"
Aizen watched him warily, afraid he'd pocket the Hōgyoku for himself.
"Enough nonsense. If you don't want to give it to me, then the deal's off. I'll kill you right now and find the Hōgyoku myself."
Kazuma made as if to draw the Zanpakutō at his waist.
Aizen's words were an insult to his character!
He, Kazuma, was not the kind of man who let others slander him as they pleased.
No. Absolutely not. His pride and dignity would never allow it!
"Fine! I'll give you the Hōgyoku."
Aizen slowly drew out the incomplete Hōgyoku he'd made with his own hands and solemnly handed it to Kazuma.
Kazuma stared down at the Hōgyoku in his hand with a complicated look in his eyes.
He rubbed its surface gently with his fingers, feeling its strange texture and warmth.
A strange impulse surged in him — a powerful urge to merge the two Hōgyoku, claim them both, and make them the symbol of his own supreme power!
The feeling was like a blazing flame deep in his chest, growing hotter and hotter, until it nearly swallowed his reason whole.
Kazuma shook his head hard, trying to clear it.
But that impulse still trailed him like a shadow, eating away at his thoughts.
He was quietly shaken.
This damned thing really did have such a strong pull!
It could sway his will so easily. It was seriously evil! He had to stay alert and not let the Hōgyoku bewitch him.
Kazuma took a deep breath and steadied himself.
Then he began carefully reading the souls inside the Hōgyoku.
Bit by bit, he felt out the different auras and energies within it, as if stepping into some strange world.
A chaotic mist filled the space, and the souls were like ghosts hidden inside it, flickering in and out of sight.
He searched with full focus, refusing to miss even the faintest trace.
At last, he found the soul fragment that belonged to Matsumoto Rangiku.
That wisp of soul carried a faint air of sorrow, as if telling the story of what she'd been through and her despair for the future.
Of course she'd feel despair.
Who wouldn't, after being sealed inside this damned thing for so long?