The only player in the world of Bleach

He saw Aizen sitting behind his desk, maintaining his signature half-smile, looking right at him.

"Matsushita-kun... I've been waiting for you for a long time."

He raised his hand and waved it gently.

A gentle breeze blew in and closed the door behind it.

Only the two of them remained in the room... Matsushita Yusuke quickly stepped forward, while simultaneously reaching into his robes and rummaging around for a moment.

Then, a rather familiar outline appeared in his palm.

The half of the Hōgyoku he had taken from Urahara Kisuke was now in his palm.

As this was something so important that he had finally acquired it, Matsushita Yusuke should have said something polite... but he clearly wasn't in the mood for that. He simply handed it to Aizen and turned to leave.

This caught Aizen, who had made ample preparations and seemed ready to launch into a long speech, somewhat off guard.

"Wait...Matsushita-kun?"

"Is there anything else, Aizen-sensei?"

"You...don't you have anything to say?"

Perhaps it was because reality was too shocking that Aizen Sousuke lost his composure slightly.

Bōgyoku.

As a manifestation of the Spirit King's power, it possesses extraordinary power—it can fulfill a user's wish based on their willpower.

It can be said that all of Aizen's efforts so far have been for the purpose of obtaining half of the Hogyoku, and his 'enduring hardship and biding his time' in the original work was also for this purpose.

But right now.

Matsushita Yusuke, however, remained perfectly calm and handed over the long-desired item to him.

To be honest... Aizen Sousuke didn't know how to face this situation for a moment.

I should indeed be happy.

However, this sense of incongruity, achieved so easily, made him unable to laugh.

Perhaps... it was a bit too hasty?

Faced with Aizen's loss of composure, Matsushita Yusuke's expression was rather helpless. He pursed his lips, sighed, and said in a rather resigned tone.

“Aizen-sensei, there’s nothing to worry about in this regard. After all, I’ve already told you everything before… The Soul King doesn’t care about these things, so you can do whatever you want.”

Second.

"You have been able to study the effects of the Hogyoku with great care. If nothing unexpected happens, it will definitely have a very good effect in the final battle... For both reason and emotion, the Three Realms will not stand against us now."

Indeed, the situation is quite different from what it used to be.

Aizen's faction is by no means rebellious, but rather a specific group that needs to be cooperated with.

Aizen himself understood this, but perhaps the changes in reality were so drastic that they caused him to lose most of his thinking ability in a short period of time...

Of course, after calming down a bit, he recovered.

"I...I understand."

Aizen accepts the status quo.

Seeing this, Matsushita Yusuke visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

Everyone is emphasizing how to save the Three Realms, but what about themselves?

Yusuke Matsushita felt he needed to save his marriage first...

"I'm going now, Aizen-sensei!"

331: The Complete Hogyoku

"Matsushita-kun, please wait a moment."

"Is there anything else, Aizen-sensei?"

Aizen suddenly stopped Matsushita Yusuke, who turned around and saw Aizen holding two Hogyoku in his hands, looking thoughtful.

His expression clearly showed some hesitation, as if he was constantly thinking and deliberating.

"I... plan to try fusing the two Hogyoku right here."

Matsushita Yusuke was slightly surprised to hear this.

He hesitated for a moment, then spoke softly.

"So urgent?"

Having spent so much time together, Matsushita Yusuke understood Aizen's mindset all too well—for him, what he had been pursuing for so long was like a white moonlight.

As the saying goes, the more you suppress something, the more exaggerated the rebound will be later.

This was the case for Aizen Sousuke at that moment.

He has paid a heavy price to obtain the power of the Hogyoku... That's why he loudly proclaims his success to everyone in the main story with such ostentation.

It's incredibly difficult for someone who suddenly becomes rich to maintain a "don't flaunt your wealth" mentality.

Even Indigo dyeing is no exception.

Therefore, in Matsushita Yusuke's view, Aizen will most likely study it carefully and then wait to choose an auspicious day to complete the fusion process of this thing in front of everyone.

But Aizen's response at this moment was somewhat unexpected for Matsushita Yusuke.

Looking at the expressions on his subordinates' faces, Aizen chuckled softly, his tone carrying a subtle sense of relief.

"To be honest... I didn't think I would say something like that before."

The reason is also very simple.

"After all, it's a long-cherished wish..."

He lowered his gaze, looking at the two sides of his hands, each holding an object, his pupils reflecting both感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of deep emotion) and 微味的悲伤 (wēiwèi, a subtle sadness).

"I thought I would go through all sorts of hardships and finally get my hands on these things I've always dreamed of. But now it seems... it was just wishful thinking on my part."

"Um... Aizen-sensei, I..."

"This is not Matsushita-kun's fault."

He seemed to be able to guess what Matsushita Yusuke was thinking, and immediately looked up at him with a smile.

“I don’t blame you for choosing the wrong time to deliver the Hogyoku to me… This is essentially a way of taking your anger out on me, and it’s too low-class.”

In addition...

"Having that kind of thinking makes me overly focused on the form. As long as the goal is achieved... why should I dwell on the process?"

It's like a child who can't help but throw a tantrum when things don't go their way.

While it may be cute for a child, such immature behavior is truly embarrassing for an adult.

They should feel ashamed.

Aizen is not lacking in self-reflection in this regard.

Therefore.

Aizen's reflections were only directed at other matters.

"I just feel that... in the past, my vision was too narrow. It was like a local tycoon who only focused on his own small plot of land, and was overly concerned with gains and losses."

They placed all their vision and understanding on a scale for measurement.

But they never considered the other implications...

Aizen pursed his lips, pondered for a moment, and then smiled as he spoke.

"That idea is exactly the same as that of that child, Linghua... Indeed, only by constantly reflecting and summarizing can one find room for improvement."

He let out a soft breath. Although his eyes behind his glasses still shone with a gentle light, the thoughtfulness in them was noticeably less.

Instead, a more steadfast meaning emerged.

"Mr. Matsushita, I must express my gratitude to you."

Aizen's tone was firm and resolute.

It was as if this was not only being said to the person involved, but also emphasizing a certain fact, spoken in an unquestionable tone.

"It was because of your help that I achieved my dream. It was also because of your help that I discovered my own shortcomings..."

He lowered his head slightly and sighed softly.

"I am truly grateful to have you as a friend. Thank you...Matsushita-kun."

Hearing Aizen speak so solemnly, Matsushita Yusuke's mouth was slightly open, and he couldn't think of a complete sentence for a long time.

After all, he usually spoke to Aizen in a very casual manner, but this time he suddenly became so serious... which made him feel a little uncomfortable.

After unusually pausing for several seconds to think, Matsushita Yusuke finally spoke with an embarrassed smile.

"No...it's what I should do."

I don't want to put others in a difficult position.

Aizen didn't delve any further into the topic.

He simply nodded slightly, then turned his gaze back to what was in his palm.

As I just said.

Aizen doesn't think other people's opinions matter much these days.

After all, this feeling of 'getting something for yourself' is ultimately about satisfying one's own selfish desires.

Now, he believes he has reached a higher level—Aizen also believes he doesn't need to think about these external factors in any meaningful way.

To have one true friend in life is enough.

"It's a bit of a shame that Tosen isn't here... but he really isn't interested in this either, so let's just leave it at that."

Blind Brother is always absent from important moments.

With a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, mixed feelings), Matsushita Yusuke stood still and watched Aizen dismantle the outer shells of the two Hogyoku one by one.

Kisuke Urahara's Hōgyoku had already undergone special treatment, and now that it has been taken out again, both Hōgyoku radiate the same brilliance.

Matsushita Yusuke saw this and his expression showed a hint of surprise.

'They're the same...'

It's worth noting that the two Hogyoku were created using different techniques, yet the final result was similar to 'different paths leading to the same destination,' which is quite remarkable and even evokes other thoughts.

So, in the end, is this thing also a manifestation of the Spirit King's 'power'?

Yusuke Matsushita had no idea.

Because he saw Aizen take out both Hogyoku, put them together, and bring them close to his body.

Then... a light began to appear, flickering and shining.

Inside the room, a soft, gentle light, like that of a small nightlight, illuminated the space...

And this light was only fleeting, lasting for a moment.

Because soon, the light began to recede inward, it gathered inward, until finally it turned into a light that was close to azure.

Like a reflection in the ocean, the light in the entire room was rendered with a faint outline, revealing a very different background color at this moment.

At this moment, Aizen and Matsushita Yusuke both focused their gazes on the center of his hands.

The two lights merged into one.

Then, a perfectly round object silently appeared.

Aizen held the complete Hogyoku in his hand, swirling it around like a tiny celestial body in a miniature landscape.

Although the original work shows a close-up of the Hogyoku, it is still a completely different experience from witnessing it firsthand.

'I can't sense any obvious spiritual energy...'

But this is not a reason to underestimate it. In fact, Yusuke Matsushita could sense another, more magnificent 'outline'.

It is not spiritual pressure, but a sense of presence that is close to the state of the soul.

The Hogyoku has clearly reached a completely different level. To be honest... if this thing were given to Kisuke Urahara, he might create something even more extraordinary.