The only player in the world of Bleach

But this was something that had already been agreed upon, and Kisuke Urahara fully agreed, so there was no objection to it.

This result is exactly what everyone expected.

So……

What kind of achievements could Aizen in this timeline accomplish through the Hogyoku?

As we know from the original work, after the Hogyoku was absorbed by Aizen, it followed the plan he gave him, constantly raising his life level, allowing Aizen to break through the 'limit'.

During this process, due to Ichigo Kurosaki's intervention, Aizen's evolutionary stages clearly showed a tendency of 'interruption' and 'change'.

Although it's unclear whether the process itself will affect the outcome, for Aizen, if he could ignore this part of the setback, his improvement would definitely be greater.

Of course, there's no reason for the two to fight on this timeline...

So it's okay to have some expectations.

As he pondered this, Matsushita Yusuke watched as the light of the Hogyoku slowly receded, while Aizen grasped it in his hand and then closed his eyes.

Although it may sound a bit out of place.

But in terms of physical sensation, Aizen is like someone making a wish on their birthday... giving people a subtle and indescribable feeling.

In short, you can't laugh...

While he was silently sighing, Aizen, who was not far away, slowly opened his eyes.

The Hogyoku that he had been holding in his palm was now floating and rolling, slowly moving towards Aizen's chest.

Clothing disintegrated, skin and flesh separated.

Although it looks a bit eerie... there was no sign of bloodshed during the process, and it even had an indescribable sense of sacredness.

Only when the Hogyoku was completely embedded in Aizen's chest did the light that filled the entire room silently dissipate.

Having witnessed the entire process, Matsushita Yusuke tried asking.

"How are you feeling, Aizen-sensei?"

"..."

The latter did not respond immediately, but lowered his gaze thoughtfully, and after observing for a while, slowly raised his head and spoke.

"To be honest... I haven't noticed any changes?"

He raised his hand and examined it for a while, then released some spiritual pressure and tried to sculpt a miniature version of the Kido.

These are things that I have used or am currently researching when I talk to Yusuke Matsushita.

Both sides were well aware of these things, and that's why... Matsushita Yuu couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly at this moment.

It seems that's really the case.

"...?"

Doesn't the effect of the Hogyoku appear so quickly?

The thought had barely crossed his mind when, in the next instant, Matsushita Yusuke seemed to realize something and nodded slightly.

It turned out to be the case.

It's worth noting that in the original work, after Aizen fused with the Hogyoku, he also retired to Hueco Mundo and didn't appear for quite some time.

After all, the main perspective of the plot is focused on Ichigo Kurosaki's side, and Ichigo's movements are the main focus.

During these months, there was no description of Aizen's process of integration, assimilation, and transformation... Of course, from the outside perspective, it was more of a development and integration of Hueco Mundo.

Although the Ten Espada had already taken shape some time ago, it was only recently that the final version was finalized.

Having figured out the ins and outs, Matsushita Yusuke couldn't help but let out a self-deprecating smile.

These are very basic things, but because my thinking was too simplistic, I accidentally overlooked them all... Perhaps this is what they call 'concern leads to confusion'?

Aizen looked at him at that moment.

"Matsushita-kun, it seems the effects of the Hogyoku won't be immediately apparent."

"Hmm... it should be as Aizen-sensei said. Then there's no point in me staying any longer, so I'll take my leave?"

The two sides exchanged a smile, seemingly having reached a consensus in some sense.

"Thank you very much, Matsushita-kun."

"You're welcome. This is something I promised Aizen-sensei a while ago."

In addition...

"I hope we can have a pleasant cooperation in the future."

They smiled knowingly and clasped hands together.

Then.

Time flies, and soon... half a month has passed.

But today.

Inside Kisuke Urahara's underground training room, shouts and calls could be heard.

Bang, bang... bang!!

Accompanied by the echoing sounds of metal clashing and tearing, Yoruichi, who was watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but sigh.

"That's amazing..."

Wearing a fisherman's hat, Kisuke Urahara, who was staring at the arena with great interest, turned his head slightly.

"Which one is Miss Yoruichi referring to?"

"Don't play dumb with me... Who else but Ichigo? That guy's progress lately is just too fast."

As soon as he finished speaking...

A figure was suddenly thrown out of the formation, crawling along the ground and falling awkwardly in front of the two.

Upon closer inspection, it was Jiu Nanbai whose mask was slowly shattering, exiting the ethereal state.

She was dressed in a white Superman suit, with her hands raised high, as if she wanted to rush forward again.

As a result, Kisuke Urahara stopped him in his tracks with a single blow.

"Vice Captain Kunan, your mask has shattered."

"……Why?!"

This guy had a belatedly realizing expression on his face.

Although theoretically her intangibility could last the longest, this is under normal circumstances.

Once a fight begins, the fluctuations and changes in spiritual energy, as well as the circumstances of the attacks suffered by the parties involved, are all factors that must be considered.

Such premature exit from the virtual state is entirely reasonable.

"Why don't you go down and rest for a bit? I've prepared some tea for you, please enjoy."

"Then I won't be polite!"

As Kunan Shiro left the arena, Rokusha Kensei, who had been slumped over, took the opportunity to stand up.

He rubbed his hands together, as if to embolden himself, and roared angrily.

"Oh! It's my turn!"

332: The Promised Day

When Liu Chequanxi stood up, a large group of people were lying haphazardly behind him.

If some veteran members of the Gotei 13 were present, they would probably be so shocked by the current situation that they would scream out.

why?

Because the Grim Reapers, who had previously been declared to have all defected, had somehow gathered in this place.

These Visored Legion members who appeared in the original work were all victims created by Aizen because he was framed for some of Aizen's plans and attempts regarding Hollows.

These individuals, including several vice-captains and captains, successfully reconciled with the Hollow power within their bodies with the help of Kisuke Urahara, and subsequently gained control of an ability known as Hollowfication.

Appearing in the Espada arc of the original work, his role as both a former captain and a 'villain' certainly has an unusual charm.

However, the level of performance was not satisfactory... especially Hirako Shinji as the leader, whose initial appearance easily led people to mistakenly believe that he was a revenge-oriented character comparable to Aizen.

Both the former captains of the fifth division and the types of Zanpakuto releases share striking similarities.

From any perspective, this is undoubtedly a character with unique features and development potential.

But when they actually started fighting, it was a completely different story.

During the battle in Karakura Town, he was even treated like a foot soldier by Aizen...

Looking back now, there might be some logic to the initial plot arrangement. Because in the later Thousand-Year Blood War manga, the bartender made some changes as a producer.

The Masked Army, which had previously been collectively borrowed, received a slight buff – which is enough to show that the author's own interpretation of them was somewhat problematic.

It got to the point where it needed to be remedied afterwards.

However... while they did become stronger, in the world of Bleach, there was no fundamental difference between ants and termites.

To a giant, it was still a tiny, insignificant thing, too small to be observed.

"Then I'll go!"

Kensei Rokusha rubbed his neck and took two steps with a serious expression.

He was then pulled to a stop by the person behind him.

"Wait, Kensei."

"It's Shinji Hirako, who has short hair," he said loudly.

"You're almost at your limit, aren't you? You haven't even had two hours of rest... There's absolutely no way you can recover much."

The latter looked silently into the distance, seemingly somewhat unwilling, to the point that his tone became hesitant and subtle.

"But the current situation is... everyone else is probably more tired than me, right?"

Hirako Shinji wiped the wound from the corner of his mouth and glanced behind him discreetly.

Everyone made no attempt to hide their exhaustion. Hiyori seemed to want to struggle a bit more, but she only managed to stand up before staggering and falling down again.

His knees were weak, and he couldn't muster any strength in his body... For someone who likes to show off, being able to appear like this clearly means he's on the verge of his limit.

It has burned out...

"Hiyori, just sit still. What's coming next is beyond the scope of a vice-captain's level."

Upon hearing this, Hiyori immediately began to argue with dissatisfaction.

"We're no longer part of the Gotei 13, so don't try to order me around with those old titles!"

"..."

Everyone present fell into a subtle silence for a moment.

Seemingly realizing that her words had gone too far, Hiyori opened her mouth slightly and remained silent for a long while.

Then she turned her head away and added in a low voice.

"I...I didn't mean that..."

The atmosphere was somewhat awkward, but it didn't last long. A figure in the distance, having lost its initial imposing aura, was now jogging closer.

"What's wrong? Is there anything I can help you with?"

Everyone looked towards that person.

Ichigo Kurosaki.

To be honest... it's only been about five days since we met.

But the people present seemed to have known each other for a long time, speaking in an extremely calm tone.

"No need... It's just that our people are tired. Please wait a little while, and we'll be able to free up some people to spar with you soon."

Hearing these words, Ichigo Kurosaki's expression showed a slight hesitation.

To be honest, he wasn't familiar with these people.

The reason they were able to make contact was partly due to Kisuke Urahara's introduction, and partly due to Isshin Kurosaki's mediation.