Late at night.
The old apartment building.
Except for Kūgo, all members of Xcution were resting.
Kūgo sat on the sofa, drinking and contemplating. After a long while, he finally rose, left the building, and headed straight for the outskirts of the city.
He stopped beneath a large tree.
Kūgo scanned his surroundings. "Come out."
A man suddenly materialized behind him.
"It seems Ginjō-san has finally made up his mind?" The man wore a playful smile.
Kūgo turned around, looking at the Shinigami with dark green hair and noble attire.
It was none other than Tsunayashiro Tokinada.
After the destruction of the main Tsunayashiro house, he naturally became the head of the clan.
However, the Tsunayashiro clan existed in name only. He was a clan head with no one left to command, forcing him to seek alternatives.
Not long after, he found the corpses of Kūgo's Fullbringer companions, which had been hidden by the clan elders, and also secured a large quantity of Soul King fragments that the clan had collected. This gave him a bold plan.
Tokinada had initially planned to steal the Ōin during its transfer, but someone else got to it first. He tracked the thief and discovered it was Sōjirō , who was supposed to be deceased.
He then temporarily changed his plan, launching an attack while Mayuri was away from the SRDI, stealing a large quantity of Mayuri's experimental materials.
Unexpectedly, in doing so, he inadvertently damaged part of the seal on Muken, giving Sōya an opportunity to escape. Simultaneously, Sōya noticed Tokinada and revealed himself to converse with him.
Tokinada was already aware of Sōya's existence and objectives, allowing him to easily gain leverage.
Since Sōya was dissatisfied with Shin's lack of action, the two instantly hit it off.
After Sōjirō was killed, Sōya secretly retrieved the Ōin.
Subsequently, when Xcution appeared in the Human World, Tokinada immediately noticed them, sought out Kūgo, explained his identity and intentions, and proposed a partnership.
However, Kūgo remained wary and had his own plans, so he did not agree immediately, despite the great temptation of what Tokinada offered.
Kūgo's original plan was to use the pretense of power enhancement to draw in Chad and Orihime, and then have Shūkurō use Book of the End to earn their trust.
Following that, he would have the two recruit Ichigo, allowing Ichigo to also train his Fullbring. Once the Fullbring of all three reached maturity, he would steal all their power.
Kūgo's greatsword, when used in conjunction with the Substitute Shinigami Badge, could steal the Fullbring power of other Fullbringers.
However, circumstances changed. Unexpectedly, even after he revealed the secrets of the Substitute Shinigami Badge, Ichigo remained completely unfazed.
He was unwilling to waste time slowly wearing down Ichigo, especially since he had an alternative, even if that option carried some risk.
But once he was in control of the power, those risks would vanish.
He believed that in the face of absolute power, any calculation by Tokinada would be meaningless.
"I agree to it—the cooperation with you."
"Where are the items?"
Previously, Tokinada had promised him two items that could significantly enhance his abilities.
"Ginjō-san seems a little impatient."
With that, Tokinada produced an item.
Inside a glass-like container floated countless white wisps of energy.
Tokinada explained, "These are Soul King fragments. Once you merge with them, your strength will be vastly enhanced."
Kūgo stared eagerly at the box, sensing the vital nature of the contents.
"And the second item?"
Tokinada then took out the Ōin. "This is the Ōin. When you have fully merged with those fragments, cut it, and you will acquire all its power."
The golden Ōin shimmered with a dazzling light, clearly indicating its extraordinary nature.
Kūgo urgently asked, "What exactly is its power?"
Tokinada replied with a knowing look, "You will know when you acquire its power."
He added a tempting promise, "By that time, the entire Soul Society won't be able to stand against us."
'That will be your end.' Kūgo sneered inwardly.
Outwardly, he burst into laughter. "Hahaha, a pleasant cooperation, Tsunayashiro-san."
Kūgo then departed.
Tokinada watched Kūgo's retreating back and sneered disdainfully. "A mere human, delusional enough to think he can partner with me."
At this moment, Sōya, who had been concealing himself, appeared at his side.
"Can we truly rely on this fellow?"
Sōya held nothing but contempt for these so-called Fullbringers.
"Ginjō, as a human possessing the powers of both Shinigami and Hollows, is a very suitable 'vessel'."
Tokinada paused, then continued, "Ichigo was originally the optimal choice, but there is absolutely no way we could persuade him to join our plan."
"Furthermore, we cannot use force against him, as that would certainly draw the attention of Soul Society and Nohara."
"Thus, we must settle for the second-best option."
Sōya probed, "Then are you not worried he will turn against us once he obtains this power?"
"Heh heh, he would need to be given the opportunity first."
Tokinada was equally reserved with Sōya, unwilling to disclose too much information.
Sōya did not press the issue, knowing that further questioning would yield no results.
Tokinada's confidence suggested he had a way to control Kūgo.
For him, as long as the overall plan was not jeopardized, it was acceptable.
Their cooperation, too, was founded purely on mutual interest.
Tokinada desired control over Soul Society, while Sōya sought the annihilation of Hueco Mundo.
But with Aizen presiding over Hueco Mundo, Sōya was keenly aware of the man's terror and had no confidence whatsoever in defeating him.
He had initially believed Shin's campaign in Hueco Mundo would eliminate the great threat Aizen posed, but instead, it resulted in a state where Hueco Mundo and Soul Society were merely separated territories.
His goal of destroying Hueco Mundo became even more arduous, especially since Shin seemed to have forgotten their agreement and was enjoying a comfortable life in the Human World.
That is why he sought out Tokinada, who had destroyed the seal, and entered into a partnership.
Sōya would use his abilities to help him gain control of Soul Society, and Tokinada promised that once Soul Society was stabilized, he would mobilize its forces to attack Hueco Mundo.
He reasoned that Aizen was not only a threat to Tokinada but also the "enemy who destroyed his entire clan."
—
After Kūgo returned to his room, he immediately began merging with the Soul King fragments.
After absorbing the first fragment, he revealed an unrestrained smile, clearly feeling the surge in his power.
Kūgo was immensely grateful he had chosen to cooperate with Tokinada. This process was far quicker than stealing Fullbring power.
As long as he fully merged with these fragments, Tokinada, Jūshirō, Shin—all of them would have to kneel before him.