Aizen sensed something was wrong.
The spirit particles in the air seemed unusually active, as if some existence nearby had appeared that they utterly loathed, causing them to instinctively repel it.
"Sora, what do you see?"
"The Hell Gate."
"?"
Looking at that slowly opening gate, dark red currents flooded the room, creating a sensation that made one's skin crawl.
The skeletons on the doors opened their eyes, staring fixedly at Takeda Goki, who was contained within the jar.
It was exactly as Aizen had previously hypothesized.
Takeda Goki truly shared a connection with Hell. This current commotion was clearly drawn here by that man.
The hideous skeletons moved their hands, slowly pulling open the doors leading to Hell.
The moment the gates were fully opened, a color woven of black and red presented itself before Naraku Sora's eyes, looking like congealed blood.
In the next instant, countless pitch-black chains surged out, rushing straight toward the jar containing Takeda Goki!
Seeing this, Naraku Sora instinctively drew his blade and slashed upward. A strike wrapped in blood-red reiatsu erupted instantly, knocking the chains away in a flash.
Takeda Goki was a trophy he had worked hard to capture; how could he let something else snatch the fruit of his labor so easily?
The pitch-black chains retreated after the single failed strike without the slightest hesitation.
Like a child who had their fingers burned by fire, they instantly shrank back into the dark red vortex.
The hideous skeletons opened their eyes, their pitch-black pupils staring at the figure below as if trying to engrave the attacker's face into their memory.
Soon, a skin-crawling creaking sound echoed through the laboratory, filling the eardrums like a sharp knife stabbing into the brain.
Under Naraku Sora's confused gaze, the Hell Gate vanished.
The surging air currents dissipated, and the laboratory returned to peace, leaving only the sound of sizzling from the equipment Naraku Sora had shattered with his strike, as if protesting someone's malicious behavior.
The shock in the depths of Aizen's eyes flashed and disappeared, replaced by his usual calm. "If I said I didn't see anything just now, would you believe me?"
Naraku Sora was speechless.
'So, in your eyes, that thrilling scene just now was actually me suddenly going crazy and smashing a precious piece of equipment with my sword?'
'Did this damn Hell Gate appear just to frame me?'
Aizen lowered his gaze to the shattered instrument. After thinking for a few seconds, he said, "As hypothesized, Takeda Goki does indeed have a connection to Hell. As for whether he fused with that energy or has long been dead, further in-depth research is required."
"However, what truly piques my curiosity is why only you can see the Hell Gate?"
Actually, he had sensed something the moment the Hell Gate appeared. Aside from the abnormal fluctuations of spirit particles in the air, the sealed Takeda Goki had also begun to tremble violently.
Some trace amounts of that energy had even leaked from the seal.
Naraku Sora carefully thought about what made him special.
Aside from being a paragon of justice, it was nothing more than his perfectly fused Hollow power and his extraordinary growth potential.
On the surface, none of these things should have a connection to Hell.
Seeing Naraku Sora sink into thought, a trace of helplessness flashed deep in Aizen's eyes.
'He was such a normal person during his time as a student; how did he become so unique after joining the Gotei 13?'
Leaving aside that ridiculous talent, just the ability to reverse Hollowfication at will and the mysterious connection to Hell were enough to shake the Soul Society.
"If there is an opportunity, you could ask Head Captain Yamamoto," Aizen suggested. "As the oldest Soul Reaper in the Gotei 13, he should know many secrets."
"Of course, don't be foolish enough to reveal your own situation."
"If there's some hidden danger involved, it's hard to guarantee that Head Captain Yamamoto won't 'eliminate the threat' for the greater good."
Naraku Sora nodded, then frowned as if he had thought of something.
"Should we still keep Takeda Goki?"
"Judging by the commotion just now, Hell is likely coming for him."
Hearing this, Aizen also furrowed his brows, his gaze lingering on the container. After a moment's thought, he looked at Naraku Sora. "Let's just finish him off."
"The corpse still has research value. As for Captain-level materials, we might have other chances to obtain them in the future."
Before their wings were fully grown, it was better to act with caution.
Aizen was not used to keeping such a dangerous existence nearby. If the Hell Gate opened again while a certain someone wasn't around, the trouble would be immense.
After a series of operations, the Kidō seal on the container was released. Takeda Goki saw the light of day again, and then Naraku Sora's blade fell, completely ending the grudge between them.
The Hell Gate seemed to have fallen silent because of what happened earlier and did not reappear upon Takeda Goki's death.
Everything returned to tranquility.
Meanwhile, Naraku Sora waited with excitement for the feedback from Justice. Based on his experience, as an accomplice of the Tsunayashiro family, Takeda Goki's Sin Value was bound to be extremely high.
Among the many enemies he had encountered, Takeda Goki was also undeniably strong.
Based on previous performances, the rewards brought by Takeda Goki would surely be substantial.
After the previous battle, his trump cards were mostly exhausted.
Right now, Naraku Sora needed even more powerful ones.
[Successfully suppressed the sinner Takeda Goki, Sin Value 11451, Contribution 100%!]
[Your Reiatsu has increased!]
[Your understanding of Zanjutsu has reached a new height; you have perfectly mastered the Secret Technique: Ryūsen!]
[Your comprehension of Hadō has increased; you have perfectly mastered Hadō #73: Sōren Sōkyatsui!]
[Your understanding of Hakuda has broken through its limits; you have successfully grasped Black Flash!]
The moment the light screen dissipated, wondrous knowledge continuously surged from the depths of his soul.
Countless techniques related to Hakuda intertwined and fused, transforming into a marvelous thing called inspiration that burst forth wildly in his mind.
Finally, they integrated into one, forming the move known as Black Flash.
Originally a high-end technique from a certain neighboring jujutsu high school, the essence of the ability was to keep the margin of error between the spirit energy impact and the physical strike within 0.000001 seconds. This would cause a spatial distortion, resulting in an explosive increase in the move's destructive power.
The magnitude of that increase was to the 2.5th power.
That's right, not 2.5 times, but to the power of 2.5.
It was a move designed purely to break the game's stats.
Essentially, it was a move where the higher the base stats, the stronger the explosive power.
Since the worldviews were not identical, the effects were different.
Naraku Sora wasn't sure if he could hit with a terrifying destructive force of the 2.5th power.
But based on his already ridiculous stats...
He didn't even dare to imagine how powerful a Single Bone would be under the triple-buffed state of Shikai, Hollowfication, and Black Flash.
It would truly be a case of high damage from the left fist and high damage from the right fist.
Beside him, Aizen looked at Naraku Sora, who was standing in a daze, with a face full of suspicion, for a moment thinking he was hallucinating.
The moment Takeda Goki died, this guy's aura seemed to have grown stronger again.
He realized that compared to the mysteriously appearing Hell Gate, Naraku Sora seemed to be even more bizarre.
Perhaps the truly high-value research material was right in front of him?
Immersed in his fantasies, Naraku Sora suddenly shuddered. A chill rushed from his tailbone straight to the top of his head, as if he were being watched by some unspeakable entity.
After looking around and finding nothing suspicious, Naraku Sora looked at the pensive Aizen, grinned, and asked, "Sōsuke, how much destructive power do you think would be unleashed if the error between a spirit energy impact and a physical strike were kept within 0.000001 seconds?"
Aizen: "?"
Three days after the incident at the Moriyama family mansion, the members of Squad 9 finally realized their Captain was missing.
Without any hesitation, Muguruma Kensei, the Lieutenant and wielder of a time-type Zanpakutō, immediately rushed to the Squad 1 barracks to report the situation.
"When did he go missing?"
"I do not know."
"Were there any clues left before he disappeared?"
"I do not know."
"When was the last time he was seen?"
"I do not know."
Muguruma Kensei looked ashamed, lowering his head and not daring to look at the Head Captain's face. As a Lieutenant, he wasn't even aware of when his own Captain had gone missing.
He was incompetent to the extreme.
Yamamoto's expression was grim to the point of frightening.
He immediately summoned the Onmitsukidō, letting professionals investigate any possible clues within the Squad 9 barracks.
In addition, the vicinity of the Noble District was to be searched as thoroughly as possible.
It turned out that even professionals were useless against the methods of a Soul Reaper Captain.
Whether it was the barracks or other places he might have frequented, not a single clue was found.
Before Takeda Goki had set out for the Moriyama residence, he had used Kidō to mask all traces, inadvertently providing convenience for Naraku Sora and Aizen's subsequent actions.
With the meager skills of the Onmitsukidō, how could they possibly find anything useful?
After hearing the final report, Yamamoto fell silent.
Ever since Takeda Goki had indiscriminately attacked his rebellious disciple at the Yokota residence, things seemed to have gone very poorly for him.
First, his Bankai was broken by Shutara Senjumaru, then he was ambushed by an unidentified person, and now he had vanished without a reason, leaving not even a trace behind.
The bizarreness of it all was simply appalling.
A suspicion suddenly appeared in Yamamoto's mind.
'Could it be related to that brat Naraku Sora?'
But he quickly shook his head. Based on his understanding of his disciple, the boy was not yet a match for Takeda Goki.
Even if he had improved by leaps and bounds and could barely fight him, it was absolutely impossible to resolve the situation silently.
The destructive power of a Captain-level battle was staggering.
If there were no accidents, it was likely related to the nobles.
Yamamoto gazed out the window with a deep look. Under the scorching sunlight, the shadows in the corners grew deeper and darker.
The largest shadows were none other than those towering, ancient noble mansions.
A short while later, a low voice echoed in the office once again.
"Chōjirō, convene a Captains' Meeting."
"Yes, Genryūsai-dama."
"Also, have someone from Shino Prison attend as well."
Hearing this, Sasakibe Chōjirō looked up in surprise, catching the pensive look on Yamamoto's face.
He didn't ask further and quietly left the room.
Squad 1, Captains' Meeting Room.
Originally, Naraku Sora's first reaction upon receiving the notice was to run away, but before leaving, he had a second thought.
If Yamamoto really had conclusive evidence, he probably wouldn't be calling a Captains' Meeting, but would have come to Shino Prison to kill him personally.
So, he summoned his courage and came.
Because Shino Prison was closest to the Squad 1 barracks, Naraku Sora didn't see any other Captains when he entered the meeting room.
He found a random spot against the wall and waited for the others to enter. Speaking of which, this was his first time attending a Captains' Meeting.
A short while later, the doors opened, and figures emitting powerful auras stepped into the room.
Among them were many familiar faces.
For instance, Shihōin Yoruichi. Although her strength was slightly lacking compared to other Captains, she held the position of Squad 2 Captain based on her status as the head of the Shihōin family.
The Squad 4 Captain, Unohana Retsu. Aside from Yoruichi, she was the Captain Naraku Sora was most familiar with; the two often exchanged insights on Zanjutsu in the training hall.
Speaking of which, he hadn't shown her the Secret Technique: Ryūsen he learned last time. After this meeting, he would definitely have to find time for a good exchange.
There was also his "cheap" senior brother he had met before, Kyōraku Shunsui.
Standing beside him was a sickly-looking young man. If there were no surprises, it should be his other senior brother, Ukitake Jūshirō.
Noticing the gaze from the corner, Ukitake Jūshirō was slightly startled, then he smiled and nodded.
Aside from them, there were almost entirely unfamiliar faces.
For example, Squad 3 was represented by its Lieutenant, an elderly woman with white hair and wrinkles on her face, yet her majestic aura was not inferior to any Captain present.
As for the Captains of Squad 10 and Squad 11, they were two faces he had no memory of.
However, Naraku Sora had inquired about their names.
Umino Unpei and Gosuke.
He did have some impression of the Squad 12 Captain, having heard Shutara Senjumaru mention her—a researcher with extreme talent in scientific research.
With long pink hair, a tall figure, and refined features, the most eye-catching thing about her was her stunning proportions, which were not at all inferior to Unohana Retsu's.
A future member of the Zero Division, Kirio Hikifune.
Many of the Captains took the initiative to smile and nod at Naraku Sora, their attitudes appearing somewhat friendly.
Others also noticed this unfamiliar face.
Though it was their first time seeing him, a little thought led them to guess his identity.
After all, recently, this person had caused quite a few incidents in the Seireitei, almost affecting the overall balance of power.
Even if they hadn't seen him, as Captains, they had heard his name.
One could say that the most high-profile rising star currently was this newly accepted disciple of Yamamoto.
Most people showed their goodwill, but of course, there were exceptions.
For instance, the Captain of Squad 6, an old man with white hair, a face full of wrinkles, but a majestic expression.
Kuchiki Ginrei.
Unlike the smiles of the others, this old man noticed Naraku Sora the moment he walked in. After his expression stiffened for a moment, his calm face immediately showed a hint of anger, and his eyes stared straight at him.
It was as if there were some grudge between the two.
Naraku Sora frowned, completely puzzled. He couldn't understand where he had offended this old man.
Seeing that everyone had arrived—even Ukitake Jūshirō, who was usually absent—Yamamoto nodded and then lightly tapped his cane on the ground.
A dull thud echoed through the room, and the Captains' Meeting officially began.