Seireitei, Noble District.
The Moriyama Estate.
Since the total annihilation of the Moriyama family, the Tsunayashiro clan had moved in to reclaim the property. Their own ancestral home had been reduced to rubble during the battle with Enrakyōten, forcing the entire family to relocate here.
As the initial chaos subsided, many clansmen and servants were still busy clearing debris, while the broader unrest within the Seireitei continued. With the Gotei 13 short-staffed, only a few seated officers had been dispatched to investigate the cause of the destruction and gather evidence.
Compared to the turmoil outside, the interior of the Moriyama estate was exceptionally quiet.
In the courtyard facing the tea room, a bamboo pipe trickled water into a stone basin, sending soft ripples across the surface with a crisp, rhythmic sound. Upon the white sand and dark rocks, cherry blossom petals drifted silently.
The white-haired Tsunayashiro Taketori held his tea cup, gazing quietly at the distant scenery as his mind churned with endless thoughts.
He was analyzing his situation.
The disaster had already happened. To dwell excessively on the losses now would be a mark of indecision. Lately, his plans had been constantly obstructed; nothing seemed to be going right.
Unlike the successive heads of the Tsunayashiro family who were content to simply guard their heritage, Taketori was dedicated to finding a way for the clan to ascend even higher—to become the sole rulers of the three worlds.
Years ago, by chance, he had encountered a Vasto Lorde in the World of the Living named Szayelaporro Grantz.
Unlike the Great Hollows he had known, Szayelaporro did not immediately attack him upon sensing his status as a Soul Reaper. Instead, the Hollow had been perfectly mannered and refined from start to finish. In fact, he behaved more like a noble than some of the aristocrats in the Soul Society.
Intrigued, Taketori had lowered his guard for a long conversation. They spoke of their ideals. One wished to reach the pinnacle of the world; the other sought to become the perfect lifeform.
The Tsunayashiro lacked sufficient power to enforce their will, while Szayelaporro, as a researcher, lacked the theoretical knowledge and raw materials to support his studies. The two were surprised to find that they complemented each other perfectly. Thus, their simple exchange evolved into a partnership.
To show his sincerity, Szayelaporro had presented a weighty gift: a potion capable of altering a Soul Reaper's spiritual talent.
It had many drawbacks. For instance, it was ineffective on Soul Reapers who already possessed significant natural talent, and the degree of improvement was marginal. However, even so, Taketori saw the infinite potential within that formula.
The nobility was full of members who lacked any spiritual talent whatsoever. Even a minuscule improvement would make these people drive themselves into a frenzy to obtain it. And the price for such a potion was merely a few insignificant souls of commoners.
Szayelaporro even guaranteed that once he acquired enough knowledge, he could optimize and refine the potion further. Taketori had been tempted instantly.
But in his eyes, the potion itself was not the true prize; rather, it was a researcher like Szayelaporro—someone who was both incredibly capable and completely devoid of scruples.
After a detailed discussion, they established the foundation of their cooperation. Taketori would provide Szayelaporro with research data and rare materials, while Szayelaporro would share a portion of his findings and focus his research on specific subjects whenever the Tsunayashiro had a need.
Since then, using the promise of 'enhanced spiritual talent' as bait, Taketori had consistently brainwashed the subordinate lower-class nobles, making them increasingly loyal to the Tsunayashiro. With a vast number of followers, the influence of the Tsunayashiro within Central 46 soared, eventually surpassing the combined weight of the other three Great Noble Families.
Through this, he expanded his influence to the Council of Golden Seal Nobles. Step by step, the Tsunayashiro clan became the foremost of the Five Great Noble Families in terms of actual power.
But with that power, his ambition only grew. Taketori was not content with being restrained; he sought to rule the three worlds. This was not something that could be achieved overnight, even with the help of a scientist like Szayelaporro.
As a long-lived Soul Reaper, however, Taketori had plenty of time.
His secret developments had been proceeding smoothly. The number of missing souls in Rukongai and the disappearances of Gotei 13 members were kept within a 'reasonable' range. Occasionally, an uncooperative noble would simply vanish into oblivion.
Until the disaster with the Araki family.
As if it were a signal, one misfortune after another followed. From the Yokota family to the Moriyama family, and even Takeda Goki—the man who had been a loyal vassal to the Tsunayashiro—died under mysterious circumstances. Now, because of one Kuchiki Kōga, he had lost his entire estate and the million-year-old heirloom, Enrakyōten.
The losses were catastrophic.
Looking at this series of events, it seemed as though someone was pulling the strings from the shadows. Naraku Sora, the one who wiped out the Araki and Yokota families; Kuchiki Kōga, who should have been locked in the Squad 1 prison; and the unknown powerhouse who severed Takeda Goki's arm...
'Yamamoto Genryūsai... is it you?'
Taketori's movements paused for a split second. He turned his gaze toward the door of the tea room. Behind the paper screen, steady footsteps approached. The visitor stopped outside, bowing his head respectfully.
Taketori set down his tea cup. "Lord Gosuke, there is no need to be so formal. Please, come in."
The screen slid open to reveal a battered and bruised Gosuke. Even his Captain's haori was shredded and stained; he looked less like a leader of the Gotei 13 and more like a commoner from the Rukongai.
After a long silence, Taketori looked up. "I see. Your Kutigahara is a troublesome blade, and with the sudden surge in Spiritual Pressure, it must have been no small feat to force it back into submission."
Gosuke looked ashamed. Not long ago, with Taketori's assistance, he had obtained a level of power he hadn't dared to dream of. He should have arrived the moment the Tsunayashiro estate came under attack, but the rebellion of his own Zanpakutō had delayed him until now.
"It matters not. It is merely a minor loss. It will not affect our plans."
Though it pained him deeply, Taketori maintained a calm facade before his subordinate. This was how a superior should act. If he showed panic, it would only make matters worse.
Hearing this, Gosuke relaxed slightly.
"Lord Gosuke, as a Captain who frequently interacts with Yamamoto Genryūsai during the Captain's Meetings, what kind of man do you think he is?" Taketori asked abruptly.
Gosuke thought for a moment before answering. "The Head Captain is a man of stern integrity. He prizes justice, adheres strictly to principles, and places great importance on discipline and regulation among his subordinates. If I had to put a label on him, he is a stubborn, fossilized old man."
Taketori nodded. "And what if I told you that Yamamoto is the one behind this entire series of events?"
He laid out his summary and suspicions. Gosuke's face twisted into an expression of unconcealed shock.
"How can that be? It's always been said that Head Captain Yamamoto is restrained by Central 46 and would never interfere in the affairs of the nobility. Why would he do this?"
Taketori picked up the teapot, refilled his cup, and took a slow sip. "Did you see Yamamoto Genryūsai strike a noble personally? Do you have any evidence to prove the mastermind is the Head Captain of the Gotei 13?"
Gosuke fell silent.
"He appears reckless and mindless, a man who merely follows the rules we've set. In reality, he is a cunning strategist who has long harbored dissatisfaction toward the nobility. It seems the greatest obstacle standing in our path is this very Head Captain who appears so dutiful in maintaining the order of the Soul Society."
Taketori sighed with genuine feeling. Normally, no matter how unreasonable an order from Central 46 was, Yamamoto would execute it without hesitation. For such a submissive fellow to suddenly drop such a massive 'surprise' on him was staggering.
On the surface, Yamamoto was a stubborn old man who only knew how to follow the rules of the 46 Chambers. In the shadows, who knew how many arrangements he had already made? The current Zanpakutō rebellion in the Seireitei was proof enough.
The secret order from Central 46 was to strip Kuchiki Kōga of all spiritual power and destroy Muramasa, the source of the unrest. Yet, this rising star of the Soul Society managed to escape right under Yamamoto's nose and trigger a second wave of chaos without a scratch—chaos that just happened to spill into the Noble District and the Tsunayashiro estate.
If there wasn't something fishy going on there, Taketori would refuse to believe it.
A flash of panic crossed Gosuke's eyes. Despite his newfound power, the thought of the man who had terrorized the Soul Society a thousand years ago still filled him with dread. He didn't believe for a second that his current self could withstand the heat of Ryūjin Jakka. If they truly provoked that old man, he might just drag the entire Soul Society into the grave with him.
"Then, my Lord, what should we—" Gosuke asked, worried.
Taketori lowered his eyes, watching a cherry blossom petal float in the basin, his face set in deep thought. "Since Yamamoto Genryūsai is a hurdle we cannot simply bypass... then we shall make him our target for the next phase of the plan. Everything else must be accelerated as well."
As he spoke, he seemed to recall something and looked up. "Where is Arturo?"
Gosuke hesitated. "He has returned to Hueco Mundo. Two thousand years of being sealed took a heavy toll on his soul; he needs to feed extensively to recover."
Taketori frowned. "Tell him to act with caution. Hueco Mundo is not what it was two thousand years ago. I don't want him failing in some insignificant corner. We must hurry. That old man Yamamoto doesn't have as much patience as we do."
"So this is the Enrakyōten you mentioned? The one that can copy other Zanpakutō powers?"
Examining the mirror-like blade in his hand, Aizen's eyes glinted with intense interest and curiosity. Although he had read countless books during his time at the Academy and browsed the Fifth Squad's secret archives many times, this was the first time he had heard of or seen a Zanpakutō with the ability to mimic others.
"The price for using it is the shaving away of one's own soul. Repeated use leads to an early death," Sora said, lounging like a king on the only sofa in the laboratory. "I went through quite a struggle to take that thing down. Don't go using it like an idiot."
Aizen took on a serious expression. "To think such a miraculous Zanpakutō existed in the Soul Society."
Sora glanced at him and shook his head. "Actually, Enrakyōten might have existed longer than the Soul Society itself. My Warden mentioned that even before the Tsunayashiro clan existed, this blade was already there."
Hearing this, Aizen's mind immediately went to the records of the Zero Division. Sora had told him that the Warden of the Shino Prison—Shutara Senjumaru—had been invited to join the Zero Division because of her significant invention, the Shihakushō. Since she had ascended to the Soul King Palace many years ago, it wasn't surprising that she knew these secrets.
In the Academy's records, the Zero Division was small in number, but every member was a Captain, and their collective strength was said to equal that of the entire Gotei 13. Initially, Aizen hadn't understood how a few people could match an entire military force, but as his own strength grew, he realized that numbers meant nothing before a true powerhouse. Even if the number of ordinary soldiers increased a hundredfold right now, it wouldn't affect him in the slightest. Perhaps those figures of the Zero Division were each comparable to Head Captain Yamamoto.
Aizen shook his head, pushing these irrelevant thoughts aside. The Zero Division was still too far away. Rather than wasting energy on unknown entities, he would prefer to study the secrets of Enrakyōten.
He gripped the hilt with one hand and stroked the blade with the other. His movements were gentle as a small amount of Spiritual Pressure covered the edge. A low voice echoed in his heart.
'Recite my name. Use my power. You shall achieve what your heart desires.'
'Drink from the four seas, coil around the horizon. All things in creation... overwrite and cut.'
'My name is Enrakyōten.'
A heavy pressure descended upon his soul, a massive power that felt like countless souls piled together, making it hard to breathe. A faint suction came from the blade; Enrakyōten seemed to have an instinctive hunger for a Soul Reaper's spirit.
Aizen rejected it decisively. As a Soul Reaper who still had immense potential to develop, he would never do something as foolish as shaving away his own soul.
In terms of sheer eeriness, Enrakyōten was no less dangerous than Muramasa, who specialized in targeting Soul Reapers—perhaps it even surpassed it. After all, anything Muramasa could do, this blade could also mimic. The only cost was the user's soul.
Furthermore, judging by Sora's description, the blade was still limited by the user's Spiritual Pressure. The copied abilities were far less powerful than when used by their original owners. Still, the research value was incredibly high.
Aizen slowly set Enrakyōten down and casually placed several sealing spells upon it. While suppressing its power, the seals also blocked any external detection. Now, even if members of the Tsunayashiro family searched nearby, it would be impossible for them to find it.
Having finished this, Aizen looked up. "The search for Arturo Plateado's traces in Hueco Mundo has finally yielded some results. Pack your things. We are preparing to head to Hueco Mundo."
At those words, Sora's eyes lit up.