In a dark, deep cave not far from the battlefield...
"Ugh..."
After a while, Kōga Kuchiki slowly regained consciousness. He shook his head, trying to dispel the dizziness clouding his mind.
When he opened his eyes and took in his surroundings, a chill ran down his spine. He struggled to sit up, but his body felt as if it were pinned under an immense weight, rendering him completely immobile.
Shock filled Kōga Kuchiki. He had never felt so weak, so powerless.
Just then, a low voice echoed from the depths of the cave.
"In your current condition, you shouldn't be making any sudden movements."
The unexpected voice startled him, but when he turned toward its source, he saw Masatsuki Aozaki leaning against the rock wall, arms crossed, looking completely at ease.
Upon seeing Masatsuki, Kōga Kuchiki's initial panic subsided. His expression turned bleak as he spoke.
"Since I lost to you, do whatever you want—kill me if you must."
"Either way, I've committed an unforgivable crime. If I fall into the hands of the Tsunayashiro Clan, I'm as good as dead. Not even my father-in-law could save me."
Masatsuki Aozaki frowned slightly but remained calm.
"If I wanted you dead, I would have killed you already. Why go through the trouble of bringing you here?"
After a brief pause, he continued.
"Besides, who says you're guilty? Do the wise men and judges of the Central 46 even know what you've done?"
"If anything, all you did was eliminate potential threats before they could harm Soul Society—preventing those with sinister intentions from causing greater destruction."
"From that perspective, you've done a great service. Who knows? The Soul King might even be pleased."
After all, it was the Tsunayashiro Clan that led the charge in dismembering the Soul King in the first place. But who could say whether the Soul King even possessed emotions like joy or hatred?
Perhaps he was nothing more than a divine being, devoid of all human sentiment.
"Well..."
Kōga Kuchiki hesitated, uncertainty flickering in his eyes as he weighed Masatsuki Aozaki's words.
"You don't have to deceive me. How could the Soul King possibly be pleased after what I've done?"
"What if, in reality, he despises them?"
Masatsuki Aozaki let out a quiet chuckle, speaking in a soft yet deliberate tone.
"They tormented the Soul King to such a miserable state, and now he's forced to endure eternal suffering as the foundation of the Three Worlds."
"What?!" Kōga Kuchiki's eyes widened in shock, his face filled with disbelief.
"Don't tell me that even you—the unwanted son-in-law of the Kuchiki Clan—knew nothing about this?"
Masatsuki Aozaki posed the question rhetorically before continuing.
"If that's the case, then let me enlighten you... about the truth behind the Soul King and the five great noble clans."
And with that, he revealed the hidden history of the Soul King.
Kōga Kuchiki was left utterly stunned.
"The Soul King... and the five great clans... have such a relationship!?"
He had always believed that the five noble families rose to power because they had helped the Soul King create the world. But now, he realized—they hadn't aided him.
They had betrayed him.
For Kōga Kuchiki, a man born into the common people and taken in as a son-in-law by the Kuchiki Clan, this revelation shattered everything he had ever known.
All his life, he had been taught to serve and protect the Soul King and the five great clans.
Yet in the end, those very clans had been the first to strike against their king.
Thinking that his beloved father-in-law might also know the truth, Kōga Kuchiki lowered his head and murmured,
"Why are you telling me this?"
Masatsuki Aozaki didn't answer directly. Instead, he posed a question of his own.
"Do you know what that man is trying to do?"
"That man… you know him?" Kōga Kuchiki was startled, recalling the newly appointed Third Division Captain who had come to see him in prison.
"He knows the truth as well, and he refuses to accept the twisted rule of the Five Great Noble Clans over Seireitei."
Masatsuki Aozaki spoke as if talking to himself.
"You should realize by now that you were nothing more than a pawn to him. This time, your blade was pointed at the Tsunayashiro Clan—next time, it might be the Kuchiki Clan."
Kōga Kuchiki's expression darkened.
"That man wants to use me against the Kuchiki Clan?"
Masatsuki Aozaki shook his head.
"He's not targeting just the Kuchiki Clan. His enemy is all the nobility."
Kōga Kuchiki's voice was firm.
"That won't happen. Ginrei-sama saw my worth when no one else did, and beyond that, he's my father-in-law. No matter what the Kuchiki Clan may have done millions of years ago, in this generation… there is no one in the Kuchiki Clan who deserves to die!"
Memories of his time with the clan surfaced in his mind. Even after learning the truth about the Soul King and the Five Noble Clans, he still believed the Kuchiki Clan had upheld its legacy as a model of nobility.
It wasn't just blood ties that bound him to them.
Everyone knew the Kuchiki Clan carried the pride of nobility, but they had never faltered in their duty to protect Seireitei. They were nothing like the filth of the Tsunayashiro Clan.
Masatsuki Aozaki was momentarily taken aback.
He had assumed Kōga Kuchiki was simply devoted to Ginrei Kuchiki, with perhaps some lingering attachment to his wife. He hadn't expected such deep loyalty to the entire Kuchiki Clan.
It seemed the Kuchiki were indeed an interesting bunch.
"So what would you do if he tried to harm your family?"
"Naturally, I would…"
Kōga Kuchiki trailed off, realization dawning on him.
"…So that's your true goal? Why are you doing this?"
Masatsuki Aozaki spoke in an offhanded manner.
"I come from a lower noble family. In some ways, my situation is similar to yours."
Kōga Kuchiki looked up at the man before him. Something clicked in his mind, and his eyes widened in shock.
"You and the head of the Shihōin Clan… it's true?"
Masatsuki Aozaki simply smiled, saying nothing.
Kōga Kuchiki was stunned. Until now, he had dismissed it as mere rumor.
After all, Yoruichi Shihōin was the head of one of the Five Great Noble Clans. It wasn't just a matter of Masatsuki being a lower noble—few among the highest-ranking noble families could even hope to be her equal.
He exhaled slowly, taking a long moment to compose himself.
"I told you—I lost. My life is yours now. What do you want from me? Do you want me to go to the Central 46 and testify against him?"
"No." Masatsuki Aozaki shook his head. "I want you to join him."
Kōga Kuchiki was taken aback.
"What?! You want me to join him? What he's planning… it's treason!"
Masatsuki Aozaki remained unshaken.
"You know his abilities. Your testimony would be meaningless."
Kōga Kuchiki frowned, processing the words before his eyes suddenly sharpened with understanding.
"You want me to be a spy—to gather evidence of his crimes?"
A flicker of amusement crossed Masatsuki Aozaki's face.
"Exactly," he replied smoothly, lying without hesitation.
In truth, he had simply realized that Aizen no longer trusted him as much as before. He needed someone else to take his place in getting close to him.
Whether Aizen saw through it or not didn't matter. The man enjoyed toying with his subordinates. Even if he knew, he would likely keep Kōga around just for amusement.
Of course, it would be ideal if Aizen remained unaware.
As for Aizen's crusade against the noble families—aside from Yoruichi Shihōin and a select few others close to Masatsuki Aozaki, the rest could die for all he cared.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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