"Give it up. Crying and wailing aren't sounds I enjoy hearing."
Masatsuki Aozaki murmured softly, as if offering a final act of mercy to the pitiful souls before him.
He let out a faint sigh, a hint of unspeakable sorrow flickering in his eyes—an expression so out of place on someone so ruthless that it begged the question: what could possibly make him feel such grief?
He had chosen to walk a bloodstained path in pursuit of power.
Not because he enjoyed it. Not because he reveled in the thrill of taking lives.
But he would never regret it. And he would never turn back.
Masatsuki Aozaki slowly extended his palm. His hand, pale and delicate like white jade, radiated a chilling coldness that sent shivers down the spine.
With a simple wave, he forcefully tore the soul from the woman who had unleashed waves of water, ripping it straight from her body.
Her body convulsed violently before crumpling lifelessly to the side.
"No! I don't want to die!"
A Fullbringer let out a terrified scream, his eyes filled with despair and unwillingness.
"Ginjō-sama! Where are you?! Please—save us!"
Another Fullbringer cried out, his voice hoarse with desperation, clinging to the last sliver of hope.
But their pleas found no mercy.
Masatsuki Aozaki's expression remained cold as he swung his hand once more. Like a ghostly specter, it slipped swiftly and precisely into the chests of one Fullbringer after another.
Each movement was met with an anguished scream, followed by the easy extraction of a soul that gleamed with an eerie green glow.
No matter how fiercely they struggled, their resistance was meaningless before Masatsuki Aozaki.
Their strength was insignificant. Their defiance—futile.
All they could do was watch helplessly as their souls were torn away, their hatred lingering even as their consciousness faded.
"Go in," Masatsuki Aozaki murmured, his voice unnervingly calm.
With a subtle flick of his wrist, the snaking tendrils of light unraveled and dissipated. In his hand, a beautiful, crystal-clear gemstone emerged.
At this moment, for both Masatsuki Aozaki and the Hōgyoku, there was no safer place in the world than right here.
And so, this priceless gem remained ever at his side.
The thin veil of Reishi surrounding the Hōgyoku slowly peeled away, as though lifted by invisible hands.
Masatsuki Aozaki brought his left hand closer.
In an instant, the souls in his grasp—along with the precious fragments of the Soul King contained within them—were drawn into the Hōgyoku by an overwhelming suction force.
For a brief moment, the Hōgyoku's surface, once a dull bluish-black, began to pulsate with an intense flickering light—like the frantic beating of a heart—radiating waves of unsettling energy.
But the disturbance didn't last long.
Soon, its glow dimmed, the energy fluctuations subsided, and all was still once more.
Masatsuki Aozaki let out a slow breath, finally relaxing as a relieved smile spread across his face.
Gently, he ran his fingers over the Hōgyoku, eyes gleaming with satisfaction, before carefully tucking it away.
"The Soul King fragment has finally satisfied the Hōgyoku," Masatsuki Aozaki murmured, his voice carrying a hint of barely restrained excitement.
"Next, I'll need the souls of Hollows."
At that thought, his brows furrowed slightly.
Testing the Hōgyoku's abilities could not be delayed, yet the Gotei 13's oversight on various affairs had only grown stricter. Conducting Hollowfication experiments now would be too risky. For the time being, he had no choice but to put that plan on hold.
"In that case, I'll start with the Arrancar experiment. This way, I can collect souls at the same time."
Tightly clutching the Hōgyoku in his arms, Masatsuki Aozaki's gaze hardened with unwavering determination.
He had waited far too long for this day—now, at last, his goal was within reach.
A surge of exhilaration coursed through him as he took in his surroundings. The trees and grass swayed in the wind, their rustling sounds resembling a chorus of celebration, as if the world itself was rejoicing alongside him.
At this moment, an overwhelming sense of ease washed over him, filling him with boundless energy and confidence.
However, there was one thing that dampened the moment—this wasn't the right place.
He had no outlet to vent the burning emotions raging within him like a volcanic eruption. Frustrated, he could only pat Banshō Senran at his waist, eliciting two soft hums in response.
Sharpening his Reiatsu perception, Masatsuki Aozaki quickly noticed a lone figure standing in the distance—a black-haired youth, completely still.
Disappointment flickered across his face.
"This kid is way too composed… No wonder he'll become the kind of person who doesn't hesitate to do whatever it takes," Masatsuki Aozaki muttered, shaking his head.
His stance toward Kūgo Ginjō was entirely different from how he treated Gin Ichimaru.
Gin was someone he considered a lifelong comrade—someone he could entrust with his life without a second thought.
But Kūgo Ginjō? That was impossible.
If he ever placed his life in Kūgo's hands, there was no doubt that the man would kill him without hesitation.
Of course, that didn't mean Masatsuki Aozaki couldn't consider Kūgo a friend. But if they were ever to form a genuine bond, it would take a long time.
Right now, Kūgo Ginjō still had some semblance of humanity.
In the original timeline, his betrayal of Soul Society was driven by the Tsunayashiro Clan's actions—murdering his fellow Fullbringers to obtain fragments of the Soul King.
On top of that, when he discovered that the Substitute Shinigami Badge granted by Jūshirō Ukitake was being used to monitor him, he mistakenly believed it was the Gotei 13's doing. Feeling completely betrayed, he turned against them.
That alone proved one thing: at this point in time, Kūgo Ginjō still valued his comrades.
"Sephiroth-sama!"
A voice called out.
Upon seeing the black-clad figure who had suddenly appeared, Kūgo Ginjō merely nodded, unfazed.
"Go and find your comrades," Masatsuki Aozaki said indifferently, sparing him a brief glance.
"…What?" Kūgo Ginjō blinked in confusion.
"I don't mean those expendable resources keeping you alive, and I don't want your life either."
Masatsuki Aozaki looked toward the distant treetops before casually patting Kūgo's shoulder. With a slight smirk, he added,
"Go find real comrades—the kind who are truly by your side. That's your mission. And you don't get to refuse."
Kūgo Ginjō's lips parted slightly, but no words came out.
Masatsuki Aozaki shot him a final glance before stepping forward without hesitation, his figure disappearing into the distance.
...
Upon reaching a deserted clearing, Masatsuki Aozaki clicked his tongue in annoyance, his brows knitting together.
"Tch. Can't expect to run into a swarm of Hollows every time I come to the World of the Living… Why the hell isn't that Szayelaporro bastard sending more my way?"
He let out an exasperated sigh.
In the past, when his strength was lacking, he had been forced to lay low in Rukongai, then work his way up in Seireitei while dealing with all sorts of female Shinigami. He hadn't been able to visit the World of the Living often, and stepping into Hueco Mundo without enough power would have been suicidal.
As a result, his collection of Hollow souls had been insufficient.
But now—things were different.
Having reached Second-Class Reiatsu and mastered Bankai, he might not be an unstoppable force in Hueco Mundo, but at the very least, he was more than capable of protecting himself.
And, if he was being honest, his desire to collect souls wasn't the only reason he wanted to go.
Hueco Mundo had strong opponents—ones he had long wanted to challenge.
And beyond that, he was eager to experience the kind of world that Soul Society could never offer.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake