Death: Starting as the Guardian of Avici Hell

Or perhaps the Spirit King had already died, and what remained in the inner palace was merely a wedge used to maintain the balance of the Three Realms.

Hyosube Ichibei's actions were merely to prolong the duration of this wedge.

Although it is possible, the probability is too low.

It's easy to see from the conversation between Kirinji Tenjiro that if you had to choose the most loyal member from the Zero Division, it would undoubtedly be Hyosube Ichibei.

In addition to the monks, Nimaiya Oetsu and Kirinji Tenjiro also received the will conveyed by the King of Spirits.

This cannot be faked.

That seems to leave only one possibility.

The Spirit King, the wedge that maintains the Three Realms, can only continue to exist. His body, fragmented into countless pieces, is about to run out of power and has no choice but to seek change...

While pondering, Aizen noticed the change in Naraku Sora's expression and suddenly spoke:

"Kong, what's your opinion on this matter?"

"What else can we do but sit and watch?"

Naraku grinned and answered truthfully.

Aizen stared at him without saying a word.

Only when someone could no longer bear this passive-aggressive behavior did they offer an explanation with an awkward smile:

"Sousuke, you're actually getting a bit stuck on this."

"Judging from the battle with the fat monk, let alone someone like me with superhuman strength."

"Even if you tie the two of us together and attach all the other Grim Reapers to your belts, you still can't touch a single hair on Hyosube Ichibei's head."

Aizen: "..."

Although this person often speaks bluntly but logically, this is perhaps a bit too blunt.

Hyosube Ichibei is bald, so where did his hair come from?

Ignoring the silent Aizen, Naraku Sora continued to explain, his expression somewhat helpless:

"The meaning is actually very simple: no matter what the other party wants to do, we cannot resist it."

"Even if they beat me until I kneel on the ground and forcibly drag me to sit on that golden toilet seat, there's nothing they can do to deal with it."

Aizen frowned, as if recalling certain images, and a hint of rejection flashed instinctively in his eyes.

"So, are we just going to do nothing?"

"Do it, why not do it?" Naraku looked at him strangely. "Just because you can't beat them now doesn't mean you can't beat them in the future."

"Didn't the monk say that I have the potential to become a Spirit King? If I work hard for another few decades or even a hundred years, then who knows who will be kneeling on the ground?"

"..."

Aizen took a deep breath and suddenly understood Naraku Sora's thoughts.

Although the two of them were considered strong members of the Gotei 13, there was still an insurmountable gap in strength between them and Hyosube Ichibei.

He couldn't even defeat Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, who was the Captain-Commander.

Even if there are ideas to change the status quo, they are difficult to implement.

Greater power is needed to protect or change all of this.

"Sosuke."

"Ok?"

"For now, let's not think about things that are too far in the future. Whether it's monks or old men, we may be very weak compared to them, but we must not overlook the most important factor."

Naraku Sora's expression suddenly became very serious, so serious that Aizen thought he had been possessed by an unknown entity.

"That is time."

"It took my teacher thousands of years to become the strongest Shinigami in Soul Society, and it took Hyosube Ichibei millions of years to sit in the position of leader of the Zero Division."

"On the other hand, how long have we been out of the Spiritual Arts Academy?"

"As long as we keep striving in one direction, with our combined talents, we can stand at the very top!"

"We have no rivals ahead!"

Aizen was somewhat surprised to see Naraku Sora tilting his head slightly, his face full of confidence.

He never expected that this usually unreliable guy would have such insight and say such things.

But it makes a lot of sense to keep quiet about it; he had been overthinking things before.

Aizen shook his head, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Yes, if you're on the same path as a guy like that, then there's nothing to worry about.

Just keep moving forward with determination.

……

……

When I came out of the lounge, I found that Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Kisuke Urahara were arguing fiercely over a parameter issue and almost came to blows in the research room.

Besides sharing his Zanpakuto forging techniques, Aizen also revealed the recipe for the Hell Hot Springs without any reservations.

He could manufacture it by himself, but the process would be much more complicated.

Moreover, Aizen himself did not consider himself good at responding to others.

He is powerless to help with injuries such as amputation or loss of internal organs.

Therefore, we need to rely on the wisdom of Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Kisuke Urahara.

During his time with these two, even the proud Aizen had to admit that in some areas, he was indeed inferior to them.

Therefore, during some experimental research processes, we often humbly listen to their opinions.

Occasionally, disagreements may arise, but they will not lead to any major conflicts.

If being around Naraku Sora is like raising your blood pressure, then working with Urahara Kisuke and Kurotsuchi Mayuri is pure bliss.

This is a common discourse among scientists, untainted by any vested interests.

The three share a common goal: to explore the unknown.

At the same time, Aizen was well aware of the danger posed by such people, and that things would become extremely complicated if he were to stand on the opposite side one day.

Fortunately, Naraku Sora seemed to have realized this as well, so he recruited the two of them in advance and lured them onto the chariot with conditions they could not resist.

Then, using similar methods, they gradually erode their sanity until they are completely bound and unable to leave.

Putting everything else aside, this matter alone is truly praiseworthy.

Just as Aizen was about to praise someone, he turned around and found that the figure that had been by his side had disappeared without him noticing.

In the blink of an eye, the person had vanished without a trace.

Is this no different from simply giving up?

My spiritual pressure is starting to get out of control.

Fortunately, Naraku Sora didn't run away. He returned from outside not long after, carrying a stack of lunch boxes.

"Food is as essential as iron; no matter how busy you are with experiments, you can't neglect your health."

Naraku Sora skillfully waved his hand, forcefully interrupting the three's conversation, and used spiritual particles to condense a dining table, neatly arranging the lunch boxes.

"Sousuke, this is for you. It's a tofu dish that the chef specially prepared for you."

"Mayuri, here's your saury and pastries."

"Here you are, Kisuke, three standard cafeteria meals."

Because they often ate together, Naraku Sora remembered everyone's preferences.

Urahara Kisuke, on the other hand, was like him, with no particular favorites. He could eat anything and had a large appetite, making him relatively easy to feed compared to the other two.

"Lord Naraku is very kind."

Unlike Kisuke, who only focused on eating, Mayuri Kurotsuchi was much more polite.

As the three of them ate and chatted, Naraku Sora sat to the side, slowly drawing his Zanpakuto from his waist, a warmth spreading throughout the room.

It was only then that the three realized that this guy had two Zanpakuto hanging from his waist.

Looking at the golden-red flames rising from the blade, Kisuke Urahara couldn't help but hiss as an extremely terrifying thought popped into his mind.

Could this be the Captain-Commander's sword?

Naraku Sora skillfully took out a few sweet potatoes from his pocket and roasted them over a fire.

Soon, a pleasantly sweet aroma filled the air.

"These are sweet potatoes roasted by Ryujin Jakka. There is only one of its kind in Soul Society, and there are no branches."

"My punishment is also possible, but I'm still lacking in experience."

"This sweet potato is incredibly delicious; you absolutely must try it."

Looking at the sweet potato that had been forcibly stuffed into his hand, Aizen fell silent for a moment, and an idea popped into his mind.

This guy seems to be getting more and more reckless.

Kisuke Urahara, with the attitude that "it's not like I'm the one who's going to die a horrible death," took a big bite of the sweet potato and praised it repeatedly.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi looked conflicted. As the most senior of the four, he had served many people, but he was the first to be treated like this by Naraku Sora.

While it's not quite fair to say that a scholar would die for one who understands him, I certainly felt treated differently here.

Perhaps this is the real reason why such a group of people can come together?

……

……

Bathed in the morning sunlight, Naraku Sora arrived alone at the Second Division, intending to borrow some materials treasured by the Shihōin family from Yoruichi.

Creating a hellish hot spring requires more than just a recipe.

After Kirinji Tenjiro was promoted to the Zero Division, the ability of the Hell Hot Spring became completely tied to him.