Ichigo leaves and takes up residence in Soul Society!

“Hey, Shinomiya… if you think this idea is stupid, then let me see your magnanimity.”

Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince slowly opened his eyes, showing no sign of being provoked. He first adjusted his posture, then, facing Ichigo's teasing gaze, calmly and unhurriedly said:

"Let me make it clear beforehand that I don't mean to look down on you."

"After all, what I want to do for the rest of my life is probably more naive and ridiculous than what you do, and I know that much."

"No... there's no need to deny yourself like that, is there?"

“This is not self-denial, Kurosaki-kun.”

Aizen interrupted Ichigo, saying with great interest, "In this situation, naivety and ridiculousness do not originate from oneself, but from the opinions of others. However, when many people find something naive and ridiculous, it is often the closest one is to greatness."

"If this can be achieved one day, then everyone's views will be overturned and transformed into fanatical worship."

Ichigo didn't quite understand, but... what Shinomiya-sensei said next convinced him that—at least for this moment, the theory was correct.

"A man, even if it's just once in his life, wants to be the strongest... That's my dream."

"However, the process of simply becoming stronger is boring."

"After becoming the strongest, one will also be forced to have a huge influence, so it is unrealistic to expect me to do nothing."

The Fourth Prince gazed at the sunset on the horizon, the afterglow of the setting sun burning his face red. The flickering torchlight in the bathhouse made one feel the endless thoughts churning beneath his expression, as if he were brewing an energy powerful enough to change the world.

"Like my brother Kurosaki, I don't consider myself a great person, saying that I can use this power to create a utopian world. A perfect system is absolutely impossible."

"But right now, before I even see it, someone might die unjustly, a kind person might be killed by their own good intentions, an incompetent person might rise to a high position, a greedy person might plunder ill-gotten gains, someone might disrupt the peaceful lives of others for their own selfish desires, someone might usurp power, and an incredibly ridiculous and naive fool might act recklessly..."

"There are too many, so many that it makes people feel that good people deserve to have a gun pointed at their heads, so many that it makes people feel that honest people deserve to be bullied... I don't even bother to use good or bad, right or wrong, justice or evil as reasons for things like this. I can only say... I can't stand it."

"Therefore, if you ask me what my dreams are, or what I want to do forever until I die, then you should ask me what I want to do forever."

"That means becoming so strong that no one can stop me, and eliminating all the guys I can't stand."

"I will become the true Grim Reaper, the true Balancer, the Adjuster... Wherever I go, I will find fairness, fairness, and more fairness!"

The powerful words were like bullets fired, piercing Ichigo's heart.

He suddenly felt his mouth was a little dry.

Perhaps because these words were too passionate, too fiery, and too violent, as if the boiling blood had evaporated all the moisture in his body, he could only laugh dryly and use a joking tone to ease his mood.

"Shinomiya, you're talking like you're going to become a god of the new world."

"God cannot do these things."

Before the Fourth Prince could speak, Aizen interrupted him.

His expression was terrifyingly serious, as was his tone.

"Whether it's good or bad... God never cares about these things. God only has eyes for the world. The rise and fall of some lives, misfortune, and sorrow are never on His mind."

"What people desire is not a god, but an existence with omnipotent power that can fulfill their wishes."

"But ironically, God exists, but that existence... does not exist."

"The two sides have never stood on the same side from beginning to end, which inevitably leads to irreconcilable conflicts."

"This leads to the fact that no matter how wonderful an era may be, it is built on mistakes from the very beginning, and in the end, it will inevitably lead to destruction."

Gudong.

Ichigo couldn't help but swallow hard. A chill, inexplicable and unsettling, crept up his spine, and he felt a vague unease, yet he couldn't explain why he felt uneasy.

Was it because Aizen's aura was too powerful? Or were these words hiding some kind of dangerous message?

"teacher."

At this moment, the Fourth Palace Master spoke, breaking the oppressive atmosphere.

He seemed completely unaffected and casually asked:

"We've all finished speaking, it's your turn."

"As the one who initiates the topic, you can't avoid it."

"A philosopher once said that never talking about oneself is a very noble form of hypocrisy."

"Teachers must not set a bad example."

Ichigo got excited too, grinning and saying, "That's right, what is your dream, Sensei? With your style, it must be something very upright and noble. Don't worry, Shinomiya and I will definitely not laugh at you."

"Yes, it's my turn to speak now..."

Aizen smiled gently. He instinctively reached for his glasses but grasped at empty air. After a slight pause, his smile faded slightly. He closed his eyes and said softly:

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Kurosaki-san, but I'm not actually as good as you think."

The 48th head of the Ichimaru Gin's whistleblower letter

"what?"

Ignoring Ichigo's astonishment, Aizen continued his leisurely narration as if telling a story, his languid demeanor being no different from that of the Four Palace Master.

This makes it difficult to tell whether it's the truth or...

"Despite some arrogance, I was a genius in my youth that was no less than either of you."

"Joy, excitement... these exhilarating emotions kept surging towards me, but before long, only emptiness remained, and the so-called dream became a black and white painting in my memory, losing its vibrant colors."

"Yes, my dream is dead."

"...Is this the end?"

Ichigo was dumbfounded.

"It's over."

"..."

"..."

Silence spread.

Shinomiya and Ichigo looked at Aizen with subtle expressions, as if to say, "Sensei, how can you be so perfunctory with us?"

A bitter smile appeared on Aizen's lips.

"I didn't mean to play tricks on you, this is what I really think."

"Let's just take it as true for now... but why did it turn out like this?"

Ichigo was both curious and hesitant, perhaps worried about touching on some unspeakable secrets of others.

"Maybe it's because I'm not as lucky as Shinomiya-kun."

Aizen's words made Ichigo unable to help but look at Shinomiya-sensei.

The Fourth Palace Master raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

"If I had a friend like Kurosaki-kun by my side back then, things might have been very different."

"No, I still don't quite understand... Even if you don't have any friends around you, does that mean you should lose hope in your dreams?"

"Have you ever had that experience, Kurosaki-san? When you were little, you wanted to do something, but when you grew up and were able to do it, you lost interest in it."

Aizen's words caused both of them to fall silent.

It was like a recollection, or perhaps... a recollection of the feeling Aizen had described.

"Like an omnipotent god, who loses interest in everything because of his omnipotence; or a wealthy man who, because he can afford everything, has nothing left to buy."

That was how I felt at the time.

Aizen's expression remained calm as he gazed at his reflection in the water, lost in thought.

"And now? What does the teacher think? In my opinion, someone without dreams, someone so negative, shouldn't be able to become the team leader and be loved by everyone, right?"

The Four Palace Master suddenly asked.

Ichigo also woke up suddenly, staring intently at Aizen.

The latter showed a helpless expression.

"You found out, Shinomiya-kun."

"Yes, that's how I was back then, but people can change."

“I overheard a story by chance, and I was inspired by it, which is how I became the not-so-negative Aizen Sousuke you see.”

"...So poetic, it's like something out of a novel."

"Brother Kurosaki, don't interrupt."

"The story itself is not complicated. It tells the story of a hero who suddenly appears when the world is plunged into darkness and hopelessness. He leads the best among people to save the world and makes the great achievement of elevating humans to godhood. In fact, he is as powerful as a god."

Aizen's tone was devoid of emotion, displaying the calm and insightful demeanor of an outsider.

"But his good fortune didn't last long. His companions killed him and used his body to create a new world. He didn't resist during this process, perhaps because he felt that this was not such a bad outcome."

"A new world has been created, but it is not without its hidden dangers. There is no turning back, and no ability to save it."

"His companions either didn't care, were impatient, or were passively given the mission of dominating and protecting the new world."

"That's the end of the story."

"That was the first time in my life that I felt a surge of intense emotion in my chest. It took me a long time to understand that the emotion was called 'contempt'."

"Disdain for the story itself."

"Whatever happens to the people inside is no longer important; what's most unacceptable to me is the occurrence of this story."

"As a born strongman, as a victor who has achieved brilliant feats, one should decide the world's course for oneself and carry out one's mission to the end, instead of relying on others. The so-called sacrifice of not resisting is nothing but a shameful escape."

"Don't you think so, Shinomiya-kun and Kurosaki-kun, who are both born strong and destined to achieve brilliant success?"

"This one……"

Ichigo hesitated.

"Shinomiya, what do you think?"

"I?"

The Four Palaces Lord disagreed.

"I do not mind."

"Huh? What does that mean?"

"What a coincidence, I share the same opinion as Shinomiya-kun."

Aizen smiled, but there was no smile in his eyes.

"No matter how much you dwell on right and wrong, in the end you'll give up thinking and focus on yourself, starting to wonder... what would you do if you encountered this situation someday?"

"What if I happen to be a born strongman, who sees the world's crisis with exceptional insight, and is destined to achieve immortal feats, rising from hero to god...?"

"The answer is very simple."

"I don't want to die like that, I don't want to... make future generations face this choice."

"If there's anything wrong with the world right now, then I'll emerge victorious and redefine it... That's what I dreamed of later."

……

After soaking in the hot springs, the group went to a Japanese restaurant in the commercial street surrounding the bathhouse and had a big meal.

As the moon rose above the treetops, we strolled back, chatting about issues we might encounter during our cultivation. Before we knew it, we had covered the long distance.

There was no difference when they arrived at the Fifth Division barracks.

The Academy of Spiritual Arts is on summer vacation, and there is no requirement that students cannot stay overnight outside.

This wasn't the first or second time that Shinomiya-sensei and Ichigo had stayed overnight at the Fifth Division.

They had their own temporary rooms, complete with changes of clothes and toiletries. To the other team members, they were no different from the new recruits who had come early for practical training.

"Today was really fulfilling. Although I wasn't very busy, I felt like I learned a lot. My head is starting to spin now... Time to sleep~ Goodnight."

"OK, good night."

Down in the corridor, Shinomiya-sama and Ichigo were preparing to return to their room to rest.

Suddenly, a figure appeared.

He is a member of the Fifth Division.