"Masatsuki Aozaki, I've seen everything you've done."
Kenpachi Azashiro's voice echoed through the air, laced with condemnation and dissatisfaction.
"You conspired with Sōsuke Aizen, scheming for your own selfish desires, slaughtering both civilians and Shinigami alike."
His tone grew harsher, like a judge passing sentence.
"The former Captain-Commander worked tirelessly to cast aside personal emotions and serve as a cog in the machine that keeps Soul Society running. But your existence changed that."
"The Gotei 13 is already in turmoil. If you keep running wild, it's only a matter of time before you plunge Soul Society into chaos and disrupt the balance of the Three Worlds."
His warning rang out like a tolling bell, resounding through the space.
But Masatsuki Aozaki only scoffed, dismissing Azashiro's accusations with a smirk.
"You make it sound like I corrupted the old man. Like he was some saint before I showed up."
"And you're accusing me of killing civilians and Shinigami for my own gain?"
Masatsuki sneered.
"That's rich, coming from you. You can say it with a straight face?"
"You wanted to modify Rukongai's civilians, turn them into biological weapons."
"And yet, you have the nerve to stand here and pass judgment on me?"
"You sure have a thick skin."
He exposed Azashiro's hypocrisy without hesitation.
"You're wrong. I didn't do it for personal gain," Azashiro replied, shaking his head slightly. His voice was calm, as if he were merely stating a fact.
"Eliminating Hollows is simply a Shinigami's duty."
Masatsuki let out a dry laugh, waving a hand dismissively.
"You can lie to yourself all you want, but do you really think I'd fall for that?"
"Shinigami exist to maintain balance across the Three Worlds. Destroying Hollows is part of that responsibility."
"But you? You wanted to create modified weapons to eradicate Hollows completely. No matter how you justify it, that goes against the very principle of our existence."
"Even the Soul King rejected your plan."
A brief silence followed before Masatsuki suddenly spoke again.
"Let me guess—" He tilted his head. "Even if you won't admit it, deep down, this is all for your dead sister, isn't it?"
Azashiro's expression flickered—just for a moment, a trace of pain crossed his face. But it vanished as quickly as it appeared.
"You saw her die, torn apart by Hollows. And so, you decided they all needed to be wiped from existence. Am I wrong?"
Masatsuki didn't relent, pressing forward without hesitation, forcing Azashiro to confront the wound buried in his heart.
Azashiro's voice remained cold.
"Love? Revenge? I have no use for such meaningless emotions."
"Eliminating Hollows by any means necessary—that is my duty as a Shinigami."
"As for my plan… I've had plenty of time to think about it, locked away in Muken all these years."
"Why did the Soul King refuse to acknowledge it?"
"But now, I finally understand."
"I see the flaw in my reasoning. And this time, I have a new plan. A perfect one."
Masatsuki chuckled.
"Oh? Let's hear it, then. As your brother-in-law, I suppose I'll humor you for a bit."
"That woman is not my sister."
Azashiro's brow furrowed in irritation, but he didn't argue the point. Instead, his expression turned serious, and his voice lowered.
"Hollows are fallen human souls."
"Negative emotions hollow out the human soul, causing them to degrade into Hollows."
"As long as the source of that corruption exists, Hollows can never be fully eradicated."
"Even if I took my modified creations and wiped out every last Hollow in Hueco Mundo, it wouldn't solve the problem."
"As long as human desire exists, Hollows will continue to be born."
"My past approach wasn't just flawed—it would have led to the meaningless sacrifice of countless innocent souls. It was a mistake."
"So, in the end, if we truly want to eliminate Hollows…"
"We must go to the root of their creation."
Only by addressing that fundamental cause can we find a true solution."
Hearing those words, Masatsuki Aozaki's expression darkened slightly.
His eyes deepened, as if lost in memories of a distant past...
He asked softly, "So… you're planning to target humans?"
Masatsuki Aozaki vaguely recalled that this man did indeed have some insane idea like this.
"You're absolutely right."
Kenpachi Azashiro nodded, speaking with confidence.
"I've already found a way to eradicate Hollows while maintaining the balance of souls between Soul Society and the Human World."
"You've been to the World of the Living, haven't you? Then perhaps you've heard of psychosurgery."
"If not, you can always attend a modern studies class at Shin'ō Academy."
Masatsuki scoffed.
I finally get to enjoy the adult life I've always wanted, and now you want me to go back to school?
Clearly uninterested in Azashiro's suggestion, he dismissed it with a shrug.
Azashiro, unfazed, continued.
"In the field of psychosurgery, one of the most well-known procedures is the prefrontal lobotomy."
"It's a medical technique that involves removing part of the brain to treat psychiatric conditions."
"My method follows a similar principle."
"By modifying certain parts of the human brain and soul, we can eliminate all psychological factors that lead to Hollowfication."
"Once completed, no one will ever be sent to Hell after death…"
Masatsuki smirked and asked sarcastically, "If you alter human nature through external means, are they even human anymore?"
"Well… whatever they become isn't my concern. Saving the world is a job for high schoolers."
"But what I really want to know is—why tell me this?"
"Aren't you worried that I'll expose your plan before it even starts?"
Azashiro remained composed as he replied, "Because I need your help. We can work together, Masatsuki Aozaki."
"All you have to do is release me from this place and lend me the power of that Arrancar woman you brought to Soul Society."
"In just one year, I can modify every human in the World of the Living."
"I know you're ruthless, but you're not completely heartless. You have a good relationship with the Captain-Commander."
"Don't you want to create a better Soul Society for him?"
"Think of it as a way to atone for your past actions. Join me, and we'll build a perfect world."
But Masatsuki Aozaki remained unmoved.
That Arrancar woman's ability…
He instantly realized that Azashiro was referring to Roka.
To this day, she was the only Arrancar he had allowed into Soul Society.
Roka possessed an ability known as Telaraña, a technique born from Szayelaporro Granz's experiments.
With it, she could establish a connection with various substances, sharing Reiryoku and information.
Szayelaporro had once attempted to use this ability to disperse and preserve his consciousness across every plant in Hueco Mundo, aiming for true immortality.
But before his research could fully develop, Masatsuki Aozaki had cut him down, shattering his dream of eternal life.
Although Masatsuki couldn't recall every exact detail of the original events, he could easily deduce Azashiro's intentions—
He wanted to use Roka's Telaraña to further enhance his fusion ability.
By his own estimation, it would take 100,000 days to modify the entire World of the Living on his own.
But with Roka's power, that timeframe would shrink to just one year.
"Atonement?" Masatsuki Aozaki responded calmly.
"Sorry, but I feel no guilt for what I've done. The thought of atonement has never even crossed my mind."
"Besides, the old man's getting sentimental in his old age—always preaching about justice and righteousness."
"What you're planning might sound noble, but if this were a shounen manga, you'd be the textbook villain."
"And the old man? He'd never agree to it."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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