novelblue
Chapter 156
Chapter 156
Chapter 156
Aizen was in high spirits.
This trip to Hueco Mundo had brought him so many gains.
In front of him was a large cultivation tank.
Inside floated Kuchiki K?ga, completely naked, with numerous tubes inserted into his body.
Some of these tubes were connected to various monitoring devices, recording data.
Others were life-support apparatuses.
Among them, three tubes continuously supplied a highly concentrated anesthetic.
If Kuchiki K?ga showed any sign of waking, the anesthetic would be injected.
In fact, even without it, it wouldn’t matter.
The tank’s fluid contained powdered Sekkiseki, preventing a Shinigami from using any powers inside. (t/n: I called it killing aura stone once, but the correct term is Sekkiseki-it is a material known to negate all Reiryoku)
Unless one had physical strength like Kaelith, who could smash the tank from within, there was no escaping.
Aizen held a clipboard, tirelessly recording various data.
Occasionally, when writing made him weary, he would lift his head, roll his neck, and drink from his cup then glance at another cultivation tank.
Inside that tank floated Takada Tai, receiving similar treatment to Kuchiki K?ga, tubes all over his body.
Plus, there was an additional trophy, Takatori Tsunayashiro.
A single trip to Hueco Mundo had yielded three new collectibles.
How could life be more blissful?
Such a wonderful day would surely be filled with good fortune, right?
Aizen smiled.
In the very next second, a voice rang out—
“Soraemon! Please help me!!”
Aizen’s smile froze.
Under his reluctant gaze, a certain plague-like individual pushed open the laboratory door and barged in.
…He really shouldn’t have given this guy fingerprint access.
As the three-layer security door bounced back violently after being shoved open by Kaelith, Aizen couldn’t help but regret it.
After listening to why Kaelith had come, he couldn’t hold back anymore.
Unbelievable. In all his years, this was the first time he’d heard of someone throwing away their Zanpakut? during a fight and only remembering it days later!
He hurriedly turned around to find the device to open the Garganta.
“I always thought I understood just how outrageous you could be, that nothing you did would surprise me again.”
“Yet here I am, instantly proven wrong.”
“Kaelith, in a certain sense, you really are a genius.”
“Haha, you flatter me.”
Kaelith clasped his hands politely, maintaining a modest demeanor.
Aizen felt his blood pressure rising.
Once he had the key ready, he led Kaelith into a newly expanded, spacious chamber.
“This is the Dimensional Crossing Room. The walls are fitted with high-strength spiritual pressure shielding.”
“Using it to cross between worlds effectively blocks outside detection.”
“If we don’t do this, and someday Soul Society notices abnormal fluctuations here, they might investigate.”
Kaelith nodded. “Brilliant.”
Matters requiring meticulous thought were never his concern.
Aizen had grown up with this mindset and could handle these details himself without oversight.
As the older brother figure, Kaelith should let Aizen mature on his own. If Kaelith weren’t around someday, Aizen needed the skills for management!
Kaelith gave Aizen a benevolent look, full of gratification.
Aizen frowned slightly.
He didn’t know what that expression meant, but he felt like cutting Kaelith on the spot.
Soon, both returned to Hueco Mundo.
Aizen poked his head out of the spatial rift, surveying the surroundings.
After confirming everything was fine, he silently leaped out and landed on the ground.
“Can you sense where your sword is?”
He turned to ask Kaelith, who had just followed him out.
Kaelith shook his head. “No need for that.”
Under Aizen’s gaze, Kaelith raised his arm horizontally, spreading his fingers. He maintained this posture for over two minutes.
Aizen: “?”
He was about to remind Kaelith that Hueco Mundo was enormous. Even though he’d tried to open the Garganta in a limited area, the Zanpakut?’s presence might still be out of range.
But just as he was about to speak, he remembered something.
Come to think of it…
Previously, Kaelith had been using his Zanpakut?’s ability to keep his broken bones in place, right?
Doing so in Hueco Mundo made sense, but even after returning to Soul Society, separated by an entire dimension, his Zanpakut?’s power remained effective?
How could that be possible?
The barriers between the Human World, Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo were created by the Soul King and were extremely sturdy.
How could the Zanpakut?’s power penetrate these barriers?
Aizen’s mind raced through countless possibilities.
Gradually, he formed a hypothesis.
He took a deep breath and looked at Kaelith.
If this hypothesis was correct, Kaelith would bring him another surprise…
As Aizen pondered, Kaelith suddenly smiled.
“It’s here.”
Aizen raised his head.
He saw a flash of light on the horizon.
A few seconds later, that light sped toward them.
From afar, the shape of a blade could be seen!
Aizen: “…”
Judging by the sword’s flight speed, it must have been many of kilometers away before.
Utterly ridiculous.
“Ah! My dear partner, my other half! Before, when I was badly hurt, I couldn’t bring you home. You must have been so lone—whoa!!”
Kaelith opened his arms wide, welcoming his Zanpakut? with heartfelt emotion.
He hadn’t even finished speaking when he noticed the blade showing no sign of slowing down, heading straight for his face.
Kaelith rolled aside just in time, relying on invincibility frames to dodge. (t/N: Darks Souls reference!)
Boom!!!!
The Zanpakut? crashed into the nearby desert like a bomb.
The huge impact sent Kaelith flying, screaming as he tumbled away.
Aizen, having sensed something was off as the sword approached, had already kept his distance.
Kaelith wiped the sand off his face and rushed over to yank the Zanpakut? out of the sand.
“Attempted murder of your master?! You traitor, did you hook up with some wild mistress here in Hueco Mundo and swear allegiance to a new lord while I was away?!”
Aizen: “…?”
Wait, as Kaelith’s sword, such a scenario wasn’t entirely impossible.
Held in Kaelith’s hand, the Zanpakut? buzzed a few times, seemingly expressing displeasure.
Kaelith grew even angrier: “You’ve even developed a function like that now?”
As Kaelith argued with his Zanpakut?, Aizen suddenly froze.
“Kaelith, come here.”
He opened the Garganta and jumped inside.
Kaelith followed with his sword in hand. “What’s wrong?”
Aizen said, “My spiritual pressure detection device just now…”
He hadn’t finished speaking when Kaelith suddenly sensed something and turned to look in one direction.
Just moments ago, Aizen’s Hueco Mundo spiritual pressure detector had signaled that a group of Hollows was rapidly approaching.
And Kaelith was now looking exactly where the device indicated the Hollows were coming from!
After half a second, Aizen himself finally sensed their spiritual pressure in the air…