Help! I am bound to Aizen!

Chapter 162

Chapter 162

To be safe, Aizen left his laboratory and returned to the Seireitei.

First, he went back to the Fifth Division, climbed out of his "sickbed" in plain view of others, and officially canceled his sick leave.

Now free to move about, he headed to the Second Division and politely stopped a passing squad member.

Seeing Aizen, the squad member was initially startled but then brightened up.

“Ah… You’re Third-Seat Kaelith’s classmate, the one who graduated alongside him!”

“I was there for your graduation exam. You were amazing!”

Aizen humbly thanked the squad member, downplaying the praise.

After a few casual remarks, he got straight to the point.

“Excuse me, but do you know where Third-Seat Kaelith is right now?”

The squad member thought for a moment.

“I heard he’s been training with the Commander recently. Not sure exactly where, though.”

Training with Yoruichi Shih?in.

Aizen’s gaze turned thoughtful.

Perhaps after the last Hueco Mundo incident, Yoruichi was eager to grow stronger and had roped Kaelith into sparring with her.

No… Yoruichi’s prideful nature meant she wouldn’t seek benefits solely for herself.

She likely had some Shih?in family secret technique she was learning with Kaelith.

Could it be that she had already decided Kaelith would eventually marry into the Shih?in family?

After some consideration, Aizen decided to look for Urahara Kisuke instead.

If Kaelith hadn’t asked him for help recently, he was likely busy tormenting Urahara.

Arriving at Urahara’s dormitory, he found no one there.

Using spiritual pressure to sense the area, he discovered not only was the room empty, but even the previously stored experimental equipment was gone.

Strange.

After asking around again, Aizen learned Urahara’s location and headed there.

Before him stood a sizable building with a sign at the entrance that read

**“Kaelith Technology Bureau.”**

Aizen fell into thought.

He’d only been at the Great Spirit Library for less than a week, right?

Could the library have some kind of time distortion, where one day inside equaled several days outside?

When did the Second Division get a place like this?

As Aizen stood pondering, several Shinigami guards stationed at the entrance approached him.

After confirming his identity, one of them operated a small screen near the gate.

Moments later, Urahara Kisuke’s face appeared on the screen.

Hearing Aizen’s name, Urahara nodded without hesitation. “No problem, let him in.”

With the guard’s permission, Aizen slowly entered the Kaelith Technology Bureau.

Upon entering, he saw all sorts of large-scale equipment, many of which were actively in use.

About a dozen squad members were operating the machines.

These individuals had been handpicked by Urahara over the past couple of days.

As the Fourth Seat of the Second Division, Urahara had a thorough understanding of his subordinate’s personalities.

He knew exactly who was highly obedient and could handle confidentiality, as well as who was intelligent and worth nurturing.

Now, that knowledge was proving invaluable.

Glancing around, Aizen nodded slightly.

It was evident this place had once been a wooden dojo but had since been reinforced with sturdier materials.

Not only had the building been fortified, but traces of Kid?-based enhancements were also present.

Kaelith had clearly put a lot of effort into this laboratory—it wasn’t just a casual project.

So… how long had he really been at the Great Spirit Library?

As Aizen questioned his sense of time, Urahara arrived in a hurry, scratching his head with a sheepish grin.

“Aizen, you’re here to see Kaelith, right? Sorry, but I think he’s gone out with the Commander. I don’t know where they went.”

Aizen nodded. “No matter. Could you give me a tour of this facility?”

Urahara readily agreed.

He was always patient with Aizen.

Unlike Kaelith, Aizen genuinely understood research.

When projects hit roadblocks, discussing them with Aizen often led to significant breakthroughs.

As they toured the various experimental areas, Aizen grew increasingly impressed.

Kaelith had quietly turned this laboratory into something quite remarkable.

After completing the circuit, Aizen’s gaze lingered on one lab with its door firmly shut.

“Urahara, what’s in there?”

“Huh? Oh, that’s Mayuri’s lab… Mayuri was formerly a seated officer of the Twelfth Division. After joining the rebellion, he was imprisoned in the Maggot’s Nest until Kaelith brought him out.”

“I must say, Kaelith has a real talent for recognizing and utilizing people.”

“That Mayuri… he’s incredibly skilled…”

Speaking of Mayuri, Urahara couldn’t help but sigh.

Mayuri, with his brilliant mind and seemingly endless energy, had been aggressively driving the development of the gaming console Kaelith wanted.

To avoid being completely outpaced by Mayuri, Urahara had been forced to dramatically increase his own working hours.

The time he spent working had quietly risen from an hour and a half to nearly five hours a day.

While it was still a bit less than Mayuri’s grueling 19-hour days, it was enough to leave him utterly drained.

Aizen, on the other hand, frowned slightly.

**Mayuri Kurotsuchi…** The name sounded familiar to Aizen.

Kaelith had mentioned before that he had recruited a treasure of a scientist from the rebel forces—someone by that name.

It was said that Kaelith had been chased into Hueco Mundo because of a plot involving Mayuri.

This guy really had an open mind.

He could even accept someone who had once nearly gotten him killed.

The thought gave Aizen pause.

He knew Urahara Kisuke’s capabilities.

Despite his laid-back demeanor, Urahara was highly intelligent, skilled, and worthy of respect.

For Mayuri to earn Urahara’s admiration and praise, he must be equally exceptional.

Thinking about it… Kaelith had unknowingly gathered two top-tier scientists under his wing.

On the surface, it looked like it was just to develop a gaming console and indulge his ridiculous desires.

But was that really the case?

If Kaelith were truly as unambitious as he appeared, how could his spiritual pressure be so overwhelming?

Even if he were an unparalleled prodigy, born with such immense spiritual pressure, what about his swordsmanship and Kid??

Kaelith didn’t particularly like swordsmanship, yet his skill was exceptional.

Aizen himself had spent years rigorously studying swordsmanship, reaching a level far beyond most.

Even the Fifth Division’s kendo instructors, who were considered experts, couldn’t match his understanding of the blade.

Yet, against Kaelith, his swordsmanship gained him no advantage.

This proved that even in areas he didn’t enjoy, Kaelith invested considerable effort into mastery.

Someone so rigorous with himself and quietly capable of recruiting powerful allies—was it possible that Kaelith was genuinely as unambitious as he seemed?

Aizen suddenly doubted his ability to read people.

Could it be that Kaelith had hidden his true purposes so well that even Aizen couldn’t see through him?

Thoughts swirled through his mind, surfacing and disappearing one after another.

No… the memories of the Soul King’s history crept back in.

Walking out of the Kaelith Technology Bureau, Aizen looked up at the sky.

Urahara Kisuke and Mayuri Kurotsuchi together were enough to form Kaelith’s think tank.

With the Shih?in family and Captain-Commander Yamamoto as his foundations, Kaelith’s strength was no longer in question.

Without anyone realizing it, Kaelith had truly come into his own.

He had grown to the point where he could stand proudly in the light, moving boldly toward his goals.

As a friend, Aizen felt he should be happy for him.

Soon enough, when a captain position opened up, Kaelith would seamlessly step into the role.

If he had any ambitions, that would be the time to reveal them.

At Kaelith’s rate of growth, the Soul Society might one day see the Yamamoto era end and a new era belonging to Kaelith begin.

Urahara, walking beside Aizen, noticed his expression and asked curiously:

“Aizen, is something on your mind?

“If you’re looking for Kaelith, I can send a message to the Shih?in family. They probably know where he is.”

“No, that won’t be necessary.”

Aizen shook his head and gave Urahara a warm smile.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Urahara. I really appreciate it.

“If you have time, please visit the Fifth Division. I’d love to show you our barracks.”

After chatting briefly, Aizen left the Second Division.

Kaelith had found his path.

From now on, he would likely visit Aizen less and less.

While it left him with mixed feelings, it was ultimately a good thing.

By cutting unnecessary ties, Aizen could focus more resolutely on his own path.

Especially now, after learning the truth about the Soul King, his goals were likely to diverge from those of the Seireitei.

Maintaining some distance from Kaelith wasn’t a bad idea.

Speaking of which, during their last trip to Hueco Mundo, Aizen had told Yoruichi about his base in District 79.

Now seemed like a good time to relocate his laboratory.

Deep in thought, he returned to his lab’s location.

Before he even arrived, he saw a figure lying on a nearby hill, chewing on a blade of grass.

The figure noticed Aizen and immediately brightened.

Spitting out the grass with a *hawk tuah*, Kaelith stood up and grinned.

“Yo, S?suke! I knew you’d be back around now!”

Aizen froze for a moment.

What was this guy doing here?

He opened his mouth to say something, but Kaelith beat him to it, rushing over excitedly.

“S?suke! I’ve done it!”

“…Done what?”

“In the time you’ve been away, I’ve mastered my ultimate technique!

“I’m not the same person I was before—I’m unbeatable now!”

“You were worried before about me drawing trouble if I went to Hueco Mundo with you, right?

“Well, now you can relax. With my mastery of Shunko, I can handle any enemy. Take me with you—you won’t regret it!”

Seeing Kaelith’s elated expression, Aizen fell silent.

After a moment, he asked, “You trained just to go to Hueco Mundo?”

Kaelith raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean ‘just to’?

“As an educated and accomplished Shinigami, let me enlighten you.

“Many seemingly barren places in human history later proved to hold invaluable resources, becoming critical strategic locations.

“You may dismiss Hueco Mundo now, but who’s to say it won’t become a major hub in the future?”

Aizen frowned. “Speak plainly.”

Kaelith chuckled. “Fine. I saw how much you wanted to go to Hueco Mundo but were wary of the Tsunayashiro clan.

“Well, now that I’ve mastered my technique, I can clear the path for you. You just focus on doing what you need to do!”

Watching Kaelith’s smug grin, Aizen remained silent for a long time.

Finally, he asked, “Kaelith, if you ruled Hueco Mundo, what would you do?”

Kaelith looked troubled. “Do? There’s not much I could do right now—it depends on you.”

Without Aizen creating the H?gyoku to facilitate the transformation of Hollows into Arrancar, they would remain as bestial creatures.

To Kaelith’s knowledge, only Stark had ever completed the transformation independently.

And Kaelith wasn’t exactly interested in Stark.

To him, the success of turning Hueco Mundo into a paradise depended entirely on Aizen.

But to Aizen, Kaelith’s words carried a different meaning.

Was this guy testing his ambition?

Aizen’s lips curved into a slight smile.

So Kaelith thought he could play this game, huh?

Fine. He’d show him.

But before Aizen could respond, Kaelith suddenly looked distressed.

“Oh, right, Doraemon, I need your help with something! 

“The old man’s been pushing for my promotion, but I can’t be a corporate slave. Help me figure out how to dodge it next time!”

“Oh, and about the spirit-to-reishi conversion project—do you think it can be mass-produced?”

“And another thing… I set up a beautiful lab in the Second Division. How about moving part of your operations there? I’ve already reserved space for you!”

“And…”

As Kaelith rattled off issue after issue, Aizen felt a familiar headache creeping in.

He had overthought things again.

Kaelith hadn’t stopped bothering him because of his newfound allies.

No, the guy had been too busy training to visit and had just saved up all his problems to unload on him now.

Sighing, Aizen rubbed his temples.

Kaelith clasped his hands together. “That’s about it, Doraemon. It’s all up to you now!”

Aizen sighed.

“All at once? How am I supposed to remember everything?

“Come on, let’s go inside and write it all down. I’ll look into it when I have time.”

Kaelith grinned. “Thanks, Doraemon! I knew you were my best friend!”

Aizen said nothing, leading the way toward the lab.

His steps, however, were slightly lighter than when he had returned from the Seireitei.