Bleach: Stirring Up a Storm

”Are you ready?”

The next day, shortly before noon, Kōe and Yoruichi arrived in front of Squad 1. Even though she fully understood the situation, Yoruichi was still somewhat worried.

”I’ve always been fully prepared,” Kōe replied with a reassuring smile. Yoruichi couldn’t help but helplessly remind him, ”If I remember correctly, you’ve never once succeeded at this sort of thing.”

”The situation is different now. If it doesn’t work this time, then there’s no point in lingering in the Seireitei anymore.”

Using the incident with Shiba Miyako as a catalyst, Kōe and Aizen had reached a superficial cooperation. In truth, this cooperation could have easily continued. If the Hōgyoku was the standard of consideration, continuing it would actually be the best choice.

Just like that man who had hidden himself for who knows how long, dealing with someone as cautious as Aizen required patience to deliver a fatal blow.

A favorable situation was merely an illusion. Aizen himself was someone adept at utilizing, even manipulating, situations. It was hard to say who would win a gamble based on external conditions. Even with Urahara’s intellect and Kōe’s foresight that transcended time, there was no guarantee the situation would completely lean in their favor.

Aizen’s weakness always lay within himself. Whether it was saving Shiba Miyako or Ichimaru Gin’s hidden endurance, the goal was to tear open a gap in his heart.

It was just that the former piqued Aizen’s curiosity and caution, while the latter sought the exact moment that caution vanished. That moment was when a person was at their most vulnerable.

Therefore, whether it was to subtly form an inside-outside coordination with Urahara and the others, or to attract Aizen’s attention to make Ichimaru Gin a more threatening thorn in his side, choosing to leave with Aizen would have been the optimal choice.

Kōe’s plan seemed to suffer from a severe disconnect. He clearly had a better option, yet he chose to cooperate with Aizen, and in the end, the only thing that changed was saving the lives of the Shiba couple. To be honest, this was unlike his character.

Did he not think of it? No, he had considered this long ago. Having already established his own faction in Hueco Mundo, his advantage was far greater than anyone imagined.

Staying in the Seireitei or heading to Hueco Mundo were simply two different choices. Different choices would lead to different outcomes for Kōe.

If heading to Hueco Mundo to better deal with Aizen and the Hōgyoku was for the sake of immediate stability, then staying in the Seireitei was for the sake of a better future. Of course, there might not be a future at all, but sometimes, to gain more, one had to be prepared to take greater risks.

”In what matters did you assist Aizen?”

”Activating the Kidō across the Seireitei to interrupt the captain’s meeting.” In the Squad 1 reception hall, Kōe showed no intention of hiding anything from Yamamoto’s questioning. ”Strictly speaking, acting in accordance with his suicide note also counts. However, since Shiba Miyako was in their hands at the time, I suppose I was coerced.”

Yamamoto also maintained a calm and collected demeanor, slowly spitting out a name. ”And what of Central 46?”

”Is Master asking when Central 46 was replaced? Or whether I knew about what Aizen was planning to do? Or even... if I participated in it?”

The already oppressive atmosphere in the hall grew even heavier following Kōe’s response.

”You may elaborate.”

”From the moment the order to arrest Kuchiki Rukia was issued, I knew absolutely nothing, let alone participated in it.”

”Why did you not act then?” Yamamoto continued to ask. Though his tone was calm, those eyes that seemed capable of piercing through the fog stared intently at Kōe.

He knew very well what his disciple was capable of. From the moment Central 46 was slaughtered, Kōe could have intervened and stopped Aizen’s subsequent actions.

And as for why he didn’t do so...

”If I had acted then, I probably would have been branded the sinner who slaughtered Central 46, wouldn’t I?” Kōe mocked himself before continuing, ”It’s just Central 46. If they die, we just replace them with a new batch. I had more important things to do, didn’t I, Master?”

”Preposterous!”

Faced with Yamamoto’s sudden reprimand, neither Kōe nor Yoruichi showed the slightest hint of fear. Neither of them had much fondness for Central 46 anyway.

It was just that... Yoruichi discreetly tugged at Kōe’s clothes. Even if there was nothing to fear, there was no need to be so blunt. Saying his inner thoughts out loud like that was going a bit too far.

*What’s so far about it?* If Kōe were to answer Yoruichi, he would definitely say that.

Ever since he drew his second Zanpakutō on Sōkyoku Hill, none of these things could be considered going too far.

Two monsters who had shed their disguises. The one who ran away was called a demon, and correspondingly, the one who stayed behind was called a hero.

Fundamentally, they were still monsters, existences beyond ordinary human comprehension. One man’s hero is another man’s enemy; the different titles were merely a matter of location.

Without an enemy, a hero would revert to being a monster. But as long as they both existed, they would be granted power within their respective factions, and they rightfully deserved to be granted that power.

*If I miss this opportunity, I’ll only ever be a monster forever.* From the moment he returned to the Seireitei, Kōe understood this. The only existence that could allow him to openly draw his second blade like a hero was Aizen Sōsuke, a fellow monster.

Only by becoming a hero-like figure would his blade have the chance to sweep away all the obstacles before him, rather than acting like an assassin who could only take lives in the shadows.

Changing this place—Urahara had failed to do it, and in the past, he had failed as well.

But now, things were different. All the conditions were ripe, and more importantly, he had the resolve.

”Preposterous. It is quite preposterous, don’t you think, Master? To save someone, I had to rely on our enemy just to walk out of here. To protect Rukia, I not only had to guard against Aizen but also be wary of the rest of the Gotei 13. Otherwise, I could have been locked up somewhere unknown at any moment, simply because I’m friends with Urahara and Yoruichi.”

”It’s ridiculous,” Kōe said with a laugh, shaking his head before suddenly sitting up straight. ”The most ridiculous part is that if it weren’t for ’fugitive villains’ like Urahara and Yoruichi, Rukia would have died beneath the Sōkyoku long ago. How should I put it? Congratulations on all becoming Aizen’s accomplices? Absolute accomplices.”

”Are you blaming me?”

”I am not blaming you. I understand the hardship of Master upholding justice for a thousand years, and I respect you deeply for it.”

Kōe rested his hands on the wooden table. In his eyes, Yamamoto seemed like nothing more than a somewhat stubborn elder. He might have done something wrong, but it certainly didn’t rise to the level of condemnation.

”You once told me to absolutely never betray the Seireitei. Looking at it now, Urahara, Yoruichi, and I have all betrayed it.”

”However, the order to execute Kuchiki Rukia, although it originated from Aizen, was real. Was it a conspiracy? Did it violate the justice in Master’s heart? If so, then Master should think carefully about why, simply by passing through Central 46, it became the justice that the Gotei 13 swore to protect!”

”And whether you admit it or not, for allowing the unreasonable to be so calmly accepted, Central 46 should have been replaced a long time ago. They are the ones who truly violate justice.” Kōe finally pointed at Yoruichi, then at himself. ”And we are the ones who were betrayed by the Seireitei!”

Time will eventually grant the answer known as the truth. It is just that, by the time it provides that answer, it is usually far too late.