Some indifferent words left Mazuru's lips, his tone as calm as ever.
Only then did Shunsui truly grasp the intent behind Mazuru and Aizen's actions.
It was arrogant—no, beyond arrogant. It was earth-shattering.
But considering Aizen had once wielded the power of the Hōgyoku and intended to rebel against the Soul King himself, such ambition was not exactly shocking. If anything, this level of madness felt expected.
For Aizen and Mazuru, slaughtering nobles was never an act of cruelty. It was procedure.
In the world of Soul Society, nobles held power and privilege that rivaled gods. They stood at the pinnacle of society, seemingly untouchable. Central 46, the ruling body made up primarily of nobles, acted as the highest judicial authority in Soul Society—its decrees supreme even over the Gotei 13. Only the Zero Division, mysterious and ancient protectors of the Spirit King, stood outside their jurisdiction.
But if Aizen dared to challenge the Soul King himself, then destroying Central 46 was child's play.
Although Mazuru hadn't directly attempted to overthrow the Soul King as Aizen had, his goals were strikingly similar. Aizen's rebellion, in truth, had always aimed at the same thing Mazuru now pursued:
To dismantle the current order of the Three Realms.To destroy the corrupted foundation of the past.To replace the Soul King.To establish a new world.
And in that world, the old blood—nobles, institutions, ancient laws—had no place.
"Is that your goal?" Shunsui finally asked, voice heavy with conflicted emotions.
Mazuru didn't hesitate.
He admitted it openly. There was no need to lie.
Yet, this still didn't answer the most pressing question: Why?
Shunsui's earlier point remained valid. Since arriving in Soul Society under Aizen, Mazuru hadn't been visibly oppressed or mistreated by the nobles. His situation differed entirely from someone like Tousen Kaname, who had suffered personal injustice.
So why this hatred?
Mazuru's gaze darkened. "Sometimes, the more you learn, the more disgusted you become with creatures like nobles." he said. "Their very existence is drenched in sin."
The statement was bold—and aimed squarely at Shunsui himself.
He was, after all, the head of the Kyouraku clan. A nobleman.
And yet, Shunsui didn't grow angry. Instead, he nodded with a hint of bitter acceptance. "You're right."
Because he knew.
He had seen it. The filth behind the grandeur. The blood behind the smiles.
He remembered all too well the incident with Tsunayashiro Tokinada—the noble who murdered his shinigami wife with impunity. A scandal that barely scratched the surface. There were more—countless unspoken horrors. Crimes shielded by power. Families ruined, like the Kasumioji family in the Bakkōtō incident. Each injustice swept beneath silk robes and titles.
Shunsui had tried. He truly had. It was he who once reported Tsunayashiro Tokinada, attempting to bring him to justice. But even that resulted in nothing more than a slap on the wrist. A mild punishment, easily weathered.
He knew the truth.
But his own noble blood shackled him.
There were limits to how far he could go.How much he could expose.How deeply he could defy his own.
He had lived his life turning a blind eye to survive.
Now that he understood Mazuru's intent to tear down the Soul King and everything built on his living corpse, Shunsui could finally understand the slaughter of the nobles—for they were the architects of this rot.
He took a long breath. "Although you've let me live today, if your goal is to dismantle the old world and create a new one—then we are destined to be enemies."
His tone hardened.
"Maybe the Gotei 13 is no longer a threat in your eyes. But if you truly intend to challenge the Soul King, you must already realize…"
"…that your true enemy isn't us. It's the Zero Division."
Mazuru smiled faintly. "So, you are warning me now?"
Shunsui didn't return the smile. "I'm not warning you. I'm speaking to you—for the last time—as a friend."
There would be no such conversations in the future. This was their final one.
"You don't need to worry." Mazuru replied smoothly. "I've already made my preparations for Zero Division."
That revelation surprised Shunsui. And disturbed him.
It was precisely because of the Zero Division that Mazuru had not yet created the Ōken—the key to the Soul King's Palace—even though he had absorbed the spiritual veins buried beneath Karakura Town.
Once the Ōken was created, Zero Division would undoubtedly move. It would be the desecration of the Soul King's sacred essence—a trigger they could not ignore.
But Mazuru's eyes gleamed with confidence.
"It's not me who should be afraid, Shunsui. It's your Soul Society that should start watching its back."
Shunsui narrowed his eyes. "What are you trying to say?"
Mazuru turned, letting his eyes sweep across the barren lands of Hueco Mundo. "Because this place… Hueco Mundo… lies outside your sight. Not even that man can peer into its depths."
He paused.
"So I'll tell you something. Something your Soul Society has conveniently forgotten."
He then uttered a name. One that should never be spoken lightly. A name soaked in blood and shadow.
"Yhwach."
For many young shinigami, that name meant nothing. Even powerful ones—Hitsugaya Toshiro, Kenpachi Azashiro—wouldn't have heard of it. But Shunsui?
He had lived long enough.He had studied enough.He had bled enough.
He knew that name.
His eyes hardened instantly, but he said nothing. He simply stared at Mazuru, as if demanding more.
"You may believe that Yhwach died during that ancient war." Mazuru said coldly. "But the truth is, he survived. Barely. And in the shadows of Seireitei, he built something."
He paused, watching Shunsui's face.
"He calls it the Wandenreich. The Invisible Empire."
"He and the remaining quincy have carved out a dimension beneath your very feet—right in the shadow your light cannot reach. And there, they've been gathering strength."
Shunsui felt a cold sweat rise on his back.
An entire empire—right beneath them?
Mazuru's voice lowered, ominous and final.
"They've waited long enough."
"And now, the time has come."
*****
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