"Well, Captain Aizen, how far has the Hogyoku's awakening progressed?"
Ichimaru Gin rested his hands on his obi and smiled with that familiar foxlike ease.
"Thirty percent. As expected," Aizen replied, his tone flat and unhurried.
Three tiers of awakened Hogyoku power enough to meet the minimum requirement for resurrecting Grimmjow.
"Ahh. Then its full awakening isn't far at all," Gin murmured, eyelids narrowing as a faint grin curved his mouth.
The Hogyoku had outpaced even Gin's bold predictions. In so little time, to reach thirty percent meant only one thing: the decisive battle was almost upon them. Gin understood perfectly well that the moment the Hogyoku awakened entirely, the clash between Aizen and the Soul Society would begin.
"Gin, no one can know the Hogyoku's awakening state without touching it directly," Aizen said, voice smooth. "Not even Urahara Kisuke, who created it and sealed it immediately after."
Aizen's gaze slid to the crystalline core before him.
"Release the Hogyoku from its seal. When it temporarily fuses with someone whose Reiatsu is several times above captain-class, it can, in a single moment, display abilities equal to a fully awakened state."
A cold, confident smile lifted the corner of his mouth as he extended his right hand, resting it atop the Hogyoku.
The moment his Reiatsu poured into it, the Hogyoku warped into a black sphere bristling with slender, writhing tendrils. It merged seamlessly with Aizen's palm. Light erupted outward, blinding and sharp.
Cracks spidered across the glass containment chamber before it shattered into a rain of glittering fragments.
From the black metal box nearby, remnants of stored Reiatsu trembled violently, pulled toward the Hogyoku. Threads of power fused into the Hollow body suspended before them the blue-patterned leopard-like form twitching under the influx of energy.
The figure convulsed, its shape shifting. Reiatsu spiked sharply, climbing with unnatural speed. Captain-class in a blink.
Less than a second later, a man emerged light blue, jagged hair, sky-colored eyes, bangs falling over his forehead, sea-green markings framing them. Muscular. Bare-chested. A predator reborn. The remains of a mask clung to his right cheek, teeth bared in a half-skeletal grin. A Zanpakutō materialized at his waist.
Though his Reiatsu was noticeably weaker than the previous Grimmjow's, his appearance was identical.
Aizen retrieved the Hogyoku from the floor, then nodded toward Ulquiorra. The Fourth Espada silently tossed the clothing he had prepared.
Once dressed, Grimmjow moved on instinct, posture stiff and animalistic.
Aizen regarded him with mild interest. "Are you truly still Grimmjow?"
"Kuchiki Shiraha… Kuchiki Shiraha… I will defeat you… defeat you…" Grimmjow knelt on one knee, trembling, head bowed as blue Reiatsu flared around him.
Gin chuckled softly. "Ahh, Captain Aizen, looks like this one didn't quite work."
Creating an Arrancar from remnants using the Hogyoku was already implausible. Reviving one from leftover Reiatsu alone bordered on the terrifying.
"Failed?" Aizen's expression didn't shift. "Handle it."
He turned away, uninterested. Whether the experiment succeeded or failed held no weight for him.
Gin sighed theatrically. "Captain Aizen, you're cruel. Experiments like this, and then you just walk off."
"Understood, Lord Aizen," Tousen Kaname said, bowing deeply.
He approached Grimmjow, drawing his Zanpakutō with deliberate slowness. Just as the blade rose above Grimmjow's neck, the air crushed inward.
Grimmjow's Reiatsu exploded upward, surging past captain-class, climbing until it matched the level of the Fifth Espada.
"Oh?" Aizen paused mid-step, actual surprise flickering across his eyes.
Ulquiorra, unmoved, simply watched.
Steel rang sharply as Grimmjow lifted his right hand, catching Tousen's blade between his fingers. Sparks flew from the collision. Tousen tried to withdraw his sword but felt Grimmjow's crushing grip locking it in place.
"What do you think you're doing?" Grimmjow growled, raising his head at last, cold eyes narrowing.
Tousen inhaled and began to speak the release command only for Aizen's hand to land on his shoulder.
"Stop."
Without hesitation, Tousen sheathed his Zanpakutō and stepped back.
"It appears you've recovered, Grimmjow," Aizen said, amusement threading his voice.
"Lord Aizen… was I dead? What is happening…?"
Grimmjow stared in confusion. The last images he remembered were of Shiraha consuming nearly all his Reiatsu, then crushing him beneath a meteorite until he dissolved to dust. Yet here he was alive, stronger.
His memories felt tangled.
"You were killed by Shiraha," Aizen said gently. "I resurrected you using the Hogyoku."
Grimmjow stiffened.
Aizen's eyes narrowed faintly. "Is it raw unwillingness that brought you back? Or something else?"
Grimmjow was not merely revived. His strength had surpassed his previous peak. Even Aizen found the result more interesting than expected.
"Kuchiki Shiraha… I will defeat him…" Grimmjow muttered, the name igniting a singular obsession in his mind.
He believed only a short time had passed since he died days, perhaps months. His understanding of Shiraha's strength was frozen in the past. Combined with the immense increase granted by the Hogyoku, he felt nearer than ever to victory.
Tousen scoffed. "Fool. Kuchiki Shiraha's current strength is beyond your comprehension. Ten years have passed since you died. You cannot even defeat Ulquiorra now. What could you possibly use to challenge Shiraha?"
Even Aizen treated Shiraha cautiously.
Grimmjow, freshly reborn and ignorant, could not begin to imagine how far beyond him Shiraha now stood.