Chapter 244: How Dare You Claim So?
Ever since Satoru secretly fought with Las Noches last time, Yamamoto had been closely monitoring his movements.
If there was any sign of him sneaking out of the Soul Society, the old man would immediately apprehend him.
Because of this, Satoru spent a year lulling Yamamoto's vigilance.
Indeed, one can stay vigilant for a thousand days, but not forever.
Old man Yamamoto had finally let his guard down.
Emperor Satoru had returned to Shurima!
Watching Satoru's triumphant expression, Aizen shook his head with an amused smile.
After confirming there was no danger, the two sprinted across the desert and arrived before a sand dune.
Aizen skillfully released his Reiatsu from his feet, generating a unique Reishi vibration.
A few seconds later, the silver sand suddenly transformed into a black "quagmire."
Sinking through the quagmire, they descended into a laboratory decorated in a futuristic silver style.
Sensing their arrival, Szayelaporro turned around.
Seeing Satoru, he showed a somewhat surprised expression.
"Ah, boss, you've finally managed to leave the Soul Society?"
He spread his arms and enthusiastically approached.
Satoru raised his hand to block, while Szayelaporro dodged back and forth, continuing his attempt to embrace.
The two moved around each other, engaging in a martial arts-style exchange reminiscent of Hong Kong action films.
Aizen: "..."
At that moment, three more figures (beasts) approached.
"Lord Satoru!"
A lion, a deer, and a snake all bowed their heads to Satoru.
While maintaining the aura of a fencing master as he deflected Szayelaporro's hands, Satoru turned to look at them.
"Why are you here... Aren't you with Harribel?"
Hearing this, Sung-Sun showed a bitter smile.
"Lord Harribel has recently been pestered by a strange individual."
"That strange person is very powerful, not inferior to Lady Harribel."
"Lady Harribel was afraid we might get caught up in the fight, so she had us come here to take shelter for now."
A strange individual?
Satoru was somewhat curious.
Harribel was a Vasto Lorde.
Although her evolution method was rather unique and she severely lacked combat experience, she was still a self-Resurrección Vasto Lorde.
In the entire Soul Society, only Baraggan and Senzaemon should pose a threat to her.
Sung-Sun knew both of them and wouldn't describe them as "strange individuals."
After some thought, a possibility occurred to Satoru.
He showed a serious expression and looked at Sung-Sun.
His entire being seemed to instantly become more intense, with his facial features becoming more pronounced.
"Sung-Sun, where is this strange individual now?"
Sung-Sun blinked.
Wasn't Lord Satoru known for being lazy?
Why would he suddenly take interest in such matters, even his art style seemed to have changed?
Though puzzled, she quickly replied:
"When Lady Harribel left, she went in the direction opposite the moon. If you wish to pursue them, you could try heading that way."
"Good!"
Satoru nodded.
Aizen stood to the side, about to say something, when he saw Satoru already leaping into the air and disappearing into the shadow-condensed ceiling.
He closed his eyes briefly, his blood pressure slightly rising.
When he reopened them, he began examining Szayelaporro's recent research results.
Unlike Satoru, he had frequently visited Hueco Mundo over the past year.
Initially, Szayelaporro hadn't paid him much mind, thinking Aizen was just like himself—working under Satoru.
But as their interactions increased, Szayelaporro gradually discovered that this fellow called Aizen repeatedly refreshed his understanding.
Whether it was his comprehension of Shinigami and Hollow structures, his knowledge of pharmacology, or the strength he occasionally displayed unintentionally—all of it shocked him time and again.
Gradually, even when asked to show his experimental results, he didn't resist much.
And now, seeing Aizen examining his experimental results, he proactively approached to help explain.
"Lord Aizen, look here—this is the waveform diagram I obtained from combining Shinigami and Hollow Reishi as you requested last time."
"With all due respect, judging from the waveform results, these two types of Reishi are almost impossible to combine, let alone achieve the qualitative breakthrough you predicted."
"Should we suspend this experiment and focus on physical enhancement research first?"
Aizen shook his head.
"Continue the experiments until we achieve a breakthrough."
Szayelaporro frowned.
If anyone else had spoken to him like that, he would have already cut them down with a single strike.
But... he had faith in Aizen's abilities.
Unless absolutely necessary, he didn't want to defy Aizen's demands.
After a moment's thought, he nodded and said, "Alright, I understand."
Seeing his apparent reluctance, Aizen curled his lips into a smile, his gaze filled with condescension.
"Szayelaporro, perhaps from your current perspective, this seems like nothing more than an unattainable fantasy."
"But one day, you will come to understand the greatness within it."
"When that time comes, you will feel immense pride for having been part of this experiment."
Watching Aizen's imposing aura and confident demeanor, Szayelaporro swallowed hard.
Though he didn't understand why Aizen was so certain, he still placed a hand over his chest and bowed.
"Yes, I understand."
Aizen nodded.
Then he turned and prepared to leave the laboratory.
Seeing Aizen's actions, Szayelaporro couldn't help but ask:
"Lord Aizen, are you planning to seek out the boss?"
Aizen hummed in acknowledgment.
Szayelaporro frowned and said, "Lord Aizen, with your abilities and wisdom, you should be able to see it."
"Although Lord Mikami possesses unique qualities, at his core, he is merely a fighter skilled in combat."
"What he seeks and what he sees are fundamentally different from you and me—an insurmountable gap."
"With your intellect and talent, why waste your time by staying by Lord Mikami's side?"
"If you remained here and worked together to advance the experiment, progress would undoubtedly accelerate significantly!"
Hearing Szayelaporro's words, Aizen halted his steps.
He turned back, looking at him with a faint, mocking smile.
"Szayelaporro, how much do you think you truly understand about this world?"
"You, who pride yourself on talent and wisdom, have merely relied on your long lifespan to grasp some superficial knowledge."
"With your limited abilities, you struggle just to understand yourself. How dare you claim to see the same sights as I do?"
"Since you wish to know, I will tell you."
"What Satoru sees and what he seeks are far beyond your comprehension."
"Do not use your foolish mind to speculate about a being you know nothing of."
As his words fell, he raised his head, his gaze icy.
Szayelaporro's pupils contracted sharply.
In that moment, despite being a Vasto Lorde who had become an Arrancar on his own, he felt an overwhelming pressure he couldn't resist.
If not for his strong will, he would have nearly collapsed to his knees!
By the time he regained his composure, Aizen had already left.
Reflecting on Aizen's words, he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and fell into deep thought...