A room hidden in pitch-black darkness.
The room was exceptionally wide, yet it felt somewhat cramped due to the dense array of instruments. The only light source came from dozens of monitoring screens of various sizes embedded in the walls, emitting a faint, eerie cold glow that cast the figures standing in the room like specters.
The angles on the screens varied. Most displayed fixed monitoring feeds, while some were dynamic images captured by "eyes."
As a man with tanned skin and violet hair wearing a Captain's haori operated the controls with his fingers, the large central screen clearly replayed the battle between Suō Tsukasa, accompanied by Matsumoto Rangiku, and Metastacia.
The room was silent as the screens flickered rapidly. Every frame was clear and smooth, capable of capturing the subtle shifts in the characters' expressions. At the moment Metastacia erupted, Tsukasa's calm response formed a sharp contrast with the sudden contraction of Matsumoto Rangiku's pupils beside him.
The rise of Danku and the liberation of the dawn light occurred in an extremely short span of time. The footage ended abruptly as the dazzling light filled the screen.
Kaname Tosen, the only blind Captain of the Gotei 13, received all the visual information through the high-tech visor on his face. In the next moment, his low voice, saturated with anger, echoed clearly in the silent room.
"To think so many experimental resources were wasted only to be easily taken down by a Lieutenant and a Seated Officer... What a useless failure!"
His words expressed profound dissatisfaction with the test subject's abrupt defeat.
"Kaname, do not be so harsh. Experiments are always accompanied by variables and accidents."
Aizen's voice came from behind him, carrying its customary gentleness. Also clad in a pristine white Captain's haori, he stepped forward composedly from the shadows at the back of the room, standing at the boundary between the cold light of the screens and the deep darkness of the chamber.
"Even if it didn't reach the expected results of the experiment, haven't we gained something?"
Aizen took a step forward, his slender fingers lightly brushing across a section of the control console. The main screen immediately switched, transforming into multi-layered spiritual pressure fluctuation curves and data analysis charts. Two curves fluctuated repeatedly over time, finally crossing briefly in a certain interval before one curve dropped off a cliff, plunging until it reached zero.
The data collection ended there.
"Metastacia's spiritual pressure peak reached 91% of the estimate, and its effect of stripping and interfering with the Zanpakuto has been verified. It already poses a significant threat to Lieutenant-level Shinigami."
"While it is a pity we failed to use the core parasitic fusion ability, that is precisely the interesting part of this experiment."
"The growth in strength of this young Third Seat Suō is indeed striking. His combat instincts and risk-aversion awareness are also quite outstanding."
"Throughout the encounter, there was only one precise and restrained direct confrontation. It seems he sensed its most threatening trait before the battle even began and chose an excellent fighting style."
"Such ability and personality are rare among Shinigami."
The footage from just now felt quite novel to Aizen. Although he had long known that Suō Tsukasa had received personal guidance from the Captain-Commander, scrutinizing Tsukasa's performance in combat once again truly gave him a fresh sense of amusement.
A satisfied smile appeared on his face. However, that gentle smile seemed somewhat eerie in this highly enclosed, gloomy space.
Withdrawing his gaze from the curves, Aizen turned and gave his orders.
"Let this stage of the experiment end here. Kaname, prepare to begin the next stage."
"Yes, Lord Aizen."
Kaname Tosen bowed his head in acceptance. From beginning to end, a third figure standing silently in the shadows of the room remained as still as a statue blended into the background, not uttering a single word.
Time shifted to ten days after the return from West Rukongai.
The Seireitei was never a place for humanitarianism or sentimentality. Aside from a brief period of heaviness and mourning within the Tenth Division, the accidental deaths of several division members caused no ripples. The casualty reports and files were thoroughly archived.
Only a few days ago, members of other divisions would chat about it after their meals, usually with the detached sigh of someone unaffected. Soon, everyone's attention was firmly grabbed by a far more explosive plot.
Isshin Shiba, Captain of the Tenth Division, personally sought out Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Captain of the Twelfth Division, to hold him accountable. The two Captain-level figures confronted each other at the entrance of the Department of Research and Development. Spiritual pressure surged, and they nearly came to blows on the spot.
This once-in-a-lifetime occurrence was far more capable of stimulating the Seireitei's nerves than the death of a few ordinary soldiers, instantly becoming the most high-profile topic of conversation.
None of this had anything to do with Suō Tsukasa.
His and Shiba Kaien's unauthorized sortie already constituted an undeniable and clear violation of regulations. Thanks to Shiba Miyako reporting the situation to Jushiro Ukitake in advance to act as a buffer, combined with the successful rescue of a division member, they barely escaped formal questioning and punishment.
But being exempt from punishment did not mean they were off the hook.
Both clearly received warning documents from the First Division, cautioning them to focus their duties on the internal affairs of the Thirteenth Division and informing them that their actions would be temporarily restricted.
Tsukasa's cultivation life was forced into a pause. During the restriction period, the moment his foot stepped out of the division barracks' gate, a small "tail" dressed entirely in black would appear behind him. Whether he went to the division library or the commercial street, as long as he moved along the roads of the Seireitei, this figure would always maintain a fixed, moderate distance.
It wasn't that he couldn't lose the tail, but rather that he mustn't. Deliberately evading supervision would only draw even tighter scrutiny and risk escalating the punishment. That would be even more troublesome.
Fortunately, the term was only for one month; otherwise, Tsukasa really would have gone mad.
Inside the office.
Suō Tsukasa's expression was quite calm and relaxed. Having eliminated the hidden threat of Metastacia brought him a heavy sense of achievement. This wasn't just a successful sniper kill; it was the first time since his reincarnation that he had genuinely changed the trajectory of the original characters' fates through planning and power. It proved he could bring change to the future—a vital milestone in his Soul Reaper career.
However, the meaning of a milestone lies in marking the path behind. During this time, he had not relaxed his continued statistical analysis of mission data.
If there was a Test Subject A, there was naturally the possibility of Test Subjects B, C, and D. Before the Hogyoku was fully completed, Aizen's experiments would not stop; the test subjects under his command would only continue to iterate and update.
He still needed to remain vigilant.
Suddenly, Shiba Kaien's voice rang out from the side, interrupting Tsukasa's thoughts.
"Tsukasa, are you free tonight?"
"It's about last time. We put in a lot of effort, so Uncle Isshin wants to treat us to dinner tonight to express his gratitude."
"It's essentially a family dinner. Miyako will be there tonight as well."
"Of course I'm free. But... is he alright?" Tsukasa nodded and asked curiously.
Yesterday, sitting in the office, he could clearly feel the spiritual pressure fluctuations traveling through the air. Even if they didn't actually fight, alarming half the Seireitei felt like something that wouldn't end just by saying "it's fine."
"What could happen? He just went there to talk some sense into him; he didn't actually move a finger in the end," Shiba Kaien waved his hand with a laugh, looking relaxed.
"That's good then."
Tsukasa was a bit surprised, but he didn't dwell on it too much.
"Then after division duties end this evening, Miyako and I will come find you. We'll clean up a bit then and head over together."
Kaien patted Tsukasa's shoulder, finalizing the arrangement. After a few more words, he turned and went back to handle his own affairs.
-----------------------------------------------
I handpick only the finest and most captivating novels for you. Don't forget to check out my other novels!
p@treon HongMengZi