"Do you think this king wouldn't dare to kill you?"
On the throne, Naraku Sora let out a cold snort, looking exactly like a villainous boss in a novel or biography right before being defeated by the heroes using the power of friendship.
As if to coordinate with his words, the Arrancars in the palace released a trace of their Reiatsu.
It wasn't overwhelmingly powerful, but it was incredibly pure.
For a moment, the air in the massive room became thick and viscous, making even breathing much more difficult.
Feeling that undisguised, icy killing intent, Urahara Kisuke nearly had a heart attack from the sheer terror.
He prided himself on understanding his boss quite well, but after actually coming to Hueco Mundo and witnessing a Las Noches that was even more absurdly grand than the Gotei 13...
...it made Urahara Kisuke experience a moment of profound self-doubt.
It seemed his own eyes were no better than Tōsen Kaname's. Despite spending so much time together, he had completely failed to see Naraku Sora's true colors.
The most outrageous part was that a man who clearly looked so unserious could actually make so many Arrancar Menos Grande bow in submission to him.
Furthermore.
If he remembered correctly, the original master of Las Noches should have been Baraggan, who had lived for an unknown number of years.
But the current master of Las Noches was Naraku Sora.
This meant that the King of Hueco Mundo, who had caused countless Hueco Mundo expedition missions to fail, had now been defeated by Naraku Sora's hands.
Just how strong was this guy?
Lying flat on the ground, Urahara Kisuke's heart was currently filled with shock.
To silently cause such a massive upheaval in Hueco Mundo... he had truly underestimated his boss.
If Naraku Sora's usual demeanor was entirely a disguise, then this man was simply far too terrifying.
To think that no one in the entire Seireitei had been able to see through this guy's true face.
*You really played us all, Lord Naraku!*
"However, just killing you like this would be letting you off too easily."
The corners of Naraku Sora's mouth curled up slightly, looking as though everything was under his control.
"Recently, the wisest subordinate under my command, second only to myself, Szayelaporro, has just developed a technique called Annunciation of the Conception."
"It allows him to insert a tentacle into the test subject's navel and lay an egg in their stomach. The egg then absorbs everything from the subject as nourishment, grows to maturity, and finally, a brand-new individual is birthed from within the subject's body."
"Since you are so eager to die, then offer up your final value before your death."
Szayelaporro: "..."
If he remembered correctly, the Annunciation of the Conception had not yet been fully developed, and his current research direction had already changed due to a certain someone's existence.
Moreover.
He had never said anything of the sort to Naraku Sora from the very beginning.
Although Lord Aizen had participated in the research, he was similarly uninterested. Besides, given his personality, he definitely wouldn't chat with Naraku Sora about topics he had no interest in.
So, where did his Majesty learn about this?
Szayelaporro pushed up the mask glasses on the bridge of his nose, a subconscious habit of his when thinking.
*Could it be that His Majesty only looks unintelligent, but in reality, nothing that happens in Las Noches can escape his eyes?*
"Why must it come to this, Lord Naraku!"
Just as Szayelaporro was feeling conflicted, Urahara Kisuke's eyes widened, and he said with a look of sheer terror:
"Even if I uncovered your true identity, surely I don't deserve such a horrifying punishment?"
Death was nothing to fear; what was truly terrifying was suffering inhuman torture before dying.
Although he wasn't entirely sure what the Annunciation of the Conception technique entailed, based on the description, even if it was painless, it was a horrifying torment comparable to the ultimate humiliation.
A man giving birth... even a perverted scientist like Kurotsuchi Mayuri wouldn't do something like that, right?
"Oh? Then why don't you tell me, what is my true identity?"
Naraku Sora's interest was immediately piqued. He wanted to hear how Urahara Kisuke, having experienced a triple betrayal, would evaluate him.
Hearing this, a conflicted expression appeared on Urahara Kisuke's face. After thinking for a few seconds, he said cautiously:
"On the surface, aloof from the world, but in reality, the number one mastermind of the three realms who calculates every step?"
Hearing this, Naraku Sora revealed an extremely satisfied expression.
As expected of Kisuke. He was much better than that adopted son who only knew how to slander him; he saw through the essence of the matter at a single glance.
"Although you often slack off behind the scenes, secretly dump your own tasks onto Mayuri, and repeatedly embezzle research materials—one could say you are flawed from head to toe."
"But your eye for people is still excellent."
Urahara Kisuke: "..."
Suddenly, he felt like he had been overthinking things earlier.
Naraku was still the same Naraku, completely unchanged.
"In light of your honesty, I've decided to give you a chance."
Naraku Sora stood up from the throne and walked toward the outside of the palace.
"Follow me."
Watching his retreating back, a thoughtful light flashed in Urahara Kisuke's eyes. After a few seconds of silence, he followed along.
In truth, he was also very curious about what Naraku Sora's ultimate goal was.
It couldn't really be like the rumors spreading in the Seireitei, right? That he was cultivating his own forces to create a new Gotei 13, planning to overthrow Head Captain Yamamoto, usurp his position, and unify the Soul Society?
They walked straight down the corridor until they arrived in front of a large set of doors.
As the sensors on the wall detected someone passing by, the doors, which were dozens of meters high, rumbled open.
Dazzling light pierced his eyes, causing Urahara Kisuke a hint of discomfort.
But he quickly endured it, staring at the scene before him with a look of astonishment.
Completely unlike the unchanging night of Hueco Mundo, what greeted his eyes was a clear, azure sky. A sun hung high above, radiating a pleasant, comforting warmth.
Broad, straight roads stretched forward, with familiar architectural styles standing among them. On both sides, whimsical gardens and landscapes had been cultivated.
The peculiar designs were something unseen in the Soul Society.
Among the passing pedestrians, there was no shortage of strange-looking Adjuchas, but the majority were Arrancars dressed in white uniforms.
Urahara Kisuke subconsciously held his breath.
Everything before his eyes had thoroughly and completely exceeded his understanding.
Naraku Sora hadn't conquered Hueco Mundo and Las Noches for the purpose of building a military organization; he had genuinely brought substantial changes to these Menos Grande.
It was hard to imagine that Menos Grande, beings driven primarily by negative emotions, would actually have smiles of happiness and satisfaction beaming on their faces.
This was a rare sight even in the Soul Society.
As a former member of Squad 2 and the Onmitsukidō, Urahara Kisuke used to frequently travel to the Rukongai for missions before joining the Shino Prison.
There, he had seen civilian souls with barely enough clothes to cover their bodies, children who couldn't even get a sip of water, and people slaughtering each other just to fight over a pitiful scrap of food...
The further back the districts were, the fewer genuine smiles could be seen.
The contrast between the two caused a flash of daze in Urahara Kisuke's eyes.
*Which side is the real hell?*
"Kisuke, how does it feel?" Naraku Sora asked aloud.
Urahara Kisuke remained silent for a few seconds before saying softly:
"Beyond imagination."
"I never thought the interior of Las Noches would look like this."
"I've been wanting to ask since earlier, Lord Naraku, what exactly is your purpose in doing all this?"
"If it's just to usurp the Head Captain, there's absolutely no need to go through so much trouble."
"You just need to say the word to the old man, and I think the Head Captain would gladly step down."
Hearing this, Naraku Sora shot him a look of disdain:
"Narrow-minded!"
"How can something given by others be as satisfying to use as something you snatched yourself?"
"I, Sora, do not accept handouts."
Just then, Aizen walked out from a nearby building, slowly approaching the two of them:
"It's actually quite simple."
"First, for self-preservation. Second, to overthrow all existing errors and establish a new, correct order."
Seeing the newcomer, Urahara Kisuke's eyes immediately grew wary.
Through their earlier exchange, he could now be certain that the true mastermind behind the scenes was not Naraku Sora, but the one who had been hiding in the shadows all along—
Aizen Sōsuke!
Whether in intellect or strength, the other party was not inferior to him, and was perhaps even stronger.
When facing such a figure, no amount of vigilance was too much.
"Let us discuss the second matter first."
Aizen shed his usual disguise, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly, as if everything in the world was under his control.
His posture was dominant, yet not repulsive.
It was as if this was exactly how he was meant to be.
"According to the records of the Spiritual Arts Academy, it has been a million years since the birth of the Soul Society. Yet, everything remains exactly as it was in the beginning; nothing has ever changed."
"Those high above remain high above, looking down on those below with an arrogant attitude, occasionally handing out useless charity as if to showcase their own mercy."
"And the strong have never thought of changing the status quo. They merely blindly maintain the existing order, as if everything is supposed to be this way."
"For example, Lord Genryūsai, and you."
Urahara Kisuke was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected Aizen's evaluation of him to be so high.
Even though he was just a slacker who only wanted to coast through life until he died.
After a brief pause, Aizen suddenly asked:
"Mr. Urahara, how much do you know about the Spirit King?"
Urahara Kisuke furrowed his brows. "The god who created the world, the great being who rules over everything?"
"Correct, but also incorrect."
With just a simple sentence, Aizen understood the information Urahara Kisuke currently possessed.
Perhaps because a certain someone squeezed him dry all day, he didn't have much energy to pay attention to things outside of work.
Under Urahara Kisuke's increasingly astonished gaze, Aizen revealed everything he knew regarding the intelligence on the Spirit King.
Including how the Spirit King eradicated the Menos Grande of the primordial era, separated the three realms at the suggestion of the Tsunayashiro Founder, and was ultimately ambushed and sealed by the Tsunayashiro Founder.
"From beginning to end, the Spirit King never resisted. To consolidate everything they had seized, the founders of the Five Great Noble Families dismembered him, severing the arms that governed 'progress' and 'stillness'."
"And scattered them across the three realms."
"For instance, that indigenous god Mimihagi, who once blessed Captain Ukitake, is the right hand of the Spirit King."
"Even so, they still felt it wasn't enough, fearing that one day the Spirit King might suddenly awaken and take back everything."
"Therefore, over the next million years, the noble founders hollowed out the Spirit King's internal organs and stripped away his power, until they created a 'King' entirely under their control."
"The current system was born upon this original sin, and thus has been maintained for a million years."
"You could say that it was wrong from the very beginning."
After hearing Aizen's words, Urahara Kisuke fell into silence.