Chapter 221: There's Even a Rematch
No immediate response.
Matsushita Yusuke just gave a slight nod, crossed his arms, and leaned back.
Hunting captains. Though he didn't have a precise sense of how the years had been passing, the current situation made it clear enough — the plot line had developed to quite a significant crossroads.
The bull-head had grown to its bottleneck, having absorbed more than enough souls along the way.
Moving forward would require crossing that one crucial threshold. In the original story, Aizen had made similar plans. Just not stated quite this directly.
'In the original, Aizen simply intended to let the bull-head roam free. In the process of that, it attracted Shiba Isshin's attention, which was what gave him the idea of having it kill someone...'
But this timeline's Aizen was clearly operating differently.
Possibly because Yusuke had been managing things for him, freeing up Aizen's attention, the boss had developed too many unrealistic notions about how untouchable he was.
He had skipped entirely past the cautious phase and gone straight to acting like nobody in the world could touch him.
Honestly, this carried very real risk.
The targets were captain-level. No matter how careful the preparation, things could go sideways.
Like getting fully equipped for a hunting trip.
You've planned for a wild boar. But the probability of running into a Siberian tiger isn't zero.
"Boss, as you know — this is still going to be fairly difficult for us at the moment. Captain-level targets aren't going to be easy to move against."
Faced with this conservative assessment, Aizen nodded agreeably and smiled.
"Of course I understand. That's why it remains in the planning stage for now. Matsushita-kun, there's no need to stress over this ahead of time. Start with the simplest components and work through it step by step."
Tch.
Easy to say. But who actually does the work?
Matsushita Yusuke rolled his eyes somewhere private, then thought it through briefly.
'Aizen having this thought at all is fundamentally because the bull-head has hit its limit. Going further requires tasting the forbidden fruit...'
Even if he pushed back here, Aizen wouldn't stop. The bull-head's importance had grown in direct proportion to its strength, and it was now a priority focus. That wasn't changing.
So what was the right move?
The hesitation was brief. Matsushita Yusuke made his call quickly.
Rather than letting the situation gradually spiral out of control, it was better to take hold of it from the start and keep it within manageable limits. If I take on the primary planning here, I can make Ichigo Kurosaki's birth a certainty rather than a variable.
The Soul King writes the script?
I'm supervising the shoot in person.
"I'm all in, boss!"
"...?"
Aizen had been increasingly noticing that Matsushita Yusuke said things normal people simply couldn't follow.
But. Well. Geniuses were always somewhat lonely. Finding no one to resonate with was an occupational hazard.
Having briefly related this to his own experience, Aizen empathized strongly and naturally let the inexplicable remark pass without comment.
"Then I'll leave this matter with you for now, Matsushita-kun. Do it well. Don't let me down."
"I guarantee I'll complete the assignment!"
With that settled, the matter was temporarily concluded.
And then.
Aizen showed no sign of wanting to end the conversation. His gaze dropped. He considered for a moment, then said quietly:
"Matsushita-kun, how have you been feeling lately?"
Not sure where this was going, but Matsushita Yusuke answered without hesitation.
"Feeling quite good. Is there a problem?"
"My Kyoka Suigetsu has had a new breakthrough in recent days. And I think..."
A brief pause.
"The time for a second challenge against Captain-Commander Yamamoto should be about right."
...There's even a rematch?
Just hearing that sentence, Matsushita Yusuke felt a vague phantom twinge somewhere in his memory.
The image of that day — being treated like roadside debris and sent flying after the old man released his Bankai — surfaced immediately and refused to leave.
Boss... my lower back hasn't quite forgotten that.
Of course that was only a half-joke. After all, Matsushita Yusuke was not the type of protagonist who gained power through birthright or plot armor.
Strength was something he had to fight for, something that improved through actual effort. And through fighting Yamamoto, he could concretely feel himself getting stronger. There was nothing quite like a reference point to show you your own outline clearly.
He understood this principle. And honestly, the prospect of a second round had his interest.
After all, winning came with rewards. Losing wasn't a net loss either. Either way he kept growing. And Aizen's Kyoka Suigetsu was right there for the exit strategy if needed.
Consider it a buff-stacked second dungeon run. Grinding familiarity bonus.
"Understood. Boss, when are you thinking of arranging this?"
If it had started as a casual mention, seeing Matsushita Yusuke respond with this much genuine enthusiasm gave even Aizen a brief moment of surprise.
He pressed his lips together slightly, as though about to say something. In the end, it came out as a quiet exhale.
"As expected of Matsushita-kun. Even I don't quite know what to say. For your professionalism and dedication — I'm sincerely glad."
Oh, don't mention it.
We're all in this together.
In any case, it was nearly midnight by the time he left Aizen's office.
Matsushita Yusuke walked quickly through the corridor, head slightly lowered, expression contemplative.
The matter was agreed to.
What remained now was specific planning and execution.
'Need to arrange the right timing, the right circumstances. Make Shiba Isshin feel genuinely endangered. And then, when he realizes he's backed into a corner, make sure the Quincy side also picks up on this situation in a way that feels natural...'
Slightly complicated.
The fewer participants in a plan, the simpler it stayed. The more forces were involved, the higher the probability of something unexpected going wrong.
With the current number of parties in play, just running through the logistics made his temples start to throb.
Getting through this was going to cost him actual brain cells.
Of course, despite all the internal complaining, the task still needed doing.
But before any of that, he needed to take stock of where he actually stood right now.
After all.
Strength was the most important reference information.
Panel, show yourself.
As his thoughts moved, the familiar cascade of data appeared before his eyes.
And within those panels was reflected everything Matsushita Yusuke had gained and grown through these past years.