“That was a delightful success.”
The second invasion had been a clean sweep. Shinji’s group had been wiped out, and even Kisuke Urahara and the Grand Kido Chief were dead. All that remained now were two Quincies, the Kurosaki father and son, the remaining Soul Reapers of the Soul Society, and the forces of the Soul King—whose very existence remained a mystery. However, all these nuisances would be dealt with in a single, final war.
“There are two months left until the next conflict. In two months, the final war finally begins.”
I had ordered Orihime to complete the Hogyoku, but the results showed it would take some time with her power alone. Furthermore, the Hogyoku itself was in a dormant state, so the decisive battle would have to wait until winter—no, autumn. Thus, I set the timeline to two months. I didn’t know how much the Soul Reapers would prepare during this time, but it didn’t matter. They would eventually succumb to the overwhelming power of two perfected Hogyokus.
“Then, shall I try a bit of cat training today?”
Lately, I had been brainwashing Yoruichi, whom I brought back from the second invasion. Unlike the other two, she was putting up quite the fierce resistance, which is why it had already been over a week. She was fighting the brainwashing that had already perfectly taken hold of the others. Well, thanks to that, I’d been having a rather entertaining time, but now that nearly two weeks had passed, Yoruichi’s resistance was fading compared to the beginning. One or two more sessions and Yoruichi Shihoin will become my Fracción. Once that happens, I’ll be able to neutralize two Captains with her alone.
About a month passed when I received an unexpected report from Yeriel. She claimed that even with Orihime’s Sōten Kisshun, the Hogyoku couldn’t be restored to a perfect state. Upon investigating the report that Sōten Kisshun stopped working on the Hogyoku at a certain point, I confirmed that its Reiatsu had certainly increased compared to before. Come to think of it, since even I didn't know the exact requirements for a 'perfect' Hogyoku, I called Is to ask; she said it was around 60 to 70%. Since the one who created it said so, I had no choice but to believe it.
“It can’t be helped. We’ll have to be satisfied with this. Go ahead and bring the other one to the same state.”
In the end, I gave up on creating a 100% Hogyoku and gave the 70% one to Is. Even at 70%, it was 20% higher than the one in the original story. As long as Is awakens the Hogyoku’s will within the remaining month, victory is ours.
When I previously compared Is's forces to the Soul Reapers, we were actually lagging behind with a ratio of 3:7. The Espadas each had their own goals and often acted independently. They only became a cohesive unit because Sosuke Aizen was at the center. That was why the Espadas in the original story failed to defeat the Soul Reapers individually. Even looking at the Ninth Espada, who lost to a Seated Officer like Rukia, enough had been said. Ultimately, the fight between Espadas and Soul Reapers favored the Soul Society due to their unity and experience, but that changed once a variable like me intervened.
I preserved the Espadas’ military strength as much as possible while grinding down the Soul Reapers’ forces. Additionally, I brainwashed Rangiku to ensure Gin wouldn't betray us, and I planned to use Rukia and Yoruichi to take down Byakuya and Soi Fon.
In terms of skill, Rukia didn't measure up to Byakuya, but if even a small opening were created, she could plunge her Sode no Shirayuki into Byakuya’s heart. Conversely, since Yoruichi was superior to Soi Fon in terms of raw ability, she could eliminate Soi Fon without worry and then assist the other Espadas. Just with this, two Captains were already as good as fallen.
Ultimately, the balance of this war was shattered by me, a reincarnated being. All that’s left is victory. The only slight regrets were that the Hogyoku wasn't fully completed and that I hadn't dealt with Ichigo Kurosaki and Isshin Kurosaki yet. Perhaps Yeriel might have to face Ichigo in the next battle. If that happens, the one to face the Captain Commander will be me, Is, or perhaps Wonderweiss and the Ice Emperor.
Even if Is and I, both lacking a fully awakened Hogyoku, attacked the Captain Commander's full power simultaneously, we couldn't guarantee a win. On the other hand, if the Hogyoku awakens, we win unconditionally. However, I worried whether it would even achieve awakening at 70%. While I didn't particularly crave the Hogyoku for myself, I had to be wary of a potential betrayal from Is, which is why I split the two 70% Hogyokus between us.
“Thinking about it, maybe the remaining 30% could be solved with the Shun Shun Rikka, but that isn’t certain either.”
In the end, awakening depended on the Hogyoku’s will. The Hogyoku. Created by Kisuke Urahara and Sosuke Aizen to break the boundary between Soul Reaper and Hollow, its power was something else entirely. Through that power, one could become immortal. The problem was that if the Hogyoku's will rejected you, it was all over. Thus, the Hogyoku wasn't something to be fully trusted. Ultimately, the only thing I could trust was my own strength.
“I need to assign the opponents now. In one month, I’ll send a challenge to the Soul Society and end this war using Karakura Town as the stage.”
The reason I killed Kisuke Urahara was partly because he was dangerous, but also because he was the only one who had fully analyzed the Garganta. Because of that, we can travel between the Soul Society and the World of the Living at will, but they cannot cross over to our side. Since Mayuri Kurotsuchi only managed to analyze and open a Garganta after seeing Szayelaporro’s research vault, he won't be able to decipher it in the time remaining.
“Now then, shall I draft the war entry list by adding the remaining Captains, Lieutenants, and the four individuals in the World of the Living?”
I needed to devise a plan to secure a higher win rate before the other Hogyoku was completed.
Another month passed after that. The second Hogyoku was successfully restored to 70% through Orihime’s power, and I absorbed it. While Is had embedded the Hogyoku into the center of her chest, I simply swallowed and absorbed it, so the Hogyoku now resided within my body.
“Who would be good to send the challenge? I suppose a familiar face would be best, right? Yoruichi, you go and deliver this to the Soul Reapers.”
“Understood.”
Once this letter announcing the total war against the Soul Reapers was delivered via Yoruichi, the war would break out in Karakura Town tomorrow. The reason for sending such an advance notice was to prompt them to deploy the Tenkai Ketchu. Fighting on the actual Heavy Spirit Concentration Zone would result in too much waste on our end. Therefore, I sent the challenge to the Soul Reapers to have the stage prepared in advance.
“Now, as you have all seen. With this, we go to war with the Soul Reapers tomorrow. Kill them all and seize victory!”
The Espadas did not break out into cheers. They each had their own pride, after all. However, they all knew how important this war was. It was the war that would finally sever the long, ill-fated connection between Hollows and Soul Reapers.
I'll finish this in one or two more chapters and start something new on Monday! The vote currently leans toward Yoruichi. Hmm, this time the protagonist will use Hakuda or hidden weapons. But since I don't know much about hidden weapons, it'll be Hakuda. And if it's Hakuda, it has to be Shunko, right!!!
I'm securing the Hogyoku in advance to prepare for Aizen's betrayal.
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