Higashi Shuuichi was... melancholic.
Who could've guessed? After more than a decade of relative peace—no major missions from Aizen, full focus on learning swordsmanship under Unohana Retsu—his next assignment would be a big one.
Instigating the Kasumiōji Clan into rebellion?
That was supposed to happen after Aizen's betrayal of Soul Society, wasn't it?
Back then, the Kasumiōji family had centuries of refined technique, untold field testing, and their Bakyōtō tech was nearly perfected. Their corps of enforcers—Soul Reapers equipped with Bakyōtō—was sizable and strong. Under the leadership of Tenken Shūsuke, they had the power and numbers to make a real move.
But now?
Just thinking about it gave Shuuichi a headache.
Kasumiōji's test subjects didn't fall from the sky.
Their so-called eighty-percent "success rate" was barely a lie.
And with Yunoi Yōkaku squandering what few survivors they had by throwing them into the outermost districts of Rukongai...
As things stood, the clan had fewer than thirty usable Soul Reapers wielding Bakyōtō—and not a single one at Captain-level strength.
With that kind of force? For Yunoi or even the Kasumiōji head, Kasumiōji Mayu, to imagine going toe-to-toe with the Gotei 13 would take a serious lapse in sanity.
Yet Aizen had still issued the order.
"Is it because I've been out of his control too long? Or maybe… maybe I haven't pulled my weight in too long?"
Shuuichi couldn't help but suspect Aizen might be looking for an excuse to discard him.
After all, Aizen now had Tōsen Kaname—a rapidly rising talent. In less than twenty years, Tōsen had already reached a level on par with most Captains.
Just last year, during a spar in Hueco Mundo, Tōsen had completely overwhelmed Shuuichi.
Crushed by sheer spiritual pressure alone.
When both parties knew each other's abilities inside and out—when they held back from killing moves—it came down to who had the stronger reiatsu. And Shuuichi's Zanpakutō? Absolutely unsuited for duels. Its Bankai was effectively unusable, and even its Shikai abilities had glaring limitations.
With that in mind, Shuuichi let out another long sigh.
His thoughts drifted again to another of Aizen's "generals"—the ultimate infiltrator, the silver-tongued demon: Ichimaru Gin.
That guy had even greater talent than Tōsen.
It had only been twenty-two years since Tōsen joined, and Aizen already seemed ready to cut Shuuichi loose. What would happen once Gin joined the inner circle?
Would Shuuichi be demoted to—what? Yamamoto's emergency fire squad?
At the root of it, Shuuichi knew: he simply wasn't gifted.
And when one lacked talent, they got ignored. Dismissed.
Especially by someone like Aizen Sōsuke, a man who valued power above all.
Maybe this assignment was Aizen's way of reevaluating his worth.
In truth, Shuuichi had only two remaining traits that might still appeal to Aizen:
First, his ruthlessness—his utter disregard for bloodline or noble privilege.
Second, his intelligence—sharper than most Soul Reapers by far.
"Sigh..." he exhaled again, dragging a hand across his brow.
"If only I didn't know my own limits so clearly."
With a flick and a twist of his fingers, the Hell Butterfly carrying Aizen's orders dissolved into ash.
Melancholy.
That fiery speech he gave to Unohana twenty years ago—it wasn't empty rhetoric. He meant every word.
He truly believed in "Heaven rewards diligence."
He believed that even without talent, as long as he had the long lifespan of a Soul Reaper, and with the advantage of joining the first-stage final boss Aizen's side early, his safety was practically guaranteed.
As long as he outworked everyone, eventually—eventually—he'd gain enough strength to survive the future invasion by the Wandenreich.
But twenty years later, Shuuichi had learned the brutal truth.
Unohana's words—"What if you never surpass that wall?"—hadn't been hypothetical.
They'd been prophecy.
Shuuichi's spiritual potential had a hard ceiling.
No matter how much effort, how many resources, how many elite mentors he absorbed knowledge from—his reiatsu could only grow so far.
It had taken him nearly twenty-five years to reach his current level, even with Aizen's personal guidance. And he hadn't advanced one step beyond it since.
Captain-class spiritual pressure. And that was it.
Aizen had known. That's why he brought in Tōsen despite already having Shuuichi.
Unohana knew. That's why she taught him pure swordsmanship—not to mold him into a warrior, but to briefly amuse herself until someone better came along.
But Shuuichi didn't want to be a placeholder.
If Aizen had been the only big boss to worry about, maybe it wouldn't matter.
Captain-class strength might have been enough to one day betray Aizen and pull a Gin-like redemption arc.
Aizen wouldn't care—he was never sentimental about betrayal.
The real problem was what came after Aizen.
Yhwach.
And the mad Quincies who followed him—slaughtering Soul Reapers on sight.
That catastrophic war that would claim 80% of Soul Society's forces.
For that?
Being a standard Captain-class wasn't enough.
Not nearly.
Shuuichi knew now: the quiet life, the humble schemer in Aizen's shadow—that fantasy was dead.
He could no longer wait patiently for some handout.
Aizen wasn't going to hand him a Hōgyoku-powered upgrade on a silver platter.
"If my reiatsu is capped... then what else can I use to rise?"
Chin resting in his palm, Shuuichi fell deep into thought, mind swirling with options and possibilities.
Just then, a black Hell Butterfly fluttered down onto his left shoulder.
"Shuuichi, today's training is about to begin."
Its voice belonged to Unohana.
Of course, someone of Shuuichi's current rank couldn't possibly own a Hell Butterfly—that one was hers, sent directly.
As soon as the words registered, Shuuichi swept away all stray thoughts.
That war was still a ways off.
But if he dared lose focus in one of Unohana's swordsmanship lessons, the punishment would be swift and catastrophic.
He'd already learned that once.
He didn't plan on learning it again.
Roughly five minutes later, inside Unohana's private training hall, Higashi Shuuichi bowed respectfully across from her, hands on his blade.
Their swords met.
Dust flew.
These days, at least in swordsmanship—
Shuuichi could finally exchange a few real blows with her.
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For this week I will do more release depending on the power stones !
100 Power Stones = 1 chapter (in addition to the daily update)
So give stones if you want mooooar !