Help! I am bound to Aizen!

Chapter 259

2-in-1 chapter

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Hueco Mundo, Las Noches.

Silver moonlight spilled across the land.

Countless collapsed, shattered walls bore stark witness to the brutal war that had taken place here.

Traces of Respira corrosion and the aftermath of Cero and Kido bombardments were everywhere.

Numerous Adjuchas, as well as Shinigami from the Tsunayashiro family, were hard at work repairing Las Noches.

In a damaged tower, Baraggan stood in his room, gazing out the window.

A day earlier, during the war for the king’s throne, he had used Respira as his trump card and demanded that Aizen Sōsuke and Kaelith submit to him.

He never expected Aizen’s threat to be real.

Under an intense mental disruption, Baraggan was shocked to find he couldn’t even tell how much power he himself was using.

With no other option, he steeled himself, roughly confirmed his own defense, then released Respira.

In an instant, he realized something was wrong.

Several parts of his body had been corroded by his own Respira.

Acting decisively, Baraggan swung his arm and cut away those sections of bone.

Watching what had once been pieces of his own body crumble into dust and blow away, Baraggan felt deeply unsettled.

Such a twisted power truly existed in this world?

He couldn’t even tell how fully his own body was being protected?

If that ability grew stronger, would it be possible to interfere with another’s very thoughts?

Kaelith, Aizen Sōsuke…

Those two names were etched into his mind like a curse.

With every tactic failing, he finally chose to concede.

Death would be the most fitting end for a fallen king.

But sadly, he lacked that courage.

Dying with dignity sounded simple, yet few could truly follow through.

The more Baraggan dwelled on it, the more frustrated he became, so he simply sank onto the throne he had dragged into his room and gave up thinking altogether.

…

Elsewhere in Las Noches, inside a certain room:

“You’re staying here?” Kaelith asked in surprise upon hearing Aizen’s words.

Aizen nodded. “Las Noches has just changed hands, and it needs all sorts of reconstruction. You have your duties as a captain and can’t remain here for long. As for me…I left one of my subordinates back at the study, working through paperwork. I’ve used Kyōka Suigetsu so everyone sees him as me. While I’m ‘busy with official business,’ Captain Hirako won’t disturb me, so there’s little risk of exposure. During this time, I’ll personally oversee the rebuilding of Las Noches and work on a few projects with Szayelaporro.”

Kaelith nodded, gave a yawn, and turned to leave. Suddenly, Aizen spoke up:

“Kaelith.”

“Hm?”

“Besides the abilities I already know about, you possess another special power, don’t you?”

“Huh?” Kaelith turned back, looking puzzled.

“A special power? What do you mean?”

Aizen regarded him calmly. “You can enhance Reiryoku. For instance…you can make your spiritual pressure match another person’s.”

Those words made Kaelith freeze.

He’d prepared himself for the possibility that Aizen would figure it out sooner or later, but now that the moment had arrived, he still panicked. How was he supposed to respond?

Before his mind could settle on an answer, he blurted out a laugh:

“Hahahaha! Sōsuke, you’re really joking around. There’s no such power in the world!”

To hell with scruples or dignity—none of that mattered now!

Aizen studied Kaelith’s carefree expression, then shook his head with a small smile. “Fine, just a little joke. If you have nothing else, go on. I need to get to work.”

Relieved, Kaelith quickly backed away. “You’re starting work right now? Alright then, I’ll leave you to it!”

Waving as he hurried out, Kaelith made his escape.

Watching him go, Aizen rubbed his chin thoughtfully. The world was vast indeed, and all sorts of peculiar abilities might exist. He’d first noticed something amiss when Kaelith fought Starrk. At full strength, Kaelith’s Reiryoku had exactly matched Aizen’s. That odd phenomenon reminded him of many past incidents—sparring sessions, Kaelith’s battles with various enemies… And above all, he recalled their academy days, when Kaelith suddenly asked him to take him to the 1st Division to see the Captain-Commander. At the time, Aizen had thought his classmate seemed a bit delirious. In retrospect, putting the answer before the process helped everything click.

Standing in the lab, Aizen looked at the equipment arrayed before him, feeling strangely calm. By nature, he wouldn’t typically stand by if someone might be siphoning the fruits of his effort. Even if it was only a possibility, he wouldn’t allow it. Yet now, he felt no anger at all.

Perhaps his mindset had shifted, or maybe it was because that person was Kaelith, so he simply didn’t care. Either way, someone else was undoubtedly responsible for this change in him.

Smiling wryly, Aizen sat down at a monitor and began organizing data.

Meanwhile, Kaelith’s return to the Soul Society was somewhat less peaceful. The first thing he did upon arriving was pull out his private stash of money and secretly open a garment workshop in the Rukongai district. Officially, it produced everyday clothing and bedding for regular citizens, but in reality, it was there to fabricate new captain’s Haori for Kaelith.

A few days later, Kaelith, clad in a freshly forged Haori, proudly visited the 1st Division. Before long, Yamamoto discovered the substandard material and pursued him in anger. After getting smacked on the head, Kaelith retreated to his workshop and explained Yamamoto’s findings to the tailors. On his way back, he even sneaked into the 8th Division to “borrow” his senior’s Haori for reference. Eventually, after getting beaten twice more, the workshop’s tailors perfected the method of replicating a Haori.

Gazing at these indistinguishable copies, Kaelith was delighted. From now on, he was unstoppable. Let’s see how that old man Yamamoto tries to hassle me now!

…

For the next while, Kaelith’s life was relatively peaceful. Hueco Mundo was tranquil thanks to Aizen’s presence and the Adjuchas under his command. Kaelith dropped by a few times. With the combined efforts of the Adjuchas and the Tsunayashiro Shinigami, the reconstruction of Las Noches was proceeding swiftly.

Roaming among the renovation crews, Kaelith offered his opinions now and then, occasionally indulging in a bit of design himself. Aizen had to suppress an oncoming headache whenever Kaelith started remodeling things.

In the second year after he took Hueco Mundo, Marenoshin Ōmaeda paid him a visit, bringing large amounts of gold, silver, and valuable items. Kaelith was somewhat puzzled. He and Marenoshin had known each other for quite some time; ordinarily, the man could just ask for help. There was no need for so much ceremony. But Marenoshin got straight to the point.

“Lord Kaelith, I heard that under your command, the 11th Division has changed completely. I have a friend at Shin’ō Academy who says many of today’s top cadets were trained by the 11th Division. So…I’m wondering if I could send my son to serve under you for a while, let you straighten him out. Don’t worry—no one knows my boy’s limits better than I do. I’m not expecting him to become some prodigy like those monstrous talents. As long as he can take my place one day and not disgrace the 2nd Division, I’ll be content. These gifts are just a deposit—there’ll be more to come if it all works out!”

Upon hearing Marenoshin’s request, Kaelith nodded in understanding. “So you’ve heard of our unstoppable Kaelith Training Institute, famed for turning out top-class barb…cough, top-class Shinigami. You’ve come to the right place, my good sir! Where’s your son now?”

Marenoshin grinned and yanked out the person clinging to his back—a round-bellied boy in flashy, gold-studded clothes, a heavy gold chain draped across his chest. Pulled out, the boy looked at Kaelith warily. Though they weren’t that far apart in age, he acted like he was facing a high elder.

Kaelith nearly laughed. Sure enough, it was Marechiyo Ōmaeda…in the original timeline, a top-notch comedic figure and, in some sense, a “child of fate.” The 11th Division was said to produce talents, but in truth, Kaelith was the one who kept attracting those with significant roles in history—Tōsen, Komamura, Kenpachi…all future captains.

Even Rangiku, who’d been stuck at lieutenant level, still had limitless potential once she kept hold of the Spirit King’s fingernail. What about Marechiyo? Considering his comedic exploits, Kaelith suspected that even after training in the 11th, he might not develop too far. Fortunately, Marenoshin wasn’t expecting miracles. Since the client’s expectations were modest, Kaelith felt relieved.

“Alright, if you trust me, leave Marechiyo—er, leave your son in my care,” he agreed. “But I’ll say this up front: once he’s here, I’d prefer you not come to see him. Once his training is finished, I’ll send him back to show you the results.”

Overjoyed, Marenoshin readily agreed to that one condition. Taking comfort in his hopes for his son’s future, he departed by carriage.

Kaelith watched him fade into the distance with a smile, then turned back to Marechiyo with a devilish grin.

The next day, Marechiyo’s screams rang out over the 11th Division.

Kaelith’s method of training him was simple: start by making him lose weight. In the original story, Marechiyo Ōmaeda could move faster than certain Arrancar using Shunpo while sporting that bulky physique, implying he had solid talent. If he slimmed down, his speed would surely soar even higher.

Then Kaelith would push him into grueling battles and high-pressure drills. As for the intensity—maybe start at one-tenth of what Kenpachi had endured. With luck, when Marenoshin came to pick him up, his son would still be in one piece…

…

Several years passed in the blink of an eye.

Soon enough, it was recruitment season again. Kaelith donned his captain’s Haori and cheerfully welcomed new blood into the 11th Division.

A few years earlier, his first official recruitment effort had caused quite a stir. Typically, the 11th Division only managed to attract rough-and-tumble men, but that year alone, they brought in over thirty female recruits.

Shunsui Kyōraku, the first to complain, soon discovered that most of these recruits had once taken Kaelith’s calligraphy class at Shin’ō Academy. Many of the female students had formed various dreamy impressions of Kaelith and flocked to join him upon graduation. Naturally, Kaelith welcomed them with open arms, provoking Kyōraku to sulk in private.

In the years that followed, the 11th Division continued to see a rising number of female recruits. People’s reactions shifted from shock to resignation, from envy to numb acceptance.

“Alright…Aizawa Kita, congratulations on joining the 11th Division!” Kaelith extended a hand toward the newly enlisted woman, smiling. Blushing, she nodded quickly.

Next up was a new student who plopped down on the seat in front of him. Kaelith was still scanning the previous candidate’s information and assumed the newcomer was male based on that brash posture. He glanced up and froze.

Sitting there was a young woman with golden-orange hair. She regarded him with a broad grin.

“A graduate of Shin’ō Academy, Matsumoto Rangiku,” she said. “Here to apply for the 11th Division!”

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