Help! I am bound to Aizen!

Chapter 276

2-in-1-chapter

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Late at night in the Second Division, at Kaelith’s Technical Bureau…

Though Kaelith had long since left the Second Division, the building that embodied the peak of Soul Society’s technological prowess remained. The Division members admired his “selflessness” in not relocating it.

Kisuke Urahara, however, knew better.

Kaelith hadn’t moved the bureau simply because it would have been useless anywhere else. Which researchers in the Eleventh Division could possibly handle the team? No one. Better to leave it here than stick it in the Eleventh.

Yes, Kaelith might act casual most of the time, but when it came to weighing pros and cons, he was plenty shrewd… Kisuke privately grumbled about this while moving stealthily through the darkness in a black cloak, face concealed in shadow. Slipping past the patrolling Shinigami, he reached an empty lab. One quick Shunpo into the room, close the door—clean and silent.

After confirming no one had spotted him, Kisuke exhaled, then approached a large screen. His heartbeat sped up as he inserted a USB stick beneath it, pulled out the control panel, and swiftly began tapping commands.

The virus program launched, breaking through each firewall in turn. He’d used these same computers for years and was intimately familiar with their security. Before long, the entire security system of Kaelith’s Bureau stood wide open, waiting to be manipulated.

Kisuke did not hesitate. He accessed the data logs Kaelith and Aizen used most often, pressing the button with a twinge of conflicting emotions. At last, he truly was a traitor.

Sure, Kaelith worked him to the bone, made him do all sorts of jobs, but in the end, he’d helped Kisuke a lot. There was no turning back now. He felt regret, yet no doubt. Observing Kaelith and Aizen for years had convinced him they were plotting something huge—far beyond normal political maneuvering.

Something that threatened not just the Soul Society but all three realms.

Anyone else might dismiss that as lunacy. But having witnessed Kaelith Yurei and Sōsuke Aizen’s abilities firsthand, Kisuke knew better.

Sōsuke Aizen was a genius in research, strategy, and the development and application of Kidō. Though he always appeared unassuming, that was purely the face he chose to show. Beneath the calm surface lurked terrifying depths. Most people with great strength or brilliant inventions couldn’t help but show them off a little. But Aizen displayed no vanity whatsoever; he was perfectly content to stay hidden under someone else’s radiance.

This astonishing restraint unsettled Kisuke more than anything.

Kaelith Yurei was even more enigmatic—a born fighter who, in less than fifty years after graduation, had become one of the strongest Captains. In a mad frenzy, he could even trade blows with the Captain-Commander. Moreover, Kaelith possessed a knack for drawing in talented individuals. Whether intentionally or not, he had gathered more and more capable allies: Zaraki Kenpachi, Komamura Sajin, Tōsen Kaname, Gin Ichimaru… Every one was an extraordinary genius in their own right.

Thanks to Kaelith’s efforts, the Eleventh Division alone was practically half the Gotei 13 in power. Even more worrying was that all these elites saw Kaelith as their true center. For them, Kaelith was the one who had discovered and nurtured them, welcomed them into the Shinigami world, and watched over their development. If one day Kaelith and the Gotei 13 ever came into conflict—Kisuke dreaded the thought of which side they would choose.

He spent six months crafting a virus that left no trace, designed to break into the Bureau’s main database. Then he waited two more months for a night when Kaelith and Aizen were both gone. Now was his chance to find out exactly how far their plans had progressed.

Data flooded the screen, and Kisuke’s eyes gleamed—he was in.

Kaelith’s personal files were child’s play to crack: mostly useless items like game saves and… questionable images.

Aizen’s, though, bristled with terrifying defenses. Kisuke pushed himself to the limit, exploiting every trick he had, until he tore a tiny hole and began reading.

His expression darkened with every line:

*Breaking the boundary between Shinigami and Hollow…*

*Adjuchas cultivation manual…*

*Three hypotheses on the Soul King’s source of power…*

*Seireitei patrol routes…*

*Analysis of Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto’s strength…*

All of it was shocking. Just what was Aizen planning? Kisuke’s breathing turned ragged as he clicked on “Breaking the boundary between Shinigami and Hollow.” Sure enough, Aizen had already come up with an idea similar to Kisuke’s notion of the Hōgyoku. He’d not only thought of it—he was far ahead.

Kisuke had always regarded himself as the top-tier genius of the Soul Society. It had never occurred to him that someone might surpass him in research… until now.

Continuing, he discovered Kaelith and Aizen had defeated Baraggan and seized Hueco Mundo’s Las Noches. They’d even carried out countless experiments there, successfully creating an army of Arrancar. Kisuke felt a pang of envy—what a setup.

Then he jolted, snapping back: “What are you thinking? That’s criminal…!”

He read on—*the Three Grand Generals, the Seven Hollow Blades

Absurd… absolutely absurd!

Unaware of the time, Kisuke fell deeper under the spell of these findings. Research on Shinigami Hollowfication, Hollow Arrancarization—like a sweet poison he couldn’t resist. Before he knew it, his stomach rumbled loudly.

“Ugh… starving.” Kisuke stretched, bones cracking in protest. “I can’t keep going. They’ll be back tomorrow—if I don’t leave now, I’ll be caught. But I have enough evidence to prove what they’re up to…”

Muttering to himself, he began downloading the crucial data. Partway through, a thought nagged at him. If Kaelith already controlled Hueco Mundo, why store these files in the Seireitei at all? Keeping them in Las Noches would be safer and more convenient. Unless…

Surely a man as cunning as Sōsuke Aizen wouldn’t overlook that. Kisuke considered two possibilities:

1. There was someone even less trustworthy in Hueco Mundo, prone to stealing secrets—like that “Szayelaporro” the files mentioned.

2. Kaelith and Aizen had deliberately left the data here as bait for anyone who came sniffing around. And realistically, who else would know these systems well enough to attempt this hack besides Kisuke himself?

He let out a dry laugh, cold sweat breaking out. Time to leave—another moment and it might be too late.

He yanked out the USB stick. Just then, a voice spoke from behind:

“Don’t rush off now. I even prepared some snacks since you seemed hungry.”

Kisuke’s heart seized. Slowly, with a tortured creak of the neck, he turned to see Kaelith seated casually in a black cloak, watching him with an easy smile.

“Kaelith… sir…” Kisuke croaked. Usually, he’d greet Kaelith with a flippant grin, but the words wouldn’t come.

Kaelith sat with his legs spread around the back of the chair, arms folded across it. “So, how’s my carefully arranged data? Satisfied?”

So it really was all set up… Kisuke forced a grimace. “How… how long have you been here?”

Kaelith chuckled. “Ever since you plugged in that USB. You took so long reading I got bored and left for a while, then came back.”

Kisuke’s eyes went wide in disbelief. “Impossible. Even while I was focused, if someone had come in from outside, I would have noticed!”

Rising to his feet, Kaelith snapped his fingers. A dark shadow spread at his feet, and he sank noiselessly into it. Moments later, he rose from the floor behind Kisuke.

“Back in the day, I used this technique to discover the whereabouts of the hidden Wandenreich. The only people who know this move are my teacher, Aizen, Captain Kyōraku, and a handful in Hueco Mundo. Overlooking the Shadow Realm is understandable—it’s a gap in intel, not in logic.”

Kisuke fell silent, resignation flooding him. After several seconds, he sighed wryly. “I lose, Kaelith. Do what you must. But before you kill me, I need to know… what exactly are you and Aizen plotting? If it’s about controlling the Soul Society, with your current power, you’ll inherit the Captain-Commander’s seat sooner or later. Why all this trouble? Unless… your true goal is to become that being above the heavens?”

Kaelith paused thoughtfully. “Standing atop the heavens is Aizen’s dream. I don’t share that ambition. What I want is to change the Soul Society’s stagnant system. Jumping straight to some utopia is unrealistic, but we can at least modernize it to match how things are in the World of the Living.”

Kisuke couldn’t help feeling the disconnect as he heard Kaelith utter the word “system.” Yet Kaelith went on:

“Though, now that you mention it, the noble system survives because of the Soul King. If I want to abolish that entirely, I’ll need the Soul King to ‘speak up.’ In that sense, my ultimate target really is the one above.”

Kisuke took a shaky breath, frowning in deep thought. “But Kaelith, did it ever occur to you… perhaps the Soul King isn’t what you—”

His voice cut off mid-sentence as he jerked his wrist, snatching out his Zanpakutō.

“Scream, Benihime!!”

A bright red beam of energy erupted from the short blade, engulfing Kaelith in a surge of light. Knowing a single Shikai attack wouldn’t truly harm him, Kisuke spun and ran. He yanked off his hood, letting his spiritual pressure flare. Drawing more attention was now the priority—if only the Captain-Commander or someone else would come running.

Boom!

He unleashed every ounce of reiatsu in a massive blue column shooting into the sky. Please, someone out there, notice something’s wrong…

Outside, various Second Division members and passing Shinigami did, in fact, sense that violent surge. They stiffened, ready for battle.

“What’s going on?”

“Are we under attack?”

“Let’s go check!”

But then they realized the spiritual pressure came from Kaelith’s Technical Bureau and recognized the signature as Kisuke Urahara’s. Relaxing, they shared a laugh.

“Jeez, scared me for a second. Must be Captain Kaelith sparring with Third Seat Urahara.”

“False alarm, folks. Let’s clear out.”

“Say, once we’re off duty, let’s drop by Runrinin for a drink…”

Casually chatting about their plans, everyone dispersed.

Feeling no rescue arrive, Kisuke stiffened in horror. The entire Second Division must have been neutralized!

As that dread sank in, Kaelith’s voice spoke again, right at his shoulder.

“Kisuke~ where do you think you’re off to?”

“Eek…!”

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