~ Next Bonus, 100!

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Time slipped by. Under Shin's arrangement, Hinamori Momo was successfully placed in the 5th Division, serving as his inside source to keep an eye on Aizen.

Did Aizen know? Shin figured he probably did, but Aizen wasn't the type to make a move over something so trivial.

Besides, he wasn't afraid of being watched. As long as Shin wasn't the one personally doing the monitoring, anyone else would just be watching a phantom.

The power of Kyōka Suigetsu was just absurdly broken. Unless you had Reiatsu that far exceeded Aizen's, or managed to touch the blade before its release, breaking the illusion was impossible.

And as for Reiatsu far exceeding Aizen's—Yhwach had designated Aizen as a Special War Power precisely because of his immense Spiritual Pressure. In terms of pure Reiatsu, only Shin could surpass him.

Among the rest of the Seireitei, not even the combat powerhouse Old Man Yamamoto, going all out, could generate stronger Reiatsu than Aizen.

Aside from keeping tabs on Aizen's Hōgyoku research, Shin spent most of his time coasting, not doing much of anything.

"Why are you here again? Is life in the Soul King Palace really that relaxing?" Shin asked, looking at Shutara Senjumaru.

This was hardly the first time she had come looking for him. Shin was starting to wonder if the woman had too much time on her hands.

"It is quite relaxing, actually. There isn't much to do in the Soul King Palace. So, what do you say? Have you considered joining Squad Zero?"

Shutara Senjumaru asked Shin, still not giving up on recruiting him.

This was the main reason she dropped by whenever she had a spare moment—she was determined to persuade him.

"The Soul King Palace is mind-numbingly boring, far less interesting than the Seireitei. I'd have to have lost my mind to follow you up there."

Shin waved his hand dismissively, as if the sacred ground others revered was something to be scorned.

In truth, the Soul King Palace was an excellent place for training. The concentration of Spirit Particles, or Reishi, was so dense that even a vice-captain would be crushed by the sheer pressure in the air if they weren't prepared.

"And you think being a slacker at the Shin'ō Academy is any more interesting?" Shutara raised an eyebrow and shot back.

"Hey, you're getting on my nerves. You want me to send you flying?" Yoruichi said, cracking her knuckles.

Yoruichi's expression was anything but friendly as she looked at Shutara. Although Squad Zero ranked above the Gotei 13, she had no intention of letting Shin join them.

Once you joined Squad Zero, you rarely had the chance to leave the Soul King Palace. That was the main reason Yoruichi was against it.

If he joined, she'd never get to see him.

Besides, Yoruichi wasn't afraid of Shutara. In terms of strength, Yoruichi's current combat power was on par with hers.

The members of Squad Zero were all formidable, but the Yoruichi who had trained under Shin was a whole new beast, her strength already surpassing that of an ordinary captain.

And what was an ordinary captain's strength? Well, about the level of someone like Kensei Muguruma.

While Yoruichi and Shutara were butting heads, Shin quietly slipped away.

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"The main story should be starting soon, right?"

Shin stood on the roof of the Shin'ō Academy, gazing into the distance.

The captain of the 10th Division, Isshin Shiba, had vanished without a trace. The position had now been filled by the young prodigy, Tōshirō Hitsugaya.

Isshin Shiba had likely lost his Soul Reaper powers by now and was living under the name Isshin Kurosaki.

All that was left was to wait for Ichigo Kurosaki to be born. There was still some time before the main story began, but Aizen had been making a lot of small moves lately.

Hinamori had passed along some information, but none of it was particularly important. And if there were any truly critical secrets, Hinamori probably wouldn't have been able to get her hands on them anyway.

"Should I just snatch the Hōgyoku from Kisuke Urahara and give it to Aizen now?"

The thought flashed through Shin's mind, but he quickly shook his head.

If he did that, Aizen would probably become wary of creating the perfect Hōgyoku. Would Aizen dare to use something that came from his hands?

"I'll just let things play out. I've waited this long; another decade or so won't make a difference."

After speaking, Shin's gaze shifted towards the shadows of the Seireitei's buildings. His eyes seemed to pierce through space, seeing into another world.

The Wandenreich, the "Invisible Empire"—a palace of ice hidden within the shadows of the Seireitei. It was the kingdom of the Quincy.

A thousand years ago, the war between the Soul Reapers and the Quincy had ended in a victory for the Soul Reapers.

The defeated Quincy had taken advantage of a moment of laxness, creating a realm of Reishi within the Seireitei's shadows. They had been observing the Soul Reapers' development ever since, waiting for Yhwach to revive and rule the world.

The current strength of the Wandenreich was immense, even greater than that of the Soul Reapers. Each member of the Sternritter was more than a match for a Soul Reaper captain.

"Well, I won't cause trouble for you just yet. I'll give you a pass for now." Shin could enter the Wandenreich whenever he pleased.

But for the time being, he wasn't interested. While he was curious about the Quincy's power, what truly intrigued him was the power of their progenitor, Yhwach.

Yhwach was the son of the Soul King. But this model son, upon his revival, would invade the Soul King Palace and kill his own father.

Yhwach hadn't been revived yet, so Shin had no interest in the Wandenreich. This was a stroke of luck for them.

If Shin were to enter the Wandenreich, with his terrifying power, even the strongest members of the Sternritter wouldn't be able to stop him.

Shin alone could probably get a team wipe against the entire Wandenreich.

"It's been a while since I've been to the 4th Division. I think I'll go pay a visit."

Shin's figure vanished in a flash. He wasn't using Shunpo, but a spatial technique. His Flying Thunder God Technique had been developed to the point where he could teleport at will, even without a marker.

Arriving at the 4th Division barracks, Shin saw the busy Retsu Unohana. He didn't disturb her, simply standing to the side and watching quietly.

"What brings you to the 4th Division?" Unohana asked Shin in her gentle voice.

Hmm, though her voice was gentle, Shin couldn't shake the feeling that it carried a hint of resentment.

"How could I not have time? I'm free every day," Shin said with a smile.

"If you're free every day, then why haven't you come to visit before?"

Unohana's question made Shin give an awkward laugh. He quickly changed the subject. "I heard a new izakaya opened up in the Seireitei. Want to go check it out?"

"Alright."

Unohana glanced at the documents in her hand. Hmm, Shin was more important. This work could wait.

Besides, she had her vice-captain, Isane Kotetsu. Even if Unohana didn't handle it, Isane would.

But Unohana was a very conscientious captain, which was why she always seemed so busy.

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