Bleach: Drinking Makes You Stronger

Sometimes Bai Ye and Byakuya's names are often mixed up when using MTL, and this confuses me, if you feel something is wrong, let me know.

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Kōga—

A name Kuchiki Ginrei had long avoided mentioning.

Centuries ago, Kōga was sealed permanently in the Real World's Karakura Town after being accused of treason and killing his comrades.

But now, with Byakuya dead, only Kuchiki Kōga could wield Muramasa, the cursed blade, to its full potential. Kōga had already surpassed the second-class reiatsu rank, making him a formidable force even among captain-level Shinigami.

With Kōga's strength combined with his own, Ginrei felt confident in his plan.

At that moment, as Ginrei's voice resonated, the dormant zanpakutō before him began to distort and reshape in the air. Eventually, it transformed into a slender man with dark purple eyeshadow and a sharp, gaunt appearance.

A zanpakutō taking human form!

An impossible phenomenon, yet it unfolded before Ginrei's eyes.

Unperturbed, Ginrei watched the scene unfold without a hint of surprise. This was one of Kuchiki Kōga's unique abilities, a testament to why he once carved his name into history as a legendary Shinigami within the Gotei 13 centuries ago.

"Ginrei, are you really willing to free my master?" Muramasa's cold eyes showed a trace of doubt as he addressed the elder.

However, Ginrei did not respond. Instead, he disguised himself as an inconspicuous old man and, accompanied by Muramasa, departed the Kuchiki estate.

His destination was the Sealed Grounds—

Where he would free Kōga completely.

Meanwhile, in Rukongai—

In a remote, desolate corner of the district stood a modest thatched hut. Inside, a man with square-framed glasses sat, his expression unreadable as he perused a dossier.

When alone, Aizen Sōsuke could finally let down the mask of pretense he wore before others, revealing his true self.

"The experiments have reached a standstill, though not without results."

Placing the document aside, Aizen held up a small, translucent blue crystal. Though it appeared incomplete, the fragment exuded an eerie, transformative energy, subtly altering its surroundings.

The Hōgyoku.

Though incomplete, even this fragment was enough to induce Hollowfication in Shinigami or grant Hollows the power of Shinigami, creating what were known as Arrancar.

"If I could acquire Urahara's Hōgyoku and merge it with mine..." Aizen mused, his tone calm and calculated.

Urahara Kisuke.

Though he appeared to be an unremarkable captain, serving as the head of the Research and Development Institute, Aizen viewed him as a rival.

By chance, Aizen had discovered fragments of Urahara's research on the Hōgyoku. To his surprise, Urahara's progress far surpassed his own.

If he could combine Urahara's Hōgyoku with his own, the result would be a perfect Hōgyoku—an artifact capable of reshaping reality itself.

However, after creating his Hōgyoku, Urahara had deemed it too dangerous and hidden it away.

Aizen knew it was time to lay the groundwork for his future plans.

Adjusting his glasses, Aizen opened a black void before him—a Garganta, connecting Soul Society to Hueco Mundo.

Stepping through, the barren landscape of Hueco Mundo unfolded before him. The ground was a sea of white sand, stretching endlessly beneath a pale, eternal sky. Ahead loomed a colossal, towering palace.

Las Noches.

The throne of Hueco Mundo, reserved for its king.

As Aizen entered, he was met with deep bows from the numerous Hollows and current Espada stationed within the palace. Their eyes radiated awe and fear as they gazed upon him.

Years ago, this Shinigami had descended upon Hueco Mundo, defeating the reigning king, Baraggan Louisenbairn, and seizing control of Las Noches.

His reiatsu was unmatched, crushing everything in its path. Like a monster, Aizen had effortlessly subdued Hueco Mundo and its inhabitants.

Despite his overwhelming power, Aizen had allowed Baraggan to remain in Las Noches, granting him some authority to oversee the realm.

"Lord Aizen..."

Baraggan, draped in his black and purple robes and bearing his skeletal visage, reluctantly bowed before the approaching Aizen. Though he had not fully submitted in spirit, he could not deny Aizen's superiority.

"The Hōgyoku," Aizen said casually, tossing the crystal to Baraggan. "It will allow Hollows to become Arrancar. Strengthen yourselves. Once you've reached an acceptable level, we will begin the invasion of Soul Society."

"This... is your creation?" Baraggan asked, his bony hands trembling as he held the Hōgyoku.

As a Vasto Lorde-class Hollow, even Baraggan had been unable to undergo the transformation to Arrancar. But now, this small blue crystal promised to unlock the next stage of evolution.

Trembling, he clutched the Hōgyoku tightly.

Becoming an Arrancar would not only elevate his power further but also significantly bolster Hueco Mundo's overall strength.

Compared to this, Aizen's demand to invade Soul Society seemed a trivial price to pay.

Aizen watched the excited Baraggan with an expressionless face. He was well aware of Baraggan's rebellious inclinations.

However—

Even grains of sand and blades of grass have their roles to play. Once someone has seen *Kyōka Suigetsu*, there is no escape from his control.

At the same time, Aizen's eyes narrowed slightly as he gazed through Las Noches at the dim skies of Hueco Mundo.

Images of Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, Kyōraku Shunsui, Ukitake Jūshirō, Urahara Kisuke, Shihōin Yoruichi, and others flickered through his mind before settling on the face of Bai Ye.

Through Bai Ye, Aizen recognized a critical truth:

Despite its decay, Soul Society's older generation of Shinigami still possessed formidable strength. Meanwhile, its new generation boasted prodigious talents like Bai Ye.

If left unchecked, Soul Society's power would only continue to grow stronger over time.

Thus, fortifying Hueco Mundo and launching an attack on Soul Society to weaken its strength was an inevitable course of action.

Once he uncovered the whereabouts of Urahara Kisuke's Hōgyoku, he would initiate his plan without hesitation and claim the complete Hōgyoku for himself.

The throne of heaven... had remained empty for far too long.

With a sigh, Aizen seated himself on the throne of Hueco Mundo. Beside him stood Baraggan, bowing with apparent deference. Yet, in Aizen's heart, there was an overwhelming sense of solitude, an indescribable loneliness.

His ambitions—who could ever truly understand them?

The entirety of Soul Society had been deceived by a monumental lie, governed by that *thing* in the Soul King Palace.

Such a reality was utterly unacceptable.

While Bai Ye might share similarities with him, they could never be allies. At most, their relationship would remain one of mutual non-interference.