Chapter 586

While Hui was revealing the truth about Ichigo's heritage and starting to train him, Gin Ichimaru and Tousen Kaname returned to Hueco Mundo with the information they had gathered.

Initially, they hadn't held out any hope. Finding someone who had vanished for a thousand years based on a single name was a monumental task. Before this, no matter how hard Gin and Tousen searched, all they learned was that Yhwach had appeared a thousand years ago.

But now, Gin and Tousen had confirmed it: Yhwach was in the Soul Society, right in the Seireitei!

In Las Noches, upon his throne, Aizen, in the midst of fusing with the Hogyoku, sensed Gin and Tousen entering the main hall and opened his eyes.

"It seems you have a lead."

Aizen spoke confidently. 

He knew Gin and Tousen's personalities. If they hadn't found information on Yhwach, they wouldn't have come to see him.

"Yes, regarding Yhwach...he's truly a...very interesting man."

As Gin spoke, he seemed to recall something amusing, the corners of his mouth lifting into a high smile.

Aizen, already intrigued, felt his anticipation heighten. He looked at Gin, waiting for him to continue.

"Yhwach led the Quincy attack on the Soul Society a thousand years ago. He's the one who witnessed Head Captain Yamamoto's Bankai and survived. The current Yhwach is the emperor of the Wandenreich, and the Wandenreich is within the Seireitei of the Soul Society..."

Gin began to recount everything he knew about Yhwach to Aizen. 

As Gin spoke, Aizen's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

When Gin finished, and Tousen added a few minor details, a smile spread across Aizen's face.

"Truly...an unexpected existence. Judging by his experiences, Yhwach is indeed worthy of being considered a rival by Mochizuki Hui."

Aizen spoke, astonishment evident in his voice. 

To think that he had been in the Soul Society for so many years and yet remained completely unaware of the Wandenreich's existence, unaware of such a figure.

Moreover, the Wandenreich...

The name alone was enough to make Aizen slightly wary.

However, having never encountered the Sternritter, and coupled with his constantly increasing power, Aizen ultimately succumbed to arrogance, dismissing the Wandenreich as a minor concern.

"Continue your investigation into Yhwach and the Wandenreich. How interesting. This world is not as dull as I thought." Aizen instructed Gin and Tousen, a restless energy stirring within him, though he refrained from acting rashly.

Despite his arrogance, his two defeats at the hands of Hui served as a reminder that he was not yet invincible.

"Understood."

Gin and Tousen acknowledged and departed. 

They needed to reassemble the Espada and begin investigating the Wandenreich.

However, neither Gin nor Tousen held any hope for their investigation.

The reason was simple: It was the Soul Society. It was the Seireitei.

He and Tousen, two former captains, barely escaped with their lives the last time they went to the Seireitei. It was even less likely that Tier Halibel and the other Espada would fare any better.

Therefore, this mission was essentially just a symbolic gesture.

However, unbeknownst to Gin and Tousen, their inability to thoroughly investigate the Wandenreich was actually a stroke of luck.

The Sternritter within the Wandenreich were incredibly powerful. Each one possessed strength surpassing that of a Shinigami captain, especially the members of Yhwach's personal guard. It's safe to say that every single one of them could easily crush the current Hueco Mundo.

The disparity in strength between the two sides was simply too vast. If a battle were to truly erupt, Gin, Tousen, Tier Halibel, and the rest of the Espada would be instantly obliterated.

But there was no helping it. One side relied on raw power, while the other wielded the power of rules.

Frankly, if Hui didn't belong to this world, and his abilities didn't operate outside of its rules, he would likely be forced to keep a low profile.

The rule-based powers were simply too unreasonable; each one was like a cheat code.

The reason the Bleach manga was said to have a poor ending was because the later arcs devolved into battles of rules, a contest to determine who possessed the more fundamental rules.

Their fights resembled those of children, a constant back-and-forth of reflected attacks, with the ultimate victor decided solely by the author's whim. 

Too many cheat codes leading to an incoherent conclusion - that was the reason for Bleach's downfall.

However, none of this mattered to Hui.

The reason he gradually became so unrestrained was because he discovered that his power existed outside the rules of this world.

Furthermore, after completely analyzing Reishi, Hui began to "see" the various rules governing this world.

Therefore, Hui was supremely confident. In this world, he was absolutely among the most powerful beings.

Even if he wasn't invincible yet, it was impossible for anyone in this world to keep him here.

If Hui wished, he could leave this place and return to the world of Naruto at any time.

Of course, there was another reason for Hui's confidence: his assimilation ability.

It had been mentioned long ago that Hui's assimilation of spiritual energy was reaching a critical juncture. Soon, he would undergo his next transformation.

This was a soul transformation, allowing his soul to evolve, and not just by a single step.

After this evolution, Hui had a premonition that his soul would surpass that of all beings in the Soul Society.

At that time, the rule-based abilities of later "cheaters" like Yhwach would very likely become completely ineffective against him.

And Hui could use his higher-level abilities to launch a dimensional attack against Yhwach and the others.

If that were truly the case, Hui would become utterly invincible in this world.

Therefore, even though Hui knew he was being tested by members of the Sternritter, even though he knew he had attracted Yhwach's attention, he felt no fear whatsoever. He even had the leisure to train Ichigo, the protagonist of the world.

In Karakura Town, within Hui's villa, Hui lay on a lounge chair reading a book, a pot of tea at his side.

Meanwhile, Ichigo stood in the villa's courtyard, silent and still, as if he had lost his soul, leaving behind only an empty shell.

In a sense, Ichigo had indeed lost his "soul."

Because his soul was trapped within Hui's genjutsu.

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