NOVEL NEXT Chapter 118: Chapter 119: A Dilemma
In an instant, Makoto grasped Azashiro's scheme.
If Urozakuro's abilities as "Spiritual Particle Mirage" were not concealed, then as soon as a pathway between the Soul King Palace and Seireitei opened, spiritual particles infused with Azashiro's will and spiritual pressure could reach the Soul King Palace.
During this process, if Azashiro slightly disrupted his seal in Muken, it wouldn't be impossible for his true self to silently infiltrate the Soul King Palace.
At that point, Azashiro might go to the extreme of destroying the Soul King, the so-called "world's keystone," to execute his plan to annihilate Hueco Mundo.
"What an intricate plan…"
"In the past, most attention was focused on Aizen, but even a former captain like Soya Azashiro, buried in Muken, is this terrifying—using Aizen as a mere pawn to probe the Soul King Palace."
That said, Makoto still didn't believe Azashiro was stronger than Aizen.
In a way, Azashiro's lack of direct power to challenge the Soul King Palace was precisely why he waited in the shadows for an opportunity.
Still, from Makoto's perspective, there was no doubt—Soya Azashiro was an extreme madman.
"Soya Azashiro, don't you understand that destroying Hueco Mundo will disrupt the world's balance? This is common sense for any Shinigami." Makoto reminded him.
"I'm merely fulfilling my duty as a Shinigami. Destroying Hollows is our responsibility, isn't it?" Azashiro replied calmly.
Of course, such a justification was hardly convincing.
It was akin to a world police officer deciding to end crime by triggering global nuclear annihilation—absurdly claiming it to be in the name of justice and duty.
Makoto speculated, "Is this because of a personal grudge?"
For a moment, Makoto caught a fleeting expression of turmoil on Azashiro's face.
"Makoto-kun, why do you think that? Just an intuition?" Soya asked.
"It's not intuition," Makoto replied evenly, adjusting his glasses. "The reasons that drive someone to such extremes are often rooted in something as simple as personal revenge. But to reconcile this with their own sense of justice or compassion, they cloak it in grandiose rhetoric."
Azashiro fell silent at these words, his head slightly bowed, his expression obscured in shadow and difficult to read.
Moments later, Urozakuro's phantom appeared beside Azashiro, softly murmuring his name:
"Soya…"
That single word seemed to awaken him. He sighed and raised his head, his voice tinged with reminiscence.
"Makoto-kun, those are truly old memories—so old I'd rather not recall them. Perhaps you're right. My desire to eradicate all Hollows might indeed stem from a personal grudge."
After a pause, Azashiro fixed his gaze on Makoto and asked,
"Makoto-kun, if Unohana Retsu were killed by a Hollow before your very eyes, what would you do?"
Makoto froze momentarily, then smiled. "No Hollow could ever defeat Unohana-sensei."
"Then let me rephrase…"
Azashiro's gaze intensified. "What if Aizen Sosuke intends to kill Unohana Retsu?"
Makoto's pupils contracted. His previously composed demeanor cracked, replaced by a visibly unsettled expression.
Makoto knew well that Unohana, the first Kenpachi, possessed extraordinary strength.
Yet, if Aizen acted with calculated malice, even Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni—the strongest Shinigami—will fall victim to his schemes. This was why Makoto always regarded Aizen with deep wariness.
Quickly regaining composure, Makoto asked,
"What do you know? Are you offering this information to make a deal with me?"
"Answer my question first," Azashiro replied evenly. "Speak from your heart."
Makoto took a deep breath, immersing himself in the hypothetical scenario.
In that instant, he felt a surge of fear—an overwhelming sensation of losing something irreplaceable.
Rage. Uncontrollable, overwhelming rage…
To Makoto, Unohana might not be the entire world, but she was undeniably its radiant center.
After a moment, Makoto opened his eyes and responded,
"I would do everything in my power to kill Aizen Sosuke. Are you planning to stop me?"
"I've already said, I'm just an observer. And I currently lack the ability to interfere with the outside world," Azashiro replied with a shake of his head. "But I suspect I'm the same. As long as I can eliminate all Hollows, nothing else matters."
By now, Makoto clearly understood Azashiro's logic.
His goal had always been singular: to annihilate all Hollows.
Whether by transforming Rukongai residents into weapons against Hollows, forcing collisions between the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, or destroying the Soul King Palace, Azashiro was indifferent to the means.
For this reason, to prevent Makoto from disrupting Aizen's plans, Azashiro's will had likely intervened, prompting Urozakuro to withhold certain information about Aizen from Makoto.
Piecing together the logic, motivations, and Azashiro's extreme mindset, Makoto realized:
As long as Azashiro didn't waver in his belief that Aizen's actions wouldn't provoke the Zero Division, he wouldn't sabotage Aizen's plans. He might even deliberately obscure them.
"Perhaps Urozakuro's earlier claims about Aizen's ambiguous gestures toward me were also fabrications, meant to soften my hostility towards him?"
"Yet, based on Aizen's interactions with Gin Ichimaru, it's undeniable—I'm already on his radar."
"Maybe I was originally one of his test subjects for Hollowfication at the Fourth Division's plaza, but thanks to Soi Fon's intervention, I narrowly escaped."
Now, a dilemma loomed before Makoto: Should he avoid the Fourth Division entirely to stay safe, or should he investigate further, knowing that Unohana might also be targeted by Aizen for his experiments?
For a moment, Makoto felt trapped between two equally perilous choices.
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