Bleach: The Strongest Shinigami-Chapter 262 ⥤ Imperial Talent

"Is this your Hollowfication form, kid?" Genryūsai stared at Akira with suspicion. Despite the transformation, his appearance had barely changed.

The mask was ordinary, bearing only simple patterns — nothing remarkable about it.

He began to doubt whether his wayward disciple's claims of mastering Hollowfication were merely a pretext to counter the Heavenly Way.

Perhaps he was using this opportunity to assess his capabilities, waiting for the right moment to overthrow him and seize the position of Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13.

Yamamoto narrowed his eyes. If that were truly the case...

That would be perfect! He had waited far too long for this day.

"Not impressive enough for you?" Akira touched his mask, his voice resonating with magnetic power.

"Hmph, ugly thing." Yamamoto snorted coldly, merciless in his assessment.

Enraged, Akira prepared to unleash his transcendent power and blast this old man — who clearly lacked any aesthetic sense — into oblivion.

Fortunately, Aizen intervened at the crucial moment. After this Hollowfication incident, they still had many matters to address.

Leaving the Lanza to handle battlefield cleanup, they returned to Las Noches.

Their first priority was to examine Akira's physical data, including his Reiatsu and other vital measurements.

Unable to contribute much, Genryūsai wandered through Las Noches, pondering whether Soul Society's million-year-old system or Las Noches's decades-young structure was superior.

The scenery along his path was pleasant.

Busy Arrancars moved about everywhere. When the Hollows spoke among themselves, they praised their current life with enthusiasm, their expressions particularly zealous when mentioning Akira.

They were the very picture of devoted followers.

Through his inquiries, Genryūsai discovered that Las Noches maintained a sophisticated system — one that borrowed from Soul Society's regulations but incorporated more elements from the human world.

Yet as he walked, something struck him as peculiar.

Then he reached a fighting arena, where passionate shouts penetrated several thick walls.

"Well done, Grimmjow!"

"Beat that guy until he kneels!"

"As expected of a numbered Arrancar, powerful indeed!"

Genryūsai suddenly understood.

This was exactly like a typical scene from the 11th Division. Of course — wherever that kid went, normalcy vanished.

Shaking his head, he continued along the pristine path.

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Aizen stared at the rapidly rising values on the screen, his eye twitching.

In his normal state, Akira had already reached a level beyond ordinary prodigies.

When he released his Shikai, his spiritual pressure increased slightly. With Bankai, his Reiatsu surged even higher.

Then came the Vollständig and Schrift — these two power-ups pushed beyond the instrument's limits, maxing out the readings.

But this was merely the equipment's limit, not Akira's. He hadn't even revealed his two trump cards yet: Hollowfication and Kidō patterns (Shunkō).

Aizen could hardly believe that this person sitting there, cheeks puffed out like a groundhog's, could be a terrifying monster capable of destroying the world.

He lacked even a shred of the dignity a powerful being should possess.

During the previous Hollowfication, Genryūsai had only faced an Akira who'd lost his rationality, fighting purely on instinct. That alone had prolonged their battle.

If they fought now... No, the victor would undoubtedly be this monster before him.

Aizen had absolute confidence in this rebellious son. After all, Akira still had many abilities he couldn't even use in his Hollowfied state.

Now that they'd collected most of Genryūsai's battle data, it was time to create a Yamamoto-type Arrancar Hollow as backup.

Though both sides had shown their hands, having contingency plans was always wise.

This was a lesson learned from Kisuke. To handle Akira's impossible demands, he'd developed an uncanny ability to think hundreds of steps ahead.

When someone requested a Reishi collision machine to test bodily reactions to Reishi storms, Kisuke would develop improved Kidō cannons, single-burst impact shells (dubbed "Impact Dial" by the husky), and even simulated strikes from Ryūjin Jakka.

Since joining the 11th Division, that workhor—ahem, fellow's research had advanced tremendously. His occasional bursts of insight even solved problems that stumped Aizen.

The catalyst for all this progress? None other than Akira.

"Well, Sōsuke, what do you think?" Inside the testing device, Akira grinned. "Speechless at my invincible form? I get it. Seeing a friend who used to be beneath you become an unreachable existence — it creates quite the psychological gap. Don't be too down; life's full of such twists."

Though his words offered comfort, his smug expression revealed his true thoughts.

Looking at that insufferable face, Aizen had never felt a stronger urge to become more powerful...

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Looking at the shocking scene before him, Kensei felt a chill despite the overhead sun, his body trembling.

"I must inform the Captain-Commander immediately!"

Yet he quickly steadied himself with his recently developed willpower, his expression hardening with resolve.

Taking a deep breath, he carefully retreated from the laboratory and walked casually out of the 11th Division's barracks.

"Forbidden soul experiments, victimized Shinigami colleagues... Captain Kisaragi has deceived us all!" Light flickered in Kensei's eyes as he muttered, "With such heinous crimes, he must have greater schemes. We must expose his true nature and uncover all his plots. Protecting Soul Society's order is our sacred duty!"

With his resolve strengthened, he hurried toward the 1st Division.

Shortly after he left, Kisuke returned to the barracks. As soon as he entered the room, he noticed traces of movement inside.

"Was it discovered? Should be fine — after all, the two-world integration plan is already on the agenda. Well, it's not a big deal anyway."

He scratched his head, then took out a bowl of viscous green liquid from the nearby operating table, showing a happy smile:

"It's time for your medicine!"

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"Disaster!"

The familiar exclamation made Genryūsai briefly think his troublesome disciple was causing chaos in the 1st Division again.

But looking at Akira's seemingly innocent expression before him, he began to wonder if something was wrong with Soul Society's feng shui.

He left his seat, yanked open the door, and called out to the courtyard with a displeased expression:

"How can a Captain behave so recklessly? Where are your manners?!"

Kensei, panting heavily with an unnaturally flushed face, stammered an explanation.

"Captain-Commander, sir! I discovered forbidden soul experiments in the Eleventh Division's laboratory!"

Genryūsai's gaze sharpened.

Seeing this, Kensei hurriedly explained all his findings and deductions, concluding with, "I observe that Kisaragi has rebellious tendencies and a heart full of treacherous ambition. Perhaps we should—"

Before he could finish speaking, a head peered out from behind the old man's shoulder. Upon seeing who it was, his words caught in his throat, his face turned deathly pale, and his heart nearly stopped.

"Could it be..."

"Kekeke, you've guessed correctly! I've successfully usurped power, and even Yama-jii has submitted to my supreme might! Now Soul Society belongs to me!" Akira crossed his arms over his chest, wearing a fierce grin that perfectly embodied the essence of a villain.

Seeing Kensei's face change from pale to ashen to nearly black, clearly overcome with shock, Genryūsai could only sigh helplessly.

Compared to the Arrancar in Las Noches, the Shinigami Captains' mental fortitude was truly lacking.

"Actually, it's like this." He calmly explained, revealing some intelligence about Las Noches.

After hearing the explanation, Kensei regained some composure, though his eyes still showed clear distrust.

Just then, space shattered within the room, revealing a deep darkness from which several figures in white uniforms emerged.

"So this is Soul Society?" Grimmjow's nose twitched as he showed a disdainful smile, "How is it even worse than Hueco Mundo?"

After modifications, Hueco Mundo's already extraordinary Reishi density had increased several fold. In comparison, even the center of the Seireitei was no different from the 80th District of Rukongai.

Sensing the Hollow Reiatsu emanating from everyone and the overwhelming pressure permeating the air, Kensei swallowed hard, unable to hide his shock.

These were genuine Vasto Lordes!

Seeing the Hollows respectfully surrounding the master and disciple pair, he suddenly felt an intense sense of absurdity.

Had he gone mad, or had the world gone mad? The Captain-Commander, whose mission was to exterminate Hollows, was now consorting with them?!

Seeing Kensei still in a daze, Akira shook his head and sighed, feeling somewhat disappointed.

Even after the 11th Division's special training, how could his mental fortitude still be so poor?

It was time to increase the intensity for this walking dynamometer. From now on, his special training would be handled by Grimmjow.

With a roll of his eyes, Akira settled this guy's fate.

Curled up in a corner of the room, Kensei inexplicably felt a wave of malicious intent wash over him, causing him to suddenly shiver.

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A Captains' Council was summoned.

When the Captains entered the meeting room, they were taken aback to find several unfamiliar figures already present.

Though these strangers emitted no Reiatsu, the Captains could sense they were extraordinarily dangerous.

At Genryūsai's signal, Akira stepped forward under the Captains' wary gazes, cleared his throat, and began explaining the meeting's purpose.

"As you can see, Starrk and the others are... genuine Arrancar Hollows!"

His words sparked immediate chaos.

Raising his voice above the commotion, Akira continued his explanation — covering everything from the Hollows' identities to Hueco Mundo's submission and the two-world integration plan.

As each shocking revelation followed another, the Captains' faces cycled through an impressive array of expressions, like a living rainbow of emotions.

Even after the meeting concluded, they remained stunned by the revelations.

Shunsui left the meeting room, contemplating Akira's words with a wry smile.

He'd thought his junior's usual antics were outrageous, but those had been mere preludes to today's revelations.

Still, change — however dramatic — would benefit Soul Society more than harm its rigid, stagnant structure.

The success would depend on careful planning and attention to detail. This was, after all, no small undertaking.

As these thoughts occupied him, a deep, hoarse voice called from behind:

"Captain Kyōraku, please wait."

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Shunsui turned to find a burly elder standing in the corridor, wearing a kindly smile on his weathered face.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Baraggan Louisenbairn, and I'm a devoted reader of yours..."

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"Is this your chosen new Knight?"

In the First Tower, Jugram studied the two people before him with a serious expression.

Akira nodded earnestly, "Madara has exceptional talent. He's mastered multiple combat spirit arts in record time and co-founded the Quincy Research and Development Institute. He's developed numerous new spirit arts and improvement plans for existing ones. Throughout the empire, no one is better suited to become a new Knight."

Jugram nodded in acknowledgment.

Madara Uchiha's achievements were undeniable. His merit alone surpassed most Sternritter members.

His only shortcoming was his brief tenure.

But if Hashirama could attain the position of Vice-Captain, becoming a Knight shouldn't pose any issues.

"If that's the case, then you're chosen." Jugram confirmed the new Knight selection and rose from his seat.

Under his guidance, the three soon arrived in another room.

It was a familiar scene — an empty chamber containing a star medallion embedded with a Quincy cross.

"This is the symbol of His Majesty's power." Jugram explained, "It is also the sacred object that bestows Schrift. Madara Uchiha, prepare yourself."

Aizen stood opposite him, his expression serious. Despite his previous observation, he hadn't noticed anything special about this medallion.

Jugram raised the medallion and aimed it forward. Instantly, his eyes turned blood-red as overwhelming pressure erupted.

Soul Distribution Power, activate.

Brilliant blue light burst forth from the medallion, immediately enveloping Aizen.

He carefully examined this powerful and unique force, analyzing its properties.

The bestowal ceremony proceeded swiftly. When the light faded, everything returned to calm.

Jugram gripped the medallion tightly, his expression somewhat strange.

Another one. He hadn't even had time to bestow a soul before the ceremony ended.

However, considering that the Sternritter had no shortage of similar talents, he didn't dwell on it. Instead, he asked curiously:

"What is your Schrift?"

Aizen emerged from his contemplation, lifted his gaze to meet Jugram's, and with a slight smile, calmly said:

"Schrift {R}, The Reiatsu..."

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