Bleach: No cheat codes, he joined Aizen's side.

Chapter 157, Page 155. Don't you have even the slightest interest in Barragán?
The same red sun rises as usual in both the Soul Society and the human world.

The battle that took place in Hokkaido was the shortest. After the captain was dispatched, Gin Ichimaru defeated all the modified souls by himself.

The whole process was largely predictable; before Gin Ichimaru's divine spear, those modified souls were as fragile as thin paper.

However, after swiftly eliminating these modified souls, Gin Ichimaru seemed unsatisfied. As if worried that there might still be some that had escaped, he began a thorough search throughout Hokkaido.

In another battlefield in the real world, the battle was far more brutal than that on Ichimaru Gin's side.

Of course, it was the Xu side that suffered the most.

Facing the meticulous and earnest Eighth Division Captain Kyoraku Shunsui, the daredevil Kenpachi Zaraki, the meticulous Komamura Sajin, and the professional support Second Division Captain Soi Fon, if it weren't for Kyoraku Shunsui's forceful decision to transfer Ukitake Jushiro to logistics due to his physical condition, specifically to protect Shiba Kaien's safety from the rear, this battle might not have lasted until evening.

Looking around at the devastating scene of death and injury, with only himself remaining alive, Koyat Stark stood in mid-air like a king, looking down at the Grim Reapers.

Just like the Grim Reaper captain opposite him, who called himself Kyoraku Shunsui, didn't use his full strength, he never really took it seriously from beginning to end.

Based on the combat power that these few Death Captains have shown so far, it is not enough to make him feel threatened.

However, at this point in the battle, there is no longer any need to continue.

He completed his mission, not only successfully keeping these Shinigami captains in the mortal realm, but also consuming a large number of Arrancars who were considered failures by Aizen.

Stark knew it was time for him to withdraw from Hueco Mundo.

If he had to find something unpleasant about this battle, it would probably be that he had several opportunities to kill Kenpachi Zaraki and Sajin Komamura, but was stopped by the Grim Reaper named Shunsui Kyoraku.

Stark sensed that the captain of the Death Knight was very powerful, but Stark didn't know why the captain had never used his Shikai or Bankai. Perhaps it was the wrong place.
Stark thought that if he had the chance in the future, he could challenge this Captain Death to a one-on-one duel.

Only with Kyoraku Shunsui did Stark sense a trace of a threat.

"It seems our battle is coming to an end today. Farewell, fellow Grim Reaper captains. I hope our next meeting will be a delightful battle!"

Stark showed no hesitation. While the last few Arrancar were still entangled with Kenpachi Zaraki and Sajin Komamura, he pointed to the sky and opened the Black Chamber.

Then he plunged into the dark cavity without looking back, discarding the remaining broken-faced figures as pawns.

"Damn it! You're not getting away!"

But faced with Stark's "escape" behavior, Soi Fon, who was still being entangled with an Arrancar, could not bear it any longer. She immediately disregarded her opponent and was willing to take a hit from him in order to rush into the sky and stop Stark.

Then, Soi Fon, the new captain who had never witnessed the Starks' battle in the previous noble hunt, heard whispers that would give her nightmares and saw horrific scenes that would make countless Grim Reapers lose their will to fight.

"Chase him down, you pack of wolves!"
Resurrect, Infinite Reload - Cero!

The instant the words ended, in Soi Fon's field of vision, and beyond, in all visible and invisible places...
Cero, like an endless shower of meteors falling from the sky.

As far as the eye could see, Soi Fon couldn't even find a place where she could hide.

Fortunately, the man who had been slacking off appeared in front of Soi Fon and used his powerful Kido Blade combo to tear a gap in the sky amidst the countless Cero flashes.

As for the other Death Captains, they each displayed their unique abilities.

Jushiro Ukitake only needs to raise his Zanpakuto in his left hand, and all the Cero that slips through his fingers will be absorbed.

Kenpachi Zaraki was "happily" enjoying the baptism of endless Cero. He wanted to tear open a gap like Shunsui Kyoraku, but unfortunately, his current spiritual pressure did not support him to do so.

He was just tough enough that in the end he simply lost all ability to move.

As for Komamura Sajin, who was also a brave man who dared to face challenges head-on, his fate was not much better than that of Kenpachi Zaraki. The two of them fell down one after the other in this rain of Cero.

Fortunately, those Arrancar abandoned by Stark met an even worse fate. Faced with Stark's almost indiscriminate attacks, none of these already precarious Arrancar survived; they all perished at the hands of their own people.

"Will they only unleash their true power at the very end?"

As he watched Stark's figure disappear into the black cavity, Kyoraku Shunsui murmured softly.

Although he was unable to confront Barragan and Stark, who were attacking Soul Society at that time, during the noble hunt, due to the area he was responsible for, information about their combat strength was completely laid out on his desk afterward.

This is also why Kyoraku Shunsui chose to stand aside and watch after discovering that Stark had never fought seriously.

As things have developed to this point, one thing is almost a slap in their face: Stark's trip to the mortal realm with his group of Arrancar seems to be motivated by a desire to betray his allies.

But the question is, what's the reason?

Is it that these hypocrites are fighting amongst themselves?

Furthermore, according to the intelligence from Soul Society, there should have been very few Hollows in Hueco Mundo with special forms like the Arrancar. However, it seems that the intelligence was wrong, and quite wrong at that. Moreover, the strength of these Arrancars varies too much.

But why didn't the Soul Society receive any news about this situation before?
Logically speaking, the number of Arrancars who were sent to the human world this time is already quite large. Did the Soul Society's expedition to Hueco Mundo not discover any similar information in the past?
These were all problems. Instead of rashly pursuing Stark, Kyoraku Shunsui planned to discuss these issues with the Captain-Commander after returning to Soul Society.

However, what Kyoraku Shunsui didn't know was that while they were still fighting fiercely against Stark and his group of Arrancar in the human world, the situation in Soul Society was far more dire than what they were experiencing.

The captain of the 6th Division, Kuchiki Aojun, died in battle; the captain of the 10th Division died in battle; and the captain of the 12th Division, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, was trapped in his own barracks and unable to come out to provide support.

Fourth Division Captain Retsu Unohana is focused on treating the wounded and has no intention of fighting.

Meanwhile, the captain of the Ninth Division, Kaname Tosen, was seriously injured and unable to fight any longer.

This is all the reports presented to Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni within a short hour after Barragan led his Hollow Army to attack Seireitei.

As a researcher, it's understandable that Mayuri Kurotsuchi was trapped and unable to fight back. Kaname Tōsen of the Ninth Division is indeed not particularly strong among the captains, which is probably a characteristic of the Ninth Division. Therefore, it's understandable that he was seriously injured.

But you, Retsu Unohana, are also pretending to be focused on treating the wounded, acting like you're not good at fighting. Who are you trying to fool?

Oh well, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni felt helpless whenever he thought about Unohana Retsu's personality.

It's already commendable that Retsu Unohana was willing to treat the wounded; otherwise, she could have simply sat in her Fourth Division barracks, oblivious to everything else.

"Has a message been sent to the captain in the real world?"

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni asked the vice-captain, Suzume no Chojiro, who was ahead of him.

"It's been sent. Captain Gin Ichimaru said their situation is also very difficult, and they can't get away for the time being. As for Captain Shunsui Kyoraku, there's been no response, but according to nearby members of the 13th Division, the battle situation on Captain Kyoraku's side is probably also very intense."

"I understand, Chojiro. It seems I'll have to trouble you again this time."

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni stood up and said with a solemn expression.

Although he always believed that he was Soul Society's last resort, he really didn't want to take action unless absolutely necessary.

Even his Shikai would cause enormous damage to the Soul Society's environment, let alone his Bankai, which could potentially destroy the entire Soul Society.

Judging from the current situation, it seems he has no better choice.

At the same time, almost identical reports were presented to Tsunayoshiro Kanbara, whose face turned ashen. "Still haven't they been able to contact Higashino Shuichi?!"

The Grim Reaper, sweating profusely from his questioning, replied, "Sir, we've made contact, but..." "But what?!"

Tsunayoshiro Shinbara was so angry he wanted to kill this Grim Reaper, yet he was speaking so slowly at a time like this.

"But the Great Sword Hunter only left a message saying he would handle it, and then he disappeared again."

The Grim Reaper answered with trepidation.

"He can handle it? Does he even know what he's supposed to be handling?!"

As expected, Tsunayoshiro Kanbara was enraged.

Does Higashino Shuichi really know the current situation of Seireitei?
Now, the only captain in Seireitei who can fight is Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni!
But there are so many enemies outside, what if they manage to break through here?!

It should be noted that Tsunayoshiro Kanbara has basically never fought. He is just a figurehead with captain-level abilities but no captain-level combat power.

He might have some confidence if he were to fight some ordinary Hollows.

But look at the guys who came this time. In just a few moves, they took down two real captains. Taking him down would be as easy as drinking water for them!
Meanwhile, Higashino Shuichi, who had just returned from Hueco Mundo, arrived beside Aizen Sousuke. Looking at the corpse of the 10th Division captain, who he barely recognized and who was wearing a captain's haori, Higashino Shuichi realized that he couldn't understand Aizen anymore.

This is really unlike Aizen's current style.

"Lord Aizen, it seems that you didn't reveal any information about your plan to me beforehand."

Higashino Shuichi looked at Aizen, his tone carrying a hint of questioning.

"Yes, because it was a spur-of-the-moment decision."

Aizen said it casually, as if he had only done something insignificant.

"Was it just a spur-of-the-moment decision? But why do I feel like you've invested almost everything you have in Hueco Mundo this time?"

Shuichi Higashino believed Aizen's words because Aizen had no reason to lie to him, but the more he did so, the more puzzling it became.

"After you told me about Tsunayoshi Tokina's thoughts, I thought about it carefully. Although I don't care about that so-called Lord of Hueco Mundo, Hueco Mundo is my territory. If Tsunayoshi Tokina wants to interfere, then forget it."

As Aizen spoke, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Higashino Shuichi was glancing around, and continued,

"No need to look anymore, I've erased the surveillance points in the nearby video hall."

"But this shouldn't be your real intention, Lord Aizen, right? It shouldn't be worth you going to such lengths for someone as mere as Tsunayoshi Tokinada."

If the current Tsunayoshiro Tokinada is the same Tsunayoshiro Tokinada after the bloody battle in the original story, then perhaps Aizen's large-scale mobilization would be understandable. But unfortunately, it is not. Therefore, Higashino Shuichi absolutely does not believe that Aizen would take such a large-scale action for Tsunayoshiro Tokinada, who now seems to be nothing more than a clown.

In Higashino Shuichi's eyes, Aizen was practically squandering all the resources he had accumulated in Hueco Mundo.

"Of course, but undeniably, this was the direct reason that made me decide to do it on a whim."

However, this plan had been conceived long ago, so its execution wasn't too rushed.

"So, Lord Aizen, what is your purpose this time?"

"Shuichi, let me ask you, do you think that if the Shiba family, one of the five great noble families and already disliked, were to lose all its high-level combatants and its members, would they be expelled from the ranks of the five great noble families?"

Aizen turned his back to Higashino Shuichi, looked at the burning red sky in the distance, and said softly.

Upon hearing this, Higashino Shuichi involuntarily gasped.

He probably guessed what Aizen was thinking.

"Lord Aizen, do you want to obtain the key to the Soul King Palace from the Shiba family?"

The Shiba family, one of the five noble families, possesses the technology to travel to the Soul King Palace. This might still be a secret to other Shinigami, but it is no secret to Aizen Sousuke, who had already entered the Great Spirit Book Corridor ahead of time because of Higashino Shuichi.

Higashino Shuichi knew that Aizen had previously tried to use Kyoka Suigetsu to obtain the technology to travel to the Soul King Palace from the Shiba family, but unfortunately, Shiba Kukaku, the only woman who had mastered the technology to travel to the Soul King Palace at the time, was not fooled by Aizen's tricks.

They were extremely wary of Aizen, and even almost exposed his illusions at one point.

This dissuaded Aizen from continuing his probing.

Higashino Shuichi originally thought that Aizen had given up, but he didn't expect that Aizen was just secretly preparing a big one behind the scenes.

Indeed, after destroying Shiba Kukaku's family, it would be incredibly effective to try and win her favor at this point.

Even without using the Mirror Flower Water Moon technique, Higashino Shuichi estimated that Aizen's favorability rating would be skyrocketed with his abilities.

"It's not necessary to get the key. As long as we know what kind of existence the Spirit King Palace is, where it is exactly, and in what space it is, it doesn't matter if we don't have the key."

Aizen said, neither confirming nor denying.

The implication is that once Aizen knows the exact coordinates of the Soul King Palace, he can build it himself.

If anyone else had said that, Higashino Shuichi might have scoffed, but Aizen's words...
"I understand, Lord Aizen. So there's no need for me to take action. I'll go and protect Tsunayoshiro Kanbara and make sure he can expel the Shiba family from the ranks of the Five Great Noble Families after this incident."

Having learned Aizen's true intentions, Higashino Shuichi knew what he should do next.

Clearly, the task of rescuing the damsel in distress was left to Aizen to gain favor with. Aizen killing the captain of the 10th Division here was probably to ensure that Barragan and the other Arrancar could wipe out the Shiba family before Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni could react and officially join the battle.

Therefore, in Higashino Shuichi's view, he shouldn't have much of a role in today's events.

Fortunately, although he is now part of the Gotei 13, he is not under the command of Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni. Therefore, he can ignore the Arrancars like Barragan and focus on protecting Tsunayoshiro Kamihara. In a way, this can be considered as him fulfilling his duty. Afterwards, Tsunayoshiro Kamihara will probably give him a big credit.

However, Aizen's next words completely changed the course of the whole affair.

“No, Shuichi, only you can save Shiba Kukaku, who has mastered the technology to go to the Soul King Palace. I am currently dealing with the trouble caused by your good friend Kurotsuchi Mayuri in the human world with Ichimaru Gin, and I cannot appear in Soul Society.”

"Kurobuta Mayuri?"

Higashino Shuichi was speechless. Just how many things had happened in Soul Society that he didn't know about during his time in Hueco Mundo?
However, upon closer reflection, Mayuri Kurotsuchi didn't actually do anything wrong, because the current timing was indeed what they had previously mentioned: the right time, the right place, and the right people.

Aizen smiled, his gaze shifting from the fiery red sky to an Arrancar not far away who was battling the Shinigami officers.

"Besides, if I remember correctly, the ability you borrowed from Shusuke Kisaragi is different from Shusuke Kisaragi's. Your ability is subject to your spiritual pressure, right?"

"Yes, Lord Aizen."

Higashino nodded; he had indeed told Aizen about it.

"So, right now you have a chance to feast to your heart's content. Forget about those Barragan's subordinates, but are you really not interested in Barragan's virtual core at all?"

Upon hearing this, Higashino immediately perked up.
"Lord Aizen, do you mean I can kill Barragan here?"

(End of this chapter)