Many people only see Aizen's immense strength but fail to recognize his extraordinary talent in scientific research.
Compared to individuals like Kurosaki Ichigo and others, Aizen does not possess any extraordinary cheats or overpowered abilities.
Apart from his natural Reiatsu, which is exceptionally powerful, his only notable asset is his Zanpakutō, Kyōka Suigetsu.
But in the history of the Soul Society, there are countless Zanpakutō considered "broken" or overwhelmingly strong. Compared to some of those, Kyōka Suigetsu is not entirely invincible. For instance, against the Zanpakutō of Zaraki Kenpachi, Kyōka Suigetsu's abilities are rendered ineffective and easily bypassed.
If Aizen relied solely on his immense Reiatsu and a peculiar Zanpakutō, his highest potential might have been to become a strong captain—nothing more. Eventually, like many other captains of the **Gotei 13**, he would have faded into obscurity over the centuries, leaving behind no significant legacy.
But Aizen was different.
In addition to his Reiatsu and his Zanpakutō, he possessed something far more valuable: intelligence.
He was a genius.
Since he lacked cheats, he created his own.
Using his brilliance, Aizen invented the Hōgyoku and, through it, achieved evolution that transcended the limitations of a mere Shinigami—without needing a noble bloodline.
He even slaughtered the Central 46, a council of noble elites.
But was the slaughter of the Central 46 a simple act?
Not at all.
It was a direct provocation of the ancient order of the Soul Society. It was an act of rebellion, trampling on the status quo upheld for millennia.
Aizen had realized that the one who sat upon the "Sky Throne" was a farce. The true throne had been vacant for ages, and Aizen aspired to claim it for himself, creating a new order in his vision.
And as fate would have it, this ambition of his aligned perfectly with Arima's.
Arima sought to uncover the mysteries of the world, and the Spirit King was at the heart of those mysteries. But studying the Spirit King meant challenging the established order of the Soul Society and clashing with its ruling elites.
Thus, when a young and ambitious Aizen appeared before him, Arima saw an opportunity.
Arima didn't hesitate to nurture Aizen, guiding him to become his most powerful ally.
After all, the journey to unravel the world's secrets is long, and having a companion makes the road much easier.
Arima imparted all kinds of knowledge to Aizen, sparing him the frustrations of trial and error. This saved Aizen a tremendous amount of time and allowed him to avoid countless missteps.
And Aizen, being the genius he was, absorbed every bit of knowledge Arima shared. No matter how complex or obscure the information, Aizen quickly grasped it and often offered his own insights.
When Arima captured the pure-blooded Quincy, he did not immediately begin his own research.
Instead, he brought Aizen to the laboratory in the Dangai and let him take the lead in studying them.
"Master," Aizen greeted Arima as the latter entered the lab, though his focus remained on the Quincy in front of him.
Arima didn't mind Aizen's single-minded enthusiasm for research.
He approached and stood beside Aizen, observing the Quincy laid out on the autopsy table. The scene was gruesome and unsettling, but neither Arima nor Aizen displayed the slightest reaction.
For Shinigami, such sights were far from unusual.
After all, in their battles against Hollows, they had witnessed far more horrifying and blood-soaked scenes.
It could even be said that every Shinigami who had endured the crucible of war was, in some way, an executioner.
"How's it going?" Arima asked.
Aizen glanced at him briefly before responding.
"The Quincy are certainly unique," he began. "Their bodies lack significant spiritual power. Physically, they are no different from normal humans. However, their blood contains an extraordinary, unique power."
"I conducted an experiment by exposing their blood to spiritual particles. The result was astonishing—all the spiritual particles gathered around the blood as if they were subordinates being drawn to a leader."
"You were right, Master. The power of the Quincy originates from their blood."
"It is this power within their blood that grants them the ability to manipulate and control spiritual particles. And the higher the purity of their blood, the greater their ability to influence and dominate spirit particles."
"In addition," Aizen continued, "I discovered traces of spiritual seeds in the blood vessels of some Quincy. However, their placement varies—some are found in arteries, while others are in veins.
"This variance corresponds to their abilities. Those with seeds in their arteries possess greater destructive power, while those with seeds in their veins have enhanced defensive capabilities."
"This phenomenon is what they call the Blut. By controlling spiritual particles within their own blood vessels, they can temporarily amplify their physical abilities."
"The Blut Arterie, which enhances destructive power, and the **Blut Vene, which enhances defense, cannot be used simultaneously. They must alternate between them."
"You know this because they used these abilities in battle against me," Aizen concluded.
"I see," Arima said thoughtfully.
---
Arima then asked, "What about the Quincy who has lost all his power? Is he still alive?"
Aizen nodded.
"Take me to him."
Aizen led Arima to a Quincy who had used the Letzt Stil (Soul-Scattering Glove) to forcibly enter their final form and had subsequently lost all their power.
The Quincy lay in a dazed state, their expression vacant.
"If you hadn't told me he was a Quincy, Master, I wouldn't have believed it," Aizen remarked. "There's nothing special about his blood anymore. It's indistinguishable from that of an ordinary human."
Arima studied the captive Quincy intently, his mind racing with possibilities. After a moment, he turned to Aizen.
"Can you place his mind and body into a double-limit state?"
"What are you planning to do, Master?" Aizen asked, instead of answering immediately.
Arima replied, "I remembered something I wanted to verify."
"The Quincy who have lost their power—what if they can recover it?"
"To test this, we must first push him into a double-limit state. Then, we'll prepare an arrow made from condensed spirit particles and pierce it 19 millimeters to the right of the bridal chamber node in his heart."
"If he regains his power, we may uncover even more about the Quincy's physiology and their deepest secrets."
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