CHAPTER 480: CHAPTER 480: IN NEED OF OUR PROTECTION

Hearing that familiar, overly friendly tone, Aizen shot him his usual disapproving glance but said nothing.

He turned away and patiently explained,

"The so-called West Branch is part of Soul Society, just like our Seireitei. Both are vital forces that help maintain world stability."

"Their full name is Soul Society: West Branch. It’s located in a parallel Reishi space over England in Europe, also known as Reverse London."

"By contrast, our Seireitei is the Soul Society: East Branch."

Masatsuki Aozaki suddenly understood, though he didn’t look particularly surprised.

Instead, memories from the past began to resurface in his mind.

He then turned his eyes toward Aizen, a complex look in his gaze.

Aizen noticed the subtle shift in Masatsuki’s expression and, feeling a bit puzzled, asked,

"What is it?"

Masatsuki gave a soft laugh, a teasing edge to his voice.

"Say, Sōsuke, doesn’t the fact that the West Branch operates independently of Seireitei feel like a betrayal of our grand ideals?"

He paused, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, a flicker of excitement in his eyes.

"Let’s go conquer it! Make it part of our ideal world."

At those words, Aizen’s brow instinctively furrowed.

In his mind, Masatsuki Aozaki had never been someone with a strong desire to conquer.

This sudden shift struck him as odd.

His instincts told him there was more going on than met the eye.

From what he knew of Masatsuki, this wasn’t just about territory.

The thought made Aizen smirk slightly, his eyes sharpening.

He adjusted his black-rimmed glasses and offered a mild smile.

"You’re a bit too late for that. Reverse London was breached three years ago by Yhwach. It’s now the main base of the Wandenreich."

Masatsuki clicked his tongue, visibly annoyed.

"What? It’s already been three years? Why are you only telling me now? I got excited for nothing."

Aizen chuckled softly and explained,

"They only just sent a letter asking for help. Apparently, Yhwach took Reverse London in a single day."

As he spoke, he pointed at the letter on the table and continued,

"A thousand years ago, when Yhwach began his conquest of the West, he fought a major battle against the West Branch."

"The West Branch’s elites were wiped out in that war, and it took a full millennium for them to barely recover."

"After that, Yhwach came here seeking the Soul King’s power, but was defeated by the former Captain-Commander."

"Three years ago, the Wandenreich invaded again. This time, they weren’t completely annihilated, but only a handful made it out alive."

"Those survivors must’ve paid a heavy price just to get this letter to us."

Even as he spoke, a smile lingered on Aizen’s lips, as if the casualties of the East Branch didn’t bother him in the slightest.

Masatsuki’s desire to conquer had never been that strong—but Aizen’s certainly was.

If they were truly going to build an ideal world, then the so-called West Branch couldn’t be left out.

It hadn’t drawn his attention before, but now that it had entered his sights, there was no way he’d let it go.

Masatsuki Aozaki understood his intentions and nodded in agreement.

"It’s really too fragile to fall in just one day."

"Reverse London, plagued by disaster, needs our protection."

Then, with righteous conviction, he declared,

"Yhwach’s actions are a perversion of order. As the Gotei 13, tasked with protecting the world, we must march out and crush this rebellion."

Aizen narrowed his eyes, clearly pleased with how closely Masatsuki’s words aligned with his own thoughts.

Masatsuki had no intention of objecting either.

For years, he had been constantly shuttling between Seireitei and the Soul Society. Life was dull and repetitive, with nothing interesting happening. Every day passed in monotony. Routine team affairs and missions to locate the Wandenreich were all handled by Aizen, so Masatsuki barely had to lift a finger.

In short, life had been peaceful—too peaceful. That very calm had left him restless, craving a bit of thrill.

The Soul Society West Branch was a brand-new place to him, full of novelty. He wanted to explore it.

It could even be seen as a vacation!

Besides, as long as Yhwach still existed in this world, true peace was impossible.

But if he was going to put in the effort to eliminate Yhwach, he wasn’t about to walk away empty-handed. Reverse London was the perfect prize.

So, with a serious expression, he nodded and said,

"You’ll be in charge of all pre-war preparations. We also need to draft a workable post-war reconstruction plan as soon as possible."

With that, he turned and left, tossing back a parting remark:

"I’m heading home first. I’ve got important household matters to deal with today."

Important household matters? Yeah right—you just want to slack off.

"Heh..."

Aizen let out a cold chuckle, picked up the Captain-Commander’s seal and the Judge’s official stamp from the table, and slowly walked out.

Masatsuki Aozaki exchanged a few words with Nanao Ise, discussing follow-up arrangements for the exercise.

Then the two left the 1st Division together, heading home.

...

Not long after, they arrived at the Aozaki residence.

All the wives were at home, currently holding a welcome party for the new member.

Orihime stood among a group of unfamiliar older women, looking a bit tense and uneasy.

Even so, she didn’t seem afraid or shy. She did her best to remain polite and engage with everyone around her.

When Masatsuki Aozaki entered the house, the women immediately gathered around, excitedly eager to hear what had happened.

He walked over and sat down beside Retsu Unohana, calmly informing everyone of the critical intel Aizen had uncovered and the upcoming actions.

The news hit like a bombshell, instantly sparking shock and chatter among the group.

"The Soul Society West Branch? I’ve never even heard of a place like that!" Rangiku Matsumoto exclaimed.

"Retsu-nee, you’ve got to know something about it, right?" Yoruichi Shihōin looked at Unohana curiously.

"I have heard some rumors about the Soul Society West Branch," Unohana replied, frowning slightly. "But there’s been little contact between them and Seireitei. I never imagined something like this would happen."

As he listened to the women expressing sympathy for the West Branch’s plight, Masatsuki Aozaki rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

Most of these girls still had kind hearts.

After that, Masatsuki began attending to matters around the Aozaki household.

Aura Michibane confirmed his earlier suspicion: the girl she had adopted really was Orihime Inoue.

He had to admit—Aura had a sharp eye.

The girl harbored a fragment of the Soul King within her. Her abilities had even been praised by Aizen in the original story as encroaching on divine territory. Saying her talents wouldn’t disappoint was no exaggeration.