Kapitel 235: Great God Ōmaeda?
Ailin's memories were correct. Sōsuke Aizen, in his attempt to conquer the Soul Society, had sought to neutralize Head-Captain Yamamoto's formidable Zanpakutō, Ryūjin Jakka. He had extracted Aaroniero Arruruerie's reishi, hoping to cultivate a Hollow capable of devouring all Zanpakutō.
That plan had failed.
Aizen had then settled for a Hollow that could neutralize flames, eventually creating "Wonderweiss Margela, the Extinguisher."
It was Wonderweiss who had ultimately crippled Head-Captain Yamamoto, allowing Aizen to breach the Dangai and invade the Soul Society.
Now, this Hollow, forgotten by Aizen after his imprisonment within Unlimited Blade Works, had somehow infiltrated the Seireitei, its fate seemingly intertwined with the 13th Division.
However, due to Rukia's presence, Aaroniero hadn't had the chance to devour either Miyako or Kaien Shiba. He had been slain before he could fully utilize his power.
"Captain Soi Fon."
As Soi Fon examined the lingering traces of Aaroniero's reishi, Marechiyo Ōmaeda, the lieutenant of the 2nd Division, arrived with seven or eight members of the Execution Force, their bodies shrouded in black shinobi attire.
"Huh? Captain Ailin?" Ōmaeda, after greeting Soi Fon, surveyed the area, attempting to project an air of confidence, his "noble aura" radiating outward. However, the moment he saw Ailin, he froze, then quickly bowed his head.
"Captain Ailin, what an honor! I apologize, I didn't notice your magnificent presence earlier. Forgive my blindness, Captain Ailin. Please, don't hold it against me…
Captain, Captain Ailin, our family recently acquired a most exquisite gem, a treasure worthy of your esteemed presence. I'll contact the shop immediately, have them cancel the auction."
Ōmaeda's fawning wasn't without reason. He carried the weight of his father's past failures. Ailin, during his time in the 2nd Division, had defeated Marechiyo's father, Marenoshin Ōmaeda, to become lieutenant. After Marechiyo had joined the 2nd Division, inheriting his father's position, Marenoshin had given him specific instructions: Treat Ailin with the utmost respect, as if he were a captain. It was Marenoshin's way of justifying his defeat, salvaging his pride.
However, for Marechiyo, his father's words were gospel.
Ailin's subsequent rise to power had only reinforced those instructions. He had become the captain of the 6th Division, then, shortly after stepping down, had been appointed as the captain of the 11th Division.
And now, even his disciples were becoming captains.
Soi Fon, Marechiyo's own captain, had only achieved that rank after receiving Ailin's guidance, passing the captain's exam in a mere six months. Otherwise, according to information his father had gleaned from Yoruichi's grandmother, it would have taken Soi Fon at least another decade.
"Alright, Lieutenant Ōmaeda, that's enough…" Ailin felt uncomfortable with Ōmaeda's obsequious behavior. During his time in the 2nd Division, Ōmaeda had treated him with a mix of respect and fear. Now, it had evolved into full-blown sycophancy.
Almost every year, Ailin and Haruko would receive gifts of precious gems and metals from the Ōmaeda family. Whenever he tried to return them, he would be met with even more extravagant presents. Eventually, he had simply accepted the gifts.
"No, no, Captain Ailin, my admiration for you cannot be expressed through such mundane offerings…" Ōmaeda insisted, bowing deeply. "However, these are the best things I have to offer, so I can only humbly present them to you… To be honest, after being associated with you, the value of these items has increased severalfold…"
Ailin sighed. Ōmaeda had a point. Many people were willing to pay exorbitant prices for anything associated with him. The Ōmaeda family had undoubtedly profited from their "generosity."
"Alright, Ōmaeda, enough with the flattery. Focus on the investigation." Soi Fon, having completed her analysis, cut off Ōmaeda's rambling.
"Yes, Captain Soi Fon."
With Soi Fon's command, Ailin was finally freed from Ōmaeda's sycophantic grasp.
"Captain Ailin, don't take Ōmaeda's behavior personally. It's just how he is."
After Ōmaeda led the Execution Force along the spiritual trail Soi Fon had uncovered, she addressed Ailin, a hint of apology in her tone.
While Ōmaeda often appeared foolish, as his captain, Soi Fon knew him better than most. He had earned his position as lieutenant not just through his family connections, but also through his abilities.
Despite his imposing physique, Ōmaeda's Shunpo mastery was second only to hers within the 2nd Division.
Moreover, having trained under his father, his strength was undeniable, ranking among the upper echelon of lieutenants.
For Soi Fon, after Yoruichi's departure, if not for Ōmaeda's assistance, she wouldn't have been able to maintain order within the 2nd Division. With Ailin's transfer to the 6th Division, Urahara's appointment as the captain of the 12th Division, and Yoruichi's defection, the 2nd Division was severely lacking in high-level fighters. Soi Fon and Ōmaeda were the only ones who could truly hold their own against other powerful Shinigami.
Therefore, in Soi Fon's eyes, Ōmaeda was a reliable ally. She didn't want Ailin to misunderstand his intentions.
"Don't worry, Soi Fon. I've known Lieutenant Ōmaeda for quite some time now. He is indeed a reliable individual. However, his strength… it's a bit lacking. Tell you what, Soi Fon, once this investigation concludes, ask him if he has some free time. If he's willing, I'll offer him some pointers, see if I can help him improve."
"Thank you, Captain Ailin. I'll be sure to pass on your offer." Soi Fon nodded, not saying anything further. The 2nd Division, more than ever, needed stronger fighters. If Ōmaeda could take his strength to the next level, it would be a boon for the entire division.
Ailin's offer to train Ōmaeda wasn't a whim. He remembered that in the future, after the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, many fans online had jokingly referred to Ōmaeda as "Great God Ōmaeda."
This nickname originated from Ichigo Kurosaki's assault on the Seireitei during the Soul Society arc. Ichigo, in his attempt to rescue Rukia Kuchiki, had effortlessly defeated three lieutenants: Chōjirō Sasakibe of the 1st Division, Marechiyo Ōmaeda of the 2nd Division, and Isane Kotetsu of the 4th Division.
Later, it was revealed that Sasakibe wielded Gonryōmaru, the strongest lightning-type Zanpakutō, a blade capable of scarring even Head-Captain Yamamoto. Isane Kotetsu could cast Bakudō #77 - Tenteikūra, albeit the incantation version, demonstrating her mastery of Kidō.
Therefore, fans had naturally expected Ōmaeda, the third lieutenant defeated by Ichigo, to possess similar hidden strength. His survival, unscathed, during the battle of Fake Karakura Town further fueled their expectations.
However, Ōmaeda's performance during the Thousand-Year Blood War had been a disappointment. When Momo Hinamori had touched one of the black orbs infused with Hollow reiatsu and absorbed its power, she had been deemed a Bankai master. After all, Urahara had explained that only those who had achieved Bankai could absorb those orbs, preventing their Bankai from being stolen by the Quincy.
Ōmaeda, upon touching an orb, had been unable to absorb it, instead handing it to Soi Fon, allowing her to regain her stolen Bankai.
Now, Ailin felt he could fulfill the fans' expectations, turning Ōmaeda into the true "Great God Ōmaeda."
However, the extent of Ōmaeda's potential and how he would ultimately live up to those expectations remained to be seen.
As Ailin and Soi Fon conversed, Ōmaeda and the Execution Force, following the spiritual trail Soi Fon had uncovered, had found traces of Aaroniero's movements. They were now in pursuit.
Back at the 13th Division barracks, the other Shinigami flocked to Rukia, showering her with attention. Upon learning that she lacked sparring partners for her swordsmanship training, they eagerly volunteered, their chests puffed out with pride.
To train with Captain Ailin's disciple… Perhaps they could even glean some insights, improve their own skills. Who would refuse such an opportunity?
…
For a while, Rukia became the darling of the 13th Division. She had no shortage of sparring partners.
However, as she completed her "data models" for each Shinigami, the situation changed dramatically.
Those who fought her found themselves hampered, their movements predictable. Before they could even launch an attack, Rukia would already be in a defensive stance, her blade perfectly positioned to counter their strikes. It was as if they were attacking directly into her defenses.
Eventually, they couldn't even muster the will to attack.
To those observing, it appeared as if they were holding back, deliberately going easy on Rukia.
But the truth was, they simply had no desire to fight her.
AUTORENGEDANKEN 
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