Chapter 360: BSUS - 363: If You Believe, Then Close Your Eyes

*A move to make?* Luppi suddenly sat up straight, acting extremely "serious."

"Wake up, wake up! Nel!!"

"Eh? Is it time to eat?"

"..."

Of course, there were also those who only managed to get "serious" with someone else’s help. Their somewhat unreliable appearance made it impossible to associate them with the status of an Espada.

"A month ago, I had Ulquiorra go to the World of the Living to find a human—Kurosaki Ichigo. You all remember, right?"

Seeing most of them nod, Aizen continued, "The mission I am giving you all is to bring him before me at all costs."

*Is that Kurosaki Ichigo really that important?* Most of those present pondered silently. However, there were also some whose attention wasn’t on Ichigo at all.

"You all?" Ulquiorra asked. "Aizen-sama, do you mean..."

"You are correct. This operation involves all of you, meaning the entirety of the Espada!" Aizen affirmed Ulquiorra’s thoughts.

This caused the Espada present to either look at their companions, hoping to find answers in their eyes only to see their own confusion reflected back.

Or they lowered their heads in deep thought, wondering what the purpose of this decisive battle-like arrangement was, as well as the faint sense of contradiction within it...

"Is it really necessary to mobilize all the Espada for that brat?"

A slightly hoarse voice rang out from not far behind Ulquiorra. The speaker was an Arrancar of average build, with a weathered face and a white headband across his forehead adorned with equally spaced, identical curved bone horns.

As he raised his head, he met Aizen’s profound gaze. The man seemed to have been watching this direction for a while, causing the Arrancar’s eyes to subconsciously dart away for a moment, as if trying to avoid Aizen.

"Furthermore, you said that now is not the best time to start a war with Soul Society. Such a large-scale operation will only provoke the Shinigami of Soul Society into a full-force defense. Isn’t the cost a bit too high, Aizen-sama?"

After finishing his words, the man lowered his head again. He could feel the gaze lingering on him hadn’t dissipated. It felt as though an invisible hand was gripping his heart, making every beat feel incredibly constrained.

"You make a very valid point. The Hōgyoku has not yet fully awakened, and we still need to wait." Aizen finally spoke again, allowing the man’s heart to relax and bringing him considerable relief.

"But when that time comes, we will inevitably face the full main force of Soul Society. As long as there is something to gain, making them mount a full defense two months early is not entirely unacceptable."

*So, this is the final operation before the decisive battle,* the man thought to himself. He bowed to Aizen and said, "I understand. Thank you for your guidance, Aizen-sama!"

However, the man failed to notice the hint of amusement that had crept into Aizen’s eyes as he looked at him. "You really should thank me, Resen."

"After all, this might be a crucial piece of intelligence."

Indeed, this man named Resen Dieter was the very Adjuchas who had followed Hiroe back then, and he was now the 2nd Espada of Las Noches.

It was as if a crack had been opened in the sealed room of secrets deep within his heart. The sudden intrusion of sunlight made Resen uncomfortable, and he subconsciously took a half-step back to dodge the blinding glare.

Of course, such a movement could also be an attempt to flee. After all, the man pressing in on him—Aizen Sōsuke—was simply too dangerous.

"I don’t understand what you mean."

"Do you know that I hold great expectations for you, Resen?" Aizen said, before suddenly shifting the topic. "But as expected of Chōzuka Hiroe. To be able to create someone as outstanding as you without the assistance of the Hōgyoku... it’s no wonder you are so loyal to him."

*It’s over!* With Aizen saying such things, there was no longer any possibility of defending himself, nor would Aizen believe any excuses.

Resen believed he hadn’t made any suspicious moves. With Roka’s cooperation, there was zero chance of their intelligence gathering being discovered. Not to mention, regarding the intel of Ulquiorra and Yammy’s first attack on Karakura Town, Hiroe-sama hadn’t made any arrangements, which meant there was absolutely no way he could have been exposed.

So now, there was only one remaining reason for his exposure. Resen shot a vicious glare at Szayelaporro near the doorway. *It must be this guy who leaked the secret!*

Szayelaporro had no intention of hiding his actions. Pushing up his glasses, he stated matter-of-factly, "Don’t look at me like that, Resen. I merely made the correct choice. It’s what a smart person would do."

"And what about you? You’re a smart person, aren’t you, Resen?" Aizen asked with a smile, acting as though he would let bygones be bygones if the other party showed a willingness to submit.

Given Aizen’s personality, this was highly likely.

"Of course I am a smart person. Otherwise, Hiroe-sama wouldn’t have entrusted such an important mission to me."

But precisely because he was Aizen, he actually already knew what kind of choices certain people would make.

Resen looked up at Aizen and suddenly began to laugh. "And because of that, I will never choose you."

"Such stubbornness is very much like you." Aizen’s face showed no trace of surprise. Turning his back, he ordered, "Seize him."

*Schwing...* Tōsen slowly drew the Zanpakutō from his waist. Although Ichimaru Gin had his arms crossed and seemed to have no intention of attacking, the look in his eyes as he stared at Resen grew hostile.

At this moment, however, Resen was very calm. In his mind echoed Hiroe’s final instructions to him.

*"You might encounter a perilous situation you cannot face alone. Not just you, but even I—all of us might encounter a problem that one person cannot solve. You have to learn to believe, and you must believe. Believe that your comrades will save you. Not believe in their abilities, but believe in their resolve."*

*"So, if you believe, then you should..."*

Close your eyes. Facing Tōsen and the others who might swarm him in the next second, Resen actually closed his eyes. His fists were clenched tightly at his sides as he tried his hardest to control his body and resist the urge to draw his own blade.

A sudden chill touched his throat. It was Tōsen’s blade.

Resen’s body trembled violently, but he still tried his best to remain motionless.

His arms were forcefully wrenched behind his back. This time, Resen couldn’t move at all. The Reiatsu wrapping around him and even invading his body had already stripped him of his control over himself.

Resen offered not the slightest bit of resistance, allowing the enemy to control him. But if one listened closely, the continuous muttering from his mouth proved that he had never given up.

"Quickly tell Hiroe-sama, all the Espada are going to take Kurosaki Ichigo, and Szayelaporro has defected!"

"Quickly tell Hiroe-sama, all the Espada are going to take Kurosaki Ichigo..."

"Quickly tell Hiroe-sama..."

This seemingly desperate murmur repeated an unknown number of times. Every time it went unanswered, a layer of gloom was cast over Resen’s heart, making it seem as though he was gradually losing sight of the conviction within him.

"I..."

It was as faint as a gentle breeze, yet to Resen’s ears, this voice seemed more powerful than any shout.

"I heard you."

Resen finally opened his eyes. A thin layer of black mist covered his vision, smooth as a veil that would shatter at the slightest breeze.

Yet this black mist seemed as though it would never be blown away, giving Resen a sense of security—the security of that secret room, which had nearly been completely pried into, being shut once again.

"Seth?"

"I heard you, Resen." A slightly tearful voice sounded from behind him, quickly followed by a hint of laughter. "You should be glad. Glad that my legs didn’t give out this time, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to save you!"

"You run faster than anyone else. When have your legs ever given out?" Resen grinned, the taut string in his heart finally relaxing.

As for what would happen next, he believed that Hiroe-sama would definitely be able to handle it. He definitely would.