Click.
A clear cracking sound rang in Aizen's ear. He knew with certainty his core could not break. After merging fully with the Hōgyoku, he had transcended mortality—immortality itself had become his confidence. And yet, what was this sound?
Confusion flickered across his pupils. Ever since his last battle with Moyu, he had found himself trapped again and again in dilemmas of thought, unable to grasp the changes before him. Moyu's existence, Moyu's power, Moyu's very presence constantly defied his understanding.
Strange ripples spread from the palm pressed against him.
Aizen steadied himself on the ground, but his body froze instantly, locked in place as though someone had struck a pause upon the world. He could not move.
The next moment, a rainbow-colored light flared above his soul.
A jagged thorn of radiance burst clean through his chest.
"This… what is this…" His gaze dropped in disbelief. "Kidō? When did—"
"Just now," Moyu replied, lowering his eyes. His tone carried nothing but calm finality. "Did something so obvious require explanation?"
Chains erupted. Countless black links surged from Aizen's core, binding him in an instant. From ribs to arms, down to his legs, every inch was ensnared.
He flared his Reiatsu desperately, but the shock that followed left him shaken. His spiritual pressure only fed the black chains. The more he resisted, the faster the seal devoured him. Space itself trembled as the abyss spread from his body, storms rising and the earth shattering beneath.
Yet Moyu only pressed his palm gently. At once, everything returned to silence.
The ability of Lanshou Tianzhu was simple—he gathered all into himself, controlled the winds, and through them, the world. Wherever Moyu stood, his domain was absolute.
Since grasping the nature of Ultimate Reiatsu, Moyu had noticed the difference—its destructive power exceeded all his expectations. That difference was the reason Aizen crumbled. Both had transcended Shinigami, yet the essence of soul and Reiatsu between them remained worlds apart. No accumulation of external strength could bridge that gap.
The storm fell quiet, and in the stillness, Aizen's eyes flickered with thought. He had already begun to grasp a new realization from the strength Moyu revealed. But as the black chains spread, his expression shifted once more.
"Why… can't I perceive the will of the Hōgyoku?"
His gaze rose to meet Moyu's. His voice was low, grave. "Is this… what you desire as well?"
Calm returned to his face, though the sweat slipping down betrayed his unease. The Hōgyoku mattered beyond all else. He knew it. It had merged completely with him during the last stage of evolution. Yet no matter how fiercely he urged his Reiatsu, the Hōgyoku did not stir. Its power slumbered, unresponsive, as if it had fallen into death's own sleep.
"Give it up, Aizen."
Moyu's voice was steady, almost regretful. "It would be a waste to put you to death. This world would be dull with fewer like you. But the devastation cannot continue. So I choose the seal."
Aizen lowered his head in silence. Time passed before he suddenly looked up, his tone solemn.
"I understand. Your strength comes from your soul. As you said, I will continue to pursue the secrets of transcendence—even within this seal. One day, we will meet again."
The black chains pulsed, wrapping around him. Veins of violet spiritual light ran along the bindings. Aizen's power flared once more, threatening to fracture the seal.
Moyu only smiled faintly, his gaze unwavering.
"Aizen, I have never doubted your potential. It is not yourself, nor the Hōgyoku, that restrains you." His eyes lifted toward the heavens. Sunlight broke through storm clouds, pouring over the ruins. "It is this world itself."
The words fell like judgment. Aizen stiffened.
The black carapace covering his face dissolved, peeling away to reveal his original features. A smile spread across his lips—at first faint, then widening into something wild. His laughter echoed across the ruins, carried far into the distance.
"What a pity. If I had known you earlier, perhaps—" He stopped, eyes still fixed on Moyu, unresisting now.
The chains tightened. His Reiatsu vanished, sealed away within the towering black cross that rose from the rubble.
"Interesting," Aizen said, his last words curling into the silence. Then he was gone.
Moyu stood before the massive cross, his voice low. "I look forward to the day we meet again."
Far on the city's edge, the captains stared blankly at the ruins, unable to accept the sudden finality of it all. It seemed impossible that such a struggle could end so cleanly.
From a distant ridge, Urahara Kisuke lowered the brim of his hat, Kidō light fading from his hand. His murmur was lost beneath the wind.
"Unpredictable…"
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