A dazzling, massive pillar of light erupted from below, shooting into the sky in an instant!
Around the pillar, violent shockwaves surged outward, crushing the surrounding ruins into dust.
Standing closest to the explosion, Gin Ichimaru couldn't even maintain his footing. His white captain's haori fluttered wildly in the storm—
Yet under the overwhelming roar of the pillar, even that sound was completely drowned out.
Concerned for his safety, Gin had no choice but to activate Shunpo, retreating rapidly to avoid being swallowed by the blast.
As for Shimo, he made no move to evade.
Although the spiritual pressure surrounding the pillar was ferocious, it was still not enough to affect him.
Lowering his gaze slightly, his eyes shimmered as if filled with starlight.
Through the perception granted by his ability, Shimo could clearly see—
Within the pillar of light, a tall figure floated silently.
As if sensing that gaze, Aizen suddenly opened his eyes.
At that instant, the spiritual pressure within the pillar surged violently, generating even more chaotic shockwaves that battered everything around it.
Then—
The pillar of light gradually dissipated.
Aizen's figure emerged once more.
When he reappeared, the hole that had once pierced through his chest had completely vanished—
Replaced instead by a cross-shaped mark.
At the center of that cross, the Hōgyoku was embedded, exuding a deep and mysterious aura.
Gin raised an eyebrow slightly, a trace of surprise appearing on his face.
He glanced down at his own hand—
Only to discover that the Hōgyoku he had seized earlier had become nothing more than an empty shell, devoid of any power.
At that moment, Aizen's calm voice echoed from not far away.
"Gin… in the end, the victor is still me."
"Seizing the Hōgyoku through such violent means… has only made it submit to me even further."
As he spoke, Aizen's haori began to contract and transform.
White garments wrapped tightly around his entire body, layer by layer—
Until he was completely encased within them.
Then—
Crack!
A crisp shattering sound rang out.
The strange white shell that covered him split apart instantly.
His familiar face reappeared before everyone.
But—
His appearance had changed drastically.
His brown hair now flowed down to his waist.
The colors of his sclera and pupils had reversed—his eyes now a deep, abyssal black, with faint pale irises within, emitting an eerie glow.
His entire presence had undergone a complete transformation.
Seeing this, not only Gin—
But even the Shinigami below—
Were frozen in place, unable to comprehend what they were witnessing.
"Aizen's spiritual pressure… I can't sense it at all?!"
"Those injuries… his entire chest was practically destroyed, and yet it's completely healed… Is this the power of the Hōgyoku?!"
"Why can't we sense his spiritual pressure… yet this suffocating pressure feels like someone is gripping my heart?!"
Panic began to spread among the Shinigami.
Gin slowly opened his eyes, revealing his pale blue pupils as he looked toward Aizen, who stood upon the air.
"It's not over yet."
"How can victory be decided so easily?"
Hearing this, Aizen lowered his gaze slightly and let out a soft chuckle.
"Seizing the moment while I was engaged with Shimo… launching a fatal strike from an angle no one could have anticipated…"
"And at the instant you retracted your blade, you left behind that dust capable of dissolving cells within my heart, causing my body to corrode from within…"
"I must say, Gin… you performed exceptionally well."
"Although I had long anticipated that such a day might come, now that it has arrived, I must admit—"
"Your execution far exceeded my expectations."
"If the Hōgyoku had not already submitted to me…"
"This battle might have already ended."
With his arms hanging naturally at his sides, Aizen spoke in a calm tone—
Words that sent chills down the spine.
"But unfortunately…"
"The power of the Hōgyoku has already surpassed your imagination."
"Your Kamishini no Yari's Bankai is now completely ineffective against me."
The moment his words fell—
Gin lowered his stance slightly—
And launched another attack!
"Kamishini no Yari—Butō: Renjin!" (Dance of Blades)
The sky itself seemed to tear open like a massive wound.
Blinding white blade-light erupted in an instant, flooding the sky as it surged toward Aizen!
Even from high above, the wind pressure generated by Gin's attack swept across Karakura Town, stirring up massive clouds of dust like a raging sandstorm.
And yet—
Facing such an attack—
Aizen's expression did not change in the slightest.
At the moment Kamishini no Yari descended—
His figure vanished without a trace.
In the next instant—
He reappeared behind Gin.
"…What—?!"
Cold sweat drenched Gin's body instantly.
The oppressive presence behind him triggered an overwhelming sense of fear—
Not fear of an enemy—
But an ancient, instinctive terror.
The kind of fear humans feel when confronted with something utterly unknown.
Aizen slowly raised his Zanpakutō.
Just as the blade was about to fall—
The surrounding space suddenly became sluggish.
It was as if something immense was obstructing him.
Aizen narrowed his eyes slightly, glancing toward the distant Shimo, who was observing the battle.
Taking advantage of that moment—
Gin immediately retreated, escaping the range of Aizen's attack.
However, the moment he reached Shimo's side—
His upper body suddenly bent forward, and he vomited up a large amount of dark red blood.
Even without directly receiving the strike, the sheer spiritual pressure released by Aizen had already inflicted severe damage on him.
When Gin looked at Aizen again—
His eyes were filled with terror.
This level of power had completely surpassed his understanding.
Let alone fighting—
He might not even be able to withstand the aftermath of the battle.
Shimo calmly watched everything unfold before him.
Even in the face of Aizen's evolution—
There was not the slightest ripple in his expression.
From beginning to end, he remained composed.
Based on his observation—
Aizen had now clearly entered the third stage of fusion with the Hōgyoku.
Gin's assassination attempt…
Had instead accelerated that fusion.
Aizen began walking slowly toward Shimo, his demeanor relaxed, no trace of his previous battered state remaining.
"Evolution… is often accompanied by fear."
"Especially the fear that, if it continues, one might be reduced to nothing but dust."
"Shimo…"
"I believe you understand that feeling all too well, don't you?"
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