"What… is this power?"
Aizen's heartbeat briefly faltered, his expression freezing completely.
Not only him—the Shinigami behind Benihime's Crimson Shield were equally stunned, their eyes filled with shock.
What just happened?
Why had Aizen, who moments ago appeared so overwhelming—suddenly fallen into such a miserable state?
Even Gin Ichimaru, the closest to the battlefield, stared blankly, his mind going completely empty for a moment.
When Aizen's strike had descended earlier, Gin had only been brushed by the spiritual pressure carried by the blade.
Yet even that negligible amount of power—insignificant to Aizen—had left him gravely injured and nearly incapable of fighting.
The gap between him and Aizen…
Was like a firefly compared to the bright moon.
Completely incomparable.
"And yet… a mere Shikai… how could it possess such power?"
Aizen stared intently at Shimo, unable to comprehend what was happening before him.
Previously, Shimo's spatial cuts had only inflicted surface-level wounds—
But now—
Even after Aizen's deeper fusion with the Hōgyoku, he still couldn't block Shimo's Zanpakutō.
"Has your ability to think been erased after merging with the Hōgyoku?"
Shimo spoke calmly.
"Or perhaps… the only thing that evolved was your ego?"
"Have you never noticed… that my spiritual pressure is different from that of ordinary Shinigami?"
Aizen's pupils contracted sharply.
His gaze fixed on the materialized black spiritual pressure coiling around Shimo.
Shimo raised his Zanpakutō slightly, a dangerous smile forming at the corner of his lips.
"Sorry, Aizen."
"Our battle… may have to come to a temporary conclusion."
At the instant his words fell—
Ink-black spiritual pressure erupted outward, instantly covering the skies above Karakura Town.
As Shimo continued ascending the Staircase of Time, his spiritual pressure had been continuously strengthening.
With the amplification of hundreds of thousands of layers of the Staircase of Time, his spiritual pressure had already reached an immeasurable domain.
And not only that—
After obtaining the complete Hollow system, his spiritual pressure underwent another transformation.
A spiritual pressure that surpassed both Shinigami and Hollow—
Shimo had already achieved it before Aizen.
Silent Extinction Spiritual Pressure.
Zanjutsu – Mōmaku: Severing Void Burial Heart!
Endless darkness descended upon the city.
Not a trace of light remained.
A faint violet glow shone in Aizen's eyes as he tried to discern the incoming attack.
At the same time, the Hōgyoku rapidly regenerated his severed arm, restoring it completely.
Then—
The pressure descended.
The entire city trembled beneath its weight.
The remaining buildings silently turned to sand and disappeared, as if they had never existed.
At that moment—
Aizen finally saw Shimo's attack.
The blood-red blade intertwined with black spiritual pressure, radiating an invisible oppressive force.
And then—
Aizen realized something terrifying.
Shimo's spiritual pressure…
Had disappeared from his perception.
Aizen's heart jolted violently.
Because this phenomenon meant—
Shimo's spiritual pressure had already surpassed his own.
Without hesitation, Aizen raised his arm, instantly forming thousands upon thousands of overlapping spiritual pressure barriers before him.
The moment the defenses formed—
Shimo's attack fell.
Boom—!
The plain, unadorned black spiritual pressure crossed space and time in an instant—
Piercing through the ten-thousand-layer spiritual barrier!
At the same time—
A thunderous roar echoed across the world!
BOOOOM!!!
Like divine judgment, the thunderous explosion drowned out every sound in Karakura Town.
Immediately afterward—
The space surrounding Aizen shattered with a crisp sound.
Like fragile glass struck by overwhelming force—
Countless spiderweb-like cracks spread around him.
The next moment—
Aizen's body froze.
The shattered fragments of space formed powerful restraints, binding his entire body.
Aizen attempted to break free using spiritual pressure—
But it was completely ineffective.
The difference in spiritual pressure made resistance impossible.
Meanwhile—
The black sword pressure had already reached Aizen's forehead.
"Captain Aizen."
Shimo's sudden change in address surprised him slightly.
"I remember clearly… you once said—"
"A Shinigami's battle… is a battle of spiritual pressure."
"When my spiritual pressure surpasses yours… in both quality and quantity…"
"What do you think will happen?"
At those words—
Aizen's pupils shrank to their limit.
His breathing nearly stopped.
It was as if time itself had frozen.
Shimo gently rotated his wrist.
The Silent Extinction Spiritual Pressure condensed further, piercing through Aizen's final defense.
Thud.
A dull sound echoed from Aizen's forehead.
His spiritual pressure froze completely.
He could no longer change anything.
"Since you cannot answer…"
"I'll tell you."
Shimo spoke calmly.
"In a clash of spiritual pressure…"
"The weaker one… will have their soul crushed."
The moment the words fell—
Aizen's body shattered under the black sword pressure—
Dispersing into countless spirit particles and vanishing from the skies above Karakura Town.
The ink-black spiritual pressure covering the sky gradually withdrew.
Aside from the radiant purple Hōgyoku floating in midair—
Nothing remained of Aizen.
Under the clear sky, the Shinigami stared upward at Shimo—and the floating Hōgyoku.
Was it… finally over?
The war between Hueco Mundo and Soul Society…
Had finally ended.
Relief appeared on the Shinigami's faces.
The shadow hanging over their hearts had finally lifted.
Shimo stepped forward, preparing to seize the Hōgyoku.
But suddenly—
He stopped.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
A trace of surprise flashed in his gaze.
The Hōgyoku—
Was gathering spiritual pressure again…?!
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