Once hit by [Senka], if the Hakusui and Saketsu are destroyed, a Shinigami loses the ability to store and control Reiatsu… in other words, they lose their Shinigami Power.
However, a technique like [Flash Blossom] is generally used by the strong against the weak.
If opponents are of similar strength and can see the attack's trajectory, they can block it before being hit.
"As expected of the most talented swordsmanship genius in the history of Soul Society..."
"Captain Kyoya's swordsmanship is truly breathtaking."
Aizen looked at the wounds on his body and couldn't help but sigh.
He was naturally familiar with techniques like Senka.
However, before today, Aizen had never imagined that he would be wounded by Senka.
He could see the trajectory of Kyoya's attack.
But he couldn't completely block it.
Still, the most crucial aspect of Senka is its ability to destroy a Shinigami's Saketsu and Hakusui.
Although Aizen failed to fully block Kyoya's attack, he avoided these two vital points.
Thus, while he now had two wounds on his chest and back, they were only superficial injuries.
In a battle between beings of Kyoya and Aizen's caliber, such wounds hardly constituted a decisive advantage.
"Captain Aizen's swordsmanship also surprises me."
Kyoya flicked his finger, shaking the blood off the Ama no Murakumo, "Since I began spreading my own swordsmanship techniques, Captain Aizen is the first swordsman I've encountered who has reached the realm of Master Swordsman."
"I still fall short compared to Captain Kyoya."
Aizen shook his head.
Honestly, after reaching the Master Swordsman realm, Aizen had assumed Kyoya was probably at the same stage.
Because even for someone like Aizen, upon reaching this realm, the path of swordsmanship seemed to have reached its end.
Yet, judging from his battle with Kyoya, Kyoya had taken half a step beyond this perceived limit.
It was precisely this half-step that placed Aizen at a disadvantage in their fight.
"Kyoya-sama, you truly are full of surprises."
It had to be said that just one Senka showed Aizen the gap in swordsmanship talent between himself and Kyoya.
Something he had considered the pinnacle had been broken through by Kyoya just like that. Even Aizen felt that reaching Kyoya's level in swordsmanship was nearly impossible for him.
After reaching the limits of a Shinigami's power centuries ago, Aizen had spent the last few hundred years contemplating how to break through this boundary.
Yamamoto broke the Shinigami's limits by relying on Ryujin Jakka.
Aizen's Kyoka Suigetsu didn't have the ability to let him advance further.
Moreover, what Aizen desired was a permanent state of transcended limits, not the temporary state achieved through Bankai.
Aizen knew his own limits.
Therefore, he chose to create Hogyoku to break through the boundaries of a Shinigami.
Unfortunately, the Hogyoku he created was only half-complete, insufficient for Aizen's breakthrough.
It was precisely for this reason that Aizen continued to bide his time.
If he hadn't felt this was an opportunity to learn more about Kyoya's strength, he wouldn't have hypnotized the other Captains so directly to fight Kyoya.
"Heh, just surprises?"
"I thought it would be a shock."
Aizen smiled.
Indeed, in swordsmanship, he was inferior to Kyoya.
But if Kyoya only had this much capability, it wouldn't be enough to give him a 'shock'.
Even Kyoya's exaggerated strength, which is greater than Zaraki's, only made Aizen take a second look.
The weaknesses of a Shinigami are very apparent.
Lacking regenerative abilities, their margin for error is absurdly small.
Even non-fatal disabling injuries can drastically affect a Shinigami's combat strength.
In Aizen's plans, his future evolution must necessarily incorporate the Hollow's [High-Speed Regeneration] into his own power system.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh-
Kyoya waved his hand, and instantly, several laser beams pierced through Aizen's body.
However, after being pierced by the laser beams, Aizen's body didn't bleed. Instead, it shattered like an illusion, leaving behind only a Captain's Haori with several holes.
"Utsusemi?"
Seeing this technique, Kyoya was also somewhat surprised.
Utsusemi, fully named [Way of Onmitsu, 3rd of the Shiho], is a technique belonging to the Shihoin Clan.
The Shihoin Clan's Way of Onmitsu contributed significantly to Yoruichi earning the title [Goddess of Flash].
The fact that Aizen had even learned this move truly lived up to his reputation as a monster who had mastered all Four Fundamental Shinigami Arts to their peak.
Simultaneously, Kyoya could sense an anomaly between the presence of Aizen perceived by his Observation Haki and the one perceived by his Reikaku.
In Kyoya's Observation Haki perception, Aizen had now appeared behind him, his Zanpakuto raised ready to strike down.
Yet, in Kyoya's Reikaku perception, Aizen appeared above and to his right, unleashing a slash towards him.
Kyoya inwardly cursed, 'This guy Aizen, having lost to me in swordsmanship, had started playing with abilities.'
'What a sore loser!'
'But if I handled this improperly and exposed the fact that I was unaffected by Aizen's Zanpakuto's Ability, it might introduce several uncertainties into the future.'
Immediately, Kyoya dispersed the Ama no Murakumo in his hand and crossed his arms above his head-
"Sunlight Illuminate!"
In an instant, blazing light erupted from Kyoya's crossed hands, carrying immense destructive power that annihilated everything in the vicinity.
Boom, boom, boom, boom-
Including Aizen, Kyoraku, Ginrei, and Isshin, who were closest to Kyoya, were all severely injured and sent flying far away, crashing to the ground.
"Grandfather!"
Seeing Ginrei injured, Byakuya was shocked. Forgetting his act with Gin, he quickly used several Shunpo steps to reach Ginrei's side and picked him up.
Not wanting to fight Kyoya was true.
But not wanting his grandfather to be harmed was also true.
Fortunately, to Byakuya's relief, after checking Ginrei, he found that his grandfather had only lost consciousness and wasn't seriously wounded.
Well, perhaps the heaviest injuries on Ginrei were the fall damage from being thrown over ten meters away and the abrasions from skidding a meter or two on the ground.
As for the others-
Well, at this moment, they were all covered in blood.
Even Aizen was no exception.
Sunlight Illuminate was an attack technique with a 360-degree, no-dead-angle range centered on Kyoya.
Anyone within Kyoya's attack range would be subjected to the flash attack he controlled.
Although everyone had erupted with powerful Reiatsu to protect themselves in the crisis, it only lessened the severity of their injuries.
For these Captains, such injuries weren't enough to make them lose their combat strength.
However, Kyoya didn't want to continue fighting them.
Everything he did today was only to make himself a 'traitor' of the Seireitei.
Furthermore, since he had already said he would take the Shinigami of the 11th Division's Rukongai with him, he naturally had to follow through.
Otherwise, after he left the Seireitei, these remaining Shinigami of the Rukongai would likely face targeting from the Seireitei.
Immediately, Kyoya didn't linger any longer. Transforming into a golden light, he flew towards the 11th Division.
"Captain-Commander, will you not intervene?"
Standing behind Yamamoto, Mayuri looked up and asked Yamamoto.
Kyoya's actions earlier were already a provocation to Yamamoto's authority.
By all accounts, Yamamoto should detain Kyoya.
"It is of no consequence!"
Hearing Mayuri's question, Yamamoto said in a deep voice, "As long as I am here, the Seireitei will not fall into chaos."
"However, Captain Kurotsuchi, to better protect the Seireitei, we must eliminate all potential threats to the Seireitei, both internal and external."
"This task falls to you."
"I will now grant you the authority to act first and report later regarding any threats to the Seireitei's safety that may appear in the Human World, Hueco Mundo, or the Rukongai!"
Yamamoto understood Mayuri quite well.
He was a subordinate of Shutara Senjumaru and had participated in the research on modified souls under Hikifune Kirio. (T/N: The RAW is written as such, but from what I knew, Mayuri is a prisoner in the Nest of Maggots and was only released by Kisuke after he became the 12th Division's Captain.)
You could say Mayuri was weak in combat, but you couldn't say his scientific research abilities were weak.
Yamamoto didn't understand science and technology, but he respected it!
"Captain-Commander."
A few minutes later, 4th Division's Captain, Unohana arrived before the two: "I have provided preliminary treatment to the several Captains. Currently, no one is in life-threatening condition."
"Hmm."
Yamamoto nodded.
He had also sensed that the Reiatsu of the various Captains hadn't weakened much, which was why he ultimately didn't intervene.
Otherwise, if Kyoya had truly severely injured or killed the Captains, Yamamoto, even knowing he might not be able to detain Kyoya, wouldn't have let him leave so easily.
"Captain Unohana, please proceed to announce the news of Kyoya's defection."
"I must go to the Central 46."
Kyoya's defection was a significant blow to the prestige of the Gotei 13.
Those nobles already held many grievances against Kyoya.
Previously, Kyoya was the [Kenpachi], enjoying numerous privileges, so they couldn't do anything to him.
But now that Kyoya was no longer the Kenpachi and had defected from the Seireitei, those nobles might vent all their previous dissatisfaction with Kyoya.
However, Yamamoto also knew that Kyoya's strength was not something ordinary Captains could match.
Coupled with the ability of Kyoya's Zanpakuto, even if he personally intervened, he couldn't do anything to Kyoya without destroying the Soul Society.
Rather than letting these nobles, who are unaware of Kyoya's strength, make decisions that could harm the Seireitei, Yamamoto felt he needed to remind these nobles to avoid them confusing who holds the real power.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, on unlocking the Achievement: the [Marine Traitor]!]
When Unohana's voice spread the news of Kyoya's defection throughout the entire Seireitei via [Tenteikura], the prompt sound of the One Piece Achievement System rang again in Kyoya's mind.
'Oh? Not bad.'
'It's actually a purple-tier achievement.'
Diverting some attention to glance into his soul space, Kyoya felt quite satisfied with unlocking such an achievement.
Purple achievements guaranteed at least ten years of training results as a reward, with an upper limit of one hundred years.
This purple achievement, if no other rewards were obtained, would grant at least eighty years of training results.
Such a long time was enough for Kyoya to elevate his abilities to another level.
"Do you regret it?"
Kyoya stopped and asked the dozen or so Shinigami following him.
"Right now, we haven't left the Seireitei yet. If you stop here, you will still be Shinigami of the Gotei 13's 11th Division."
"But once you step out of the Seireitei with me, you may need to bear the charge of 'betraying the Seireitei' and face pursuit by the Seireitei."
Under Kyoya's gaze, none of these Shinigami lowered their heads.
"Haha, Captain Kyoya, the reason I came to the Seireitei and joined the 11th Division was because of you."
Ikkaku pointed his thumb at his own nose: "If it weren't for you, I'd still be wandering around Rukongai looking for opponents to fight."
"Now it's just a return to the beginning."
"Besides, I haven't yet fulfilled my promise with you, Captain Kyoya. How could I stay within the Seireitei and remain stagnant?"
"Don't look at me. Ikkaku and I have never been apart. Where he is, I am."
Yumichika hooked his hair with his right pinky finger.
For Yumichika, location didn't matter, and what mattered was who he was with.
"Haha, Kyoya-sama, we also grew up in the Rukongai."
"Compared to staying in the Seireitei serving the nobles, I prefer using my strength to make Rukongai a better place."
"Indeed, Rukongai is our home. If even we are unwilling to change it, it would probably be very sad..."
Listening to the division's members' words, Kyoya took a deep breath.
"Everyone, thank you for your trust in me."
"Of course, I can assure you all that as long as I am in the Soul Society for one day, the Seireitei will not dare to arrest you."
"If even one of you is captured by the Seireitei, I will break into the Seireitei and bring you back directly."
"Moreover, in the future, when you have grown stronger and our own power rivals or even surpasses that of the Gotei 13, it's not impossible for us to defeat the Gotei 13 and take control of the Seireitei!"