"Perhaps they felt that by suppressing our consciousness, they wouldn't be able to unleash their full combat potential."
Furofushi Saitō grinned, a hint of cruelty unconsciously surfacing on his face.
"That little guy, Aozaki, is quite strong and ruthless enough for my taste. It's just that I don't know where he ran off to."
Katori Batsu'unsai paused, then shook her head: "I thought he was quite gentle."
"That doesn't matter!"
Shihōin Chika laughed:
"Perfect, Genryusai that old man cut off my head last time, this time I must get my revenge!"
The First Generation Captains stretched their bodies, but found that although their consciousness was still present, they were still affected by Hell's Will.
A voice seemed to constantly echo in their minds, forcing them to obey Hell's Will's commands.
Shihōin Chika let out a roar.
He charged towards Yamamoto like an illusory shadow, his Zanpakuto slashing down fiercely with a sharp momentum.
Watching Shihōin Chika and Yamamoto engage in close combat, clashing their swords.
The First Generation Captains stood in place, falling silent one after another.
On the surface, they seemed to be intently observing the two, ready to join the battle at any moment.
But in reality, they were intentionally stalling for time.
Since Hell granted them independent consciousness, how to execute Hell's commands was entirely up to their own judgment.
Having spent so many years navigating the Soul Society, they had long understood how to deal with deliberately difficult superiors.
I want to fight too, but what if I can't find the right moment to make a move?
In short, it was all about one word: stall.
Those nobles from a thousand years ago were also very troublesome, and Yamamoto was even more stubborn than those two old guys, Saizō Sakahone, and he kept protecting them.
If it weren't for Yamamoto pressing down from above, with their personalities, they would have just slaughtered all the disobedient ones, regardless of whether the world would be plunged into chaos after the demise of the useless.
"Togabito, atone for your past deeds. Now, go and kill those guys immediately!"
Baraggan's voice exploded somberly in their ears.
His words seemed to contain a mysterious magic, making it impossible to resist.
The First Generation Captains sighed helplessly and charged forward one after another.
There was nothing they could do; Baraggan was a Hell Warden.
For them, the Togabito, Baraggan had absolute suppressive power in terms of rules.
On Baraggan's skeletal face, a triumphant expression was clearly visible, along with a hint of resentment.
Damn it! This is utterly infuriating!
It's all because of those two cursed fellows, Aozaki and Aizen, who forced me, the mighty King of Hueco Mundo, into such a predicament.
Now I'm in such a miserable state, utterly powerless, at the mercy of others!
Don't let him leading a group of strong individuals fool you.
But so what?
On the surface, he might appear formidable, but in reality, he is still nothing more than a prisoner.
Within this Hell, even as a Warden, one must abide by Hell's rules.
How is this any different from being in prison?
It's simply a prisoner participating in forced labor!
However, compared to those Togabito, they don't have to endure punishment and live a relatively easier life.
But for this ancient king, the experiences of the past few decades have undoubtedly been the greatest insult to his dignity.
First, he was forced to bow down to Aizen, then he was mercilessly slain by Aozaki, and even after coming to Hell, he had to work for free.
How could this proud king endure such a series of heavy blows?
No, I absolutely cannot let this rest!
I must have revenge!
Since Aizen and Aozaki are no longer here...
The ancient king suddenly stood up, and the black chains on his body immediately became agitated, wildly dancing and twisting.
Immediately after, these chains quickly coalesced in his hand into a massive, dark axe.
"Then I'll start with Aozaki's teacher!"
A cruel smile appeared on Baraggan's lips, and his figure flickered, leaving behind a series of afterimages as he charged directly towards Yamamoto's location.
However, just as he was about to reach his destination, a figure suddenly appeared before him.
Baraggan focused his gaze and saw that Aizen, at some unknown point, had already raised his Zanpakuto, firmly blocking his path.
He froze, staring at Aizen with a puzzled look, and asked incredulously:
"What did you do to hide from my clairvoyance?"
Aizen did not answer, maintaining his usual smile, only a hint of imperceptible amusement flickered in his eyes.
He retorted, "Clairvoyance?"
Baraggan chuckled mockingly, raising a finger to point at his eye, which was covered by a keyhole tattoo, and said smugly:
"Hmph, this is the power Hell grants us Wardens. No matter how the beings of the Three Worlds conceal their Reiatsu, they cannot escape our eyes."
"Is that so? Then I know why you couldn't sense my Reiatsu."
Aizen's lips curled slightly upward, revealing a mysterious smile.
Upon hearing this, Baraggan frowned slightly, an ominous premonition rising in his heart.
He was about to press for an answer when Aizen's smile instantly vanished.
Immediately after, Baraggan felt a blur before his eyes, and Aizen's figure disappeared.
The next moment, Baraggan felt a chill run down his back.
He spun around abruptly, only to see that Aizen had appeared behind him at some point.
And at this moment, Aizen's eyes were cold, and in his hand, he held a gleaming Zanpakuto, which was striking straight towards him.
Baraggan was greatly alarmed, but having accepted Hell's power, his reaction speed was incredibly fast.
He quickly dodged to the side, while simultaneously raising his massive axe to strike at Aizen.
However, before Baraggan's axe blade could touch Aizen, he felt a sharp pain.
It turned out that Aizen's Zanpakuto had already pierced through his chest.
Baraggan's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.
He couldn't understand how Aizen could possess such immense power, capable of easily defeating him.
Aizen looked at Baraggan's pained expression, and a smile once again appeared on his lips.
"You didn't not sense my Reiatsu; you just didn't realize you had already sensed it."
"When did you get the illusion that I wasn't using Kyōka Suigetsu?"
Aizen's voice came again; although his tone remained calm, it sounded like nothing short of humiliation to Baraggan's ears.
This was the second time he had been defeated by that Zanpakuto; the first time was when he bowed down to the other party.
Recalling the unpleasant memory made Baraggan's face instantly turn grim.
"You bastard…"
Baraggan roared.
However, before he could finish speaking, his head flew off, dissipating into spiritual particles in the air.
After dealing with Baraggan, Aizen turned his gaze to Yamamoto and Unohana, who were nearby.
Clearly, despite Unohana's assistance, Yamamoto, relying solely on his Shikai, was still struggling to defeat that group of powerful opponents.
The enemies they faced were the First Generation Gotei 13 Captains, and with the enhancement of Hell's power, their strength had been elevated to an entirely new level.
Aizen frowned slightly, lost in thought.
He stared at Yamamoto's aged face, and a figure suddenly appeared in his mind.
Then, he slowly took off his glasses, brushed his short hair back, and softly murmured:
"I am not like you, becoming weak. It's just that if this world is destroyed, my ambition will have nowhere to be realized. That is all."
☰