"Damn it…"
"Aizen, that bastard!!!"
"He actually slaughtered the entire Central 46 in the future?!"
Shock.
Everyone froze.
The Gotei 13 captains stared at each other, expressionless like carved statues.
The Central 46…
They were the highest authority in the whole of Seireitei—no, in the entire Soul Society.
Composed of forty influential elders and six judges, they held the absolute judicial power.
To put it bluntly—
In Soul Society, the commands of the Central 46 outweighed even those of the Head-Captain.
Even captains would avoid these frail old men, afraid of accidentally provoking them and dragging endless trouble upon themselves.
But now—
The ranking video had exposed, without warning:
The Central 46 had been massacred.
And the corpses were in horrific condition.
Such a terrifying truth—
Instantly sent a massive shock through the Gotei 13 captains.
Not just them—
The entire Soul Society fell into chaos.
Every district experienced unrest.
Some people trembled in fear.
Some actually celebrated.
But most were seized by dread—because the truth was undeniable:
The whole Soul Society had been nothing more than Aizen's plaything.
With just the power of his Zanpakutō, Kyōka Suigetsu…
He—and the men who followed him—could act lawlessly behind the scenes, do absolutely anything they pleased…
And never face consequences.
That was the most terrifying part.
"Humph…"
"Aizen—that demon… that executioner!"
The Head-Captain growled.
His wooden staff slammed into the ground, cracking the floor in a wide circle.
Clearly—
Even he couldn't contain his fury, his composure shaken by the shocking death of the Central 46.
But then—
The reminder from Sasakibe Chōjirō stiffened the Head-Captain's entire body.
"Head-Captain…"
Chōjirō glanced at the screen, swallowed hard, and asked in a trembling voice:
"Is it possible… that it's not only the future being shown?
What if… the same thing has already happened now… in reality?"
"What?!"
The Head-Captain jolted around to face him.
"Chōjirō… you mean that right this moment, the Central Great Underground Court might look exactly the same?!"
A chill ran down every spine.
Beneath them, the captains all sucked in cold breaths, trembling.
Their shock made them feel like an ice-cold snake had slithered into their bones.
No one could speak.
So all this time…
While they sat comfortably in 1st Division watching the video—
The Central 46… might have already been dead?
And this truth—
Only surfaced after Aizen and the other two had betrayed Soul Society and escaped.
If the ranking video hadn't revealed the truth…
Would they have stayed in the dark forever?
Like a bunch of complete idiots?
"Haah…"
Face darkened and spirit drained, Kyōraku Shunsui felt utterly defeated.
It was yet another humiliation inflicted across space by Aizen.
"Maybe… even the orders we captains received in the past were issued by Aizen himself—
using the Central 46 as a disguise."
"Played… fooled… toyed with… again and again…"
Shunsui's words made the entire 1st Division fall into the heaviest silence in its history.
No one spoke.
Everyone instinctively opened their mouth to curse Aizen—
But the moment the words reached their throat, shame crushed them.
They closed their mouths again.
There was no solution.
No matter if it was a hundred years ago…
Or right now…
Or even in the future…
Were Soul Reapers destined to forever be enslaved by Aizen?
Forever manipulated by his control over all five senses?
The future truly looked pitch-black…
Meanwhile—
In Las Noches.
Aizen and his two followers had the complete opposite reaction.
Relaxed.
Amused.
Practically celebrating.
"Gin…
Kaname…"
"Guess—what do you think their expressions are like right now in 1st Division?"
"And Head-Captain Yamamoto's face—how do you think he looks?"
Speaking leisurely,
Aizen casually adjusted the collar of his white haori.
Elegant and calm, exactly like when he'd stepped into the Central Court and calmly executed every sage and elder within it.
"Probably total panic, right?"
Tōsen sneered coldly.
His hostility toward all Soul Reapers was palpable.
Ichimaru Gin curved his fox-like smile.
"To be honest, even though my heart is still on Rangiku's side…"
"Let's be real. Those captains have been useless from beginning to end."
"If this ranking video hadn't exposed so much…"
"They would've stayed clueless forever."
"Played in circles by you, Aizen-taichō."
Gin shook his head slightly.
His eyes reflected a distant pity—
Not mockery, just truth.
For a hundred years, he had stood alone, keeping his distance from everyone but Aizen…
Because he believed the truth:
The captains were incompetent.
Easy to deceive.
Always manipulated.
Always outplayed.
And now—
The death of the Central 46 was the final, undeniable proof.
"So next…"
"In the original timeline, Hitsugaya Tōshirō should be arriving any moment, right?"
"And when he enters the Court… I suppose the three of us are already waiting for him inside?"
Aizen's lips curled faintly.
He stared into the screen with interest—
eager to see how "future him" would deal with Hitsugaya.
Perhaps…
It would be another perfect display of overwhelming superiority.
Maybe even—
The full release of Kyōka Suigetsu before the world.
A mass hypnosis.
Aizen could hardly wait.
The video shifted.
Hitsugaya Tōshirō and Matsumoto Rangiku, full of fear and unease, struggled to walk deeper into the underground court.
Just as they steadied their breathing—
A gentle, familiar voice echoed from the shadows:
"Hitsugaya Tōshirō…"
"You tracked us down much faster than we expected."
A tall figure emerged from the dark.
White haori.
Black shihakushō.
Black-framed glasses.
That soft, smiling expression.
But now—
With Aizen's true face exposed…
That gentle smile no longer brought comfort.
It felt like the chill of deepest winter.
A suffocating threat.
"Damn it…"
"Just seeing that fake smile—
And thinking about how he trampled on Momo's feelings…"
"It makes my blood boil!!!"
Hitsugaya gritted his teeth.
He grabbed the hilt of Hyōrinmaru, his anger surging.
But Mayuri scoffed from the sidelines:
"Tch… save it, Hitsugaya."
"If you have time to be angry, better pray."
"In that video, you have to fight Aizen and Ichimaru Gin at the same time."
"Surviving is already questionable."
Mayuri was only speaking the truth.
In the projection—
After confronting Aizen and realizing the truth of the "fake death,"
And learning that Momo had almost been killed…
Hitsugaya snapped.
"Bankai!!!"
"Daiguren Hyōrinmaru!!!"
Ice raged outward in a storm, freezing nearly the entire underground court in an instant.
"Tch…"
"Rank 9 challenging Rank 2?"
"This kid really doesn't know his place."
Yammy crossed his arms, smirking.
Even though he feared Hyōrinmaru's future power—
He still believed:
Aizen was untouchable.
The only man capable of rivaling the Monk of the Pen—and possibly replacing the Soul King.
How could Hitsugaya matter?
Even if Hitsugaya fought in blind rage…
The outcome was obvious.
Another massacre.
Another single slash.
Captains were nothing more than insects before Aizen.
"Harribel-sama…"
"Congratulations. Aizen-sama is about to avenge you!"
"Let's enjoy the sight of that captain collapsing in despair!"
Behind Harribel—
Sung-Sun, Mila Rose, and Apacci grinned with excitement.
"Revenge…?"
Under her short gold hair, Harribel's eyes dimmed slightly.
She kept calm, but her gaze hardened as she watched Hitsugaya on screen.
They had never properly fought—
But in the future video, she was defeated by Hitsugaya.
And as someone stubborn to the core—with both pride and chest equally massive—
Harribel wanted revenge with her own hands.
Not borrowed strength from Aizen.
She wanted to personally defeat Hitsugaya and Hyōrinmaru.
The temperature plummeted.
Three-quarters of the screen froze over.
Hitsugaya's ice wings spread behind him.
He roared:
"Why?! Why deceive everyone?!"
"Why betray the feelings of those who admired you?!"
"You know how much Momo sacrificed for you! How deeply she looked up to you!"
The cold wind howled harder, turning the whole court into a massive ice chamber.
But—
Aizen didn't blink.
Behind his glasses, his smile remained gentle—
eerily gentle.
"Of course I know."
"But I never intended to deceive anyone."
"You simply… don't understand me."
"Don't… understand you?!" Hitsugaya roared.
Aizen tilted his head slightly.
"There's nothing easier to manipulate… than someone who adores you."
"That's why Hinamori Momo became my subordinate in the 5th Division."
"And remember this, Hitsugaya Tōshirō—"
Aizen's smile deepened, his tone soft yet piercing:
"Admiration… is nothing more than the furthest form of hatred."
The moment this line echoed across the real world—
Everyone watching erupted.
"Damn it!!!"
"That fake smile and those words—
He said the exact same thing to Shinji a hundred years ago!!!"
In the outskirts of Karakura Town—
The Visoreds' hideout exploded with anger.
Hiyori nearly jumped out of her seat in fury.
Shinji rubbed his temples, sighing.
"Honestly… Aizen wasn't lying."
"From the beginning… we never saw his true nature."
"Our senses, our emotions… all of it was under his control."
"That's the part of Kyōka Suigetsu that's truly unbeatable."
Even though Shinji hated Aizen—
He had to admit:
Aizen's threat was not brute force like Yamamoto,
Not overwhelming inevitability like Yhwach…
But deception.
Manipulation.
Control of the heart.
And worst of all—
Aizen himself had no weaknesses.
That was why he was untouchable.
"So…"
"In that emotional state, Hitsugaya is definitely done for…"
Lisa sighed.
And then—
In the video—
Hitsugaya charged, sword raised high.
He stabbed Aizen straight through the torso.
Ice burst everywhere.
And yet—
The Aizen he stabbed…
Smiled.
Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth—
But the smile was real.
Then—
The camera zoomed out.
Behind Hitsugaya—
A shadow.
The real Aizen.
A slash.
One clean streak of light.
From top to bottom.
Cutting straight through Hitsugaya.
His ice wings shattered into a million shards.
His body froze mid-air—
Aizen flicked the blood from his blade.
"It may not be the right season…"
"But seeing snow at a time like this… isn't bad."
Hitsugaya collapsed, eyes wide.
Aizen stepped over the fallen ice pillars—
as if stepping over ants.
And walked up the staircase, unhurried.
(End of Chapter)
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