"Want to protect someone, so you launch a sneak attack from the shadows against the enemy…"
"This style of fighting… even ordinary Shinigami should have learned it back at the Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy, let alone the commander of the Onmitsukidō…"
One hand holding his sword, the other raised slightly.
Aizen, with his graceful, unhurried bearing, looked almost exactly like he had in the past, before his defection, when he'd still been serving as the calligraphy instructor at the Shin'ō Academy.
Only…
He was immediately met with Soi Fon's cold snort and open mockery:
"Hmph…"
"A mere traitor, spouting Shinigami doctrine like you're reciting scripture… how laughable."
As her voice fell,
Soi Fon's figure flickered.
As Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukidō, her extreme mastery of shunpo was put on full display!
"Shu-shu-shu—!!"
In the span of only a few breaths,
Under the watching eyes of the audience,
Countless Soi Fons appeared in midair above the battlefield!
They packed the sky so densely that it was a sight no one could bear to look at directly!
They formed a complete encirclement, cutting off all of Aizen's escape routes and boxing him in!
"Well, well…"
"It's been so many years since we last met, and you've grown quite a bit, Soi Fon."
"To think you'd be confident enough to challenge Aizen head-on."
Inside Urahara's shop.
As Soi Fon's idol and the one she revered and adored more than anyone, Yoruichi rested her chin in one hand, an amused smile playing on her lips, her gaze full of pride.
Back then,
Before she'd fled Soul Society and gone into exile,
Soi Fon's personality had been nothing like the calm, composed woman she was now.
She'd still had the air of a young girl; in front of Yoruichi she would blush and shy away.
Because of that,
Seeing this scene now,
Yoruichi could only feel a sense of contrast and emotion at how much Soi Fon had changed over time, how completely she had grown into someone capable of standing on her own.
"Heh…"
Urahara Kisuke flicked his fan open and analyzed with a smile, "If I'm not mistaken… Soi Fon's Zanpakutō, Suzumebachi, has an ability after release that kills in two strikes."
"Back when she was still just the 3rd Seat of Squad Two, there was a time I nearly got skewered by her."
Yoruichi raised an eyebrow, her expression a little hesitant. "Trying to use 'two-hit kill' against Hōgyoku Aizen, huh?"
On this point,
Yoruichi fell silent, clearly not very optimistic.
It wasn't that she was looking down on Soi Fon or Suzumebachi.
It was just that, in Yoruichi's understanding,
Any Kidō-type Zanpakutō, no matter how impressive its effect, ultimately still depended on the spiritual pressure of its wielder.
No question,
Soi Fon was a Gotei 13 Captain.
Her strength was not weak at all, and her spiritual pressure was plenty strong.
But her opponent… was Hōgyoku-fused Aizen!!!
Even if this was only the very first stage right after fusion,
Even if Aizen's outward appearance and Reiatsu didn't seem to have changed all that dramatically,
He had, in truth, already surpassed the pinnacle of Shinigami and begun evolving toward the realm of a transcendent being.
Under that premise,
The difference in spiritual pressure between the two sides was right there, plain to see!
Therefore,
From a neutral standpoint,
Yoruichi truly did not believe Soi Fon would actually be able to get her wish and defeat Aizen in the moments to come.
———
Back to the video—
"Clones, is it?"
"As a little performance, they're not bad to look at…"
Aizen's smile did not fade from the corners of his mouth.
His tone stayed as gentle as ever, as though he was deliberately offering praise.
"Heh, to be praised by you really would be a once-in-a-lifetime honor."
Soi Fon sneered. All of those countless figures surged forward together.
"The Onmitsukidō is not meant to show off and chase glory. So as a return gift…"
"Two-Hit Kill—!!!"
In an instant,
On the screen,
The countless Soi Fons moved in unison.
Relying on the close-quarters assassination techniques she had trained for years,
They drew in close to Aizen's body; as their fingertips lifted, Suzumebachi thrust forward!!!
"Did she succeed?"
"Captain Soi Fon… you're not going to let everyone down, are you?"
As everyone saw black butterfly marks successively appear, overlapping one after another on Aizen's body,
Inside Squad One's barracks,
Otoribashi Rōjūrō—his plump body trembling slightly—was the first to speak, so nervous his heart felt like it might leap out of his throat.
"The marks have stacked!"
"That means… Suzumebachi's ability is sure to take effect!!!" Soi Fon herself crossed her arms over her chest and declared confidently.
In the past,
Every time she had fought,
As long as Suzumebachi was released and its ability activated,
The enemy would always collapse, never once enduring more than three successful stings!
That was why,
Both now and in the future, Soi Fon carried such overwhelming confidence.
She believed
Suzumebachi's ability was itself a kind of "rule."
Two-hit kill—just as the name implied, that was simply the way it was set!!!
However…
What happened next
Not only slapped Soi Fon in the face in front of everyone,
It also led to Aizen once again mercilessly humiliating her.
"Two-Hit Kill, huh? An amusing technique."
"But… it's useless."
Expressionless,
Aizen remained perfectly still, completely unharmed.
And as he spoke, the black butterfly marks on his body vanished, as if they had never been there at all!
"Th-this… how is that possible!!!"
In reality,
Seeing this, Soi Fon's pupils shrank violently as she cried out in disbelief.
The other Gotei Captains were just as shocked!
"Has Aizen really become invincible?!" Even Kuchiki Byakuya finally lost his stoic mask and could no longer keep his composure.
This was absurd.
Nothing else had happened.
He had simply… spoken.
And that alone was enough to nullify a move that should have been an instant kill!
The sight before them
Once again struck at Soi Fon herself, as well as the collective faith of all the Captains.
They could not help but,
Once more, feel all too deeply the crushing pressure that Aizen exuded!!!
And then,
The classic line of mockery that came from Aizen on the screen became the real finishing blow:
"The battles of Shinigami… are battles of spiritual pressure."
"And with skills on that level, I can crush you easily with spiritual pressure alone…"
He raised his hand,
Kyōka Suigetsu lifting with it.
Just as Aizen was about to act, planning to cut Soi Fon down with three strikes right in front of everyone—
Suddenly—
"Kageoni…"
On the ice surface to the side,
A black shadow writhed.
Kyōraku Shunsui's figure, together with his Zanpakutō—now dyed pitch-black—Katen Kyōkotsu, rose up out of that shadow!
A backstab from ambush!
A clean hit!
A fierce blade-light drove in along Aizen's back, instantly carving a bloody gash into his body!
"Damn it…"
"Not this trick again!"
"Starrk, when you were fighting that pervy Shinigami Captain, this was exactly how he got the drop on you!"
Within Las Noches,
Lilynette exploded, hair practically standing on end.
Clenching her fists, she ground her teeth at Kyōraku Shunsui in pure hatred.
"Yeah…" Beside her, Starrk frowned, worry creasing his features. "Lord Aizen's been cut… it's exactly the same situation I was in back then."
"This is not a good sign at all!!!"
However—
Starrk had barely finished speaking
When the very thing he and the other Espada least wanted to see unfolded before their eyes!
"Aizen…"
"You betrayed Soul Society. This is the retribution you deserve!!!"
Gripping Hyōrinmaru in both hands, Hitsugaya Tōshirō's eyes hardened.
With Hirako Shinji assisting,
By confusing Aizen's sense of direction and his field of vision, Hitsugaya successfully closed in from the other side and thrust!
Hyōrinmaru's blade, wrapped in freezing spiritual pressure,
Under the stares of countless viewers,
Drove ruthlessly through Aizen's chest from behind!
It completed the final strike in this coordinated assault!!!
"We got him!"
"This time it's not a fake body, right?"
"Aizen, serves you right! You've been putting on airs from beginning to end. Finally you're getting what's coming to you!"
"Being able to see Aizen get skewered like that really is satisfying!!!"
In that instant,
Looking at the scene on the screen—Aizen's limbs rigid, his facial expression frozen the moment the blade pierced through—
Everywhere except Hueco Mundo,
Viewers all over the place mentally inserted themselves into the moment and felt a deep sense of relief!
The king of posers had finally been taken down!
If they had to keep watching Aizen act cool nonstop, who could stand it!!!
However,
The smiles on everyone's faces
Hadn't even lasted three seconds yet—
When, in the very next second—
"Shua—!!!"
The screen
Just flashed, once.
The entire process didn't even take a full second; most viewers hadn't even blinked.
Yet…
"???"
"What the—hell!!!"
"Did I see that wrong? Where did Aizen go!!!"
"Why did the person Hitsugaya Tōshirō stabbed… suddenly change into a woman!!!"
Terror.
Shock.
Countless viewers stared with all their might, rooted to the spot, as though they had seen a ghost in broad daylight!
What the…
When had it happened…
Aizen disappeared—and in his place appeared Hinamori Momo!!!
And,
Throughout the entire process,
Not only the Captains watching in the video right there on the battlefield,
But even the viewers all over the world had failed to notice a thing!!!
Not until Hinamori Momo coughed blood from the corner of her mouth,
And in her weakness managed to choke out the word "Tōshirō…"
Did everyone finally react!
They had…
Once again been deceived by Aizen!
In both the present and the future, everyone's five senses were forcibly dominated!
No one could escape the power of Kyōka Suigetsu!!!
Among them,
The one hit hardest
Was, naturally, Tōshirō himself—the one who had stabbed his childhood friend and inflicted such a serious injury with his own hands.
"I…"
Those emerald-green eyes turned hollow, brimming with despair and disbelief.
Hitsugaya Tōshirō's entire body shook violently.
It felt like his heart was being crushed in someone's fist; his breathing nearly stopped.
His heart was filled with guilt and self-reproach.
At the same time,
The confident thoughts he'd had earlier,
Along with those bold declarations he'd made at the start—"This time we'll definitely take Aizen down!"
Were crushed to dust in an instant!
Instead they turned into a doubled punishment,
Striking straight at the depths of Tōshirō's heart, leaving him in excruciating pain.
"Damn it…"
"When… did it happen!"
"Aizen clearly just used spiritual pressure to dispel Suzumebachi's Two-Hit Kill, didn't he?" Ukitake Jūshirō was losing his composure too. He knew the question would sound harsh to Soi Fon's ears and would only trample her pride further—
But!
The endless illusions,
That unbearable feeling of their five senses being eternally under someone else's control, had finally pushed Ukitake Jūshirō to the breaking point!
And this question of his
Was also the doubt in the hearts of every single Captain.
Even the Head-Captain himself—
With his breadth of vision, his long experience, and the keen spiritual-pressure perception that came with standing at the very apex of Shinigami—
Those old eyes watched the screen for a long, long time.
In the end,
All he could do was shake his head helplessly.
He simply couldn't see through any of it; he had no way to determine how Aizen had managed to pull this off from beginning to end!!!
At this moment,
On the video,
Hirako Shinji's furious roar echoed out as he realized Aizen's true body had appeared:
"'Aizen…'"
"When!!!"
"From where exactly did you start using Kyōka Suigetsu!!!"
Grinding his teeth, Hirako Shinji completely lost his cool.
Over ten Gotei Captains had gone in together for a coordinated assault!
They'd even thought their cooperation was utterly flawless!
But in the end,
It all turned out to be one massive farce!
And on top of that, they'd ended up stabbing Hinamori Momo, the real victim, in their panic!
Letting this "strongest tank" take yet another hit for nothing!
If not for the fact that not everyone had put their full weight behind the strike on the hilt,
Hinamori Momo might well have died on the spot!!!
That was what left Hirako Shinji feeling the most distraught and furious!!!
"Tsk, tsk, tsk…"
"Captain Aizen, you should find this scene very familiar, right?"
Inside Las Noches,
Ichimaru Gin tilted his head to look up at the throne, smiling with narrowed eyes. "This is just like what was shown earlier—back then, a hundred years ago, that night, when Hirako Shinji was lying in a pool of his own blood!"
"He had the exact same over-the-top reaction back then too, screaming at you in hysteria!"
When he finished,
Ichimaru Gin's lips curled upward, revealing a look of gloating amusement.
The truth was, just now, during that entire obvious sequence of events,
He had noticed that his future self was standing atop a distant rooftop.
His expression was that of a casual passerby, calmly watching the scene unfold.
Clearly,
Given how well Ichimaru Gin understood himself,
The future him must have long since seen through everything—from the very beginning.
That these more than ten Captains were being toyed with by Aizen.
The reason it had been drawn out for so long
Was purely that Aizen wanted to give them the heaviest possible blow—utterly shattering the Captains' mental defenses!
Just as the scene playing out now so perfectly demonstrated!!!
"Gin…"
"In the end, you really are the only one who understands me best."
On the throne,
Aizen lounged in a relaxed pose, his smile faint as he said softly, "As for Hirako Shinji's question—there's no meaning in answering it."
"The me in the future will soon give them the answer they're looking for."
—
Sure enough,
As Aizen's words faded,
In the video, that future Aizen lifted the corners of his mouth; with his tall figure standing in the sunlight, his voice brimmed with boundless dominance:
"Well then…"
"Hirako Shinji, let me ask you something instead."
"From when, exactly, did you start to harbor the illusion… that I was not using Kyōka Suigetsu?"
The finishing move.
Aizen's voice wasn't loud,
But it exploded in everyone's ears like a clap of thunder.
There wasn't the slightest ripple of emotion in his tone,
As though he were simply stating the most basic of facts.
Yet it was precisely that calm, more than any direct insult, that carried the greatest destructive power.
It shattered the last psychological defenses of every Captain present!
"I…"
Hirako Shinji stood frozen on the spot.
The anger on his face solidified in an instant, leaving behind only stunned disbelief.
He opened his mouth,
But no sound came out—Aizen's counter-question was like a sharp blade slicing open the flimsy hope he'd been clinging to all along!
That's right…
From when…
Had he started believing he could free himself from Kyōka Suigetsu's control?
The same shock
Spread through the hearts of every viewer.
From start to finish,
In both present and future, everyone had been running in circles within the web of illusion Aizen had woven!
What was most terrifying was,
Everyone knew full well that Aizen was deliberately manipulating things.
The audience had been watching from a god's-eye view from the very beginning!
Yet they still could never predict when the next illusion would take effect.
Nor…
What form it would take when it did!
In that moment,
The whole world fell silent—utterly still, not a sound to be heard.
After being battered over and over again in both sight and soul,
The powerful figures of the Bleach world
Finally came to fully understand that Aizen—and his Zanpakutō, Kyōka Suigetsu—
Their horrifying might went far beyond a simple difference in strength.
It was…
An overwhelming crushing of "purity" itself!!!
A true natural enemy—an unsolvable existence!!!
(End of Chapter)
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