"However, although Urahara Kisuke painstakingly tried to hide you and the Hogyoku, fortunately, months later, I found you again in the Living World. I immediately killed the Central 46..."
Bang!
Just as Aizen was explaining to Rukia and the others, a figure suddenly fell from the sky, landing behind Aizen. His tall stature even shook the ground.
"Aizen!!"
The newcomer roared angrily, then suddenly swung his Zanpakuto, which was several sizes larger than an ordinary Shinigami's, taking advantage of his height to slash down at Aizen from above.
Aizen, calm and composed in the face of danger, turned around and, with an air of unruffled ease, reached out with his bare hand to meet the Zanpakuto, which was almost as big as his own body.
Clang!
The enormous Zanpakuto struck Aizen's hand but couldn't harm him at all. Instead, it was firmly grasped by Aizen.
"It's been a while, Komamura. It seems you've experienced something that has changed your state of mind, enough to show your true face."
Aizen greeted Komamura as if chatting about everyday matters.
The sudden arrival was none other than the Captain of the 7th Division, Komamura Sajin.
And unlike before, he wasn't wearing that barrel-like mask, hiding his appearance, which was completely different from an ordinary Shinigami.
"You can still laugh... Aizen!!" Komamura couldn't help but roar angrily.
"You betrayed the Soul Society and deceived all of us! Unforgivable! Absolutely unforgivable!!"
Then Komamura looked angrily and disappointedly at Tosen, who stood silently beside Aizen, and said: "And you, Tosen! Do you... have anything to explain?"
Although he already knew that Tosen had also betrayed them, Komamura still hoped that Tosen, his best friend, would explain himself clearly, and even hoped he would say he was forced by Aizen, that he had no choice.
However, facing Komamura's accusation, Tosen remained silent and unmoved.
"Is that so? You have nothing to say, Tosen?" Komamura couldn't help but feel disappointed.
"In that case... then, I'm sorry, Tosen!!" Komamura roared angrily.
"Bankai! Kokujo Tengen Myo'o... What?!"
Just as Komamura was about to use his Bankai to attack Aizen and the others, he suddenly discovered that the 'Aizen' in front of him had become illusory and then completely dissipated.
"How can this be?! He was right in front of me, how could he suddenly disappear..."
Just as Komamura was stunned, a voice suddenly came from behind him.
"Hado #90... Kurohitsugi!"
As Aizen's voice fell, a black light curtain rose around Komamura, enveloping him from all sides like a black coffin, completely trapping him inside.
Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!!
Countless black shadow blades pierced through the Kurohitsugi.
Then, as a gentle breeze passed, the Kurohitsugi dissipated, and Komamura's figure appeared again. However...
Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!
Blood gushed from Komamura's body like a fountain.
Thud!
Komamura, nearly three meters tall and as burly as a small mountain, crashed heavily to the ground.
Moreover, covered in blood, he looked utterly miserable.
But Komamura's sacrifice was not meaningless. At least, as a supporting character, he perfectly highlighted Aizen's image as a powerful and invincible villain boss.
"Wha... what immense strength! Also a Captain of the Gotei 13, yet completely no match for Aizen..."
Not far away, Ichigo, lying on the ground, watched the shocking scene of Aizen defeating a fellow Captain in one blow and muttered absentmindedly to himself.
"Kyoka Suigetsu's [Complete Hypnosis] is flawless. Even if you know you are hypnotized, you cannot escape it."
Aizen glanced contemptuously at the fallen Komamura and then turned around.
"Oh my, oh my, even skipping the incantation for a 90-level Kido. How terrifying. When did you learn that?" Gin couldn't help but marvel.
Aizen shook his head somewhat disappointedly: "No, it failed. It didn't even achieve one-third of its original destructive power. As expected, Kido above level 90 is difficult to master precisely."
Then Aizen looked back at Rukia and Ichigo: "I'm sorry, we were only halfway through our conversation. Let's continue."
"After discovering your whereabouts in the Living World, the first thing I did was... eliminate the Central 46. Then, I used Kyoka Suigetsu to envelop the Underground Assembly Hall of Central 46, making it appear as if Central 46 was still in session. Even if someone went in, they wouldn't find anything unusual."
"Moreover, without permission from Central 46, even Captain-level figure of the Gotei 13 cannot enter the Underground Assembly Hall, so there was basically no worry of being discovered."
"Then, one of us three always stayed there, issuing various orders in the name of Central 46. Among them was... executing you with the Sokyoku!" Aizen said, smiling at Rukia.
"Because the Hogyoku was hidden within your soul, I thought of using the Sokyoku to evaporate your soul and then extract the Hogyoku."
"However... even if my plan was thorough, there was always the risk of unexpected accidents leading to failure. So, just in case, I considered whether there were other methods to extract the Hogyoku."
"And fortunately, after looking through the research materials left by Urahara Kisuke in the Great Spirit Book Gallery, located beneath the Central 46 Underground Assembly Hall, which forcibly gathers all information in the Soul Society, I finally discovered another method to extract the Hogyoku."
Saying this, Aizen took out something like a test tube from his bosom.
"This is it."
Crack!
Aizen clenched his fist, shattering the test tube in his hand. The liquid inside flowed out, and Aizen's right hand suddenly began to change drastically, becoming like withered wood.
"Then... come here, Rukia."
Aizen grabbed Rukia by the neck and lifted her up.
"Don't be afraid... Even if it hurts, it will only be for an instant..."
Aizen looked at Rukia with burning eyes, his breathing even becoming a little heavy. Then he slowly extended his evil hand towards Rukia's chest.
Well, don't misunderstand, Aizen just wanted to extract the Hogyoku.
And thinking that he was about to obtain the Hogyoku and evolve to a higher level, even with Aizen's calm and composure, a hint of excitement couldn't help but appear in his heart.
Consequently, inevitably, most of Aizen's attention was focused on Rukia, and his vigilance towards the surrounding environment dropped to its lowest point.
However, at that very moment, just as Aizen's right hand was about to touch Rukia, a figure suddenly appeared!
Then, with speed even faster than instant teleportation, like lightning, the figure appeared behind Aizen!
The sudden appearance of the figure, the rapidity of the movement, caught everyone present, including Aizen, completely off guard, unable to react in time.
Swish!
A flash of silver light passed.
Squelch!
The sound of a blade piercing a body rang out.
"...!!!"
Aizen lowered his head in disbelief, looking at the blade that had pierced through his body from behind, with a section protruding from his chest.
"You let your guard down, Aizen." The voice came from behind Aizen.
"...Hitsugaya Toshiro?!!"
Hearing the voice from behind, Aizen's eyes widened in shock.