"Everyone get to Ichigo's side! He's the only one immune to Kyōka Suigetsu!" Kyōraku Shunsui shouted.
Shinji Hirako echoed him, "Stay near Ichigo! He's the only one who can't be affected!"
Different words, same action.
All of the remaining Shinigami and Visoreds immediately surrounded Ichigo.
Unohana Retsu, who had returned with Ichigo, landed beside Hiyori, who still lay on the ground, cut in two.
Seeing her condition, Unohana calmly asked, "What happened to this child?"
The Visoreds all sighed in relief—if Unohana was here, Hiyori wouldn't be dying today.
"Ichigo, we'll charge first. You look for Aizen's opening and deal the killing blow," Shinji proposed.
Ichigo looked a little helpless. "I could just handle this by myself, you know."
But neither Shinji nor Kyōraku listened.
Even Lisa Yadōmaru stood by Ichigo's side, saying, "Let us do something too."
Ichigo sighed—he understood. Their hatred for Aizen wouldn't allow them to just sit back and watch.
Everyone around Ichigo raised their spiritual pressure to its peak.
But even at full power… it still wasn't enough to stand against Aizen.
Yamamoto Genryūsai and Sasakibe Chōjirō hadn't joined the battle—not because they didn't want to, but because their abilities weren't suited for fighting Aizen.
Sasakibe's Bankai sealed powers indiscriminately, and if Yamamoto joined in with Ryūjin Jakka, it could quickly become a battle between Aizen and Ichigo alone—with everyone else wiped off the map.
Even with all these captains together, against Aizen… it meant nothing.
"Let me show you what power really means," Aizen said, flash-stepping right in front of Komamura and slicing off his arm—including the Bankai's arm in the process!
But Komamura didn't falter. Despite the fountain of blood, he roared and swung again.
It didn't matter.
Aizen cut him down with a single stroke.
Unohana, who had just finished treating Hiyori, frowned. This never ends, does it?
And then, Aizen snatched Rose's Kinshara and yanked him forward—slashing him down just as easily.
From afar, Gin Ichimaru watched in silence.
Aizen's strength doesn't just lie in Kyōka Suigetsu, he thought.
That zanpakutō may be terrifying—but even without it, he's a monster. To rally the Espada, each one stubborn and chaotic, with only strength as a reason to follow… that says it all.
As if to punctuate his thoughts, two more captains fell from the sky—cut down in an instant.
"You try to guard against Kyōka Suigetsu? That's not enough."
"You try to guard against all my abilities? Still not enough."
"You could summon every ounce of your wisdom and power, and it still wouldn't matter!"
Aizen injured Love and Lisa without breaking a sweat.
Ichigo could only shake his head.
"I told you to let me go alone… now you've just made Retsu's job even harder."
Unohana: I'd like to fight too, you know? I don't have time to patch you all up forever!
Still, the captains weren't done yet.
Soi Fon, Kyōraku, Hitsugaya, and Shinji regrouped to launch another joint attack.
But this time… they weren't fighting Aizen.
They were attacking Ichigo.
CLANG!
Ichigo blocked Hitsugaya's blade effortlessly, bursting with reiryoku as he parried every strike—even from Soi Fon, his own wife.
To their shock, Ichigo shielded Aizen—standing protectively in front of him.
"Ichigo?! Why are you protecting Aizen?!" Soi Fon yelled, furious.
Hitsugaya and the others stared at Ichigo, stunned.
Ichigo sighed. "Would you guys calm down for a second?! Look closer—does that man behind me really look like Aizen?"
As his voice echoed, the illusion began to unravel.
Everyone's vision blurred like a curtain being torn away.
And then—they saw it.
The person behind Ichigo wasn't Aizen.
It was… Hinamori Momo.
Somehow, Aizen had switched places with Hinamori using Kyōka Suigetsu.
Everyone's expressions changed dramatically.
"If Hinamori's here… then who's that lying on the ground?!" Kyōraku shouted.
They turned—and saw another illusion shatter.
It was Aizen, standing calmly over a fallen body.
Shinji, overwhelmed with rage, charged toward Aizen.
"When did you activate Kyōka Suigetsu?!"
But Aizen only smiled and replied calmly—
"Shinji… when did you start believing… that I wasn't using Kyōka Suigetsu?"
Hinamori bowed her head to Ichigo. "Thank you, Ichigo. If you hadn't stepped in… I might've ended up stabbed again."
Ichigo twitched. Honestly, even without me, she probably would've been fine. Harribel got turned into a carpet. Tōsen got liquefied. But Hinamori? She's been stabbed a dozen times and still looks like she's ready to go to prom.
Hitsugaya trembled with guilt. He'd almost… impaled Hinamori with his own hands.
That was the true terror of Kyōka Suigetsu. Once you fell under its influence, you could not trust what you saw.
Overwhelmed, Hitsugaya let out a furious scream and charged at Aizen.
"AIZEN!!!"
Aizen didn't even blink.
SLASH!
With one simple swing, he severed Hitsugaya's arm.
"Tōshirō!!" Hinamori cried out. She could no longer deny it—this was real.
While Ichigo protected her, Aizen took advantage of the opening and effortlessly defeated every remaining captain.
Even Shinji and Kyōraku were struck down.
"Hinamori, take everyone to Retsu," Ichigo said calmly.
In the face of Kyōka Suigetsu… numbers meant nothing.
All they were doing was feeding Unohana more work.
"What about Aizen… taichō?" Hinamori asked hesitantly.
"Don't worry. He's mine now."
But before Ichigo could make his move, Yamamoto and Sasakibe stepped forward.
"Reduce all creation to ash… Ryūjin Jakka!"
Yamamoto drew his blade. He was ready for war.
But Ichigo moved in front of him.
"Old man… put that sword away. We're in the Human World. This is my jurisdiction."
"You…" Sasakibe began, but Yamamoto raised a hand to stop him.
He looked at Ichigo for a long moment. "Are you sure?"
Ichigo smiled. "You've got to let the next generation carry the torch sometime, right?"
His spiritual pressure flared—equal to Yamamoto's.
Even Sasakibe could feel it vibrating through his bones.
Yamamoto's eyes narrowed.
So… this is how far he's come…
He sheathed Ryūjin Jakka and closed his eyes. "Hmph. I've no interest in cleaning up your mess."
But the gesture was clear—Aizen was Ichigo's to handle.
Meanwhile, Unohana was healing the wounded captains.
After stabilizing Kira, she turned to him.
"Kira-fukutaichō, I'll leave the rest of the cleanup to you."
Kira blinked. "Captain Unohana, where are you going?"
She undid her braid, letting her long black hair fall like a waterfall over her back.
She wasn't Retsu anymore.
She was… Yachiru Unohana.
An air of lethal intent surged from her body, unlike anything Kira had felt in over a century.
"I'm going to kill."
With that, she flash-stepped from the ground.
Kyōraku, just waking up, saw her aura and panicked.
"Captain Unohana—!"
But she only gave him a cruel smile in return.
Kira could barely breathe under her bloodthirsty pressure. Compared to Kenpachi, she was terrifying.
In a flash, she appeared behind Ichigo, poised for battle.
Even Yamamoto, stoic as ever, flinched slightly at the sight.
"…Captain Unohana?"
He hadn't seen her like this in centuries.
Yachiru gave him a polite nod. "It's been a while… Shigekuni."
Only she dared call him that.
He was about to speak, but then he saw something that left him speechless—
The woman known as the most vicious criminal in Soul Society's history… now gently stood beside Ichigo, fixing his collar with a soft smile.
Ichigo looked over his shoulder. "Let's go, Retsu… no, Yachiru."
Yamamoto's pupils dilated.
And Yachiru, like a loving wife, smiled and said, "Yes. Let's."
If Yamamoto had any doubt left, it was gone.
He smacked himself internally—Was I dreaming? Was that really her?!
Kyōraku was so shocked his jaw could've swallowed a hippo.
"That's gotta be a fake… Right? That can't be the real Unohana-senpai…"
But no matter what they thought, Yachiru Unohana followed Ichigo, calmly drawing her zanpakutō.
Step by step… the two of them approached Aizen Sōsuke.
Even Aizen… was caught off guard by this combination.
(End of Chapter)
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