As Aizen continued walking, the white mask covering his face gradually peeled away, revealing his original appearance.
"I've left behind the cradle stage. I've evolved into a higher being," Aizen said, staring directly at Ichigo. "Kurosaki Ichigo... you are no longer my opponent."
He was confident—but Ichigo was even more so.
First, he brought Urahara, Isshin, and Yoruichi to Unohana for treatment. Then, without hesitation, he rushed into the Dangai, following Aizen and Gin.
Back in the real world, Yamamoto and Amagai still hadn't moved.
Amagai, anxious, asked, "Captain-Commander... aren't you going to act?"
Yamamoto replied calmly, "No need to rush, Shūsuke. There's someone who's far more angry than we are. And didn't we agree to leave this to the younger generation?"
With that, his gaze fell upon Ichigo, ablaze with fury.
"Aizen Sōsuke!!"
Ichigo charged into the opened gate without a moment's pause.
However, due to a slight delay in his entry, Ichigo didn't follow the exact path as Aizen and Gin. Instead, he ended up on another route.
After all, Ichigo wasn't exactly a fully qualified Shinigami—he didn't have the guidance of a Hell Butterfly in the Dangai.
Meanwhile, Aizen and Gin encountered the Kōtotsu—the Dangai's natural law enforcer that appears every seven days to purge intruders.
The Kōtotsu doesn't operate on reiatsu, and cannot be affected by it. It is, in essence, a force of nature meant to destroy anything that lingers in the Dangai too long.
Amagai would've said: "That thing is terrifying... I wouldn't dare mess with it."
But Aizen didn't care.
As Gin silently watched, wondering if perhaps—just perhaps—Aizen might finally fall to a universal law...
...he was disappointed.
Aizen raised his hand and summoned a technique unique to his fusion with the Hōgyoku—
Super-Reiatsu Barrier.
The moment it activated, the Kōtotsu was annihilated.
Looking over, Aizen said coolly, "What's there to fear, Gin? Laws are made for those who cannot live without them."
"Come. Let's walk to the edge of the rules."
Gin stared, shaken.
Aizen was no longer a Shinigami in any meaningful sense.
After eliminating the Kōtotsu, Aizen and Gin arrived in the reconstructed Karakura Town within Soul Society.
However, killing the Kōtotsu caused slight spatial disturbances—so the gate dropped them at the city's edge.
Still, Aizen wasn't concerned.
He couldn't even sense Ichigo's reiatsu anymore.
Which, ironically, meant Ichigo had transcended to another level entirely...
Oblivious to the symbolism, Aizen walked slowly, not using Shunpo or any fast movement at all—like a man waiting to be challenged.
Meanwhile, the townspeople had all been put into a deep sleep—except for those who had once touched Ichigo's life:
Keigo, Mizuiro... they were awake—and terrified.
But they weren't the only ones in Karakura.
Someone else had arrived as well—the only Shinigami to return alone through the Dangai.
Gin Ichimaru's childhood friend: Rangiku Matsumoto.
She appeared before Aizen and Gin.
Seeing her, Gin sighed and said, "Forgive me, Captain Aizen. She's an old friend of mine. Can I speak with her... privately?"
Aizen didn't mind. "Go ahead. We still have time."
With that, Gin used the fastest Shunpo of his life to whisk Rangiku far from Aizen.
Once they stopped, Rangiku yanked her arm free, panting as she glared at him.
"Rangiku... you can barely stand. Why did you come?" Gin asked gently.
"I just wanted to see... what my old friend was doing," she shot back firmly.
"Gin, why did you follow that man? Why did you betray Kira... someone who trusted you?"
Gin frowned.
"You're serious? You think I betrayed someone who trusted me?" he said coldly. "Are you really only talking about Kira?"
It was clear he was hurt she hadn't mentioned herself.
"Why are you even here?" Gin asked, looking her in the eyes. "Rangiku... really."
He unsheathed his Zanpakutō, intending to knock her unconscious.
At that very moment—Ichigo arrived!
CLANG!
"Are you alright, Rangiku?" Ichigo shouted as he blocked Gin's strike.
"I'm fine..." Rangiku muttered, stunned. She hadn't expected Gin to actually attack her.
Just a beautiful misunderstanding.
Meanwhile, Aizen was "playing hide and seek" with Keigo, Mizuiro, and Don Kanonji.
He seemed to enjoy this game of cat and mouse.
Back with Ichigo—
Sensing Aizen might be targeting his friends, Ichigo prepared to attack.
But Gin got there first.
"Kurosaki Ichigo... I have a favor to ask."
The two raced side by side toward Aizen.
Rangiku, still injured, could only struggle behind.
"A favor?" Ichigo glanced at him.
"Protect Rangiku... please. In exchange, I'll protect your friends."
Then Gin suddenly slashed at Ichigo!
Ichigo dodged, confused—but that attack wasn't meant to kill.
It was to buy Gin some space.
Ichigo's doubts deepened.
What are you really planning, Gin Ichimaru...?
Back near the center of town, Aizen sensed Ichigo's arrival.
"So fast..." he muttered.
"Kurosaki Ichigo truly surprises me."
Then he smirked at Gin. "You actually attacked that woman. I thought you had feelings for her."
Gin looked back with his usual half-smile.
"Feelings? I don't have those."
"I'm a snake. Cold-blooded. I slither with my tongue, hunting prey. If I like the prey, I devour it whole. That's just my nature."
Aizen didn't respond.
"I've said that before, haven't I?" Gin muttered, stepping in front of Aizen.
Then—he grabbed the blade of Kyōka Suigetsu.
Back with Ichigo, Rangiku cried out:
"Wait, Ichigo! Please... take me to Gin!"
Sensing that his friends were now far enough from Aizen, and remembering Gin's strange behavior earlier, Ichigo gritted his teeth and nodded—taking Rangiku toward the center.
Meanwhile—
"This is the way I plan to kill you," Gin whispered.
"The only way to break Kyōka Suigetsu's complete hypnosis... is to touch the blade before it's activated."
"I spent nearly a hundred years just to learn that one sentence."
"None of the other captains knew. Everyone just wanted to kill you, Captain Aizen—but I... I was terrified."
"Because I knew—only I could do it."
And with that—Gin's Zanpakutō pierced Aizen's chest!
A geyser of blood burst forth!
"I knew your goal," Aizen gasped. "I let you stay by my side... because I was curious how you'd try to kill me."
"But did you really think... that was enough?"
Gin interrupted coldly, "Of course not."
He activated his true Bankai's secret.
"See this?" Gin pointed to a missing fragment of his blade. "I left it inside your body."
"You remember what I said about my Bankai?"
Aizen's expression finally changed.
"I lied," Gin said flatly.
"Kamishini no Yari doesn't extend that far, nor is it that fast."
"In truth, when it extends, it transforms into dust—and the blade is coated with a venom that dissolves cells from the inside."
That's right. Snakes don't just bite—they poison.
Gin raised a finger at Aizen's chest.
"Shoot to kill—Kamishini no Yari!"
"Gin! You...!"
Aizen was panicking for the first time.
And rightly so—he no longer knew if he could regenerate even with the Hōgyoku.
Gin's real Bankai disintegrated the cells around Aizen's heart.
"A hole through the chest... isn't that poetic justice?" Gin muttered, flashing into the air.
He reached for the falling Hōgyoku—ripped from Aizen's body.
But the cost was high—his arm had been shredded by Aizen's grasp during the attempt.
Now hiding in a corner of the city, Gin clutched the Hōgyoku with trembling hands.
"It's over," he muttered. "It's finally over."
But just as he let himself relax...
A massive wave of spiritual pressure shook Karakura Town.
Aizen, who should've been dead, stood up once again!
With a roar, white light surged from his torn chest.
Reborn through that light, Aizen evolved once more.
Wings exploded from his back, and an eye appeared on his forehead—like the Third Eye of Erlang Shen!
His right arm had now fused completely with his Zanpakutō.
"I win, Gin," Aizen said confidently, floating in the air.
"Even without the Hōgyoku inside me, it still belongs to me."
With his evolved form's special ability—Lightform Movement—Aizen appeared instantly beside Gin and ran him through.
For the first time, Gin's eyes were wide open—clear, and full of resolve.
Even as the Hōgyoku drifted back into Aizen's chest...
...Gin did not give up.
For the years he'd spent hiding...
For Rangiku's revenge...
He reached out with one final motion—toward the Hōgyoku once again.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][www.p@treon.com/zaelum]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]