Chapter 194: Ichigo Returns—The Decisive Battle Begins!
At this moment, the urban center of Karakura Town lay in complete ruins. Countless high-rise buildings surrounding the area had collapsed, and across the battlefield filled with damaged structures, only a few figures remained standing amidst the pervasive smoke.
Aizen, having completed his third stage of evolution, had undergone drastic changes in appearance. If previously his emotions had been carefully masked—happiness, anger, sorrow, and joy all hidden from view—then the Aizen who now stood before them wore an expression of unbridled triumph.
Not only had an eye-like slit appeared on his forehead, but even his actual eyes had become different from those of ordinary Shinigami. His eyebrows had vanished entirely, and the aura emanating from his entire being had completely transformed. He no longer resembled the Reiatsu form from his previous chrysalis stage.
Although his body remained covered by materialized milky-white Reiatsu, three pairs of enormous butterfly wings had sprouted from his back. A hollow void with the Hogyoku embedded at its center had appeared on his chest—just like an Arrancar's hollow hole.
"When I was still in Soul Society, I attempted to discover the answer to the Hogyoku's mysteries, but I failed! In order to complete my ideal Hogyoku, I harvested the souls of hundreds of Shinigami and hundreds of Rukongai residents who possessed Shinigami potential."
"I endeavored to pour these souls into the Hogyoku I'd created, but the Hogyoku showed no signs of satisfaction whatsoever. However, judging from the experimental results alone, your Hogyoku wasn't complete at that time either!"
As he spoke, Aizen raised the blade in his hand. Urahara Kisuke's body traced a graceful arc through the air before falling heavily to the ground.
"When the hell... when the hell did you discover I'd created a Hogyoku?"
Urahara Kisuke endured the pain, raised his head, and looked at Aizen with defeated eyes.
"When? Of course, it was before you sealed it away out of fear of the Hogyoku's power. I became aware of it then! I've been waiting for an opportunity ever since."
"An opportunity?"
Urahara Kisuke braced his hands against the ground, attempting to lift his body upright. He glanced at Shihoin Yoruichi and Kurosaki Isshin, who had already fallen unconscious, with a flash of anguish in his eyes.
Because the current situation had deteriorated to the worst possible outcome.
"An opportunity to infuse your Hogyoku into mine! You created your Hogyoku, but you had absolutely no comprehension of how powerful it truly is. This is the end, Urahara Kisuke!"
"Not only you, but Soul Society itself will begin a new chapter under my guidance!"
Aizen laughed, venting the joy surging within him. After all, throughout his time in Soul Society, he'd suppressed his true nature for countless years, consistently displaying that humble and gentle personality before others. After such an extended period, even Aizen himself no longer knew which version represented his authentic self.
"Hmph! Your existence no longer holds any importance. Having said that, I am genuinely surprised that you managed to eradicate Fiander. Well then, goodbye, Urahara Kisuke!"
Aizen raised his head, the corners of his mouth curving with unbridled satisfaction. He lifted his right hand—the one that had fused with his Zanpakuto. Just as he prepared to deliver the killing blow to Urahara Kisuke, he heard a sharp whistling sound. A blade flew from the distance, embedding itself directly into the ground before Aizen.
This sudden interruption severely disrupted Aizen's jubilant mood. After all, he'd finally achieved his objective, and he truly didn't want some trivial matter affecting his satisfaction.
"Who dares?"
Aizen turned sideways, squinting toward the sky. But the moment he made that movement, a figure materialized directly between himself and Urahara Kisuke.
BOOM!
Looking at the person who'd descended from above, Aizen felt a vague sense of familiarity, but after careful observation, he couldn't confirm the identity with certainty.
"Kurosaki... is that you?"
At this moment, Urahara Kisuke's weak voice emerged from behind the newcomer. Aizen finally confirmed that the person standing before him was indeed Kurosaki Ichigo—the one who had completed his training within the Dangai.
"Sorry, Manager Urahara. Due to certain circumstances, it took considerably longer than anticipated!"
After speaking, Kurosaki Ichigo's eyes shifted, glancing at Shihoin Yoruichi and his father lying unconscious on the ground. Then he surveyed the devastated urban area surrounding them. Finally, he looked at Aizen with perfect calm and spoke softly: "Is all of this your doing, Aizen?"
Hearing Kurosaki Ichigo suddenly questioning him in such a manner, Aizen—who had completed his evolution—felt profoundly taken aback. He hadn't expected the other party would dare speak with such audacity upon witnessing his transformed state. He extended his hand and said mockingly, "Kurosaki Ichigo?"
"Are you truly Kurosaki Ichigo?"
At this moment, Kurosaki Ichigo's hair had grown considerably longer, his bangs falling directly across his brow. Not only had his height increased, but most importantly, his eyes and entire temperament had become completely different from what they'd been merely half an hour earlier.
Although Kurosaki Ichigo had been formidable before, the Reiatsu within his body had also been highly unstable—fluctuating dramatically up and down. Yet now, Aizen couldn't sense even the faintest trace of Reiatsu emanating from the other party.
It was as though the person standing before him was an ordinary human being, utterly devoid of any spiritual pressure whatsoever.
"You don't seem to have answered my question, Aizen!"
Kurosaki Ichigo didn't respond to Aizen's inquiry. Instead, he continued pressing his previous question.
Aizen sneered, spreading his arms wide. "I see. It seems you are indeed Kurosaki Ichigo himself."
"However, if you're genuinely Kurosaki Ichigo, then you've disappointed me greatly!"
"What do you mean?" Aizen's statement puzzled Ichigo, prompting him to ask directly.
"I cannot sense any Reiatsu from you whatsoever. Even if you were desperately suppressing your own spiritual pressure, it would be impossible for me to detect absolutely nothing. If I'm not mistaken, your evolution has failed!"
"What a waste. I clearly granted you one final opportunity, and you squandered it completely."
Hearing Aizen's triumphant tone, Kurosaki Ichigo didn't say much in response. He simply released a breath, looked around at his surroundings, and said, "Forget it, Aizen."
"Let's relocate this battle elsewhere!"
Looking at Karakura Town—which had long since been reduced to ruins—Kurosaki Ichigo had no desire to see his hometown destroyed any further.
"Change locations? Such a proposal is utterly meaningless. Only someone capable of confronting me on equal terms would be worthy of making such a suggestion. Don't worry—you won't have to witness Karakura Town's complete destruction. You'll die long before—"
Before Aizen could finish speaking, he felt tremendous force impact his face. In an instant, his entire body launched into the air uncontrollably. Within the blink of an eye, he'd been carried tens of kilometers away from Karakura Town.
Before he could recover his bearings, he discovered he'd been slammed onto a wasteland. The massive impact forced even the self-assured Aizen to half-crouch on the ground, buffering the force of his landing.
Then he pressed his hand against his face—which had been scratched by Kurosaki Ichigo's strike—feeling the muscles in his cheeks twitching continuously. He spoke with an expression of complete disbelief: "Impossible... using nothing but brute force, how could I..."
At this moment, Kurosaki Ichigo also descended from the sky. Like Aizen, his right arm had fused with his own Zanpakuto. The difference lay in the fact that Ichigo's right arm was wrapped by the chain attached to Tensa Zangetsu's hilt.
"Let's begin, Aizen!"
"I will end this battle in an instant!"
Meanwhile, Ichimaru Gin and Fiander, observing from high above, displayed markedly different expressions regarding the scene unfolding below.
"What an extraordinary young man!"
Ichimaru Gin's brows twitched continuously, his eyes opened wide. Clearly, the scene before him had completely exceeded his expectations for Kurosaki Ichigo.
"As expected of the youth favored simultaneously by both you and Captain Aizen. He truly is... remarkable!"
Ichimaru Gin turned his head toward Fiander, whose face remained perfectly calm. It appeared this situation had been anticipated by the other party all along.
"My my... Could it be that even this scenario was predicted by you, Fiander?"
Seeing the confusion and resignation on Ichimaru Gin's face, Fiander stroked his chin and smiled. "After all, he is Kurosaki Ichigo—a man chosen by this world itself."
"Aren't you feeling conflicted about this, Gin?"
Hearing Fiander address him directly by his given name, Ichimaru Gin's expression instantly returned to his previous smiling demeanor. "How could that be? After all, I have no desire for my soul to become scattered fragments!"