Chapter 146: Yamete Kudasai!
"Huh? Where did this Japanese-style beauty come from?"
Seeing Kyōka Suigetsu suddenly blocking his path, Satoru showed a surprised expression.
Then, he saw the Japanese-style beauty raising her sword high toward him.
So that's it... she's an enemy.
Satoru felt somewhat regretful.
To think there was such a beauty among the rebels.
If he had traits like being a ○wife-con or an onee-san-con, he might have immediately surrendered and sworn allegiance to Tsunayashiro Senzaemon as his godfather.
Unfortunately, he was a righteous gentleman without such strange hobbies.
Pushing hard against the air with his right foot, he accelerated again.
At the same time, he pulled his right hand back, his fist shining with Reiatsu!
Watching Satoru charging toward her, Kyōka Suigetsu revealed an excited smile.
She poured Reiatsu into her Zanpakutō, releasing it.
Aizen's face changed.
"Close your eyes! That's Kyōka Suigetsu!!"
He loudly warned Satoru while using Shunpo to rush to Kyōka Suigetsu's side, swinging his sword to stop her from using Complete Hypnosis.
But his movement was still a bit too slow.
Kyōka Suigetsu's hypnosis has no startup animation―it completes as long as the opponent sees the Zanpakutō.
In other words, the activation speed of Complete Hypnosis is the speed of light!
Sensing that Kyōka Suigetsu had already been released, Aizen realized that a major problem had occurred.
Although Satoru usually appeared lazy and unmotivated.
In reality, this guy's combat talent was terrifying.
Once Satoru fell under Kyōka Suigetsu's hypnosis, the battlefield situation would instantly change.
What should he do?
Various countermeasures quickly flashed through Aizen's mind.
Got it.
Since he could defeat Kyōka Suigetsu alone anyway, he might as well have Satoru stay put and do nothing.
This was also one of Kyōka Suigetsu's limitations.
In group battles, as long as the opponents were sufficiently passive and didn't attack together, the returns from hypnosis would be greatly diminished.
But before he could speak, Kyōka Suigetsu laughed loudly:
"Useless! I know what you're trying to do!"
"I've already used Complete Hypnosis to alter his hearing!"
"Everything you say to him now, in his eyes, is nothing but provocation and insults!"
Hearing this, Aizen glanced at her.
As expected of his own Zanpakutō—though her combat skills were mediocre, she was quite professional when it came to these petty tricks.
Seeing Aizen remain silent, Kyōka Suigetsu's smile widened.
"I've swapped our appearances in his perception."
"In Satoru's eyes, you are me, and I am you."
"Come on, let me enjoy the show!"
"What kind of spectacle will it be when two trusted friends fight each other to the death?"
Aizen frowned slightly.
He noticed that behind Satoru, Yoruichi Shihōin was following from a distance of several hundred meters.
If he were alone, he could manage well enough.
But with Yoruichi Shihōin present, the situation was different.
If he were tied down by Kyōka Suigetsu and Satoru, Kōga and Muramasa might seize the chance to kill Yoruichi Shihōin.
He couldn't care less about her survival.
However, once the battle ended and Satoru broke free from the Complete Hypnosis, seeing Yoruichi Shihōin dead would certainly cause him to lose control.
He really didn't want to deal with such a troublesome situation...
In the end, he made a decision.
Kill Kyōka Suigetsu first.
Endure Satoru's Reiatsu, kill Kyōka Suigetsu, and put an end to her Complete Hypnosis.
Only by doing so could the situation be salvaged.
Of course, there was also a backup plan.
If he couldn't kill Kyōka Suigetsu quickly, he would first escape with Yoruichi Shihōin, hide her away, and then reconsider.
With that thought, he didn't hesitate and immediately swung his sword at Kyōka Suigetsu.
"Good… come at me!"
In response to Aizen's attack, Kyōka Suigetsu revealed a smile.
Though her body was already battered and broken, she was, after all, Aizen's Zanpakutō. Relying on her immense Reiatsu, she could still withstand a few blows.
On the contrary, it was Aizen who was about to face misfortune.
She shouted loudly, "Satoru! I've held her back! She couldn't use Complete Hypnosis!"
"Restrain her! Don't give her a chance to release her Zanpakutō!"
Under the effects of Complete Hypnosis, her voice would sound like Aizen's to Satoru.
Everything was in place—now all that was left was for Satoru to punch Aizen!
Kyōka Suigetsu smiled.
Holding her Zanpakutō with both hands, she unleashed her Reiatsu at full force, clashing fiercely with Aizen.
Sensing Kyōka Suigetsu's desperate, overwhelming Reiatsu, Aizen realized that Plan A was likely unworkable.
Time to switch to Plan B.
Just as he was thinking this, Satoru charged over.
Kyōka Suigetsu wore a "victory is mine" smile.
In Aizen's peripheral vision, Satoru raised his fist like a wrathful demon—
"Yamero!!!"
Boom!!!!!
A terrifying fist slammed squarely into Kyōka Suigetsu's face.
Before the smile could fade from her face, Satoru's punch shattered her features.
The blow cracked her eye sockets, sent eyeballs bursting out, and splattered colors everywhere—red, black, and purple—as if a dye shop had exploded.
Under Aizen's stunned gaze, Kyōka Suigetsu once again traced a straight, dramatic line through the sky before crashing into the ground.
A cloud of silver dust erupted!
Satoru shook his wrist. "What's with that perverted imitation of Sōsuke's tone?"
Then, he turned to Aizen, cheerfully extending a hand.
"Sōsuke, my careless classmate who had his Zanpakutō's ability stolen."
"Satoru is here to collect your body… ahem, Satoru is here to save you!"
Aizen: "..."
Looking at Satoru, who seemed completely unaffected by Kyōka Suigetsu, he asked in confusion:
"You weren't hypnotized?"
Hearing this, Satoru paused briefly.
Right… that girl just now was Kyōka Suigetsu, wasn't she?
Why wasn't he affected?
He quickly checked the soul cloak he kept active 24/7, always ready to guard against Kyōka Suigetsu.
The soul cloak was clean, with no signs of contamination.
After checking several times, he said curiously, "Seems not."
Aizen was somewhat surprised.
Suddenly, he noticed the vibrant, shimmering glow of Reiatsu radiating from Satoru.
Earlier, with his attention entirely on Kyōka Suigetsu, he hadn't noticed the intensity of Satoru's Reiatsu.
Only now did he realize that Satoru's Reiatsu had increased significantly compared to usual.
This guy… had gotten stronger again?
Was Kyōka Suigetsu unable to hypnotize him because her Reiatsu was overpowered?
Realizing this, Aizen felt an indescribable complexity in his heart.
Kyōka Suigetsu's Reiatsu was equal to his own.
To surpass Kyōka Suigetsu and become immune to its complete hypnosis, he had to take a temporary drug to achieve it.
Yet Satoru… could actually accomplish this directly.
Just how far had this guy gone?
All along, what he took the most pride in was the growth rate of his Reiatsu.
But now, even this greatest advantage had been surpassed by Satoru.
"Genius" described someone far beyond others, an existence unimaginable by common sense.
Then, above "genius," it was probably Satoru.