The snow goddess-like Rukia stepped forward, each footfall freezing the ground in absolute frost. Her body radiated cold that wasn't just from her blade—it was as if she herself had become part of her Bankai.
"Rukia… what kind of Bankai is this?" Byakuya's brows furrowed. Even he had never seen something so beautiful yet terrifying.
She struck. Ulquiorra parried, but frost spread instantly over his blade, crawling up his arm. The chill froze even his high-speed regeneration.
"This is Baixia Punishment!" Rukia's tone was calm, distant as winter itself.
"Minus 18 degrees. Blood freezes—no bleeding."
"Minus 50 degrees. The world itself grows brittle."
Her power surged again. "Minus 273.15 degrees… absolute zero!"
Ulquiorra severed his own arm to halt the ice, but regenerated instantly. Cold eyes met hers. "Impressive… but too weak."
He vanished, reappearing behind her, finger raised.
"Cero Oscuras."
A dark-green blast screamed toward her. Rukia readied her blade, but suddenly her body shuddered, hand clutching her chest.
"Rukia—!" Byakuya shouted, horror twisting his voice.
But golden light flashed. Cole appeared behind her, finger raised.
"Hadō #4: Byakurai!"
A white flash obliterated the dark cero. The explosion rocked the battlefield. Cole gripped her shoulder, ice forming instantly across his arm.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"My body… something is inside. Take it out," Rukia said calmly, as if her emotions were frozen with her temperature.
Cole raised a brow. "Where?"
She pointed to her chest.
Byakuya's eyes went wide with disbelief as Cole pressed his hand against her. "You two… in public!?"
Cole reached inside, fingers brushing something foreign. He pulled it free, eyes widening.
"The Hōgyoku!?"
Aizen's face twisted for the first time in shock. "The Hōgyoku!?"
The orb glimmered in Cole's hand—the very one lost days before. Somehow, it had embedded itself within Rukia.
Rage surged in Aizen. His Kyōka Suigetsu blanketed every captain present, illusions swallowing them whole as he lunged to reclaim it.
Yamamoto's fury erupted. Flames roared as he shouted, "Brats, stay back!" Even he had to tread carefully against Aizen's illusions.
Rukia lifted her blade. "Shall I destroy it?"
Cole shook his head. "Not even I can break it." He tossed it toward Yamamoto. "Old man, smash it."
"Bankai!" Yamamoto roared, unleashing apocalyptic fire.
At the same time, Aizen shouted, "Bankai!"—water surged like an ocean, crashing down.
Cole swung his golden staff with earth-shattering gravity.
Fire, water, and weight crashed upon the Hōgyoku.
"Crack!" A fracture spread across its surface. With a deafening shatter, it exploded into countless shards scattering like falling stars.
Aizen staggered back, clutching a single fragment. His face twisted. "It's not destroyed… it will regenerate…"
Cole shrugged. "What, you thought I was telling the truth about destroying it? That was just something I made up."
"You… human!!!" Aizen's fury tore through him. Waves surged as his true Bankai unleashed torrents like tsunamis.
Cole grinned, planting his staff. "My zanpakuto's name—Dinghaishenzhen (Sea-Calming Divine Staff)!"
Gravity doubled. Space bent. The tsunami froze midair.
The golden staff slammed down against Aizen's blade with a thunderous crash.
Shockwaves leveled the 6th Division to wasteland.
Aizen snarled, "Human! You dare suppress me!?"
Cole smiled brightly, staff pressing him down. "Isn't that obvious?"
The battle between gold and azure shook the heavens as their clash raged on.
(End of Chapter)
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