The world of the living, sky above Karakura Town.
Crack, crack, crack…
It sounded as if something were being torn apart, like a mirror shattering.
The sky broke.
Black fissures opened like the jaws of an abyss, revealing a bottomless darkness, as if it wanted to drag everything down into an endless pit.
When the crack widened to a certain point…
A pair of feet stepped out, followed by a white cloak, and then the entire body emerged.
It was a black-haired man with a gentle expression and a faint smile, wearing an open white cloak that revealed the Hogyoku embedded in his chest—Aizen.
Behind him…
Stood Gin and Tosen.
And after them came a great number of Arrancar.
Primera Espada, Coyote Starrk.
Segunda Espada, Barraggan Louisenbairn.
Tercera Espada, Tier Harribel.
Cuarta Espada, Ulquiorra Cifer.
Besides them, there were even more fracción. The weakest among those present was at least at the Gillian-plus level.
However…
Most of the Arrancar looked somewhat bedraggled, as if they had just been through a war. Some of their clothing was even torn.
One of Barraggan's fracción—Choe Neng Poww, whose body resembled a whale even in his unreleased form—frowned as he looked down at the city below.
"Is this… really the world of the living!?"
Before he evolved into a Gillian, he had once roamed the human world as a small fry Hollow, devouring the souls of many humans.
According to his memories back then…
Any large city teemed with people—crowded like mountains and seas of flesh and blood—basically an all-you-can-eat buffet for Hollows.
But the city below his eyes… was far more luxurious and magnificent than the ones he remembered. There were even many high-rise buildings now.
Resplendent.
Colorful.
Compared to it, even Las Noches felt less impressive.
Yet, in spite of that…
He couldn't see a single human being.
He couldn't even sense the presence of human souls.
The wide streets were completely empty.
It looked like a dead city.
Ulquiorra surveyed the surroundings with a cold gaze, then spoke flatly:
"This place feels different. It's somewhat similar to the Dangai."
It was clearly just an ordinary human city, but the air was permeated with a spatial distortion.
Gin smiled with narrowed eyes.
"Looks like the Seireitei's already found us. They must have transferred this whole city away."
Tosen spoke in a cold voice:
"Not transferred—exchanged. The Seireitei doesn't have that much time to relocate a city. Besides, this is a heavy-spirit zone; it's impossible to move it so easily."
Though he had no eyes, Tosen's remaining senses were abnormally sharp.
He easily grasped the key to the anomaly.
Aizen chuckled softly and looked toward the four cardinal directions around Karakura Town.
"Using four barrier pillars as keystones to swap an entire city with another place in Soul Society… As expected of the Seireitei. That's quite the grand move."
The gathered Arrancar were surprised.
They were all loners by nature; none of them had ever seen a spatial operation on this scale.
To transfer a whole city into Soul Society…
And then, using a trick like switching a civet cat for a crown prince, move a Soul Society city into the world of the living.
Such a method…
Could practically be called a miracle.
Starrk scratched his hair helplessly.
"What a pain… Don't tell me you're going to say there are Shinigami lying in ambush here next?"
Aizen smiled.
"Of course. Everyone here… is one of my old friends."
As he spoke, he turned his head toward another direction. There, the sky was a clear blue, seemingly empty.
But he said:
"Long time no see, Captain-Commander Genryusai."
The moment his words fell…
The blue sky in that direction lifted like a curtain, revealing the Shinigami behind it.
At their head was the Captain-Commander—Genryusai.
Beside him stood the First Division vice-captain, Jiro.
Ninth Division vice-captain, Shuhei.
Eleventh Division Fifth Seat, Yumichika.
At the same time…
In the other three directions, the sky curtains peeled back as well.
There appeared Shunsui, Soi fong, Sajin, Toshiro, Renji, Ikkaku, Izuru, Iba… and many other figures.
The Shinigami surrounded Aizen's group almost completely.
Seeing this, the Arrancar didn't show a trace of fear. Instead, vicious smiles surfaced on their faces.
Even though, after evolving to the Adjuchas level, they no longer needed to devour humans or Shinigami to continue evolving…
Souls were still a delicious treat to them.
And even putting aside "food," there was an irreconcilable hatred between Shinigami and Hollows.
Barraggan's fracción didn't rush to attack. Instead, they first carried over Barraggan's throne.
"Your Majesty, there's no need for you to personally handle such trash."
Choe Neng Poww looked confidently at the Shinigami opposite them.
"For garbage like this, we're more than enough."
Despite the Shinigami's numbers, he didn't think a single one among them could surpass an Espada rank.
Barraggan nodded slowly and sat on his throne under everyone's gaze, looking even more regal than Aizen.
But aside from his fracción, the other Arrancar all wore somewhat strange expressions.
Good grief…
He was already putting on airs again.
Only a few hours ago, he'd been beaten half to death by Cole.
As the two sides faced off…
An enraged young voice rang out from the Shinigami side.
"Bankai!!!"
"Daiguren Hyorinmaru (Great Crimson Lotus Ice Ring)!!!"
The sky, clear and cloudless a moment ago, suddenly plummeted in temperature. Moisture in the air condensed into icy crystals.
In an instant…
Both Shinigami and Arrancar focused their gazes on the white-haired boy in the sky.
He held a zanpakuto in his hand; ice-dragon wings spread from his back, an ice-dragon tail trailed behind him, and a huge white ice dragon coiled around his body.
He looked just like a god who ruled over ice.
Just one glance made people feel chilled to the bone.
Of course, there were no weaklings here—none of them were bothered by this level of cold.
Toshiro gripped his fully released Hyorinmaru, stepped forward, eyes burning with fury, and charged straight toward Aizen.
Seeing this, the Arrancar all became interested.
Were all Shinigami this arrogant?
The first one stepping up actually wanted to go directly for Aizen.
He was the strongest among them.
"Aizen!!"
"What did you do to Momo!!!"
Toshiro roared in anger and swung his zanpakuto down hard.
"Sennen Hyoro (Thousand-Year Ice Prison)!!!"
Pure white ice surged out, wildly expanding.
A massive mountain of ice formed in the sky. Before gravity could drag it down, the biting cold it released had already connected to the ground.
"Ice…?"
Harribel's eyes flickered slightly. She drew her sword and was about to move.
But at that moment…
Aizen stepped forward with a soft smile.
"Captain Toshiro, why are you so angry? Did something happen to Momo?"
As he spoke, he raised a finger toward the incoming ice and calmly chanted:
"Bakudo 81: Danku (Way of Binding 81: Splitting Void)."
A transparent barrier like a mirror suddenly appeared in midair.
With a boom, the ice crashed into it. The impact caused the ice to fracture explosively, sending countless shards of snow and ice flying in all directions.
The already cold air dropped several more degrees.
But the mountain of ice that had formed was forcibly halted, completely unable to pass through that thin barrier.
The Shinigami's expressions all grew extremely grave.
After the last great battle, they all knew just how powerful Toshiro's technique was.
It was arguably his second-strongest attack at the moment.
And yet such a swift and overwhelming wave of ice had been blocked by Aizen using a chant-less Bakudo.
Everyone knew…
A chant-less kido only had about one-third of its full power.
Didn't that mean Aizen needed only a third of his strength to match Toshiro's attack?
And this might not even be his full strength.
Shunsui sighed helplessly.
"That guy Aizen's gotten even stronger. That little bead in his chest must be the Hogyoku. Don't tell me it really made him evolve."
Previously, Hirako and the others had come to Soul Society specifically to warn them—saying that Aizen had already grown strong enough to "break through dimensions."
Most of them hadn't believed it.
Breaking through dimensions was too absurd.
If Aizen really had that kind of power, there would've been no need for him to hide from the Seireitei at all. He could've just killed them outright.
But now…
Even if he hadn't gone so far as to break through dimensions, his strength had clearly increased by a terrifying amount.
The other Shinigami felt heavier and heavier in their hearts.
Seeing that his attack had failed to produce any effect, Toshiro gritted his teeth.
"You're still asking what happened to Momo, you bastard?! What did you do to her? Why is she defending you—a traitor—like that?!"
Before this, Momo had been sad every day, but at least she had seemed basically normal.
Until this time, when they were preparing to come to Karakura Town to ambush Aizen, Momo had suddenly started speaking in his defense.
She said he wasn't a traitor.
She said he hadn't meant to do it.
She said he was actually very gentle.
She had even nearly fought Toshiro over it.
Seeing his childhood friend so stubborn, his heart felt like it was being torn apart. He wished he could hack Aizen into a thousand pieces.
Aizen's expression shifted as if he'd just realized something. He smiled.
"Captain Toshiro, it seems you're misunderstanding something. Momo is my vice-captain. Isn't it only natural for her to defend her captain?"
Toshiro almost ground his own teeth to dust.
You stabbed her straight through the chest with your own blade.
Under normal circumstances…
How could she possibly still defend you?
You clearly used some kind of ability to brainwash her.
Thinking that, Toshiro clenched his teeth, roared, and charged forward again, thrusting his zanpakuto straight at Aizen.
"Die, Aizen!!!"
Shick.
The sound of flesh being pierced rang out.
The silver blade of the zanpakuto had skewered Aizen's abdomen cleanly. Blood blossomed, and crimson drops slowly flowed down the blade.
The blood fell like rain from the sky.
Drip.
A drop stained the rooftop of a skyscraper red.
Then came a continuous string of drops, like a scarlet rain pouring down.
Both Shinigami and Arrancar had their pupils contract at the sight.
Even Toshiro himself felt a jolt of disbelief. How could his strike have pierced Aizen so easily?
How could Aizen be this weak?
Suddenly…
The sound of a mirror shattering echoed again.
Toshiro's gaze went blank for an instant, then his eyes flew wide open, staring in disbelief at the figure impaled on his blade.
"Momo!!!"
The one pierced by the sword was not Aizen.
It was a petite Shinigami in a black shihakusho, holding the zanpakuto Tobiume—Fifth Division vice-captain, Momo.
Her abdomen had been run through. Blood flowed as she stared at Toshiro in disbelief.
"Shiro…"
She couldn't believe it.
That Shiro would hurt her.
Hearing Momo's voice, Toshiro snapped awake as if from a nightmare and hurriedly caught her in his arms.
"Momo, are you okay?!"
Seeing that she couldn't even form words, Toshiro's eyes turned bloodshot. He looked around in a fury.
"Aizen!!!"
At that moment, he suddenly saw Aizen not far away, still wearing that same gentle smile.
"Aizen!!"
"When did you use Kyoka Suigetsu (Mirror Flower, Water Moon)?!"
Toshiro roared in rage.
Just now he had clearly seen Aizen not drawing his sword. That was why he'd tried to kill him first before he could release his zanpakuto.
How had he still ended up trapped by Kyoka Suigetsu's ability?
Aizen chuckled softly and slowly drew Kyoka Suigetsu.
"Vice-captain Toshiro… When did you get the illusion that I wasn't using Kyoka Suigetsu?"
Toshiro was almost mad with fury, but he could only force it down, turning to carry Momo away for treatment.
But just then…
Momo, her abdomen pierced and blood still flowing, somehow found the strength to move. She tightened her arms around him instead.
"Momo…"
Toshiro looked at her helplessly.
Momo refused to let go, her voice weak:
"Shiro… don't hurt Captain Aizen… Captain Aizen is innocent…"
"Momo!!!"
Toshiro glared at her, shaking with rage. He couldn't understand why she was still defending Aizen at a time like this.
Wasn't being stabbed twice by the same man enough!?
All of a sudden, a gentle voice sounded from behind Momo, speaking with a soft chuckle.
"Vice-captain Momo, just stay still like that."
Toshiro's pupils dilated to the limit. Instinctively, he tried to defend himself.
Only then did he realize…
His hands were locked in Momo's desperate embrace.
If he tried to break free by force, he would definitely injure her again.
The other Shinigami could tell something was wrong and moved to help at once—but they were too far away. No matter how fast they were, they were still a step too slow.
Shick.
Shick.
The blade pierced flesh again.
Kyoka Suigetsu's edge stabbed through Momo's body just as it had back in the Seireitei—this time skewering both her and Toshiro's abdomen together.
Blood from the two of them flowed down along the blade.
Genryusai watched it all, eyes narrowing slightly. His right hand fell onto his zanpakuto's hilt.
With a sudden motion, he drew the blade and shouted:
"Taimatsu (Blazing Torch)!!!"
A sea of raging flames surged forward like a tidal wave.
Aizen smiled lightly, flicked the blood off his blade, and retreated without hesitation.
But Genryusai was still faster.
"Jokaku Enjo (Fortress Blaze)!!!"
As the Captain-Commander swung his sword again, flames roared outward as if they had their own will, spreading in a perfect circle in all directions.
An extreme heat blanketed the sky.
The cold left behind by Hyorinmaru's Bankai vanished completely beneath the blaze.
In the midst of that surging inferno, Aizen, Gin, and Tosen were firmly encircled by searing flames.
(End of Chapter)
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