"Here it comes!"
The new ability of the Zanpakutō Benihime appeared as eccentric and shocking as ever—it even looked like Kidō being unleashed!
Inside Squad Six.
Abarai Renji's eyes widened, completely drawn in.
At this moment, staring at the screen, at that massive net-shaped spiritual restraint spreading out before him, Renji felt it was far stronger than an ordinary binding spell.
He couldn't help but marvel at Benihime's versatility—
It had offense: that blood-red sword aura!
And now, support: this net-shaped binding!
In every way, compared to his Zabimaru—
It wasn't even the same league.
No, they couldn't be compared at all!
Yet this was only the beginning.
As the camera shifted, the scene showed Aizen now tightly entangled and restrained within the bindings.
Then Urahara Kisuke's shout rang again:
"Play with fire, Benihime—Linked Beads!!!"
The green-clad man leapt forward, closing the distance.
Landing before the camera, Kisuke crouched slightly—
And thrust Benihime's blade straight into the ground!
Instantly—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Countless blazing spheres of flame, condensed from pure spiritual pressure, erupted across the massive net.
One after another—dense, countless!
The flames spread in a wide sheet, engulfing everything.
In moments, the entire video was drowned in an inferno of searing light.
And the temperature—
Each sphere burned with hundreds, perhaps thousands of degrees of heat.
The battlefield's air boiled, surpassing all previous limits, becoming unimaginably hot.
Even reality seemed affected—
The viewers before the transparent screen felt the temperature rise sharply.
For a moment, they almost believed—
They weren't seeing Benihime at all…
But the strongest Fire-type Zanpakutō—Ryūjin Jakka!
Yes.
That was the feeling this new display of Benihime's power delivered.
No wonder it caused another uproar!
"What the hell…"
"This kind of heat—it's terrifying! I feel like I'm melting!"
"Kidō and fire… what even is this Zanpakutō?"
"It's like it can do everything! Does Kisuke just… invent new powers for it on the fly?"
"Could it be… he actually modified his Zanpakutō?"
In Las Noches,
The Arrancars and Hollows were drenched in sweat.
Before long, their white uniforms were soaked through; vision blurred with heat and perspiration.
It was unbearable.
They couldn't help but curse aloud—
"That damn Benihime—way too many abilities!!!"
Other Zanpakutō had a single elemental trait after release.
But Urahara Kisuke—
He barely swung a few times, and each one revealed a whole new power!
Absurd.
"Modified Zanpakutō?" Szayelaporro's eyes lit up with fascination.
"As expected of Urahara Kisuke… such a feat is no easy thing!"
The scientist in him burned with envy.
Kisuke's brilliance, composure, and strength—all undeniable.
Even proud Szayelaporro had to admit—Urahara was his greatest rival on the same path.
That wooden-sandaled man and his Benihime—profound beyond measure.
"Oh… modified Zanpakutō…"
In the Research Bureau,
Mayuri Kurotsuchi sneered. His eyes, filled with hatred and disdain, twisted wildly.
On the screen, the crimson explosion faded; Kisuke's calm green figure stood amid the firelight.
Mayuri raised both hands, spiritual energy gathering at his fingertips as he struggled to suppress his fury.
"Impossible… That man could never do such a thing! To modify a Zanpakutō at will—!"
"This world has only one master of that art…"
"Me—Kurotsuchi Mayuri!!!"
He was nearly deranged.
Jealousy burned his reason away.
Everyone around him froze, barely daring to breathe, terrified of provoking his rage and becoming the next human experiment.
Meanwhile, on the screen—
The scene ended with Urahara Kisuke, Yoruichi Shihōin, and Kurosaki Isshin in perfect sync.
Together, they struck through the blaze—
Unleashing a massive crescent-shaped shockwave toward Aizen!
"Getsuga Tenshō!!!"
The screen froze.
Aizen's figure disappeared within the storm of spiritual pressure.
But soon—
Cracks spread across the white shell of scales forming over his skin.
When his form re-emerged, Aizen's spiritual pressure no longer felt like that of a Shinigami.
It was… violent, unstable, and overwhelming!
Seeing this,
In the First Division barracks, Captain-Commander Yamamoto roared with fury:
"Chōjirō!"
"Use Kidō to transmit my order!"
"All captains of the Gotei 13—combine your strength to eliminate the traitor Aizen Sōsuke, who has fallen to Hollowfication and conspired with Hueco Mundo!"
"Execute him on sight!"
"His corpse shall be buried within the Fifth Division grounds!"
Before his wooden staff, Yamamoto's expression blazed with wrath.
It was like that night a century ago—
Only this time, the ones condemned were not Shinji and the Visoreds,
But the man he once trusted most—Aizen.
When he gave the order, disappointment filled his old eyes.
He seemed to age decades in that instant, shoulders heavy with weariness.
From this moment,
There would no longer be a Captain of the Fifth Division—
Only the traitor Aizen Sōsuke.
At that same time, in the Fifth Division underground base—
"Congratulations, Captain Aizen…"
As the footage faded to black, Gin Ichimaru turned lazily, stretching with a sly grin.
"Seems the future you has already mastered the Hōgyoku's power—and it keeps evolving."
Outwardly, he wore the same foxlike smile.
But inside—
At the video's end, when he sensed the overwhelming pressure from Aizen's transformed form,
Gin's soul trembled.
For the first time, a chill of fear crept in.
Could his Shinsō ever hope to kill such a being?
He wasn't sure anymore.
Doubt seeped into his once-unshakable resolve.
Beside him, Aizen remained calm as ever.
His cool, handsome face showed no emotion, but his tone was filled with quiet satisfaction.
"Gin… seeing this much is enough."
He lifted his gaze meaningfully toward the ceiling.
With his supreme perception, he sensed it—
Strong, familiar spiritual pressures rapidly closing in from all directions.
The Captains were coming.
He knew Yamamoto's command would come.
He knew the Gotei's response before it even happened.
Everything was within his calculations.
"So, Captain Aizen," Gin said lightly, "what now? The three of us are in quite a bind, huh?"
Aizen's reply carried not a trace of concern.
"No matter. The Commander's order will not be in vain. The Captains will indeed find and 'capture' me here… in the Fifth Division."
A faint, knowing smile curved his lips.
In his cold eyes shone unshakable confidence.
For he had Kyōka Suigetsu—the power to manipulate all five senses.
The Gotei 13 had long been dancing in his illusion.
Even now, though he and his allies—Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen—had never left the underground chamber,
To everyone outside, the illusion of Kyōka Suigetsu showed them still standing innocently in the Captain's office.
(End of Chapter)
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