At the same time,
around the Fifth Division barracks—
"Sigh…"
"Who would've thought…"
"Not only in the future, but even now—the real Aizen is about to be executed."
On one of the corridors leading to the Fifth Division,
Third Seat and acting Vice-Captain of Squad Thirteen, Kiyone Kotetsu, spoke with regret.
In front of her, Captain Ukitake Jūshirō wore the same troubled expression.
As Aizen's senior,
and someone who shared his love of calligraphy and literature,
Ukitake often spent free evenings drinking and chatting with Aizen and Kyōraku Shunsui about life and ideals.
He had always believed Aizen—
admired by comrades and loved by subordinates—was a righteous man.
He never imagined that the real Aizen was so drastically different.
All those impressions—all lies.
All carefully constructed masks.
The truth shook him deeply.
Even now, his heart refused to accept it—
refused to believe that Aizen had truly betrayed them.
Because of that hesitation,
Squad Thirteen's members were among the last to arrive at the Fifth Division.
Beside him, Kyōraku Shunsui sighed, "Jūshirō, you should let it go. The old man already gave the kill order. This is decided."
"The name 'Aizen' will soon vanish from Seireitei altogether."
He glanced toward the distant Fifth Division buildings.
"Let's pick up the pace. Eleventh Division and others are already surrounding him.
If we lag behind, we'll regret it later."
Despite his easy tone, his words carried truth.
By now, the Fifth Division was surrounded completely—
hundreds of Shinigami closing in tight.
The operation to capture and execute the traitor Aizen Sōsuke was underway.
"Yumichika, Ikkaku—watch closely."
"The one who'll land the final blow on Aizen will be my Zanpakutō—Nozarashi!"
Kenpachi Zaraki grinned wildly,
his towering frame trembling with anticipation.
This was his first direct execution order from the Captain-Commander himself—
and the target was a Captain.
He didn't care about Aizen's betrayal or motives.
All he cared about was testing himself.
The ranking video had revealed Aizen's terrifying power in the future.
If that was true, then cutting him down here—
before Nozarashi's awakening—would be proof of its might.
That alone made Kenpachi eager.
Nearby, Byakuya Kuchiki and Renji Abarai arrived as well.
Hearing Kenpachi's words, Byakuya said coldly,
"Renji, you heard him. Fight with everything you have."
"Aizen's crimes are unforgivable. Show no mercy."
"Yes, Captain Kuchiki!" Renji replied firmly, gripping Zabimaru's hilt.
One by one, Captains and elite Shinigami assembled.
And soon, within the Fifth Division barracks,
the encirclement was complete—
and the final confrontation began.
The result was inevitable.
Outnumbered, "Aizen" had no chance.
Within minutes, he was struck down—
collapsing in a pool of blood before everyone's eyes.
"Over already, huh…"
"Captain Aizen's been defeated. Mission accomplished."
Among the crowd, Ōmaeda Marechiyo exhaled deeply and looked toward Soi Fon.
True to form, he'd done little in the battle, keeping to the back.
Still, the sight of Aizen's body left him uneasy—
It was hard to believe that a Captain of the Gotei 13 had been publicly executed.
In fact, Aizen's corpse looked too damaged.
Almost excessive.
Soi Fon remained cold as ice.
Her beautiful face showed no emotion as she said flatly,
"Nothing to pity. A traitor who colluded with Hollows deserved this. Execution was justice."
"And we should thank the ranking video—without it, Aizen's conspiracy might have succeeded."
She lifted her head, eyes shifting toward the glowing screen hovering nearby.
The next video segment was already playing.
After Benihime's display in the last footage,
the feed had shifted—showing new scenes,
allowing the Captains to focus fully on the capture operation.
Meanwhile, elsewhere on the battlefield—
Tōshirō Hitsugaya frowned, his icy eyes fixed on Aizen's corpse.
"Strange…"
"Aizen was too weak. He fell so quickly."
"And his Zanpakutō, Kyōka Suigetsu, which supposedly manipulates perception through mist and reflection—it barely did anything. No illusion, no confusion."
The more he thought, the deeper his doubt grew.
"If he's this weak… how did he ever convince Hueco Mundo's Arrancars to ally with him?"
Having seen the future video,
Hitsugaya remembered vividly the terrifying "Hōgyoku Aizen."
The contrast between that monster and the man before him was too great.
Something didn't add up.
Behind him, Matsumoto Rangiku chuckled lightly.
"Captain, he's dead already. Why overthink it?"
"Let's just wait for Captain Unohana's autopsy results."
She gestured toward the group of senior Captains gathered about a hundred meters away—
Kyōraku Shunsui, Ukitake Jūshirō, and Unohana Retsu.
The oldest Captains of the Gotei 13.
They stood around Aizen's corpse, discussing quietly.
"Unohana… we're counting on you," said Kyōraku.
"This situation is serious—
a Captain's betrayal, ties to Hueco Mundo… The Commander insisted on a full autopsy, even if he's dead."
"We must confirm there's no deception."
Kyōraku gave his usual easy smile, though his tone was sincere.
He personally felt the procedure unnecessary.
After all, hundreds of witnesses, including more than ten Captains, had seen Aizen fall.
But knowing Yamamoto's cautious nature,
and his lingering disbelief—
Kyōraku understood. The old man couldn't let go of the image of Aizen as the perfect subordinate.
"No problem," Unohana nodded calmly.
Her usual gentle demeanor gave way to the solemn professionalism of a seasoned healer.
Inwardly, she felt little emotion.
Over a thousand years, she had seen countless Captains rise and fall.
Aizen's death was just another among them.
Soon, under the gaze of hundreds, the autopsy began.
Unohana's precision and experience made the process swift.
And then—
"…Hm?"
Her soft voice broke the silence.
The lashes above her calm eyes lifted slightly.
Her brow twitched.
Everyone froze.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
"What is it?"
"Did something happen?"
"Look—Captain Unohana's expression changed!"
"Could something be wrong with the body?!"
In seconds,
the entire Fifth Division barracks fell silent.
Cold unease swept through every Shinigami present—
even Kenpachi stopped moving, frowning slightly.
(End of Chapter)
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