"This is…"
"Aizen!!!"
"It's really Aizen!!!"
In that instant, as everyone turned toward the Fifth Division's main gate,
they froze—only a second of sight, but their minds were overwhelmed.
A chilling jolt struck their nerves. Fear crawled up their spines.
Because—
right there, in front of the gate—
stood that man!
Aizen Sōsuke.
Calm and still.
The white haori of a Captain fluttered softly in the breeze.
Behind the glasses, his gentle scholar's smile—so familiar to every Shinigami—returned once again.
Only this time, that same smile carried irony… and mockery.
As if he were commenting on the farce that had just unfolded.
And he wasn't alone.
At his sides stood two others—
Gin Ichimaru, wearing his ever-foxlike grin,
and Kaname Tōsen, one hand gripping his Zanpakutō Suzumushi, radiating silent hostility,
as if to draw a clear line between themselves and the entire Gotei 13.
Behind them,
bound tightly by Bakudō #63: Sajo Sabaku (Locking Binding Chain),
was Kuchiki Rukia, half-conscious, captured.
The sight hit everyone like a hammer—
a visual shock no weaker than Aizen's "resurrection" itself.
Another wave of primal fear rippled through the ranks.
The Shinigami of the Gotei 13 could no longer keep composure.
"What… what's happening?!"
"Aizen was dead! How can he be there?! Then whose body did we just see?"
"And Captain Gin, Captain Tōsen—why are they standing with him?!"
"Weren't they just fighting beside us against Aizen?!"
Terror.
Disbelief.
A brain-breaking sense of dread spread like wildfire.
Every officer, every Captain—no one was spared.
Their minds simply stalled under the weight of the impossible.
From the start, the ranking video had only revealed Aizen.
No hint of Gin or Tōsen had appeared—
so no one had ever suspected them.
No one imagined that Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen were his co-conspirators.
And yet…
moments ago, everyone had seen them personally leading the assault on "Aizen."
They had fought beside the Gotei.
That was undeniable.
It had truly happened before their eyes.
Then why—
why were they now standing with the traitor himself?
Some Shinigami, trembling, turned toward the Third and Ninth Divisions—
and found the positions where Gin and Tōsen should've been… completely empty.
They were gone.
No trace.
The memories of their presence still vivid,
but reality denied their existence.
Had their memories been rewritten?
Or had they been under illusion all along?
If so… when had it begun?
That unanswered question multiplied the fear.
And in that atmosphere,
Aizen, Gin, and Tōsen simply stood there.
Silent. Motionless.
No killing intent, no spiritual pressure—
and yet, their mere presence made the entire Fifth Division formation collapse.
The lower-ranked officers could no longer stand.
Their legs trembled, armor clattering.
Even the Captains struggled to maintain calm.
At last, everyone realized—
From the very beginning,
they hadn't been facing just one traitor.
They'd been trapped in a grand deception—
a scheme crafted over years,
that toyed with every single person in Soul Society.
"Tsks, tsk…"
"Captain Aizen, thanks to you, I get to enjoy such a fine show."
Gin chuckled softly.
His slitted eyes swept playfully across the crowd.
"To see all the Captains wearing such faces… well, that's a once-in-a-lifetime sight, isn't it?"
Mockery dripped from his words,
but his tone was casual—
which only stoked the fury on the other side.
Breaking the silence, Ukitake Jūshirō shouted, voice trembling with anger:
"Aizen! Gin! Tōsen!!!"
"Why?! Why betray us? Why deceive everyone?!"
"Deceive?"
Aizen smiled faintly.
His eyes, dark as midnight snow, stayed calm and cold.
"There's no deception," he said softly.
"You simply never knew who I truly was."
That gentle, reassuring smile never left his face—
yet his voice was glacial, merciless.
Two contradictions, somehow perfectly united.
As if both versions of Aizen were genuine—
the kind mentor and the cold manipulator.
And that was precisely what terrified them most.
"Bankai—Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!!!"
Byakuya Kuchiki, his patience broken, unleashed his fury.
A wave of pink blades roared forth like a storm,
carrying both murderous intent and rage,
surging straight toward the trio.
But Aizen, Gin, and Tōsen didn't even move.
They stood, smiling faintly.
"Not dodging?"
"What… what does that mean?!"
Then Aizen spoke again, voice calm and cutting:
"Byakuya Kuchiki… what makes you so sure you're really attacking us?"
The words were light—
but the way he said them sent another wave of dread crashing through the ranks.
"What…?"
Byakuya's pupils shrank.
The answer came instantly—
BOOM!!!
The pink torrent exploded downward, slicing everything indiscriminately.
But its direction—
was wrong.
Instead of striking Aizen's group,
it fell upon their own ranks.
"Damn it—an illusion!"
"It's Kyōka Suigetsu!"
"But it's too late!!!"
Byakuya's face twisted with shock and disbelief.
The blast tore through the Fifth Division barracks,
engulfing dozens of Shinigami in an instant.
Screams and chaos filled the air,
as the explosion's force sent flames and debris flying everywhere.
The horror deepened.
Even without lifting a hand, Aizen's presence alone shattered their morale.
"Gin…"
Aizen turned slightly, his expression unreadable.
"It should be time, yes?"
The farce was over.
He had no interest in further mockery.
Rukia was secured.
The plan complete.
It was time to leave Soul Society behind.
Gin smiled.
"Ahh, perfect timing, Captain Aizen. If we head to Sōkyoku Hill now, the barrier will soon activate."
He raised his hand—
a long strip of glowing white cloth unfurling from his palm.
Before anyone could react,
the air distorted.
The trio's forms shimmered, fading rapidly.
"That's—"
"Senpaku Hakufuku! The White Fabric of Thousands!"
"A Kidō that teleports its users to a preset location!!!"
Someone shouted, but it was too late.
In the blink of an eye,
Aizen, Gin, and Tōsen vanished completely—
departing the Fifth Division amidst fire and ruin,
leaving behind only stunned silence.
(End of Chapter)
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