"Lost…"
"Captain Hitsugaya actually lost!"
"And what's worse—Gin didn't even seem to care about the fight or the outcome!"
The First Division fell into silence.
One by one, the captains' expressions shifted.
Surprise, unease, and reluctant respect appeared on every face.
They'd underestimated Ichimaru Gin.
He wasn't just "insidious."
That word alone no longer fit him.
Gin's strength was undeniable.
In the crowd, Hitsugaya Tōshirō said nothing.
His young face looked pale—his expression a mix of defeat and frustration.
Though everyone knew the battle had taken place in a "future timeline,"
a future that no longer existed after Aizen's defection,
that didn't dull the sting of loss.
No one likes losing—especially not a prodigy.
And having it broadcast across every realm in real time?
That was humiliation.
Even if it was just a video,
for Hitsugaya, the feeling was real.
His fists clenched.
His pride stung.
And because of his youth, his mind couldn't recover as quickly as an older captain's.
He could only stand there, quietly enduring the bitter taste of defeat.
Behind him, Rangiku Matsumoto sighed softly.
Her feelings were far more tangled than his.
Ichimaru Gin—her childhood companion from the slums of Rukongai.
They'd survived together, side by side.
And now, the man she once cared for
was the one cutting down her current captain.
To her, it felt like pain on both sides of the blade.
If only Gin hadn't followed Aizen—
if only he had turned back.
Maybe none of this would've happened.
But regret couldn't rewrite history.
Elsewhere, the other captains weren't focused on emotion at all.
Their attention had shifted entirely to Shinso.
"Ukitake…" said Kyōraku, tilting his hat toward his oldest friend.
"What's your take on that fight?"
"Gin is strong. His Zanpakutō, Shinso, even stronger."
Ukitake answered without hesitation.
"But I can't shake the feeling he's still holding back."
He paused.
"His calm demeanor—his constant smile—it hides his depth too well.
I suspect we've only seen a fraction of his true power."
That opinion was nothing new.
Ukitake had felt the same decades ago,
back when Gin first became captain of Squad Three.
And now, after seeing the footage,
that intuition felt stronger than ever.
"It's tragic," Unohana murmured.
"A talent like his… wasted. If not for Aizen's influence,
Ichimaru Gin could have shone brighter than any captain."
She spoke with quiet regret.
A man who could have become legend,
instead thrown away his future for betrayal.
Even the kindest among them couldn't hide her sorrow.
The screen flickered.
Black faded to color again.
A new battlefield appeared—Karakura Town.
"Look!"
"That's Lord Aizen!"
"He's alone in the sky—and surrounded by so many captains?!"
The hollows and Arrancar of Las Noches gasped.
Aizen stood calmly in midair,
unarmed, serene—
while more than ten captains hovered around him in a loose formation:
Hirako Shinji, Sarugaki Hiyori, Hitsugaya, Aikawa Love, Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō, Soi Fon…
All poised, surrounding him like stars encircling a single moon.
Yet not one dared to move first.
Aizen hadn't even drawn his Zanpakutō.
Kyōka Suigetsu still hung untouched at his waist.
His composure, his aura—it was regal.
Overwhelming.
It didn't look like Aizen was surrounded—
it looked like Aizen was the one trapping them.
Even Gin, watching from below, couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"Tsk, tsk… Captain Aizen, you're stealing my spotlight.
I'm supposed to be the focus of this ranking, yet here you are—taking all the attention again."
His words sounded playful, but his eyes narrowed.
Behind the smile, a flicker of genuine unease appeared.
He knew better than anyone how dangerous Aizen truly was.
Even without Kyōka Suigetsu's illusions,
the man could cut down a captain with a single strike.
On the surface, it looked like the captains had surrounded him.
But in truth—
Aizen was the one surrounding them.
"Sorry, Gin," Aizen said, smirking faintly.
"Looks like my future self got carried away."
"But imagine how it must feel for Shinji and the others… seeing this scene again."
"I'm sure the memories of that night a century ago must be flooding back."
His tone was calm—
too calm.
Every word oozed with cruelty.
Inside the Visoreds' hideout.
The air was heavy.
"That bastard…"
"Same face. Same smirk. Still so damn smug!"
Hiyori's fists shook.
Her teeth clenched hard enough to creak.
Her memories of that betrayal had never faded.
Seeing him again—so calm, so untouchable—was like tearing the wound open anew.
Her spiritual pressure flared.
She reached for her Zanpakutō—Mōzaku (Savage Snake)—her voice trembling with rage.
"I swear, I'll cut him to pieces! Right here, right now!"
Before she could move, Lisa adjusted her glasses, pointing at the screen.
"Wait. Look closely."
"It's not just Aikawa—Gin's missing an arm too. Everyone's injured."
"None of them are at full strength."
"That's why they're not attacking. They've already been hit by Kyōka Suigetsu once."
She frowned.
"If we rush him without a plan, we'll walk right into another illusion.
The cost could be fatal."
Her gaze shifted toward Hiyori.
"Especially you. You always act first and think later."
The room fell silent.
Everyone knew Lisa was right.
Back on the screen—
the confrontation continued.
The tension felt suffocating.
Then—
A blur.
A flash of movement too fast to track.
Aizen's blade drew a silver arc—
and in an instant, Sarugaki Hiyori's body was sliced clean in two at the waist.
Blood sprayed across the sky.
"HIYORI!!!"
Hirako Shinji screamed, his voice cracking.
Rōjūrō and Love lunged forward,
but it was too late—
her upper body fell limply,
eyes wide in disbelief.
The viewing world froze.
Even the hollows gasped.
Inside the Visoreds' warehouse,
the silence was shattered by Shinji's roar.
He slammed his fist into the wall hard enough to dent steel.
"Damn you, Aizen!!!"
Lisa's hand trembled over her mouth.
Kensei turned away, jaw tight.
Rose's music box shattered on the floor.
The once lively group stood frozen,
their hearts crushed by that familiar trauma.
And across the realms,
viewers watched in horror—
as Aizen simply wiped the blood from his blade,
calmly sheathed Kyōka Suigetsu,
and looked down upon the sky.
"Illusions," he murmured, "are nothing more than truth in disguise."
Then the screen faded to black.
(End of Chapter)
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