Shunsui looked at Ethan with surprise written all over his face. In his memory, Ethan and Kaien did not seem to have much of a connection, yet he was willing to step in for Kaien.
What shocked him even more was Ethan's statement, "I can save Kaien." What did that mean? Could Ethan bring the dead back to life?
"Kaien's situation is a bit special, which is why there is hope. If he had dissipated into the most basic spiritual particles like other Shinigami after death, then there would be nothing I could do."
If someone completely disappeared without a trace, there would be no way to save them. Shinigami themselves are spiritual bodies. It is not like ordinary humans where you can still search for a soul after death.
Kaien's situation was different because he had not died and dissipated. He had been devoured.
This meant that part of Kaien's spiritual body still existed inside this Arrancar.
"Are you confident?"
"Who knows? Trying will not hurt."
Ethan was actually very confident. He felt resurrecting Kaien would not be difficult. However, as a low-key person, he decided it was better to remain humble.
"How are you going to do it?"
Shunsui sheathed his Zanpakuto and turned to look at Ethan. Ethan raised his hand and pulled a Zanpakuto out of the air.
This Zanpakuto was becoming stranger and stranger. Shunsui was certain Ethan had not simply hidden the blade. He had truly pulled it out of nowhere.
"Kaien's spiritual body is still relatively intact. I only need to separate his spiritual body from this Arrancar."
"But this guy probably will not let you take out the person he devoured."
"That is not up to him."
The two of them completely ignored Aaroniero, as if he were already dead in their eyes. This made Aaroniero extremely displeased.
Nejibana stirred a torrent of spiritual particles and swept toward Ethan.
"You underestimate me too much, Captain Ethan."
Ethan did not use his sword. He raised his empty left hand and casually waved it, deflecting the fierce stream of spiritual particles to the side.
"Because there is nothing about you that deserves my respect, you small fry."
He held his Zanpakuto upright with the tip pointing downward. As he loosened his fingers, the blade slowly fell.
"Six Paths of Reincarnation."
As Ethan softly spoke the technique's name, the falling Zanpakuto suddenly exploded into dazzling light. The brightness forced everyone to close their eyes.
No one present was weak, and they quickly recovered. The disturbance also attracted the attention of everyone nearby.
They noticed that Aaroniero, who had been standing in front of Ethan and Shunsui, had completely disappeared.
"What just happened?"
"Was that his Zanpakuto ability? What kind of ability is it?"
"Aaroniero's spiritual pressure has vanished completely. What happened?"
Shunsui also wanted to know what had just occurred. What kind of Zanpakuto ability was Six Paths of Reincarnation?
"Just like the name suggests. I threw him into the Six Paths of Reincarnation."
Shunsui naturally knew what the Six Paths of Reincarnation meant. What he wanted to understand was the specific function of Ethan's technique, but it was not convenient to ask.
Unexpectedly, Ethan explained it without hesitation.
"It is similar to creating an independent world and throwing the enemy inside it. In that small world, their consciousness repeatedly experiences reincarnation. This causes both spiritual and physical damage. Most people cannot endure all six realms. After two or three cycles, they would no longer even remember who they are."
"What a terrifying technique."
Shunsui understood how dangerous such an attack was. According to Ethan, the Six Paths of Reincarnation was primarily a spiritual attack.
The victim's consciousness would repeatedly experience reincarnation until their mind collapsed and they died. Even if they survived, their spirit would suffer severe damage after one full cycle. A simple follow-up attack could easily finish them.
"You did this to preserve Kaien's spiritual body as much as possible?"
"Not only that. I can also treat Kaien during the process."
Shinigami are spiritual bodies. In theory, as long as there is enough spiritual energy to replenish them, any injury can be healed.
But that was only in theory. Most healers in the Soul Society could not achieve such results.
Ethan could do it, and he could even improve Kaien further.
Aaroniero was an Arrancar. By devouring Kaien, he unintentionally preserved a trace of Kaien's life. Ethan's goal was to awaken Kaien's consciousness and modify Aaroniero's spiritual particles so that they would revert into a Shinigami spiritual body with Kaien as the dominant existence.
Of course, Aaroniero had devoured too many different beings. Ethan would remove the spiritual particles that retained their original owner's imprint. The remaining spiritual particles would be used to repair Kaien's damaged body.
After completing these steps, Kaien would be resurrected.
Meanwhile Aaroniero, whose consciousness had collapsed within the Six Paths of Reincarnation, would become nourishment for Kaien's revival. This would also allow Kaien to break through the boundary between Shinigami and Hollow, giving him greater power.
"Oh, and I revived his wife as well."
Kaien's wife, Miyako Shiba, had also been devoured and killed.
Kaien fought desperately against the Hollow Metastacia precisely to avenge her, but he was ultimately devoured.
Later Metastacia was devoured by Aaroniero, and parts of Miyako and Kaien's spiritual bodies ended up inside him.
For Ethan it was simply a convenient step.
As his Zanpakuto returned to his hand, a burst of spiritual light appeared where Aaroniero had stood.
When the light faded, two figures stood there with confused expressions.
"This spiritual power…"
"That small fry had too many mixed things inside him. Many of them could not be used, so I crushed them into the most basic spiritual particles."
This included the spiritual power of the tens of thousands of Hollows Aaroniero had devoured. Many still carried their original imprints.
Aaroniero had eaten a lot, but his digestion ability was terrible. Considering his appearance after releasing his Resurrección, this problem was not surprising.
"Captain Kyoraku? Captain Ethan?"
Kaien looked at his wife beside him and then at the two familiar figures in front of him. He looked down at his hands, still unable to believe he had truly been resurrected.
Ethan had not returned him to the moment of his death. In a sense, Kaien had been living inside Aaroniero the entire time, passively receiving memories without self-awareness.
He knew everything Aaroniero experienced and understood how he had been resurrected.
While Ethan restored his body within that strange space, Kaien had enough time to reflect on everything. By the time he returned, he had already passed the most confused stage.
"You do not need to say anything. It is good to have you back."
Shunsui patted Kaien's shoulder. Kaien was an excellent Shinigami, and his return was certainly good news for the Soul Society.
But an Arrancar had been defeated so easily.
Shunsui was not the only one surprised. The other Arrancar were also shocked by Ethan's strength.
They had not sensed particularly strong spiritual pressure from him and had not taken him seriously at first. They never expected Aaroniero to be defeated in a single move.
"No wonder he dared to force his way into Las Noches. He really has some ability."
At that moment, Grimmjow, who was fighting fiercely with Yoruichi, released his Resurrección.
After transforming into a beastlike form, Grimmjow's combat power increased greatly. Yoruichi, who had been somewhat playful before, also began to take the fight seriously.
"A leopard?"
She suddenly found the situation interesting. She had encountered another feline opponent.
Just as Yoruichi considered whether to use that technique, another battle erupted nearby.
"I am the Third Espada, Tier Harribel."
Harribel appeared in front of Ethan almost instantly. Ethan easily blocked her attack with his Zanpakuto.
He held the sword in one hand while the other hand remained casually in his pocket.
"Actually, you did not need to announce your name."
"Did that man already tell you our information?"
Harribel increased the strength of her attack. Sparks flew where their blades clashed.
Yet no matter how much force she applied, Ethan's Zanpakuto did not move at all. His posture did not change, and even the hand holding the sword did not tremble.
"No."
Ethan raised his free hand and gently shook his index finger.
"It is because it does not matter who you are. All of you are just small fry that I can easily deal with."
"Small fry?"
Harribel snorted in displeasure and immediately released her Resurrección.
"Subjugate him, Tiburón."
A violent current of water appeared beneath Harribel's feet, even more powerful than the water Aaroniero created earlier. The torrent completely surrounded Ethan.
Seeing this, Kaien wanted to rush forward to help, but Shunsui stopped him and gestured toward Miyako.
Miyako's strength was respectable among Shinigami, but this battle had reached a level that ordinary Shinigami could not interfere with.
"Do not worry. That man has not shown his true strength yet."
As soon as Shunsui finished speaking, the towering water current suddenly exploded.
After everyone defended themselves from the scattered water, they could clearly see Harribel and Ethan again.
Harribel, now in her Resurrección form, stared in shock at the giant sword in her hand.
Cracks covered the blade as if it could shatter at any moment.
And the cause of all this was only a single finger.
(To be continued.)