"So this is Hollow power… no wonder."
Yamamoto observed the Visored as they donned their masks, their Reiatsu surging.
It wasn't just dissatisfaction toward him—
They were also deliberately distancing themselves from Soul Society.
Once masked, Kensei struck first.
A massive net of wind spread outward, descending upon Aizen's group.
Due to Sakanade's effect, however—
It appeared as though the attack was rising toward the sky, completely missing its target.
But Aizen, long accustomed to illusion-based Zanpakutō—
Wouldn't trust what he saw so easily.
"Bakudō #81: Dankū."
A barrier formed before him.
As the wind net struck it, the pattern of impact revealed everything.
"Sakanade reverses visual orientation. Currently, up and down are inverted."
Aizen calmly shared the information.
This was mainly for Gin—
As Tōsen, who didn't rely on sight, was unaffected.
"Understood."
Gin and Tōsen moved simultaneously.
Both charged toward the same "empty" space—
Where no Visored appeared to be.
Because that—
Was where their real positions were.
Tōsen relied on Reiatsu sensing.
Gin, meanwhile, calculated—
Using the discrepancy between visual positions and attack trajectories.
Without needing orders—
Kensei and Rose each led teams to intercept them.
Meanwhile—
Hirako and Love appeared upside down before Aizen.
Love didn't waste words.
Swinging Tengumaru, he brought it down—
A blazing strike erupted into a pillar of fire.
Empowered by Hollowfication—
This attack reached true Captain-level force.
As the flames faded—
Hirako's expression darkened.
Aizen stood unharmed—
Blocking Tengumaru effortlessly with his Zanpakutō.
The attack had done nothing.
With a pulse of Reiatsu—
Love was forced back.
"He's covered in high-density Reiatsu. My attack didn't work."
High-density Reiatsu…
Hirako thought of Shunkō.
But Aizen—
Was far beyond that.
Not only did he possess Kyōka Suigetsu and mastery of Kidō—
His raw Reiatsu alone was overwhelming.
"Lost focus already?"
Aizen's voice suddenly came from behind Hirako.
Without hesitation—
Hirako dashed forward.
But he was still a step too slow.
A blade cut into his arm.
How…?
Not only had Aizen located him in an inverted world—
He had appeared behind him with Shunpo without being detected.
Even Tsunayoshi's Sonído—
Hirako could usually sense.
"Strange, isn't it?" Aizen's voice echoed again.
"When did you come under the illusion that I wasn't already beside you?"
An explosion followed—
This time striking behind Love.
A Kidō blast.
Only now did Hirako truly understand what Tsunayoshi meant—
Sakanade's limitations.
Its inversion—
Meant little to Aizen.
Meanwhile—
Kyōka Suigetsu completely deceived them.
Hirako changed tactics.
The scent emitted by Sakanade subtly shifted.
Aizen continued using Kyōka Suigetsu—
But something felt off.
His Reiatsu flow—
Was slightly disrupted.
Crack.
A faint sound—
Like glass breaking.
Hirako reacted instantly—
Firing a Cero toward the source.
It hit.
Aizen reappeared—
A rare flicker of surprise on his face.
For a brief moment—
His illusion had faltered.
And Hirako had seized it.
"Heh… did you think Sakanade was that simple?"
Hirako grinned.
Thanks to Tsunayoshi's training—
He had developed this technique.
He had inverted Aizen's Reiatsu control itself—
Even if only for an instant—
It was enough.
Seeing Hirako no longer inverted—
Aizen understood.
Sakanade's abilities couldn't be used simultaneously.
To disrupt Kyōka Suigetsu—
Hirako had sacrificed visual inversion.
As Aizen analyzed—
Love charged again.
This time—
He was certain he faced the real body.
But—
A strike he had never seen before—
Blew Tengumaru aside.
Then—
Dozens of slashes fell upon his chest.
In a single exchange—
Love was cut down.
Aizen flicked the blood from his blade.
He preferred illusions and Kidō—
But that didn't mean his swordsmanship was lacking.
Having reached the limits of a Shinigami—
His mastery in all four arts was absolute.
This technique—
Mirror Shadow Slash.
A strike that, through speed or illusion—
Delivered dozens, even hundreds of cuts in an instant.
If Hirako interfered with Kyōka Suigetsu—
Aizen would simply cut him down instead.
Hirako stopped spinning Sakanade.
He could tell—
Facing that technique head-on would be difficult.
Now—
It was no longer about choice.
Aizen closed in.
Hirako was forced to retreat while defending—
Moving toward Love's fallen position.
Elsewhere—
The others weren't faring any better.
With Sakanade active earlier—
Gin had been slowed, forced to calculate.
Lisa, Hiyori, and Rose had gained the upper hand.
But now—
With the inversion gone—
Gin unleashed his full strength.
His body was battered—
Clothes torn, bloodied.
Especially Hiyori—
Her cleaver-like blade had struck relentlessly.
If not for his caution—
He might have lost limbs already.
Now—
His vision restored—
Gin's eyes sharpened.
Killing intent emerged.
To him—
Only Rangiku mattered.
Everything else was irrelevant.
And now—
These three had injured him.
"Bankai…"
His voice was cold as a serpent.
The moment they heard it—
Lisa, Hiyori, and Rose froze—
Then immediately fled in the same direction.
"Kamishini no Yari."
A flash of white light—
Thick as a tree trunk—
Swallowed them whole.
At Bankai—
Shinsō extended and retracted at 500 times the speed of sound.
Under such relentless piercing—
Survival itself was a miracle.
And yet—
They survived.
At the instant Gin released Bankai—
Hachigen had cast defensive Kidō on them.
And—
In that moment—
Rose fully Hollowfied—
Shielding Lisa and Hiyori.
What remained—
Was a massive, battered Hollow form.
Rose's Hollow shell shattered—
Wings shielding the others.
Even so—
All three were gravely injured—
Falling unconscious toward the ground.
In a single move—
Gin had returned their damage a hundredfold.
Meanwhile—
Tōsen faced Kensei.
Unaffected by Sakanade—
He had never been at a disadvantage.
The two fought evenly.
But—
Mashiro and Hachigen supported from behind—
Restraining him.
It felt less like a battle—
And more like he was being pressured.
Kensei grew more aggressive—
Their teamwork flawless.
Tōsen found no opening.
Until—
The moment Sakanade's effect ended.
Gin's explosion of power drew Hachigen's attention—
And Mashiro hesitated.
That instant—
Was enough.
"Bankai — Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Kōrogi."
Darkness enveloped them.
Kensei, Mashiro, and the others—
Lost all senses.
Within this domain—
They stood no chance.
Blade after blade—
Cut into them.
The one who broke the stalemate—
Was Hachigen.
If he couldn't perceive the enemy—
He would simply destroy everything.
A massive Kidō construct formed—
Expanding outward.
From the outside—
Enma Kōrogi bulged—
Taking on the shape of a cube forcing itself through a sphere.
Then—
It exploded.
The domain shattered.
Tōsen emerged—
Unharmed.
Regretful—
That he hadn't finished them inside.
But it didn't matter.
The explosion hit everyone equally.
Tōsen had defended—
But the others—
Had taken the full force.
Three more broken bodies—
Fell from the sky.
They landed near Love and the others.
Hirako—
Already wounded twice by Aizen—
Stood before them.
Guarding.
"So, Captain Hirako… is this your revenge?"
Aizen asked calmly.
To him—
The Visored were nothing more than a nuisance.
"Gin. Kaname. Proceed. Leave this to me."
The situation was clear.
The Visored—
Defeated.
The Captains—
Controlled.
Yamamoto—
On the verge of unleashing everything.
As for the Ryoka—
As long as Tsunayoshi wasn't his enemy—
The rest didn't matter.
Even alone—
Standing on Sōkyoku Hill—
Aizen could declare without arrogance—
That he alone—
Surrounded everyone.
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