The situation took a sharp turn for the worse. The moment Sakanade's secondary effect disappeared, within just a few exchanges, the Visored were reduced to a single fighter—Hirako Shinji.
"Captain Hirako, what you couldn't accomplish in the past, you still can't accomplish now," Aizen said with a mocking smile.
Shinji understood exactly what Aizen meant. Back then, he had tried to stop Aizen alone, only to be toyed with instead. He couldn't stop him in the past—and he still couldn't now.
Aizen's deliberate reopening of old wounds clearly provoked Shinji. Ignoring everything else, Shinji rushed forward and swung a horizontal slash at Aizen.
Sakanade passed straight through Aizen's body.
A flicker of shock crossed Shinji's eyes. That familiar sensation of missing his target… Kyōka Suigetsu? Aizen could use Kyōka Suigetsu again?
His body quickly gave him the answer.
A sharp pain erupted from his back as Aizen suddenly appeared behind him and struck.
"How is that possible?" Shinji hadn't stopped Sakanade's effect. By all logic, Aizen's spiritual flow should still be disrupted, preventing him from using illusions.
"There's nothing impossible about it," Aizen replied matter-of-factly. "That level of Reiatsu interference—I adapted to it very quickly."
What might be difficult for others was trivial for Aizen. With his intellect and overwhelming Reiatsu, it had only taken him two exchanges to adjust to Sakanade's effects.
Gritting his teeth, Shinji endured the pain and continued attacking. But just as Aizen said, every strike only hit an illusion. In return, Shinji gained another wound each time.
Ichimaru Gin and Tōsen Kaname exchanged a glance. The situation was already under control. Just as they prepared to leave and attend to more important matters, two sharp shouts rang out—accompanied by surging Reiatsu.
"Shunkō!"
"Benihime—Razor Crescent!"
A pillar of Kidō-like Reiatsu and a crimson crescent slash shot toward Gin and Tōsen respectively.
Both men were visibly irritated. No matter what they tried to do today, something kept interfering. Just as they were about to act, another unexpected attack would stop them.
They each countered the incoming strikes and finally saw who had arrived.
One was Shihōin Yoruichi, clad in a black, backless combat suit.
The other was the ever-casual Urahara Kisuke.
"My apologies, everyone. Please refrain from wandering off," Urahara said, tipping his hat.
Seeing Urahara appear, Aizen stopped tormenting Shinji. He looked at Urahara with clear confusion.
"Urahara Kisuke… why do you always oppose me? You possess talent beyond anyone else—so why bind yourself to this decaying world?"
This was a question Aizen had long wanted to ask.
Only he truly understood Urahara's genius. Even the current successor of Squad 12 couldn't compare to even a fraction of Urahara's ability.
Aizen had once considered recruiting Urahara. But by the time that thought arose—when he encountered difficulties researching the Hōgyoku —it was already too late. The Hollowfication incident had placed Urahara firmly on the opposing side.
After defecting from the Soul Society, Aizen's plans in the Human World had been repeatedly disrupted by Urahara.
When Aizen learned that Urahara had also created a Hōgyoku , he felt regret for the first time.
But there was no repairing their relationship. So Aizen shifted his focus—to Urahara's Hōgyoku .
Urahara, ever cautious, constantly changed the Hōgyoku 's hiding place. Yet as a lone exile, he could never match Aizen—who controlled the entire Seireitei—in intelligence gathering.
And thus, the current Ryoka invasion began.
"Aizen, our paths diverge. There's nothing more to discuss," Urahara said calmly.
Aizen smiled faintly.
"Well said—our paths diverge."
With a casual swing, he struck Shinji again. Another wound opened, and finally, Shinji collapsed as his Hollow mask shattered.
Aizen showed no reaction. His eyes remained fixed on Urahara.
"Tell me… where have you hidden the Hōgyoku ?"
"Oh my, if it's a game of hide-and-seek, isn't it more fun to find it yourself?" Urahara said with a sly grin.
"How amusing. I can't wait to begin," Aizen replied before turning his head slightly.
"Tōsen—take him."
Without hesitation, Tōsen unleashed:
"Suzumushi—Second Form: Benihikō!"
Countless white needles engulfed Urahara. Yet Tōsen's expression shifted slightly.
His combat instincts told him the attack had landed—but it was far too easy.
This was Urahara Kisuke.
There was no way he would fall in a single move.
As the smoke cleared, a plump "Urahara" stood impaled within the white thorn-like mass.
It was obviously not the real one.
"Tōsen—that's a decoy," Aizen said calmly.
At the moment of impact, Urahara had used a portable Gigai to evade. It carried his Reiatsu, but once struck, its false nature became obvious.
However, Tōsen—having lost his sight—relied entirely on Reiatsu perception. Only he couldn't immediately detect the trick.
Tōsen quickly searched again and found Urahara nearby.
Urahara was already chanting, then suddenly pointed toward Aizen.
"Bakudō #79: Kuyō Shibari!"
Nine spheres of dark Reiatsu appeared around Aizen—one pressed directly against his chest—locking both his body and all escape vectors.
Aizen showed no surprise.
Instead, he asked curiously,
"How did you determine that this is my real body?"
With Kyōka Suigetsu active, Urahara's decisiveness implied he had found a way to identify the real Aizen.
But if he had always possessed such a method, he wouldn't have waited until now.
"Ah, just a small trick," Urahara said lightly, smiling.
That answer was enough.
Aizen's gaze shifted to his blood-stained Kyōka Suigetsu. With a pulse of Reiatsu, he cleansed the blade instantly.
Seeing this, Urahara couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
That mind… that's what makes him so difficult.
The "small trick" was the blood on Aizen's blade.
Hidden within it was a special agent, allowing Urahara to track Aizen's position.
The idea came from Kurotsuchi Mayuri, who loved implanting strange mechanisms—even within his own blood.
Urahara had injected this agent into Shinji beforehand. To avoid affecting him, the dosage was minimal.
That was why Shinji had endured multiple strikes—ensuring enough of the substance transferred onto Aizen's blade.
All for this moment.
The next instant—
A surge of Hollow Reiatsu erupted across Sōkyoku Hill.
The fallen Visored rose again, donning their Hollow masks once more.
They had deliberately been defeated.
They had been waiting for this moment.
And Aizen, having not moved since striking Shinji, stood right within their optimal attack range.
In an instant, the Visored surrounded him, blades raised.
Aizen simply remarked:
"Magnificent."
But just as their blades were about to fall, all of them suddenly shifted their trajectories—
Seven Zanpakutō, along with a Kidō-forged blade from Hachigen Ushōda, struck toward Aizen's left side.
For the first time, Aizen's expression changed.
How do they know my real position?
As he shattered the excess bindings on his blade, Aizen realized breaking free from Kuyō Shibari would take time.
Cautious as ever, he activated Kyōka Suigetsu again—silently altering everyone's perception of his location.
Yet it was useless.
The attacks were already upon him.
Eight blades closed in.
No time to think—only to act.
Boom!
A massive surge of Reiatsu erupted from Aizen, blasting a hole through the clouds.
He had no choice but to release his full power to break the binding.
Freed, Aizen immediately countered with a horizontal slash.
With his mastery of swordsmanship, this strike could deflect all eight attacks.
After that, dealing with Urahara and the Visored would be simple.
Slash—
Blood sprayed into the air.
But something was wrong.
This defensive strike had somehow produced the effect of an attack.
At the final moment, the Visored all withdrew their blades in perfect unison—and instead extended their bare hands.
The blood came from their palms.
Why?
Aizen's mind raced.
If he had used a killing strike, they would have lost entire arms.
This was irrational—
No.
It wasn't irrational at all.
They had planned this from the beginning.
Bound by Kuyō Shibari, Aizen had no choice but to release Reiatsu to break free. In that instant, he couldn't use a powerful technique.
Which meant—
The first slash he delivered would not be lethal.
That was why the Visored dared to take the risk.
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