"Isane."
After Aizen and Gin vanished, Retsu Unohana immediately called out to her vice-captain, Isane Kotetsu, to check on the fallen Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Momo Hinamori. In a flash, Unohana appeared at Hitsugaya's side to assess whether he was still alive; meanwhile, Isane examined Hinamori's condition and then carried her over to where Unohana stood.
"Minazuki."
Once Isane laid Hinamori down beside Hitsugaya, Retsu Unohana drew her zanpakutō. At her words, the blade instantly shifted into the form of a massive, flat-bodied creature with a single large eye at its forefront. Upon materializing, the being inclined its head slightly in acknowledgment of Unohana, then extended its long tongue and swept both Hitsugaya and Hinamori into its belly.
That is the power of Retsu Unohana's zanpakutō: as long as they are not dead, anyone inside Minazuki's belly will gradually recover. Though it cannot rival Orihime Inoue's Shun Shun Rikka in effect, it is still an extremely potent healing-type zanpakutō—and before Orihime appeared, it was the most powerful healing ability in the Soul Society.
In fact, it suits Unohana perfectly—healing while fighting is enough to drive enemies to despair; her Bankai's healing ability surpasses even that. As a captain-level Shinigami capable of using Bankai, she doesn't need to recite the entire release command to activate her Shikai—sometimes she doesn't even speak it aloud.
"Isane, track down the whereabouts of Aizen and Gin and report this to the entire Gotei 13."
After Minazuki swallowed Hitsugaya and Hinamori, Unohana's face finally relaxed somewhat. Glancing briefly at Daniel Davis, who stood off to the side, she then issued an order to her vice-captain.
"Yes, Captain."
Isane Kotetsu immediately crouched down and began sketching a Kidō formation on the ground with her spiritual energy. The betrayal of two captains—Sōsuke Aizen and Gin Ichimaru—is a grave matter in the Soul Society. Locating them and relaying that information at top speed to everyone else can only be done through Kidō.
"Heart of the South, eye of the North, fingertip of the West, toe of the East—gather in the wind, scatter by the rain. Bakudō #58: Kakushitsuijaku!"
"What a tracking technique this is,"
Daniel mused to himself, watching the sprawling network of spiritual energy extend forth from Isane. As long as one knows the target's spiritual energy signature, this Kidō can intercept that signal via a spiritual-power network. The effective range depends on the practitioner's own level of spiritual energy—if it's high enough, even someone fleeing to the other side of the planet can be located.
"The coordinates show they're at the Twin Hanging Hills."
Having intercepted Aizen's and Gin's spiritual pressures via that energy network, Isane soon began another incantation:
"Black and white net, twenty-two bridges, sixty-six crowns and sashes, footprints, distant thunder, piercing peaks, the ground that returns, night crouching, sea of clouds, azure sequence—fill the perfect circle, race to the heavens… Bakudō #77: Tenteikūra!"
Her spiritual-energy web stretched outward once again—this time, it would transmit the message to the majority of the Gotei 13. It moved more slowly than Kakushitsuijaku because it had to broadcast voice transmission as well.
As the Fourth Division's vice-captain, Isane Kotetsu was clearly very capable—even though her zanpakutō isn't a healing type. While a captain is primarily chosen for combat prowess, the vice-captain's role is to aid them in handling a vast array of tasks. If there's no special exception, vice-captains are selected to be well-rounded and must be at least somewhat adept at Zanjutsu (swordsmanship), Hakuda (hand-to-hand combat), Hohō (mobility), and Kidō (demon arts).
Most vice-captains in the Gotei 13 follow that rule. The only real exceptions are Yachiru Kusajishi from the Eleventh Division, Renji Abarai in the Sixth, and Marechiyo Ōmaeda in the Second. As for the Twelfth Division—since it isn't a direct combat division—there isn't any strict requirement in that regard.
"They've got cell phones, but they haven't made them standard. I guess that's an occupational hazard of immortals—once they're used to something, it's tough for them to adapt, even if they do adopt modern technology."
With the real world's modern era advancing, the Soul Society has indeed been picking up some innovations—like the "Reishin Communication Device" (the phone-like gadget Rukia used). Strictly speaking, their technology is far beyond that of the human world—though they incorporate modern concepts from the living world. Thanks to Kidō, their gear can surpass normal scientific frontiers. Look at the Technical Development Bureau or the Projection Hall, where they can even manipulate Kidō-based computers.
Sadly, such advanced developments remain confined to the research facilities—none of it really trickles down to the rest of the Soul Society. Even for everyday communication—where the obvious solution would be a phone-like tool—they still rely on old methods, like the Onmitsu Kidō Corps or Hell Butterflies.
For most in the Soul Society, Hell Butterflies serve as a basic communication device, but the significance of "Hell" in their name is not mere coincidence.
"Attention, all Gotei 13 members! The following emergency announcement comes from Captain Retsu Unohana of the Fourth Division and her vice-captain, Isane Kotetsu. All details here are confirmed facts: Captain Sōsuke Aizen of the Fifth Division and Captain Gin Ichimaru of the Third Division have betrayed the Soul Society. Captain Hitsugaya and Vice-Captain Hinamori Momo have sustained critical injuries. The entire Central 46 Division has been annihilated."
To ensure that everyone heard it loud and clear, Isane repeated the message twice.
"Ryūjin Jakka truly is terrifying. Even in Shikai, it's stirring up the spirit particles in the air around Seireitei."
Surveying the horizon while racing above Seireitei's rooftops, Daniel Davis glanced toward a mountain in the distance that was engulfed in flames—that was Captain Yamamoto's battle against Jūshirō Ukitake and Shunsui Kyōraku. Aware of the devastating nature of Ryūjin Jakka, they had specifically chosen an uninhabited area to fight. By contrast, Kenpachi Zaraki's brawl against Kaname Tōsen and Sajin Komamura was clearly unconcerned with collateral damage—almost an entire street had been destroyed in their clash.
Now, Kenpachi Zaraki was locked in direct combat with Komamura's Bankai, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō, leveling everything in sight. From the look of things, half the street lay in ruins—Komamura was the only one left opposing Kenpachi; Tōsen had vanished sometime earlier.
"They've all stopped fighting."
After receiving Isane's broadcast, most of the skirmishes across Seireitei ground to a halt. The shocking revelation that Gin Ichimaru had defected wasn't entirely surprising to some—but Aizen's betrayal? That was all but unthinkable.
The ones most shaken were Matsumoto Rangiku and Izuru Kira, who had been fighting just moments ago. Rangiku's zanpakutō, Haineko, happens to be a direct counter to Kira's Wabisuke—a sword that doubles the weight of anything it strikes—making the latter a formidable ability. But in the face of Haineko's ash-like properties, Wabisuke found itself completely stymied.
After a moment's silence, the pair dashed off for the Twin Hanging Hills. Many others also started heading in that direction.
"Captain Aizen, Captain Gin, Captain Tōsen?!"
Atop the Twin Hanging Hills, Renji Abarai and Rukia Kuchiki stared in disbelief at the three captains standing before them. Neither could have imagined that the ever-gentle Captain Aizen would betray the Soul Society.
"Captain Aizen… why?"
Renji asked, eyes fixed on the approaching Aizen, unable to conceal his shock.
"Why, indeed? Renji Abarai, I once had high hopes for you—enough to place you in my Fifth Division."
Aizen regarded Renji, who stood protectively in front of Rukia. As he spoke, a white spark of lightning formed on his right index finger, piercing Renji's chest—a direct hit with Hadō #4: Byakurai.
"Renji!"
Rukia desperately tried to help him, but just as she was about to reach the collapsing Renji, Aizen appeared beside her. He seized the collar around her neck and dragged her forcibly toward the scaffolding at the summit.
"I realized later that you were far too stubborn. After that, I kicked you over to the Eleventh Division. Frankly, I never imagined you'd get as far as vice-captain. You surprised me."
Leading Rukia away, Aizen continued discussing Renji's past. Under normal circumstances, it should have been near impossible for Renji—whose Kidō aptitude was horrendous—to become a vice-captain. He was perfectly suited for the Eleventh Division, but the abrupt departure of the Sixth Division's vice-captain opened a vacancy. It was Byakuya Kuchiki who noticed Renji. Ordinarily, Byakuya would never have chosen him—unbeknownst to Aizen, Byakuya had done it entirely for Rukia's sake.
"Aizen, let go of Rukia!"
Before Aizen could continue, Ichigo suddenly charged in. Ichigo had just mustered up everything he had to defeat Byakuya and believed he had successfully saved Rukia, only for the situation to drastically shift. Ichigo had no clue about any of the behind-the-scenes details, but seeing how Aizen treated Rukia, he was sure that cutting him down was the right move.
"Oh, the little Traveler," Aizen said with a chuckle, easily halting Tensa Zangetsu's blade with a single finger on his left hand. Ichigo could only stare in shock—he had just beaten Captain Kuchiki moments earlier using that very sword, yet Aizen was blocking it with one finger.
"Your progress is remarkable, but you're still not there yet," Aizen remarked casually. A mere flick of his finger against Tensa Zangetsu's edge sent Ichigo flying more than ten meters. He hit the ground hard; as he tried to stand, the severity of his wounds made it impossible. Although he had defeated Byakuya, he hadn't emerged unscathed—and the blow he had just dealt had used up the last of his strength.
"Ichigo!"
Orihime Inoue immediately rushed to his side, using Shun Shun Rikka to heal him.
"Glad I'm not too late."
Daniel Davis arrived at the Twin Hanging Hills from overhead, just as Yumichika Ayasegawa, Ikkaku Madarame, and others also reached the scene. Yet with Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen blocking their way, none dared to charge in rashly.
"Captain Tōsen…"
Hisagi Shūhei—vice-captain of the Ninth Division—stood rooted in confusion, seeing Tōsen among the traitors. Tōsen was, in fact, the person in the Gotei 13 with whom he was closest. They both espoused justice, which made this betrayal especially shocking. Shūhei couldn't think of any words at all.
"Let's wait for the captain to get here."
Ikkaku and Yumichika surveyed their surroundings. Facing off against three captains, their side didn't stand a chance. Their only option was to wait.
"Rukia, do you know why your spiritual pressure started to ebb away once you were in the real world? It all stems from Kisuke Urahara's Hōgyoku."
Speaking in an even tone, Aizen suddenly produced a small test tube in his right hand. When it shattered, that arm transformed—taking on a greenish, tree-like texture.
"Is this just some typical 'villain monologue'? Well, I guess I can't blame you."
Observing Aizen's speech about his plan while literally ripping the Hōgyoku from Rukia's chest, Daniel Davis couldn't help a silent eyeroll. And yet, he understood. Laying out such an elaborate plan only to have no one realize it would be like winking at a blind man—tedious indeed. Not to mention the satisfaction of watching everyone's reactions shift dramatically under your control.
In truth, even Daniel occasionally indulged in similar "taunts" in certain fights, revealing bits of information when it suited him.
They say villains perish because they talk too much, but that's only if they're lacking in power and haven't truly mastered the situation. If they hold all the cards, it isn't chatter—it's confidence.
Just as Chūnibyō delusions become dreams and ideals when one has enough strength.
While Aizen babbled on about the Hōgyoku in his hand, Daniel Davis suddenly appeared beside him, startling Aizen enough that he hastily used Shunpo to relocate a safe distance away.
"All right, Rukia, everything's okay now."
Ignoring Aizen's reaction entirely, Daniel scooped Rukia—who had collapsed to the ground—and helped her back to Ichigo and the others. Daniel could certainly have swiped the Hōgyoku from Aizen by stealthily applying his "Surgery Fruit" ability, but then he would have become the center of everyone's hostility. He was hardly that foolish.
"Sorry, Captain Aizen—he was just too quick," Gin Ichimaru said, speaking up only after Daniel had led Rukia away. Gin and Tōsen had been tasked with holding off the opposition, so letting them through was indeed a bit of a lapse on their part.
"It doesn't matter."
"Tōsen… why? Aizen—it was you all along!"
Just as Aizen was about to speak again, an angry roar thundered from above. With a deafening crash, a towering figure landed behind Aizen—a massive blade descending toward him. It was Sajin Komamura, arriving together with Kenpachi Zaraki. Realizing that his friend Tōsen had betrayed them, Komamura was trembling with fury. After all, Tōsen had been Komamura's most trusted companion in the Gotei 13—united by their shared ideals of justice.
"Hadō #90: Kurohitsugi."
Facing the blow from behind, Aizen wore a faintly scornful smile. With a wave of his right hand, an endless expanse of black shadows emerged around Komamura, forming a colossal coffin of darkness. So swiftly did it appear that Komamura had no time to react, and he was thus sealed within that coffin's interior.
Under the horrific sound of countless blades stabbing into flesh, Komamura's agonized screams filled the entire summit. Once the black coffin vanished, Komamura lay fallen, his entire body soaked in blood.
"You truly are amazing, Captain Aizen. To forgo the incantation for a Hadō in the nineties…" Gin Ichimaru said, smiling in his usual foxy manner. Standing near him, Tōsen offered no reaction whatsoever to his old friend Komamura's downfall.
"Yet the power's barely a third of what it should be—that won't do," Aizen murmured, shaking his head at Gin's flattery with disappointment.
"Aizen, guess you're strong—come fight me."
Seeing how Aizen effortlessly dropped Komamura in one strike, Kenpachi Zaraki was suddenly brimming with excitement. With a wild grin, he brandished his zanpakutō and charged straight for Aizen.
(End of Chapter)
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