"I won't let you pass."
Just as Kenpachi Zaraki charged at Aizen, Kaname Tōsen suddenly appeared before him to block his path. Even though Zaraki had once single‐handedly gone toe‐to‐toe with Tōsen and Sajin Komamura, that didn't mean he could break through Tōsen's blockade in a short time—especially with Gin Ichimaru glaring hungrily from the side.
"Scattered beast bones, spires, red crystals, steel wheels; the moving is wind, the still is heaven—the sound of spears clashing resounded throughout the void city, Hadō #63 Raikōhō!"
Just as Zaraki and Tōsen exchanged blows, a chanting of Kidō suddenly echoed from above. When the group looked up, all they saw was a thick golden pillar of lightning rushing down toward Aizen.
"They've come as well..."
Attacking Aizen from above was none other than Kuhaku Shiba, executing Kidō Spell #63 in full. Its power was indeed astonishing, but unfortunately—since the opponent was Aizen—not a single hair was singed. Yet as Aizen flash-stepped aside to evade the Raikōhō, two figures instantly appeared at his sides, each with a Zanpakutō held to his neck.
"If you don't want your head to detach, don't move, Aizen."
The two holding Aizen were none other than Yei Shihōin and Suifeng, captain of the 2nd Division. Both came from the stealth mobile unit and, upon receiving a communication from Tora Yūon, had immediately arrived at Twin Confinement Hill. They hadn't revealed themselves but instead lay in wait—and Shiba's attack had provided the perfect opening.
"This is going to be troublesome."
Seeing Aizen being held, Gin Ichimaru still wore that fox-like smile as he moved to unsheathe the Zanpakutō at his waist—seemingly ready to rescue Aizen. But at that very moment, a figure quietly approached from behind and grabbed his right hand. It was Rangiku Matsumoto.
"Captain Aizen, I'm truly sorry—I've been caught," Gin Ichimaru said slowly, his Zanpakutō now pressed against his neck by Rangiku.
"It's alright, Gin." Aizen replied with his characteristically gentle smile. Then he glanced at the figure beside him and added, "What a familiar face—it's been years, Captain Shihōin."
"Stop it."
Even as Aizen and Gin Ichimaru were being restrained, while Tōsen continued dueling with Zaraki, Captain Yamamoto along with Jing Le Chunshui and Toshiro Hitsugaya finally arrived. At the roar of the Captain, even Zaraki had no choice but to halt his assault and retreat.
"They've arrived as well. It seems everyone's nearly here—but what about Kisuke Urahara?"
Looking up, Daniel Davis scanned the area. He noted that most of Soul Society's captains and vice-captains were present—even the vice-captain of the 2nd Division, Daizenda, was there. Yet the one person he was most concerned about, Kisuke Urahara, was nowhere to be seen.
"Still hiding around, huh? That black cloak is really troublesome. Even though Aizen has already blown his cover, why isn't he coming out? I see."
Just as Davis wondered why Urahara still hadn't appeared, he suddenly recalled Tsunayashiro Tokinada—and immediately understood. Urahara was still a wanted criminal in Soul Society; he couldn't openly show himself before the Gotei 13 captains.
Granted, Yei was also a fugitive—but his status as the former head of the Shihōin clan put him in a different league. Kisuke Urahara, on the other hand, had no such credentials.
Of course, there was another possibility: Urahara simply wished to remain hidden. At the very least, he wouldn't voluntarily appear until Aizen was completely defeated.
"Aizen, your ambition ends here." Captain Yamamoto's face turned exceptionally grim as he glared at Aizen, who was being held by Yei and Suifeng. Aizen had toyed with the entire Gotei 13 and the Seireitei—it was the ultimate provocation.
"Aizen, why?" After Yamamoto's words faded, Toshiro Hitsugaya looked at Aizen with a pained expression. Within the Gotei 13, his relationship with Aizen was second only to that with Jing Le Chunshui.
Aizen's disguise in Soul Society was exceptionally flawless—even if Kisuke Urahara, Yei, the Arrancar faction, and others learned his true nature, when facing a terrifying power like Kyōka Suigetsu, even Urahara would be at a loss, forced merely to bide his time.
Among those who'd had dealings with Urahara, perhaps only Jing Le Chunshui truly understood him. Though he might seem like a man fond of admiring beautiful women and drinking with an air of nonchalance, his inner depths were unfathomable. Besides, coming from the 8th Division—the unit responsible for intelligence—it was natural for him to know things that ordinary people did not.
While Kyōka Suigetsu was indeed fearsome, even Aizen couldn't unleash it on everyone at once; he'd use it only when necessary.
"Now that I think about it, Aizen is far too confident. If it were me, I could easily make Kisuke Urahara the mastermind behind the scenes—just like during the Arrancar incident back in the day. Confidence born of power makes one feel there's no need to hide."
Watching Aizen—being glared at by a host of Shinigami yet still smiling gently—Daniel Davis suddenly mused that if this were the case, it would be most interesting.
"Time's up."
Just as Yei and Suifeng were about to escort Aizen away, Aizen glanced up at the sky and laughed. At the sound of his words, Yei immediately shouted for Suifeng to step back, and the two flash-stepped away from that lazy fellow. In the very next moment, a golden beam of light descended from the sky, enveloping Aizen.
Elsewhere, Gin Ichimaru's wrist trembled—and the grip Rangiku Matsumoto held on him was effortlessly flung aside. Given his abilities, he wouldn't have been caught so easily if he hadn't intended it. Then, too, a golden beam of light enveloped him.
Similarly, standing alone, Tōsen found a golden beam of light materialize around him.
"So many Kirian..."
The vice-captain of the 2nd Division, Daizenda, stared at the massive white head emerging from a splitting black fissure overhead and couldn't help but exclaim.
This vice-captain—known as Daizenda—fit so poorly with the stealth mobile unit's style. While members of that unit operated with a certain ninja-like grace, he was far too corpulent, decked out in a myriad of golden ornaments. In contrast to Byakuya Kuchiki's understated, elegant silver finery and the refined luxury of his weapon, Daizenda looked every bit the nouveau riche. He wasn't made captain of the 2nd Division by merit alone but thanks to his pedigree—wealth, reliability, and the fact that almost all vice-captains in the 2nd Division hailed from the Daizenda family.
Daniel Davis was deeply impressed by Daizenda's legend—and by the entire Daizenda clan, all cut from the same mold (not to mention their petite, adorable little sister). Individually they might seem unremarkable, but together they were like a genetic anomaly.
In Soul Society's Gotei 13, Shinigami could normally join any division—except for the 2nd Division. The Shinigami in the stealth mobile unit were essentially raised from childhood under the Shihōin family's watchful eye. The current Suifeng was, in fact, a lower-ranking noble of the Shihōin family.
When Captain Yamamoto originally established the Gotei 13, he naturally had to grant considerable benefits to the nobles. A careful look at the Gotei 13's responsibilities reveals that the four great families wield enormous power in Soul Society. The Kōmyada family didn't partake in the Gotei 13 at all, though they controlled the Great Spirit Book, the Corridor, and the Projection Hall; the other three great families each controlled one division. The Shihōin family held the 2nd Division, the Kuchiki clan the 6th, and the Shiba clan the 10th. If it hadn't been for Shiba Isshin being attacked and framed by Aizen, the current captain of the 10th Division, Toshiro Hitsugaya, would have remained merely a vice-captain.
Even though the Shiba clan had now been expelled from Seireitei, they were by no means insignificant—they could still directly contact the 0th Division. Not to mention the final Moon Crescent Strike, a sort of family heirloom skill of the Shiba clan. Not only could Ichigo perform it, but so could Shiba Isshin.
"At last, I can see the famed 'Hair Gel Hand' in action."
Watching Aizen slowly ascend skyward within the golden light of the anti-membrane, Daniel Davis felt a surge of anticipation for the spectacle to come. He followed, half eager to witness this famed scene firsthand.
Even though Aizen had now been exposed as the mastermind, his aura still retained the gentle mien of Ichigo—completely betraying no trace of the ruthless puppet master underneath.
"Enough. That is the anti-membrane—the construct that the great void of the void circle employs to usher in its kin. The inside and outside are two entirely separate spaces; it's now impossible to reach him."
Seeing Aizen and his cohorts ascend, the Shinigami captains, unwilling to let these three traitors simply escape, moved to take action—but were immediately halted by the Captain.
"Aizen, you've actually colluded with the void circle!" shouted Shijirō Fuchiku at Aizen in the sky.
"How can it be collusion? This is merely the void circle supplying the return of its sovereign!" Aizen retorted. Even the sharpest minds of the Gotei 13 would never have imagined that Aizen had already come to rule over the void circle, becoming its king.
"Fuchiku, you remain as arrogant as ever."
Aizen then lowered his gaze to Fuchiku below. As he spoke, he removed the black-framed glasses he always wore—instantaneously, they dissolved into spiritual particles and vanished into the air. Simultaneously, he ran his right hand through his hair; his hairstyle changed in an instant, and his once gentle eyes turned razor-sharp. In that moment, Aizen's aura soared to new heights.
"No one starts at the top—not you, not me, not even a god. But this unbearable hiatus in the heavens will soon end, for from today onward, I shall reign at the pinnacle.
Farewell, all you Shinigami. Farewell, young harbinger of calamity. As for humanity—you are truly quite amusing."
As Aizen finished speaking, his gaze swept over Ichigo before fixing on Daniel Davis for a moment. Then, one by one, the three were cradled in the palms of three great voids and vanished into a black spatial fissure. Moments later, the fissure closed.
"All divisions, report your losses."
After witnessing Aizen's disappearance, Captain Yamamoto issued the order and departed. With the complete annihilation of the Central Forty-Six Room and the betrayal of three captains, the ensuing troubles would be endless.
The nobles of Soul Society would undoubtedly put pressure on Yamamoto, but given Aizen's resolute action, that pressure wouldn't be overwhelming—after all, they were still counting on the Gotei 13 to deal with him.
For the nobles associated with the Central Forty-Six Room, bullying the weak while fearing the strong is instinctive. If someone is easy to deal with, they'll bully them relentlessly; if not, they'll treat them with feigned courtesy—for example, their attitude toward Neizanri of the 12th Division was entirely different from that toward the other captains. Perhaps it's true that even villains fear being worn down by villains.
"Quick, save the wounded!"
After the Captain left, Retsu Unohana immediately organized the available members of the 4th Division to rescue the injured. Byakuya Kuchiki and Sajin Komamura had sustained very serious wounds—especially Komamura, who still hadn't awakened. Fortunately, Kachōtaro and Orihime Inoue were on hand; regardless of the injuries, their lives were not in danger.
"Captain."
While others were busy with the rescue, the vice-captain of the 3rd Division, Kira Ikaru, and the vice-captain of the 9th Division, Hisasagi Shūhei, looked utterly dejected. They could never have imagined that their captain would betray Soul Society and collude with the void circle.
"My apologies, both of you."
Before the two could figure out what to do, Suifeng arrived accompanied by the disciplinary forces of the 2nd Division and confiscated their Zanpakutō. The betrayal of the three captains wouldn't simply vanish with their departure—there was still plenty for the Gotei 13 to handle.
Not to mention, the members of the 3rd, 5th, and 9th Divisions all had to be investigated, lest any collaborators of Aizen be hiding among them.
And even if none were found, at the very least, to appease the nobles of Soul Society, they'd have to be confined for a few days.
Naturally, as vice-captains, the treatment for these three was different from that of ordinary Shinigami—they were each given a private cell.
"Captain Zaraki has arrived."
In the 4th Division's infirmary, amid the double beds, the moment those words rang out, Ichigo Kurosaki leapt out the window—leaving Rukia Kuchiki and Renji Abarai behind.
Somehow, someone had arranged for Renji and Ichigo to share a room. Ichigo's physical condition was superb, and with Orihime's "Shun Shun Rikka" in play, his recovery was incredibly swift. Yet soon he drew the attention of Zaraki and Ikkaku Madarame.
At first, Ichigo didn't mind—after all, it was just a fight. He exchanged blows with both of them, was sent back to the hospital, then resumed fighting—and soon even members of the 11th Division joined in. Overwhelmed, the moment he heard the 11th Division's name, Ichigo bolted.
"Ichigo, did you run? By the way, what about that guy?"
Zaraki was displeased with Ichigo's escape but didn't immediately pursue him; instead, he asked Rukia—who had been peeling fruit for Renji—"What about that guy?"
Although Renji's injuries looked severe, they were only skin-deep. With Orihime around, his recovery was a breeze. In fact, he stayed in the hospital simply to enjoy Rukia's care—the guy wasn't stupid.
"Teacher Shen? He went over to the commoners' district."
The main street of Seireitei was named very simply—on the noble side it was called Noble Street, and on the commoners' side, Plain Bright Street. While Ichigo and the others were recuperating, Daniel Davis had fled to avoid Zaraki's challenge; he had no desire to tussle with that lunatic.
"Spiritual food—while it's of little use to me, for ordinary people it's truly a rare treasure."
The very air in the human world was filled with spiritual particles. Ordinary people couldn't absorb them naturally, but when it came to food, things were different—common folk could take in at least a little.
(End of Chapter)
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