Sometimes the one who knows you best isn't your friend, but your enemy. Undoubtedly, aside from Aizen himself, the person most familiar with him would be Kisuke Urahara.
"There's no question about it—if this guy dares show up like this, he's definitely got some sort of scheme."
Standing beside Urahara and looking at Aizen from afar, Shinji Hirako wore a sullen expression. He had once stumbled at Aizen's hand—and that fall was so complete and humiliating that he had never before suffered such a blow. When he transferred Aizen to his side as his lieutenant, he intended to keep the man in check, not to let himself be brought down.
"Hey, Baldy—when are we gonna move?"
Hiyori Sarugaki was already impatient to fight.
"Let's wait until things play out a bit more. If we rush in now, the first person to take offense might not be Aizen but the head captain."
Kisuke Urahara was equally frustrated. He wanted to act now, but Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto was notoriously stubborn. In his eyes, Aizen was a traitor hunted by the Gotei 13, and it was an internal matter of the Court Guard Squads. If these individuals—who were also wanted by the Soul Society—suddenly appeared to lend a hand, Aizen might throw in a few taunts, and next thing you know, they'd be fighting Yamamoto's forces.
Indeed, for this battle against Aizen, the head captain had deliberately not asked Kurosaki Ichigo to join in. To Yamamoto, Ichigo was merely a human—even if a deputy Shinigami—and not a true Shinigami.
Many might see the head captain as hidebound, an old relic. In the original storyline, after Aizen was defeated by Ichigo, Yamamoto went so far as to refuse Orihime Inoue's offer to heal the injuries he'd sustained from his sacrificial Break Technique, Ichimonji Kaien, used in the fight against Aizen.
On the surface, that might seem foolish, yet in reality, it was him standing by his principles—much like Byakuya Kuchiki had done when Rukia was sentenced to execution.
Of course, while Yamamoto's stance is unwavering, Ichigo is still involved in the fight. He's accompanied by Orihime Inoue—but just those two. Chad and Uryūlong Ishida aren't here at all, which makes sense, especially in Ishida's case. He's a Quincy. Last time, he helped rescue Rukia from the Soul Society as a personal favor to a friend. But this time, it's purely an internal conflict among Shinigami, and he finds it inappropriate for a Quincy like him to get involved.
As for Chad, Ichigo is simply unwilling to involve him further. Despite his intimidating appearance, Chad is gentle at heart and hates violence. During the mission to save Rukia, even when forced to fight Shinigami, he found it hard to harm them. Not wanting to pull Chad into another conflict, Ichigo left him out.
Initially, Ichigo also intended to keep Orihime out of this, but ultimately relented due to reassurances from Kisuke Urahara and others, and especially because of Orihime's remarkable healing powers. With her around, even severe injuries—or possibly death—could be reversed. Of course, that depends on Orihime's own reiatsu. For those killed by a massive spiritual force, reviving them would be extremely difficult for her.
Currently, the battlefield is a chaotic free-for-all between Shinigami and Arrancar. Some are locked in single combat, others gang up on one foe—some Shinigami are surrounded by multiple Arrancar, and the same is true in reverse. After watching the scene for a while, Tōsen Kaname prepared to make a move when he was suddenly confronted by Sajin Komamura and Hisagi Shūhei. Although Kaname had no desire to face these two, other Shinigami had conveniently created the opening for them.
"Tōsen, why follow Aizen? Why betray the Soul Society? Is this your so-called justice?" Komamura immediately demanded upon seeing his old friend.
"Captain, come back with us—Aizen is deceiving you!"
To the side, Hisagi Shūhei wore a hopeful expression. As the Ninth Division's lieutenant, he believed Tōsen had simply been duped by Aizen.
"Komamura, Shūhei… is that really all you have to say? Justice? Why do you assume that a Shinigami is automatically on the side of justice?"
Tōsen Kaname's voice was cold as he looked at them.
A startled silence fell over Komamura and Shūhei. They'd never before considered that question.
"Tōsen… is this because of what happened back then…?"
Hovering in midair next to Yamamoto, Jūshirō Ukitake had apparently overheard Tōsen's words, prompting him to speak. Right now, the only calm zone on this chaotic battlefield was the fiery ring in midair where Aizen stood opposite the head captain. Beside the captain stood Shunsui Kyōraku and Ukitake; by Aizen's side were two Arrancar—one a girl, the other a boy. Neither seemed the least bit concerned about the surrounding battle, merely peering around curiously at the ring of flames. To prevent Aizen from using Kyōka Suigetsu, Yamamoto had encircled him in a prison of flame the moment he appeared. Believing that to be a good method of dealing with Kyōka Suigetsu once they understood its power, he also inadvertently played into Daniel's plan—without the ring of fire trapping "Aizen," this impostor would likely have already been exposed. Especially Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Komamura, and Hisagi—driven by hatred for Aizen, they would have charged in for a slice, real or not.
"What happened back then? What is this about?" Shūhei burst out anxiously.
No one responded. Komamura truly didn't know; as for Yamamoto, Ukitake, and Shunsui, they had no idea how to explain such a disgraceful incident. Tōsen himself wasn't about to mention it either.
"Captain, what happened?!"
Seeing no one reply, Hisagi turned back to Tōsen.
"It's far too late now. There's nothing left to discuss. Cry out, Suzumushi… Suzumushi Nishiki: Benihikō."
With that, Tōsen unleashed his Zanpakutō and attacked Komamura and Hisagi from above. In Tōsen's eyes, locking Tsunayashiro Tokinada away in the Maggot's Nest for a few centuries was far too light a punishment for murdering an innocent friend. Shunsui had exposed Tokinada but hadn't intended to kill him, while Ukitake clung to the hope that Tokinada could be reformed.
"Roar, Tenken!"
"Slice, Kazeshini!"
Faced with Tōsen's assault, Komamura and Hisagi likewise released their Zanpakutō, each displaying their unique abilities to ward off his dive-bomb from above.
"Aizen—you fed him all these lies?"
Watching the tense exchange among the trio, Jūshirō Ukitake glared furiously at the Aizen in the ring of fire.
"Lies? Where have I lied to him?"
"You…" Ukitake hesitated, unable to refute him. Strictly speaking, Aizen had never lied to Tōsen.
"All right, Ukitake, enough. There's no point in explaining anything now—he won't listen," Shunsui said, cutting off the conversation. In truth, Jūshirō Ukitake had endured plenty—both Aizen and Tokinada had drawn near to him with ulterior motives.
"Aizen, your side seems to be losing."
As time passed, many fights ended. Quite a few Shinigami had fallen, but the Arrancar losses were even greater. Critically, though, few of the wounded Shinigami had died, thanks to Unohana Retsu and Orihime Inoue, whereas the Arrancar enjoyed no such salvation. Then again, Orihime's kindness did save many Arrancar as well.
"Are you sure what you see is reality?"
Even as the Arrancar were seemingly pressed, "Aizen" made no move to intervene. On hearing his words, Shunsui frowned.
"Huh—haven't you guys finished things here yet? How can Aizen possibly be here?"
Suddenly, two figures appeared in the sky. One of them, upon spotting "Aizen" inside the ring of fire, exclaimed in shock.
"Yūshirō, Kūkaku—what are you doing here?" Shunsui and his companions were clearly astonished by the sudden arrivals: Shiba Kūkaku, and a dark-skinned youth reminiscent of Yoruichi, known as Shihōin Yūshirō—now the head of the Shihōin clan. When Yoruichi was declared a traitor, he was still too young to inherit the Second Division and Onmitsukidō, so Soi-Fon took over in Yoruichi's stead.
"Yūshirō, what happened?"
Recognizing his sudden appearance as a sign that something was amiss, Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin swiftly used Shunpo to reach them. Indeed, something urgent must have transpired for them to appear—particularly in Kūkaku's presence.
"Something's happened in the Soul King's Palace. Aizen seems to have invaded!" Kūkaku said, her expression bewildered as she stared at "Aizen" in the ring of fire.
"That's impossible!" Urahara and the others cried out in unison. Then, slapping a hand to his hat, Urahara's mind spun furiously. Abruptly, he called out to "Aizen" in the flames:
"You're not Aizen—who are you?!"
"Found out? Attack!"
Ignoring Urahara's demand, "Aizen" turned to the young Arrancar at his side and spoke in a low tone. The words had scarcely left his mouth before the boy Arrancar released a strange howl, abruptly absorbing the ring of fire trapping "Aizen."
"Go, Wolves!"
With the fire ring gone, "Aizen" abruptly murmured his Zanpakutō release. Its form changed into twin pistols, and the female Arrancar beside him transformed into a streak of light merging with his guns. Next, his form shifted from that of Aizen to his true self. Instantly, an uncountable barrage of beams erupted from the twin pistols, hurtling toward Urahara and the other Shinigami—this was an infinite volley of bala-like projectiles, capable of firing a thousand rounds in an instant.
Coyote Starrk—Espada Number One—was among the very few Arrancar in Hueco Mundo who had achieved the rank of Vasto Lorde on his own, with formidable natural strength. In the original story, he perished to Shunsui mostly because he fought both Shunsui and Ukitake simultaneously and lacked the will to fight, creating openings for Shunsui's ambushes. Had he been serious, it might have gone differently, though his abilities were still countered by Ukitake's Zanpakutō, which, like Kyūten Kyōkoku, could reflect attacks.
"Blood Mist Shield!"
Facing Starrk's sudden onslaught of beams, Kisuke Urahara reacted first. Transforming his Zanpakutō into a gigantic red shield, he covered Yoruichi, Yūshirō, Kūkaku, and the others behind him. Meanwhile, Shunsui and Ukitake, about to respond, were shielded when Yamamoto immediately erected a Severing Void. Yet these defenses only bought a moment's respite—Starrk truly unleashed a thousand beams in an instant. Unlike normal attacks, his barrage, part of his Resurrección, wouldn't diminish in power simply due to the high volume.
Nevertheless, that single moment was enough for Urahara's group and others to retreat from the battlefield. Starrk had no intention of letting them slip away so easily. Indeed, lacking the apathy he displayed in the original story, he was now full of fighting spirit. Dual guns fired relentlessly, unleashing volley after volley of beams, dominating the battlefield. His display of suppressive fire even salvaged several Arrancar who were on the brink of defeat.
"What now?"
Freed from Tōshirō Hitsugaya's Hyōrinmaru by Starrk's barrage, Tier Harribel used Sonído to swiftly join him. Among the Espada, only they demonstrated a sense of tactics; the others merely acted impulsively.
"I'll buy some time—rally our forces so we can retreat to Hueco Mundo."
While speaking, Starrk's hands never paused. Alternating between his two guns, he continuously fired the infinite barrage, leaving the space before him awash in flashing beams.
"This bastard…"
Separated from the battlefield and under Starrk's suppressive fire, Urahara and the other Shinigami were exasperated. Even Ukitake's Twin Fish was useless under such extensive firepower—it was pure suppressive might.
"Collapse, Sakanade!"
Just when Urahara was frantically seeking a solution, the Visored Corps finally stepped in. While her comrades covered her, Shinji Hirako managed to slip behind Starrk, releasing her Zanpakutō. Starrk halted his barrage, familiar with Sakanade's ability—thanks to intel from Daniel. This time around, Starrk was very much invested in the fight because Aizen hadn't manipulated them as expendable pawns, and Starrk was one of the few Arrancar not solely cowed by Aizen's brute force—he genuinely felt grateful to him. Regardless of Aizen's motives, he'd indeed established some semblance of order in Hueco Mundo.
(End of Chapter)
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