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Byakuya Kuchiki's eyes widened, his voice catching with disbelief as he faced the impossible figure before him. "Aizen-taichō…? You're alive?" Chōjirō Sasakibe, usually composed and unreadable, stood frozen beside him, his normally impassive expression shattered by visible horror. The man standing calmly atop Sōkyoku Hill, alive and unmistakable, was Aizen Sōsuke—flanked by Ichimaru Gin and Tōsen Kaname. Behind them were Abarai Renji, Kurosaki Ichigo, and Kuchiki Rukia—visibly disoriented, caught between confusion and fear.
Aizen smiled, his tone soft but unmistakably condescending. "Well now, Vice-Captain Sasakibe." Slowly, deliberately, his gaze shifted. "Captain Kuchiki. And…" His voice dropped a degree colder. "Captain Su Li."
Su Li, composed and unreadable, offered the faintest of smiles. "Yo. Captain Aizen." His tone was casual, even amused.
Aizen observed him in silence before offering a measured smile in return. "You don't look the least bit surprised." The grin on Su Li's face didn't falter. "Strange, isn't it?" A faint flicker of uncertainty passed through Aizen's gaze. Even now, even at this moment, he couldn't fully read this young captain. "So… you noticed what Captain Unohana did. I must admit, Su Li-taichō, you're… formidable. In all these years, you're the only one who's been a persistent thorn." He paused, his tone laced with reluctant respect. "But in the end, none of it matters. Because soon, we won't be seeing each other again."
The cold finality in Aizen's voice sent a ripple of dread through the others. Renji's voice finally broke the silence, strained with disbelief. "Captain Aizen, what's going on?" Rukia, held protectively in his arms, looked equally shaken, eyes wide with panic. Ichigo's initial shock rapidly boiled into fury. He sprang up, fists clenched, turning sharply toward Tōsen. "Hey! Bastard—what the hell did you just do?!"
But Tōsen, as ever, remained impassive and silent, standing behind Aizen like a sentinel. Moments earlier, a blinding vortex of white light had spun around them—Bai Ling flashing through their vision—and now they were here, relocated in the blink of an eye. Ichigo scanned the familiar landscape, jaw tight. "Damn it. Back at Sōkyoku Hill again? What a waste…"
Above them, black-winged shadows swept through the air—Orihime Inoue and the others, racing toward the chaos. "Ichigo!" she called, desperate.
But Aizen's calm voice rose before they could reach him. "Abarai-fukutaichō. Put Kuchiki Rukia down. Step back." The command was simple, without malice—but absolute. Every soul on the hill froze. Rukia's breath caught, dread rising in her chest. Renji stared at Aizen, face blank with disbelief. "You're… alive… But… why?" His words faltered as his mind spun. "Captain Aizen, what are you saying…?"
Byakuya and Sasakibe were no less shaken, unable to comprehend the betrayal materializing before them. "You understand perfectly," Aizen said, his voice cool and quiet. "Put her down. Step aside." No anger, no urgency—only inevitability and control.
Suddenly, the sky shuddered, a spiritual pressure blanketing Seireitei like a descending storm. Sasakibe's head jerked upward, recognition flashing in his eyes. "That's… The Sky Is Empty—Bakudō 77." He knew that spell well.
From above, Kotetsu Isane's voice rang out, clear and commanding. "All captains, lieutenants, assistant officers, and traveling members of the Court Guard Squads—this is Fourth Division Vice-Captain Kotetsu Isane!" Her voice quivered, but she pressed on. "This is an emergency broadcast, confirmed jointly with Captain Unohana! What I'm about to say… is the truth!"
Elsewhere, flames devoured rooftops. In the smoke, Ukitake Jūshirō staggered, breath catching. "No… it can't be. Aizen…" Shunsui Kyōraku stood beside him, smile faded into grimness, eyes darkening. "Yama-jii… what do we do now?"
Yamamoto Genryūsai stood without a word, blade firm in hand, eyes veiled by centuries of discipline. On another rooftop, Matsumoto Rangiku sprinted toward the hill, concern etched across her face. Behind her, Kira Izuru slumped, pale and shattered. "How… how could this happen? I didn't… I wouldn't hurt Hinamori…"
All across Seireitei, word of the betrayal spread like wildfire. "Central 46… completely wiped out…" "No, it's a lie… it has to be…" "Captain Aizen betrayed us?" "The execution, his supposed death… it was all a setup?" "Aizen Sōsuke. Ichimaru Gin. Tōsen Kaname. All traitors?"
On the hill, Aizen turned back to Renji with unnerving calm. "Say it again, Abarai."
Renji clenched his jaw. "I said… I refuse." The fear that once clouded his gaze had vanished, replaced by steely resolve.
Aizen offered a faint nod. "I see." At his side, Gin's hand hovered near his sword, but Aizen raised a hand to stay him. "No need, Gin." Then, as if taking a casual stroll, he began stepping forward.
Ichigo raised his blade, stance wide, pointing directly at Aizen. "Enough. We're taking him down. Rukia comes with us." Renji glanced sideways, then smirked. "Tch… finally, you say something smart."
He rose to his full height, drawing his Zanpakutō. "Bankai." A moment later, Ichigo echoed the call. "Tensa Zangetsu." "Baboon King Zabimaru."
Their voices overlapped as spiritual pressure exploded from their bodies. Power surged, reshaping their forms. Hardened expressions settled over their faces, eyes fierce and focused. Even against a Captain, they didn't hesitate.
"Let's see what our training bought us," Ichigo said, voice low and resolute.
Renji grinned wider. "Been waiting to cut loose."
They launched as one—Zabimaru coiling through the air like a predator, Tensa Zangetsu slicing the space between heartbeats. Aizen stood unmoved, watching their approach with detached interest.
"You've come far, Abarai," Aizen remarked, tone almost curious.
Renji, wind whipping through his hair, bared his teeth. "This is the result of hard training, Aizen-taichō! Let's test it!"
Zabimaru lashed down with crushing force, Ichigo's blade arcing in unison toward the target—but Aizen didn't budge.
A moment later, the world cracked.
Zabimaru shattered in mid-strike, scattering in fragments like broken glass. Ichigo's blade met a wall. No—worse. A single finger had stopped Tensa Zangetsu mid-swing. The clang echoed across the hilltop like a death knell.
Ichigo froze. His breath caught. His eyes locked on the fingertip resting against his blade—completely unbothered.
Aizen tilted his head slightly, lips curving into a soft smile.
"A mayfly cannot topple a tree," he said.
"Nor can it reach the mountaintop."
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