At this time, the other Shinigami captains finally arrived and began pronouncing Aizen's defeat. They glared at Aizen with hostile expressions, prepared to eliminate him!
Aizen and his companions had been completely surrounded by countless Shinigami—it seemed there was no escape!
However, Aizen remained perfectly composed at this moment, never taking these Shinigami seriously. It appeared he had already made his decision.
["I'm terribly sorry... it's time..."
Shihouin Yoruichi sensed something amiss and quickly ordered Sui-Feng to dodge.
BUZZ!
Subsequently, three beams of light descended from the heavens, enveloping the Aizen trio.
The Shinigami captains rapidly evaded.
A massive black void materialized in the sky.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Countless Hollows emerged with bared fangs.
Witnessing such an enormous number of Hollows, the Shinigami were equally amazed. So many Menos Grande must represent something extraordinary!
Gin Ichimaru spoke leisurely to Matsumoto Rangiku:
"Oh! What a shame... You should have held tighter! Farewell, Rangiku. I'm sorry..."
Gin Ichimaru was experiencing conflicted emotions at this moment. He wanted to see Matsumoto Rangiku a few more times to avoid any regrets. If he missed this opportunity, he would never see her again.
By then, there would be no room for reconciling their opposing positions.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ground beneath Aizen and his two companions began crumbling, constantly drawn skyward by the yellow light beam.
The Shinigami could only watch helplessly, unable to intervene.
Captain-Commander Yamamoto explained:
"This light is called Negación—used by Hollows when rescuing their comrades."
"Once surrounded by that light, the interior and exterior form two completely isolated worlds that don't interfere with each other."
"Since that light appeared, no one has been able to reach them."
Komamura Sajin continued shouting:
"Come down here, Tosen! I don't understand why you became a Shinigami. Wasn't it for your deceased friend?"
"Wasn't it to enforce your own justice?"
"Where is your justice?"
Komamura Sajin roared, questioning his former companion. He truly couldn't comprehend what Tosen Kaname's so-called justice represented!
Although Tosen Kaname looked down upon everyone, his eyes seemed to shine.
"I have already stated that what I perceive leads to the path of least sacrifice. Justice is always present, and the path I walk is true justice."
Ukitake Jūshirō addressed Aizen with grave seriousness:
"Why are you doing this? Have you fallen, Aizen?"
Hearing Ukitake Jūshirō's question, Aizen sneered.
He understood Ukitake Jūshirō's status perfectly—knowing he possessed a fragment related to the Soul King, yet still chose to protect this corrupt and stagnant Soul Society.
Therefore, Aizen held him in tremendous contempt.
As Aizen ascended skyward, he gazed down upon the Gotei 13 below with an expression reserved for ants, speaking with cold indifference:
"Ukitake! Are you excessively arrogant?"
"I am pursuing a higher realm!"
"From the very beginning, no one has stood in the heavens."
"Not you, not I, not even God..."
As he spoke, Aizen removed his glasses with one hand, shattering them to pieces. With his other hand, he used powerful spiritual energy—as if applying hairspray—to slick his hair back!
His true handsome visage was completely revealed to the Shinigami!
This was his authentic face!
He declared in an arrogant yet unquestionable tone:
"However, this unbearable vacancy in the Heavenly Throne is about to end."
"From now on, I will stand in the sky!"
A world-famous moment was born!
Aizen's supremely stylish posture left the Gotei 13 breathless, their expressions frozen, unable to respond.
Even without formally battling him, they could sense his overwhelming pressure and tremendous ambition to replace the gods!
At this moment, the entire scene belonged to Aizen!
Before departing, Aizen didn't focus on the other Shinigami, but on the experiment that interested him most.
"Farewell, all Shinigami, and young traveler—until we meet again."
"As far as humans are concerned, you are indeed fascinating!"
Even while ascending to the heavens, Aizen couldn't forget Kurosaki Ichigo.
At the end, observing Kurosaki Ichigo's expression, he smiled faintly!
It seemed he genuinely admired Kurosaki Ichigo...]
At this time, although they had witnessed this scene previously, the Shinigami continued discussing it.
[Ukitake Jūshirō]: As expected, Aizen has been contemplating replacing God.
[Unohana Retsu]: When I heard Aizen speak these words before, I couldn't comprehend them. Now it appears he truly covets the Soul King's position! What tremendous ambition!
[Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez]: Hmph, he genuinely cares about Ichigo Kurosaki! He even bid farewell to Ichigo before leaving. He truly treats him like his own son.
[Gerard Valkyrie]: Hmph. What ridiculous ideals. He must not know of our Quincy existence at this time. Would he dare speak such words before His Majesty? His Majesty can replace the Soul King!
[Jugram Haschwalth]: His confidence stems from blind arrogance—he's never encountered truly powerful beings.
[Tosen Kaname]: Hmph, eventually you'll discover Lord Aizen's power! Soon you'll witness Lord Aizen fighting and defeating you instantly!
The Quincy and Shinigami engaged in their customary conflict.
[Lille Barro]: I expected you Shinigami to fight valiantly and teach us lessons, but didn't anticipate such a battle that started promisingly but ended poorly.
[Äs Nödt]: Haha, what a weak Aizen! If it were His Majesty, he wouldn't need such elaborate efforts—he could simply use brute force to seize the Hogyoku!
[Pernida Parnkgjas]: I suspect without this Hogyoku, this Aizen would be weaker than His Majesty.
[Askin Nakk Le Vaar]: You should be grateful His Majesty didn't begin the war earlier! Otherwise, Aizen's conspiracy would have ended long ago, and Soul Society would have perished already.
Although the Quincy were extraordinarily arrogant presently, the Shinigami truly couldn't refute them casually. After all, these Quincy's initial pressure had indeed far exceeded Shinigami expectations!
On the other side, in the Wandenreich at this moment, although the Quincy claimed great disgust, Aizen remained a Shinigami worthy of their analysis.
Yhwach also observed these projections seriously, constantly verifying them against various intelligence he had previously gathered!
He couldn't help muttering to himself:
"As expected! Aizen represents an existence that cannot be ignored!"
"Although his future strength will definitely not compare to mine, he has developed steadily over the past century and is indeed talented."
"Reaching this level with an ordinary Shinigami's identity could be called the pinnacle of Shinigami achievement!"
"It's unsurprising to say he's a top-tier Shinigami comparable to Hyoshubu Ichibei."
[Ichigo Kurosaki]: Even now, watching him ascend like that... it's genuinely intimidating.
[Aizen Sosuke]: That moment represented my declaration of independence from Soul Society's limitations.
[Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni]: Your arrogance knew no bounds, even then.
[Kyoraku Shunsui]: The hairspray hand technique—truly iconic.
[Gin Ichimaru]: Captain Aizen always knew how to make an impression.
[Matsumoto Rangiku]: Gin... your goodbye still hurts to remember.
[Komamura Sajin]: Tosen, your words about justice still confuse me.
[Tosen Kaname]: Justice requires difficult choices that soft hearts cannot comprehend.
[Byakuya Kuchiki]: His declaration of standing in the heavens was genuinely chilling.
[Rukia Kuchiki]: The way he looked at us... like we were insects.
[Kenpachi Zaraki]: All that talking! I wanted to fight him right then!
[Mayuri Kurotsuchi]: The Negación technique's precision was remarkable—perfect timing.
[Coyote Starrk]: Lord Aizen's dramatic flair has always been unmatched.
[Ulquiorra Cifer]: That moment when he revealed his true face—absolutely magnificent.
[Tier Harribel]: His focus on Ichigo even during ascension shows remarkable paternal attachment.
[Nnoitra Gilga]: Finally, some style! Better than all the boring explanations.
[Yammy Llargo]: Standing in the sky? Sounds exhausting.
The iconic moment of Aizen's ascension and declaration would forever remain etched in the memories of all three realms—a pivotal moment when a Shinigami declared his intention to surpass even God.