Compared to the Gotei 13, where the scene outside made it difficult to distinguish between male and female.
In Rukongai, the atmosphere was unusually eerie, as if a thrilling battle was about to break out.
Aizen was unable to leave because a "traitor" appeared by his side.
Under the careful arrangements of Yamamoto Genryusai, as soon as Aizen sent some items into the Black Cavity, the surrounding space was inexplicably sealed.
Watching the Black Cavity slowly close, and knowing he could no longer open it by himself, Aizen exhaled softly, as if he had expected it.
"Have they arrived?" he murmured, his gaze slowly turning outward.
A flash of fire suddenly streaked across his vision, and then, the building's wall instantly melted and dissipated like dust, without a sound.
As the wall vanished, Yamamoto Genryusai's furious gaze was the first to meet Aizen's eyes.
Aizen slightly curved his lips and chuckled softly: "As expected, you still came after me."
Yamamoto Genryusai held Ryujin Jakka, his expression more serious than ever before.
Perhaps he found it hard to believe that a mere Vice-Captain under his command could harbor such a dangerous plan.
Yamamoto Genryusai scanned Aizen's unhurried demeanor, puzzled as to why he could remain so calm even now, but still spoke in an official tone:
"Aizen Sōsuke, surrender!"
"The three surrounding districts have been sealed by the Kido Corps using high-level Kido."
"You cannot escape!"
"If you surrender obediently, this old man..." Yamamoto Genryusai's words were cut short by Aizen raising his hand.
"Captain-Commander, there's no need to say more."
"I really don't want to hear your nonsense; it's meaningless to me."
Aizen's tone was flat, "Since you've come after me, you must have received some information from Tōsen Kaname."
"If that's the case, why play games with me?"
"Let's talk frankly."
"How much do you... or rather, how much do you truly understand about my plan?"
"Everything!" Yamamoto Genryusai said in a deep voice.
Aizen laughed: "Everything?"
"That's interesting. It seems the Gotei 13 isn't entirely made up of useless people."
"Since you know so much, Captain-Commander, is it really appropriate for you to appear before me alone?"
"..."
Yamamoto Genryusai frowned slightly; Aizen's composed words made him feel a subtle unease.
Then, he saw Aizen lower his head, check his pocket watch, and quietly say:
"By my calculations, the Hollowfication incident in Seireitei should be occurring now."
"Your biggest mistake was giving me so much preparation time."
"Allowing me the opportunity to plant the seeds of betrayal in the hearts of some Shinigami."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yamamoto Genryusai's expression changed dramatically, and his gaze instinctively darted towards Seireitei.
But soon, he seemed to remember something, and his expression gradually returned to normal.
Seeing this, Aizen slightly raised an eyebrow: "What, Captain-Commander Yamamoto, you don't think I'm joking, do you?"
"Of course not." Yamamoto Genryusai sharply flicked his sword.
A surging spiritual pressure swirled like a gale, blowing away all the debris around him.
His eyes revealed a calmness born of trust.
"Aizen Sōsuke, cease trying to shake my resolve."
"No matter how deep your concealment, no matter how many actions you take."
"Today, you will not escape!"
"Is that so?" Although Aizen didn't understand why Yamamoto Genryusai could regain his composure in an instant, he still showed some respect, given his title as the strongest Shinigami in Soul Society for a thousand years.
"Let's try." Aizen slowly drew his sword, his movements graceful and unhurried.
Facing Yamamoto Genryusai's Ryujin Jakka and the overwhelming spiritual pressure capable of terrifying even Third-Class Shinigami, he also unleashed a powerful surge of spiritual pressure.
Boom!
A fierce wind raged, instantly obliterating the surrounding buildings and leveling the forest for a hundred meters in every direction.
The vast pillar of spiritual pressure nearly shattered the Kido barrier set up by hundreds of Kido Corps members.
For a moment, the ground shook, as if the entire world trembled.
"..."
The tremor made Aizen calmly raise his eyes. Holding Kyōka Suigetsu, he slowly extended his other palm towards Yamamoto Genryusai.
Spiritual pressure surged:
"Hado #90: Kurohitsugi."
...
Seireitei.
Hirako Shinji listened to the words from the surrounding crowd, his mind involuntarily sinking into a prolonged state of confusion.
He looked at the "Hiyori Sarugaki" before him with a hint of annoyance.
Coming back to his senses.
A chill suddenly shot from the bottom of his heart to his spine, making his hair stand on end, as if he were in an ice cellar.
—I've been hypnotized? What a joke!
He himself used an illusion-type Zanpakuto, and while it wasn't the strongest, it was among the best in its class, otherwise he wouldn't have become a Captain.
But now someone was telling him that he, as a Captain, had been hypnotized without realizing it...
Could the opponent's spiritual pressure be far superior to his?
Could there be such a person in the Fifth Division?
Just as he was pondering, a ripple of spiritual pressure was suddenly sensed by Hirako Shinji.
And besides him, everyone else present also felt this spiritual pressure fluctuation.
This was... Tenkei Kura.
Lisa Yadōmaru's slightly anxious voice appeared in everyone's minds:
"Attention all divisions, an emergency incident has occurred within Seireitei."
"In East 37th District and East 42nd District, some Shinigami have engaged in rebellious acts."
"All Shinigami injured by them have, without exception, turned into Hollows. Upon examination, an unknown toxin is present on their Zanpakuto."
"Therefore, do not draw your swords unless absolutely necessary, do not draw your swords."
"Any unauthorized drawing of a sword will be treated as an act of rebellion."
"Please pay attention to your comrades around you. I repeat, this is not a joke. Seireitei has now entered full red alert status."
Whoosh.
The message ended abruptly, and the spiritual pressure fluctuation gradually dispersed.
However, its impact was as turbulent and fierce as a tsunami.
Some Shinigami broke out in cold sweat, their faces instantly losing color, simply because they had heard the word"red."
Seireitei's current highest alert system, once activated, would be a major event that would shake the Three Realms.
Shinigami... turning into Hollows?!
Hirako Shinji didn't have time to ponder the reasons. The moment the Tenkei Kura message ended, his gaze was drawn to Hiyori Sarugaki.
No, not just him; all the surrounding Shinigami uniformly looked at "Hiyori Sarugaki."
The gleaming blade was particularly dazzling, and some Shinigami involuntarily associated that sword with a rebel...
The surrounding air instantly solidified little by little.
"Hiyori Sarugaki" saw this, revealed a mad smile, and then, using all her remaining strength, violently threw the sword towards a nearby Shinigami.
The Shinigami she targeted hadn't had time to react when a sword flashed into his vision.
This sudden change startled the Shinigami.
In that brief instant, he didn't even have time to show an expression of fear, let alone escape or dodge.
The sword was about to strike.
Just then.
Clang.
Tsugikuni Yoriichi's palm, carrying powerful spiritual pressure, descended like a god, violently slamming the sword into the ground, embedding it deeply.
Afterward, he faced the lingering fear in the eyes of the Shinigami behind him, turned, and commanded:
"Don't just stand there. Escort him to the prison."
"Captain Hirako, take the Fifth Division to provide support. Remember not to draw your swords; anyone who draws a sword is an enemy, no matter who they are."
"I'll be there shortly."
...
Facing Tsugikuni Yoriichi's words, Hirako Shinji took a deep look at "Hiyori Sarugaki."
His eyes were filled with complexity: confusion, anger, and a hint of imperceptible disappointment.
Since the hypnosis hadn't been lifted, Hirako Shinji still didn't know who the person in front of him truly was.
However, through the conversations of others, he already understood the general situation.
This fellow dared to deceive him.
He had even pleaded for her sake, considering she was "Hiyori."
He had thought Hiyori had some unspeakable difficulties, but he never expected that it was all fake...
Not to mention that his hesitation almost cost another person their life...
Thinking of this, Hirako Shinji's heart was filled with frustration.
For a moment, his mouth curved down even more severely, as if it could hang a heavy weight.
He turned to look back at the Fifth Division members hurrying over, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
After quickly giving orders, he prepared to leave.
At this moment, perhaps stimulated by something, some Fifth Division members suddenly drew their swords unexpectedly.
The action of drawing their swords was swift and decisive, as if they were possessed by demons.
This sudden turn of events made Hirako Shinji's eyes widen.
His eyes were filled with shock and disbelief.
He had never expected that even his own Fifth Division had been completely infiltrated.
He was about to draw his sword to resolve these troubles, but then...
"Bakudo #4: Hainawa."
A golden rope extended from Tsugikuni Yoriichi's finger towards the front.
The rope, like a nimble golden snake, instantly bound all those who had drawn their swords, fixing them in place.
They struggled fiercely, some yelling in anger, their faces twisted and frantic.
Unfortunately, the vast difference in strength between the two sides rendered their resistance ineffective.
With a series of "clang, clang, clang" sounds, their Zanpakuto fell, hitting the ground with crisp impacts, as if mourning their defeat.
Amidst the sounds, Yoriichi glanced at Hirako Shinji, his eyes full of helplessness.
He had warned him earlier, yet he was still so careless now.
Had the peaceful times made him too relaxed?
Captain... sigh.
Yoriichi sighed softly, the sigh containing many unspeakable emotions.
He looked at the chaotic situation before him, understanding that these divisions could not be relied upon.
If even the Fifth Division had become like this, how much better could the other divisions be?
Gathering his thoughts, Yoriichi waved his finger.
Immediately, the bound Shinigami were thrown aside.
"Imprison them all together. I repeat, any sword-drawer is an enemy, no matter who they are. If you see one, bind them immediately."
"Yes, Captain Tsugikuni."
Facing the awe-filled gazes of some Shinigami, Yoriichi didn't look at Hirako Shinji's complex expression at that moment.
He took his Ninth Division members and quickly rushed to other areas.
...
East District.
"Hey!"
"You're kidding, right!"
Zaraki Kenpachi listened to the voices in his ears, his expression gradually changing from excitement to displeasure.
His eyes, which had been full of anticipation, now looked dull.
He had thought that with such a large number of enemies appearing, he could have a good fight with them.
But he didn't expect that he couldn't draw his sword.
If he couldn't draw his sword, what would he slash?
Kido? He didn't know it.
Fist fighting always felt like something was missing, making him feel extremely frustrated.
"Roar!"
A roar from ahead suddenly jolted Zaraki Kenpachi's thoughts awake.
Before him were three Hollows... to be precise, three Shinigami who had turned into Hollows, all Adjuchas, with considerable spiritual pressure, roughly Fifth-Class.
Facing these three enemies, Zaraki Kenpachi took a deep breath, his right hand resting on his sword hilt, feeling an urge to defy orders.
The hilt in his hand felt like a temptation, a craving for battle.
If it had been before, he would never have obeyed orders, because satisfying his desire for battle was more important than anything else.
But ever since he became a Shinigami, ever since he saw those powerful opponents, he understood that if he wanted to defeat them, he had to remain in the position of a Shinigami.
Defying orders... the enemies would certainly die, but whether he could continue fighting those strong opponents was uncertain.
Just as Zaraki Kenpachi hesitated between choosing one full meal or continuous full meals.
Suddenly.
Yachiru, sitting on his shoulder, said:
"Kenpachi, do what you want to do. Even if you defy orders, you'll only be locked up."
"And facing a strong shinigami like you, the Shinigami who come to arrest you will surely be strong shinigamis of your caliber. At that time, will you still worry about not meeting opponents?"
These words enlightened Zaraki Kenpachi.
That's right.
Why did he think that defying orders would mean he would never encounter opponents or fight again?
That would be the most exciting part, wouldn't it?!
A bunch of strong shinigamis surrounding him, just thinking about it was exciting!
As long as he defeated them, even more formidable opponents would surely appear before him.
The battles would become even more intense, and thus, he would become even stronger!
And so.
Zaraki Kenpachi suddenly drew his sword.
Clang!
The worn blade, though old, still gleamed with a sharp light.
The blade reflected Zaraki Kenpachi's battle-ready appearance.
Boom!
His entire body's spiritual pressure erupted violently, and an endless gale swept everything around him. The gale was like a fierce beast, roaring and raging.
It made the Adjuchas in front of him involuntarily take half a step back.
"Hahaha!"
Seeing this, Zaraki Kenpachi laughed loudly and stomped his right foot forward.
Instantly.
Bang!
The ground cracked with countless fissures, spreading out like a spiderweb.
He slowly walked forward, each step seemingly landing on the beat of a heartbeat.
The erupting golden spiritual pressure made him resemble a war god, majestic and inviolable.
As if sensing the abyssal gap between them, the Adjuchas cowered, not daring to advance.
The Shinigami will remaining deep within their hearts repeatedly told them that the opponent before them was unbeatable and that they needed to escape as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, Zaraki Kenpachi's oppressive force was too strong, turning the surrounding air into a swamp-like substance, making it difficult for them to even move their feet.
Watching Zaraki Kenpachi advance step by step.
The fierce wind raged little by little.
The red glow in their eyes was almost extinguished.
Losing sanity doesn't mean forgetting even basic instincts; even the maddest stray dog will behave after being taught a lesson.
Seeing the Adjuchas show expressions of fear, Zaraki Kenpachi couldn't help but "tch" in disdain.
His lips curled slightly, revealing a look of contempt.
Gripping his sword, he swung it casually.
Rumble!
The wall beside him collapsed and crumbled, as fragile as if made of paper.
A sense of boredom gradually rose within him; opponents without fighting spirit offered no pleasure in slashing.
He prepared to end the fight quickly, then go find other opponents to battle.
Anyway, in his eyes, these Shinigami who had turned into Hollows were beyond saving.
Might as well put them out of their misery.
With these thoughts, Zaraki Kenpachi swung his sword at one of the Adjuchas.
He expected to easily cut it down.
But then, suddenly.
A sword sheath blocked his strike.
Bang!
The sheath appeared ordinary, as if it would shatter upon contact, but in reality, no matter how much force Zaraki Kenpachi applied, he could not advance an inch.
"Hmm!!"
Zaraki Kenpachi's eyes widened as he looked at the newcomer, his voice booming and echoing in all directions: "Tsugikuni, you...!"