The First Generation Captains of the First Generation Gotei 13 shook their heads with disdain.
If they weren't controlled by Hell's Will, they wouldn't fight alongside these useless wastes.
Neither side was on the same level, whether in terms of strength or will and belief.
Even though they wore the same armor, there was still a world of difference in their essence.
Thinking of this, the First Generation Captains casually glanced at the young man in the middle.
This was the strongest Shinigami of the current generation, recognized by Yamamoto.
Seeing that he remained calm and composed even when surrounded by everyone, they couldn't help but nod in relief.
As a Captain, Aozaki bore such a title.
Even if he couldn't perceive Reiatsu, the aura he displayed, regardless of his actual strength, at least didn't disgrace the Gotei 13.
"Don't worry, you're still useful."
Aozaki dropped a sentence, raised a hand, and gripped a long sword.
Only Baraggan was left, looking astonished; he originally didn't understand the meaning of that sentence.
If he were alive, perhaps he could understand.
But now that he had become a Hell Warden, everything belonged to Hell, so what could the other party do to him?
Was he going to kill him, like he did Szayelaporro?
However, for Baraggan, such a release seemed like a good option too.
The night wind whistled past Aozaki's ears; at this moment, Aozaki didn't have time to adapt to the new realm's fighting style, and instead, using old methods was more effective.
Whoosh!
A Sword Pressure shot out from the long sword, flying past Baraggan's body and continuing backward.
It looked like it had missed.
Just as Baraggan raised his axe, preparing to counterattack, the Sword Pressure suddenly paused for a moment in mid-air, as if it had hit something.
Baraggan turned his head, feeling a pulling force from all parts of his body.
Dark chains suddenly emerged from his body, extending straight into the sky, connected to the Hell Gate high above.
However, at that very instant, the chains broke!
Immediately after, the Sword Pressure didn't stop for a moment, sweeping across the sky like an aurora, tearing through the air, and instantly disappearing into the horizon.
Aozaki's right hand remained steadily on Baraggan's shoulder, while his left hand had already plunged deep into the dark purple robe.
His hand seemed to be holding something important, causing Baraggan to completely freeze.
"Chh!"
A slight sound came, followed by a cold voice:
"You're dead."
The indifferent words entered his ears, and the next moment, all consciousness was swallowed by endless darkness.
Aozaki effortlessly pulled Baraggan's Soul from his body, the entire process as easy as eating and drinking.
Subsequently, Baraggan's body began to collapse, instantly transforming into countless Reishi.
These Reishi hovered around for a moment before drifting towards the Hell Gate.
Under the dim moonlight, the leader of the Wardens, who had been pointing fingers and full of vigor, thus disappeared without a trace in plain sight.
Dozens of Wardens didn't even have time to react, many still maintaining their charging posture to provide support.
But at this moment, their movements were as if they had been cast with a freezing spell, all of them stuck in place.
This...
Their thoughts solidified, their brains stiffened, as if time itself had stopped flowing at this moment.
Faced with the sudden change, they were at a loss, completely unsure of how to proceed.
Just then, the strongest Shinigami unhesitatingly threw the red jade bead in his hand backward, with a smooth and natural motion.
And the blonde woman standing behind him caught the jade bead steadily, with a graceful and precise posture.
"Rest assured, even if you beg on your knees, I will never let you go."
Aozaki's lips curved slightly upward, with a hint of contempt, speaking lines usually reserved for villains.
The situation instantly reversed; the Shinigami of the Gotei 13, who were originally at a disadvantage, now became aggressive, forming a tight counter-encirclement against the Hell side.
"The Hell Gate hasn't fully closed yet, we still have a chance to escape!"
Suddenly, a Hell Togabito shouted loudly, his voice filled with despair and fear.
He turned to flee, attempting to grasp the last sliver of hope.
These Hell Togabito had fought for an entire night, paying a huge price.
They had died countless times, only to be reborn again and again, just to defeat Yamamoto.
Now, all their efforts were in vain, their hope shattered, and their hearts were filled with endless frustration.
With the death of their leader and the retreat of the Hell side, those previously taut nerves finally snapped at this moment.
The mocking voices from the Shinigami were like sharp swords, piercing their hearts and gradually bringing their brains back to function.
"Run! Get out of here!"
Finally, someone came to their senses, screaming to remind their companions.
This hastily assembled team instantly fell into chaos, everyone frantically using Shunpo or Sonído, rushing desperately towards the Hell Gate.
And the Shinigami of the Gotei 13 didn't just stand by and watch; the sound of blades cutting through the air followed.
Swords precisely entered bodies, cutting down Hell monsters one by one as if practicing on wooden stakes.
Aozaki turned his head, seeing that the Hell Gate was only left with a sliver of an opening, and it was slowly closing.
However, just then, a figure walked out from the other side of the gate.
No!
Yamamoto, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, immediately felt his heart sink.
The moment he saw that man, he immediately felt a great sense of unease.
"Brat, kill him quickly!"
While shouting this, Yamamoto swayed to his feet, drawing Ryujin Jakka as if intending to release his Bankai.
"Bankai..."
As soon as he shouted, his Reiatsu momentarily surged like a final burst of light, then quickly faded.
Aozaki originally wanted to comfort the old man, to tell him—
Your disciple, I, have become accomplished today, capable of cutting down any foe.
But seeing the old man's distraught expression, Aozaki turned his head, raised his sword, and swung it, another Sword Pressure shooting out.
In the blink of an eye, the figure who had just walked out of the gate was cut in half, but the Sword Pressure continued to impact the Hell Gate without stopping.
The gate, like a giant shield, immediately emitted a heavy collision sound.
During the collision, the Hell Gate trembled violently, and then... it disappeared!
"Who was that guy? To make the old man show such an expression!?"
Aozaki frowned, looking ahead with a grave expression.
"Kenpachi Kuruyashiki."
A figure appeared using Shunpo, it was Unohana.
After shaking off Katori Batsu'unsai's entanglement, she rushed here immediately.
She quietly gazed at the dark night sky, her eyes revealing a hint of solemnity and seriousness, and her brows couldn't help but furrow:
"There's no time, Reiji, we must leave here immediately."
Following Unohana's gaze, Aozaki looked up at the sky again.
The sky of the Seireitei seemed to be obscured by a mysterious and powerful force.
If one were to look down from the heights of the Soul King Palace, perhaps one would see a gigantic upper and lower jaw, with a radius of several spiritual miles, appearing on the land of the Seireitei.
It was like a prehistoric behemoth, opening its abyssal maw, ready to swallow and crush everything.
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