"That is…"
Aozaki frowned, watching the gray-brown mist continuously spreading around him, and a sense of vigilance rose in his heart.
He reached out and gently stroked his chin, muttering in a low voice:
"What is this thing?"
Unohana, standing beside him, had a solemn expression, staring intently at the increasingly thick gray-brown mist, and said in a deep voice:
"This is the Gagaku Kairō… This is that man, Kuruyashiki's Bankai!"
Aozaki, of course, knew what the Gagaku Kairō meant.
He was not only a Kenpachi but also the Eleventh Division Captain.
He had heard the story of the Seventh Kenpachi more than once from the Squad members.
The Gagaku Kairō was a power capable of making any normal person feel fear and despair.
Kuruyashiki's Bankai could summon a gigantic maw on the ground, equivalent in size to several Karakura Towns.
This massive mouth was like a fierce, unparalleled beast; as soon as it opened its gaping maw, it would devour everything.
Whether it was living or non-living, whether it was an enemy or an ally.
Anything within its range would be mercilessly swallowed, torn, and crushed.
Even more terrifying, this Bankai possessed immense, uncontrollable destructive power, which even Kuruyashiki himself could not fully command.
Once released, it would create a situation where friend and foe were indistinguishable, bringing unpredictable consequences to the entire battle.
Therefore, Central 46 had strictly forbidden Kuruyashiki from using Bankai within the Seireitei, no matter the circumstances.
And Kuruyashiki had always strictly adhered to this command.
Even when he was defeated in the challenge against Azashiro Sōya for the title of Zaraki, and even when he unfortunately died in a life-or-death duel with a powerful enemy.
He had never once used this forbidden Bankai power.
However, at this moment, he was in Hell, completely under the control of Hell's Will, and utterly unable to control his own power.
On the ground, after hearing Unohana's explanation, the First Generation Captains who remained in place all showed solemn expressions.
A radius of several spiritual miles, compared to the Seireitei, which had a diameter exceeding six hundred spiritual miles, might not seem very wide.
But… it was already enough to cover the entire battlefield!
They, the old man, had already passed away, so it wouldn't be a big deal if they died again.
However, if the Gotei 13 members on the battlefield were all annihilated by this move.
According to the rules, any soul killed by Hell's Will would fall into Hell without needing Zanpakuto purification or a Soul Burial Ritual.
And Kuruyashiki, just now, was clad in skull armor, clearly imbued with the power of Hell.
If all Shinigami present were to enter Hell, then the Three Worlds would have no future.
"Is there a way to stop it? If we old man act together, we should be able to destroy this monster, right!"
Shihoin Chika, who had returned at some unknown point, had his golden armor almost completely shattered, but his body had already recovered to its original state.
Upon hearing this, Unohana shook her head, a hint of helplessness flashing in her eyes as she said:
"It's useless, that thing has no physical form."
"Although the Gagaku Kairō is a biological Zanpakuto, its Bankai power is almost like a rule."
Unohana continued to explain, "Once it starts, it cannot be stopped by conventional means until the consumption is complete."
Her words revealed a deep sense of powerlessness, making one feel despair.
"All we can do now is find a way to escape this area."
Unohana's tone became serious; she knew time was short and they had to act quickly.
With that, she released her Reiatsu sensing, carefully feeling the surrounding aura and energy fluctuations, trying to locate others.
With her speed, she might still be able to save some people from this dangerous place.
Yamamoto stared blankly at everything around him.
In an instant, he seemed to have aged several hundred years, the wrinkles on his face deepened, like an ordinary old man nearing the end of his life.
Just then, Aozaki walked up to him and gently patted his shoulder.
"Old man, don't give up. You old man, you don't seem like someone who would easily give up."
Hearing this, Yamamoto looked up, a glimmer of light flashing in his eyes.
He couldn't help but ask:
"You still have a way!?"
Although he knew the current situation was extremely critical, he still held a glimmer of hope.
This young disciple had not disappointed him, successfully closing the Hell Gate in a way he didn't know.
Perhaps, he still had other ways to resolve this serious crisis!
At this moment, Yamamoto knew he was powerless.
So he placed all his hope on this young apprentice who always seemed to be able to create miracles.
Under Yamamoto's gaze, Aozaki's eyes gradually underwent a strange change, with two additional pupils appearing in each eye socket.
"Old man, a teacher shouldn't look at his student with such an expression, be tougher with me."
Aozaki had a gentle smile on his face, and his body inexplicably rose into the air, defying the common sense of Soul Society.
As if a sacred being had descended upon the world, Aozaki looked down at the earth, and all beings on the ground looked up at him with reverence.
He smiled as he watched the crowd, slowly grasping a Zanpakuto that had appeared at some unknown moment.
"Forbidden!"
With a soft shout, a dazzling light suddenly erupted from Aozaki.
In the blink of an eye, this light rapidly spread, instantly covering the entire sky.
The sky, originally shrouded by the spiritual energy released from the Hell Gate, immediately became as bright as day.
On the ground, the colossal abyss mouth, like a terrifying giant beast, slowly closed.
Its gaping maw seemed to swallow the entire world.
In the sky, endless light poured down like a waterfall, illuminating the entire battlefield.
These lights carried immense power and majesty, making everyone feel an irresistible pressure.
The gray-brown giant beast, under the illumination of the light, began to stiffen, and its movements gradually ceased.
Yamamoto felt the power of this light.
He was surprised to find that when the white light shone on him, the spiritual power circulation within his body actually stagnated.
He secretly wondered in his heart:
"What's going on? How am I also affected by this light? Does this kid want to take advantage of this opportunity to attack me?"
Yamamoto thought without reason.
However, he didn't seem to realize that his tightly strung nerves were now gradually relaxing because of this light.
While he was pondering, the light on Aozaki gradually receded.
And as the light on him dissipated, the continuously expanding maw also began to gradually collapse.
Yamamoto's eyes widened, looking at the scene before him in disbelief.
He simply couldn't believe that this young man could stop this disaster by himself.
He couldn't help but open his mouth, too shocked to speak.
At the same time, within the Seireitei, countless Shinigami looked at the scene before them in astonishment.
Just seconds ago, that slowly closing maw had almost swallowed them all.
In panic, they ran desperately, trying to escape the maw's range of consumption.
That bone-deep coldness and fear would probably become the most unforgettable memory of their lives.
But, just when they felt there was no hope of escape.
That divine light, descending from the sky like a miracle, like a huge and powerful hand, forcibly pulled them back from the Hell Gate.
The Shinigami stood amidst the ruins, looking up, their gaze fixed on the sky.