"Who's there?!"
Several Shinigami shouted in alarm as Aizen abruptly appeared on the battlefield.
These were professional Gotei 13 fighters—though not officer-level, they were no pushovers.
Yet this stranger had instantly killed one of the rebels with a single strike. What kind of power was this?
"Defensive formation!"
The rebel officer barked the order.
His subordinates quickly disengaged and regrouped.
After a moment's hesitation, the Gotei 13 officer did the same.
He tried to identify the attacker, but a Kidō spell distorted the light around the figure, making it impossible to discern anything beyond a human silhouette.
Aizen glanced at the Gotei 13 Shinigami, then turned toward the rebels.
Tension rippled through the rebel ranks at his movement.
Several Shinigami roared and charged at him, blades raised.
Aizen continued walking forward, unfazed.
Only when they were within a meter did he finally act.
Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, Aizen's figure flickered—in the next instant, he had already appeared behind several people.
Leaning slightly forward, he raised his sword diagonally behind him.
As Aizen slowly straightened his posture, the Shinigami behind him collapsed like puppets with their strings cut, blood spraying from their bodies as they fell.
Witnessing this scene, all the rebels wore expressions as if they had seen a ghost.
The leading seated officer's face twitched twice before he let out a furious roar and leaped high into the air.
Clang!
He drew his Zanpakutō from his waist—
"Apprehend him, Tetsusaya!!"
Midair, the seated officer's Zanpakutō emitted a white light, extending outward on both sides.
When the glow faded, the blade had transformed into a long-handled weapon.
At the "spearhead" was a U-shaped metal frame, resembling a riot control baton used by law enforcement.
Gripping the long fork with both hands, the seated officer bared his teeth in a savage grin.
"I don't know who you are, but my Tetsusaya can suppress anyone in a one-on-one fight, no matter how strong they are!"
"Now, stay down!!"
As he spoke, he forcefully thrust the fork toward Aizen.
Watching this, the rebel Shinigami all wore excited expressions.
"As expected of Fourth Seat Hisayuki Kuya!"
"Tetsusaya is just too strong!"
"Show this guy what you've got!"
Amid the rebels' cheers, Aizen slowly lifted his gaze to the charging seated officer.
Then, with a casual flick of his wrist, he swung his blade upward.
BOOM!!!
The sound of impact echoed.
Hisayuki Kuya, mid-charge, was violently flung backward.
Still gripping the long fork, he tumbled through the air like a kite with its string severed before crashing to the ground with a thud. After twitching a few times, he fell silent.
The rebels: "..."
The Gotei 13 members: "..."
Staring at Hisayuki Kuya lying motionless on the ground, the rebels, after a brief moment of confusion, all made the same decision.
Dozens of them turned to flee.
But before they could take a single step, an eerie glow suddenly radiated from Aizen's body.
At this bizarre sight, all the Shinigami froze, instinctively turning their attention toward him.
Under their collective gaze, Aizen seemed to let out a soft chuckle.
Then, he slowly raised his sword, reversing his grip so the tip pointed downward—assuming a stance eerily reminiscent of Senbonzakura's Bankai activation.
"Holy shit?!"
Seeing this, Satoru suddenly gasped as if realizing something.
Without hesitation, he tightly shut his eyes, spun around, and threw himself face-first onto the ground, burying his head in his arms—desperate to avoid seeing something he shouldn't.
As he completed this series of movements, Aizen spoke softly.
"Shatter, Kyōka Suigetsu."
A sound like shattering glass seemed to echo through the air.
Then, everything returned to silence, as if nothing had happened.
The rebel soldiers stared at Aizen in shock before turning to look at their comrades beside them.
What they saw nearly scared them to death.
To their horror, the comrades beside them had somehow transformed into the enemies they were fighting!
Without hesitation, they instinctively drew their Zanpakutō and slashed at those around them.
In an instant, the battlefield was once again filled with the sounds of battle cries.
Aizen walked calmly through the chaos, occasionally swinging his sword with effortless grace to finish off struggling opponents.
In less than two minutes, every last rebel soldier lay defeated on the ground.
The Shinigami from the Gotei 13, witnessing this unbelievable scene, felt their legs go weak with fear.
The leading officer widened his eyes, staring nervously at Aizen, whose figure was now shrouded in an eerie glow, making his features indistinct. He feared Aizen might do the same to them.
Aizen, in turn, observed them.
By his reasoning, to eliminate any risks, he should kill these Shinigami as well.
But… just moments ago, he thought he had heard Satoru's voice—though it might have been his imagination.
Though his spiritual pressure search revealed no clear signs of anyone nearby, after a brief contemplation, he decided against killing them.
These Shinigami hadn't seen his true appearance, nor would they even comprehend the ability he had used.
Killing them recklessly would only draw unnecessary attention from the Seireitei and complicate his future research.
Yes, that was the only reason. A perfectly rational decision, one that didn't contradict his usual principles.
With a flick of his wrist, Aizen shook the blood off Kyōka Suigetsu and sheathed it.
After surveying the area, he vanished in an instant.
It was only long after Aizen had left that Satoru finally opened his eyes.
Through his tracking Kidō, he saw that Aizen had gone to a desolate mountain in the 60th district of Rukongai.
Under normal circumstances, he would have followed without hesitation.
But today, he had absolutely no desire to pursue him.
That bastard Aizen had quietly mastered his Zanpakutō's Shikai.
He's way too hardworking—I could cry.
Satoru resolved that until he found a way to counter Kyōka Suigetsu, he would never recklessly tail Aizen again.
Standing up, he dusted off the dirt from lying on the ground and instantly shed his earlier disheveled state, regaining his usual suave demeanor.
On his way back to the dormitory, a sudden realization struck him.
Damn it, he had been hoping the system would synchronize Kyōka Suigetsu's ability to him when Aizen awakened his Shikai.
But in the end, it had failed.
Useless system!
----------
For advance chapters join my Patreon.
[email protected]/Aarvan