Underground conference hall. Central 46.
Tōshirō Hitsugaya stared at Aizen before him, face dark with rage.
"Aizen—you dare do this!" Hitsugaya snarled through clenched teeth.
He'd been investigating Aizen's death and found too many inconsistencies.
When he burst in here regardless of consequences, he discovered all Central 46 members had been slaughtered at some point.
Aizen had told him everything—all of it his conspiracy.
Everything they'd seen was Kyōka Suigetsu's illusion—including Aizen's death.
What enraged him most: behind Aizen, Momo Hinamori lay in a pool of blood, life or death unknown.
"Aizen—you hurt Momo! I'll kill you!"
Hitsugaya roared. Extreme cold erupted from his Zanpakutō as ice spread in all directions.
"Bankai—Daiguren Hyōrinmaru!"
Boom!
The conference hall shook. Aizen's figure flashed, putting distance between them instantly.
"Don't bluster. You're no match for me," Aizen said calmly.
Hitsugaya roared again, consumed by fury. He charged before Aizen, driving his Zanpakutō toward Aizen's chest.
Ice spread rapidly, freezing Aizen completely in moments.
But to Hitsugaya's shock, Aizen's figure inside the ice vanished.
Boom!
A battle erupted—and ended in the next second.
The gap between Hitsugaya and Aizen was simply too vast. Unable to see through Kyōka Suigetsu, the outcome was decided from the start.
One strike from Aizen. Blood sprayed. Hitsugaya collapsed, unconscious.
"Wrong season—but ice is nice to look at," Aizen laughed, head tilted back.
Retsu Unohana arrived. She'd been heading to reinforce the execution ground but noticed something wrong and followed the trail here.
When she arrived and saw the scene, she understood most of it.
Aizen glanced at her but didn't attack. Instead, like an old friend, he explained everything he'd orchestrated.
What shocked Unohana: Central 46 had been killed by Aizen right after the Seiryū Gate battle.
Rukia's disappearance and Lin Xuan's appearance made Aizen feel events slipping from his control.
So he killed Central 46, used Kyōka Suigetsu to issue false orders, sentenced Rukia to death, planned to intervene at the critical moment and take the Hōgyoku from her body.
"You've had the longest contact with me for examination—you should always be under hypnosis. But you noticed the discrepancy anyway. Beyond my expectations," Aizen said.
"I tell you all this because everything is complete. You have no power to stop me."
From start to finish, confidence never left his face—as if everything were in his hands.
"Next—time to meet those who came from unknown lands."
His figure vanished.
Unohana quickly checked Hitsugaya's injuries. He wasn't dead. She breathed easier.
Then she told her lieutenant Isane Kotetsu, "Search for all captains and lieutenants. Tell them everything about Aizen. Tell the Ryōka too."
"Understood."
Isane began casting Kidō, transmitting to all lieutenant-level and above Shinigami in the Seireitei.
On the battlefield—
After Yamamoto released Bankai, both speed and attack power increased dramatically.
His upper garments were removed, revealing powerful muscles—each one seemingly packed with explosive force.
Every attack he made annihilated everything in its path.
The earth was already devastated. The scene was spectacular and terrifying.
Everyone watching from afar stared, mouths agape, unable to look away.
Too frightening!
Was this the Captain-Commander's true power?
Every gesture felt capable of destroying the entire Seireitei.
Even at great distance, hearts pounded with fear.
What surprised them more—the man fighting the Captain-Commander was impossibly strong too.
Facing Bankai Yamamoto's assault, he remained composed. The fight continued with neither side gaining the upper hand.
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T/N:
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