The night burned crimson.
Against Aizen Sōsuke—someone who already knew you inside and out—any flashy tricks were meaningless. Only the five red flame dragons rising around them were the true path.
Hadō no Kyūjūkyū: Goryū Tenkōmetsu (Way of Destruction #99: Five Dragons' Destruction)!
That was Higashino Shuuichi's opening move.
"This is the Higashino Shuuichi I remember. Back then, you loved starting with this one~"
Aizen stepped back a few paces, letting the five flame dragons weave together in midair into a giant dragon that looked utterly unstoppable. Then he calmly extended a single finger. Jet-black Reiatsu (spiritual pressure) gathered at his fingertip—so concentrated that space itself seemed to collapse into that one point.
"But it doesn't work on me."
Six simple words, followed by a simple annihilation.
No dazzling transformation—just compressing Reiatsu (spiritual pressure) and releasing it. A basic operation any Shinigami could learn with a little practice, yet in Aizen's hands it detonated with terrifying power.
At the very least, that fully-incanted Hadō no Kyūjūkyū (Way of Destruction #99) that Higashino Shuuichi had unleashed… was erased into ash with a single finger flick.
Kisaragi Shūsuke felt like he couldn't breathe. This Fifth Division taichō was terrifyingly strong.
That one casual flick—made Kisaragi Shūsuke see the shadow of the Sōtaichō in Aizen.
In his shallow understanding, Shuuichi-sama, as he was now, should only be beatable in Soul Society by the Sōtaichō.
But maybe now there was one more Shinigami who could do it: Aizen Sōsuke.
And Higashino Shuuichi, of course, wasn't ignorant of how Kidō (Demon Arts) worked. Bakudō (Way of Binding) might still have some use, but Hadō (Way of Destruction)? Most of the time it was only good for clearing mobs—against an enemy on your level, it might as well be useless.
The real reason he opened with that move was simple: Higashino Shuuichi wasn't sure whether Aizen would use Kyōka Suigetsu (Mirror Flower, Water Moon) in this fight.
He hadn't discussed it in advance. Even if he had, the answer would probably have been: Go all out.
Because with Aizen's pride and arrogance, he would never tolerate Higashino Shuuichi deliberately holding back. That would be seen as provocation.
So Higashino Shuuichi acted under the assumption that he was already inside Kyōka Suigetsu (Mirror Flower, Water Moon).
As a longtime subordinate who'd followed Aizen for years—plus memories from his previous life—Higashino Shuuichi knew exactly how absurd Kyōka Suigetsu (Mirror Flower, Water Moon) was. Unless you had a hard counter—
Like the former Eleventh Division taichō, Azashiro Kenpachi, who was still locked in Muken;
Or like Ichimaru Gin, who had touched Aizen's blade before being put under the hypnosis;
Or the kind of monstrous battle instinct Unohana Retsu possessed—
Higashino Shuuichi didn't have a clean answer to Kyōka Suigetsu (Mirror Flower, Water Moon).
But he did know one "small" flaw—one that usually wasn't a big deal.
Kyōka Suigetsu (Mirror Flower, Water Moon) couldn't create something from nothing.
In other words: all five-sense deception had to be anchored to a real object. Without a real object, Kyōka Suigetsu (Mirror Flower, Water Moon) couldn't "hold."
That was the fundamental reason Aizen always needed someone like Tōsen Kaname or Ichimaru Gin whenever he wanted to act alone.
The living must correspond to living things; the dead must correspond to dead things. A rule—and a restriction.
That was why, the moment Higashino Shuuichi realized the taichō assigned to guard him was Aizen, he found an excuse to "stretch his body" and knocked out every prisoner in the Maggot's Nest: so they couldn't be used as anchors for Kyōka Suigetsu (Mirror Flower, Water Moon).
And the reason he used Goryū Tenkōmetsu (Five Dragons' Destruction) was to carve the battlefield apart with a wide-area attack.
For obvious reasons, on this battlefield outside the Maggot's Nest…
The number of people who could actually move was only three.
So Higashino Shuuichi's real aim was painfully clear.
"Advance, Heisha! Enheisha: Tōgen (Peach Blossom Spring)!"
A massive reishi barrier formed around Kisaragi Shūsuke. A different dimension was peeled away from Soul Society itself—and Kisaragi Shūsuke, along with the surrounding area, vanished from within Soul Society.
All that remained was a hollow black void.
From inside the sealed Tōgen (Peach Blossom Spring), Kisaragi Shūsuke could see everything outside. But the outside world could not affect anything within Tōgen (Peach Blossom Spring).
Only if Higashino Shuuichi was killed—or if he willingly released his Zanpakutō's Shikai (Initial Release)—would that space return to Soul Society.
"I see. From the moment you realized it was me, you were planning this moment, weren't you… Shuuichi?"
If Aizen couldn't understand Higashino Shuuichi's true intention after seeing the unconscious prisoners behind him and that deliberate maneuver… then he wouldn't be Aizen.
No one understood Kyōka Suigetsu (Mirror Flower, Water Moon)'s weakness better than he did.
Higashino Shuuichi didn't answer.
He answered with his blade.
One step forward—then a downward slash.
Nadegiri.
This slash, created by Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni—one that, over a thousand years, only Higashino Shuuichi had fully mastered, refined, and elevated—was unquestionably Higashino Shuuichi's favorite, and the technique he wielded with the greatest proficiency.
In an instant, heaven and earth changed color.
To avoid the rescue being discovered too early, Kisaragi Shūsuke had specifically found Yushima Ōko and obtained a number of Reiatsu-concealment barrier devices—items considered restricted in Soul Society—and set them up around the Maggot's Nest in advance.
But because Higashino Shuuichi truly didn't hold back against Aizen Sōsuke, the terrifying Reiatsu (spiritual pressure) riding that Nadegiri still tore a tiny slit in the barrier.
Seireitei—on a quiet side street—
Kyōraku Shunsui, the Eighth Division taichō, wearing a kasa hat, a loud floral robe, and a captain's haori over it all, suddenly stopped walking.
"What is it, taichō?"
Behind him, nearly bumping into his back, was the Eighth Division captain's assistant—in practice, the true Eighth Division fukutaichō—Ise Nanao.
"It's nothing. I was just thinking… all because one of our Gotei 13 members talked back to a Tsunayashiro and accidentally injured that noble… does Tsunayashiro Kamihara really need to summon so many taichō in the middle of the night to demand answers?"
Kyōraku Shunsui lifted his head, as if gazing at the shy moon peeking out a little—yet his peripheral vision slid toward another direction.
"Probably wants to avenge the former Grand Blade-Hunting Chief," Ise Nanao replied seriously, pushing up her glasses with one hand while hugging the stack of documents to her chest. "No matter what, Higashino-taichō was… his man."
"True. That does sound like their style~"
Kyōraku Shunsui chuckled softly, seeming convinced.
Then he continued toward the Tsunayashiro estate with Ise Nanao, as if nothing had happened.
Outside the Second Division's Maggot's Nest—
Aizen's hair was disheveled. The Maggot's Nest defense barrier had been damaged. If the prisoners inside could see it, under normal circumstances they'd be overjoyed.
But right now…
They probably only wished they were at the very bottom of the nest—rather than inside it.
"I almost forgot… after you devoured Baraggan's Hollow core and fully absorbed it, your Reiatsu (spiritual pressure) has reached the peak of what a Shinigami can have. Your overall strength hasn't had time to catch up yet, but purely in Reiatsu… calling it fifty-fifty between you and the current Sōtaichō wouldn't be an exaggeration~"
Aizen smiled. The words sounded like praise, yet there wasn't a shred of fear in his voice.
Then Aizen vanished.
Shunpō (Flash Step)?
No—Higashino Shuuichi knew immediately. That wasn't Shunpō (Flash Step). Shunpō (Flash Step) still relied on Reiatsu (spiritual pressure) and reishi assistance. What Aizen had just done was driven purely by physical function.
For Aizen, Shunpō (Flash Step) and a raw burst of speed were basically the same thing. Higashino Shuuichi even suspected the only person who could keep up with Aizen at that pace was Shihōin Yoruichi—who had refined Shunpō (Flash Step) to a divine art and earned the title "Shunshin (Flash Goddess)."
At least, Higashino Shuuichi himself couldn't see Aizen's movement.
Aizen's diagnosis was razor-sharp: after his Reiatsu (spiritual pressure) skyrocketed, what Higashino Shuuichi lacked was time to consolidate and elevate his actual fighting ability.
As Grand Blade-Hunting Chief, it looked like he'd spent many years in Soul Society… but in truth, compared to the days when he'd been a fukutaichō, his actual training time had dropped drastically.
That was one reason Higashino Shuuichi desperately wanted a chance to cut loose from Soul Society's mess, run to Squad Zero in the Royal Palace, and temper himself.
But that was later.
Right now—
The moment Aizen disappeared, Higashino Shuuichi rapidly cast multiple layers of Bakudō no Hachijūichi: Dankū (Way of Binding #81: Severing Void), sealing his surroundings in a defense with no blind spots.
And to Aizen, that defense could be described in two words:
As good as none.
One clean cut at the waist—was Aizen's most direct counter.
"You did effectively stop me from using Kyōka Suigetsu (Mirror Flower, Water Moon) on you. But Shuuichi… don't forget, Shikai (Initial Release) and Bankai (Final Release) can't be active at the same time. If you want to protect that Shinigami named Kisaragi Shūsuke, then you can't release your Shikai (Initial Release). You can't even use Kyoka (Hollowfication)."
Aizen spoke cheerfully as he carved Higashino Shuuichi apart with his Zanpakutō.
In those few seconds, the Higashino Shuuichi who had suddenly lost his lower body truly couldn't mount a meaningful counterattack. He only managed to activate Bakudō no Kyūjūkyū: Kin (Way of Binding #99: Seal) after he'd been reduced to half a stump—using the self-sealing restraint to protect himself and buy a precious moment for his body to regenerate.
Honestly, if Higashino Shuuichi ever got the chance to return to his previous life, he would absolutely storm every online thread praising Aizen for "treating subordinates well," for "spareing Hinamori Momo and Tier on purpose," and he'd tear it all to pieces.
Look at this.
Look at him, Higashino Shuuichi!
Aizen was chopping him like he meant to kill him!
Of course, it might be because Aizen knew Higashino Shuuichi had fragments of the Reiō's nail and could regenerate endlessly.
But that cruel, inhuman moment still made Higashino Shuuichi recall another moonlit night—back when he'd just obtained those fragments—when Unohana Retsu, wearing a kimono, long hair down, looking gentle enough to soothe a child… had nearly carved him to death despite his "endless regeneration."
That night taught Higashino Shuuichi something:
Infinity wasn't truly infinity.
It just looked infinite because the number was absurdly large.
For certain people, it simply meant… they had to keep cutting a little longer.
Inside Tōgen (Peach Blossom Spring), Kisaragi Shūsuke no longer knew how to describe what he felt. It had been so long since he'd seen Shuuichi-sama in such a miserable state.
The last time might have been in Osaka Prefecture in the Human World, when Shuuichi-sama had fought multiple Furuburingā (Fullbringers) alone—enemies with strange powers that ignored the usual Reiatsu rules entirely.
And even then, if that "young Yamamoto" hadn't assisted from the side, Shuuichi-sama still wouldn't have been caught off guard by the Furuburingā named Akimi.
But this time, the Fifth Division taichō, Aizen Sōsuke, was truly crushing Shuuichi-sama with raw power.
That unbelievable speed. Those slashes so fast they were impossible to defend. That godlike finger flick. That bottomless Reiatsu (spiritual pressure).
Any one of those traits, on its own, would have made a powerful taichō.
Yet all of them were concentrated in one person.
Worse still—Kisaragi Shūsuke still hadn't seen Aizen release his Zanpakutō even once.
From their conversation, Kisaragi Shūsuke could infer that Aizen's Zanpakutō was likely named Kyōka Suigetsu (Mirror Flower, Water Moon)—a power so dangerous even Shuuichi-sama feared it, to the point that he would rather abandon his own Bankai (Final Release) and Kyoka (Hollowfication) than ever allow Aizen to use it.
A Shinigami who looked almost omnipotent—like every stat was maxed—was he really "just" a taichō?
In that moment, Kisaragi Shūsuke remembered something from years ago: Hirako Shinji and the others—former taichō and fukutaichō—had accused Aizen, claiming he was the true culprit behind their Hollowfication.
Because the Shinigami who framed Shuuichi-sama were Ichimaru Gin and Tōsen Kaname, Kisaragi Shūsuke had always ignored Hirako Shinji's testimony.
Now, thinking back… maybe Hirako Shinji hadn't been wrong at all.
Maybe Aizen really did have that kind of power back then.
But a Shinigami this abnormal…
Could Shuuichi-sama really—
Kisaragi Shūsuke knew he shouldn't think it, but with his understanding, he simply couldn't see Shuuichi-sama's path to victory.
Unless Shuuichi-sama stopped caring about Kisaragi Shūsuke's safety—abandoned protecting him entirely—fully releasing his Zanpakutō and using Kyoka (Hollowfication).
But Kisaragi Shūsuke knew that would never happen.
Shuuichi-sama would never do that.
So… should he kill himself, so he wouldn't be Shuuichi-sama's burden?
A horrifying thought spread through Kisaragi Shūsuke's mind like a virus, multiplying out of control.
The moment he saw even a hint that Shuuichi-sama was about to lose, Kisaragi Shūsuke would end his own life without hesitation.
Thankfully, Higashino Shuuichi didn't give him that chance.
In Kisaragi Shūsuke's vision, Aizen didn't intend to give the "turtle" Higashino Shuuichi even a breath of room.
That stupid mistake—playing with your opponent, mocking your opponent, then getting killed for it—didn't exist for the not-yet-bloated Aizen.
He could point at Higashino Shuuichi and ridicule him all he wanted—but he wouldn't stop moving his blade.
In Aizen's hand, Kyōka Suigetsu (Mirror Flower, Water Moon) in its unreleased form pierced into the heavily bandaged Bakudō no Kyūjūkyū: Kin (Way of Binding #99: Seal).
Blood sprayed from within.
"A turtle, to me, is not—"
Aizen smiled lightly as he continued his speech.
But this time, he didn't finish.
Not because someone interrupted him.
Because he stopped—abruptly.
It was strange. It was eerie.
Kisaragi Shūsuke, inside Tōgen (Peach Blossom Spring), couldn't understand it.
But the impaled Higashino Shuuichi seemed to have been waiting for that moment. He instantly released his restraints and swung Bungetsu-giri (Moon-Splitting Slash)—aiming to sever Aizen's head from his body.
Only then did Aizen regain movement. He dodged by the thinnest margin, leaving nothing but a shallow line of blood across his neck.
"How did you do that?"
Aizen pressed a hand to the bloodline on his throat, feeling the new roughness. He was asking Higashino Shuuichi… but really he was asking himself. Because Aizen knew Higashino Shuuichi wouldn't answer.
Yet unexpectedly, Higashino Shuuichi did answer—though it was the kind of answer that felt like an answer, while saying nothing at all.
"The charm of technology~"
If you understood, you understood.
If you didn't, you never would.
Clearly, Aizen was the latter.
Because what Higashino Shuuichi had used was called a Reishi fixation device—Kurotsuchi Mayuri's exclusive invention. Its effect was simple: it forced the movement of reishi that touched the device to stop for a set period of time.
It didn't care about the victim's Reiatsu (spiritual pressure). It didn't care about strength.
Because it targeted reishi itself.
The simplest path—was the most unbeatable.
Aizen didn't know about it largely because, after witnessing how the Tsunayashiro clan had taken past product research from the Twelfth Division archives and the Research and Development Institute, Kurotsuchi Mayuri had hidden all his "little inventions."
So to this day, besides Higashino Shuuichi—who had Yushima Ōko as an inside man—there simply wasn't another Shinigami in Soul Society who both knew about and could obtain Mayuri's "toys."
Even Tokinada Tsunayashiro might not know—unless he spent every day staring at Twelfth Division and R&D records in the Great Spirit Book Corridor.
And with Mayuri's "low-profile" nature, that was never happening.
"Hmph. Smoke and mirrors."
Aizen didn't understand, but he still refused to lower his arrogant head.
His words were haughty—yet in practice, he abandoned further direct attacks on Higashino Shuuichi's body.
At the very least, by simple variable control: before Higashino Shuuichi used Bakudō no Kyūjūkyū: Kin (Way of Binding #99: Seal), Aizen could cut him all day and nothing happened. After the seal went up, the moment Aizen cut him… something went wrong.
So until the "Kin (Seal)" bandages on Higashino Shuuichi fully disappeared, Aizen absolutely would not let his Zanpakutō touch Higashino Shuuichi's body again.
Hadō (Way of Destruction) bombardment?
Aizen could do that too.
Because he was "all-around," wasn't he?
However, not long after Aizen began blasting Higashino Shuuichi with Kidō (Demon Arts), he realized something was wrong—no, he didn't even need to realize it, because his body had already seized up, paralyzed and unable to move.
"What is this now?"
Now Aizen truly couldn't understand. This time he wasn't making contact—he'd switched to long-range Kidō (Demon Arts)—so how could it still go wrong?
And this paralysis lasted far longer than he'd expected—long enough for Higashino Shuuichi to stroll forward, step by step, and slowly drive his Zanpakutō into Aizen's body.
Aizen struggled.
He couldn't break free.
This paralysis…
Aizen didn't want to admit it, and he didn't want to "cheat," but the half Hōgyoku (Wish-Granting Orb) he carried made the choice for him.
An eerie Reiatsu (spiritual pressure) flowed out from within the Hōgyoku, like a spring breeze brushing over his body. Just as Higashino Shuuichi prepared to finish him, the paralysis—something that should have lasted who knew how long—was erased.
"Whew… If I remember correctly, Shuuichi, before you do something bad, you always set up Reiatsu-concealment devices. So the Kisaragi Shūsuke you personally taught… should have that habit too, right?"
In midair, two Zanpakutō clashed and separated.
Faced with Higashino Shuuichi's endless stream of bizarre abilities—and with his own Hōgyoku already "helping him cheat" in secret—Aizen finally let go of the pride he used to cling to.
Trying to deal with Higashino Shuuichi using only ordinary methods…
He had underestimated him.
On the other side, sensing the sudden seriousness in Aizen's aura, Higashino Shuuichi could guess it too—
Aizen was finally going to get serious.
Higashino Shuuichi wasn't exactly afraid.
But he really, really wanted to say one thing:
"Boss… aren't you getting a little too fired up?"
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