Tonight was unbearably long.
In the Tsunayashiro estate within Seireitei, at the center, Tsunayashiro Kamihara—the head of the Tsunayashiro clan—was passionately venting his dissatisfaction at how the Gotei 13 "indulged" its subordinates' insolent overstepping.
On both sides sat a group of taichō and fukutaichō, yawning, looking like hardly anyone was taking Tsunayashiro Kamihara's scolding to heart.
Everyone knew tonight was nothing more than Tsunayashiro Kamihara deliberately making a fuss over nothing—just to help his "good subordinate," Higashino Shuuichi, blow off steam.
And what was happening at the Maggot's Nest right now still remained unknown to outsiders.
Inside that special space, Kidō (Demon Arts) and Cero (Hollow Flash) interwove, blade-light and silhouettes crossed again and again.
Everything seemed to be progressing according to Aizen's script.
That Reiatsu (spiritual pressure) that kept draining away ultimately still lost out—under Aizen's Hōgyoku (Wish-Granting Orb), which refilled him with near-infinite supply.
But Higashino Shuuichi, now completely unshackled, no longer fought timidly like before. In front of Aizen, he fully released his Zanpakutō (Soul-Cutter Sword).
Heihō Sogen (Origins of Military Strategy), Bankai (Final Release): Shakutō (Borrowed Blade).
This time, he had a new choice.
When blood-red blotted out the sky and blood spread across the earth, a glint burst in Aizen's eyes.
"Bankai: Minazuki (All Things' End)… if I'm not mistaken, that's what it's called.
I've seen it in the Great Spirit Book Corridor. That was recently, when I was trying to understand the strength of the first generation of taichō.
This is the Bankai (Final Release) of that first Eleventh Division taichō, the first Kenpachi—and now the Fourth Division taichō, Unohana Retsu, correct?"
Aizen hadn't expected to see Minazuki (All Things' End) here. He was excited.
Not only because he'd never seen Minazuki (All Things' End) with his own eyes, and had never seen Unohana Retsu truly fight—
But also because, knowing Higashino Shuuichi's Zanpakutō (Soul-Cutter Sword) ability very well, he understood the basic principle behind Shakutō (Borrowed Blade):
Before using it, he had to obtain the original owner's consent.
And that process involved no "conversation"—only Higashino Shuuichi's one-sided request.
So in reality, the abilities Higashino Shuuichi could borrow were extremely limited.
For it to work, the Shinigami he borrowed from had to trust Higashino Shuuichi completely.
And now, Higashino Shuuichi had borrowed Bankai: Minazuki (All Things' End)…
"Hahahaha...!"
How interesting.
As expected of Higashino Shuuichi—his finest subordinate. He always delivered surprises that were beyond expectation.
Still, Aizen didn't think it was realistic to defeat him just by using Unohana Retsu's Bankai (Final Release).
Because Higashino Shuuichi wasn't Unohana Retsu. That sea of blood didn't help Higashino Shuuichi much—Aizen even believed Minazuki (All Things' End) had become an assist for him instead.
After all, Higashino Shuuichi's pure Zanjutsu (swordsmanship) and Hakuda (hand-to-hand combat) were inferior to his.
"So Bankai: Minazuki (All Things' End) is just a smokescreen too, isn't it?"
Aizen engaged Higashino Shuuichi within the sea of blood.
And just as Aizen had analyzed, Higashino Shuuichi's Zanjutsu (swordsmanship) and Hakuda (hand-to-hand combat) were already enough to stand above ninety-nine percent of Soul Society's Shinigami.
But before Aizen…
It was still lacking, just a little.
Turning complexity into simplicity—always choosing the simplest, most effective routes of attack and defense—those were Aizen's movements.
No flashy tricks.
Only solid weight and plain, unadorned practicality.
Yet even while holding the advantage everywhere, Aizen still didn't deal any truly substantial damage to Higashino Shuuichi.
Not because he'd grown merciful—
But because he was waiting for Higashino Shuuichi's next move.
Using Bankai: Minazuki (All Things' End) against him looked, on the surface, like a failure.
But because the Shinigami doing it was Higashino Shuuichi, it could never be only surface-level.
So what was Higashino Shuuichi's off-the-board move this time?
Higashino Shuuichi wouldn't reveal even a single word, so Aizen could only probe while trading blows—
And then he found it.
A second space, overlapped outside the space they were currently in.
The sea of blood created by Bankai: Minazuki (All Things' End) could indeed blanket the entire area and drag it into its rules—
But it couldn't interfere with the laws of that other space.
If it weren't for Aizen's long immersion in Hollow research, his own partial reach into Hollow abilities through the Hōgyoku (Wish-Granting Orb), and then his enviable talent letting him touch the threshold of "space" itself—
He likely wouldn't have sensed the killing intent Higashino Shuuichi had hidden.
Just as always—
"Beautiful calculation. Beautiful scheming. Unfortunately, your opponent right now is me~"
Aizen smiled slightly.
A battle like this—one of stamina and brainpower—was, to him, top-tier enjoyment.
Especially when he had been outplayed first, yet forced the situation back with his own intelligence and foundation—
And now, on the level of plotting, he'd completely seen through Higashino Shuuichi's little trick.
Perfect timing to stomp down Higashino Shuuichi's increasingly arrogant swagger in recent years—ever since becoming Grand Blade-Hunting Chief.
To let him understand that before you have the capability—
You'd better not get too inflated.
At the same time, hiding inside that other space, Kisaragi Shūsuke still didn't know what had happened on the battlefield beyond.
He only knew the task he was about to carry out.
The moment the spatial passage opened, he would drive his Bakkōtō (Hollow-Devouring Blade) at full power, sealing Aizen Sōsuke's Zanpakutō release—and create the conditions for Shuuichi-sama to kill this ridiculous, purpose-unknown taichō.
Anxious waiting makes time feel endless.
No one knew how long passed before Kisaragi Shūsuke finally got the moment the space opened.
Outside was a blankness after the blood-red had just receded.
Inside, Aizen Sōsuke and Shuuichi-sama were locked in fierce combat, their Zanpakutō blades pressed together, neither giving an inch.
It was the perfect moment for him to intervene.
This time, he would not fail again!
Bankai (Final Release): Raika—Gōenka (Thunderfire: Karmic Flame Shell)!
Crossing the narrow passage from his own space, Kisaragi Shūsuke descended from above. Flames orbited him like satellites, and alongside them spread sonic waves that were like lethal poison to ordinary Shinigami.
"Today, no one is stopping us from leaving— not even you, Aizen Sōsuke!"
Kisaragi Shūsuke's slash hit nothing. His Zanjutsu (swordsmanship), which he'd barely trained, was full of holes in front of Aizen.
But that wasn't important.
To Kisaragi Shūsuke, all that mattered was that the sonic wave from his Bakkōtō (Hollow-Devouring Blade) landed.
A Shinigami who can't release his Zanpakutō (Soul-Cutter Sword)—what is he in front of Shuuichi-sama if not a lamb on the chopping block?
…Well, after the earlier "small incident," Kisaragi Shūsuke had gained a tiny bit of clarity about his own positioning.
Do the support work for Shuuichi-sama, and their combination would be unstoppable!
Look at that frantically retreating Aizen Sōsuke—
Look at that Aizen Sōsuke trying to use him as a breakthrough point, only to be predicted again and again by Shuuichi-sama, and instead cut down by Shuuichi-sama.
The more confident and arrogant he'd been earlier, the more miserable he now looked under the pincer attack of Kisaragi Shūsuke and Higashino Shuuichi.
But Aizen didn't only have Shinigami power.
He also had the Hōgyoku (Wish-Granting Orb), and Hollow power he could convert and wield.
That red Cero (Hollow Flash) appeared again.
Heihō Sogen (Origins of Military Strategy), Bankai (Final Release): Kuniku (Self-Sacrifice)!
As if to shatter Aizen's last bit of confidence, Higashino Shuuichi even activated another Bankai (Final Release) form—taking Aizen's Cero (Hollow Flash) head-on.
Sorry—if we're talking arrogance, who's more arrogant is still up for debate~
A white haori flared in midair. Black long hair flickered faintly within that pure white.
Higashino Shuuichi stood within the Cero (Hollow Flash), blade in hand, letting the lingering red aftershock crackle and explode around him.
That disdainful gaze seemed to say to Aizen below:
"That's it? Not putting any force into it?"
Aizen silently raised his head. At some point, he'd removed the glasses from his face. In their place were eyes far more ferocious, far more emotionless.
In an instant, Kisaragi Shūsuke felt like he saw Aizen's hand move—yet it also felt like an illusion.
Because around Aizen, even the Reiatsu (spiritual pressure) showed no change at all.
But was it really an illusion?
Of course not.
Standing behind Higashino Shuuichi, Kisaragi Shūsuke dropped his head in stunned disbelief—
Because his right arm was gone.
It was a streak of pitch-black Reiatsu (spiritual pressure)!
In midair, Kisaragi Shūsuke's Bakkōtō (Hollow-Devouring Blade) fell freely, having lost its owner's control.
And as if sensing Kisaragi Shūsuke's weakness, restless Reiatsu (spiritual pressure) surged from the blade of Raika itself.
Raika wanted to devour its master.
"Slash attacks are, in the end, just another way of using Reiatsu (spiritual pressure) through the Zanpakutō (Soul-Cutter Sword) and the body. If your Reiatsu (spiritual pressure) is strong enough—and your control is high enough—then even 'slashes' don't require swinging at all~"
As if responding to Higashino Shuuichi's provocation, Aizen finally revealed a little more of the real thing—right in front of him.
With the slightest movement, a Shinigami like Kisaragi Shūsuke—far from "all-rounded"—had no ability to resist at all.
Or rather, for Kisaragi Shūsuke, stepping into a fight of this level at this moment was, by itself, an unwise act.
No matter how terrifying his ability looked—
Before absolute power, all the flashy tricks were hollow and meaningless.
The scale of victory seemed to tilt toward Aizen.
Until Higashino Shuuichi walked up to Aizen.
The scene felt familiar.
"My body… won't move."
Aizen knew this sensation far too well.
He'd experienced it once—just ten-odd minutes ago.
But this time, he'd been extremely careful.
So when?
Suddenly, from the corner of his vision, Aizen saw a trace of red in the distance that hadn't fully faded.
He understood.
What rose at the corner of his mouth was a complicated smile with a thousand flavors.
"Unohana Retsu's Bankai: Minazuki (All Things' End), and that overlapped space… so those were both bait. This time, you predicted my prediction.
You guessed I wouldn't be fooled by that sea of blood that looked 'meaningless,' so my attention would move outside the blood sea.
So you hid the portion meant for me—your so-called past-travel serum—inside that very blood sea.
All you needed was the moment Kisaragi Shūsuke appeared—when my attention was completely drawn to him—
The moment the blood sea looked like it was receding like a tide—
The moment my guard against the blood sea was at its thinnest…
Hahahahaha… you really are something, Shuuichi!"
Aizen could only watch as Higashino Shuuichi once again drove his Zanpakutō (Soul-Cutter Sword) into his body.
With his body "paralyzed," he was powerless to stop it.
"This time, it's over~"
With the previous lesson in mind, as Higashino Shuuichi pulled his blade out, he also used his other hand to seize the Hōgyoku (Wish-Granting Orb) from Aizen's body—the one glowing dazzlingly, trying to save its master.
"Without this… no one can save you now, right?"
Higashino Shuuichi looked excited.
But Aizen, swaying in front of him, had despair and pain in his eyes.
Yes. A normal Shinigami at a time like this should accept fate like that.
But—
This was Aizen.
Why would Aizen show that expression?
Something was wrong.
This was very wrong.
"Noticed something off?"
Behind Higashino Shuuichi, the one who'd lost his right arm—Kisaragi Shūsuke—curved his lips into a smile.
"Shuuichi, your plan was excellent. And it did fool me. Beforehand, I truly didn't expect you'd choose that little toy I already cracked as your final killing move.
Very unexpected~
If it were really me, I would've fallen for it too.
But you never should have let Kisaragi Shūsuke join our fight.
You don't seem to understand the logic of my Kyōka Suigetsu (Mirror Flower, Water Moon). Once someone has been caught by it even once, whether I release my Zanpakutō (Soul-Cutter Sword) in the future or not, I can manipulate his five senses anytime, anywhere.
So… do you understand where you went wrong?"
As "Kisaragi Shūsuke" spoke, his appearance changed along with his words, until he ultimately became Aizen.
And at that moment, the "Aizen Sōsuke" in front of Higashino Shuuichi—the one Higashino Shuuichi had just pulled his Zanpakutō out of, the one whose blood was now gushing uncontrollably, wearing a pained, guilty expression—
Gradually became Kisaragi Shūsuke.
So when exactly had Aizen completed the swap of identities between himself and Kisaragi Shūsuke?
That question no longer seemed important.
The more important question now was—
Would Aizen allow Higashino Shuuichi to save Kisaragi Shūsuke, who was now in a near-death state?
Aizen's action gave the answer.
One slash.
Only one slash was needed.
In Kisaragi Shūsuke's sorrowful eyes, filled with endless remorse for himself, Higashino Shuuichi watched with his own eyes as Kisaragi Shūsuke was cut cleanly in half at the waist by Aizen.
Pitiful Kisaragi Shūsuke—his body still in "paralysis." Forget Aizen—any random Shinigami could have done it.
But to do it so that Higashino Shuuichi had no chance to stop it—
Only Aizen Sōsuke could.
Rage burned in Higashino Shuuichi's chest.
But to Aizen, anger didn't increase combat power.
It only created more openings.
Look at Higashino Shuuichi raising his blade—Aizen could instantly think of a hundred ways to counter.
Look at Higashino Shuuichi's Kidō (Demon Arts)—anger had already made him lose his composure in planning routes and sequencing, full of holes.
Facing a Higashino Shuuichi like this, continuing the fight had no meaning.
Because the ending was already decided.
His defeat.
"Why?"
Minutes later, Aizen lay on the ground.
He no longer knew how many times he'd asked that question tonight.
But this time, he truly couldn't understand what had just happened.
Why couldn't he stop even a fraction of that Higashino Shuuichi, full of openings?
Why did every one of Higashino Shuuichi's attacks make his body feel unbearably unable to withstand it—
To the point that even the Hōgyoku (Wish-Granting Orb) on him could not help him this time?
"Noticed something off?"
That familiar line came from another direction—Higashino Shuuichi's voice.
But wasn't Higashino Shuuichi standing right in front of him?
So what was the truth?
What, exactly, was the truth?
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