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"Hitsugaya Tōshirō…"
"If you think that keeping your distance is enough to guard against me vanishing from your sight, then you're worrying over nothing."
"Because to you… that's just an unnecessary concern."
The camera drifted slowly.
It centered on Aizen once more, deliberately zooming in on his face.
The corner of his mouth curved into a faint, wicked smile.
With cold mockery in his eyes, Aizen said, "The concept of combat distance only matters when both sides stand on equal footing. But between you and me…"
"It has no meaning at all."
A slap in the face, delivered openly.
Not just through words, but through his elegant, unhurried steps as he pressed forward.
Before anyone realized it—
Aizen had already reached the front of the frame.
Only a single step separated him from Hitsugaya Tōshirō.
And in that instant, the pressure he radiated surged to its absolute peak.
"Damn it…"
"Aizen is as disgusting as ever. Every time back in Hueco Mundo, he always wore that infuriatingly arrogant look."
Inside Las Noches, Grimmjow's roar echoed through the halls.
Compared to his recent humiliation in the World of the Living, where he nearly lost his head to Benihime, the Aizen on screen somehow made him even angrier.
"Tch…"
"Grimmjow, don't rush it. As more of these ranking videos come out, Aizen will end up like a stray dog sooner or later," Nnoitra sneered.
Even now, he refused to give up hope.
He was patiently waiting for the secret of Kyōka Suigetsu to be exposed.
Waiting for the chance, and the method, to kill Aizen.
"That's right," Yammy said with a cold laugh."As long as Aizen makes a move in that video, he'll immediately be hunted down by the entire Gotei Thirteen back in Soul Society, won't he?"
And sure enough—
Just as Yammy hoped,
On screen, under Aizen's relentless pressure, Hitsugaya's composure finally snapped.
"Aizen!!!"
"Verbal taunts won't wash away your crimes!"
Raising his zanpakutō in fury, Hitsugaya unleashed his power without hesitation.
"Bankai—Daiguren Hyōrinmaru!!!"
A frozen heaven descended.
A pillar of white spiritual pressure erupted skyward.
The temperature in the frame plunged instantly.
The narrow corridor they stood in was swallowed by pure white in the blink of an eye.
"Bankai? Impressive presence… as expected of the strongest ice-type zanpakutō."
Aizen lowered his gaze slightly, looking at the ground beneath his feet as it turned completely white.
His expression didn't change in the slightest. His voice remained flat, overflowing with effortless disdain.
"But…"
"If such a mild level of provocation is enough to make you take the bait so easily, then I suppose I should feel… honored."
"Bastard!!!"
"Ice Dragon Whirl—Absolute Sky!"
His anger only intensified.
Unable to endure it any longer, Hitsugaya swung his blade in a rage. A massive ice dragon, wrapped in blinding frost and howling cold, surged toward Aizen.
However—
This did nothing to stop Aizen from speaking.
No, more accurately, this was Aizen bringing his little game of pretense to an end.
"Hitsugaya Tōshirō, do you know this?"
As he spoke, Aizen reached toward his waist.
From his sash, he slowly drew his zanpakutō.
Kyōka Suigetsu.
That single action sent shockwaves through every viewer watching.
"Is Aizen finally going to make a move?"
Ironically, aside from the Arrancar army who already understood Aizen's strength, the other two factions—Shinigami and pure-blood Quincy alike—still knew nothing about it.
They believed he relied only on verbal provocation, endlessly enraging his opponents to force mistakes.
And to be fair,
That had indeed been the case moments earlier.
But—
"Arrest me? Give it up."
"To step over an ant without crushing it… that kind of power is actually very hard to control."
Holding Kyōka Suigetsu, Aizen slowly raised his arm.
His expression was utterly indifferent as he looked at Hitsugaya, as though gazing at an ant beneath his feet.
Then—
Clang!
A flash of cold light.
The clear cry of a blade slicing the air.
Aizen swung his sword and, with graceful steps, passed straight by Hitsugaya, moving even closer to the camera than him.
Finally—
He calmly returned Kyōka Suigetsu to its sheath.
The entire sequence took place in a heartbeat, no more than a blink of an eye.
Yet—
When the audience finally processed what they'd seen,
Hitsugaya's body stood rigid.
The rage frozen on his youthful face turned stiff, his emerald-green eyes flooding with disbelief and despair.
"That's impossible, right?!"
"Captain Hitsugaya… taken down in one strike?"
"Aizen can one-shot a captain-level fighter? Is that for real?!"
…
The shock wasn't limited to a few voices.
Within the Gotei Thirteen, countless Shinigami stood stunned, especially those who had always regarded Aizen as a mediocre, bottom-tier captain.
Shock. Silence. Hands clapped over mouths.
Across Seireitei, in every squad barracks, regardless of rank or position, nearly every Shinigami was shaken to the core.
Hitsugaya's evaluation had come earlier in the ranking.
As a prodigy, a young captain who inspired genuine respect and hope, expectations for him had been sky-high.
And yet—
That single slash from Kyōka Suigetsu,
Like a flower in a mirror or the moon reflected on water, shattered every last trace of hope.
"Too weak…"
With a casual flick of his arm, Aizen shook the blood from the tip of Kyōka Suigetsu.
He turned unhurriedly, sheathing his blade, his face devoid of emotion.
With his back to the camera, the bold "Five" on his captain's haori was clearly displayed for all to see.
Then—
His calm voice echoed through the corridor.
"One insignificant nuisance finally dealt with. In that case…"
"This dull game of pretending…"
"Should come to an end."
—
Meanwhile.
Inside the First Division barracks.
A Bakudō chant rang out.
"South heart, north eyes, west fingertips, east toes!"
"Gather with the wind, scatter with the rain!"
"Bakudō Number Fifty-Eight—Kakushi Tsuijaku!"
…
As Sasakibe Chōjirō's voice fell silent, a black circular pattern instantly appeared in the palm of his hand.
Kakushi Tsuijaku.
A binding spell that detects a specific person's spiritual pressure and pinpoints their location.
After witnessing Aizen's slash, and at the Head Captain's silent signal, Sasakibe understood immediately and acted without hesitation.
The goal was clear.
Lock onto Aizen's position with absolute precision.
Moments later, Sasakibe's expression hardened as he spoke with certainty.
"Found him. Aizen… is inside the Fifth Division barracks!"
"Go. Notify all captain-level Shinigami and all seated officers Fifth Seat and above. Order them to assemble at the Fifth Division immediately."
The Head Captain slammed his cane heavily against the ground.
His eyes lowered slightly as he issued the arrest order with grave authority.
"No matter the cost…"
"Aizen Sōsuke is to be apprehended at once."
"If he resists…"
"Kill him on the spot."
"..."
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