Up, down, front, back, left, and right were instantly flipped; everything within sight became inverted.
Naraku Sora, who had been standing on the ground, now appeared to be looking down at him from above with a strange expression.
'An inverted world?!'
Aizen's expression shifted slightly, but he did not move impulsively. Instead, he maintained his current posture and attempted to adapt to this state as quickly as possible.
"This is—"
"Captain Shinji Hirako's Zanpakutō ability?"
"Shinji Hirako?"
Aizen looked over in confusion, only to find nothing but empty space before his eyes. Everything in his field of vision had been reversed.
"Your Captain's Zanpakutō is named Sakanade," Naraku Sora explained nonchalantly. "The moment it performs its Shikai, it releases a large amount of mist. Anyone who smells that fragrance has their visual nervous system hijacked."
"Everything you see is inverted—front and back, left and right, up and down. Even the perceived location of an injury is flipped. It seems like the fragrant mist is the cause, but in reality, the moment you smell that scent, Sakanade's ability has already taken effect."
Even in the context of the entire Soul Society, Sakanade was a very unique Zanpakutō. Its Shikai was meant for strong enemies, while its Bankai was for clearing out fodder. Because its Bankai ability was so abstract and dangerous, the Central 46 had forbidden Shinji Hirako from releasing it within the Seireitei, even if other restrictions were lifted.
Hearing this, Aizen narrowed his eyes. He seemed to have found the reason why Shinji Hirako treated him differently. Was it because they possessed Zanpakutō of a similar type?
"So, what is that guy Shinji doing? Why did he suddenly release his Zanpakutō inside the barracks? And looking at the scale, the coverage seems quite wide."
To Aizen's surprise, Naraku Sora adapted to the inverted world after only a few attempts.
"It looks flashy, but you just have to get used to it."
Sora's growth potential, which exceeded a normal Soul Reaper's by a full hundred percent, allowed his physical control to approach perfection. Of course, this didn't mean Sora had truly "broken" Sakanade's Shikai. In actual combat, Sakanade's application was terrifying. Activation and deactivation depended entirely on Shinji's whim; one moment you've adapted to the inverted world, and the next, everything returns to normal. A strike that should have gone forward suddenly swings backward. Even if the trajectory of the attack doesn't change in the eyes of an observer, it is completely different for the target. A normal person couldn't possibly react in time. Even someone as naturally gifted as Naraku Sora needed a few seconds to adjust, let alone anyone else.
Aizen also quickly adapted to the inverted world, and the two of them rushed out of the training hall together. They immediately discovered that the situation inside the barracks had devolved into absolute chaos.
Like a city caught in the crossfire of war, violent booms and flames rose from the earth, and the ground trembled. Between the erupting fires and sweeping gales, the buildings of the barracks let out strained groans under the weight of the brutal rampage. Thick smoke rose everywhere, and Kidō Spiritual Pressure filled the corridors and courtyards. The original peace and quiet had vanished, replaced by extreme disorder.
Before they could react, a low whistle came from the rear right. A twisted figure appeared in the corridor, its blood-red eyes staring fixedly at Naraku Sora. A greedy desire seemed almost tangible, as if it were about to overflow. It possessed the Spiritual Pressure of a Seat Officer, which it radiated wantonly. A cold, gleaming longblade suddenly appeared in its hand. Without a word, it lunged toward Naraku Sora.
The bright blade was particularly fierce against the backdrop of the fire, and the Spiritual Pressure condensed upon it radiated intimidating power. A flowing, water-like shimmer flickered on the blade. In an instant, it was right in front of him.
A high-pitched clang of clashing metal erupted, sending out a brilliant, dazzling spray of sparks. The sharp sound stung the eardrums of those fighting nearby. Then, the two figures crossed paths.
In a brief flash, in a place Aizen hadn't managed to notice, Naraku Sora had already completed an exchange of swordsmanship with this unknown entity of uncertain species. The gleaming longblade snapped in half and fell to the ground with a resonant clang. A gash appeared silently on the neck of the twisted figure. Lingering heat seeped into its marrow, bringing the literal pain of decapitation.
The twisted figure's eyes widened in disbelief.
Naraku Sora slowly turned around, his gaze lowered, meeting the eyes of the severed head as it fell. His calm voice followed: "You weren't bad."
With that, the recognized twisted entity died contentedly.
Aizen: "..."
The situation was already this severe, yet this guy still had the heart to act like a drama queen.
"By the way, did some Ryoka invasion happen?" Sora asked, resting his hand on his sword hilt as he looked into the distance.
Aside from their immediate area, battle was raging everywhere. Monsters similar to the twisted figure they just encountered were chasing and slashing at the Fifth Division Soul Reapers. It was as if there were some deep-seated hatred between them.
"Their Spiritual Pressure natures are similar, their attack methods are alike, and even their appearances share common traits," Aizen analyzed calmly before reaching a conclusion. "It doesn't look like an external invasion. It seems more like an internal problem. Sora, the Zanpakutō have rebelled."
Just as he finished speaking, a golden pillar of light suddenly erupted on the main road of the barracks, and a massive wave of Spiritual Pressure instantly spread throughout the entire division. At the end of their line of sight, two figures stood facing each other.
One of them was someone Naraku Sora recognized: the Fifth Division Captain who targeted his adopted son at every turn, Shinji Hirako. It was his Shikai ability that had just affected the training hall, making them realize that a major change had occurred.
The person opposite him looked exactly like Shinji Hirako, as if carved from the same mold. The only difference was the gender. Even from a distance, the rather stunning chest measurements were enough to clarify things.
In normal times, Shinji might have had the mind to appreciate and judge, but in this urgent moment, he couldn't afford a single distraction.
"Aiyee, now isn't the time for messing around."
Hearing this, the blonde woman curled her lips into a smirk. "Messing around? Even with the flames of war spreading, do you still think this is a game, baldy?"
Her pale palm flipped upward. Amidst a blooming radiance, a unique blade with a hollow circular pommel appeared out of thin air, hanging from her slender index finger. "I've wanted to give you a piece of my mind for being so self-righteous for a long time now. Please accept this meager bit of concern."
As she spoke, Shinji Hirako's expression changed drastically. He immediately used Kidō to amplify his voice, a thunderous sound echoing over the barracks and filling everyone's ears. "Leave the barracks area immediately!"
A triumphant smile appeared on the face that was identical to Shinji's, as if a meticulously planned prank had succeeded perfectly. Her lips parted slightly as she chanted the release.
"Bankai."
"Sakashima Yokoshima Happōfusagari!"
Within the brilliant light of the Spiritual Pressure, the blonde woman's figure seemed to distort, inverting from top to bottom. Solemn golden petals slowly unfurled from below, wrapping her completely within. A pale purple shimmer dotted the atmosphere as a hazy mist spread out, expanding across the entire barracks in an instant.
Seeing this, Shinji Hirako covered his face with his hand and let out a powerless sigh. "Now we're in big trouble..."
Naraku Sora, enveloped in the mist, frowned. If he remembered correctly, Shinji Hirako's Shikai was a sensory inversion of the visual nervous system. His Bankai, however, was a cognitive inversion—reversing the concepts of "friend" and "foe." Under the influence of this ability, both allies and enemies would begin to slaughter one another.
In a daze, Soul Reapers who were still locked in combat with their own manifested Zanpakutō suddenly saw something else and began to strike at the people beside them. Powerful Kidō slammed into teammates, making Sora's eyelids twitch. He was one of the few present who knew the secret of Shinji's Bankai, so although the images in his eyes shifted, he remained calm.
In Sora's vision, the Soul Reapers he was somewhat familiar with all became distorted in form, turning into indescribable monsters whose ferocity rivaled that of wild Hollows.
At that moment, a sharp blade light drew a silver arc, and heavy Spiritual Pressure rose from the edge of a sword. As the Zanpakutō fell, the air let out a sound like tearing silk, aiming straight for Sora's head.
Clang!
the sound of clashing metal echoed, the blade reflecting Aizen's confused gaze.
'The feel of this strike seems a bit familiar?'
Sora had said before that Shinji's Shikai inverted directional perception. Judging by that guy's anxious voice, his Bankai was likely also extremely dangerous; otherwise, he wouldn't have told everyone to evacuate. From this, Aizen could infer that his Bankai likely involved a deeper level of cognitive alteration.
"Sora?" Aizen asked tentatively, staring at the violent, cruel human-shaped Menos Grande before him.
"You won't even call me 'Father'—"
Before he could finish, a expressionless Aizen struck again, the arrogant force of the blow sending the target flying. Soon, Naraku Sora returned, staring at the bone-masked Aizen with wonder. Both the Spiritual Pressure aura and the appearance had undergone a massive change. If he hadn't known about Shinji's Bankai in advance, he really might have treated Aizen as an enemy.
"Let's resolve the trouble at hand first," Aizen said in a deep, annoyed tone. "We can't let these people keep killing each other."
"True."
Once the two had memorized each other's current appearance, they charged toward the areas where the fighting was most intense.
A crimson figure streaked across the sky like a meteor, crashing into the battlefield with extreme violence. A cruel gaze swept the surroundings, and a savage grin tugged at the corners of Sora's mouth. "Better to be broken by me than to lose your lives."
Sora worked his shoulders, the sound of firecrackers popping echoing from his joints as his vast Spiritual Pressure surged out. Lift, squeeze, wrap, blast. It was a terrifying technique executed in a single breath, far beyond the limits of the naked eye. From several meters away, a suffocating shockwave erupted. A violent gale swept through, and the Soul Reapers were sent flying backward uncontrollably.
Against these Soul Reapers who weren't even Seat Officers, he didn't need any high-level techniques. Like a maddened dump truck, Naraku Sora charged across the battlefield, using the most brutal methods to snuff out every skirmish.
Meanwhile, Aizen had also finished his fighting and rushed over. Looking across the entire barracks, there were ruins everywhere. The battle between the Zanpakutō and the Soul Reapers was nothing if not intense.
"The strongest two should be the Captain and his Zanpakutō." Aizen looked toward the main road with a neutral expression. The blazing Spiritual Pressure there was almost suffocating.
Over there, the battle between Shinji Hirako and Sakanade had reached a fever pitch.
"What should we do? Go help?"
"If we break into the battlefield, we might be attacked as enemies."
Hearing this, Naraku Sora raised an eyebrow and grinned. "It's fine, I'll beat both of them up the same way!"
Although the specifics weren't clear, both the Zanpakutō-less Shinji and the standalone Sakanade were essentially half-powers. Compared to their normal state, they were significantly weakened. Plus, since they wouldn't coordinate against a common foe, Sora felt confident.
His scorching Spiritual Pressure turned into a pillar of light that shot into the sky. A burning wind swept through, like magma erupting from the earth's crust; the entire main road was filled with suffocating heat.
He drew his sword. Circuit-like patterns appeared on his hands, glowing faintly.
Hadō #73: Sōren Sōkyatsui!
A magnificent surge of blue explosion-fire rose. The moment it engulfed the white blade, Sora slashed forward. It roared and fell like a meteorite! In that instant, countless spirit particles collided violently, constructing a blade-light of sword pressure that cut through anything, heading straight for the battlefield between Shinji and Sakanade. It swallowed everything.
A delayed boom suddenly erupted, spreading out and drowning all other noise. The entire barracks fell silent. Two figures were sent flying in different directions by the impact. As the aftershocks spread, nearby buildings collapsed, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
In Sakanade's shocked gaze, a savage smile suddenly appeared before her eyes, and a blade wrapped in Spiritual Pressure was raised high. It fell without hesitation.
Secret Art: Dragon Flash!
Amidst the roar, a panicked Sakanade raised both arms and her longblade, trying to block this terrifying strike. However, the moment the blades met, she realized how ridiculous her move was. A titanic strength crushed down like the weight of the heavens. The ground beneath her feet suddenly caved in, and spiderweb-like cracks spread instantly as if she had been hit by a meteorite.
Watching that exaggerated scene, Shinji Hirako's mouth twitched. He had no idea when his division had gained such a fierce character.
Through the rising dust, a figure walked out slowly. A grim gaze fixed on the only remaining figure on the field, and a savage smile curled his lips. "It's your turn."
Shinji Hirako: "..."