Aizen spoke with a smile.
But the moment his words fell, Tōshirō and the other three suddenly spun around and charged toward the exit!
They headed straight for where the Arrancar were blocking their path.
When they reached the halfway point, the opposing Arrancar had already fired their Cero!
BOOM!!
Thunderous roars erupted. Multi-colored Cero beams rushed toward all four of them.
Spiritual particles swirled violently. Fierce winds howled.
That crushing pressure slammed down on them. But none of the four stopped. They kept charging straight into the Cero blasts.
Watching this, Aizen's eyes flashed with interest.
Rukia and Rangiku gritted their teeth against that overwhelming force. But their eyes showed no fear!
Then something impossible happened.
The dozen different-colored Cero beams passed straight through their bodies. No damage at all!
The four showed no surprise. Their eyes stayed focused as they used their fastest Flash Steps, scattering in four directions!
At that same moment, Shigure calmly drew his Zanpakutō and blocked Aizen's incoming slash.
CLANG!
Steel met steel. Crimson sparks flew. But no spiritual pressure clashed.
Both had used pure swordsmanship.
Behind them, the dozen Arrancar's spiritual pressure vanished completely. Their forms became transparent.
Sword in hand, Aizen watched the four escape with brief surprise.
Then he lowered his gaze, smiling faintly at Shigure:
"I wanted to add some fun to our boring fight."
"So I used Kyōka Suigetsu on them."
"But I didn't expect you to see through it, Segawa."
Aizen knew for certain—judging by their reactions to the illusion, all four were definitely hypnotized.
They couldn't tell reality from fantasy like Shigure could.
For them to risk their lives like that, there had to be another reason.
Aizen's gaze sharpened:
"When I activated Kyōka Suigetsu, you quickly applied your spiritual pressure to all four, didn't you?"
"That was the signal you told them about?"
Shigure glanced up but didn't answer. Instead, he pressed his blade forward, pushing Aizen back.
Aizen stepped back, creating distance. He smiled at Shigure:
"You haven't changed at all."
"Just like when I first saw you at the entrance exam."
"Every move you make is carefully planned. And this time, you passed that caution to them."
"Fascinating."
...
Meanwhile, Tōshirō and the others who'd escaped Kyōka Suigetsu regrouped.
Only then could they breathe easy.
Shigure's spiritual pressure had faded from them. Aizen's hypnosis was over.
Back in the Garganta, they'd worried when Shigure explained his plan.
But now they knew for certain—Shigure really could counter Kyōka Suigetsu!
They looked toward the distant figures of Shigure and Aizen. Complex emotions filled their eyes.
Staying on the sidelines during this battle didn't sit well with them.
But after experiencing Aizen's terrifyingly real illusion, they understood—
They couldn't interfere in this fight.
After a moment, Tōshirō lowered his eyes:
"Captain Unohana, while Segawa holds off Aizen... we should rescue the other captains. Before something else goes wrong."
Now calm, Tōshirō could judge the situation clearly.
Unohana watched Shigure for a moment, then nodded:
"You're right."
She knew rescuing the wounded was their most urgent priority.
...
Back with Aizen and Shigure.
Aizen watched Unohana's group charge downward. He chuckled:
"See? Once they realize they can't fight, they find noble excuses for running away."
"Right now they're scared to help you, but they call it 'rescuing the wounded'..."
Shigure's expression didn't change. He looked up calmly:
"Save it, Aizen. Your mind games don't work on me."
He raised his Zanpakutō.
BOOM!!
The silver blade exploded into golden spiritual particles. They gathered in Shigure's hand, forming a crackling lightning sword.
Candle Dragon's Shikai Thunder Form.
Seeing Shigure's words and his Zanpakutō's release, Aizen smiled:
"Such bold words. They suit your Zanpakutō perfectly."
"But I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you..."
"Because I won't be your opponent."
Aizen raised his left hand. Sharp spiritual pressure burst from his fingertips.
A black line appeared beside him. A Garganta tore open!
The moment the spatial rift appeared, a small black figure leaped out.
She wore a dress woven from black feathers. A tiny skull mask sat on the left side of her head.
Snow-white skin. Long black hair. Faint golden eyelashes framed her pupils.
She stared at Shigure with curious, water-clear eyes.
No spiritual pressure radiated from her at all.
The instant Shigure saw her, his heart jumped. His expression turned serious.
Aizen raised his hand slightly, smiling at Shigure:
"You saw her sleeping form in Las Noches. You even destroyed her container."
"But now, let me make a proper introduction. Her name is—"
"Lightning Alleste."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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