Chapter 177:
"Bankai?!"
If there was one thing that could surprise the most powerful Shinigami in Soul Society's history, it was the strangely powerful Arrancar before him.
As a member of the Menos Grande race, he was able to use Shinigami's exclusive Kido and Zanpakuto. Even though he knew the other party was using Hōgyoku's ability to transform his soul into a Shinigami, this scene still made his heart tremble.
"Extremely alarming!"
Although he didn't know what the opponent's Zanpakuto ability was, judging from the dozens of rounds of fighting between the two sides, it must be no weaker than Hyōrinmaru, Captain Hitsugaya's Zanpakuto.
Thinking of this, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni made another move to interrupt his opponent. He vanished from his position in a flash, raised his hand and thrust forward with his sword.
BOOM!
The fierce explosive blade fell directly on Fiander's position. But what surprised Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni was that he clearly felt his blade had touched his opponent, yet he had a very unreal sensation.
This kind of touch was like the feeling of sitting beneath a waterfall while training, chopping at the water column with his sword.
It truly existed, yet seemed to have no form—just like a flower in a mirror or the moon's reflection in water.
Had he fallen into Aizen's ability like Hirako and the others? Was all this an illusion?
Thinking of this, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni turned his head to look at Aizen, who was fighting Kyoraku and the others not far away.
At this moment, a familiar voice reached Genryūsai's ears. "What are you questioning, Captain-Commander? Have you been hypnotized by Kyōka Suigetsu?"
After those words fell, Fiander's figure was revealed again under the condensation of ice mist. But the moment the other party appeared, a sudden chill swept across Genryūsai's body.
This chill made Genryūsai feel uneasy again, because when he'd summoned Ennetsu Jigoku, the temperature of the surrounding air had already reached seventy to eighty degrees.
At this temperature, even the ice wings behind Hitsugaya Tōshirō's Bankai were dripping water and showing signs of melting.
Finally, Genryūsai squinted his eyes and looked around. Originally his eyes had been slightly narrowed, but filled with fighting spirit, he suddenly widened them and looked all around.
He didn't know when it had happened, but all the huge fire pillars he'd spent tremendous energy arranging throughout the transformation pillars had been completely frozen. Not only that—even all the surrounding buildings were shrouded in a cold glow.
This kind of ability to change the environment without making a sound was simply... too terrifying!
Even Kyoraku and the others, who were fighting Aizen with the determination to die, were shocked by this sudden scene.
"This... this... is this...?"
Hitsugaya Tōshirō, who was also an ice attribute Zanpakuto user, stared blankly at the surrounding situation, as if he'd been struck dumb, unable to utter a complete sentence.
"The Ennetsu Jigoku summoned by the Captain-Commander... was so easily frozen by that Arrancar!"
Hisagi Shūhei gripped Kazeshini tightly with both hands, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.
At this moment, both sides stopped the weapons in their hands simultaneously and looked in Fiander's direction at the same time. Even Aizen showed a trace of surprise on his face—but only a trace.
Because, in Hueco Mundo some time ago, he'd felt the Reiatsu after Fiander's Bankai. But the extremely cold scene with goose feather snow flying through the sky was a completely different scene compared to the present.
It seems he's become stronger than when he was in Hueco Mundo!
Then Aizen returned to his previous calm appearance and said to Kyoraku and the others, "This war is over, Kyoraku-taichou!"
"Your pride, and the method you planned to use for mutual destruction at the end—it doesn't seem to have worked!"
"Stop being complacent... Aizen!"
"You're not qualified to say that!"
Kyoraku's face was gloomy, his dark expression undoubtedly revealed. He swung the two blades in his hands, and a wind blade struck straight at his opponent.
"Oh, you're too impatient, Kyoraku-taichou!"
With that, Aizen's figure flashed. When he reappeared, his figure had already materialized behind Kyoraku. "You're full of openings!"
Splurt!
The blade passed through Kyoraku's chest, then was pulled out again. Kyoraku's eyelids sank, and his figure began falling uncontrollably downward.
"Kyoraku-taichou!"
Hitsugaya, Soi Fon and the others at his side wanted to act, but the gap in strength was too great—they weren't on the same level at all. The previous scenario with Hirako Shinji and the others resurfaced again.
Aizen's figure shuttled back and forth among the captains. The white blade light danced with blood like a gorgeous performance, drawing the curtain for everyone.
With Aizen placing one hand in his pocket and flicking the blood from the blade in his hand, the only remaining captains within the Barrier Formation Pillars had all been defeated.
"With your strength, these injuries won't make you lose consciousness."
"Let's wait and see. Lie quietly, prostrate on the ground, and simply watch the final direction of this war!"
"Captain... Aizen..."
In the process of falling from the sky, Hinamori Momo's pupils dilated. Blood flew from her shoulder toward the sky—she'd been hurt again by her beloved Captain Aizen.
"The battle over there is over. You're the only captain who can still fight, Captain-Commander!"
Fiander raised his hand. Without any complacency in his words, he was simply explaining a simple fact.
"Is this your ability? Can an ice and snow type Zanpakuto do this?"
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni frowned. His expression didn't show any changes because of his subordinates' defeat.
In his opinion, even at this point, he could still prepare for the worst outcome.
"Ice and snow? I don't think so. In my opinion, my Zanpakuto should belong to the rule-type Zanpakuto category."
"The power of ice is nothing more than an external manifestation of my own talent. I can still use this power even without my Zanpakuto."
"And my real Zanpakuto ability is to freeze space. I can change the world's weather, make everything wither, turn everything into ruins, and plunge the world into an ice and snow realm."
"Similarly, I can also freeze the current space. Your so-called Ennetsu Jigoku is just the manifestation of an ability in real space. That is to say... that's all you have, Captain-Commander!"