Chapter 178:
In this ice-frozen world, everything was silent. Fiander extended his hand to grasp the air, and a blade shaped from solid ice appeared in his hand.
"That's all? Do you know who you're talking to?" Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni asked. He gently closed his eyes then opened them again. "Throughout this thousand-year history, there have been many Shinigami, but among all these Shinigami, this old man is still the strongest!"
"I'm not relying on my status as Captain-Commander of Gotei 13!"
After those words fell, Genryūsai's face showed a fierce light. His eyes were extremely indifferent, filled with infinite killing intent.
"Lord Aizen, could you please... leave here?" At this moment, Fiander said abruptly to Aizen, who was observing the battle.
"The spirit land here is the key to creating the King Key. Is it alright to leave it to you, Fiander?"
"Of course!"
"It couldn't be better!"
At this time, Aizen's figure suddenly flickered and disappeared from within the range of the Barrier Transformation Pillars.
Seeing Aizen leave, Genryūsai intended to stop him, but the enemy was before him and he couldn't be distracted. The enemy before him wasn't like the "sheep" Arrancar of the past, but a true wolf.
At this time, within the Barrier Pillars, the temperature was still dropping rapidly. In just a few minutes, what had been a vast expanse of whiteness—the surrounding buildings covered with a thick layer of solid ice.
In the thin air, even the activity of spirit particles began becoming weaker. After a while, the face of the old man who mastered Soul Society's oldest and strongest fire-type Zanpakuto was gradually covered with a layer of frost.
"Your ability is very strong. As an enemy, I have to admit that you are now above me, but..."
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni slowly removed his shirt, revealing muscular arms covered with scars.
"The name of the Court Guard cannot be tolerated to be treated so contemptuously by you!"
"Bankai..."
"Zanka no Tachi..."
Obviously it was the strongest and oldest Zanpakuto, yet its Bankai name was such an unpretentious title. But it was such a simple name that had created the strongest Shinigami in current Soul Society.
"So you've finally reached your Bankai, Captain-Commander..." Fiander's eyes changed. A murderous intent shot from his eyes, and the place where his gaze fell was as though shrouded in deep winter.
Ryūjin Jakka after Bankai hadn't changed in appearance at all. Even Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's body wasn't covered and entangled in flames. But at this moment, not only within the scope of the spirit land, but all people in this world felt a burning sensation at the same time.
The water in this world was evaporating bit by bit after Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's Bankai.
In the Anti-Spirit Membrane, Unohana Retsu, who was treating the wounded, suddenly raised her head and looked at the sky. Her originally calm eyes suddenly changed. "This feeling of Reiatsu is..."
"Do you sense it too, Captain Unohana?" Unohana Retsu stood up and said to Kurotsuchi Mayuri beside her.
"Yes, something terrible has happened within the Barrier. Captain Yamamoto has violated Soul Society's rules and used Bankai in the Human World."
"This is truly... very bad!"
On the other side, after witnessing Tōsen Kaname's defeat, Ichimaru Gin also turned and left without mercy. After considering the current situation, Kurosaki Ichigo also gave up pursuing and took priority observing Rukia Kuchiki, Abarai Renji and the others' injuries.
"So you really are hiding here, Kurosaki Ichigo!" At this moment, a familiar figure appeared behind Ichigo and spoke gently.
Facing an enemy who could approach him silently, Kurosaki Ichigo turned his head abruptly, only to find Aizen's familiar face looking down on him. The look in his eyes was exactly the same as at Sōkyoku Hill.
"Aizen..."
Ichigo frowned, gripping his Zanpakuto tightly in his hands and staring at his opponent. The other captains who heard Ichigo's voice also put down their work and quickly moved toward Ichigo's position.
"It really is you! Aizen! How dare you appear before us!"
Byakuya Kuchiki appeared next to Ichigo first. When he saw Aizen's figure, he snapped angrily.
"Why wouldn't I dare show up? Now that your Reiatsu is so disordered, what right do you have to speak nonsense before me, Captain Kuchiki?" Aizen chuckled lightly.
"Killing you is enough right!" Byakuya Kuchiki's eyes froze. Just as he was about to act, a graceful figure appeared before him ahead of time and stopped Byakuya Kuchiki.
"Please don't be impulsive, Captain Kuchiki!"
At this time, Unohana Retsu looked back at Aizen's position, nodded slightly, and after offering a greeting said, "Long time no see, Aizen Sōsuke!"
"Captain Unohana, I thought you would be imprisoned in Hueco Mundo, but I didn't expect you to appear in the Human World. It seems Fiander-kun was merciful to you."
Aizen smiled, glanced at Kurosaki Ichigo and said, "You truly are an interesting child. My hard work on you has really been worthwhile."
"You... what do you mean by that?" Kurosaki Ichigo asked in surprise, because he'd heard Fiander say similar words to him at the dome of Las Noches in Hueco Mundo.
"What do I mean? It means that so far, all your growth has proceeded step by step under my arrangement."
"You're lying!!" Kurosaki Ichigo raised the Zanpakuto in his hand, pointing the blade at Aizen's face.
"Don't get angry. Think about what you've been through and you'll understand. Why did I know you were coming to save Rukia Kuchiki? Why did I know you were going to save Inoue Orihime?"
"Does the power in your body truly belong entirely to you? And what do you know about—"
"Hadō Number Eighty-Eight: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō!"
Before Aizen finished speaking, a massive blue beam of light suddenly struck. Aizen didn't have time to chant Kido to defend, so he could only resist the blow with his body.
After the explosion, a sharp blade struck from the air. Zaraki Kenpachi, who had just been partially healed by Unohana Retsu, leaped into the sky, raised the blade in his hand and slashed down heavily.
"Don't let your mind waver, Kurosaki!"
"Your life is your own—not arranged by anyone!"
At this time, Byakuya Kuchiki gasped and said. Apparently the blow just now had consumed what little Reiatsu remained in Byakuya Kuchiki's body.
"So that's it? Kurosaki Ichigo, who is Soul Society's Substitute Shinigami, didn't even know the truth?" The smoke cleared, and the two figures of Aizen and Zaraki Kenpachi appeared. Aizen easily parried Zaraki Kenpachi's two-handed blade grip.
And Byakuya Kuchiki's sneak attack had only shattered the opponent's shirt. On his chest, there was an orb emanating a colorful halo embedded there. That orb... was precisely the Hōgyoku.
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