Before this.
On an unremarkable street somewhere in the Rukongai.
A figure sprinted desperately forward, with a smaller silhouette following closely behind.
Kira Izuru's destination was West Rukongai.
With captains searching for them, there was no place left within Seireitei where they could hide.
Only by escaping could Hinamori Momo have a chance to survive.
Tap.
Footsteps sounded ahead of them, forcing Kira to skid to a stop mid-shunpo.
Seeing the man who appeared before him, Kira didn't show the panic one might expect.
"Captain Aizen!"
Hinamori called out first, her voice full of relief and joy.
Aizen met her gaze with his familiar gentle smile — warm, soft, like spring sunlight melting over the heart.
"Momo," he said softly. "Are you two heading for the White Road Gate?"
Kira, however, still wasn't entirely convinced.
Even Aizen's benevolent demeanor couldn't completely erase his doubts.
"Captain Aizen… are you here to stop us from leaving?"
Hinamori stiffened, nervous at the question.
"Of course not," Aizen answered, smile unchanged.
"I just think… with your speed, escaping from Seireitei might be too difficult."
He extended his right hand toward her, inviting.
"Momo… come with me."
"I'll take you out of here."
The moment Aizen spoke, Hinamori was lost.
Without even a moment's hesitation, she stepped toward him.
Kira opened his mouth to stop her—but froze.
Because just as Aizen's hand touched Momo's, a voice sounded behind him.
"Well now… what a surprise, Captain Aizen!"
Kira's face drained of color as he saw who had appeared behind Aizen.
"C-Captain?!"
Gin Ichimaru narrowed his eyes and smiled.
"Oh? Fancy meetin' you here too, Kira."
Kira stared in disbelief.
"Shouldn't you be locked in the Third Division's holding cell?!"
Gin chuckled lightly.
"Ahh, sorry 'bout that, Kira. I've got more important things ta do."
He raised his arm, and a strip of white cloth unfurled, wrapping around him, Aizen, and Hinamori.
"Goodbye, Kira."
The cloth dissolved — and the three vanished on the spot.
Kira froze, pupils constricting.
"Sentan Hakuja...?"
A heavy sense of dread washed over him.
As a master of kidō, he understood exactly what he had seen — Sentan Hakuja (Thousand-Coil White Snake), a high-level technique that transfers the user to a preset location.
Whatever the destination was… It couldn't be good.
Meanwhile, through Tenteikūra, the shocking news spread across Seireitei.
"The entire Central 46… dead?"
What Yamamoto focused on was always the greater situation.
"Kyōka Suigetsu… so we were all deceived."
Shunsui spoke while glancing repeatedly at Shimo.
He couldn't explain why — intuition, maybe.
But he felt strongly that Shimo had not been affected by Kyōka Suigetsu's hypnosis.
"Head-Captain… looks like our fight can't continue."
Shimo's tone carried a hint of regret.
Yamamoto remained silent.
"Heart of the south, eye of the north, finger of the west, foot of the east…"
Soi Fon began incanting.
"Arrive with the wind and depart with the rain! Bakudō #58: Kakushitsuijaku!"
A dark circular sigil formed beneath her palm.
Kakushitsuijaku — a tracking technique that allows the user to locate spiritual pressure at long range.
Moments later, Soi Fon's expression changed dramatically.
"Sōkyoku Hill!"
"Aizen is at Sōkyoku Hill right now!"
Yamamoto disappeared instantly.
Sōkyoku Hill wasn't far for a captain moving at full speed — only minutes away.
Everyone turned toward Shimo.
He raised both hands helplessly.
"…Why are you all staring at me?"
"Go to Sōkyoku Hill!"
Soi Fon and Yoruichi vanished in a flash of shunpo.
Shunsui alone lingered, his expression… strange.
"Shimo… how many?"
"…cough—what?!"
Shimo nearly choked on his own spit.
What kind of question is that?!
The entire Central 46 had been wiped out!
And this is what Shunsui chooses to focus on?!
Shunsui's expression grew stranger by the second.
"There's one more."
"I'll go ahead."
He disappeared.
Right after he left, Unohana arrived beside Shimo.
"Shimo-kun… are you unharmed?"
Her gentle voice washed over him.
Shimo exhaled and smiled.
"I'm fine. The Head-Captain knows how to hold back."
Only after circling him and confirming he had no injuries did Unohana relax.
Shimo sighed.
"No need to worry. Soi Fon already tracked Aizen to Sōkyoku Hill."
Unohana nodded and looked toward Sōkyoku Hill.
"Then let's go."
They vanished.
---
At Sōkyoku Hill.
Held by Aizen's guiding hand, Hinamori felt enveloped in hope… Warm, comforting, almost dreamlike.
But when the white cloth fell away…
A coldness more biting than death sank into her bones.
Like something gnawing directly at her heart.
She stared blankly.
"C-Captain Aizen… why are we here?"
Aizen smiled — gentle, radiant, unchanged.
"Because this is where my plan continues."
He lifted his head toward the group whose battle had just ended.
"Kurosaki Ichigo. Captain Hitsugaya. Captain Komamura."
"We meet again."
Komamura's face twisted from shock to fury.
"Criminal Aizen!"
"Release!"
"Bankai: Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō"
The giant manifested before him, dragging its massive blade and swinging down at Aizen with full force.
Aizen… didn't even move.
"Suzumushi Nishiki: Benihikō."
A calm voice sounded behind Komamura.
Blades burst forward, instantly piercing Komamura's entire body.
Komamura turned in disbelief.
A familiar figure sheathed his Zanpakutō.
"Tōsen…"
Komamura collapsed, his huge frame hitting the ground with a thunderous crash.
Even Tengen Myō'ō vanished just before striking Aizen.
Aizen nodded slightly — not surprised at all.
As he had said earlier, everything followed his plan.
Tōsen said nothing, simply walking to Aizen's side.
Ichigo's shock twisted his face.
"You… know me?!"
"You look troubled," Aizen said kindly.
He walked to Hinamori.
"From beginning to end, your actions have been in the palm of my hand."
"Urahara Kisuke's assistance."
"Your method of infiltrating Seireitei."
"All of it."
"There were small variables, yes… But overall, everything ended as intended."
He leaned toward Hinamori.
"Isn't that right, Momo?"
His hand closed around her collar.
"To extract the foreign object inside your soul—I have prepared a very, very long time."
"C-Captain Aizen… all this… was fake… right?"
Aizen did not answer.
His right hand — covered in eerie, bark-like patterns — plunged into her chest.
He pulled out a blue-black glowing jewel.
Ichigo froze.
"The… Hōgyoku?!"
Aizen tossed Hinamori aside like a discarded doll.
"So small. Surprising."
He slipped the Hōgyoku into his robes.
"And her soul is intact? Urahara's craftsmanship is always impressive."
"But she has no further use."
Aizen looked at Tōsen.
"Tōsen. Finish her."
Tōsen drew his blade without hesitation.
Slash—
Blood splattered across Hinamori's face.
Hitsugaya struck from behind.
Aizen raised a brow.
"Oh? Captain Hitsugaya still had strength left? I underestimated you."
Before he could continue, massive spiritual pressure crashed down onto Sōkyoku Hill.
"Aizen—there is nowhere left for you to run!"
Yoruichi and Soi Fon appeared, blades at Aizen's neck.
Aizen remained calm.
Instead he looked past them—
Straight at Shimo.
"Shimo-kun."
"Would you be interested in joining us?"
Everyone froze.
Even Shimo was momentarily stunned.
Then he chuckled.
"Thanks for the generous offer."
"But I prefer the atmosphere here in Seireitei."
Aizen smiled back.
"As expected. You know quite a lot."
"I should have been more wary of you from the beginning."
"Even though I patched the situation… you still managed to involve yourself in my game."
Shimo raised an eyebrow.
"You value me that highly?"
Aizen chuckled softly.
"The moment Kyōka Suigetsu failed to affect you… I realized the severity of my mistake."
Shimo's heart tightened.
"So the Tōsen 'corpse' was prepared specifically for me?"
Previously, Shimo had found the corpse suspicious — too real, too convenient.
If not for the ability he gained from the Shared Soul Barrier, he might have believed Tōsen was truly dead… And miscalculated everything.
Aizen's smile deepened.
"When," he asked,
"did you begin believing I ever stopped being cautious of you?"
*(P.S: Aura Farmer Strikes Again.)
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