The same realization struck elsewhere in the Seireitei.
"Captain, do you think…"
"Could we be among the three sealed by the Head Captain? We've never appeared on screen!" Ōmaeda Marechiyo speculated wildly, staring at the towering flame barrier.
"Idiot! If you want to be a traitor, say it—don't drag me down with you!" Soi Fon snapped, kicking Ōmaeda's right buttock, leaving a symmetrical mark with the left.
"Ow, ow, ow!" Ōmaeda clutched his swollen rear, whining, "I was just joking! Did you have to kick so hard?!"
"Shut up! Instead of causing trouble, think about who those three traitors might be!" Soi Fon's eyes narrowed cautiously, her mind racing.
Excluding herself and captains who'd appeared in Karakura Town, the prime suspects were:
- Gin Ichimaru
- Tōsen Kaname
- Komamura Sajin
- Aizen Sōsuke
- Ukitake Jūshirō
Yes, in Soi Fon's eyes, Ukitake, who'd just opposed the Head Captain and never appeared in the final battle, was a major suspect!
"Captain, we can rule out Aizen, right?" Ōmaeda said without thinking.
"Rule out Aizen? Why?" Soi Fon frowned.
As the Stealth Force commander, her instincts made her suspect everyone.
"Isn't it obvious?" Ōmaeda looked at her oddly. "Even new recruits know Aizen's the Gotei 13's ultimate nice guy!"
"Kind, gentle, approachable, devoted to the Fifth Division, and a calligraphy teacher at the Shin'ō Academy! How could someone with such a reputation be a traitor? You're not bullying him just because he's nice, are you?"
Ōmaeda rattled off Aizen's virtues, swearing he was a saint.
"I know all that, but…" Soi Fon's brows knit, torn.
Ōmaeda was right—Aizen was the Gotei 13's undisputed good guy, no contest!
If not for his absence from the screen, she'd never suspect him.
But conversely, someone as dedicated as Aizen should've fought alongside other captains in the Thousand-Year Blood War, even sacrificing himself.
So why was he never seen in key battles?
To clear Aizen, Soi Fon concocted a theory: perhaps Aizen died before the Blood War, explaining all discrepancies!
"What? Aizen might die in the future?" Ōmaeda gasped, indignant. "Good guys don't deserve to live, huh?!"
---
In the Fifth Division's underground chamber:
"Phew…"
"That was close! Thanks to those flame barriers, our identities weren't exposed!" Gin patted his chest, relieved.
He'd nearly lost his soul!
If the camera had zoomed in, as Aizen feared, the Fifth Division would be under lockdown by now. With the Head Captain's rage, even their hidden base wouldn't save them—he'd dig them out!
"Indeed, the timing of the switch to the flame barrier was perfect. Luck's on our side…" Aizen, unfazed by exposure, preferred staying hidden.
He'd been ready to flee, but the camera's timing was so uncanny he half-suspected the video creator had bugged them!
"Captain Aizen, the old man sheathed his blade and isn't continuing. This segment's probably over," Gin observed.
The flame barrier solidified, and Yamamoto made no further moves, ignoring the approaching top thirty Espada.
Based on past rounds, Gin was sure this brief segment was ending.
Sure enough, the screen froze on the towering flame barrier, the trapped trio's identities still hidden.
Luck favored them again!
But unlike before, the pause was brief. The video fast-forwarded to a new battle!
BANG!
A deafening crash of a heavy object being blasted away greeted viewers.
"?!"
"Something's flying toward the camera!"
A massive white figure, like a bowling ball, hurtled into view, its overwhelming presence suffocating.
Most viewers froze in fear!
"This round's scarier than a horror movie!"
"I'll have a heart attack before it ends!"
"Is that a released Arrancar?"
"It dares challenge the Head Captain?!"
Amid the Shinigami's shock, the Fire-Extinguishing Prince, Wonderweiss Margela, emerged from the dust.
His white body, broad limbs, and extinguisher-shaped jawbone gleamed. Emitting garbled cries—part scream, part roar, part infant wail—his hollow mask revealed a greedy smile after devouring the flames.
In the Fifth Division's chamber, Aizen's eyes lit up.
"Gin… another piece of good news!"
His lips curved victoriously. "In that war, Wonderweiss fulfilled his mission, sealing all of Ryūjin Jakka's flames!"
"Indeed, Captain Aizen…" Gin smirked. "I'm curious if Wonderweiss can go further and take down the Head Captain without Ryūjin Jakka!"
In the video, as if hearing Gin, the Head Captain's deep voice countered Wonderweiss:
"Think sealing Ryūjin Jakka lets you defeat me?"
"Naive! Utterly childish!"
His fists clenched, bones cracking. His Shinigami robes and captain's haori exploded, revealing a chiseled, muscular frame, like coiled pythons, belying his ancient age.
"I can crush you barehanded!"