Cold light flashed at the tip of his tail. Muten Natsu twisted his body and lashed out with his long tail, the dazzling gleam drawing a graceful arc as it absorbed and devoured all the surging black mist around him.
Sōsuke Aizen flapped his wings and retreated, but it was already too late.
Myōki, which had been storing power for so long, released everything in one incredibly simple slash.
A single black line split Sōsuke Aizen's eerie white body. Dense darkness swarmed in, pouring into the narrow gap and forcing it open to its limit, separating Sōsuke Aizen's body after it had been cleaved in two.
Then...
Boom!
Icy karmic flames erupted into the sky with a violent explosion. Under the force of the blast, even Muten Natsu was thrown backward, the heavy armor across his body shattering layer by layer as ominous black mist spilled out from within.
His limbs clawed wildly at the air. It took Muten Natsu a while before he barely steadied himself, trembling on all fours and panting heavily as black flames flickered from his mouth and nose.
He shook his head, and the blurred scene before his eyes gradually became clear.
Muten Natsu searched for any trace of Sōsuke Aizen. That had been the strongest strike he could currently control. If even that power could not destroy Sōsuke Aizen, then...
Whoosh!
A gale scattered the black mist and dust. Sōsuke Aizen flapped two layers of butterfly-like wings and walked slowly toward Muten Natsu.
The attack that had seemed to blow him apart moments ago had left no visible trace at all.
"To think you can maintain your sanity in complete Hollowfication. What other surprises are you hiding from me?" With a crisp sound, the guard of Sōsuke Aizen's Zanpakutō shattered and vanished before it touched the ground. He showed Muten Natsu the Zanpakutō in his hand. "Looking at it now, my Kyōka Suigetsu and your Myōki do share some similarities. But... only on the surface, much like you and me right now."
Muten Natsu controlled the black mist, condensing it into droplets that gathered beneath his feet into a torrent of Spirit Ink.
"The others' Reiatsu has stabilized somewhat. Orihime Inoue's ability truly is remarkable." Sōsuke Aizen turned his head and looked in another direction. "I've been wondering for a while how interesting her changes would be after Hollowfication."
The flowing Spirit Ink paused for a moment, and Muten Natsu raised his eyes.
"Don't worry. In your current state, using Bankai one more time will make you collapse. In other words, Soul Suicide." Sōsuke Aizen smiled. "You won't get to see what she looks like after Hollowfication, so there's no need to worry."
Muten Natsu slammed his claws against the ground. The limbs touching the Spirit Ink gradually began to melt, and the slowly flowing ink suddenly churned violently.
Since the strongest power he could control could not destroy Sōsuke Aizen, he had no choice but to release a power he could not control.
"Oh?" Sōsuke Aizen sensed Muten Natsu's intent. "Merging yourself into the Spirit Ink to maximize the power of your Bankai. In your current state, this is your final move."
As the fluctuations in the Spirit Ink grew increasingly violent, the anticipation in Sōsuke Aizen's eyes became clearer.
Perhaps Muten Natsu really could...
Most of his limbs had already dissolved, yet Muten Natsu did not lose his sense of them. Instead, he felt as though the Spirit Ink had replaced his original limbs, allowing him to perceive his surroundings in even finer detail.
Along with that came an intense sense of instability.
Like water losing the cup that contained it, he clearly felt some kind of boundary disappear.
As he sensed his surroundings more clearly, he also sensed them invading his body.
It was like a drop of ink falling into a lake. As the black spread outward, it also gradually faded.
It was fine... Muten Natsu had no intention of stopping.
As long as he activated Bankai before he vanished completely, he could capture the greatest amount of Reishi and gain an even greater increase than before.
He just had to hold on a little longer...
Just a little longer...
"Raku Zetsu."
A gentle voice rang out. The Spirit Ink was drawn toward another spiritual energy, entwining with it and turning into black bandages.
The fluttering bandages tightened, binding Muten Natsu's body layer by layer and forcibly stopping every movement.
Muten Natsu could also use Raku Zetsu, but the same Kidō had different power depending on who used it.
The only person who could completely control Muten Natsu in his current state was probably...
"Unohana... Captain?" Muten Natsu struggled to move his eyes and saw Retsu Unohana behind him.
"That's enough." Retsu Unohana placed a hand on Muten Natsu's shoulder, strengthening Raku Zetsu's control even further. "This is as far as it goes."
"But..."
"I said..." Retsu Unohana's eyes curved gently, her smile soft. "This is as far as it goes."
Muten Natsu opened his mouth, but in the end, he said nothing.
Gin Ichimaru appeared beside Sōsuke Aizen. "Sorry, Captain Aizen. I was a little worried about you just now, so I didn't notice Captain Unohana."
Sōsuke Aizen glanced at Gin Ichimaru. "Worried about me..."
"Looks like I worried for nothing." Gin Ichimaru raised his blade with a smiling face. "Then I'll just help you deal with Captain Unohana."
"That's enough, Gin." Sōsuke Aizen looked away. "Didn't Captain Unohana already say it? This is as far as it goes." He turned and gave an order. "Open the Senkaimon. I'm going to attack Karakura Town in Soul Society."
"Huh?" Gin Ichimaru thrust his blade into the air and twisted his wrist. "We're not destroying the Boundary Pillar?"
A round, ancient-looking sliding door appeared out of thin air and slowly opened to both sides, revealing purple-black chaos within.
"No need. If I want to take the Soul King Palace, creating the Ōken in Soul Society will be more convenient." Sōsuke Aizen stepped inside. Before the sliding door closed, he turned to look at Muten Natsu. "Then... we'll meet again after everything is over."
The Senkaimon closed, and Sōsuke Aizen and Gin Ichimaru vanished from Muten Natsu's sight.
"Captain Unohana..." Muten Natsu looked at Retsu Unohana beside him. "What do we do now?"
Retsu Unohana patted Muten Natsu's head. "For now, be good and stay still."
"Muten Natsu..." Rukia Kuchiki approached with Orihime Inoue. Looking at Muten Natsu, who had lost his limbs, Rukia Kuchiki bit her lower lip hard.
"Sōten Kisshun. I reject!"
Orihime Inoue released a barrier that enveloped Muten Natsu, helping him restore his limbs.
Retsu Unohana controlled her Reiatsu with precision, adjusting Raku Zetsu to accommodate the regrowth of Muten Natsu's limbs.
Using Sōten Kisshun at such intensity placed a heavy burden on Orihime Inoue.
Fortunately, Retsu Unohana was replenishing her Reiatsu. Otherwise, she would have exhausted herself and collapsed long ago.
But it was precisely because Orihime Inoue had used Sōten Kisshun so many times that its already powerful healing ability had improved even further.
Even with Muten Natsu in such terrible condition, the current Orihime Inoue could restore him in a short amount of time.