"Aizen... Captain!"
"It's really Captain Aizen! He's actually alive!"
"What's going on? Captain Aizen was faking his death the entire time!"
The moment Aizen appeared, every Soul Reaper present was left stunned.
They had personally witnessed Captain Aizen's death. Many had mourned him, and the Seireitei had launched a large-scale investigation because of it.
Yet now, Aizen stood before them alive and unharmed.
The atmosphere instantly became strange and oppressive.
Even the dullest person present realized that Aizen had been orchestrating a massive conspiracy from the very beginning.
"From beginning to end, I deceived everyone."
"Not a single person in the entire Soul Society noticed anything unusual."
"I believed I would, as always, manipulate everyone within the palm of my hand."
"Since Urahara Kisuke left the Soul Society, nobody else has ever attracted my attention in terms of intellect."
"I believed my plan, which surpassed ordinary understanding, was flawless. Yet I never expected you, Ryūjin Uchiha, to see through it."
Aizen ignored the strange looks directed at him and slowly walked toward Ryūjin.
His voice carried genuine surprise.
Those words completely belittled the entire Soul Society.
However, Aizen was not boasting.
He was merely stating what he believed to be the truth.
In his eyes, only Urahara Kisuke had ever been worthy of standing beside him intellectually.
At least, that was what he had believed until now.
"Aizen, why did you fake your death? What conspiracy are you planning?"
Captain Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni stared directly at Aizen.
His voice was heavy with anger.
Aizen ignored the question.
His eyes remained fixed on Ryūjin.
"So, Ryūjin Uchiha, how much have you discovered?"
"Enough."
Ryūjin answered without hesitation.
He turned toward Yamamoto.
"Captain Kuchiki Byakuya was killed by Aizen."
The expressions of the Soul Reapers changed.
Kuchiki Byakuya's death had always been filled with suspicious details.
Could Aizen truly be the culprit?
Did he possess enough strength to kill Byakuya?
However, if Aizen truly possessed the ability to fake his own death and deceive the entire Soul Society, deceiving Renji Abarai and Kyōraku Shunsui would not be difficult.
"By now, you should understand."
"Captain Aizen's Zanpakutō does not manipulate light through refraction as he claimed."
"Its true ability is illusion."
"The corpse you all saw was nothing more than an illusion created by Aizen."
Ryūjin's words shook everyone present.
"Impossible."
Unohana Retsu stepped forward.
"I personally examined Captain Aizen's body. It was a real corpse, not an illusion."
As the Captain of the Fourth Division and a former Kenpachi, Unohana possessed both incredible medical knowledge and tremendous strength.
How could she have been deceived?
"That is precisely what makes Aizen's Zanpakutō so terrifying, Captain Unohana."
Ryūjin spoke with certainty.
"According to my deduction, Kyōka Suigetsu creates perfect illusions."
"It allows Aizen to show others exactly what he wants them to see."
"Renji Abarai, Kyōraku Shunsui, and everyone else merely witnessed the scene Aizen created."
"That is why all of you mistakenly concluded that I killed Captain Kuchiki Byakuya."
Silence fell.
The captains felt anger, humiliation, and disbelief.
If Ryūjin was telling the truth, then the entire Seireitei had been manipulated by Aizen alone.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Aizen applauded.
His face carried both admiration and surprise.
"Not only did you see through my plan, but you also discovered the true ability of my Zanpakutō."
"You have genuinely surprised me."
He looked directly at Ryūjin.
"I never expected that someone with such overwhelming strength would also possess such remarkable intelligence."
"Ryūjin Uchiha, originally only the Captain Commander was worthy of my recognition."
"Now, there is another."
The captains' expressions changed again.
Aizen had admitted everything.
Kyōka Suigetsu truly possessed the ability to create perfect illusions.
Kuchiki Byakuya's death had indeed been Aizen's doing.
"Aizen! You killed Captain Kuchiki Byakuya!"
Renji Abarai roared like a wounded beast.
His eyes had become bloodshot.
His killing intent exploded.
If Kyōraku Shunsui had not stopped him, Renji would have already attacked.
"Kuchiki Byakuya's death allowed Ryūjin Uchiha to leave the Soul Society."
"His death was not meaningless."
"He fulfilled his purpose."
Aizen spoke as if discussing something insignificant.
His indifference infuriated everyone.
At the same time, his words revealed his objective.
He had killed Kuchiki Byakuya in order to force Ryūjin out of the Soul Society.
"I reviewed my plans countless times and found no flaws."
"Even if Urahara Kisuke had been here, he would not have investigated this far."
"Ryūjin Uchiha, how did you discover it?"
"Where did I make a mistake?"
"No."
"The greatest mistake I made was underestimating you."
Aizen's attention never left Ryūjin.
Everyone else seemed invisible to him.
Thump!
The sound of a staff striking the ground echoed.
Yamamoto's spiritual pressure surged.
"Aizen Sōsuke."
"You have committed such crimes within the Seireitei."
"Do you truly believe this old man will let you leave?"
"Old man, leave him to me."
Zaraki Kenpachi stepped forward.
The battle maniac vanished with Flash Step.
He instantly appeared beside Aizen and swung his sword.
His attack was astonishingly fast.
Slash!
Aizen appeared completely unable to react.
The blade cut through him.
Blood sprayed into the air.
Even Zaraki Kenpachi froze.
Could Aizen really be this weak?
However, the expressions of the captains suddenly changed.
"Captain Zaraki, be careful!"
"Captain Zaraki, Aizen is to your right!"
"You've been deceived!"
Zaraki saw Aizen directly before him.
But the other captains saw something entirely different.
Zaraki had merely slashed empty air.
The real Aizen stood calmly beside him, watching like a spectator.
Any remaining doubt disappeared.
Aizen's illusions were terrifying.
Even Zaraki Kenpachi had fallen victim.
"Captain Zaraki, dodge!"
Everyone shouted.
Unfortunately, Zaraki could neither hear them nor perceive the real battlefield.
His senses had already been manipulated.
At that moment, Aizen calmly drew his Zanpakutō.
He swung.
"Captain Zaraki!"
Soi Fon cried out.
She used Flash Step and instantly appeared beside Zaraki.
Her blade slashed toward Aizen.
Slash!
She was too late.
Aizen's attack had already landed.
Blood splashed across the ground.
Fortunately, Soi Fon's interference caused Aizen's strike to miss Zaraki's vital points.
Even so, Zaraki suffered serious injuries.
Clang!
Soi Fon exchanged a strike with Aizen.
She immediately retreated while supporting Zaraki.
"Captain Zaraki!"
"Captain Zaraki!"
The captains gathered around.
Unohana quickly began emergency treatment.
But at that moment, Zaraki's figure vanished like smoke.
Everyone froze.
Their eyes turned toward Aizen.
Had that injured Zaraki been an illusion as well?
None of them had noticed anything.
The ability was horrifying.
Even Unohana felt shaken.
She had personally examined Zaraki's wounds.
Yet she had failed to detect the illusion.
Several captains involuntarily inhaled sharply.
A deep fear of Aizen began to spread.
Even Yamamoto had failed to detect anything.
"Aizen! Where is Captain Zaraki?"
"What did you do to him?!"
Ikkaku Madarame roared.
"Zaraki Kenpachi?"
"He's still alive."
Aizen adjusted his glasses.
"At the moment between life and death, his instincts, sharpened through countless battles, saved him."
As he spoke, a figure suddenly appeared beside him.
It was Zaraki Kenpachi.
He lay in a pool of blood.
Motionless.
Everyone felt their scalps go numb.
That was Zaraki Kenpachi.
One of the strongest captains in the Gotei 13.
Yet Aizen had severely wounded him within moments.
Even more terrifying, nobody knew whether the figure before them was real.
Step. Step. Step.
Within the silent execution grounds, Kaname Tōsen suddenly used Flash Step.
He appeared atop the execution platform.
"Captain Tōsen, what are you doing?"
The captains looked toward him.
Their expressions changed.
An ominous feeling rose in their hearts.
Tōsen's actions clearly signaled trouble.
He gripped his Zanpakutō.
"Sing, Suzumushi."
He immediately released it.
"Kaname!"
"What are you doing?"
"How can you release your Zanpakutō here?"
Komamura Sajin shouted angrily.
He was both shocked and unable to accept what he was seeing.
He immediately prepared to stop Tōsen.
"How can you be certain that the Kaname Tōsen you see is real?"
Aizen's words caused everyone's hearts to sink.
That was correct.
Nobody could determine what was real anymore.
Even so, Komamura gritted his teeth.
He wanted to save his friend.
"Komamura, don't act recklessly!"
Yamamoto stopped him.
Whether Tōsen was real or fake, rushing forward would accomplish nothing.
Zaraki had already demonstrated the consequences.
Until they discovered a method to counter Kyōka Suigetsu, every action carried enormous risk.
"Indeed."
"You should listen to the Captain Commander."
"Remaining still is currently your wisest choice."
Aizen spoke softly.
He remained elegant.
Polite.
Refined.
Yet this seemingly harmless man had single-handedly forced the entire Gotei 13 into helplessness.
===
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