Like a caged bird, the branch it stands on, the clear spring at its beak—everything is fake. They exist solely for it, yet do not belong to it.
Some truths are far from beautiful, or rather, the vast majority of truths are exactly like this. Aizen looked at Rukia, who had already fallen deeply into doubt. The world was a cage, and Kuchiki Rukia was far from the only caged bird within it.
Let alone controlling the world, the vast majority of people simply want to control themselves. Unfortunately, they lack the actual ability to do so. When one's disposition does not match their strength, it is all just a delusion.
Therefore, there was truly no need for sorrow or doubt. Aizen pondered for a moment. If she became lost over something as simple as this, then how should people like him, Urahara Kisuke, or Kōe Shihouin conduct themselves? Especially the latter two—they clearly had the power to step out of the cage, yet they personally drew boundaries to bind themselves. Wasn't that even more pathetic?
Discarding delusions and accepting one's flaws was an equally excellent virtue.
"Ru-Rukia, don't listen to him, Rukia!" Ichigo desperately dragged himself toward her. He didn't know what Kōe Shihouin meant to Rukia, but he could somewhat understand how she was feeling. It was the sting of betrayal, of being deceived.
For him, only Urahara Kisuke had truly deceived him. But for Rukia, her entire past was filled with deception and manipulation. It was hard to accept, and it was deeply pitiful...
"You have to be-believe me. Even without Urahara, I still would have come to save you. And Ishida, Chad, Inoue... we, we all would have come to save you! And— *cough, cough!*"
Ichigo suddenly broke into a violent coughing fit. His current physical condition was definitely not suited for shouting, but he had to do this. He had to convey his feelings to Rukia. No matter how many people had manipulated her life, they could never manipulate the genuine feelings her friends had for her.
He, Ishida, Chad, and Inoue hadn't come to the Seireitei for some Hōgyoku. They came because she was Kuchiki Rukia, and they absolutely would not abandon her. And Renji, too—this pure, unadulterated resolve had to reach her!
It did indeed reach her. Rukia slowly turned her head, somewhat understanding what Ichigo was trying to say. However, the scope of this heartfelt declaration seemed a bit too broad, drawing another person's attention back to Ichigo.
"A high-spec spiritual constitution capable of receiving Shinigami Reiryoku. In less than a month, you went from an ordinary Shinigami to a level where you could defeat Kuchiki Byakuya." Aizen effortlessly recounted Ichigo's journey, then asked rhetorically, "Do you think all of this was merely a coincidence, Ryoka boy?"
"What?" Ichigo's face instantly went pale. Born in the World of the Living, he shouldn't have had any connection to the Seireitei. Yet, for some reason, he actually somewhat believed that whatever Aizen was about to say would also be the truth.
*'If he says it, will I still have the confidence I had just a moment ago?'*
This question quietly surfaced in Ichigo's heart, but it seemed it wouldn't be answered just yet. The ground trembled slightly as a towering figure descended from the sky, landing right behind Aizen.
He looked to be about three meters tall. He wore a captain's haori, but unlike any captain Ichigo had seen before, this one actually had the head of a wolf.
After sensing Yamamoto's Reiatsu, Komamura had temporarily disengaged from Zaraki Kenpachi. But before he could rush over to assist Genryūsai-dono, Isane's broadcast reached him. The enemies were actually Aizen and Tōsen.
"Aizen!" Without hesitation, Komamura swung his blade. He didn't doubt the authenticity of the broadcast, and even if he had, the scene unfolding before his eyes was enough to dispel any lingering suspicions!
The appearance of another captain gave Ichigo hope, but in the blink of an eye, that hope was shattered. Aizen simply turned his body sideways, his left hand perfectly pinching the descending blade above his head. Komamura's massive sword couldn't advance another inch.
"It seems we are a bit short on time." Aizen didn't even glance at Komamura behind him. He gave Ichigo a light smile. "Let's save this for next time."
"Do you think there will be a next time? Aizen!"
Komamura simultaneously threw a punch. Aizen didn't even appear to dodge, yet this full-force strike simply hit empty air.
"Forgive my rudeness, Komamura. As I said, time is running short, so I won't be catching up with you."
Komamura followed the voice. Aizen, who had just been right in front of him, was already standing next to Tōsen. The next moment, black walls rose up from all sides, trapping him within. This was—!
"[Hadō #90・Kurohitsugi]!"
To be able to discard the incantation for a level 90 Hadō... truly terrifying. Gin watched Komamura being enveloped by the black coffin. These people simply didn't understand what kind of monster they were facing.
"Oh?" Gin rubbed his eyes. Was he seeing things? Or did Komamura Sajin's strength exceed their expectations? The level 90 Hadō actually had no effect on him at all.
Even Komamura himself was somewhat surprised. The astonishing binding force of the Kurohitsugi had clearly taken effect, and the blades merging with the darkness had even sent a chill down his spine. But in the next moment, the fully formed black coffin simply dissipated. It was baffling, exactly like a failed Kidō.
"As expected." Aizen didn't seem surprised in the slightest. Of course, this didn't mean he couldn't master a level 90 Hadō; it was just that there was someone present who was even more proficient at it than he was.
His grip on Rukia suddenly loosened. A pitch-black short blade sliced through the air, nearly grazing Aizen's retracting fingers.
"Why didn't you catch it with your bare hand this time?"
"You're a bit late, Kōe." Aizen took a step back, his retracted right hand now bringing his Zanpakutō forward again. "A truly beautiful Kidō release."
"I went to wash my hair." Kōe didn't look at Aizen beside him. As his right arm smoothly caught Rukia and pulled her into his embrace, Kōki transformed into a gauntlet on his left hand. He threw a punch directly at Aizen's incoming blade. "However, your Kidō really isn't much to look at. That Kurohitsugi just now only had a third of its normal power."
Gin finally understood. It wasn't that his eyes were playing tricks on him, nor was it that Komamura was overwhelmingly strong. It was because two Kurohitsugi had been cast back-to-back just now. They were equal in power but different in size. Before the inner black coffin could launch its attack, the outer black coffin shattered it. The two canceled each other out, naturally leaving Komamura unharmed inside.
It was indeed worthy of admiration, and looking at him, he seemed quite proud of himself too. However, Gin looked back at Kōe behind him and teased with a smile, "Are you that happy holding my hand, Mr. Shihouin?"
The scene before his eyes shifted once again. In the distance, Aizen and Rukia were surrounded by six wooden spikes. Right in front of him, however, was Gin's familiar smiling face and that short blade pointing directly at him.
"Shoot to kill, Shinsō."
Kōe raised his palm in time to block his face. Although he wasn't pierced by the suddenly extending Shinsō, his body was still sent flying backward uncontrollably.
"Don't let me fly off the edge, Komamura!"
"Leave it to me!"
Komamura moved behind Kōe, crossing his arms over his chest to catch him securely. The massive impact caused the two to skid across the ground for quite a distance, barely coming to a halt at the very edge of Sōkyoku Hill.
Thanks to the thick, meaty cushion, Kōe didn't suffer any injuries from the impact. He hurriedly sat up from the other man's chest, only to see Aizen's branch-like right hand already plunging into Rukia's chest.
"So this is the Hōgyoku. I didn't expect it to be such a small thing." Aizen's voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly. The small orb currently held in his right hand, pulsing with an eerie light, was the Hōgyoku!
The gaping hole in Rukia's chest was also slowly healing.
"The soul itself remains completely unharmed. What astonishing technology." After expressing his admiration, Aizen suddenly turned his head to look at Kōe.
"What are you planning, Aizen?" An ominous premonition welled up in Kōe's heart. Having extracted the Hōgyoku, whether Rukia lived or died shouldn't matter anymore. But looking at Aizen's demeanor... could it be?
"This is not what we agreed upon. You've broken our contract again, Kōe."
"Aizen..."
"Since you made the choice to abandon something, you must see it through. You cannot save everyone." As Aizen spoke, he tossed Rukia backward. "Kill her, Gin."
"Don't you dare, Ichimaru Gin!"
Kōe's threat had no effect. Gin tilted his head, as if to say, *Why wouldn't I dare?* The Zanpakutō in his hand bypassed his shoulder, pointing directly at Rukia in mid-air behind him. "Shoot to kill, Shinsō."
Kōe was just about to move, but someone else was even faster. A simple "Leave her to me" was enough to earn his trust. Leaving her to him was the right choice.
Whose chest was this? And that voice. Rukia slowly lifted her head to see a face she was incredibly familiar with, yet never expected to see here. "B-Brother?"
"Leave Rukia to me." Byakuya tightly gripped the blade of Shinsō, seemingly feeling no pain at all. His gaze shifted to Kōe. "I leave those three to you. You absolutely must not let them escape, Kōe Shihouin!"
"Leave it to me."
"Have you also taken a liking to boasting, Kōe?" Aizen adjusted his glasses, his tone filled with disappointment. He shook his head, as if this wasn't the Kōe Shihouin he knew.
"I've been trying to stop you from extracting the Hōgyoku, and not just because it's dangerous." Kōe lowered his head, taking the long cloth bag off his back. "It's also because, as long as you hadn't extracted the Hōgyoku, there was nothing I could do to you. But once the Hōgyoku is out, I will give everything I have to make sure you stay here."
"Oh?" Aizen drew out the syllable, looking highly skeptical.
"With Kyōka Suigetsu's ability, it wouldn't have been difficult for you to abandon Rukia and leave the Seireitei. I wouldn't have broken our agreement to let you leave the Seireitei either. Therefore, the one who broke the contract first was you, Aizen Sōsuke!"
As Kōe spoke, his left hand squeezed tightly. The long cloth bag instantly shattered, revealing what was hidden inside. A... Zanpakutō?
A black scabbard and a silver hilt. It looked like a long sword—it had to be a Zanpakutō, right? This question surfaced in the minds of everyone present. But hadn't Kōe Shihouin's Zanpakutō already been released?!
Was he bluffing? Or was it... real? Gin recalled what Kōe had just said. If this Zanpakutō was real, then those words might not have been a boast after all.
"All three of you are going to die here!"
With that, Kōe gripped the bright silver hilt tightly with his right hand. A blade as pure white as snow was slowly drawn from its sheath.
"My heart blooms, reflecting the moon in simplicity. My body binds the flow, sharp when unbound."
"Tsukigama Reikiri!"