Aizen nodded slightly.
"As a reward for discovering me, I'll tell you how I fooled you."
Unohana Retsu frowned slightly at his words. Reward? If this place weren't so inconvenient, I'd carve the truth out of you myself!
"My Zanpakutō—Kyōka Suigetsu—was how I did it," Aizen said with a smile.
Kotetsu Isane frowned. "But didn't you say your Zanpakutō was water-based? That it reflected an opponent's attacks to make them kill each other?"
Aizen chuckled at Isane's naivety.
"That wasn't the true ability of my Zanpakutō at all."
"Its real power is complete hypnosis. I can manipulate all five senses of anyone affected—hearing, sight, taste, touch, whatever—it's all under my control."
"I can make someone see a swamp as a flower field. A beautiful woman as an old hag. That's the power of my Zanpakutō."
"And the condition to activate this power is very simple: you just have to see the release of my shikai once."
Hearing this, Unohana nodded.
"No wonder you attended the Zanpakutō release demonstration at the Shino Academy every year. That was your reason."
Aizen laughed.
"Exactly. Here—just like this: 'Shatter, Kyōka Suigetsu.'"
With Aizen's chant, the vision of Unohana and the others changed again—what they had just seen as a corpse in Aizen's hand now transformed back into his Zanpakutō.
"What a terrifying ability…" Unohana murmured.
Aizen didn't hide anything after that. He revealed his plan—his true goal was the Hōgyoku, the orb Urahara Kisuke had created a hundred years ago.
He knew Urahara had hidden the orb—and that it had been implanted into Kuchiki Rukia's body. That's why he wanted to use the execution at Sōkyoku Hill to kill her and retrieve the orb.
But clearly, Aizen's plan had failed.
Rukia hadn't been executed at Sōkyoku Hill!
Unohana nodded inwardly. Just as Ichigo and I had suspected—it really was Kyōka Suigetsu that Aizen relied on.
Unohana looked at Aizen.
"Aizen Sōsuke. Your plan has failed. Kuchiki Rukia is inside my Zanpakutō right now. Come and take her if you dare."
But instead of being angered, Aizen simply laughed.
"Unohana-senpai… you still don't get it, do you? What I need isn't Kuchiki Rukia… it's the Hōgyoku."
Unohana frowned, not understanding what he meant.
Ichimaru Gin smiled faintly.
"Captain Aizen, it's about time. We should head to Sōkyoku Hill."
Aizen nodded.
Gin produced a strip of white cloth, and in an instant, it spiraled rapidly around him and Aizen, making them vanish from sight.
Unohana immediately turned to Isane.
"Isane, report everything to Soul Society at once. Then stay here and treat Captain Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Hinamori."
"Understood. What about you, Captain?" Isane asked.
"I'm going to Sōkyoku Hill."
Leaving those final words, Unohana vanished with shunpo, heading toward Sōkyoku Hill with full force.
Isane quickly used Bakudō: Tenteikūra to transmit everything she had witnessed—especially that Sōkyoku Hill was Aizen's destination.
Elsewhere in Seireitei—
Kyōraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jūshirō stood, scorched and burned, facing Yamamoto Genryūsai.
"Old man! It's confirmed now—Aizen Sōsuke has betrayed the Gotei 13. Can we stop fighting already?" Kyōraku asked.
Yamamoto's expression was grim, but he gave a cold snort and sheathed Ryūjin Jakka. The three of them immediately set off toward Sōkyoku Hill.
On the other side of Seireitei—
Zaraki Kenpachi was locked in a bloody battle with Komamura Sajin. But when they heard Isane's broadcast, Kenpachi turned to Sajin.
"Hey, beast—did you hear that? Let's head for Sōkyoku!"
Komamura stood in stunned disbelief at the news of Tōsen Kaname's betrayal.
"Tōsen! Why you?! Why?!"
He charged toward Sōkyoku Hill in confusion and rage.
Kenpachi, carrying Yachiru on his back, also set off in that direction.
Below Sōkyoku—
Yoruichi and Soi Fon, having reconciled, also heard the news.
"Now do you understand why I didn't dare return to Soul Society?" Yoruichi asked.
"What should we do, Yoruichi-sama?" Soi Fon asked.
"To Sōkyoku Hill!"
Ten minutes earlier—
Tatsuki had reunited with the rest of the Karakura group, who had been freed by Orihime. They were the first to arrive at Sōkyoku Hill.
As soon as they reached the top, they saw Ichigo sitting cross-legged on the ground.
Tatsuki immediately spotted the wound on Ichigo's shoulder and shouted, "Ichigo!"
Resting and waiting for the real battle to begin, Ichigo stood up when he heard her voice—only for Tatsuki to throw herself into his arms.
"You're okay, right?"
She frantically checked him over, realizing he wasn't actually hurt.
Ichigo blushed slightly from her touch.
"I'm fine, Tatsuki."
Tatsuki also blushed when she realized what she was doing.
But she quickly recovered and asked, "What about Kuchiki-san? Is she alright?"
"Don't worry, Tatsuki. Rukia's safe now. Nothing will happen to her," Ichigo reassured her.
Orihime and the others gathered around as well. Once they heard that Rukia was safe, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
That was when Kotetsu Isane's message rang out.
After listening, Ichigo let out a cold snort. So it really was this guy—Aizen Sōsuke…
At that moment, Aizen Sōsuke, Ichimaru Gin, and Tōsen Kaname appeared one after another on top of Sōkyoku Hill.
Tōsen held a body in his hands that looked just like Rukia.
(Of course, he was only holding the clothes. Tōsen wasn't that perverse—he didn't even get close to women.)
"Kuchiki-san!" Orihime shouted in shock upon seeing Rukia's body.
"Don't worry, Orihime. That's just her artificial body," Ichigo immediately saw through the illusion.
But Ikkaku was stunned speechless the moment he saw Rukia's face.
Ichigo understood—he could calm the Karakura group down, but others still didn't know the truth.
"You traitor! What are you trying to do to Rukia?!"
Renji, fully recovered, suddenly appeared atop Sōkyoku Hill. The moment he saw Rukia's artificial body, he exploded in rage!
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/zaelum]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]