Taking Hueco Mundo back from Aizen?
That was always just wishful thinking.
Now though, even that illusion had been washed away.
But Aizen didn't care about Baraggan's feelings.
Instead, his eyes shifted to the enemy standing opposite Starrk and the others.
The moment he saw Katerea Leviathan, Aizen's brows rose slightly.
Her power was on par with Starrk.
But what intrigued him more was the source of that power.
"Incredible."
"No Reiatsu at all."
Aizen's eyes sparkled behind his glasses, a rare trace of excitement in his voice.
This?
This was the first time in his entire life he'd encountered something like this.
And it didn't stop there
He swept his gaze over Midoriko, Ingvild, Miko, and Kikyo.
Nothing.
Still nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Oh my~
What amazing experimental subjects!
They had no Reishi spirit particles in their bodies at allnone!
So how the hell were they generating this kind of power?!
What was that completely different energy flowing through them?
How was it formed?
Aizen's eyes gleamed like he'd discovered an entirely new world.
He was so absorbed in his observations.
He completely forgot about helping Starrk and the others.
Tsen hadn't forgotten them, though.
He couldn't see what Aizen saw, but he could sense both Aizen's mental state and the intensity of the battle.
Still, until Aizen gave the word, he remained where he was, silent and waiting.
Meanwhile, in the main world
Lynn watched Aizen's arrival through a virtual screen.
He rested his chin on one hand, the corner of his mouth lifting.
"He finally shows up."
"Huh?" Satoru Gojo glanced around. "Nah it's just us here."
Hueco Mundo.
The waters above Las Noches churned violently as Reiatsu and magic collided, waves crashing in midair. Aizen Sosuke's brown hair fluttered slightly in the chaotic flow of reishi.
He adjusted his black-rimmed glasses, the lenses catching the deep blue glow of magical energy wrapped around Katerea Leviathan.
"So that's how it is"
His fingers brushed across the hilt of Kyka Suigetsu, murmuring, "Not a trace of reishi manipulation, yet a perfectly stable energy system"
Tsen, blind as ever, turned toward the battlefield. "Should we back up the Espada?"
"Not yet," Aizen replied.
His gaze swept over Harribel being pinned down by Midoriko, then over the damaged Baraggan Louisenbairn, finally landing on the fading green light lingering on Nelliel's lance.
Nelliel?
He kept watching her, his eyes narrowing with interest. After a moment, he muttered, "Completely transformed"
"And"
"She's even stronger than before."
Aizen could sense it clearlybesides her Reiatsu, there was another kind of energy within her.
"This is truly unexpected."
A quiet laugh escaped Aizen's lips, and his interest deepened.
The fusion of reishi with another energy system.
It was
"Perfect."
Two completely different energies coexisting inside her without any sign of conflict!
More than that
He could faintly feel that the reishi inside Nelliel wasn't just tolerating that second energyit was actually working with it.
Just that alone made Aizen suspect that this unknown energy might be even more advanced than reishi!
He exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing.
Who would've thought?
Other than the Hgyoku, something in this world could still catch his interest.
"I've seriously underestimated this world"
He thought he'd already peeled back its layers and grasped its truthsbut clearly, he was far from the whole picture.
There were still powerful, unknown forces out there waiting to be discovered.
The thought sparked a renewed sense of curiosity in him about this world's future.
But first, there was the current Las Noches situation to deal with.
Things had gone a bit off script, sure, but his great plan still had to move forward.
Which meant the Espada couldn't die. At leastnot yet.
After quietly observing and gathering enough intel, Aizen finally spoke.
"Do it."
At his side, Tsen didn't hesitate. His hand moved straight to his Zanpakut's hilt.
In the next second
"Cry, Suzumushi."
A steady voice rang out as he drew the blade, and a brilliant flash of light burst from the sword.
Bzzz
A high-pitched hum, like an insect's cry, echoed across the ruined skies of Las Noches.
The sudden noise drew everyone's attention.
Coyote Starrk, having just dodged another attack from Katerea Leviathan, glanced over mid-motion.
When he saw Tsen's figure, he let out a noticeable sigh of relief.
"Finally"
And now that Tsen had shown up, it was clear that Ulquiorra's arrangements had been set in motion.
Sure enough
Starrk's gaze shifted upward, where he spotted Aizen calmly floating in midair with that ever-present smile.
Sensing Starrk's stare, Aizen met his eyes briefly.
Starrk's expression stiffenedand then he quietly looked away.
Seeing this, Aizen chuckled lightly.
"Never thought I'd see you in such a sorry state."
Starrk sighed. "Hey, I'm not slacking off this time."
"Heh"
Aizen didn't respond. His gaze drifted to the wolves constantly circling around Starrk.
Aizen's expression didn't change, but in his heart, Starrk's value dropped like a stone.
Just another pawn for the cause.
He couldn't even hold Las Noches.
That said, even if Las Noches fell, what Aizen had gained today far outweighed its loss.
He could barely contain his eagerness to study Nelliel and the others.
As if she sensed the pure malice emanating from Aizen, Nelliel's heart skipped a beat. She immediately turned to him, eyes alert.
"Be careful," she warned. "He's not just the ruler of Las Nochesno"
"He's the king of all Hueco Mundo!"
Her tone was deadly serious.
Midoriko picked up on it too, shifting her focus to Aizen with growing caution.
If Starrksupposedly the top Espadawas already on par with Katerea (a top Satan after she joined the familia), then the man who ruled over all of them, wouldn't he be Satan?
Maybe even stronger?
A Super Devil?
Midoriko was on high alert now.
Nearby, Katerea Leviathan also stopped her assault on Starrk, turning her eyes toward Aizen.
"A king, huh?"
She smirked. "He doesn't look like much."
"Don't let your guard down," Midoriko warned.
Across from them
Feeling the weight of everyone's gaze, Aizen maintained his gentle smile and said calmly:
"Don't mind me. You can keep going."
Starrk: ""
Aren't you here to help?!
Baraggan: "?"
"Tch, this bastard Still as infuriating as ever!"
With a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, Aizen said softly:
"You couldn't even defend Las Noches How utterly useless."
As his words fell... Silence swept over the Espada.
Baraggan gritted his teeth but had nothing to say.
Starrk, on the other hand, didn't seem to care.
But still, seeing Aizen's reaction, Starrk couldn't help but form a few thoughts of his own.
So he's interested in the strange energy inside these people too, huh?
.
.
.
You're a Soul Too, Arent You?
Tsen looked calmly at Katerea.
He knew his mission.
Help Aizen test the limits of the strange energy inside these people.
So
"Bankai."
"Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Krogi!"
"Mumy!"
WHUMMMMM!
The moment the words left his mouth, a massive ellipsoid barrier erupted outward.
In the blink of an eye, Katerea was completely engulfed.
And then she blinked. Her vision was blurring.
She blinked again. And again.
And thendarkness.
"?"
Katerea Leviathan froze.
Wait.
Not just her sight.
Her hearinggone.
Her sense of smellgone.
Was this because of the barrier?
She quickly pieced things together.
Tsen rose above her, looking down coldly.
"In this domain," he said flatly, "your sight, hearing, smell, and even your spiritual perception will be completely stripped away."
"You'll have only your sense of touchto feel pain."
His voice was like a death sentence.
His words confirmed her suspicions.
But then
"Spiritual perception?"
But she didn't have spiritual pressure.
She used Magic.
Did this still apply to her?
Thinking quickly, she reached out with her magic
And her expression turned strange.
Aizen Ssuke raised an eyebrow. "Already using Bankai? Good job."
Then he turned to Nelliel with a gentle smile. "Nelliel, would you mind telling me where that energy inside you comes from?"
Nel's expression froze for a second. Then she turned to Aizen, face blank.
"I see," she said coolly. "So now you're interested in the magic in our bodies, huh?"
No wonder he hadn't attacked them immediatelyeven though they were the ones who destroyed Las Noches. He was gathering intel.
On the sidelines, Starrk and Harribel both had a flash of realization.
Yeah, that was definitely in line with Aizen's way of doing things.
Still, it made it pretty clear that he never really considered them allies.
Not that they minded.
Starrk and Harribel had spent enough time around Aizen to get a read on the kind of man he was.
Well, maybe the more time you spent with him, the less you actually understood.
But one thing was certain:
Aizen Ssuke didn't care about the Espada or Las Noches.
The only thing he might have been interested in was the treasure trove of knowledge buried beneath its ruins.
"Magic, huh"
Aizen narrowed his eyes slightly, locking onto that particular word Nel had used.
"Magic"so that's what they called the energy flowing through their bodies.
He committed it to memory, then smiled warmly. "You're right. I'm very interested in that magic of yours."
Even after Nel had exposed his intentions, Aizen didn't flinch or deny ithe simply admitted it with complete honesty.
Or rather, he never intended to hide it in the first place.
"So?" he asked, still smiling as if they were just neighbors chatting over tea. "Mind sharing some interesting information with me?"
There wasn't even the slightest hint of hostility in his toneas if this was all just a friendly conversation.
Nel: ""
Wait, seriously?
He's asking an enemy for intel just like that?
Honestly she was kind of speechless at how shameless Aizen was being right now.
"Are you serious?"
Aizen's lips curved into a small smile, eyes calm and unreadable. "Never underestimate a Shinigami's curiosity."
Faced with a power system unlike anything he'd seen before, Aizen was sure he wasn't the only one interested.
Even Kisuke Urahara wouldn't be able to resist digging deeper.
And if the Soul Society found out? The higher-ups would probably scramble to lock these "peace-threatening anomalies" up as soon as possible.
Hell even Yamamoto might approve the decision.
Nel stared at Aizen for a moment. After confirming he was serious, she furrowed her brows and shook her head.
"I'm not an Espada anymore," she said firmly.
"So I'll have to decline."
"Ah," Aizen chuckled helplessly. "I figured as much."
Resting his hand on the hilt of his Zanpakut, he shook his head. "In the end, the result will be the same. So why not"
"make this easier on both of us?"
Shing
As he spoke, Aizen slowly drew his blade from its sheath.
The moment light reflected off its surface, a chill ran through the airsharp and unnerving.
"So he's finally making a move" Starrk muttered to himself, narrowing his eyes at the sight.
At some point, Lilynette was now clinging to his shoulder, peeking out from behind him with a shiver.
She was genuinely terrified of the man who once ruled the Espada.
"Don't worry," Starrk said calmly, trying to reassure her. "For now, we're still useful to him."
Useful, huh?
That actually made her feel less reassured.
She gave Starrk a bitter, almost resentful look that nearly made him laugh out loud.
On the other side of the battlefield
Seeing Aizen's movements, Nel instantly went on high alert, bracing herself for a fight.
Aizen was strong. Incredibly strong.
But just how strong?
Even Nel didn't know the full extent.
Because Very few people had ever actually seen him fight.
The only known instance was his clash with Baraggan Louisenbairn.
But even that had ended so quickly that no one could make sense of what had happened.
So really no one had any idea just how powerful Aizen truly was.
That said She could still make some guesses based on Baraggan and Starrk.
At the very least, he was stronger than both of them.
And for Nel, that already made him a terrifying opponent.
Nel glanced toward Midoriko.
Midoriko stood there with a calm expression, gently holding a wisp of energy in her handflickering like ghostly flame.
"You"
"You're a soul too, aren't you?"
Aizen's eyes narrowed slightly as he focused on the flame in Midoriko's palm.
After a moment of silence, he finally said:
"What an interesting power."
.
.
.
Shatter Kyka Suigetsu
The moment Aizen Sosuke laid eyes on the eerie, ghostly flame in Midoriko's palm, his handgripping his Zanpakutopaused ever so slightly.
Just like with Tier Harribel earlier That same unsettling sensation crept over him.
It wasn't fear in the ordinary senseNo.
It was a shiver that started deep in his soul and surged all the way to the top of his head.
Someone could make him feel like this?
"Ah, it had been so long."
Realizing what was happening to his own body, Aizen fell quiet for a beatthen, unexpectedly, he chuckled.
But this time, his smile wasn't fake.
It was realgenuine, honest.
Only power that could truly threaten him could make him feel this excited.
"A force that targets the soul, huh"
That kind of power was the natural enemy of both Shinigami and Hollows.
Truly, Delightful.
Aizen tightened his grip on his Zanpakuto, already itching to test things out.
"Careful now. I'm coming."
In the blink of an eye Aizen's figure vanished from the sky!
Midoriko's eyes widened. She could feel the gust of wind surging in from behind her!
Vmm!
Without warning, a golden barrier shimmered into existence behind her.
Clang!
A sharp metallic clang rang outAizen's Zanpakuto struck the barrier mid-swing.
He paused slightly, eyes narrowing.
From the barrier, several golden talismans marked with ancient runes shot out toward him.
Aizen narrowed his gaze, instantly using Shunpo to retreat a safe distance before lifting his hand.
