The Battle of Sōkyoku Hill (VII)

On the execution platform at Sōkyoku Hill, the blade cage of Senkei is slowly peeling away.

The sealed space, formed by billions of tiny blades, began to crumble layer by layer from the top. The gaps between the blades widened, and cold white light seeped in, illuminating the battlefield inside the cage.

As the last blade fragment dissipated into Reishi, two figures appeared back-to-back on the ruins of the execution platform.

Ichigo Kurosaki stood in the middle of the rubble, a deep, bone-revealing wound newly opened on his right shoulder, blood gushing from it. He immediately pressed the tip of his Tensa Zangetsu sword against the ground, struggling to keep himself from falling. His Shihakusho, which resembled a trench coat, was now tattered and torn.

Behind Ichigo is Byakuya Kuchiki.

Blood was also gushing from his left shoulder. With his head down, both his captain's robe and the Shihakusho underneath were stained red with blood seeping from the wound. He endured the pain and took a few shaky steps forward, blood dripping down his arm onto the stone slab.

He raised his hand, looking at the few remaining petals clinging to his palm.

"He broke the White Emperor Sword..."

The White Emperor Sword is the embodiment of my resolve, the ultimate secret I comprehended when Hisana Rukia to his care.

Now it's being used to attack those who came to rescue Rukia, so it's only natural that it was destroyed...

My Hisana, why have I forgotten you for so long...?

"Why?" Ichigo's voice was hoarse as he turned around, holding Tensa Zangetsu. "Your technique dissipated on its own, why...?"

Byakuya turned around and looked at the disheveled yet still stubborn person.

"I didn't unlock the White Emperor Sword willingly. My sword was shattered by yours. I lost..." His voice was very soft, so soft that it was almost blown away by the wind.

What are you saying--

"Rukia..."

Byakuya interrupted Ichigo, and for the first time, his eyes were devoid of their usual indifference. He simply looked at Ichigo and, in an almost pleading tone, uttered the request he had kept hidden for far too long.

"Please, save her..."

The wind blew across the execution platform, ruffling Byakuya's loose black hair and Ichigo's tattered clothes. Here, there were no captains, no nobles, only a heartbroken older brother pleading with someone to save his sister.

"... You don't need to tell me." Ichigo hoisted Tensa Zangetsu back onto his shoulder, turned around, and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I'm here to save her."

Byakuya watched the orange-haired boy's retreating figure, then slowly turned around. "You've won this battle."

He then Shunpo, intending to leave Sōkyoku Hill.

Just then, he sensed a Reiatsu rapidly rising from all sides of the steps—a deep blue, sharp pressure, carrying undisguised anger and anxiety—passing him by.

That's Yexing Hu!

When Yexing Hu landed on the Sōkyoku Hill, she first saw Ichigo preparing to carry Tensa Zangetsu to Ichigo Rukia.

"Ichigo!" Koko's voice was very low.

"Amber?!"

What's wrong?

Amber's Adam's apple bobbed as she spotted the figure beside the Sōkyoku Spears. "Found you! You bastard!"

The four wings of the Demon Shadow behind Amber unfolded again, and she was launched off the execution platform, rushing towards Aizen. The trail of her dark blue Reiatsu left a long, fiery tail in the twilight, like a shooting star flying backward.

Not long ago, on the mid-section platform

Yoruichi the first to arrive. As she rushed up from the dense forest, she saw Amber kneeling on the ground, holding a withered old man in her arms.

Cilian's left gauntlet was shattered, the mechanism had stopped working, and the arm that had once unleashed countless weapons and nearly driven Aizen to the brink of despair now hung limply at his side. His eyes were closed, his breathing extremely shallow, each rise and fall like a wisp of smoke blown by the wind from a great distance.

Amber knelt beside him, her Bankai still activated. The Demon Shadow hovered behind him, but it was almost half the size it had been when it was first released.

He kept his head down, Jiku'a was stuck in the ground beside him, and his body still bore the marks left from his battle with Yin.

"Instructor..." His voice was very soft, as if he were calling someone who was asleep.

The Cilian did not answer.

"Shaoling and Yoruichi will be here soon. The Captain-Commander will arrive shortly too. Just hold on a little longer and we'll be able to capture Aizen."

Cilian's lips moved, but almost no sound came out. His fingers curled slightly, as if in response to Amber.

Fon Shaoling arrived a few breaths after Yoruichi. Her footsteps abruptly stopped at the edge of the platform, where Amber was kneeling beside Cilian, and Cilian's bloodless face and shattered gauntlets.

She walked over, squatted down on the other side of the Cilian, and gently placed her hand on the Cilian's shattered gauntlet.

Yoruichi stood behind the two of them, watching this scene, then silently turned around and walked to the edge of the platform.

She didn't speak, she just stood there, arms crossed, guarding this temporarily quiet corner for them.

Hu carefully laid Cilian's body flat so that Fon Shaoling could receive her steadily. He stood up, his eyes glowing red. "Shaoling, please take care of Instructor Cilian."

"Where are you going?" Yoruichi asked as she approached.

"Execution platform."

"Wait, Aizen might already be up there. You should go up now—"

"I know," Amber interrupted her, "Byakuya and Ichigo are fighting up there, and nobody knows what Aizen might do. He won't be allowed to hurt anyone near me again!"

The Demon Shadow behind Amber spread its four wings again, and a ghostly blue light shone brighter in the twilight than ever before.

"Wait--"

Before Yoruichi could finish speaking, Amber had already launched herself off the platform. The four wings of the Demon Shadow drew a dark blue trail in the night sky, heading straight for the summit of Sōkyoku Hill.

Yoruichi watched the departing trail and could only sigh helplessly, "What a fool."

At this moment, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai arrived at the middle platform using Shunpo. Leaning on the cane Ryūjin Jakka Ryujin Jakka had transformed into, he walked over step by step, his steps steady and crisp. Each time the cane landed on the stone steps, it made a dull sound. Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake followed behind him.

Captain-Commander Yamamoto calmly walked to the center of the platform, casually grabbing Byakuya Kuchiki was trying to slip past him.

"Kuchiki, the main force of the Fourth Division will be here soon. You'd better stay here in this condition."

The Captain-Commander lifted Byakuya aside like a chick.

A while later, the Reiatsu of a battle between Kou and Aizen emanated from the execution platform at Sōkyoku Hill.

At the top of the stairs, they were greeted by Sajin Komamura and his group of Ryoka, as well as the main force of the Fourth Division.

After the Fourth Division arrived, they quickly stabilized Cilian's vital signs and Kaidō treating Byakuya.

The Ryoka and his companions were treated by Orihime and Hanatarō.

At this moment, Yamamoto stopped beside Yoruichi, his gaze falling on Cilian. He looked at the withered old man, his hand nails shattered, and almost bloodless.

"That foolish boy, he's made himself look older than me."

He raised his head, his eyes, as deep as an ancient well, revealing no emotion, but his fingers tightened slightly on his cane.

"Unohana, I know you've been looking for her before."

"They're on their way," Yoruichi replied. "She and Isane went to Central 46 to investigate. I estimate that everything will be clear once Captain Unohana arrives."

Yamamoto didn't speak again. He stood on the platform, leaning on his cane, waiting for the answer that was about to come.

Footsteps echoed up the stairs, Kenpachi Zaraki strode onto the platform, carrying a member of the Fourth Division on his shoulder. The latter was curled up on his shoulder, clutching a first-aid kit tightly in his arms.

Yachiru, perched on his other shoulder, swung her leg. "I put you on Koken's shoulder so you could heal me, but all you did was tremble the whole way. Honestly."

The team member said, "Lieutenant Kusajishi, this is far too difficult. I can't do it."

Ikkaku followed closely behind, with Hōzukimaru carried on his shoulder. Yumichika brought up the rear.

"Oh, everyone's here. Are you planning to hold Captains' Meeting here today?" Kenpachi looked around, his one eye sweeping across everyone's face.

He put the Fourth Division member off his shoulder, and the latter staggered a couple of steps.

"Captain Zaraki," Kyōraku pushed his straw hat up a bit, "Your entrance is as spectacular as ever."

"Don't even mention it." Kenpachi walked to the side of Komamura. "I just finished fighting Tōsen, and this Fourth Division guy came over with a few people and told me to come here after I got treatment, saying there was a fight to be had."

I figured I couldn't let the fight get in the way, so I carried him on my back.

He glanced at the teammate who was still trembling, paused, and added, "Anyway, he can't run fast."

The captains present fell silent, except for Komamura.

"Wait, they're fighting with Tōsen? What's going on?!"

Let me explain.

With a mature female voice, Retsu Unohana walked up, followed by Isane, whose face was slightly pale and who was tightly clutching a handwritten record in her hand.

Unohana walked up to Yamamoto and stood in front of him, her hands clasped in front of her. Her voice was not loud, but every word was clearly heard by everyone, though everyone wished the words were not so clear.

"Just now, Isane and I confirmed that everyone in Central 46 is dead."

Judging from the condition of the body, the person had been dead for at least a month. This means that all the orders issued during that time—including the execution of Rukia Kuchiki —were forged and issued by someone else.

The entire mid-section platform fell silent. Komamura's hand holding the sword trembled slightly, and his beast-like eyes were filled with disbelief and shock.

Kyōraku's fingers paused on the edge of his straw hat, Ukitake's brows furrowed tightly, and Shunsui pulled the brim of his hat down further.

"Furthermore," Unohana continued, "We discovered the Tenth Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya Pure Tower Residence Grove."

He was severely injured by a single blow; the wound stretched from his left shoulder to his lower abdomen, held together only by a thin layer of skin.

Judging from the lingering Reiatsu from the wound and Captain Hitsugaya's testimony before he fainted—"She raised her eyes,"—it was Sōsuke Aizen who attacked him.

"There are currently two confirmed accomplices of Aizen. One is Gin Ichimaru, the Third Division Captain. Captain Hitsugaya pointed out that he and Aizen acted together today."

Secondly, based on the intelligence from the Second Division, it can be basically confirmed that the Captain of the Ninth Division, Kaname Tōsen, was identified. His sudden attack on Captain Zaraki today, followed by his defeat and disappearance, further confirms this.

"This... could it be a mistake in the intelligence? How could Tōsen...?" Komamura was somewhat incredulous.

"The intelligence provider is lying there right now, relying on my team's Kaidō to maintain his vital signs. In my opinion, his credibility is still very high," Unohana replied.

The team captains present remained silent.

Captain-Commander Yamamoto leaned on his cane and remained silent for a moment. His eyes, etched with the wisdom of a thousand years, made their decision.

"All captains, listen to my command."

His voice wasn't loud, but each word was like a red-hot nail, firmly driven into the air tinged with the twilight.

"The mission to capture the notorious criminal, former Fifth Division Captain Sōsuke Aizen, is now underway. Except for Retsu Unohana, who is currently treating the wounded here—all captains present, ascend Sōkyoku Hill!"

"Yes!" the captains responded in unison.

The Ganju took a step forward. "Wait!"

Yamamoto's gaze fell on the Rukongai boy. Ganju felt a tightness in his back from the pressure, but he stubbornly refused to back down.

"We're here to rescue Rukia too. Since the execution order itself is no longer valid, then—"

"You Ryoka," Yamamoto interrupted him, his voice not loud, but authoritative, "You will only hinder the Gotei 13's operations here. Follow Captain Unohana's orders. After the battle, I will arrange for someone to send you back."

"Obstruction?" A voice rang out from the Ryoka. Uryū Ishida stepped out from the crowd, his hand still wrapped in bandages as he drew his bow.

"Rukia Kuchiki's execution was rescinded because Aizen's conspiracy was exposed, and wasn't Aizen's conspiracy exposed precisely because of our arrival? Besides, our comrades are up there, and I'm going up too!"

He looked at Captain-Commander Yamamoto without flinching.

"Furthermore—I heard from Yoruichi Shihōin that Sōsuke Aizen's ability can affect those who have seen his Shikai. If that's the case, then it would be more advantageous to have someone present who won't be interfered with by him!"

Yamamoto's gaze fell on Uryū. He noticed the Quincy's hand, which was wearing Sanrei Glove.

"The Sanrei Glove are the key to the Quincy: Letzt Stil. Once unlocked, they grant power equal to or even surpassing that of a captain, but at the cost of losing their Quincy abilities."

I never imagined that I would see this thing again after a thousand years.

"Quincy Uryū Ishida," Yamamoto's voice was flat, "If you want to participate in a battle of this caliber, you must be prepared to say goodbye to your own abilities. Are you prepared for that?"

Uryū adjusted his glasses, looked at the Captain-Commander of the Soul Reaper before him, and then chuckled softly. "Don't underestimate me. From the moment I stepped into Seireitei, I was prepared to prove in this battle that we Quincy are no less powerful than you Soul Reaper!"

Yamamoto met his gaze for a moment. "Alright. From now on, the Quincy Uryū Ishida will be included in this Sequence!"

Yamamoto turned around, leaning on the Ryūjin Jakka had transformed into, his steps as steady as an ancient tree. He walked towards the steps leading to the execution platform at Sōkyoku Hill, with the captains following behind him and Uryū bringing up the rear.

Yoruichi glanced at Cilian: "... Don't die, or Soi Fon will be heartbroken."

He then followed Captain-Commander Yamamoto up the steps leading to the execution platform.

Shunsui Kyōraku walked behind the Yamamoto, then suddenly looked up at the shimmering blue trail at the highest point of Sōkyoku Hill, before lowering his voice so that only Ukitake beside him could hear.

"Ukitake, these younger generations are really fearless these days, whether it's Ichigo Kurosaki, or that Uryū Ishida, or that Yexing Hu above..."