The Battle of Sōkyoku Hill (Nine)

Aizen's back slammed into the shattered Sōkyoku Scaffold, the impact traveling through his spine to his entire body, almost causing him to lose control of Kyōka Suigetsu.

Before he could even stand up from the pile of rubble, the dark blue figure had already closed in again—the broad blade of the Blade of Power, wreathed in a blinding blue-white light, slashed down from above.

Aizen hurriedly raised his sword to block, and the moment the blade collided with the sword, his knee bent, and the ground beneath his feet sank downwards from him, with cracks extending in all directions, the fissures reaching all the way to the edge of the execution platform.

"His power has increased again—no, it's the sword itself that's amplifying his Reiatsu."

Aizen flicked his wrist, attempting to use Kyōka Suigetsu to deflect the blade of the Blade of Power, but Amber did not give him a chance to deflect the force.

The blade of Blade of Power pressed down on Kyōka Suigetsu, and at the same time, Amber drew Jiku'a from its living scabbard with her right hand—slashing at Aizen's ribs from the side with the shortest possible trajectory.

Aizen had no choice but to abandon the struggle and retreat with Shunpo. The tip of Jiku'a's blade grazed his Shihakusho, leaving a smooth cut on it.

"Can this stance allow for the simultaneous use of two weapons? -- With the scabbard on my left arm, I can launch a second slash with the crow at any time during a grappling match."

The Blade of Power unleashed a wide horizontal slash. Unwilling to suffer any further losses in a contest of strength, Aizen retreated, while Amber flapped her wings of light and advanced at lightning speed.

Jiku'a drew his sword again, the blade grazing his neck and leaving a thin line of blood on his skin. He stopped Hu's pursuit with a backhand slash, creating distance once more, and his breathing became rapid.

His Shihakusho was torn in several places. Although the burn mark on his chest caused by the Formless Art: Emptiness had been removed by the device, the newly added wound was bleeding again. His glasses, with only one lens remaining, were crooked on his nose, revealing the bloodshot eye underneath.

Amber sheathed the Jiku'a, planted the Blade of Power in front of him, and clenched his fists. Beowulf appeared on Amber's limbs like a knight's gauntlets. He took a step forward, pulled out the Blade of Power, and raised it high above his head, compressing his Reiatsu to its limit.

Aizen raised his hand, and several Dankū unfolded before him. Layer upon layer of transparent light barriers separated him from Amber.

With a heavy swing, the sword pressure, amplified by Beowulf, was unstoppable. It struck the first Dankū of light, shattering it like glass. The second, the third, and the last Dankū all failed to provide any resistance and shattered completely.

Aizen Shunpo to dodge the moment the first cracking sound came, but the sword pressure still grazed his side, pulling him backward. The half of the stone pillar that took the full brunt of the sword pressure was instantly blasted into dust.

Gravel rained down on his face, but he had no time to wipe the dust away—Amber was already close again.

The blade of Blade of Power swung upwards, the pressure of the sword rising like an earthquake.

A long cut was left on Aizen's chest, and blood seeped from the wound. He was now truly forced into a corner where he had no choice but to retreat.

"Can Beowulf really amplify his slashing attacks to this extent? That's an absurd power!"

Amber pointed the Blade of Power at Aizen, the engravings on the sword's spine reflecting the blue flames in his silver eyes:

"Aizen, your Kyōka Suigetsu is useless against me, and your Kidō can no longer harm me. What can you do now? Surrender!"

Aizen raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, his bloodshot eyes looking at Amber through the shattered lens.

A smile still lingered on his lips, though it was no longer as effortless as before, it still carried a hint of mockery. "Indeed, Kyōka Suigetsu don't work on you."

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from the steps.

Renji Abarai rushed up the stairs, blood still seeping from the wounds inflicted by Senbonzakura beneath his bandages.

His eyes were empty—yet his expression was incredibly strained, as if he were fleeing from pursuers. Rukia Kuchiki was held in his arms; her eyes were equally empty, but her expression was extremely tense.

The two charged straight toward the battlefield between Aizen and Koko.

"Renji? Rukia?" Ichigo, carrying Tensa Zangetsu, took a step towards Renji. "What happened to you two? Why did you come back again? Hey! Renji!"

Renji didn't answer; he didn't even glance at Ichigo.

He simply carried Rukia and rushed toward Aizen at an ever-increasing speed, without the slightest hesitation.

Ichigo used Shunpo forward and grabbed Renji's shoulder. "Don't go! It's dangerous!"

Just as his fingers were about to touch Renji's shoulder, Renji sidestepped— Shunpo —and Ichigo's hand missed its mark. Renji had already circled around to his side and continued charging towards Aizen, even faster than before.

"Renji!" Ichigo chased after him again, but Renji's pace was abnormally fast, and some of his wounds even began to reopen. His empty eyes remained unchanged, as if he felt nothing at all.

Seeing Renji running towards him, Aoi said to Aizen, "Did you control him with Kyōka Suigetsu? Did you think I'd let you succeed so easily?"

Kou immediately turned and rushed towards Renji, his wings fully unfurled behind him, intending to forcibly pull the two of them back.

"Bankai, Suzumushi Final Form: Enma Cricket."

Kaname Tōsen's voice came from somewhere, cold and calm. A huge dome made of pure darkness descended from the sky, enveloping both Amber and Ichigo.

Koko then realized that Aizen had a backup plan!

"Aizen, you...!"

Before Hu could finish his roar, his vision and voice were plunged into pure darkness, absolute, pure darkness without a single ray of light.

The sound disappeared—everything returned to silence; the sense of touch disappeared—everything returned to nothingness; the perception of Reiatsu also disappeared—Amber's Bankai provided an exoskeleton that could provide stronger spatial awareness, and this power was even greater in the Blade of Power form, but now Amber could not perceive anything.

Ichigo stood in the darkness, gripping Tensa Zangetsu tightly, his teeth clenched. He tried to use his Spirit Veins to sense his surroundings, but nothing happened. He opened his mouth to shout, but couldn't even hear his own voice. He could only maintain a defensive stance, on high alert...

Then, a dull thud, like a blade piercing flesh, echoed from the darkness.

Amber's closed senses were finally unlocked again—a Zanpakuto pierced through his chest, its tip emerging from his back, gleaming coldly in the darkness.

Pain was the first stimulus he received after the darkness was lifted, and his senses returned in that instant: light flooded his vision again, and sound filled his eardrums once more. The first person he saw was Kaname Tōsen, the blind man with an eye patch, who stabbed Suzumushi hard into his chest; the first sound he heard was the soft thud of his own blood dripping onto the stone slab.

He looked down at the Suzumushi that had almost reached the bottom, then looked up again, past Kaname Tōsen, and ahead:

Renji lay on the shattered stone slab, a pool of blood beneath him. His fingers were still in the grip of his sword, but Zabimaru had slipped from his grasp and rolled a few steps away.

Rukia was being lifted off the ground by Aizen, who was holding her by the neck.

Gin Ichimaru stood beside Aizen, his Shinsō hanging at his side. His gaze swept over the piercing wound on Amber's chest, a slight ripple passing through his narrowed eyes.

"Tōsen, well done." Aizen didn't turn around.

Kaname Tōsen stood in front of Koko, holding his Zanpakuto. His sword was still stuck in Koko's chest, and as he tried to pull it out, he found that the blade did not budge.

He pulled it out a second time—Amber's muscles held the knife tightly inside her body. The muscle fibers at the edge of the wound were like countless tiny fingers, gripping the blade tightly.

"I can't pull it out!"

Cold sweat beaded on Tōsen's forehead.

Amber raised the Blade of Power with her right hand. The engravings on the spine of the sword emitted a cold light, and the killing intent emanating from the blade made the air freeze.

Tōsen sensed the killing intent, and his body reacted faster than his mind, instinctively tilting his head back.

The blade of Blade of Power fell before him, severing several strands of his finely braided black hair and piercing his right shoulder.

Blood gushed from the severed wound; Tōsen's entire right arm, along with his right hand that was holding Suzumushi, was severed from his body.

Tōsen tumbled several times in the air before crashing to the ground. He tried to stand up, but remained kneeling, his left hand clutching the broken wound on his right shoulder. His usually cold and hard face was contorted with pain.

The dark dome of Enma Cricket began to shatter the moment Suzumushi broke free from Tōsen. Pieces of darkness peeled away, like mist scorched by sunlight, and light filled the execution platform again, restoring the senses.

Ichigo, panting heavily, Tensa Zangetsu horizontally in front of him. His eyes refocused, and the first thing he saw was Amber's sword with the Suzumushi sticking out of her chest, Aizen holding Rukia in his hand, and Renji lying in a pool of blood.

"Aizen--!"

"Don't move."

Aizen's voice wasn't loud, but the entire execution platform fell silent at that moment as he pressed Kyōka Suigetsu against Renji's head.

The tip of the knife was only an inch from Renji's temple; with just a flick of his wrist, the knife would pierce through Renji's skull.

Amber stood still, the blade of the Blade of Power hovering in mid-air, its tip only a few steps away from Aizen.

The Suzumushi was still stuck in his chest, and blood kept seeping from the edge of the wound, flowing down along the patterns of his Shihakusho and pooling into a small dark red pool at his feet.

"Ye Xing, it seems I have more chips in my hand now. After all, your two closest seniors—are both in my hands." Aizen tilted his head, the tip of his Kyōka Suigetsu sword lightly tapping Renji. "Want to make a deal with me?"

Ichigo's teeth were grinding together, his fingers clenching the hilt of Tensa Zangetsu until they turned white. "Aizen, you're hopeless!"

Aizen didn't look at Ichigo. His gaze remained fixed on Koko.

"The method of retrieving the Hōgyoku is very gentle and will not harm Rukia's soul. All I want is the Hōgyoku. Once I have the Hōgyoku and leave, I will return these two to you. How about it?"

Rukia was being held by the neck by Aizen, her toes dangling in mid-air. She had her head down—during the time that Amber and Ichigo were trapped by the Enma cricket, she and Renji had learned everything from Aizen.

She realized that Aizen's target was the Hōgyoku inside her—the substance that Kisuke Urahara buried deep within her Gigai, capable of breaking the boundary between Hollows and Soul Reaper.

She couldn't imagine what would happen if that thing fell into Aizen's hands.

"Amber! Don't worry about me! Do it!" She grabbed Aizen's arm tightly with both hands and shouted at Amber, "It's too dangerous for Aizen to have the Hōgyoku! We absolutely can't give it to him! Cut him down too!"

Aizen's fingers tightened slightly, Rukia's throat was compressed, and the rest of her words turned into a suppressed groan.

"Rukia..."

Ichigo stood still, gripping Tensa Zangetsu. Blood was still seeping from the deep, bone-revealing wound on his right shoulder, but the pain was not what prevented him from taking a step.

His strength was of no use in a battle of this level—and the Aizen before him was a monster that even Koma couldn't defeat immediately.

This was no longer a simple matter of rescuing Rukia. He looked at Amber's back, at the Suzumushi stuck in her chest, at the blood seeping from the wound, and there was nothing he could do.

"Damn it, am I just supposed to stand here and watch, unable to do anything?! This is infuriating..."

"How is it, Yexing Hu?" Aizen moved the tip of Kyōka Suigetsu from Renji's temple and aimed it at Ko again. "I need time to research the Hōgyoku. As long as you're strong enough, you can capture us again after we leave. This shouldn't be a bad deal for you."

Amber fell silent. The wind blew up from the cliffs of Sōkyoku Hill, making his tattered Shihakusho flutter loudly.

He glanced at Rukia, who was still desperately shaking her head at him even though Aizen was choking her; he then looked at Renji, who lay in a pool of blood, blood still seeping from the slash wound on his chest, but he still tried to grit his teeth and stand up; he then looked at Ichigo, whose wound from Byakuya's cut hadn't been treated, and blood was still flowing. Even with Ichigo's strong bloodline, he wasn't a tank, and he wouldn't last much longer.

"Alright then." Amber's voice wasn't very enthusiastic; she swallowed the deal. "Hōgyoku, you give Rukia- senpai and Renji- senpai back."

"Amber! You idiot!" Rukia screamed at the top of her lungs, "What you've done—"

"It's alright, Rukia- senpai," Amber interrupted her, his voice soft but firm, piercing everyone's ears like iron nails. "Please believe me, I will absolutely defeat Aizen with my own hands."

Aizen looked into Amber's silver eyes, which held only a calm, focused concentration. This statement was quite convincing, and no one present, including Aizen himself, would question its truthfulness.

Aizen's lips curled into a slight smile, "A wise choice."

He took out a device from his pocket and released the Sōkyoku Reishi he had previously extracted, quickly constructing a ritual altar.

"Don't even think about launching a surprise attack at this time," Aizen warned as he operated the ritual. "The ritual is extremely precise. If something goes wrong now, I can't guarantee what will happen."

The ritual created a black hole in Rukia's chest, Aizen reached into it with his hand, which had been altered by the ritual, and took out a tiny sphere that emitted Blue-Violet light from Rukia's chest.

This is the Hōgyoku.

Aizen reached out, took the bead in his hand, and examined it for a moment. "Is this the completed Hōgyoku? It's smaller than I expected."

Just as Aizen was looking down at the Hōgyoku, two figures, one in black and one in white, rushed into the battlefield from the side. They were incredibly fast.

Yoruichi close to Aizen, while Fon Shaoling flitted past Aizen. One grabbed Renji, and the other pulled Rukia away from Aizen's grasp.

Yin drew his sword the instant he saw the two figures.

"Shoot him, Shinsō!"

The blade of the Shinsō, like a silver Viper, pierced straight towards the path of the two figures.

Another white figure collided with the rapidly extending blade of the Shinsō from the side.

The petals of the Senbonzakura Blossoms exploded in the air, deflecting the blade of the Shinsō by half an inch. Byakuya Kuchiki stood before Yoruichi and Fon Shaoling, the petals of the Senbonzakura slowly drifting down around him.

His left shoulder was still wrapped in the bandages of the Fourth Division, with faint traces of blood seeping through, but he couldn't care less about that now, his eyes fixed on Gin.

"Gin Ichimaru, were you trying to assassinate my sister just now?"

Yin sheathed his Shinsō, shortening the blade to its normal length. He tilted his head, his eyes narrowed into tiny slits, the curve of his lips unchanged. "How can someone who was thinking of executing his own sister just now have the nerve to say such things now?"

Byakuya's fingers tightened slightly on the hilt of Senbonzakura. He didn't refute, but simply stood in front of Rukia, giving his answer through his actions.

Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, leaning on a cane formed from Ryūjin Jakka, also stepped onto the Sōkyoku Hill.

With each step he took, his cane struck the ground with a dull thud. Shunsui Kyōraku, Jūshirō Ukitake, Kenpachi Zaraki, and Sajin Komamura followed behind him.

With a single Shunpo, the captains surrounded Aizen and Gin from different directions, trapping them in the center of the execution platform.

Yamamoto's gaze swept over Amber, and he tapped his cane lightly on the ground, making a dull thud.

"Yexing Hu, your performance in this battle lived up to your Supernova title. The captains will now take over the battles from here on out."

Uryū Ishida walked up the steps, his right hand, which was still wrapped in bandages, as he drew his bow. He walked over to Ichigo and adjusted his glasses.

"Kurosaki, the wounded can stay in the back. Orihime and Hanatarō are on the platform below. Go and heal their wounds before coming up."

However—by the time you're healed, the battle might already be over.

Yoruichi gently handed Rukia from her arms to Ichigo. Rukia had already fainted, and the hole in her chest that had been opened had closed again. Her breathing was steady, but her body was trembling slightly.

"She also asked you to take it Aizen. If Aizen made the extractor according to Kisuke's design, there shouldn't be any problems, but just in case, take it down for a checkup."

"My job is just to move the wounded?" Ichigo complained, but his hand was already outstretched as he took Rukia him.

Fon Shaoling pushed the unconscious Renji onto Ichigo's back. "Who else is there besides you? You can't participate in the upcoming battle anyway, so instead of just watching, you might as well do something. This is your job."

Ichigo had no choice but to carry the two men, panting and bending over as he ran down the steps. After a few steps, he stopped, glanced back at the battlefield with resentment, and then continued running down.

Gin leaned closer to Aizen, wary of the other captains around him, and lowered his voice. "Captain Aizen, what should we do next?"

Aizen looked up at the sky. The twilight had completely faded, and the night sky was like a deep blue curtain spread across the horizon.

A slow smile curved his lips. "No need to panic, Silver. The reinforcements are here."

As his words fell, the sky split open.

A massive crack began to spread from the highest point of the night sky—it was the Garganta!

A huge, jagged, black hole opened above everyone's heads, and from that abyss-like darkness, dozens of Gillian heads emerged.

The enormous white masks gleamed coldly in the moonlight, their empty eye sockets burning with red light.

Several Gillian wriggled their massive bodies and squeezed out of the Garganta, landing on Sōkyoku Hill. The ground trembled violently under their stomping, and stones rolled off the edge of the execution platform, falling into the dense forest below the cliff.

Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai raised his head, leaning on a cane Ryūjin Jakka, his back ramrod straight, his pupils, weathered by a thousand years of time, reflecting the countless white masks in the sky.

He slammed his cane heavily on the ground, crushing the Still Water that the Cilian had given him. A burst of light swept across the entire execution platform.

"Sōsuke Aizen." Yamamoto's voice, like a red-hot nail, pierced the night sky shrouded in Garganta, "I never imagined you would stoop so low as to join forces with Hollows!"

Oh well...

All personnel, listen to my command—begin the mission immediately to annihilate Aizen, his associates, and the Menos Grande!

"Yes!"

The crowd responded in unison, swords were drawn, Reiatsu surged, and under the cover of night, the final battle was about to begin!