The Day of Execution (3)

Tōshirō Hitsugaya's Bankai was like a sudden, harsh winter descending from the far north. The moment Daiguren Hyōrinmaru was released, the moisture in the air instantly condensed, and the entire garden of Seijōtakyorin transformed into a frozen world.

Crystalline ice crystals spread upwards from the ground, clinging to buildings, trees, and stone steps, bathing everything in an icy blue luster. The Wings of Ice unfolded behind Tōshirō Hitsugaya, each feather composed of intricate ice crystals, refracting a dazzling yet chilling light in the morning sun.

He hovered in mid-air, holding a long sword shaped like an ice dragon's tail, his gaze fixed on Sōsuke Aizen as if it were frozen solid.

"What a magnificent sight," Aizen said, looking up at the frozen world with admiration, as if he were appreciating a work of art. "It's just that the season for viewing it is wrong—it's early summer now."

Tōshirō Hitsugaya did not respond. His body transformed into an icy blue streak of light, descending from the sky. Hyōrinmaru's blade tip pointed directly at Aizen's heart, moving so fast that it left no afterimage.

Pfft--

The sound of the blade piercing flesh was exceptionally clear in the frozen silence.

Tōshirō Hitsugaya landed steadily, the blade of Hyōrinmaru piercing Aizen's chest completely, the tip protruding from his back, dripping bright red blood. Aizen looked down at the blade in his chest, his face showing no pain, but rather a strange smile.

"A very precise strike," Aizen said, his voice eerily calm, "But unfortunately..."

Before the words were even finished, the scene began to distort.

Like a painting being immersed in water, the colors begin to blur and distort. Aizen's pierced body dissipates like smoke in the ice, replaced by a frozen rock. The real Aizen, however, is already standing on the other side of the courtyard, his Zanpakuto still sheathed.

At the same time, a deep wound suddenly appeared on Tōshirō Hitsugaya's chest. Blood gushed out, staining his Shihakushō and ice-blue haori red. He staggered, and Hyōrinmaru slipped from his hand and plunged into the ground, supporting him from falling.

"Shiro-chan!" Momo Hinamori, hiding in the shadows, couldn't help but exclaim, her voice filled with fear and worry, "How could this happen?!"

Liu Hao pressed down on her shoulders to prevent her from rushing out, explaining calmly, "This is the power of Aizen's Zanpakuto."

"Then hurry and save Shiro-chan!" Momo Hinamori turned to Liu Hao anxiously, her eyes filled with tears.

"No rush," Liu Hao said, glancing towards the courtyard entrance. "His rescuers have arrived."

As if to confirm his words, two figures appeared at the entrance to the courtyard.

Retsu Unohana, the Fourth Division Captain, stood out conspicuously in her white haori against the frozen world. Beside her was Isane Kotetsu, both of them with calm expressions, as if the scene before them had been expected.

"Sōsuke Aizen," Unohana's voice was gentle, yet carried an undeniable air of authority, "You are indeed here."

Aizen turned around, adjusted his glasses, and smiled gently as always, "Oh, Captain Unohana. I didn't expect you to arrive so soon."

"You went to such lengths to hide, you must have chosen the safest, most undetectable place." Unohana walked slowly into the courtyard, the ice beneath her feet melting as she passed, revealing the original stone pavement. "The Seijōtakyorin —the residential area of Central 46 —is indeed a good choice. Who would have thought that the Captain, presumed dead, would be hiding deep within the heart of the highest judicial authority?"

Aizen's smile deepened, "Is that so? Under my long-term hypnosis with Kyōka Suigetsu, you were still able to sense the incongruity and find your way here. It seems you've discovered my secret."

He paused, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes. "No, perhaps you didn't discover it yourself— Liu Hao told you, didn't he?"

Unohana neither denied nor admitted it. She simply looked calmly at Aizen, her usually gentle eyes now sharp as knives.

"How can you be so sure that Liu Hao told me your secret?" she countered.

Aizen did not answer immediately. He raised his right hand, palm up. Ripples appeared in the air, and an illusion exactly like himself appeared in his hand—the illusion that had just been "pierced" by Tōshirō Hitsugaya.

The illusion, like an exquisite glass artifact, floated and spun in his palm.

"There are only two people in the entire Soul Society who are immune to my Zanpakuto's abilities," Aizen said softly, his gaze sweeping across the courtyard. "One is Liu Hao, and the other..."

Before he finished speaking, the illusion in his hand suddenly shattered, turning into countless points of light. The points of light reformed in his hand, forming the shape of a Zanpakuto —a slender blade with a simple tsuba, looking completely unremarkable.

"It's just me."

Aizen released his grip, and the Zanpakuto, composed of specks of light, fell to the ground and embedded itself in the ice. But it had no physical form; it was merely a phantom that quickly dissipated into the air.

"The ability of my Zanpakuto, Kyōka Suigetsu," Aizen's voice echoed in the frozen courtyard, "Is 'Complete Hypnosis'."

Isane Kotetsu gasped, her eyes filled with disbelief. "How is this possible... Isn't your Zanpakuto Water-Type? It uses water flow and mist reflection to confuse opponents! You even summoned our Vice-Captain and demonstrated it at the Shin'ō Academy!"

I still vividly remember the demonstration of Isane Kotetsu. Hundreds of Vice-Captains and outstanding students from the Shin'ō Academy gathered in the Training Ground, watching Aizen's Shikai, Kyōka Suigetsu, transform into flowing water and mist, reflecting a dazzling light in the sunlight. At that time, everyone thought they understood the abilities of this Fifth Division Captain.

"It was just a group hypnosis session," Unohana calmly revealed the truth.

Aizen nodded approvingly. "That's right. The true power of Kyōka Suigetsu is controlling the enemy's five senses, causing a specific target to mistake the posture, shape, texture, touch, and smell of a certain object for that of an enemy. Simply put—"

He raised his hand and pointed to a withered tree frozen in ice in Ikkaku the courtyard:

"I can turn a fly into a dragon in the eyes of those captives of Kyōka Suigetsu, and Swamp into Kyōka Suigetsu Flower Field. Everything you see, hear, and feel can be made to be seen, heard, and felt by me."

Isane Kotetsu's face turned pale. She suddenly understood many things—why Aizen could always anticipate his enemy's moves, why his enemies always made wrong judgments, and why those seemingly sure-hit attacks always missed.

"But this ability comes with conditions, doesn't it?" Unohana said, not as a question, but as a statement.

Aizen pushed up his glasses again, the lenses reflecting the light of ice crystals. "Yes, only those who have witnessed the release of Kyōka Suigetsu can be captured by it. Even if they've only seen it once, when I Shikai Kyōka Suigetsu Kyōka Suigetsu, that person will become its prisoner, forever unable to escape."

He paused, then added, "Of course, unless I die, or voluntarily resign."

Unohana's gaze swept over Tōshirō Hitsugaya lying on the ground. "So whether it's summoning the Vice-Captains or demonstrating Shikai at the Shin'ō Academy, it's all to make people prisoners of Kyōka Suigetsu."

"It seems Captain Unohana knows my Zanpakuto quite well." Aizen's smile held a dangerous glint.

Isane Kotetsu suddenly realized something and abruptly turned to look at Unohana: "So... Liu Hao betrayed Soul Society because he wasn't deceived by Kyōka Suigetsu, which is why you framed him?!"

"It's not 'we'," Unohana corrected, "It's Aizen."

She turned to Aizen, her voice still calm. "He told me this before Liu Hao went to Hueco Mundo. He said this trip was fraught with danger, but it would also be a chance to escape your sight. He knew that once he demonstrated his ability to be unaffected by Kyōka Suigetsu, you would see him as a threat."

Aizen nodded thoughtfully. "So, Liu Hao knew about my plan from the very beginning?"

"He doesn't know much, but he's vigilant enough," Unohana said. "He knows you have ulterior motives, he knows the true power of Kyōka Suigetsu, and he knows that if he continues to stay in Seireitei, he'll become your target sooner or later. So that Hueco Mundo expedition—it was your doing, wasn't it? You deliberately sent him to face those special Hollows to see if he could survive, and if he did, whether he would be corrupted by the Hollow's power."

Aizen didn't deny it. He looked at Unohana with great interest. "So, what arrangements did Liu Hao make after he returned? He should know what I'm going to do, and what I want."

"He told us to let you leave." Unohana's answer was surprisingly concise.

A brief silence fell over the courtyard.

For the first time, a slight crack appeared on Aizen's smile. He frowned slightly, seemingly not understanding the meaning of those words: "Let me leave?"

"Yes," Unohana. "Liu Hao said it's better to let a schemer leave than to keep him around. He added that if you leave, someone will deal with you—we won't need to lift a finger."

"Oh?" Aizen smiled again, but with a hint of wariness in his expression. "That's strange. Who would want to deal with me? What power outside of Soul Society could threaten me?"

Unohana didn't answer. She walked to Tōshirō Hitsugaya's side, knelt down, and began to examine his injuries. Gentle, Kaidō light emanated from her hands, enveloping Tōshirō Hitsugaya's body, and the wound on his chest began to heal at a visible speed.

"Aizen, aren't you leaving?" Unohana said without looking up. "I need to heal Captain Hitsugaya. Unless you want to fight me here—but you should know that even with Kyōka Suigetsu, you might not be able to beat me."

Aizen was silent for a few seconds. His gaze lingered on Unohana, then swept across the entire courtyard, as if searching for something—or rather, being wary of something.

Finally, he nodded. "I'm quite curious to see what Liu Hao's plans are."

He turned to Gin Ichimaru: "Gin, let's go."

Gin Ichimaru, who had been standing in the shadows, slowly stepped out. His face still wore that ambiguous smile, as if everything before him was irrelevant. He walked to Aizen's side and placed his hand on Aizen's shoulder.

"Senbonzakura."

Space began to distort. The two figures, like reflections thrown into water, rippled and then gradually blurred and disappeared. A few seconds later, they vanished completely, leaving only the frozen courtyard and the lingering spatial fluctuations in the air.

Only after confirming that Aizen and Gin Ichimaru had left did Liu Hao emerge from the shadows with Momo Hinamori.

Isane Kotetsu saw them and her eyes widened in surprise. "Liu Hao! You've been here all this time?!"

"Yes," Liu Hao shrugged, his expression somewhat helpless, "So that Vice-Captain Hinamori could see the true colors of certain people, I've been taking her to watch Aizen's 'performance'."

As soon as Momo Hinamori appeared, she rushed to the fallen Tōshirō Hitsugaya. She knelt beside him, lifted his head and placed it on her lap, tears streaming down her face. "Shiro-chan... Shiro-chan, are you alright? Don't scare me..."

Her voice trembled as she gently touched Tōshirō Hitsugaya's cold cheek. That face, which always carried a youthful stubbornness, was now as pale as paper, and his breathing was so weak it was almost imperceptible.

"Vice-Captain Hinamori," Unohana said gently but firmly, "Please step aside. I need to focus on treating Captain Hitsugaya."

"Okay... okay," Momo Hinamori nodded quickly, but her hand remained tightly gripping Tōshirō Hitsugaya's. "Thank you, Captain Unohana... please make sure he's healed..."

Unohana did not respond, but focused on continuing the treatment. The light from the Kaidō in her hand shone even brighter, and the wound on Tōshirō Hitsugaya's chest had completely healed, but his face was still pale— Kyōka Suigetsu's attack was not only physical damage, but also carried a certain kind of spiritual erosion.

"Isane," Unohana suddenly spoke, but her gaze never left Tōshirō Hitsugaya, "Inform all the Captains and Vice-Captains what happened here. Also, inform the Ryoka —especially Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Yes, Captain." Isane Kotetsu replied immediately. She walked to the side of the courtyard and began to draw a complex spell on the ground— Bakudō No. 58: Kakushitsuijaku, Kidō used to track and transmit information.

Liu Hao stood to the side, watching Unohana's focused treatment, hesitated for a moment, and then cautiously asked, "Captain, um... I'll take Vice-Captain Hinamori to Sōkyoku first. When are you coming to watch the show?"

"Hmph," Unohana without looking up, her voice tinged with displeasure, "Do you think I'll make it in time? Captain Hitsugaya needs emergency treatment, and others might get injured later—do you think everyone's like you, always carrying a little girl with them wherever they go?"

Liu Hao choked for a moment, then awkwardly touched his nose. "Well... Vice-Captain Hinamori needs to see the truth with her own eyes to be at peace..."

"Really?" Unohana finally looked up and glanced at him. Her gaze was meaningful, making Liu Hao feel a pang of guilt. "I remember you used to have designs on Isane. What, have you changed your target now?"

While drawing the spell formula Isane Kotetsu's hand trembled, and she almost made a mistake. Her face flushed slightly, she secretly glanced at Liu Hao, and then quickly lowered her head to continue working.

Liu Hao coughed twice. "Captain, that's all ancient history... and I was just joking back then..."

"A joke?" Unohana withdrew her gaze and focused on the treatment again. "A man's words are deceitful. Isane, see this person clearly, and don't be fooled by his sweet talk in the future."

"Yes... Captain," Isane Kotetsu replied softly, but a slight smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.

Liu Hao sighed helplessly. He knew that Unohana was teasing him, but it also showed that the Captain was in a good mood—at least, he was satisfied with today's situation.

"I'll head over now," Liu Hao said. "If you'd like to go see a play when you're done, I'll open the door for you."

Unohana waved her hand, which was taken as agreement.

Liu Hao turned to Momo Hinamori: "Vice-Captain Hinamori, let's go to Sōkyoku first. Captain Hitsugaya is safe here, Captain Unohana is the best medical expert."

Momo Hinamori hesitated, looking at Tōshirō Hitsugaya on her lap, then at Unohana. Finally, she gently set Tōshirō Hitsugaya's head down, stood up, and bowed deeply to Unohana: "Please, Captain Unohana."

Then, she turned to Liu Hao, her eyes hardening. "Let's go. I want to know... Captain Aizen —no, Sōsuke Aizen, what exactly is he planning to do?"

Liu Hao nodded. He stretched out his hand and gently drew a line in the air, and a pale blue spatial rift unfolded in the air. The inside of the rift was not dark, but rather filled with flowing light and shadow, and one could vaguely see the scene on the other side—the ruins of Sōkyoku Hill.

"Let's go," he said.

Momo Hinamori took one last look at Tōshirō Hitsugaya, who was receiving treatment, took a deep breath, and stepped into the spatial rift.

Liu Hao followed behind her, and before entering the crevice, he glanced back at Unohana.

Their eyes met. Unohana nodded slightly, and Liu Hao nodded in response, then turned and disappeared into the crack.

The spatial rift slowly closed, and the courtyard returned to tranquility—except for the still frozen environment and the lingering Reiatsu fluctuations in the air.

Isane Kotetsu completed the incantation for the Kakushitsuijaku " technique and stood up: " Captain, the message has been sent. All Captains and Vice-Captains will receive it."

Unohana nodded, and the light from the Kaidō in her hand gradually dimmed. Tōshirō Hitsugaya's breathing had stabilized, and his complexion had regained some color.

"He needs rest," Unohana said softly. "Kyōka Suigetsu's attack wasn't just physical— Aizen's strike also carried a kind of mental corruption. If Captain Hitsugaya hadn't been so resolute, the consequences could have been far more severe."

She stood up and looked in the direction where Aizen and Gin Ichimaru had disappeared, a complex light flashing in her eyes.

"Captain," Isane Kotetsu hesitated for a moment before asking, "Did Liu Hao... really know Aizen's Plan from the very beginning?"

Unohana was silent for a moment before slowly replying, "He doesn't know everything, but he knows enough. He suspected Aizen during that Hollowfication Experiment a hundred years ago. But there was no evidence then, and Aizen was too well hidden."

She turned to look at Isane Kotetsu: "Do you know why Liu Hao chose to 'betray' Soul Society after the Hueco Mundo expedition?"

Isane Kotetsu shook his head.

"Because that was a trap Aizen set for him," Unohana said. "Aizen wanted to test him—to test whether he was truly unaffected by Kyōka Suigetsu, to test his strength, to test whether he would be corrupted by the power of Hollows. Liu Hao knew this, so he chose to play along."

"But... why expose Aizen only now?" Isane Kotetsu, puzzled. "If you knew all along, why didn't you say so sooner..."

"Because what Aizen wants isn't in Soul Society," Unohana interrupted her. "What he wants is the Oken —the path to the Soul King Palace. And one way to obtain the Oken is to create it using tens of thousands of souls and the Reiatsu of the Spiritually Dense Land."

Her voice deepened. "What's inside Rukia... is the key."

Isane Kotetsu gasped, "What's inside Rukia Kuchiki?"

"The Hōgyoku," Unohana uttered, her voice tinged with solemnity. "A forbidden artifact created by Kisuke Urahara, capable of breaking the boundary between Soul Reaper and Hollows. Aizen always wanted it, and Urahara hid it within Rukia's body—with a special seal."

The courtyard fell silent once more. Only the faint sound of ice melting in the sunlight and the occasional aftershocks of battle echoed in the distance.

"So all of this..." Isane Kotetsu murmured, "Was it all a show? A show to get Hōgyoku Aizen then leave Soul Society?"

"Not entirely." Unohana shook her head. "Aizen will indeed obtain the Hōgyoku, but he won't be able to enter the Soul King Palace as he wishes. Liu Hao and Kisuke Urahara... they have other plans."

She walked to the edge of the courtyard and looked towards the Sōkyoku Hill. The morning light had fully illuminated the sky, and a new day had begun. But this day was destined to be anything but peaceful.

"Let's go, Isane," Unohana turned and walked towards the courtyard gate, "We should go and see—see how this play will end."

Isane Kotetsu took one last look at Tōshirō Hitsugaya, who was still unconscious, and then quickly followed Unohana.