The Day of the Execution (Part Four)

On the ruins of Sōkyoku Hill, the morning light gradually turned into the brightness of daylight. In the center of the ruins, Renji Abarai held the weakened Rukia Kuchiki, warily looking around. His wounds still throbbed, but what unsettled him even more was the oppressive atmosphere that enveloped the entire hill—like the deathly stillness before a storm.

Just then, ripples appeared in the space.

Two figures appeared silently at the edge of the ruins, as if emerging from water. The man in the lead had short brown hair, wore black-rimmed glasses, and his white haori was spotless; the silver-haired man behind him squinted, a half-smile playing on his lips.

Sōsuke Aizen and Gin Ichimaru.

Renji Abarai's pupils suddenly contracted. He took a step back while holding Rukia, his throat tightening, almost unable to believe his eyes. "Captain Aizen... aren't you already dead?!"

Aizen didn't answer. His gaze passed over Renji Abarai and landed in the distance—there, Kaname Tōsen was leading another "Rukia" towards them. Seeing this, Aizen's smile deepened, and the last trace of doubt in his eyes disappeared.

"Put Rukia, then step back, Abarai." Aizen's voice was gentle, yet carried an unquestionable tone of command.

Renji Abarai gritted his teeth. He could feel Rukia trembling in his arms, feeling her almost unbearable fear. He gripped the hilt of Zabimaru, knowing he had no chance against Aizen, but he did not back down.

"I said, put down Rukia Kuchiki," Aizen repeated, his voice still calm.

Renji Abarai raised his head and looked directly at Aizen: "I said, I don't want to, Captain Aizen."

The words echoed across the silent hills, carrying a resolute tone.

Gin Ichimaru slightly raised his right hand, as if to draw his sword. But Aizen stopped him, his gaze fixed on Renji Abarai.

"Is that so?" Aizen said softly, his voice carrying a cruel tenderness. "Then you shall leave your hands behind."

Before the words were even finished, Aizen had already moved. There was no afterimage of Shunpo, no burst of Reiatsu, just the simplest step, drawing of his sword, and slash. But this series of movements was so fast that Renji Abarai barely had time to react.

The blade slashed through the air, aiming straight for his arms.

Renji Abarai instinctively grabbed Rukia and retreated hastily. But the blade still grazed his arm, leaving a deep, bone-revealing wound. Blood spurted out, staining Rukia's prison clothes and his Shihakushō red.

Aizen sheathed his sword, drops of blood dripping from its blade. He smiled at Renji Abarai, a hint of approval in his voice. "Abarai, you've become quite good at dodging now. You've grown, and I'm glad."

He took a step forward, the blade reflecting a cold light in the morning sun.

"However, I still hope you can let go of your stubbornness. You know, controlling your power to step on an ant without harming its life is very difficult." Aizen paused, his voice becoming even softer, but beneath that softness lay an icy chill. "As your former superior, killing you would still break my heart."

Renji Abarai's breathing became heavy. Not from the pain of his wounds, but from rage—an rage that seemed to burst from his chest. He glared at Aizen, his voice trembling with agitation. "Killing me would make you sad... then why did you kill Hinamori?!"

Aizen tilted his head, as if pondering the question. Then, he smiled—a smile that was both chilling and exquisitely gentle.

"Because she'll die without me," he said calmly. "That's how I taught her. So don't you think... killing her is a blessing?"

These words were like an icicle, piercing everyone's heart.

At that very moment, the message that Isane Kotetsu transmitted through the Kakushitsuijaku finally reached every corner of the Seireitei. All Captains, Vice-Captains, and even ordinary members received the message simultaneously—

Sōsuke Aizen Kyōka Suigetsu. All members of the Central 46 are already dead. Rukia's execution was a meticulously planned conspiracy.

But on Sōkyoku Hill, the effects of the information had not yet manifested. Aizen raised his sword again, this time aiming the blade at Renji Abarai's neck.

Just then, an orange figure rushed out from the side.

Ichigo Kurosaki gripped Tensa Zangetsu tightly in his hand, holding the blade horizontally in front of Renji Abarai, blocking Aizen's attack.

The sound of metal clashing echoed across the ruins, and the air currents stirred up by the collision of Reiatsu churned up dust.

In the shadows at the edge of the ruins, Byakuya Kuchiki's body tensed abruptly. The moment he saw Aizen appear, he almost lunged forward, but a hand pressed down on his shoulder.

"Wait," Kaien Shiba said in a low voice, his eyes fixed on the standoff in the distance, "It's not time for us to make our move yet."

Byakuya Kuchiki turned to look at him, his icy blue eyes burning with cold fury. "How much longer? Renji is already injured, Rukia is in his hands—"

"I know," Kaien Shiba interrupted him, his voice still low, "But you also heard Vice-Captain Kotetsu's message. Aizen's Zanpakuto ability is Complete Hypnosis. If we rush out now, he might use us and harm our own people."

Byakuya Kuchiki's fingers tightened, his knuckles turning white from the force. He watched as Aizen uttered those cruel words to Renji Abarai in the distance, and saw the nauseatingly gentle smile on Aizen's face, barely able to suppress his murderous intent.

Just then, the space around him suddenly distorted.

A pale blue vortex appeared out of thin air, and two figures slowly walked out from the center of the vortex.

Liu Hao, and behind him, Momo Hinamori, pale-faced but with icy eyes.

"Liu Hao, you're here." Kaien Shiba breathed a sigh of relief, then noticed Momo Hinamori's condition. "Wait... why did you bring Vice-Captain Hinamori along? She doesn't seem quite right."

Momo Hinamori did not respond. Her gaze was fixed on Aizen in the distance, her eyes filled with a mixture of pain, anger, and a chilling despair. Her hand was on her Zanpakuto, her knuckles turning white from the pressure.

"I brought Vice-Captain Hinamori to see Aizen's performance," Liu Hao said calmly. "Let him be arrogant for a while. In a bit... I doubt he'll be laughing then."

Kaien Shiba glanced at Momo Hinamori with concern. "Won't this backfire? She seems quite emotionally unstable."

"Who knows," Liu Hao shrugged, a hint of amusement in his voice. "But it doesn't matter. Isn't it something to be happy about when a top-tier genius who thinks he's in control of everything miscalculates?"

Byakuya Kuchiki and Kaien Shiba glanced at Liu Hao with confusion, but ultimately did not press the matter. They refocused their attention on the standoff in the center of the ruins.

On the ruins of Sōkyoku Hill, after blocking Aizen's attack, Ichigo Kurosaki retreated with Renji Abarai, creating some distance between them. Renji Abarai gently placed Rukia beside a boulder behind him, then turned and stood Ichigo Kurosaki.

"It seems we can't leave without defeating him." Ichigo Kurosaki stared intently at Aizen, Tensa Zangetsu horizontally in front of him.

Renji Abarai nodded, his eyes sharp. "Be careful, Kurosaki. He's not someone you can easily deal with. I'll use ranged attacks first to distract him."

"Okay." Ichigo Kurosaki replied briefly, his muscles tense, like a cheetah ready to pounce.

Renji Abarai took a deep breath and released Zabimaru. The blade extended segment by segment, transforming into a giant snake-shaped Zanpakuto. He swung the hilt, and the snake's head shot straight at Aizen with a whooshing sound.

Faced with this thunderous attack, Aizen simply smiled and raised his left hand. He gently pinched the tip of Zabimaru with two fingers—just two fingers. Then, with a flick of his right hand, the blade sliced through, and Zabimaru shattered like fragile glass, scattering blade fragments everywhere.

Ichigo Kurosaki and Renji Abarai gasped in shock.

"It seems we'll have to have one of us feign an attack while the other launches the main assault," Renji Abarai quickly decided. "I'll use a move to force him into an opening, and then you can take advantage of that."

He plunged the Zabimaru in his hand into the ground, and the fragments of the blade trembled slightly around him.

"Zabimaru, I'm sorry," Renji Abarai said softly, as if speaking to his Zanpakuto, "It will hurt a little, please bear with it."

Then, he raised his head, a resolute glint in his eyes. "Fang of the Baboon King: Absolutetooth!"

All the Zabimaru fragments on the ground rose to the surface, each one emitting a blinding yellow light. Like an enraged swarm of bees, the fragments shot towards Aizen simultaneously, covering every possible angle for dodging.

At the same time, Ichigo Kurosaki moved. He transformed into a black afterimage, gripping Tensa Zangetsu tightly in his hand, the blade pointing directly at Aizen's heart.

But what happened next sent a chill down everyone's spine.

Amidst the dense rain of shards of blade, Aizen stood motionless. Just before they were about to touch his body, all the shards mysteriously shifted their direction, grazing past the hem of his clothes, none of them actually making contact with him.

When Ichigo Kurosaki's blade came down, Aizen simply raised a finger.

A single finger stopped the blade of Tensa Zangetsu.

The metal clashed with flesh, producing a metallic clang. Ichigo Kurosaki's eyes widened; he could feel the recoil from the blade, and the unimaginable power contained in Aizen's finger.

"Oh dear," Aizen smiled, his tone casual as if he were chatting, "I thought it was going to be cut in half."

The moment he finished speaking, he flicked his wrist. Not with a knife, but with the back of his hand—he tapped it lightly.

Ichigo Kurosaki was struck hard, sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the ruins, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Aizen did not pursue. He turned around, his gaze falling on Renji Abarai.

Then, he disappeared.

It wasn't Shunpo, nor was it high-speed movement; it was true disappearance—at least that's how Renji Abarai perceived it. The next instant, Aizen was already in front of him, his blade lightly slicing across the surface.

The movements were graceful, like a dance.

Renji Abarai didn't even feel the pain. He only saw a spray of blood spurt from his chest, then his strength rapidly drained away, his legs gave way, and he collapsed to his knees. He wanted to stand up, wanted to continue fighting, but his body no longer obeyed his commands.

Aizen didn't even glance at him, and walked straight towards Rukia Kuchiki beside the boulder.

"Stand up, Rukia Kuchiki," he said calmly.

But Rukia didn't move. She knelt there, head bowed, her body trembling slightly.

Aizen paused, as if he understood something. "So it was my Reiatsu that made you so weak."

He reached out and grabbed the execution collar around Rukia's neck, lifting her up. Rukia groaned in pain, but was powerless to struggle.

"Let go... Rukia..." Amidst the ruins, Ichigo Kurosaki struggled to sit up, his voice hoarse with pain.

Aizen turned his head and looked at him with pity in his eyes—a kind of superior pity, like a god looking down on an ant.

"Oh, you're still conscious. How pitiful," he said softly. "When vitality and strength are mismatched, it becomes a flaw. Right now, your spine is probably barely connected, and no matter how hard you try to remember, you can't do it—this isn't a matter of psychology, but rather something structurally impossible."

He paused, his tone becoming both gentler and more cruel:

"That's enough. You've all been put to good use. Now just lie there quietly—your mission is complete."

Ichigo Kurosaki's pupils contracted sharply. "What do you mean... a mission?"

Aizen smiled. It was a calm and composed smile, one that suggested he had everything under control.

"Yes," he said calmly, "I knew you would invade, and that the invasion would take place in West Rukongai. So I had people keep an eye on it. As soon as you arrived, I immediately lowered the Seireitei Barrier and arranged for the Third Division and Ninth Divisions to rush to the inside of the gate, where Gin would drive you away."

His gaze swept across the ruins, as if admiring a meticulously arranged work of art:

"When Captain-level figure appears inside, you'll have to resort to other methods to infiltrate the Seireitei —that would be none other than Kūkaku Shiba from Rukongai. Using such an extravagant method to infiltrate will definitely attract the attention of everyone in Soul Society."

Aizen paused, his tone approving. "You all performed very well after the invasion. Even with the 'death' of a Captain, it didn't cause too much chaos—which made my operations exceptionally convenient."

Ichigo Kurosaki's mind raced, trying to decipher the meaning of those words. But one question remained unanswered, "Wait... how did you know we'd be invading from West Rukongai?!"

This question deepened Aizen's smile. He adjusted his glasses, the lenses reflecting a cold light.

"That's a strange question," he said, a hint of mockery in his voice. "It's obvious. West Rukongai is Kisuke Urahara; the Senkaimon he created can only invade West Rukongai."

Seeing the growing shock in Ichigo Kurosaki, he continued, "Judging from your expression, aren't you Kisuke Urahara's subordinate? Didn't he order you to come and retrieve Rukia Kuchiki?"

A brief silence fell over the ruins.

In the shadows in the distance, Liu Hao's lips curled into a slight smile. Beside him Momo Hinamori gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, her knuckles cracking slightly with the force.

Kaien Shiba said softly, "Isn't that enough?"

"Wait a little longer," Liu Hao replied softly, "It's still a little short... the scene will only be at its best when all the audience members are present."

He raised his head and looked up at the sky.

There, several powerful Reiatsu were rapidly approaching.

The actors are taking the stage one after another.

At the center of the stage, Sōsuke Aizen still held Rukia's hand, a smile of complete control on his face.

But what he didn't know was that in this drama he thought he had everything under control, he wasn't the only director.