The Day of Execution (Five)

The morning light had fully bathed the Sōkyoku Hill, but the atmosphere permeating the ruins was even colder than in the dead of night. Sōsuke Aizen stood in the center of the ruins, holding the nearly unconscious Rukia Kuchiki in his hand, a calm smile on his face, like an artist who had just completed a masterpiece.

As he watched the confusion and shock gradually appear in Ichigo Kurosaki, the corners of his mouth deepened.

"It seems you know nothing," Aizen said softly, his voice gentle yet carrying an unsettling pleasure. "Very well, then I'll tell you."

He released Rukia's collar, letting her slump helplessly to the ground, but his right hand remained on her shoulder to ensure she couldn't escape. Then, as if explaining basic knowledge in a classroom, he began his narration:

"You know the four fighting styles of Soul Reaper, right? Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō. Each has its limits. No matter how powerful you are in a particular area, as a Soul Reaper, you will encounter a bottleneck in your soul strength, preventing you from continuing to grow."

Aizen took a step forward, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the ruins— Ichigo Kurosaki, Renji Abarai, Momo Hinamori in the distance, Byakuya Kuchiki in the shadows, and all the Captains who were watching this place through the Kakushitsuijaku.

"In other words, that is the limit of Death." He continued, with a hint of emotion in his voice, "Is there no way to break through this limit?"

He paused, as if waiting for an answer. But the ruins remained silent.

"No," Aizen smiled and shook his head, "There is only one way. That is— the Hollowfication of Soul Reaper."

The word echoed in the air, carrying a taboo connotation.

"The Hollowfication of Soul Reaper, the Soul Reaper-ification of Hollows." Aizen's voice deepened, becoming increasingly captivating. "By utilizing the boundaries of two extreme individuals, they can progress towards a higher level. This method has already been theoretically proven."

He raised his head and looked up at the sky, as if recalling something. "I pay particular attention to the Soul Reaper-ification of Hollows. Several times I created Hollows that were close to Soul Reaper, but I sent them out—for example, Hollows that could hide their Reiatsu, Hollows that could make Zanpakuto disappear upon contact, Hollows that could merge with Soul Reaper..."

A hint of regret flashed in Aizen's eyes. "But in the end, we didn't find a feasible method. However, that person— Kisuke Urahara —created something that could break the boundary between Hollows and Soul Reaper in an instant. It was something that transcended the common sense of Soul Society."

His gaze returned to Rukia, his eyes filled with greed and desire.

"It's called the Hōgyoku," Aizen slowly uttered the word. "However, after he created it, he felt fear and wanted to destroy it. But he failed, so he could only hide it."

"And the method..." Aizen's voice became even softer, like the hiss of a venomous snake, "Is to add a protective layer to the Hōgyoku and hide it inside another soul."

He bent down, gently lifted Rukia's chin with his index finger, and forced her to look at him. "That's right, it's you. He doesn't want to help you, but rather to hide the Hōgyoku in your soul, and then, through the Gigai, completely demote you from Soul Reaper to the soul of an ordinary person."

Rukia's eyes were filled with fear, but her lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to say something.

Aizen didn't give her a chance. He straightened up and continued, "By the time I discovered these things, you had already disappeared from the World of the Living. I knew it must have been him. Fortunately, a few months later, I finally found you. So I immediately—"

Before he could finish speaking, a heavy thud sounded from behind him.

A massive figure landed on the ruins, raising a cloud of dust. The newcomer wore Captain of the Seventh Division's haori and a specially made helmet— Sajin Komamura.

"Aizen!!" Sajin Komamura's roar echoed across the ruins like the Roar of a wild beast.

Aizen slowly turned around, his face showing no surprise, but rather a gentle smile, "Yo, long time no see. You've finally shown your true face, Komamura."

"How dare you even show your face, Aizen!" Sajin Komamura's voice was filled with suppressed rage. "You've deceived everyone!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already made his move. His Zanpakuto Tenken, was instantly unleashed, and a massive blade descended from the sky, striking Aizen with the force of thunder. The blade struck the ground, causing the ruins to tremble once more, and smoke and dust billowed up.

As the smoke cleared, everyone gasped in shock.

Aizen stood there, unharmed. He didn't even draw his sword—he simply raised his right hand and gently pinched the blade of Tenken between two fingers.

The enormous blade and the tiny human fingers created a bizarre and terrifying contrast.

"Komamura," Aizen's voice remained calm, "I understand your anger. But anger is meaningless if it cannot be transformed into power."

Sajin Komamura did not respond. He clenched his left fist and swung it out violently. At the same time, the giant arm of the Tenken also materialized and slammed towards Aizen in sync with his movement.

Aizen leaped backward, landing lightly on a rubble in the ruins. The fist of the Tenken slammed into the spot where he had just stood, creating a deep crater in the ground.

"You've deceived everyone, Aizen!" Sajin Komamura roared again, his gaze shifting to Kaname Tōsen standing in the distance. "And you, Tōsen! What do you have to say?!"

Kaname Tōsen stood there silently, his eyes hidden in the shadows behind his sunglasses, offering no response.

"Nothing to say?" Sajin Komamura's voice was filled with disappointment and anger. "I'm sorry—"

He raised the Tenken, and immense Reiatsu began to gather:

"Bankai-- "

But in that instant, Aizen's figure suddenly appeared in front of him.

Sajin Komamura was startled and subconsciously looked at Aizen in the distance— the Aizen who was standing in front of Kaname Tōsen was now slowly dissipating, like a reflection in water.

It's an illusion.

"Hadō #90-- "

Aizen's voice rang in Sajin Komamura's ears, eerily calm:

"Black Coffin."

Four black walls rose out of Sajin Komamura, instantly sealing him completely within. Countless black blades appeared on the walls, piercing inwards. The entire process was without incantation, without preparation; it was simply a raising of a hand, uttering the name of the Kidō, and then—

The Black Coffin disappeared.

Sajin Komamura knelt on the ground, his Captain's Haori tattered, revealing his wounded body beneath. His helmet was half-broken, revealing his inhuman face. He gasped for breath, trying to stand, but his body wouldn't obey him.

Silence fell upon the ruins once more.

Ichigo Kurosaki stared wide-eyed at the scene, his voice hoarse with shock. "Both are Captain-level... and he's completely outmatched..."

Gin Ichimaru stood to the side, watching all this with narrowed eyes, and sighed softly, "The Kyōka Suigetsu hypnosis is indeed perfect."

"Ah." Aizen nodded with a smile, as if discussing the weather, "Even knowing you're hypnotized, you can't escape. That's the power of Kyōka Suigetsu."

He turned to Gin Ichimaru, his tone relaxed. "Captain Aizen is really impressive. He can even forgo incantations for Kidō of level 90 and above. When did you learn that?"

Aizen shook his head. "No, it failed. It didn't even reach a third of its original destructive power. Mastering Kidō above number ninety is truly difficult."

After saying that, he turned his attention back to Rukia, as if everything that had just happened was just an insignificant interlude.

"Sorry, I only told you half of it." Aizen's voice regained its previous composure. "After receiving your message, my first action was to eliminate the Central 46 —because even the Captains cannot enter the Underground Assembly Hall without their permission."

He raised his hand, as if displaying an exquisite work of art. "Then I used the Kyōka Suigetsu technique to shroud that place, making it appear as if it were always busy. After that, I, Gin Ichimaru, Kaname Tōsen took turns issuing various orders from there—to capture you, dispatch Captain-level officer; to destroy information, destroy it immediately after recovering the Gigai; to extract the Hōgyoku from your soul, decide to use the Sōkyoku- evaporizer to evaporate your soul."

Aizen paused, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes. "Although I did consider that your appearance might cause the Sōkyoku Execution to fail, we didn't have the opportunity to find another way to retrieve the Hōgyoku back then. But Liu Hao's appearance has made me certain— the Sōkyoku Execution will definitely fail."

His voice grew deeper. "He's the only one who could escape the Kyōka Suigetsu hypnosis, and he has the ability to take anyone away silently. So the moment I sensed his return to Soul Society, I faked my death, escaped, and infiltrated the Great Spirit Book Gallery to find a second way to extract the Hōgyoku from your body."

Aizen took a Cylindrical Device from his pocket; its metallic casing reflected a cold, hard light in the morning sun. He pressed the switch, and the device emitted a slight hum. A layer of green, liquid-metal-like substance flowed from the device, wrapping around his right arm and forming a strange coating. At the same time, slender Green Spikes extended from around the device, their tips crackling with dangerous electrical light.

"I finally found it among them," Aizen said softly, his gaze falling on Rukia, "The record he left behind—how to place and remove foreign objects from souls."

He raised his right hand, which was covered in green substance, and slowly extended it towards Rukia's chest.

"No... no..." Rukia struggled weakly, but her strength was insignificant in front of Aizen.

Aizen's hand pierced through her chest.

It wasn't a physical penetration, but rather a more bizarre and fundamental intrusion. His hand entered Rukia's soul without any resistance, as if reaching into water. Rukia's body trembled violently, emitting painful groans, but there were no wounds on her skin.

A few seconds later, Aizen withdrew his hand.

In his hand, he held a sphere encased in crystal. Inside the sphere, a deep blue, nebula-like substance slowly rotated, emitting a faint yet dangerous light.

Hōgyoku.

In the shadows at the edge of the ruins, Byakuya Kuchiki's body tensed abruptly. The moment he saw Aizen reach into Rukia's soul, he almost rushed out without thinking. But a hand pressed down on his shoulder, the force not strong, but unusually firm.

"Wait a moment," Liu Hao said in a low voice, his gaze fixed on Aizen in the distance, "Vice-Captain Hinamori and I will go out first. You can wait for an opportunity to rescue Rukia."

Byakuya Kuchiki turned to look at him, a cold flame burning in his icy blue eyes. "Why wait? Rukia is in danger right now—"

"Trust me," Liu Hao interrupted him, his tone filled with unwavering confidence, "Aizen won't kill her now. He needs to verify the authenticity of the Hōgyoku, and he needs to confirm the success of his plan. Until then, Rukia is safe."

He paused, looking at Momo Hinamori beside him. Momo Hinamori's face was as pale as paper, but her eyes were unusually firm—a firmness born from utter despair and rebirth. Her hand gripped her Zanpakuto tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.

"Let's go," Liu Hao said to her, "It's our turn."

Momo Hinamori nodded without saying a word, and simply stepped forward.

The two emerged from the shadows, their steps unhurried, as if taking a stroll towards the center of the ruins. Their appearance broke the silence of the ruins, drawing everyone's attention.

Aizen was examining the Hōgyoku in his hand when he heard footsteps and slowly raised his head. When he saw Liu Hao and Momo Hinamori, a barely perceptible look of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

"That's truly remarkable skill," Aizen exclaimed, his gaze returning to the Hōgyoku in his hand. "The soul remains completely unaffected. Kisuke Urahara, you truly are a genius."

He looked at Rukia Kuchiki —the girl was slumped on the ground, with no wounds on her chest, but her face was pale and her breathing was weak. The extraction process had clearly taken a toll on her soul.

"Is this the Hōgyoku?" Aizen murmured, holding the crystal ball up to his eyes. "Such a small thing..."

He was about to put away the Hōgyoku when Liu Hao's voice interrupted him, "Aizen, don't put it away yet. Take another look."

Aizen paused. He slowly turned around and looked at Liu Hao and Momo Hinamori who were walking towards him. His smile was still gentle, but there was a hint of wariness in his eyes.

"So it's Lieutenant Liu Hao." Aizen's voice was calm as usual. "Hmm... Hinamori, you're here too?"

His gaze lingered on Momo Hinamori for a moment. The girl who had once blindly worshipped him was now looking at him with cold, hateful eyes. Those eyes, which were always full of passion, were now nothing but ice.

"Hehe," Liu Hao chuckled, a hint of mockery in his voice, "Aizen, stop pretending. Didn't you also make an Hōgyoku? It's just that Hōgyoku yours nor Kisuke's Hōgyoku complete. So why pretend it's your first time seeing it?"

Aizen's brows furrowed slightly. This was the first time he had shown such obvious displeasure today. He stared at Liu Hao for a long time before slowly speaking, "It seems Lieutenant Liu Hao knows quite a lot."

"Yeah," Liu Hao shrugged, looking relaxed, "It's precisely because I know so much that you keep targeting me, isn't it?"

He took a few steps forward and stopped ten paces away from Aizen. This distance was neither too provocative nor too short for anyone to hear him.

"Alright," Liu Hao said, his smile widening even more, "I have two pieces of news to tell Captain Aizen —one good news and one bad news. Which one would you like to hear, Captain Aizen?"

The air froze.