Fighting Aizen Again (2)
Kisuke Urahara moved almost instantly to Yoruichi Shihōin's side. His figure was like a black lightning bolt, leaving a trail of afterimages across the ruins before landing steadily beside Yoruichi.
With one hand covering Benihime, his other hand naturally adjusted his iconic green striped hat, his eyes beneath the brim fixed on Aizen not far away, not daring to relax for a moment.
His gaze swept quickly over Yoruichi Shihōin's body, finally settling on her right hand, which she was holding. The special armor that had covered her hand had completely disappeared, revealing the fair skin underneath, and on that skin, several fine, bleeding cracks could be faintly seen.
"Are you alright?" Kisuke Urahara's voice was low, tinged with barely concealed concern, but his gaze never left Aizen, fearing that the monster might launch a surprise attack during this brief moment.
Yoruichi Shihōin followed his gaze to her injured right hand, then looked up at Aizen, her amber eyes flashing with dissatisfaction and irritation.
She spoke irritably, her tone clearly complaining. "It's all because of your half-baked protective gear... It barely stopped me, otherwise I would have been completely unharmed."
There was no real blame in her voice, but rather the habitual, casual banter between old friends. She moved her injured hand, her brow furrowing slightly; clearly, the wound hurt much more than she showed.
Upon hearing this, Kisuke Urahara's lips curled into a faint, somewhat helpless smile. He didn't turn to look at her, but simply said softly, "I'm truly sorry."
His tone carried a hint of patient coaxing, like that of someone comforting a child, and a tacit understanding that only old friends share. He knew that Yoruichi wasn't really blaming him; it was just a habitual complaint.
Aizen stood silently in place, without making a move. He stood there, surrounded by a faint yet suffocating Reiatsu, his eyes, which were covered by a white substance, watching Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin's every move with great interest.
A calm, unhurried smile remained on his lips, as if he were enjoying an amusing performance.
Kisuke Urahara keenly noticed Aizen's gaze. He turned his head slightly, meeting Aizen's eyes, and asked calmly, "What are you looking at?"
Upon hearing this, Aizen's smile deepened. He tilted his head slightly, a movement elegant and composed, carrying an indescribable amusement, as if he were admiring a work of art. "Look at you."
He paused, his tone becoming more meaningful. "It seems that feigning concern... is also part of your tactic, isn't it?"
Kisuke Urahara's brow twitched slightly, but his expression remained unchanged. He simply replied calmly, "Didn't you already let your guard down around us a long time ago?"
Aizen gently shook his head, a gesture carrying a hint of patient correction. "This isn't wariness... it's observation."
He took a step forward, his steps unhurried yet carrying an indescribable sense of oppression. "You are the only person in Soul Society whose intelligence surpasses mine. Even if our strengths are not equal, I... am still very interested in you."
Upon hearing this, Kisuke Urahara gave a faint, self-deprecating smile. He gently adjusted his hat, his tone carrying a hint of humility, as if saying, "You flatter me too much."
He paused, his gaze intentionally or unintentionally glancing at Liu Hao, who was still standing in the distance leaning on his sword. "Isn't someone always aware of and prepared for every step you take?"
Aizen followed his gaze to Liu Hao, then looked away, his smile deepening, "Liu Hao?"
He gently shook his head, his tone carrying a calm indifference, as if stating a fact. "He only saw a part of the future. In terms of wisdom... he can't possibly surpass you or me."
Kisuke Urahara listened quietly, his smile remaining unchanged. He simply nodded slightly, his tone carrying a faint hint of "That's truly an honor," and said, "I'm truly flattered by your words."
He paused, his smile becoming even more casual, "However, right now I... am just a penniless cookie and candy seller."
The moment he finished speaking, he moved.
His movements were unbelievably fast, so fast that even Aizen's eyes flashed with a barely perceptible surprise. Instead of rushing towards Aizen, he swung his sword at Aizen!
The blade sliced through the air, leaving a sharp, piercing sound! At the same time, his lips parted slightly, uttering a few words: "Hadō Thirty-Two— Yellow Flash!"
The moment the words left her lips, a blinding yellow light shot out from Benihime's sword! The light, like a golden lightning bolt, shot straight toward Aizen's face!
Its speed is astonishing, and its power is enough to severely injure an ordinary Soul Reaper!
However, Aizen merely raised his right hand slightly, holding the Kyoka Suigetsu (Kyōka Suigetsu) in front of him.
The yellow light began to dissipate on its own when it was still several feet away from Aizen! As if it had encountered some kind of invisible barrier, the light grew fainter and weaker, and finally vanished completely the moment it touched Aizen's sword!
Aizen's lips curled into a faint smile, as if to say, "Is that all you've got?": "You should know... that thirty-something Kidō is meaningless to me."
He paused, his smile growing even more meaningful, "And yet you still use it, which means..."
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly turned around abruptly!
A figure had already silently appeared behind him!
Yoruichi Shihōin!
Her speed was unbelievable, almost beyond the limits of vision! Her left fist was raised high, the knuckles gathering enough power to split mountains and shatter rocks, and she slammed it down towards Aizen's head!
However, Aizen's left hand, as if he had expected it, rose up and caught her fist steadily!
Snap!
With a soft thud, he effortlessly caught a punch that was powerful enough to shatter steel!
A faint smile appeared on Aizen's lips, "That's exactly right."
A ruthless glint flashed in Yoruichi Shihōin's eyes! Without the slightest hesitation, the moment her fist was caught, she swung out with her other fist!
One punch! Two punches! Three punches! Four punches! Five punches!
Her fists rained down on Aizen like a storm!
However, Aizen simply used his left hand to swing and parry! His movements were calm and unhurried, as if he were not defending against a fatal attack, but performing some kind of elegant dance!
Bang bang--!
The sounds of fists and palms clashing were continuous! Each collision produced a dull, resounding boom!
As Aizen calmly deflected each of Yoruichi's punches, he said in his ever-gentle and composed voice, "Can't you understand? Your attacks... no matter how many, can't harm me."
His tone contained no sarcasm, no contempt, only a calm, understated quality, as if he were stating a fact.
A flicker of resentful anger flashed in Yoruichi Shihōin's eyes. Her fists swung faster, harder, and more fiercely, but each time, Aizen's hand steadily blocked them, preventing them from advancing an inch!
The instant Aizen finished speaking—
Yoruichi Shihōin threw another punch!
Aizen raised his arm again, ready to block the punch as he had done countless times before.
However, just as his arm was about to touch Yoruichi's fist—
Yoruichi Shihōin's lips uttered two soft words. "Shunkō."
The moment she finished speaking, a blinding blue light suddenly erupted from her fist!
The light leaped, coiled, and condensed on the fist like lightning, instantly forming a layer of blue, flame-like Kidō energy!
Her fist suddenly increased in speed!
It was unbelievably fast! Faster than Aizen's reaction speed could handle!
That fist, crackling with blue lightning, instantly bypassed Aizen's blocking arm and slammed into his chest!
Bang--!
A dull, resounding crash, like the sound of leather being struck!
The seemingly indestructible white Hierro covering Aizen's chest shattered under that punch! Countless tiny fragments scattered, revealing the skin beneath, which was faintly bleeding!
The immense impact sent Aizen flying backward! His feet left the ground, his body arcing through the air before crashing heavily into the distant ruins, kicking up clouds of dust!
Without pausing, Yoruichi Shihōin pushed off with her feet the instant she sent Aizen flying, and like a black lightning bolt, she hurtled towards the direction Aizen had fallen! She was going to strike while he was down!
However--
Aizen's flying body suddenly stopped just before he hit the ground.
His feet were firmly planted on the ground!
With a gentle wave of his right hand, an invisible force instantly dispersed the surrounding smoke and dust!
His figure reappeared before everyone.
A large section of the Hierro on his chest was indeed shattered. But those shattered edges were being filled and repaired by the gushing white substance at a visible speed! In the blink of an eye, the shattered Hierro had been almost completely restored!
He looked up at Yoruichi Shihōin, who had rushed towards him, and raised his left hand to catch her fist as it came at him again!
Snap!
Another soft sound.
Aizen gripped Yoruichi's fist, a faint smile playing on his lips, as if to say, "I've already said it... You are no match for me."
Just then--
A figure appeared silently behind Aizen.
Kisuke Urahara.
He raised the Benihime sword high in his hand, its blade shimmering with an eerie red light. His lips parted slightly, and he uttered a few words: "Binding, Benihime."
The moment the words left her lips, a massive, red, net-like beam of light shot out from Benihime's sword! The net of light instantly expanded to several meters in size, descending from the sky and enveloping Aizen entirely!
Aizen's brow twitched slightly. He looked down at the red net of light surrounding him, his tone carrying a faint hint of disdain, as if saying, "With this? You think you can bind me with this kind of technique?"
Kisuke Urahara didn't wait for him to finish speaking.
He plunged the blade of Benihime's sword directly into the red light net!
The moment the blade pierced the net of light, his voice rang out again. "Play with fire, Benihime!"
The moment the words left his mouth, every node on the red light network suddenly lit up with a dazzling red glow!
The light grew brighter and brighter, more intense, and then—
Boom!
A deafening explosion instantly engulfed Aizen's figure!
Crimson flames shot into the sky, illuminating half the night sky as bright as day! A violent shockwave spread wildly in all directions, blasting away the surrounding ruins once again! A huge mushroom cloud rose into the air, obscuring the moonlight!
The explosion lasted for several seconds before gradually subsiding.
Smoke and dust filled the air, obscuring everything.
Amidst the smoke and Aizen's voice, still composed yet tinged with a hint of disdain, drifted out:
"How ridiculous... Is this move already considered a signature move?"
His voice paused, then grew even more contemptuous. "Hmph... with moves like that..."
However, he hadn't finished speaking—
A figure suddenly burst out from the billowing smoke and dust!
Isshin Kurosaki!
He had somehow gotten behind Aizen and, taking advantage of the smoke and dust from the explosion obscuring Aizen's vision, approached silently!
He Zanpakuto with both hands, the blade radiating a golden light powerful enough to tear everything apart!
His eyes burned with an unprecedented determination and fighting spirit!
He rushed towards Aizen, his Zanpakuto high, its golden light gleaming at its peak, and slashed down fiercely towards Aizen's head. "... Getsuga... Tenshō!!"
Boom--!
A deafening explosion, as if the heavens and earth were collapsing, resounded throughout the entire battlefield! The golden Getsuga Tenshō the Aizen figure, and the light that erupted was so dazzling that it was almost impossible to open one's eyes! That light illuminated half of the night sky, coating everything around it with a golden glow!
A violent shockwave spread wildly in all directions from Aizen's center! The ruins beneath his feet were violently ripped up into waves of rubble several meters high. Huge rocks tumbled and collided in the air before crashing down, stirring up clouds of dust! The entire battlefield trembled violently at this moment, as if the earth itself was terrified of this power!
Smoke and dust rose into the sky like a giant mushroom cloud, obscuring the moonlight and starlight, completely engulfing Aizen's figure! The smoke and dust were so thick that they almost solidified, churning and surging, lingering for a long time!
Kisuke Urahara teleported to Isshin Kurosaki's side almost instantly. His speed was unbelievable; before the violent shockwave had even completely subsided, he was already standing firmly beside Isshin Kurosaki.
His right hand still gripped the Benihime tightly, the red light on the blade not yet completely dissipated, and his left hand habitually adjusted the green striped hat that remained firmly on his head despite the explosion.
His gaze was fixed on the billowing cloud of smoke, his brow furrowed, and a complex light flickering in his eyes. His voice was low, carrying an undisguised tension and anticipation. "What was the result?"