Aizen, Round Two (III)

Isshin Kurosaki stared intently at the cloud of smoke, his chest heaving violently. His Crescent Getsuga Tenshō had almost exhausted all the power he had accumulated.

Cold sweat trickled down his forehead, and his hand gripping the Zanpakuto trembled slightly from excessive force. His brows furrowed tightly, and his amber eyes, so similar to Ichigo's, flickered with unprecedented gravity and confusion.

He spoke slowly, his voice hoarse and low, each word seemingly squeezed out with difficulty from the depths of his throat. "I don't know..."

He paused, his gaze deepening as if trying to pierce through the thick smoke and dust to see the hidden truth. "From the moment he took that form, I could no longer read his Reiatsu."

His voice carried an undisguised sense of frustration and deep confusion. "He is indeed terrifyingly powerful... that oppressive aura, that imposing presence that seems to command the entire world, is suffocating. But..."

He paused, his brow furrowing even more deeply. "But when I slashed at it, it felt like there was nothing there... It's strange, really strange. It's like you're swinging your sword with all your might, but you're striking empty space. There's no real feeling, no feedback, just endless emptiness."

He took a deep breath, his tone becoming even more serious. "Now, the only people who can truly sense Aizen's power are those who are at the same level as him."

As they spoke, Isshin Kurosaki and Kisuke Urahara turned their heads at the same time, their gazes passing over the chaotic ruins and landing on the figure still standing in the distance, leaning on his sword.

Liu Hao stood silently on the ruins, his hands supporting the now completely blackened Imperial Sword, its tip deeply embedded in the ground, aiding his swaying body. His flowing black Mysterious Robe had faded to almost transparent, and in the moonlight, the tattered Shihakushō beneath could be faintly seen. His chest heaved violently as he gasped for breath, each breath seeming exceptionally difficult.

But those eyes remained fixed on the billowing cloud of smoke, on the spot where Aizen was.

Kisuke Urahara and Isshin Kurosaki exchanged a glance, a complex emotion flashing in their eyes. Then, they both turned their heads back to look at the cloud of smoke.

The smoke and dust are slowly dissipating.

A figure slowly emerged from the thinning smoke and dust.

Sōsuke Aizen.

His steps remained unhurried, each step carrying an indescribable elegance that seemed to transcend the mundane. A faint yet suffocating Reiatsu swirled around him, a Reiatsu completely different from before—more profound, more eerie, more... terrifying.

However, when Isshin Kurosaki saw Aizen's appearance clearly, his pupils suddenly contracted!

Aizen's face, the half of his face that was covered by the white substance, was now completely shattered!

The pale white Hierro was like shattered porcelain, covered with dense cracks, and in some places it had even completely peeled off, revealing the purple light underneath!

The purple light emanated from the crack, flowing slowly like magma, shimmering with an eerie and magnificent luster under the moonlight! It was not blood, nor Reiatsu, but an indescribable existence that Isshin Kurosaki had never seen before!

Isshin Kurosaki's lips trembled slightly, and he murmured almost unconsciously, "... What's going on... what exactly is happening inside his body?!"

His voice was filled with disbelief and shock, and a hint of barely concealed... fear. It wasn't fear of the strong, but an instinctive fear of the unknown and incomprehensible.

Aizen seemed to hear his murmur, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. On his face, which was covered by shattered Hierro, a faint, calm smile could still be seen.

He slowly raised the Kyōka Suigetsu in his hand, the blade reflecting a cold light in the moonlight. The blade was spotless, without a single bloodstain or scratch, remaining as smooth as a mirror.

His voice came from beneath his shattered face, carrying a faint, calm tone, as if stating a fact. "That strike... was indeed formidable."

He paused, his smile becoming even more meaningful, "However... I understand the attack just now."

Isshin Kurosaki's pupils contracted again!

Understanding? What did he understand?

Aizen offered no explanation. He simply stood there, surrounded by a faint purple aura, the light emanating from the crack in his face growing brighter and brighter, as if something within him was awakening.

His gaze swept over Kisuke Urahara, over Isshin Kurosaki, over Liu Hao who was still leaning on his sword in the distance, and finally landed on the Kyōka Suigetsu in his hand.

His voice rang out again, this time carrying a faint, almost declarative tone. "It's time for you... to understand my strength."

The moment he finished speaking, he moved.

His movements were incredibly fast, exceeding the visual limits of Kisuke Urahara and Isshin Kurosaki!

Just a moment--

He has already appeared in front of Isshin Kurosaki!

The Kyōka Suigetsu in his hand was raised high, and then—

A single slash!

Isshin Kurosaki's pupils suddenly contracted! Before he could even react, his body instinctively retreated rapidly!

But that strike was too fast!

It was so fast that he didn't have time to completely dodge!

Laugh--!

The blade sliced through, and blood splattered!

A deep wound appeared on Isshin Kurosaki's chest! The wound stretched diagonally from his right shoulder to his left abdomen, so deep that the bone was visible, and blood gushed out wildly!

His body, struck by this blade, flew backward like a kite with a broken string!

A look of horror flashed in Kisuke Urahara's eyes! Without any hesitation, he swung Benihime in his hand, and a red Aizen shot towards Aizen!

However, Aizen simply raised his left hand casually and waved it lightly—

The red light vanished on its own several feet away from him, as if it had never existed!

Kisuke Urahara's pupils contracted slightly!

How is that possible?!

Aizen turned to look at him, his smile deepening. "What's wrong? Kisuke Urahara... is this all the power you have?"

His voice carried a faint hint of disdain, as if saying, "Is that all you've got?"

Kisuke Urahara gritted his teeth but didn't answer. He just stared intently at Aizen, his mind racing, considering every possible countermeasure.

However, Aizen gave him no more time to think.

His figure disappeared again--

The next moment, he was already standing in front of Kisuke Urahara!

A single slash!

Kisuke Urahara lifted Benihime to defend herself!

Clang--!

A deafening clang of metal clashing!

Kisuke Urahara felt an overwhelming force emanating from the blade, so powerful that he couldn't resist it at all! His feet carved two deep furrows in the ground, and he was slid backward more than ten feet by the blow!

His hand was split open, and blood flowed down the hilt of the knife! His arm trembled so much that he could barely hold the knife!

Aizen stood there, looking at the disheveled Kisuke Urahara and the collapsed Isshin Kurosaki in the distance, his smile growing even wider.

The purple light surrounding him grew brighter and more intense.

He raised the Kyōka Suigetsu sword in his hand, its tip pointing at them, his voice calm and elegant. "Come on, continue. Let me see... how much longer you can struggle."

Just then, a figure suddenly appeared in mid-air behind Aizen like a ghost!

Ichigo Kurosaki!

He had somehow circled around to Aizen's upper rear, a faint golden Reiatsu swirling around him, his left eye shining brightly gold, and the Hollow Horn on his forehead gleaming with a cold light under the moonlight.

His hands gripped the two Zangetsu tightly; in his right hand was the long sword that had returned to its pure white color, and in his left hand was the short sword that remained jet black. He was like a cheetah poised to pounce, locking onto its prey below.

His movements were fluid and graceful, without the slightest excess.

He raised his left hand, and the short sword Zangetsu, slashed lightly through the air in front of him.

A slender yet incredibly solid golden crescent moon appeared out of thin air! The crescent moon hovered silently before him, its edges shimmering with blazing golden light, radiating a chillingly sharp aura!

Immediately afterwards, he raised his right hand high, and the pure white longsword, Zangetsu, with the force of splitting the heavens and earth, slashed down fiercely at the floating golden crescent!

"Crescent Moon... Getsuga Jūjishō!!"

With a roar, the blade of the longsword slashed fiercely at the very center of the golden crescent!

Buzz--!

It wasn't a deafening explosion, but rather a low, rumbling sound as if space itself was being torn apart!

A colossal cross-shaped slash, woven from pure gold and dazzling white, erupted from the point of impact! The horizontal line of the cross was the still golden crescent, and the vertical line was the white crescent cleaved by the longsword. The two merged perfectly, transforming into a destructive beam of light capable of tearing everything apart!

The cross-shaped slash descended from the sky, fiercely striking Aizen's back!

This strike was as fast as lightning and as powerful as thunder!

This attack used up all the power that Ichigo Kurosaki could muster at that moment!

Aizen's body stiffened slightly at that moment. He clearly sensed the deadly threat from behind and was about to turn around to deal with it—

However, that cross-shaped slash was already within reach!

Boom--!

Golden light engulfed Aizen's figure! A massive shockwave spread wildly in all directions, blasting away the surrounding ruins once again! The light was so blinding that it was impossible to look directly at it, as if a small sun had suddenly risen on the battlefield!

Ichigo Kurosaki's body leaned back slightly due to the reaction force, but his gaze remained fixed on the area swallowed by the light, not daring to relax for a moment.

However, at the very moment he delivered that strike—

A smiling figure appeared out of thin air and slowly walked to the opposite side of him.

Gin Ichimaru.

He stood there on a broken stone pillar not far away, his hands casually tucked into his sleeves, a signature fox-like smile on his face. His eyes were narrowed into slits, making it impossible to discern his emotions; one could only sense a faint, chilling aura emanating from him.

He tilted his head slightly, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness, as if saying, "I just can't do anything with you..." "Oh dear..."

He paused, then his smile deepened, "Is it really appropriate for you to ambush Lord Aizen like this, blocking my view?"

Ichigo Kurosaki's pupils contracted slightly. He quickly adjusted his stance, holding his twin swords horizontally in front of him, ready to defend against any attack. He stared intently at Gin Ichimaru, his voice low and wary. "What do you want?"

Gin Ichimaru shook his head slightly, the movement casual and lazy, as if he weren't on a battlefield fighting to the death, but chatting with someone on a leisurely afternoon. "I should at least express my stance."

He paused, a hint of something unspoken in his fox-like smile, as if saying "you know what I mean": "After all, I'm still Lord Aizen's subordinate."

The moment he finished speaking, his hand moved.

His hand rested casually on the hilt of the sword at his waist, the movement slow and unhurried, as if posing no threat whatsoever.

But Ichigo Kurosaki's nerves instantly tightened to the limit!

Gin Ichimaru still smiled, his tone carrying a hint of amusement, as if he were testing a student. "Do you know... how long my Shinsō can extend?"

Ichigo Kurosaki frowned slightly. He didn't understand why Gin Ichimaru would ask such a question at this time, but he dared not relax his guard in the slightest. He simply replied coldly, "How should I know!"

Gin Ichimaru seemed oblivious to the impatience in his tone and continued speaking to himself, "The length of a hundred Zanpakuto."

He paused, his smile widening. "So, when I was little, I was called 'Hundred-Sword Slash'."

A flicker of impatience flashed in Ichigo Kurosaki's eyes. He gripped his twin swords tighter, his voice growing even colder. "I've never heard of it."

Gin Ichimaru ignored his words and continued, "So, Bankai... do you know how long it can extend?"

Ichigo Kurosaki finally couldn't hold back any longer. He gritted his teeth and said, word by word, "I didn't come here to play riddles!"

Upon hearing this, Gin Ichimaru slightly opened his narrowed eyes, revealing a faint smile that seemed to say, "You have no patience." He gently shook his head, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness, as if he were coaxing a child. "Oh, you're giving up already? How boring."

He paused, his smile becoming even more meaningful, "Alright then... to help you understand, I'll use the length of time you've known each other as an example."

He raised his hand, the movement still slow and deliberate, yet it made Ichigo Kurosaki's nerves tighten once more. "Thirteen kilometers."

He paused, looking at Ichigo Kurosaki's slightly contracted pupils, his smile growing wider, "Just hearing this number still leaves you scratching your head, doesn't it?"

His right hand was already gripping the hilt of the knife. "Let me show you... This time, I won't hold back."

The moment he finished speaking, his sword was drawn!

Bankai... Kamishini no Yari!!

As his voice fell, the Zanpakuto in his hand underwent an astonishing transformation!

The blade extended wildly at an unbelievable speed!

It's not just ordinary elongation, but a real, explosive increase that surpasses the limits of vision!

Sizzle--!

With a flash of light, the surrounding dilapidated buildings were instantly cleaved in two by the extended blade! The sturdy walls crumbled like paper, and huge boulders crashed down! The blade continued its course, cutting everything in its path in two!

And the blade's endpoint was Ichigo Kurosaki!