Fighting Aizen Again (5)

At this tense moment, when swords were about to be drawn and war seemed imminent—

Gin Ichimaru moved.

But his actions took everyone by surprise.

The Kamishini no Yari in his hand suddenly spun! The blade changed direction, extending from under his armpit to stab behind him!

Sizzle--!

The sound of a blade slicing through clothing was crisp and piercing! Then—

Pfft--!

The sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh was dull and chilling!

The Kamishini no Yari pierced through Gin Ichimaru's armpit, tore through his own robes, and plunged viciously into Aizen's chest, who was standing behind him!

Blood gushed out instantly! Crimson Reishi blood dripped down the blade!

Aizen's body stiffened abruptly! He looked down, staring incredulously at the blade protruding from his chest, his eyes flashing with unprecedented shock!

In the same instant, Gin Ichimaru whirled around! His movements were fluid and without the slightest hesitation, instantly retracting the Zanpakuto that was piercing Aizen's chest back into his hand!

He stood before Aizen, no more than a few feet away, and his perpetually squinted eyes finally opened. A complex light flickered within those long, narrow eyes—a mixture of relief, resolve, and an indescribable sense of liberation, as if he had waited far too long for this moment.

His actions completely stunned Ichigo Kurosaki, who was standing not far away.

His eyes widened and his mouth gaped open, completely unable to comprehend what was happening before his eyes.

Gin Ichimaru... the one who had always been by Aizen's side, the one who had just been fighting him to the death, actually... pierced Aizen's chest?!

What's going on?!

Gin Ichimaru ignored Ichigo Kurosaki's shock. He simply stared at Aizen, at the disbelief that had appeared on that perpetually composed face for the first time.

His voice rang out slowly, calm and clear. "The only way to escape the Kyōka Suigetsu... is to touch the blade before initiating Complete Hypnosis."

He paused, a glint of reminiscence in his open eyes. "It took me decades to finally ask that question."

Aizen frowned slightly, but remained silent. He simply clutched the bleeding wound on his chest and listened quietly.

Gin Ichimaru continued, his tone tinged with a faint, almost self-deprecating tone. "Originally, I thought no one in the Gotei 13 knew about this. Until later..."

He paused, his gaze intentionally or unintentionally glancing at Liu Hao, who was still standing in the distance leaning on his sword. "It was only after going to Hueco Mundo with Liu Hao that I learned... that he knew as well as I did."

A faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips, "Back then, he said he knew about it because of me."

He shook his head slightly, a hint of confusion in his smile, "Originally, I didn't quite understand. Until Captain Aizen, just now, said he had seen the future..."

His gaze returned to Aizen, his smile becoming even more meaningful, "Now I understand. He must have seen... me attack you."

He paused, his tone becoming even lower. "However, he said I would definitely fail. I don't quite believe it."

Aizen listened quietly, his hand covering his wound tightening slightly, causing red blood to seep through his fingers. The expression of shock on his face slowly faded, replaced by an eternal, composed smile.

He spoke, his voice still gentle, yet carrying a faint, knowing tone, as if saying, "So... you still made your move."

Gin Ichimaru nodded slightly, his gesture carrying an air of matter-of-fact acceptance. "Yes."

He paused, his smile deepening. "After all, having been by your side for so long... how could I possibly be content to do nothing?"

Upon hearing this, Aizen chuckled softly. His laughter was gentle and composed, yet carried an indescribable amusement, as if he were looking at an amusing child. "Actually, a long time ago... I knew you wanted to kill me."

Gin Ichimaru's brow twitched slightly, but the smile on his face remained unchanged.

Aizen continued, his tone calm and almost as if stating a fact. "But I'm curious... how you intend to kill me. So, I've kept you by my side to see... how you'll kill me."

Gin Ichimaru narrowed his eyes, his smile unchanged, "Is that so?"

Aizen nodded, his smile growing even wider, "Of course."

He paused, his tone becoming even more meaningful. "But unfortunately, Yin... do you think you can kill me like this?"

Gin Ichimaru didn't speak. He simply raised the Kamishini no Yari in his hand slowly, and with his other hand, pointed to an extremely tiny, almost imperceptible notch on the blade.

The notch, located near the guard on the blade, was only the size of a grain of rice; it was practically invisible unless you looked closely.

Gin Ichimaru's voice was calm and clear. "Do you see this?"

Aizen's gaze fell on the gap.

Gin Ichimaru continued, "A piece is missing here. And that missing piece... I left it inside Captain Aizen's body."

Aizen's pupils contracted slightly!

For the first time, his ever-composed expression turned somber!

"What...?" His voice was filled with disbelief and shock.

Gin Ichimaru lowered his head, slightly turning his face to the side, glancing at Aizen out of the corner of his eye. His posture carried an indescribable, amused air, as if saying, "You didn't expect that, did you?" "My Bankai ability... I told you about it before, didn't I?"

He paused, his smile becoming even more meaningful, "I'm sorry... actually, that was a lie."

Aizen's eyes narrowed.

Gin Ichimaru continued, his tone as calm as if stating a perfectly ordinary fact. "My Bankai doesn't extend as far as I said, nor does it extend as quickly as I claimed."

He paused, his gaze falling on the Kamishini no Yari: "However... it turns to dust the instant it extends and retracts. And..."

His voice grew deeper. "The inside of the blade contains a potent poison capable of dissolving cells."

Aizen's expression grew even more somber. His purple eyes flickered with a complex light—anger, shock, and a hint of barely concealed... fear.

Gin Ichimaru looked at him, his smile growing even wider, "It seems you understood."

He paused, then said, word by word, "Just now, when the Kamishini no Yari pierced your chest and then withdrew... a fragment was left inside Captain Aizen's heart."

Aizen stared intently at him, his eyes burning with unprecedented fury. "... Gin..."

However, he hadn't finished speaking—

Gin Ichimaru interrupted him.

The voice remained calm, yet carried an undeniable certainty. "What you want to say, you'd better hurry up and say it."

He paused, his smile growing even more sinister, "However, no matter how fast... damn it, they'll still die."

The moment he finished speaking, he moved.

He walked up to Aizen, raised his hand, and gently placed it on Aizen's chest, on the wound pierced by the Kamishini no Yari.

His lips parted slightly, and he uttered a few words: "Shoot him... Kamishini no Yari."

The moment the words left his mouth, a strange change began to occur in Aizen's chest!

The flesh around the wound began to melt at a visible speed! It wasn't rotting, it wasn't festering, but truly melting away like ice and snow meeting fire!

The dissolution was incredibly fast, spreading wildly from the wound outwards! Skin, muscle, and bone melted away layer by layer, turning into a viscous liquid that flowed down the body!

Aizen's body trembled violently! He gritted his teeth, staring intently at Gin Ichimaru, his purple eyes burning with unprecedented rage. "... Gin... you bastard..."

Gin Ichimaru narrowed his eyes, his smile unchanged, yet carrying a faint hint of "you've finally met your match": "To die with a hole in your chest... isn't that what you wanted?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Aizen's chest, surrounding the Hōgyoku embedded within his body, completely melted!

A huge hole, piercing through his body, appeared in his chest!

The Hōgyoku (a type of magical gem) floated in the very center of the hole, surrounded by nothing but a faint purple light slowly flowing out from within it!

Without any hesitation, Gin Ichimaru reached out and grabbed the Hōgyoku that was floating in mid-air!

The moment he held it, a strange sensation came from his palm—an indescribable heaviness, as if he were holding the entire world, yet as light as a feather. The Hōgyoku trembled slightly in his palm, as if it possessed a life of its own, radiating a warm, pulsating light.

A scene flashed through Gin Ichimaru's mind—

That was many, many years ago.

A young boy with a full head of silver hair hid in a corner, watching helplessly as a man dressed in a white haori stole a ray of light from another woman.

He poured that light into an unfinished, small sphere.

The woman lay on the ground, and after losing that ray of light, it was as if she had lost something most important; her eyes were empty and lost.

That boy remembered that scene.

I remembered that man.

I remembered that ball.

I'll remember... the hatred.

A complex light flashed in Gin Ichimaru's eyes. He looked at the Hōgyoku in his hand, a slight smile playing on his lips, a relieved expression on his face, as if he had finally accomplished something.

He wanted to pull his hand back.

However, just as he was about to pull his arm back—

Aizen's hand suddenly rose!

That action was completely instinctive, a last-ditch effort before death!

That hand gripped Gin Ichimaru's arm tightly!

With a forceful pull of all five fingers, the nails dug deep into the flesh!

Sizzle--!

Gin Ichimaru abruptly pulled his arm back!

But it was too late.

A chunk of flesh was clearly missing from his arm! It had been ripped off by Aizen! Blood gushed out instantly, staining his sleeve crimson!

But he still held the Hōgyoku tightly in his hand!

Without hesitation, he pushed off with his feet and instantly appeared beside Liu Hao!

And behind him—

Aizen's body, pierced through the chest and stripped of the Hōgyoku, fell straight backward!

Bang--!

With a dull thud, his body crashed heavily into the ruins, raising a cloud of dust!

He just lay there, motionless.

The huge hole in his chest was empty, devoid of any light.

Gin Ichimaru stood beside Liu Hao, his face serious as he looked at the fallen body. His breathing was rapid and erratic, and blood dripped continuously from his arm, but his gaze was fixed on that direction, not daring to relax for a moment.

He spoke, his voice low and hoarse. "Liu Hao... you said I couldn't kill him, is that true?"

Liu Hao still leaned on the Imperial Sword with both hands, his head bowed, his expression unreadable. His voice, coming from beneath his lowered head, was calm and resolute. "It's true."

He paused, his tone becoming even lower. "If it weren't to make you give up, I wouldn't have given you the chance to make a move against him."

His voice carried a faint hint of regret, as if he were saying "what a pity": "After all, this will make him even more difficult to deal with."

Upon hearing Liu Hao's words, Ichigo Kurosaki abruptly raised his head, his eyes filled with disbelief! Supporting his severely injured father, his voice trembled with barely concealed shock. "Liu Shu! He's in this state... and he's still not dead?!"

In the distance, the figure that had been standing quietly also stirred slightly.

Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai. His eyes, weathered by a thousand years of history, also gleamed with disbelief. He looked at the body lying on the ground, its chest pierced, its Hōgyoku stolen, and his brows furrowed slightly.

He couldn't believe Aizen would die so easily.

But what he saw before him made him doubt his own judgment.

Just then--

A figure swept in from afar with astonishing speed!

The speed was unbelievable; in an instant, they arrived behind Gin Ichimaru and Liu Hao!

"Silver...!"

A trembling female voice came from the figure.

Gin Ichimaru suddenly turned around.

Rangiku Matsumoto.

She stood behind him, her beautiful eyes shimmering with complex emotions... disbelief, surprise, heartache, and an indescribable longing... anticipation that had been awaited for so long.

Gin Ichimaru looked at her, his perpetually squinted eyes now fully open. A gentle light, unlike anything he had ever seen, shone in those long, narrow eyes.

He smiled.

That smile was no longer the cunning of a fox, but a pure, heartfelt relief, as if all burdens had finally been lifted...

He held up the still faintly glowing Hōgyoku in his hand, his tone gentle, as if saying "Look": "Rangiku... what you lost, I have found again."

Rangiku Matsumoto's tears welled up instantly.

She covered her mouth to stop herself from crying out loud, but her trembling shoulders and blurred vision said it all.

However--

At this very moment.

Aizen to the ground, suddenly let out a heart-wrenching roar!

"Ahhh--!"

The sound was not human; it was a painful and frantic roar, as if it came from the abyss!

A blinding purple Reiatsu erupted from his body!