The Battle of Karakura Town

The Garganta opened in the sky above Karakura Town.

What emerged from the crack was not the reinforcements Aizen had anticipated, but a gigantic Hollow.

The void was enormous, like an island floating in the air. Its body was covered with a jet-black carapace, which was covered with ferocious patterns, like some kind of ancient totem.

Its head was a huge skull mask, with eerie blue flames burning in its empty eye sockets, like two will-o'-the-wisps floating in the darkness. Black mist spewed from its mouth, spreading through the air and enveloping everything in chaos.

It opened its enormous mouth and let out a deafening the Roar.

The Roar was like thunder, like a tsunami, like a mountain collapsing and the earth splitting. The sound waves spread in all directions, shattering the surrounding buildings and cracking the ground. The sound pierced everyone's eardrums and soul, causing people to involuntarily cover their ears.

Most shockingly, the Roar shattered the ice crystals that sealed Tia Tier Harribel.

The ice crystals of "Ice Burial of a Hundred Flowers" shattered instantly under the impact of the sound waves, turning into countless tiny ice shards that danced in the air. Tier Harribel's body broke free from the ice, and she opened her eyes. A trace of confusion flashed in her blue eyes, but she quickly regained her senses.

Then, the enormous Void lowered its head and spat out countless Gillian from its mouth.

The Gillian fell from the sky like raindrops, landing on the ground, on buildings, and on streets. Their bodies were enormous and clumsy, but their numbers were staggering. Dozens, hundreds—they poured out of the Void's mouth like ants emerging from a hole, like locusts swarming across the land.

The Visoreds and members of the Gotei 13 immediately dispersed to fight the Gillian. Swords clashed, Kidō roared, and Reiatsu surged—the entire Karakura Town became a battlefield.

Shinji Hirako did not move.

He stood there, looking at the smiling man in the sky— Sōsuke Aizen. A smile also appeared on his lips, a smile that carried a hint of provocation, a hint of mockery, and a hint of hatred that had been hidden for many years.

"Aizen," he said slowly, his voice not loud, but each word clear as if etched into the air, "Look at our Hollowfication, how's our practice going?"

He raised his hand and placed his palm on his forehead. Blue Reiatsu began to gather on his forehead, growing stronger and more solid, until it finally condensed into a complete Hollow Visored. The Visored covered his entire face, revealing only his two eyes, which burned with fighting spirit.

He swung his sword, Aizen.

The blade sliced through the air with a sharp whistling sound, aiming straight for Aizen's throat.

"Clang!"

A Zanpakuto emerged from the side, steadily blocking Shinji Hirako's attack. The sword's wielder had short white hair, wore goggles, and was dressed in a white robe with Arrancar mask. His expression was cold and empty, like a machine devoid of emotion.

Kaname Tōsen.

Shinji Hirako's Visored was slashed by that blade—just a thin line, a hair-thin crack running from his forehead to the corner of his eye. At the last second, he leaped backward, dodging the fatal blow, but the crack caused his Reiatsu to fluctuate erratically.

"You were very precise." Shinji Hirako touched the crack on his Visored, his tone carrying a hint of approval, but also a touch of apprehension.

Kaname Tōsen retract his Zanpakuto, his empty eyes "looking" at Shinji Hirako, his voice calm and cold. "No, I only struck the Visored. I intended to kill you outright."

His tone was devoid of any emotional fluctuation, as if he were stating a perfectly ordinary fact. But this calmness was more chilling than any angry the Roar.

Just as Shinji Hirako was about to say something, a huge figure swept past him.

Sajin Komamura – the Captain of the Seventh Division, a giant with the head of a wolf and the body of a human. He wields the Zanpakuto Tenken, its blade radiating powerful Reiatsu, and exudes an aura of unstoppable momentum.

"Friend," his voice was deep and firm, "Hand him over to me."

Without waiting for Shinji Hirako's reply, he swung his sword at Kaname Tōsen. The blade of Tenken's Punishment sliced through the air with a heavy whooshing sound, aiming straight for Kaname Tōsen's head.

Kaname Tōsen's Zanpakuto blocked the fatal blow at the last second, but the immense force sent him staggering back several steps. He steadied himself, his empty eyes "looking" at Sajin Komamura, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"Komamura," his voice laced with sarcasm, "You're still as impulsive as ever."

Sajin Komamura didn't answer, but continued to swing his sword. One strike, two strikes, three strikes—each strike was as heavy as a mountain, each strike carried a determination to kill. Kaname Tōsen fought and retreated, the two figures moving swiftly across the battlefield, the sparks from the clashing Zanpakuto particularly dazzling in the dim sky.

Time was ticking away, second by second.

The Gillian were eliminated one by one. The Gotei 13 and the Visoreds worked together seamlessly and efficiently, and those clumsy Hollows were like lambs to the slaughter before them. In less than ten minutes, hundreds of Gillian were wiped out, their corpses turning into black Reishi and dissipating into the air.

Kaname Tōsen was also defeated.

He wasn't defeated by Sajin Komamura —he was ambushed. Shūhei Hisagi Shūhei, the Ninth Division Lieutenant, suddenly attacked from the flank while Kaname Tōsen and Sajin Komamura locked in fierce combat. His Zanpakuto Kazeshini, drew a strange arc in the air and accurately struck Kaname Tōsen in the back.

Kaname Tōsen's body jolted violently, then he plummeted from the sky. He crashed heavily to the ground, blood gushing from his wounds, but his empty eyes remained "looking" at the sky, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.