Arriving in Karakura Town

Sōsuke Aizen looked down at everything—at Baraggan, who had been killed; at Tier Harribel, who had broken free from the ice; at Coyote Starrk, who was now at a disadvantage; and at Kaname Tōsen, who lay on the ground. His expression remained calm, and a faint smile still lingered on his lips, as if all of this was within his expectations.

"It seems," his voice wasn't loud, but every word was as clear as a bell, " that the Arrancar I painstakingly found in Hueco Mundo is no match for my individual efforts. In that case—there's no need to keep them."

His figure disappeared from the spot.

The next instant, he was already behind Tia Tier Harribel.

Tier Harribel didn't even have time to react—her eyes widened abruptly, her pupils reflecting Aizen's figure and the blood- Zanpakuto in his hand. The blade pierced through her back and through her chest, blood gushing out and blooming into red flowers in the void.

"Aizen..." Tier Harribel's voice was hoarse and trembling, filled with disbelief, "You..."

Aizen did not answer. He drew his Zanpakuto, and Tier Harribel's body fell from the sky, like a bird with a broken wing, tracing an arc in the wind.

Koyatai Coyote Starrk's eyes widened suddenly. He stared at the falling Tier Harribel, at the blood -Zanpakuto in Aizen's hand, and for the first time, a true emotion appeared in those usually languid eyes—anger.

"Aizen," his voice was low and hoarse, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, "What are you doing?"

Aizen turned around, looked at him, and said with the same smile, "Just cleaning up trash."

His figure disappeared again.

Coyote Starrk's pupils contracted sharply, and his body instinctively dodged to the side—his speed was astonishing, instantly creating a distance of tens of meters between him and Aizen. But a cut was still made on his shoulder, and blood dripped down his clothes.

However, the figure that swept past him was just an afterimage.

The real Aizen appeared behind him.

The blade pierced his back, penetrating his body. Coyote Starrk looked down at the tip of the blade emerging from his chest, a flicker of resentment in his eyes, but more so a sense of relief—a relief that it was finally over. His body fell from the sky, like Tier Harribel, like a bird shot down.

Shinji Hirako stood not far away, witnessing all of this. He watched how Aizen casually killed his subordinates, how he ruthlessly abandoned those pawns who had served him. A complex light flashed in his eyes—anger, disgust, and a deep, unspeakable sorrow.

"Is this Kyouka Suigetsu?" His voice carried a hint of mockery, yet also a touch of apprehension. "Quite an impressive ability. At such close range, you managed to conceal your true nature without revealing a flaw."

Aizen ignored him. He turned to face Kaname Tōsen, who lay on the ground. The blind man lay in a pool of blood, his body trembling slightly, but he was still alive.

Aizen raised his Zanpakuto and swung it lightly.

A blade of light flew from the blade, striking Kaname Tōsen precisely in the neck. Blood gushed out, his head rolled off, Kaname Tōsen's body twitched a few times, and then remained motionless.

Sajin Komamura's eyes widened suddenly, an unbelievable rage appearing on his wolf-like face. He stared at Kaname Tōsen's corpse, at the blood -Zanpakuto in Aizen's hand, and his entire being erupted like a powder keg, letting out a deafening roar.

"Aizen-- "

He charged towards Aizen, sword in hand, the blade of Heaven's Tenken imbued with all his Reiatsu, carrying an unwavering determination—

Just then, the space behind Aizen suddenly shattered.

A black figure burst forth from the shattered space, moving with lightning speed. He wore a veiled Visored and wielded the black Tensa Zangetsu, the blade radiating a dense black Reiatsu.

Ichigo Kurosaki.

His Visored covered his entire face, revealing only two eyes burning with fighting spirit. His Tensa Zangetsu drew a black arc in the air, slashing fiercely towards Aizen's nape.

Getsuga Tenshō!

A black slash roared from the blade, carrying an aura of annihilation, aimed straight for Aizen's neck.

Clang!

Layers of light shields appeared behind Aizen, enveloping him like a tortoise shell. Ichigo Kurosaki's Getsuga Tenshō struck the light shields, sparking dazzling sparks, but it couldn't advance an inch. The light shields shattered layer by layer, only to regenerate layer by layer, ultimately completely neutralizing the fatal strike.

Ichigo Kurosaki's body was thrown backward by the recoil, and he tumbled several times in the air before barely regaining his balance. A crack appeared on his Visored after the attack, and his breathing became rapid.

Liu Ziyun's figure emerged from the Garganta and landed steadily beside Ichigo Kurosaki. His gaze swept across the battlefield—over the Arrancar lying on the ground, over the Soul Reaper still fighting, and over the smiling man in the sky. Then he turned to look at Ichigo Kurosaki, his tone tinged with helplessness and a sigh.

"You see," his voice was calm and direct, "I told you you couldn't do it. Even though you wore Visored this time, you were so timid and hesitant. How could you possibly unleash your full potential?"

He paused, then reached out and patted Ichigo Kurosaki on the shoulder. "Go watch from the side."

Ichigo Kurosaki opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found himself speechless. What Liu Ziyun said was true—he had indeed not used his full strength in that strike.

He hesitated at the last moment. He wondered—what would happen if this strike really hit Aizen? What if Aizen died? This inappropriate hesitation, this inappropriate "what if," always lingered in his mind.

He silently stepped aside, leaving the battlefield to Liu Ziyun.

Liu Ziyun stood before Aizen, several dozen meters apart. The air seemed to freeze at that moment; all sound vanished except for the wind and the faint clashing of their Reiatsu.

"Aizen," Liu Ziyun's voice was calm as still water, yet carried an undeniable power, "We meet again."

Aizen looked at him, his smile deepening. "Liu Ziyun, you always appear where you shouldn't."

Liu Ziyun shrugged. "There's nothing I can do about it. I'm just a busybody."

Their gazes met in mid-air, and an invisible fighting spirit surged through the air as if it were a tangible force.

Behind them, Ichigo Kurosaki gripped Tensa Zangetsu, his gaze fixed on Aizen. A voice inside him told him—next time, next time he wouldn't hesitate.