"Are you a manifestation of your Zanpakuto's power? That's a pity."
Yama-jii didn't answer the question about whether there would be reinforcements; he only needed to determine whether the Nangong Ling in front of him was the real person.
He figured it was unlikely to be the real person; after all, if someone could guess their plan, they wouldn't risk their life.
"You can try to guess whether I'm the real one. If I'm not, and the Zero Division has come to the Seireitei, then... hehe..."
Zero finished his story with a light laugh, but Yama-jii's expression turned serious. This guy actually aims to become Soul King?
"Furious!"
Yama-jii's firestorm instantly grew larger, sweeping across the entire area. After Zero dodged the fiery dragon once again, Sonído the four pillars supporting the formation and slashed down with his sword, easily collapsing the formation's core.
Without the support of the central array, the Sealing of the Garganta disappeared again, this time completely, and could no longer be repaired automatically.
"Then let's begin!"
Zero grinned. If Yama-jii didn't Bankai, he wouldn't feel any pressure at all. He was fast enough and had strong Reiatsu defense. Even a full-range burst of flames might not be able to hurt him.
The two began a minor skirmish, fighting only with their Shikai and Kidō, without going all out. As for their purpose, only they themselves knew...
'That guy is here too, but he hasn't shown up yet. Does that mean he also thinks this is a fake?'
Yama-jii's mind was still racing: 'According to the plan, if the fake body came here, then he shouldn't have come down, which means the real body has indeed arrived.'
Zero's released 'Zanka no Tachi' was forcibly cleaved open by Yama-jii. Then, several Chains snaked around to bind Zero, but he twisted them away with his skillful movements. The Chains kicked up a cloud of the Heat dust just by hitting the ground.
'Neither side is doing well, but it should be soon! But why didn't that guy from the Zero Division come to ambush me? Did they see through my plan?' Zero's mind raced during the battle.
Less than two minutes into the fight between Zero and Yama-jii, a blood-red slash suddenly erupted from the already chaotic Seijō Tōkyorin.
"As expected, that's the real body over there!"
With a roar, Yama-jii unleashed a torrent of flames, attempting to abandon his fake body and join the battle below. However, the fake body did not stand idly by but continued to block Yama-jii's advance.
While no one was paying attention, Captain Aizen secretly led several Seated Officers through the battle zone with the Arrancar and used the Kidō 'Sentan Hakko' to rescue all Central 46.
For this reason, the Central 46 almost lavished praise on Aizen, constantly making grand promises and verbally guaranteeing him various conveniences...
If Central 46 had been a step later, they would have died in the aftermath of Grimmjow and Kenpachi's frenzied battle. Those Barriers had already been completely destroyed, and even their dormitories were covered by a volley of hundreds of 'Slacking-Off Missiles'.
In order to keep up with Grimmjow's Resurrección, Kenpachi Zaraki suddenly lost his self-awareness for a moment. His beastly instincts Plus pressure, all in preparation for a battle of equal strength...
After letting his Squad Member take everyone away, Aizen stayed behind to watch the battle, looking thoughtfully at Kenpachi Zaraki, who was lost in his own ecstasy.
'This man's power is definitely not at its strongest; he can become even stronger. It's as if he has sealed away his power...'
Aizen saw how terrifying Kenpachi Zaraki was. If Kenpachi Zaraki were to Shikai his Shikai, his level would probably be at least comparable to that of Captain-Commander Yamamoto when he Shikai.
... In the original timeline, Aizen was already wary of Kenpachi Zaraki. After he used Orihime Inoue to lure Ichigo Kurosaki and the others to Hueco Mundo, the four Captains entered Hueco Mundo to provide reinforcements. At that time, Aizen Sealing the Garganta, preventing the four Captains from returning to provide support.
In fact, the most successful aspect of that plan was that it temporarily trapped Kenpachi Zaraki in Hueco Mundo, which led to the decision to attack the World of the Living even though the Hōgyoku had not fully awakened.
Aizen certainly knew that Unohana was the First Kenpachi, but he believed that Unohana was less dangerous than Kenpachi Zaraki, and even Kyōraku was less dangerous than Kenpachi Zaraki...
Just as he was engrossed in watching, a sense of crisis suddenly struck. Aizen unleashed the fastest speed he had ever achieved, but he only managed to shift his body slightly.
The red slash cut past him and continued forward for over a thousand meters before gradually dissipating, demonstrating the high level of Reiatsu it contained... This was the very slash that Yama-jii had witnessed.
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock!
Aizen's face was pale, filled with a dark rage. After standing still dozens of meters away, he finally had time to glance at his left arm, which had been sliced horizontally from the shoulder to the armpit...
"Hi, hello there! Captain Aizen is really amazing. You even managed to dodge that sneak attack. I was planning to cut you in two, but I failed." Zero-One lifted his black cloak and greeted Aizen with a smile.
This is a cloak modeled after Kisuke Urahara's technique, capable of completely concealing Reiatsu.
Aizen recognized the cloak as well; he had obtained one himself and even made several replicas. He had also incorporated this technique of concealing Reiatsu into the artificial Menos Grande he was researching.
"You bastard, you're asking for it!" Even with Aizen's composure and temperament, he started cursing.
He was caught off guard earlier and had no chance to use the Kyōka Suigetsu technique, but now it's different; he holds the Kyōka Suigetsu in his hand.
Furthermore, Aizen's Kidō ability was exceptional, as he quickly sealed the wound with Kidō to stop the bleeding.
Having been Aizen several times, how could Zero not hold a grudge? He'd try to win back what he lost. Stealing the Hōgyoku was just the beginning. If he failed this time, he would continue to use underhanded tricks against Aizen.
"You still want to kill me after all this? You're really something, so much so that I'm about to finish you off with a sword strike."
Even as they were chatting and laughing, Zero's killing intent had already flared up. He wanted to beat the mad dog that had fallen into the water. He swung his sword again and unleashed a 'Blood-Coagulating Slash' that flew diagonally.
Aizen endured the excruciating pain and dodged with Shunpo, but Zero was even faster, already behind him and raising the Blood Drink Greatsword to strike down.
There was no blood splattering when Aizen was struck; instead, he vanished like bubbles. Then, Aizen reappeared behind Zero, already slashing at Zero's back with his sword.
However, due to the loss of an arm and the decline in his Reiatsu, Aizen's slash barely broke through Zero's protective Reiatsu, at best scratching the skin and leaving only a shallow bloodstain.
'Damn it, I'm missing an arm, so my Reiatsu can't be maximized.' Aizen retreated frantically in fear, realizing what was happening.
Seeing this, Zero burst into laughter. "Haha, you're finished!"
After saying this, Zero immediately drew his sword and chased after them. Aizen ran towards the battlefield of Kenpachi Zaraki and Grimmjow, hoping to use the two of them to activate Kyōka Suigetsu to save himself.
But something even more sudden happened. Zero felt as if he were shrouded in shadow. He had just looked up when he was struck, and his entire body was smashed into the ground like a nail.
With a loud crash, the high-quality floor tiles of the Seireitei shattered. From a high altitude, a five-finger palm print was clearly visible, with a dark shadow in the center of the palm, resembling a mosquito that had been slapped by a large hand... except that this mosquito's surname was Nangong.
A Monk with bloodshot eyes appeared. He wore a string of Buddhist beads around his neck, had thick eyebrows and a beard that reached his chest, a broad nose, and a tall, muscular build.
His attire is that of a Shinigami (Shihakusho), wearing a white, wide-sleeved haori with the Zero Division crest embroidered on the back, and he is also holding an oversized pen... His name is already obvious: Ichibē Hyōsube of the Zero Division, currently the top member of the Zero Division.
Long before the Gotei 13 appeared, the Seireitei was Guards by the Zero Division, which at that time also had many Zero Division Grunts.
When the outstanding Shigekuni Yamamoto appeared, the Zero Division became dedicated to Guards the Soul King. The Guards of the Seireitei and Soul Society was left to Yama-jii. When Yama-jii was no longer able to handle the task, the Zero Division would step in.
Just now, Hueco Mundo Nangong Ling, the leader of the Hueco Arrancar Army, is growing too fast, and so many years have passed since the last battle. Yama-jii is afraid that the situation will get out of control, so he called for reinforcements in advance.
Zero leaped out of the crater in the center of the giant palm print, dusted himself off, and said nonchalantly, "Zero Division isn't Guards the Soul King Palace, but has come down to the mortal realm to get involved in the conflict? Doesn't the Soul King need any protection?"
The Hyosube Monk of the Eye didn't even blink. He said seriously, "He took my 'Thousand-Mile Heaven-Piercing Palm' and is still unharmed. No wonder he dared to plot against the Soul King Palace."
"We haven't even started yet!"
Zero smiled slightly upon hearing this, realizing that the Zero Division had already noticed when he sent Szayelaporro to investigate the location of the Soul King Palace.
Seeing that Zero didn't deny his intention to attack the Soul King Palace, the Hyosube said coldly, "You have too many crimes: killing the Central 46 representing the laws, attempting to destroy the Seireitei, creating a large number of Arrancar to affect the balance of the Three Worlds, and so on. These are all serious crimes, enough to warrant tens of thousands of years in the Muken."
"Then what's the point of talking nonsense? Just arrest me and take me in! Once we've got you, the rest of the Zero Division won't be a threat."
Zero swung his Greatsword and charged towards Hyosube, unleashing a massive red Reiatsu slash towards him.
Hyosube remained calm, and with a single swing of his massive brush-blade, he neutralized Zero's attack, leaving only a tiny fragment lingering in the ruins...
'This is one of the members of the Zero Division? There's a vague feeling about him, as if he's not a creature of the same kind as us.' Aizen looked at Hyosube, who had saved his life, and muttered to himself.
He had previously learned about the members of the Zero Division from the Great Spirit Book Gallery, but only about their names, appearances, achievements, and contributions. The Great Spirit Book Gallery did not record their specific strengths and abilities.
If all five members of Zero Division could reach this level, that would be terrifying.