Truth and Illusion

That slash had been swung from an immense distance away from Aizen Sōsuke...

Like a solar helium flash, unimaginable extreme heat became a slash that flew toward Aizen Sōsuke's figure buried beneath the pile of skeletons.

Everything in its path lived up to its name... All Things in Nature!

All things were vaporized and annihilated!

The earth, the pile of skeletons, and Aizen Sōsuke...

For a moment, every being who witnessed that strike was stunned speechless. Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni lowered his gaze slightly, about to let out a long, heavy breath.

Even for Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, that attack had been an immense burden.

Suddenly, perhaps because of his age, that breath... brought Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni an unexpected burst of searing pain...

No!

By the time Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni realized what was happening—

"Pshk!"

The clear sound of a blade piercing flesh reached Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's ears. From the corner of his eye, he clearly saw the blade of Kyōka Suigetsu that had pierced through him from behind.

"H-how could this be?"

Deep shock and disbelief appeared on Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's dignified, steady face.

"What a laughable reaction..."

Aizen Sōsuke's voice remained as arrogant and calm as ever. "At what point did Captain-Commander Yamamoto start under the illusion that I had not used Kyōka Suigetsu?"

"Those skeletons had clearly caught your body, and Kurosaki Ichigo and Ishida Uryū also—"

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's voice abruptly stopped. He instinctively looked toward Kurosaki Ichigo and Ishida Uryū, only to see that, like the other Soul Reapers, they remained utterly unaware of their own situation.

"W-when... did Kurosaki Ichigo and Ishida Uryū also fall under your Kyōka Suigetsu?" Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni asked.

"Captain-Commander Yamamoto, surely you do not believe that I still need others to witness the release process before they can become trapped within