One Minute and Thirty-Eight Seconds

"You really are annoying."

Chiba Makoto said, shifting his gaze to lock onto Hirako Shinji.

At that moment, with Hirako Shinji maintaining "Bankai: Gyaku-sama Ya-Hō-Sō," Chiba Makoto's perception had already classified Ukitake Jūshirō as an ally.

This meant that even if Chiba Makoto vaguely sensed something was wrong, he could not attack Ukitake Jūshirō.

This was likewise an inevitable result born of perception.

It was like Chiba Makoto's perception judging someone to be his own son. He could not simply slaughter his son like an enemy just because he vaguely sensed that something was off.

However...

"However, as long as I kill you, that will be enough."

Chiba Makoto spoke calmly.

Hirako Shinji's Bankai ability, which forcibly reversed perception, was undoubtedly extremely disgusting, but it did not include Hirako Shinji himself.

Thus, this had undoubtedly become its greatest flaw.

"It's fine. Go ahead and try."

Hirako Shinji replied unhurriedly. "With the perceptions of all things in this world reversed, how much of your combat power can you maintain?"

"Moreover, the longer it goes on, the more firmly your reversed perceptions will settle in. So your time is rather limited. After a while, even if you understand that your perception of friend and foe has been reversed, you still won't be able to stop yourself from attacking the more threatening Aizen Sōsuke, will you?"

Chiba Makoto answered Hirako Shinji by drawing his blade and slashing from afar...

Yet under the effects of reversed perception, Chiba Makoto's blade subconsciously slashed in the direction opposite Hirako Shinji.

"I'm really curious—how long will Mr. No. 0 need to find my position?" Hirako Shinji asked teasingly.

For Hirako Shinji, it would naturally have been best if he could use reversed perception to turn Chiba Makoto into an ally against Aizen Sōsuke, but his primary objective