Above All Others

Soul Society, afternoon.

The moment Ross led the Hueco Mundo army to invade the Wandenreich, Soul Society remained as calm as ever.

But at this moment, that calm shattered like a lake struck by a massive boulder.

Buzz!!!

A gigantic pitch-black shadow rose without warning from the shadows beneath the Seireitei.

Yhwach had descended upon Soul Society without warning.

In an instant, a terrifying Spiritual Pressure far beyond the comprehension of all Shinigami Captains swept across the entire Seireitei like a tsunami.

The once-clear sky suddenly darkened.

The clouds hung low as though filled with lead, as if the heavens were about to collapse.

Under this pressure, enough to freeze one's soul, every Shinigami below captain class—even the ordinarily proud seated officers and Lieutenant Captains—was pressed flat to the ground in an instant, stripped of even the courage to raise their heads.

"C-Captain!"

Inside the Fifth Division barracks.

The usually frail young woman displayed astonishing resolve.

Momo Hinamori's face was deathly pale, cold sweat covered her forehead, and her body trembled like a fallen leaf in the wind. Yet driven by her concern for her captain, she staggered into the captain's office and collapsed before Aizen.

"Are you all right?"

Aizen frowned slightly, but there was no emotional ripple in the depths of his gentle eyes.

He reached out to help Hinamori up, settled her into a chair, and said softly,

"Rest here for a while. Things are a little chaotic outside, so don't go out."

After saying that, he took the pristine white captain's haori from the coat rack, draped it elegantly over his shoulders, and pushed open the door.

At that moment, his expression was flawless.

He looked exactly like a dutiful captain who knew nothing and had come out at the first sign of trouble to take