Clack, clack, clack...
Strange cracking sounds kept coming from all around them.
"A protective barrier?"
Aizen looked at the transparent barrier covering nearly a thousand meters of airspace around them, then turned his gaze downward.
On the ground, Hachigen Ushiroda sat cross-legged. Beside him stood Hiyori, the only member of the Visored Army who had not joined the battle, along with several Lieutenant Captains from the Gotei 13 and Toshiro Hitsugaya. Everyone was pouring their spiritual pressure into Hachigen alone.
"I'm rather surprised you chose to stay here."
Hachigen looked at Hiyori beside him. Among the Visored Army, Hiyori was arguably the most impulsive and the one who hated Aizen the most. He had originally thought she would charge Aizen without a second thought.
"I'm not blind."
Hiyori gritted her teeth. Although she desperately wanted to rush up and help Shinji Hirako fight Aizen, the brief clash between Duan Mu and Aizen had made her realize that even if she went, she would be of no help to the battle. She would only drag Shinji and the others down.
Rather than do that, she might as well provide her spiritual pressure to Kojuro so they could focus more fully on the fight.
Most of the others present held the same thought. By this point, the battle had reached a level where even people at Lieutenant Captain rank could not approach the battlefield.
Matsumoto Rangiku, Hinamori Momo, Ikkaku Madarame, Iba Tetsuzaemon, Izuuru Kira... Aside from Shuhei Hisagi, who wanted to settle things with Tōsen Kaname, nearly everyone in the Gotei 13 who could still move had gathered here.
Whether it was Captain Commander Yamamoto or Duan Mu, they could not fight with complete freedom because of the others.
This was the only way they could contribute, though they had no idea