Aizen Sosuke!
The greatest traitor among the Shinigami, a man possessing a terrifying mind and strength, had actually chosen this moment to appear in their headquarters.
"Aizen, have you come here to walk into a trap?"
Soi Fon was the first to recover. The Zanpakuto at her waist instantly left its sheath, yet she did not charge forward immediately. Instead, she shifted a few steps, joining Unohana Retsu in shielding little Aya behind them.
Though the captains had all grown far stronger than before, this man alone was someone none of them dared underestimate. After all, he had once led the entire Soul Society around by the nose.
His appearance here was definitely not, as she had said, to walk into a trap. He surely had some other objective.
And likewise...
No matter what his objective was, nothing could happen to Aya. Otherwise, it was hard to imagine how furious Wu Biao would become in his madness—or what Aizen might accomplish by exploiting that anger.
"No, Captain Soi Fon."
Aizen smiled faintly, his eyes gentle and his entire demeanor calm and composed, as though he had not stepped into enemy territory at all. He looked up at the virtual display in the center and smiled. "During the course of a game, whenever it reaches a certain stage, corresponding system characters appear to provide the next stage's mission or clues. And I... am now that system character providing you with information."
No one spoke. Instead, they all turned their gazes toward Captain-Commander Yamamoto.
Captain-Commander Yamamoto opened his narrowed eyes and stared at Aizen. Without any visible movement from him, the temperature throughout the hall suddenly soared.
"Aizen Sosuke, are those your final words?"
Faced with the Captain-Commander's threat, Aizen merely smiled. "Captain-Commander, your opponent this time is not me. Or rather...