The Final End (4)

"Aaaaaaah!!!"

"Zaraki, Byakuya, Ganju!"

Yoruichi Shihōin looked at the three who were nearly going berserk with some surprise; this power...

"Hey! I say, what's that huge thing Byakuya has? It doesn't look like Zanpakutō's power!" Kaien Shiba turned around and said; "And Ganju, Yoruichi, did you give him Shunkō? No, although it looks similar, it doesn't seem to Shunkō..."

"Ah! Byakuya's must be the power of Swordsmanship. I've heard Shadow mention it before, the Forbidden Domain of Swordsmanship!" Yoruichi Shihōin said; "As for Ganju, that's definitely not my Shunkō. To be precise, it should be called Lightning Armor!"

"Lightning Armor!" Kaien Shiba was speechless. What was that?

"It's one of the Shadow's signature techniques!" Yoruichi Shihōin explained. "You know that my Shunkō technique combines Kido and Hakuda to create a wide-range combat technique. But the Lightning Armor technique requires the user to convert all of their Reiatsu into lightning to achieve both offensive and defensive capabilities. To master this technique, the user's talent requirements are extremely high, and its difficulty is no less than that of Shunkō!"

"Really! So Shadow taught Ganju such a powerful technique! But..."

Looking at the three people who were fighting fiercely, but were actually being suppressed by Sōsuke Aizen, Kaien Shiba's expression became increasingly solemn and somber.

"You can't defeat Aizen of this level with just this much!"

"Ah! Let's go, Kaien!" Yoruichi Shihōin darted out; "We can't let that brat fight at the front!"

"Shunkō! Raijin Battle Form!"

"Cero!"

······

A raging, golden Reiatsu, a colossal pink warrior, and thunderous, silver-blue lightning.

Although it looked grand and imposing, one could still make out the white man with three pairs of wings, who was smiling coldly and disdainfully.

"Very capable! You three have certainly exceeded my expectations!" Sōsuke Aizen's voice was tinged with arrogance. "However, that's enough for now. I have to go to Soul Society, so I won't keep up with your nonsense!"

Before his voice had even faded completely, his figure appeared in front of Byakuya Kuchiki in an instant, like a beam of light, moving at incredible speed.

Byakuya Kuchiki's eyes widened. This speed had completely suppressed Yoruichi Shihōin, who was known as the God of Flash God. However, the moment this thought arose, blood spurted from his chest, and the huge samurai exploded instantly.

"Hateful!!!"

Ganju Shiba clenched his fists, and the lightning around him instantly intensified.

"Aaaaaah!"

Kenpachi Zaraki roared and slashed down with his longsword, which was carrying a violent Reiatsu.

"The Black Coffin!"

Sōsuke Aizen uttered those two words softly, and a black cuboid immediately engulfed the two figures, with countless blades piercing through and blood splattering everywhere.

"Shunkō!"

"Cero!"

Just then, Yoruichi Shihōin and Kaien Shiba's attacks arrived, but they were half a second too late. No, Sōsuke Aizen's speed was too fast, as fast as a fleeting ray of light.

"Bang! Bang!"

The two figures were sent flying backward at an even greater speed, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Sōsuke Aizen smiled coldly, stepped forward, and his terrifying Reiatsu enveloped Kaien Shiba.

"Is that so! Immortality? Don't be ridiculous!" Sōsuke Aizen's voice was filled with deep sarcasm; "As long as you have consciousness and Reishi, you can keep resurrecting. I'd like to see what happens if I destroy your heart and brain!"

"Aizen!!!"

Kaien Shiba's expression suddenly changed drastically. Was there any doubt about the outcome? He would die a horrible death.

"Looks like I guessed right!" Sōsuke Aizen sneered; "You've become cunning too! Kaien Shiba, you actually lied to me!"

"Damn it! Aaaaaah!!!"

"The Kaien!"

Yoruichi Shihōin shouted and tried to rush forward despite his serious injuries.

"Cero!!!"

It was clearly two voices shouting, one male Kensei Muguruma and Hiyori Sarugaki. However, Kensei Muguruma only managed to launch this one attack before collapsing to the ground again. He was too badly injured to do anything more.

"Bankai..."

Gripping her greatsword tightly, Hiyori Sarugaki the Roar with a ferocious expression. However, she had only uttered those two words when a large hand pressed down on her head, directly interrupting the release of her Reiatsu.

Black!

It was a black figure; that was the only way Hiyori Sarugaki could describe it.

She turned her head in astonishment, only to see the figure flash before her eyes and appear in front of Sōsuke Aizen, shielding Kaien Shiba behind him and blocking Sōsuke Aizen's terrifying Reiatsu.

A single black figure stood there, like a wall separating them from Sōsuke Aizen; a single figure seemed to divide two worlds.

"Who are you······"

Looking at the man's face, which was both familiar and somewhat unfamiliar, Sōsuke Aizen cried out in disbelief.

Why? How could this be? When did he appear? Shouldn't he be in Hueco Mundo?! There's no trace of the Garganta. How did he appear in the World of the Living? And why can't I sense any power from him? He's like an ordinary person, completely unremarkable. But this man has no power... How is that possible?! This is...

"It's unexpected and baffling that something so incomprehensible has happened before you, someone who likes to be in control of everything!"

The man's voice was indifferent and calm, without the slightest inflection, as if he were recounting something so calm it couldn't be calmer.

"Hateful!"

Sōsuke Aizen gritted his teeth; these words clearly hit the nail on the head.

"Shadow!"

Yoruichi Shihōin murmured to herself, wondering why.

Although she only saw a bare-chested figure from behind, the crisscrossing scars on his body had disappeared, and his hair had grown much longer. She didn't sense any familiar Reiatsu, nor did she see the iconic black Zanpakutō in his hand, but Yoruichi Shihōin was absolutely certain that this person was the Shadow, without a doubt.

But why did it turn out like this? Could it be the power of Bankai?

"Ah! Lady Yoruichi!"

Seemingly sensing the same questioning gaze from behind, Shadow turned slightly; "You used that power!"

"Almost there. If you come back any later, we won't be able to do it anymore! I'm telling you..."

Yoruichi Shihōin's voice abruptly stopped, and Kaien Shiba, Hiyori Sarugaki, and the others were stunned.

The man before me seemed to have truly changed, not just in appearance. On his familiar face, a scar ran across his eyebrow, and on his chin, there was a few stubbles. Especially his eyes, which were still dark with a hint of eerie red, but they no longer exuded the same rage or coldness as before. If one had to describe it, it would be calm or indifferent.

It's as if nothing matters to them, as if nothing is of any concern to them!

"Shadow, you..."

"It's nothing, don't worry!" Shadow said calmly. "We've only just taken control, so there's still some lingering effect. It'll be fine in a bit!"

"Ah!"

Nodding, Yoruichi Shihōin felt slightly relieved.

"Shadow, is this your Bankai?!" Kaien Shiba exclaimed. "It's incredibly powerful!"

"Power!" Shadow glanced at Kaien Shiba, then immediately turned away; "Bankai, you could say that! But Kaien, this is instinct!"

"Instinct!" Kaien Shiba grinned in surprise, wondering what that meant.

"Never mind, let's talk about it later!"

Shadow's tone remained completely flat.

"The battle will be over soon, I want to go home!"