At Aono Kōji's brazen words, a shadow crossed Muzan Kibutsuji's face, despite the thousand years he had lived.
Rage blazed within him. He wanted nothing more than to tear them apart and grind their bones to dust, but remembering their inhuman combat prowess, Muzan Kibutsuji could only swallow his anger in silence.
Aono Kōji said, "Make your choice. Will you come with us willingly, or do you need my help?"
Having finished regenerating his body, Kokushibo seized the tachi embedded nearby and charged at Aono Kōji again, only to be blasted into countless scraps of flesh by another Cero.
"What an idiot. He knows he can't win, yet he keeps attacking me." Faced with Kokushibo's relentless assaults, Aono Kōji shook his head helplessly.
Ignoring Kokushibo, whom he had reduced to scraps, Aono Kōji turned his gaze toward the silent Muzan Kibutsuji and charged.
Suddenly, a silver blade flashed through the air, driving back Aono Kōji as he tried to seize Muzan Kibutsuji and carving a deep, long trench into the ground.
At the sight of the newcomer, Aono Kōji's expression shifted slightly. "Kaneda! What the hell are you doing here?"
Standing on a beam at the other end, Kaneda Yūichirō looked across at Aono Kōji and brushed his tousled blond hair, revealing an arrogant grin. "I haven't seen Lord Muzan in years. As his former subordinate, I've missed him terribly, so I thought I'd invite him over for a visit. After all, I have great respect for my superiors."
Aono Kōji sneered and drew the Zanpakutō at his waist. "What a joke. You betrayed Lord Aizen, yet you have the gall to stand here and say that!"
Raising his Zanpakutō, Kaneda Yūichirō said calmly, "Sincere or hypocritical, it makes no difference. The strong devouring the weak has always been the