At that very moment, the relaxed, leisurely atmosphere suddenly underwent a drastic change, as though an invisible weight had descended over the entire space.
The atmosphere abruptly grew tense to the extreme, like a bowstring drawn to its limit, where even the slightest touch would set off a breathtaking, soul-shaking battle to the death...
The Soul Reapers and Arrancar near the two of them keenly sensed the approaching danger and, at that very instant, all pulled out every stop, desperately fleeing from the pair at lightning speed.
After all, no one wanted to be caught in the terrifying shock waves unleashed by a fierce battle between these two peerless powerhouses.
If they were unfortunate enough to lose their lives because of that, wouldn't they become a laughingstock whenever the people they knew chatted about them?
By then, even in death, they probably wouldn't be able to rest in peace, becoming utter fools in other people's stories for hundreds or thousands of years.
In a flash, Naruto and Sōsuke Aizen shot forward like two bolts of lightning streaking across the sky, coming to a stop face-to-face in the blink of an eye.
Their gazes were like blazing flames, meeting fiercely in midair and colliding, sending countless brilliant sparks flying.
At that moment, time seemed to freeze. An unimaginably powerful aura erupted from both of them at once, like two towering peaks standing proudly opposite each other.
The two surging waves of pressure collided violently, locked in a stalemate that sparked a gripping struggle.
Deafening cracks rang out, like thunder exploding in the highest heavens, echoing without end;
Dazzling bolts of lightning writhed and roared wildly between them, as though they meant to tear a gaping hole through heaven and earth.
Yet amid this explosive confrontation, the corners of Sōsuke Aizen's mouth