Halfway up Sōkyoku Hill.
Scorching flames covered the mountain path. The surrounding trees instantly turned to ash, and even the rocks gradually melted in the heat.
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto stood in the middle of the sea of fire, the Ryūjin Jakka in his hand completely engulfed in flames.
With only his Shikai released, his Reiatsu made the entire Sōkyoku Hill tremble continuously.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni did not retreat.
He could clearly see the Reiatsu within Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto flowing down his arm into his Zanpakuto, then transforming into flames capable of burning everything to nothing.
This was Soul Society's oldest fire-type Zanpakuto, and the one with the greatest offensive power.
"Breath of the Sun, burn away all Hollow taint, Hekyō."
Crimson Reiatsu shot into the sky.
The dark gray blade in Yoriichi's hand rapidly turned red, and golden-orange flames appeared along its edge. The two waves of searing Reiatsu collided head-on, immediately splitting the surrounding sea of fire down the middle.
Yamamoto's gaze darkened slightly.
"You dare compete with Ryūjin Jakka's brilliance with another fire-type Zanpakuto?"
"Hekyō is not fire."
Yoriichi held his sword in both hands and said calmly, "It is the sun itself."
As his words fell, he had already vanished from where he stood.
The crimson blade pierced through the sea of fire, heading straight for the side of Yamamoto's neck.
Yamamoto swung his sword with one hand.
Clang!
The two Zanpakuto collided head-on, and golden-red fire instantly exploded outward. The ground beneath Yoriichi's feet cracked inch by inch, while the shock wave stirred up by the blades tore open the sea of fire behind Yamamoto.
Yamamoto pressed his wrist down, sending tremendous force along the blade.
Yoriichi turned sideways to deflect the blow, sliding his crimson blade forward along Ryūjin Jakka.
Yamamoto immediately withdrew his sword and retreated.
The tip swept past his chest, cutting a straight slit through his Captain's Haori.
"First Form, Dance."
A crimson slash swept out horizontally.
Yamamoto drove Ryūjin Jakka into the ground, and the flames instantly formed a towering wall before him.
"Flame-Scorched Rampart."
Boom!
The two forces collided violently. The slash cleaved the wall of fire down the middle, and the remaining blade light continued forward, only for Yamamoto to shatter it with a single stroke.
"A fine slash."
Yamamoto stepped forward, his aged body bursting into a speed utterly at odds with its appearance.
The world in Yoriichi's eyes changed with it.
Contracting muscles, flowing blood, circulating Reiatsu. Before Yamamoto even swung his sword, Yoriichi had already seen his next movements with perfect clarity.
Yoriichi leaned to the left.
Ryūjin Jakka slashed past his shoulder, its flames still leaving a charred black rent in his clothing.
Ignoring the searing pain, Yoriichi thrust his sword backhanded.
"Fourth Form, Illusory Sun Thrust."
All his Sun Reiatsu gathered at the tip, heading straight for Yamamoto's chest.
Unable to pull his sword back in time, Yamamoto struck the spine of Hekyō directly with his left hand.
The blade shifted half an inch and pierced through beneath his ribs.
Before blood could flow, crimson scorch marks appeared around the wound.
Yamamoto frowned, his left fist landing on Yoriichi's chest at the same time.
Thud!
Yoriichi flew backward, smashing through several rocks in succession before finally driving Hekyō into the ground to steady himself.
A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
What a heavy punch.
Had his spiritual body not been strong enough, that punch could have shattered an ordinary lieutenant outright.
Yamamoto looked down at the wound beneath his ribs.
Despite his Reiatsu, the injury had not immediately stopped worsening. Crimson power clung to the wound, continually burning his soul.
"It can hinder the recovery of a spiritual body?"
"That is an inherent effect of Hekyō."
Yoriichi pulled Hekyō free and took his stance again.
Yamamoto snorted coldly and slashed downward.
"Torch."
An enormous tornado of fire rose from the ground, engulfing Yoriichi completely.
The pillar of fire shot into the heavens. All of Seireitei could see that stretch of sky stained red.
The next instant, golden-red blade light shone from within the pillar.
"Tenth Form, Blazing Sunlight."
A circular shield of Reiatsu guarded Yoriichi, continually pushing back the flames around him.
He stamped down, his figure passing through the pillar of fire.
"Fifth Form, Aerial Limit, Hazy Glow."
Several afterimages appeared around Yamamoto at once, crimson blade light descending from different directions.
Yamamoto gripped Ryūjin Jakka with both hands and swept its blade in a full circle.
Clang, clang, clang!
After several consecutive clashes, the two figures broke apart at the same time.
A burn had appeared on Yoriichi's right arm, and most of his clothing had been burned away. Yamamoto had a wound on his shoulder and another on his abdomen, blood staining his white haori.
The mountain path had disappeared entirely.
The two stood on opposite sides of the melted rocks, neither one's presence showing any obvious sign of weakening.
Yamamoto fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly.
"It seems I still underestimated you, brat."
"You are very strong as well."
Yoriichi answered earnestly.
A vein on Yamamoto's forehead twitched slightly.
He had lived for over two thousand years, yet this was the first time a fifteen-year-old human had assessed his strength to his face.
More importantly, the boy was utterly sincere.
That only irritated him further.
Yamamoto held Ryūjin Jakka horizontally before him, and the Reiatsu within his body began rising rapidly.
The clouds in the sky were instantly scattered, and all of Seireitei trembled beneath his Reiatsu.
Yoriichi tightened his grip on Hekyō.
This power already far surpassed what it had been moments earlier.
Yamamoto was preparing to use Bankai.
Just then, a surge of Kidō Reiatsu suddenly spread over all of Seireitei.
Isane Kotetsu's voice rang in every Soul Reaper's ears.
"Every member of Central 46 was murdered long ago. All orders for Rukia's execution were forged."
"Fifth Division Captain Sōsuke Aizen is not dead. He has been confirmed to have faked his death and defected. The order to execute Rukia Kuchiki was also a plot orchestrated entirely by Aizen."
"All personnel in Seireitei, cease internal fighting immediately and devote all efforts to apprehending Fifth Division Captain Sōsuke Aizen, Third Division Captain Gin Ichimaru, and Captain of the Ninth Division Kaname Tōsen."
As the message ended, the mountainside suddenly fell quiet.
Yamamoto's steadily rising Reiatsu stopped.
Several breaths later, the power that could make all of Soul Society tremble slowly subsided, and the flames on Ryūjin Jakka gradually died out as well.
Watching Yamamoto's Reiatsu disappear, Yoriichi inwardly sighed in relief.
With his current strength, he really would have struggled to withstand Yamamoto's Bankai.
Although he could not hear the specific content transmitted through Tenteikūra, judging by Yamamoto's reaction, they had probably uncovered the truth.
Yamamoto sheathed Ryūjin Jakka and said coldly, "I will let you off for today."
"It is not that I cannot defeat you. Seireitei has traitors, and I have no time to indulge your nonsense any longer."
Yoriichi nodded.
"I understand."
Looking at his calm expression, Yamamoto could not shake the feeling that this brat did not believe him at all.
"Once the rebellion is quelled, I will hold you accountable for destroying the Sōkyoku and entering Seireitei without permission."
With that, he used Shunpo and headed toward Sōkyoku Hill.
Yoriichi watched him leave, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
Stubborn as this old man was, he was not truly unreasonable.
He was just a little unwilling to admit things.
Yoriichi sheathed Hekyō, and his figure vanished from the spot as well.
Aizen had been exposed.
What came next was when he would truly need to draw his sword.
Before you continue