Ethan and Aizen each stepped back a few paces, observing one another with their Zanpakuto drawn.
"I originally thought Captain Ethan would stand on my side."
Aizen was certain that Ethan had no loyalty to the Soul King, nor was he likely to willingly become a guardian of the Seireitei just to protect those useless nobles.
"So, it's because of these two?"
Aizen's gaze lingered briefly on Kisuke and Yoruichi. The only reason Ethan would choose to stand against him could only be them.
"Something like that."
Ethan did not deny it. Guarding the Soul King or protecting the Seireitei was never something he cared about. In a sense, there was no fundamental conflict between him and Aizen. Perhaps because of this, Aizen had not been in a hurry to recruit him, believing that even if Ethan did not become his subordinate, he would not become an enemy either.
"An answer that surprises me a little."
Adjusting his glasses gently, Aizen seemed genuinely surprised.
"I thought someone like you would not make such an unwise choice."
"Unwise?" Ethan shook his head slightly. "We will only know after we actually fight."
Aizen believed he could easily defeat Ethan, which was why he called his choice unwise. However, Ethan's reaction made Aizen feel that he might have misjudged something.
"Oh? What gives you such confidence?"
As soon as he spoke, Aizen, who had been standing at a distance, suddenly appeared beside Ethan, his Zanpakuto slashing toward his side. At least, that was how it appeared to Kisuke and Yoruichi.
To Aizen's surprise, the attack, which should have been impossible to detect, was blocked by Ethan.
"Surprised?"
Ethan tilted his head slightly, his gaze precisely locked onto Aizen.
"So that's it."
Aizen was momentarily stunned before understanding. He leaped back lightly to create distance and continued examining Ethan.
"I did not expect you could break Kyoka Suigetsu's hypnosis."
Kyoka Suigetsu's complete hypnosis was a major reason why Aizen was so difficult to deal with. It was not just about combat strength. Fighting Aizen often turned into chaos, where allies who should have been helpful could easily become obstacles.
Now, before Aizen had revealed his true nature, all the Shinigami in the Seireitei were already under the influence of Kyoka Suigetsu. This meant that if Ethan fought Aizen, he would be facing the entire Gotei 13. The Shinigami affected by hypnosis would not believe anything Ethan said and would only treat him as an enemy.
"No wonder you dared to stand before me."
Aizen's previous gentle tone disappeared. His expression became serious, no longer concealing his killing intent.
"In that case, I cannot let you continue living. What a pity, I thought we would have much in common."
"Is that so? Then I will try my best not to be killed by you. That way, we can still have a chance to chat."
"Heh, Captain Ethan. I did not expect you had a sense of humor."
As he spoke, Aizen abandoned his usual calm demeanor and launched a fierce offensive against Ethan.
Aizen's ability to become a supervillain was not solely due to Kyoka Suigetsu's hypnotic power. His swordsmanship, Kidō, Shunpo, and Hakuda were all formidable, and his Reiatsu was top-tier among Shinigami.
It was precisely because he had reached the limits of a Shinigami that he sought a way to surpass them. He began researching Hollowfication as a method to break boundaries, and later aimed to seize the Hogyoku to transcend the limits of Shinigami.
However, he had concealed his true strength very well. At this time, almost no one knew how terrifying Aizen's real power was.
Their battle was incredibly fast. Kisuke was busy stabilizing the injured captains, occasionally glancing at Ethan's situation.
While relieved by his friend's arrival, he was also worried, especially after learning the true ability of Aizen's Zanpakuto and witnessing his terrifying strength. Kisuke feared he was dragging his friend down.
"Do not worry. Ethan can handle it. What you need to do now is figure out how to heal them."
While keeping watch on the battle, Yoruichi also remained wary of Tosen and the young Ichimaru Gin on the other side. She would not lower her guard just because Gin was young. After all, he was a genius. She had not expected such a genius to side with Aizen.
Watching Aizen's displayed strength and the troublesome ability of his Zanpakuto, Yoruichi began to understand why Ethan had been making preparations for several years. In this situation, apart from leaving Soul Society, there were not many good options.
As a high-ranking noble, Yoruichi knew exactly what Central 46 was like. Glancing at the captains who had fallen into a Hollowfied state, the future developments were easy to predict.
"If we cannot truly heal them, then we only have one path left."
Kisuke knew what path she meant, but he could not do it here.
"Not here. We must go to that place."
"That place?"
"While Ethan was making preparations, I also made some arrangements as a precaution."
This was indirectly influenced by Ethan. Kisuke had hidden some dangerous items in a secret base instead of keeping them casually in the Twelfth Division.
"Then let's transfer immediately."
Grand Kidō Commander Tessai Tsukabishi possessed spatial transfer abilities and could assist with this. Tessai, who had unexpectedly become involved in this incident, did not hesitate and decisively chose to use a forbidden technique to help Kisuke.
"You go first. Ethan and I will return soon."
"No, you go with Kisuke. I can stay here alone."
Ethan, who was fighting Aizen, found a moment to speak to Yoruichi, and was nearly cut in half by Aizen's blade.
Although he barely avoided it, a long wound was left on his body.
"You look like that. It is hard to feel at ease."
"This little injury is nothing."
Ethan lightly brushed his hand over the wound, and it vanished instantly.
"What impressive Kaido."
Aizen even applauded lightly, not concerned that Ethan had healed himself so casually. Being able to use Kaido for self-healing did not make one invincible. Both fighting and healing consumed spiritual power, and Kaido required extremely precise control. As power was depleted, its effectiveness would diminish until it could no longer be used.
Moreover, healing minor injuries before defeating the enemy wasted spiritual power, and healing serious injuries required time and left one defenseless.
So Aizen did not focus on it. As for Kisuke and Yoruichi wanting to escape, he did not care either. It would be convenient for Kisuke to take the blame, which was part of his original plan. At this time, Aizen had not yet thought about seizing the Hogyoku.
"I only need to make sure you stay."
Ethan was not afraid of Kyoka Suigetsu, which made him a major variable. Only by personally eliminating this variable could Aizen feel at ease.
"I also hope you can stay a little longer."
Aizen wanted to kill Ethan, while Ethan wanted to keep Aizen here for a while longer, preventing him from controlling Central 46 too early to capture Kisuke.
Treating Shinji and the others required time. Even stabilizing their condition would take time, and they could not be interrupted.
Ethan told Yoruichi to leave with Kisuke so she could act as protection.
After that, they would need to prepare for their escape, which also required time. What Ethan needed to do was buy that time.
Watching Tessai activate spatial transfer and take everyone away, Ethan focused fully on his opponent.
"It seems you are prepared to sacrifice yourself."
"I never thought I would die here."
As he spoke, their Zanpakuto clashed again. Ethan sensed Aizen using Kyoka Suigetsu during the exchange. It seemed he was still trying to influence his five senses. In a battle of this level, even one or two seconds of interference could determine the outcome.
After another exchange, Aizen looked at Ethan, whom he had injured with a single strike, and finally confirmed something.
"It seems you are not completely immune to Kyoka Suigetsu."
"I said before, your Zanpakuto is very powerful."
A voice suddenly sounded beside him, accompanied by the sound of a blade cutting through the air and a sharp pressure. Aizen reacted instantly and attempted to dodge, but Ethan's strike was too fast, and he could not completely avoid it.
"Now it's my turn."
The injured Aizen did not care about his wound. He was more concerned about the person he had just struck. The injured Ethan slowly transformed into Tosen.
"So your Zanpakuto has this kind of ability. What a terrifying power."
Currently, only those who participated in Ethan's Captain assessment knew the true ability of his Zanpakuto. Apart from them, no one else knew. Most Shinigami still believed his Zanpakuto was purely healing-type.
"So, when did you use Kyoka Suigetsu on me?"
The condition for Kyoka Suigetsu's hypnosis was to release it in front of someone. Only those who had seen its Shikai would fall under its hypnosis.
Aizen was certain he had not released Kyoka Suigetsu in front of Ethan. So when had it happened?
"Well, you can take your time guessing."
Ethan would never tell him that when using a certain Zanpakuto's ability, there were no such troublesome rituals.
(To be continued.)