Facing Aizen, who was emitting an inhuman aura, Urahara did not waste words and directly drew out his Zanpakutō, Benihime, hidden within his cane.
"Kidō is useless against you, so what's next?" Aizen's aura felt like a vast, silent river—infinitely deep and utterly unfathomable.
Urahara immediately slashed at Aizen with his Zanpakutō, employing combination techniques and special spiritual chains to launch a coordinated assault.
Shiba Isshin also utilized spiritual chains and his own Zanpakutō to close in alongside Urahara, while Uryū Ishida provided covering fire from a distance with his Quincy bow.
"A Quincy? Your arrows are far inferior to those of that girl back then," Aizen remarked casually as he calmly raised his sword to block the incoming attacks.
Hearing Aizen's provocative comparison to Ishida's cousin, Uryū did not respond verbally but simply increased the frequency and intensity of his shots, his face set with grim determination.
The three coordinated their efforts smoothly, with each calculated strike landing precisely on Aizen. Their teamwork was impeccable—each understanding their role in this desperate struggle.
After a series of relentless attacks, the milky white armor encasing Aizen's body finally cracked, revealing strange purple crystalline structures underneath. Behind the armor, there was no skin, flesh, or bone—only these bizarre purple substances that seemed neither fully solid nor liquid.
The unsettling sight before them sent chills down their spines. At this point, Aizen no longer resembled anything human, and the aura of that alien presence had become unmistakable.
Looking at the purple crystals that appeared simultaneously solid and fluid, Shiba Isshin exclaimed in shock:
"What the hell is this thing? What has Aizen become? Is this also the power of the Hōgyoku?"
As a descendant of the noble Shiba family, he knew many secret arts, including certain mysteries surrounding the Soul King and the Moonless Secret Art developed by his family to protect the Soul King.
However, the entity before him defied even his considerable knowledge. He had never seen or even heard of anything like this before.
Recalling his family's research on the Soul King's secret techniques, Shiba Isshin was forced to consider that Aizen might indeed have attained god-like power. This form was definitely not one that any Shinigami or Arrancar could naturally possess.
"How was it? Was our attack effective at all?" Urahara, who had just been knocked back, quickly rejoined them and asked Isshin.
He had observed that the current Aizen seemed to have completely abandoned the power structure of the Shinigami, and the opponent was merely responding passively to their attacks rather than launching offensive moves of his own.
Urahara theorized that this form of Aizen represented a critical transition moment—an unstable phase in his transformation. The opponent's power and soul should be in flux during this period.
Ordinarily, this would present the ideal opportunity to strike decisively, but they seemed unable to capitalize on this vulnerability. Their most powerful techniques had produced minimal results.
The worst-case scenario was unfolding before them. Now Urahara could only hope that the inherited secret technique of the Shiba family was truly as powerful as legends claimed.
Shiba Isshin shook his head helplessly:
"My strongest slash had no effect on him whatsoever. I can't even sense this guy's reiatsu anymore. Though I knew he was dangerous, the fact that I cannot detect Aizen's spiritual pressure at all indicates his strength has far surpassed everyone present."
Among the three attackers, Isshin's slash represented their most formidable offensive capability—an attack that could normally kill opponents significantly stronger than himself.
Yet his slash, infused with his most potent reiatsu, had been like striking an immovable mountain, failing to create even the slightest ripple.
Aizen was dealing with their combined efforts as an adult might handle a child's tantrum. He wasn't even genuinely fighting them—merely toying with their attempts.
With such overwhelming power, even the strongest Shinigami, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, might not be able to match him. Isshin couldn't help but wonder if even the prodigious Uehara Shiroha could defeat Aizen in his current state.
Aizen, displaying his bizarre new form, swung his sword with casual indifference and dispersed their coordinated attacks.
While effortlessly handling all three opponents, he spoke with calm certainty:
"I've stated before that no matter what strategies you employ, they are ultimately meaningless. Your efforts, carefully planned tactics, and specially developed techniques all constitute an acknowledgment of my superior strength and status."
His voice carried an alien resonance as he continued, "But these measures are inconsequential before my new existence. In the final analysis, your struggle is limited by your very nature, and you are not even qualified to witness my ascension to godhood."
Urahara continued to strike with his sword while responding:
"I acknowledge you've grown stronger. But the power of the Hōgyoku cannot be simple to control, can it? To think you can defeat Uehara Shiroha with your new abilities seems rather optimistic."
He had studied Aizen thoroughly and knew precisely how to target the man's psychological vulnerabilities, even in this transformed state.
"I have lost interest in you. You are too weak, which disappoints me greatly," Aizen stated, looking toward the direction where Uehara Shiroha's clone had disappeared before continuing:
"Moreover, I have already told you that you no longer possess the qualification to discuss the Hōgyoku. You believed that the Hōgyoku you created was meant for Hollowification. But in fact, Hollowification was merely your wish, and the Hōgyoku simply fulfilled that desire."
His purple eyes gleamed with condescension. "Long ago, I discovered that the Hōgyoku's true ability is not Hollowification, but the realization of wishes. As long as a specific desire exists and the potential to achieve it is present, the Hōgyoku will transform that possibility into reality."
He gestured slightly with one transformed hand. "For spiritual beings, becoming stronger is the most fundamental desire, especially when facing crisis. When Rukia brought the Hōgyoku near Ichigo Kurosaki..."