"Bakudō No. 26: Kyokko (Bent Light)!"
A calm voice echoed from above. At the same time, the sound of a cane striking the ground rang out.
Crack…
It sounded like glass shattering.
Suddenly, dozens of powerful Shinigami from the Seireitei appeared out of thin air, surrounding Aizen Sōsuke and his group from all directions.
Each of them stared coldly at Aizen.
But Aizen didn't seem bothered. He smiled as he looked down at Karakura Town beneath his feet.
"Ah, so this is the Tech Development Bureau's illusion trick…" he said.
"They hid the real town and replaced it with a fake one here. Clever. Unless all four corner barriers are destroyed, the real town won't reappear. A well-planned battlefield indeed."
Ignoring his comment, Kyoraku Shunsui frowned and asked seriously:
"Aizen… if you're here, then what about Nanaya and the others? Are they still in Hueco Mundo?"
He had expected that if Aizen had moved, Nanaya would have followed using one of his strange powers. After all, Nanaya's strength was not something to ignore.
Together with fighters like Kurosaki Ichigo, Unohana Retsu, Sado Yasutora, Neliel, Tier Harribel, and Byakuya Kuchiki, they had at least eight or nine Captain-class warriors. That kind of force could change the outcome of the war.
(tln-the whole power rangers line up right here)
Aizen, still smiling, replied:
"Kyoraku Shunsui… Even you are relying on humans now? How disappointing."
"He's just a lucky insect—someone who stumbled upon power. But in the end, he's still weak."
"I imagine… he's in a terrible situation right about now."
A sinister glint flashed in Aizen's eyes.
He thought of the powerful seal he'd left behind in Kyono Palace. That trap could even kill Starrk, the First Espada. There was no way Nanaya had survived it.
Kyoraku's heart sank. So it was a setup from the beginning…
Old Man Yamamoto gave a cold snort, slammed his cane down, and said sternly:
"Kyoraku Shunsui, silence. Even if that reckless boy doesn't show up, this war will not change."
Captains like Komamura Sajin and Hitsugaya Tōshirō nodded silently.
With the Captain-Commander here, they believed Aizen would not be able to get what he wanted, even without Nanaya and his team.
Kyoraku gave a bitter smile.
He had only mentioned Nanaya, but got scolded from both sides. With no other choice, he shut his mouth.
The air grew heavy. Quiet, but suffocating.
Like the stillness right before a tsunami—a calm sea that could explode into a wall of death at any moment.
Then, Sui-Feng stepped forward, raising her Zanpakutō. She pointed it straight at Aizen and said coldly:
"Captain, shouldn't we just strike now and take out the leader first?"
Hearing that, Grimmjow leaned forward with his hands still in his pockets and sneered:
"Don't talk big, you damn brat."
Nearby, Lilinette—Starrk's partner—drew her sword impatiently:
"Starrk! These Shinigami are too arrogant! Let's just kill them already!"
"Eh…?" Starrk scratched his head, looking sleepy. "Lilinette, can't we wait a bit? No one's attacked yet. Let me nap a little longer…"
Starrk was the First Espada, embodying loneliness—one of the many ways to experience death. He and Lilinette were two parts of one soul, created without even needing the Hōgyoku.
But Starrk was also incredibly lazy. He hated fighting and never wanted to start anything.
"You're so lazy!" Lilinette shouted and punched him.
Starrk just nodded slowly, too uninterested to argue. His laid-back attitude caught Kyoraku's attention—he smiled slightly, sensing a kindred spirit.
"Maybe I could go fishing with this guy later," Kyoraku thought to himself.
As the tension thickened but no one moved, Yamamoto finally stepped forward.
"All of you, fall back," he said firmly.
The Shinigami immediately obeyed, backing away without hesitation.
After witnessing Yamamoto's previous battle with Nanaya, they knew just how devastating his Ryūjin Jakka could be. Even being near it could cause serious injury.
Once the area was cleared, Yamamoto gave a cold snort and struck his cane on the ground.
Flames erupted instantly. The heat was overwhelming.
His wooden cane burned away, revealing his ancient, flame-wreathed Zanpakutō.
All the Espada and Arrancar stared in anticipation.
They wanted to see for themselves just how strong the most powerful Shinigami really was.
With the sheath in his left hand and the handle in his right, Yamamoto slowly drew his blade and spoke the words that made the world tremble:
"Reduce all to ashes…""Ryūjin Jakka!"
In a flash, the sky exploded into flames.
A sea of fire surged toward Aizen like a living inferno, devouring everything in its path.
"Man… this old guy is seriously hot-headed," Starrk muttered. He vanished instantly using a high-speed sonido unique to Menos Grande.
"That fire… there's no stopping it," Grimmjow said with a grim expression. He too realized the enormous gap between himself and the Captain-Commander.
All the Menos Grande began retreating at full speed. They didn't want to be anywhere near that flame.
But in the heart of the storm, Aizen Sōsuke and Ichimaru Gin remained motionless.
Unbothered. Unafraid.
And completely unfazed.
The raging flames from Ryūjin Jakka surrounded everything.
"It's getting pretty hot, Captain Aizen," Ichimaru Gin said with his usual sly smile. "What do you think? Should I go take care of the Captain-Commander?"
Aizen's expression stayed calm and relaxed. He simply smiled.
"There's no need."
"We've already won."
After Captain-Commander Yamamoto sheathed his sword, the tense silence broke. The still air exploded into motion—both sides charged forward with murderous intent.
Suddenly, a black figure shot upward from below—fast as lightning—and appeared in front of a female Arrancar Menos Grande.
It was Shihouin Yoruichi.
Her sharp gaze locked onto the Hollow in front of her. But her eyes quickly shifted to Aizen, who was still calmly standing amidst the flames.
"Aizen," she called out coldly, "What do you mean by what you said earlier? What happened to Nanaya!?"
Aizen looked up and smiled coolly.
"Ah, Lady Yoruichi. I didn't expect someone from one of the Four Great Noble Houses to care so deeply about a mere human."
Yoruichi's expression darkened. Without another word, she launched a lightning-fast attack at the female Hollow in front of her.
But despite her outward calm, her heart was troubled.
No one understood how dangerous Aizen Sōsuke was better than she did. He was a master manipulator—so smart and cunning, he had deceived the entire Soul Society.
Back then, seven or eight Captains and Vice-Captains had fallen right into his trap, all Hollowfied because of his schemes.
Compared to a monster like Aizen… Nanaya really did seem far too young. Just a 16-year-old high schooler.
Still, she clenched her fist tightly.
"Don't die, you reckless brat…" she muttered under her breath.
At that very moment—back in Hueco Mundo—
Nanaya, the "reckless brat," was sitting casually on a pile of rubble left behind by the collapsed Kyono Palace. He watched the approaching wave of Menos Grande with amusement.
"Heh. Not bad. They really got me this time," he said to himself.
Aizen had done something to the space around Hueco Mundo—making it shake constantly and become unstable.
Because of this, Shinigami couldn't open portals here.
Even worse, Nanaya couldn't enter Kamui Space either.
"Nanaya, are you alright?!" Inoue Orihime called out anxiously.
Nanaya turned his head and gave her a relaxed smile.
"I'm fine." He stretched his arms lazily and looked toward Ulquiorra, who was leading the charge.
"Old man Yamamoto might be prideful, arrogant, and stubborn… but I'll admit, he's strong. Strong enough to hold them off for a little while."
Then Nanaya lifted his right hand.
He pointed his index finger directly at Ulquiorra.
"Hollow Dog Cannon."
In that moment, the immense spiritual energy of the six tailed beasts within him surged, pouring into his fingertip. It condensed into a small, dense black sphere of pure power.
Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed. Without hesitation, he responded by hurling his green javelin—formed of pure spiritual energy.
"Lanza del Relámpago!" (Thunder Spear!)
The two attacks clashed in mid-air.
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion echoed across the sky.
The black sphere—the Hollow Dog Cannon—completely overpowered the Thunder Spear and swallowed it up in a flash of energy.
Even Ulquiorra, who had always remained calm and emotionless—even in the face of death—couldn't hide the shock in his eyes.
"That… that power… even Cero Oscuras can't match it…"
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