Mayuri finished speaking. Sharp spiritual pressure began flowing from his palm.
The others exchanged silent glances. They stepped back to give Mayuri room.
Squad members started stealing looks at Shigure.
They all knew Shigure was strong. Countless legends about him had spread through the Seireitei.
Plus he'd practically handled the Hueco Mundo invasion alone.
But they never expected Captain Mayuri to rank Shigure's power so highly.
Rukia, Rangiku, and the others nearby felt surprised too.
They could tell that even now, Shigure seemed completely relaxed.
Unlike them, he showed zero urgency about the coming battle.
Was he really that confident?
Though they wondered, no one would ask such a foolish question.
Facing the unknown, nobody could claim absolute certainty.
Moments later, Mayuri finished his directional Garganta.
Whoosh!
A black twisted line about six feet long appeared in the air. Mayuri extended his hand.
The air shattered like broken glass. Cracks spread, revealing the void within.
Mayuri looked up calmly. "Everyone goes except the squad members staying to help me move stuff."
The Soul Reapers behind them smiled wryly.
They felt relieved—no facing those terrifying enemies. But Mayuri's dismissal stung.
Still, no one objected.
Against opponents this powerful, they truly couldn't help.
Moments later, Shigure and the others entered without hesitation.
Only five people total.
Unohana, Tōshirō, Rangiku, Rukia, and Shigure.
Soi Fon, Ōmaeda, and the others had already returned to Soul Society.
Inside the Garganta, Shigure naturally took the lead. He created a stable spirit particle pathway as he walked ahead.
Behind them came farewell voices from the squad members.
The Garganta closed. Complete silence fell.
No more whispered conversations. No more howling Hueco Mundo winds.
Only footsteps on the spirit pathway remained.
Tap, tap, tap...
The heavy atmosphere made everyone's faces grim.
Unohana spoke softly. "This moment... is finally here."
"From when Aizen faked his death, I knew this day would come eventually."
"But I never thought... it would take so long."
Rukia and the others froze.
They felt the final battle came too fast. But Unohana called it "late"?
Shigure's eyes flashed as he walked ahead. "Yes... quite late indeed."
He understood. For someone as loyal as Unohana, she'd wanted to bring justice to a traitor like Aizen for ages.
"However..." Shigure spoke again. "Before we reach the battlefield, you need to know something."
"What?"
Several curious gazes turned toward him.
Shigure's expression stayed calm. His pace didn't slow. "Once Aizen activates Kyōka Suigetsu, he can control all your senses. You won't be able to resist."
"Under Kyōka Suigetsu's influence, everything you see and hear might be illusions."
"Captain Hitsugaya, you know this well."
Tōshirō's eyes shifted. He looked down. "That's right..."
Unohana and the others grew serious.
Shigure paused slightly. "Remember what I'm about to tell you."
...
...
While they advanced rapidly, in the "fake" Karakura Town—
This empty city had become ruins of rubble and broken walls.
Captains and lieutenants lay scattered throughout the debris!
Now they were covered in wounds. Sword cuts marked their bodies. They'd clearly lost all ability to fight!
"Aizen's... Kyōka Suigetsu... this terrifying?"
"Couldn't see his attacks at all..."
"Not one of us could even touch him!"
"Even the Head Captain's Ryūjin Jakka got sealed..."
"Are we really counting on Segawa and the others from Hueco Mundo now?"
The fallen captains and lieutenants felt overwhelming emotions.
Nobody expected this. The sides seemed evenly matched. But once Aizen got serious, the battle became completely one-sided!
Over ten captain-level fighters attacking together—including the Visored—all defeated!
Even Yamamoto, who fought last, had his Zanpakutō sealed by that Arrancar called the "Fire Prince."
Today's situation was Soul Society's greatest crisis in centuries.
Among the ruins sat a deep crater.
The surrounding earth was burned black-red by intense flames.
In that crater lay a figure covered in wounds—none other than Gotei 13 Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto!
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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