"Wha... what?"
"Only at the Sixth Gate, I can knock my Shunryū · Blackclaw Valkyrie Form — away with one punch!"
"What about the Seventh Gate? And the Eighth Gate?"
From Aiyan's mouth, she learned that the Shunryū · Blackclaw Valkyrie Form, who had been smashed to pieces with one punch, was just from behind the Sixth Gate of the Eight Inner Gates. Shihōin Yoruichi was so shocked that her scalp went numb, and Sakura-like lips parted slightly in disbelief.
Just now, she had been at full strength, and her confidence was several times greater than Urahara Kisuke's at Sōkyoku Hill, but the result was that she could not withstand a single punch from the man in front of her.
If she had been defeated by Aiyan's Zanpakutō, or Kidō, or kendō, she could have accepted it calmly, even if it was instant. However, while the opponent restrained his Reiatsu output, he had only used Hakuda — which he was least known for — to defeat her.
Moreover, he still had room to spare.
How could such a result not make Shihōin Yoruichi disbelieve it?
"That was just a warm-up exercise for you."
"Let me roughly explain one thing."
"As for the Seventh Gate, it should be about five to ten times that of the Sixth Gate."
Aiyan heard Shihōin Yoruichi's murmuring and said calmly.
"Isn't that equivalent to a Shinigami's Bankai?"
Shihōin Yoruichi's face suddenly changed, and then she couldn't help but ask:
"The Seventh Gate is five to ten times the Sixth Gate."
"What about the Eighth Gate?"
She stared at Aiyan with wide, round eyes, a little nervous and a little uneasy.
"Not much — probably only dozens of times that of the Seventh Gate."
Aiyan said in a very casual tone.
"How is it possible that there's such a span?!"
Shihōin Yoruichi exclaimed in disbelief.
She had just fought Aiyan, so as far as the Fifth Gate was concerned, it was fine.
Although the increase was large, it wasn't incredible.
At least she could still compete with her own Shunko, but once the Sixth Gate was opened, it was completely different from the Fifth Gate's Hakuda.
"Eight Inner Gates — the Fifth Gate isn't too scary."
"It's still in the normal category of Hakuda, and it can't be called a forbidden technique."
"The real terror starts from the Sixth Gate. It's not an exaggeration to say it's like a gate to an entirely different world — especially the last gate."
Aiyan was a little curious.
If the Eight Gates were fully opened — without using Zanpakutō, without using Kidō, and only relying on the Eight Inner Gates Formation — could he destroy Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, even while using Bankai, with one kick?
The final conclusion he reached was — most likely yes.
After all, there are two types of Bankai in Soul Society's Zanpakutō: one is called Ryūjin Jakka's Bankai, and the other is called "Other Bankai."
Shikai is the flame on the surface of the sun.
Bankai is the flame at the core of the sun.
Fifteen million degrees.
Not to mention the improvement in Reiatsu — the temperature difference alone is already 2,500 times.
Compared to this, other Zanpakutō's Bankai are simply childish.
Of course, this doesn't include his Zanpakutō, Kōfūin.
Suddenly.
Aiyan felt someone pulling on his sleeve and looked down.
"Teacher Aiyan."
Shihōin Yoruichi — with a cute face, like a cat that has been petted — no longer had the irritability and wildness she had when transformed into the Shunryū · Blackclaw Valkyrie Form.
Aiyan was silent.
Even when Shihōin Yoruichi first saw him showing off the Six Shinigami Styles, although she was excited and wanted to learn them, she was still very reserved.
"Teacher Aiyan, can I learn the Eight Inner Gates?"
Shihōin Yoruichi continued to tug on Aiyan's sleeve, looking adorable.
"I still like your unruly cat behavior just now."
Aiyan couldn't help laughing.
Is this still the noble and gorgeous Princess Shihōin that Suì-Fēng spoke of?
"Is that so? Then, Aiyan—"
Shihōin Yoruichi heard this and transformed into the Shunryū · Blackclaw Valkyrie Form again.
She grew cat claws, ears, and a tail, but her temper was not wild at all. Instead, she squatted at Aiyan's feet and gently rubbed her head against his hand.
Signaling for him to pet her immediately.
There was nothing more to say.
To please your man, don't be stingy.
The moment Aiyan started petting the cat, she sighed inwardly.
Really.
No one can resist the combination of human, cat, and catwoman.
In the Shinigami world, the only one that can rival this combination is Hueco Mundo's Third Espada — Nelliel.
One wants to be petted, but doesn't even realize it.
Just when Aiyan was petting her freely, and Shihōin Yoruichi also had a look of enjoyment on her face — different from the joyful yet tense atmosphere at Sōkyoku Hill —
On the other hand,
In Rukongai, in front of a lonely grave covered by a barrier, Urahara Kisuke, wearing a black cloak, sat slumped next to it, leaning against Hirako Shinji's tombstone, holding ten bottles of sake in his hand.
"Hirako."
"You're so bad at judging people! You completely misjudged me, Urahara Kisuke."
"I'm not the half-hearted person in your heart, and I'm not worth risking your life to win back."
He murmured, taking a few sips of strong wine from time to time.
"Do you know?"
"I lost. Although I only lost a spiritual body, I lost all my courage and confidence."
"Sometimes, I really can't help but doubt whether I've been able to hide under the eyes of the Aiyan brothers for so long because they haven't discovered me — or because they think keeping me alive is more valuable than killing me."
Clink.
The wine bottle fell to the ground, and Urahara Kisuke looked at Hirako Shinji's tombstone in embarrassment, his face full of bitterness and weakness.
The last time he was in front of Hirako Shinji's grave, he was not high-spirited, but he was at least full of confidence.
But when he came back here again, he felt a sense of dejection and loneliness.
It seemed that Aiyan's Hadō · Laser Bijūdama had destroyed not only his spiritual body, but also buried his communications and pride along with it.
"Tessai, do you think I'm useless?"
"Uncle Tomioka has been imprisoned for a long time. Captain Kirio and Captain Shutara don't even know that they've been replaced. You and I have also become sinners for the ages."
"Everything is lost!"
Urahara Kisuke suddenly raised his head and looked at Tessai Tsukabishi, who was guarding him like a door god.
Apparently.
Tessai Tsukabishi, who was imprisoned in Muken, was also now a spiritual body.
"Urahara, you are the smartest person I have ever met."
"I believe Hirako Shinji thought so too."
"That's why he gave his life in exchange for your trust."
Tessai Tsukabishi said each word clearly.
"I never doubted your ability."
"Only—"
"Aiyan is far better than me."
Urahara Kisuke smiled to himself.
"Then win it back."
"Before you were imprisoned, weren't you just the same?"
"My father, Captain Kirio, and Captain Shutara — you won them back bit by bit under the eyes of Brother Aiyan through your strategizing."
Tessai Tsukabishi lifted Urahara Kisuke from the ground with one hand.
"You had nothing at the beginning, and even I refused to believe you, but you still dared to go against Aiyan."
"Why are you unable to recover now that you know their capabilities and have more information?"
"Is Aiyan and the others far superior to you — or are you making excuses for yourself?"
His voice carried a trace of hatred.
"What can I do to win? If not Aiyan, then Aizen."
"From the Captain-Commander, to the Captains, to the Lieutenants — all Shinigami live under his Kyōka Suigetsu."
"A Gotei 13 that can't even tell the difference between real and fake, a Seireitei that lives in a false illusion — what's the point of me winning?"
Urahara Kisuke's eyes flashed with pain and weakness.
Does he want to give up on himself?
No.
After the tragic defeat at Sōkyoku Hill, he had been thinking hard about countermeasures, but the more he thought about it, the more he gained not a solution, but an endless terror.
...
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