"Captain Ishikawa…"
Hisagi Shuuhei stood on the periphery of the battlefield, his expression filled with conflict.
He had followed Captain Ishikawa's order and tried to walk towards the outside, but no matter how he walked, he couldn't leave this area, eventually returning to the same spot.
When he realized he couldn't leave, Hisagi Shuuhei gave up on the idea of calling for reinforcements and instead focused on watching the battle between Captain Ishikawa and Aizen.
On the battlefield, Captain Ishikawa was still gritting his teeth and holding on. Although he wasn't injured, his face would turn pale every time he took a blow from Aizen.
The Captain was clearly at a disadvantage now, and as his Vice-Captain, he should step forward to assist.
However, what Captain Ishikawa had told him before the battle began made Hisagi Shuuhei incredibly conflicted.
The ability of Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu was no longer a secret among Captains and Vice-Captains. If there hadn't been a direct understanding before, then after the scene upon their arrival, it was enough for Hisagi Shuuhei to comprehend the terrifying nature of Aizen's ability.
Hisagi Shuuhei could understand why Captain Ishikawa didn't want him to interfere casually.
But could he only stand there, doing nothing, watching his Captain being suppressed by the enemy, or even… possibly defeated and killed?
…
Clang—
The Kido Blade shattered once again, and with nothing to obstruct it, Kyōka Suigetsu instantly arrived before Ishikawa.
Pfft—!
The sound of blood spurting out was heard, and Ishikawa was sent flying backward.
Aizen, meanwhile, stood where Ishikawa had been, his brow slightly furrowed.
He dodged.
His strike was originally intended to heavily injure him, but the moment the Kido Blade shattered, Ishikawa suddenly distorted his body at an almost impossible angle, turning what should have been a strike that cut him in half into merely a slight sword wound on his waist.
His body was indeed very strange, and his control over his physique was extremely terrifying.
Shaking his head slightly, Aizen didn't dwell on it too much.
With a stomp of his foot, he suddenly vanished from his original position.
On the other side, as Ishikawa got up, the wound on his waist had already healed under his self-healing ability. Almost simultaneously with getting up, the acupoints in his hands frantically poured out Reishi, re-condensing the Kido Blade.
Before it was even fully condensed, Ishikawa had already swung this blade out.
Clang—!
The crisp sound of blades clashing rang out, and Ishikawa, looking at Aizen who appeared before him, trembled violently, his entire body's muscles feeling as if countless small mice were scurrying beneath his skin.
The ground beneath Ishikawa's feet, after he blocked Aizen's strike, violently shook, then collapsed with a rumbling roar.
Force dispersion!
Aizen's reiatsu was simply too powerful. The reason Ishikawa had been able to hold on was not due to reiatsu, but his physique!
Every time he took a strike from Aizen, all the muscles throughout Ishikawa's body would begin to violently writhe, rapidly transferring the terrifying force from the blade through muscle contractions, then venting most of the power into the ground beneath his feet.
But even so…
Ishikawa's hands still felt as if they were broken, almost completely numb.
The reiatsu carried by that blade was thick and heavy, each strike felt like a mountain descending from the sky!
At this moment, Ishikawa deeply experienced the gap in reiatsu!
But Ishikawa didn't know that while he was shocked by Aizen's powerful Reishi, Aizen's heart was also filled with surprise.
Because…
Almost three minutes had passed since the battle began.
Once upon a time, Ishikawa was utterly vulnerable before him; three minutes would have been enough to kill him countless times.
But now, Ishikawa had grown to the point where he could directly withstand his attacks.
His strength…
It had become even greater than when he was besieged by the Espada last time.
Not just reiatsu and his Steel Skin-like defense, Ishikawa's biggest change was his own technique.
Although he looked shaky and on the verge of defeat at any moment, three minutes had passed, and he still hadn't been able to inflict a fatal injury on him.
The arc of his blade attacks, the timing of force dispersion, the control over combat distance…
Everything Ishikawa displayed surprised Aizen.
It was as if, in this short period, Ishikawa had undergone countless life-and-death battles, allowing him to deeply engrave these rarely noticed techniques into his body. Often, before his brain could even react, his body had already responded instinctively.
Bang—!
Ishikawa was sent flying backward again, but this time Aizen didn't pursue, instead stopping in place.
He understood that with the current intensity of attacks, as long as Ishikawa didn't make a mistake, it would be difficult to pose much of a threat to him given his terrifying self-healing ability.
Although continuing would ultimately result in his victory.
But…
Dragging it out further could very likely alert other Captains of the Soul Society, especially those he didn't wish to encounter yet.
Now was not the optimal time to engage with them.
"I admit, I underestimated you somewhat."
Aizen frankly admitted his mistake, the faint smile on his face gradually receding: "I am pleased with your growth, but this is as far as it goes."
As he spoke, Aizen held Kyōka Suigetsu horizontally across his chest.
In the distance, Ishikawa's expression sharpened. His investigative and reflex nerves, pushed to their limit, immediately detected the change happening to Aizen's body.
That was…
The power of the Hōgyoku!
A pale green energy gradually emerged from Aizen's chest, and his entire being felt to Ishikawa as if he had transformed into a different person.
If, when fighting him earlier, Aizen mostly used his Shinigami abilities, supplemented by the Hōgyoku's power.
Then the current Aizen had truly unleashed the power of the Hōgyoku.
Ishikawa's gaze shifted to Aizen's chest.
If no accident occurred, the Hōgyoku should have already merged into Aizen's body, but the degree of fusion was definitely not deep.
Because he still hadn't completely abandoned his Shinigami abilities.
Even now, with the Hōgyoku as the primary focus, this hadn't changed.
But it was still incredibly terrifying.
The only thing Ishikawa was thankful for was…
The current him had not yet reached the level in his memories where he could rival the combined strength of the Espada, capable of single-handedly confronting the entire Gotei 13 and the Visored. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had any chance of standing here alive.
If the fusion wasn't deep…
A hint of brightness flashed in Ishikawa's eyes as he looked at Aizen's chest.
"Hoo—"
Exhaling lightly, a visible mist escaped Ishikawa's mouth. His body slowly straightened, and the muscles of his powerful upper body, in that instant, gradually diminished like a deflating balloon.
All or nothing!
Aizen made a change, and he naturally had to change accordingly.
Previously, Ishikawa hadn't fully exploited his physique in combat, but rather used it as a conduit to disperse Aizen's power to ensure he could last longer.
But facing the current Aizen, even without contact, Ishikawa could feel…
The same method would no longer be effective.
If that was the case, then it was time for an all-out gamble!
Although Ishikawa rarely fought desperately, he certainly didn't lack the courage to do so.
Sweat trickled down his streamlined muscles, dripping onto the soil beneath his feet. Ishikawa's expression at this moment became incredibly calm, even to the point of indifference, causing a sense of dread!
"Inhale—"
With each breath, the Reishi of the entire area, in that instant, formed a funnel-like vortex above Ishikawa's head. The almost frenzied Reishi poured madly into Ishikawa's body.
In his eyes, a brilliant azure light shone.
Aizen sensed something and looked up at Ishikawa.
And in that very instant, Ishikawa took a step forward.
As he took the step, he abruptly vanished from his original spot, and as he disappeared, the ground where his foot had landed collapsed with a roar, countless spiderweb-like cracks spreading outwards across the surface.
Aizen smiled uncaringly, flipping his wrist, and Kyōka Suigetsu, held horizontally across his chest, suddenly swung horizontally.
Pale green light bloomed, the blade sliced through the air, and the immense power contained within the blade shattered all the air in its path, creating a momentary vacuum zone in front of him.
This strike, if it landed on the ground, would be enough to form a small canyon!
Almost simultaneously with this strike reaching its maximum extent, Ishikawa's figure appeared directly in the path of the long blade's swing.
Even before contacting the long blade, the area around Ishikawa, who appeared in the vacuum zone, already showed signs of distortion. His powerful physical defense was torn into countless small wounds, like paper.
He couldn't take this strike!
If he took it head-on, he would die here, possibly without even the chance to heal using experience points.
He would die!
His body continuously sent signals to his brain, and the shadow of death surged into his heart like dark clouds.
But…
Dispel!
Ishikawa directly dispelled this signal, and instead of retreating or defending, he thrust the Kido Blade in his hand directly towards Aizen.
This scene caused Aizen's brow to furrow.
But then, Aizen felt the ground beneath his feet give way; the spot where he stood suddenly vanished in that instant!
This is?
Aizen's pupils contracted as he looked at Ishikawa, who was within arm's reach. His mind immediately recalled the powerful stomp Ishikawa had made on the ground when he charged at him. He had initially thought that stomp was just for Ishikawa to gain more speed, but now it seemed…
When he charged, he had clearly prepared to fight with his life, even anticipating the countermeasures he might take!
Combat awareness!
The sudden appearance of a large void caused Aizen's body to sway slightly, and the blade he had just unleashed lost its balance in that instant.
Boom—
And just at that moment, a burst of flames suddenly erupted from Ishikawa's body, revealing an incredibly scorching and sharp aura, with a terrifying heat wave rushing forth.
Hado #96: Itto Kaso!
Ishikawa, for the first time, integrated this Kido into his body, mixing it with the lightning within him.
Bang~
A booming sound emanated from Ishikawa's body, and the skin on his surface burst open the moment the flames appeared, yet not a single drop of blood flowed out.
Because…
Ishikawa could clearly feel that the moment Itto Kaso was integrated into his body, his blood was instantly vaporized, and his internal organs turned charred black in an instant, like charcoal!
Death~
Within reach!
Life force was rapidly draining away.
Ishikawa's entire body became incredibly charred; if it weren't for his sufficiently strong physique, coupled with the lightning inside him providing some meager protection, Ishikawa might have already turned into charcoal the moment he integrated Itto Kaso.
But even so, he still couldn't last much longer!
Therefore, this strike had to be delivered in the shortest possible time, otherwise…
Ishikawa might be consumed and killed by his own technique before he even managed to attack Aizen!!
He thrust the blade straight towards Aizen's chest, and as he did so, lightning and flames erupted, with all his muscle strength and internal Reishi gathering in his hands.
This strike was Ishikawa's strongest!
Once it was thrust out, it streaked across the sky!
Lightning and flames soared into the sky, breaking through the barrier that enveloped the area, illuminating the entire Seireitei.
The terrifying power even caused everyone's hearts to sink involuntarily, and they instinctively turned their gaze towards the area where the Thirteenth Division was located.
Aizen looked at Ishikawa before him, a hint of admiration in his eyes, even he had to admit.
Ishikawa's strike had indeed threatened him.
It might even kill him!
What a pity…
Still useless!
The pale green light on Aizen's chest flared, and a white light gleamed in his eyes.
Boom—!
A deafening roar erupted, and a terrifying shockwave spread wildly outwards, centered on the two of them.
Wherever the impact passed, buildings instantly turned to ash, the ground swelled, and then tons of earth shot into the sky, forming an incredibly massive basin centered on the two of them.
And at the very center of the impact, The Zanpakuto forged from lightning and flames in Ishikawa's hand stopped before Aizen's chest, or more accurately…
It stopped before that layer of ultra-Reishi barrier.
This was a barrier strong enough to shatter the high-density Reishi entity 'Kogotu' in the Dangai!
"It's useless."
Aizen looked at Ishikawa, who was within arm's reach, and said, "This is the difference between me and you!"
"Is that so?"
Ishikawa's voice entered Aizen's ears, causing Aizen to instinctively feel a sense of unease.
Because…
There was no despair in that voice, only killing intent!
He uttered two words, and flames surged out of Ishikawa's mouth like breath, further damaging his body, as if he could be incinerated by the flames within and around him at any moment.
But…
He was smiling!
A curve stretched across his charred, carbon-like face, and his charcoal-like cheek tore with this slight movement.
What was he smiling about?
The feeling of unease in Aizen's heart grew stronger, and just then, he suddenly felt a pain in his chest.
How could this be!?
Aizen's pupils sharply contracted, and only then did he realize that the blade, a mixture of lightning and flames, had actually penetrated the ultra-Reishi barrier and pierced into his chest.
No!
Not penetration, but integration?
It was as if two energies of the same nature had merged together.
Could it be…
Aizen abruptly looked up at Ishikawa.
"You…"
In that instant, he suddenly understood that he had been tricked!
The power of that strike had not fully erupted; only a portion of it had been unleashed to create a disguise.
But in reality…
Ishikawa had compressed the power contained within that strike and then, through integration, broke through his ultra-Reishi barrier.
This made Aizen realize that Ishikawa, before him, was walking the same path as him; otherwise, he couldn't have so easily broken through the dimensional gap!
But it was already too late!
It should be said that when Ishikawa, through 'Soul Combination Exchange,' instantly entered the same dimension as Aizen, this strike was already destined to hit, even if Ishikawa could only maintain this state for a fleeting moment!
In this instant, both of them unleashed their strongest powers without hesitation!
He can block it!!
For the first time, a look of panic appeared on Aizen's face, and his Reishi and Hōgyoku power were pushed to their limits in that instant.
And the tip of the blade that Ishikawa had embedded into the ultra-Reishi barrier, countless lightning and flames furiously gathered, unleashing all of it towards Aizen's chest.
This clash, like the calm before a storm, made not a single sound.
However, the area around the two of them became distorted, making them appear like a mirage; seemingly simple, but if anyone were to enter this distorted area, they would instantly be turned into blood.
Stalemate!!
Once one side could no longer hold on, this battle would come to an end.
And just then…
"Ying~!"
That strange sound reappeared; this time, it not only entered Ishikawa's ears, but Aizen also heard this shriek!
As the shriek emanated, the blade in Ishikawa's hand, originally condensed from lightning and flames, actually solidified in that instant; the pitch-black blade enveloped both the flames and lightning within it, and the pure white hilt glowed brightly.
The next moment, the nearly 1.6-meter long blade extended forward by about another centimeter.
Snap—
The momentarily solidified blade then shattered, returning to its original Kido Blade form, as if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion.
But—
The stalemate was broken!
Rumble—!
A colossal roar, echoing throughout the entire Soul Society, erupted, and lightning and flames enveloped both Ishikawa and Aizen.
Looking down from high above, countless dust clouds obscured the sky and moon, covering the entire area.
Hisagi Shuuhei, far outside the battlefield, changed his expression, and his entire body was once again sent flying by the impact.
This impact lasted for nearly half a minute, and when Hisagi Shuuhei stabilized himself and looked towards the center of the battlefield, his face was completely filled with shock and terror.
As far as the eye could see, the entire area around the Thirteenth Division barracks had been leveled, and even the ground itself had been lowered by a whole layer.
Where is Vice-Captain Ishikawa?
Hisagi Shuuhei's expression changed, and ignoring his shock, he hurriedly looked towards the center of the battlefield.
The scene that met his eyes made his face change.
As far as he could see, Ishikawa, looking like charred charcoal, was now lying on the ground, his aura flickering on and off.
He was clearly on the verge of death from severe injuries.
And across from him…
Aizen stood in place, his expression somewhat distorted, and most importantly… his entire right half, including his chest, was gone, and there was an incredibly massive void in his body!
Did Vice-Captain Ishikawa win?
Did he win?
The experience points, which had been continuously consumed since he integrated Itto Kaso, ran out. After Ishikawa sustained his life, he immediately looked towards Aizen.
"This is impossible!?"
Aizen was not dead, and the killing intent in his gaze towards Ishikawa was rampant; even now, he still couldn't believe… that he would actually be defeated by Ishikawa.
Looking at Aizen, who had completely lost his previous composure, Ishikawa's lips curved into a smile.
"You… are too arrogant… Aizen!"
Whether in terms of Reishi or strength, Aizen was far above him.
But he was too arrogant, so arrogant that he completely refused to believe that anyone else could walk the same path as him.
From the very beginning, he had placed himself in a high and mighty position, viewing Ishikawa as nothing more than an ant.
If he had placed himself on the same level as him from the start, he would not have had the slightest chance to defeat Aizen.
Although Aizen's strength after merging with the Hōgyoku was terrifying, in some respects, his overconfidence instead weakened his most formidable intelligence, composure, and caution!
He won!
To be honest, even now, Ishikawa still felt a faint sense of disbelief, even wondering if Kyōka Suigetsu had evolved to the point where it could deceive his own ocular techniques.
But he truly won!!
Although the price paid was also extremely heavy.
However…
Just then, an unexpected change occurred.
A diamond-like transparent sphere suddenly flew up from the ground and then headed towards Aizen's vanished chest.
This scene made Ishikawa's expression change drastically.
However…
He was already powerless to stop it!
This is…
Evolution?
Had the Hōgyoku recognized Aizen to such an extent?
The radiating light instantly formed a cocoon, enveloping Aizen, who was practically dead.
Seeing this, Ishikawa couldn't help but feel despair.
This is simply…
Cheating!!