He was gone.
Satoru sat cross-legged on his dormitory bed, deep in thought.
Relying on his immense spiritual pressure and Shunpo techniques, he had rushed back at the fastest speed possible.
Yet, after searching everywhere, there was no sign of Aizen.
He asked his classmates, he asked Kinoshita—all of them said they hadn't seen Aizen today.
Though he was reluctant to admit it, the most likely place Aizen could be right now was there.
Satoru jumped off the bed, crouched on the floor, and began drawing a spell.
As he drew, he muttered under his breath—
"Heart of the south, pupil of the north."
"Fingertips of the west, toes of the east."
"Gather with the wind… scatter with the rain!"
"Bakudō #58: Kakushitsuijaku!"
Threads of spiritual energy instantly erupted from the ground, piercing through the walls at a speed invisible to the naked eye, soaring into the sky.
Before long, a response came.
Sure enough, Aizen's current location was the 74th District of West Rukongai.
In other words… the location of his laboratory!
Satoru felt a numbness creeping over him.
"This damn kid… I hinted at it so much already. Why did he still jump right in?"
After a few seconds of contemplation, he stood up.
Donning his spiritual pressure-concealing attire, he hurried toward Rukongai.
Aizen had killed the vice-captain of the 7th Division. There was no way Yamamoto would send another vice-captain-level officer after him.
Given the old man's confident demeanor, this time, it would definitely be a captain-level force—maybe even more than one.
Satoru didn't know what kind of experiments Aizen was conducting.
But just from the fact that he kept hunting down rogue Shinigami, it wasn't hard to guess they were the kind that couldn't see the light of day.
If Aizen slipped up against a captain-level opponent and got caught red-handed, the least he could expect was a one-way ticket to Muken.
An immediate execution wouldn't be out of the question, either.
So even if it meant risking exposure of his own identity, he had to go check.
Ideally, he'd find Aizen before the search squad and drag him back—that would be the best outcome for everyone.
With that thought, Satoru sped up once more.
...
...
Over twenty Shinigami raced through Rukongai.
Each of them wore only plain shihakushō, devoid of any distinguishing marks.
At a glance, they looked like an ordinary squad led by a seated officer.
However, had Satoru been here, he would have noticed that one of the Shinigami looked very familiar.
Not particularly tall, with dark skin.
A face marked by several scars.
It was the captain of the 11th Division—Kenpachi Kiganjō!
As the captain of the 11th Division, Kenpachi Kiganjō was simply blending in among ordinary Shinigami.
Not just in attire—even his running speed matched theirs.
The whole thing had an eerie, unnatural feel to it.
And this was precisely Yamamoto's plan.
The entire search squad would disguise themselves as ordinary Shinigami, stirring up chaos in Rukongai to lure out the "Shadow Killer."
Once the target appeared, Kenpachi Kiganjō, hidden among the crowd, would strike without hesitation—capturing or killing the assassin.
Though his path to becoming captain had been… unconventional, he was still a captain.
Dealing with some rogue warrior in Rukongai shouldn't be a problem!
As the sky darkened, the group finally arrived at the 70th District of West Rukongai.
Many in the squad were setting foot in such a low-numbered district for the first time.
Staring at the endless barren wasteland and the weathered bones scattered everywhere, the Shinigami's expressions turned grim.
Kiganjō, however, paid no attention to any of it.
He was originally from Rukongai and had been serving in the 11th Division ever since becoming a Shinigami.
He had seen far worse than this.
After surveying the terrain around him, he commanded:
"Form up and release spiritual pressure! Create the illusion of battling the rebels!"
"Yes, sir!"
The Shinigami drew their swords, pairing off and engaging in mock combat.
As seasoned warriors, they were no strangers to realistic training drills.
Even during regular sparring sessions, injuries were common—let alone during actual missions.
Though there were only about twenty of them, they managed to create the spectacle of a small-scale war.
Kiganjō blended into the fray, feigning combat while frowning and observing his surroundings.
After over ten minutes of fighting, however, no one had appeared.
His heart sank.
Had they been exposed?
No… The operation had been meticulously planned. There was no way the enemy could have known their strategy in advance.
Perhaps the other side simply hadn't noticed the commotion yet. A few more attempts, and they would surely succeed!
With that thought, he began directing the group to gradually shift their positions while continuing the fight.
Every now and then, they would unleash a surge of spiritual pressure, ensuring the disturbance could be felt several blocks away.
And so, he led his squad in battle for nearly half an hour.
Just as Kiganjō started to suspect that the Shadow Killer might not even be in the vicinity, a figure suddenly appeared at the edge of the battlefield.
Thick Demon Arts shadows completely enveloped the figure's body.
Not only were their features and gender indiscernible—even their height was impossible to gauge.
At the sight of the figure, Kiganjō's eyes lit up.
They're here!
Such masterful manipulation of shadow concealment was beyond the skill of an ordinary Shinigami… Without a doubt, this was the Shadow Killer themselves!
Shrouded in darkness, Aizen silently observed the battling squad before him.
A complex emotion flickered in his eyes—mockery, pity, and a hint of resignation.
Suddenly, he flashed forward, darting into the midst of the fighters.
To Kiganjō's astonishment, Aizen swung his blade.
A Shinigami's chest burst open in a spray of blood as they collapsed to the ground.
Then, with a backhanded slash, Aizen cut down the fallen Shinigami's opponent as well.
Witnessing Aizen's speed and power, Kiganjō couldn't help but click his tongue in admiration.
No wonder this guy managed to kill the 7th Division's vice-captain… He's got some real skill.
When it came to strength, his mind instinctively conjured up the image of Satoru.
Despite his youth, Satoru was already on par with captain-level fighters.
In contrast, Kiganjō had lived for so many years, only to become a captain by sheer luck after his predecessor was imprisoned.
The disparity between them was undeniable.
But… that gap would soon be closed.
If that plan succeeded, he would become a true powerhouse!
The thought sent a surge of excitement through him.
Glaring at the Shadow Killer on the battlefield, he snorted coldly.
In the next instant, he moved—appearing beside Aizen in a flash.
Steel gleamed as his blade left its sheath, slashing viciously toward Aizen!
Wrapped in shadows, Aizen seemed completely unprepared for the presence of such a formidable fighter hidden among ordinary Shinigami.
He raised his Zanpakutō, bracing it horizontally to block Kiganjō's strike.
BANG!!!!
Kiganjō's blade crashed violently against Aizen's Zanpakutō.
The tremendous force sent Aizen flying backward, tumbling several times on the ground before he barely managed to stop.
Quickly flipping to his feet, Aizen didn't hesitate—he turned and fled.
Seeing Aizen run, Kiganjō grinned, revealing a cruel smile.
"Hmph, trying to escape?"
With a stomp of his foot, the ground cracked beneath him.
Propelled by the immense force, his body surged forward with a shockwave, chasing after Aizen at terrifying speed!
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