"No Arrancar detected!"
These were members of Onmitsukido who had come to investigate the Arrancar's presence.
Boom!
A massive explosion echoed in the distance, followed by flames shooting high into the sky.
The group looked up.
"Damn it! That direction is... the Noble District!"
"Hurry!"
...
On the outskirts of the Noble District.
Kaname activated his Hollowfication. The white mask completely encased his face as he relentlessly cut down the defending Shinigami.
"It's an Arrancar!"
"Why would an Arrancar appear inside the Seireitei?"
"Quickly find backup, we can't hold them off!"
Most of the defenders here were ordinary squad members, utterly powerless against the handful of Arrancar. Under the combined assault of Kaname and the others, they were thrown into complete disarray.
"Ahhhh!"
Screams and cries echoed ceaselessly.
Nobles residing nearby quickly sent out their own personnel to investigate.
"Arrancar?"
"A mere few Arrancar dare to assault the Noble District?"
"Go report to the clan head immediately!"
Some dismissed the threat. The casualties were only common Shinigami, and their noble houses were certainly not lacking in Lieutenant-level fighters, not to mention the Gotei 13 was still active.
Others treated the situation as a grave threat. For the Arrancar to openly attack the Noble District, they must have come prepared, especially since all of Soul Society's top combatants were currently absent.
Dozens of noble retainers rushed onto the street to intercept Kaname and his group.
Seeing the Shinigami corpses strewn across the ground, the leader was enraged.
"Are the members of the Gotei 13 all incompetent? They actually allowed an attack to breach the Noble District."
"Damn Arrancar, prepare to die!"
Kaname didn't waste any words, activating his Resurrección. He transformed into a massive insect monster, firing green Ceros from his eyes, instantly obliterating the men and triggering a violent explosion.
"Use Cero to quickly clear this entire area!"
—
Meanwhile.
Shin arrived at the Underground Assembly Hall.
Two Shinigami guarding the entrance immediately raised their weapons upon seeing a mysterious figure clad in a black robe appear.
"Who are you? This is a restricted area."
"My apologies."
The two felt a sudden darkness before losing consciousness.
As Shin reached out to push the door, an iron grate immediately sprang up in front of the entrance. With a single swing of his sword, he sliced through the iron grate and the door, instantly triggering the building's alarm system.
Inside the Underground Assembly Hall.
"Karakura Town has been moved to Soul Society. Aizen will definitely descend upon Soul Society again."
"We must significantly strengthen patrols within Seireitei immediately."
The members of Central 46 were currently discussing strategies related to the recent great battle with Aizen.
Suddenly, an alarm blared.
"Someone has broken into the Underground Assembly Hall!"
Everyone shuddered. The last person to breach the Underground Assembly Hall was Aizen, which resulted in the massacre of every Central 46 member.
"Run!"
Under the threat of death, all noble etiquette and dignity vanished. Everyone panicked, scrambling and pushing frantically toward the exit.
Pfft!
The person who reached the exit first was instantly pinned to the wall by a sword.
The crowd looked over in terror, seeing a black-robed figure holding another member of Central 46. The sword that had pinned the first victim was, horrifyingly, that member's own Zanpakutō.
After Shin finished eliminating the Shinigami guarding the internal corridors, he walked straight into the Assembly Hall.
"Who... who are you, sir?" A nearby man stammered nervously.
"Please don't kill me! I have a lot of money, I can be your servant, at your beck and call!!" Someone desperately pleaded for mercy.
Shin ignored them, drawing another victim's Zanpakutō, and beginning his massacre.
"Ahhhh!!!"
With every swing of his blade, the members of Central 46 were cut down. Most were ordinary Shinigami, and even the few who possessed some strength were no match for him.
"Aizen!"
"It must be him!"
"Damn him!"
"You bastard!"
"Please spare me!"
Wails, curses, and desperate pleas for mercy echoed throughout the enclosed space of the Underground Assembly Hall.
A few minutes later, silence returned.
The Gotei 13, meanwhile, received a flood of reports concerning the simultaneous attacks on the Noble District and the Underground Assembly Hall.
Seated officers from every division swiftly dispatched members to reinforce the two locations.
Seireitei was instantly thrown into a panic, descending into utter chaos.
Large numbers of Shinigami rushed to the Underground Assembly Hall. Seeing the destroyed entrance and the slain guards, they disregarded the fact that it was a restricted area and charged straight inside.
Shinigami corpses lined the path, making their hearts sink.
Central 46 was surely doomed.
Stepping into the conference room, a heavy stench of blood hit them. The Shinigami turned pale. The members of Central 46 were slumped, lying, or kneeling, but every single one was devoid of life.
A single name surfaced in their minds: Aizen.
...
The Noble District.
As Kaname and his group pressed further inside, increasing numbers of armed noble forces joined the fight. But since all the attackers had activated their Resurrección, the defenders were unable to halt their progress.
"Everyone hold the line! The Gotei 13 will be here to reinforce us soon!"
"Once they arrive, we'll surround these Arrancar!"
The speaker's trembling voice, however, betrayed his lack of confidence.
"Surround them?"
Kaname's voice was distorted by his Resurrección form.
A massive Garganta opened up in the sky. Over a dozen Menos Grande poked their heads out, followed by countless ordinary Hollows pouring forth.
"So many Hollows!"
"Those are Menos Grande!"
"Run!"
Many nobles who had held onto hope immediately turned and fled but it was too late. The Menos Grande began condensing red Ceros in their mouths, sweeping the blasts across the noble estates.
Ordinary Hollows formed a barrier at the edge of the Noble District, blocking the Gotei 13 members attempting to arrive as reinforcements.
Kaname ordered his subordinates to continue the assault while he proceeded alone toward the most prosperous area of the Noble District.
The Tsunayashiro clan, one of the Four Great Noble Clans of Soul Society, managed the Visuals Department Surveillance and possessed all of Soul Society's history and information. But now, this place had also been reduced to ruins.
Kaname deactivated his Resurrección and walked inside, unable to stop thinking about his friend Kakyō. Her husband, Tsunayashiro Tokinada, was a member of the Tsunayashiro branch family.
His eyes scanned the area until he spotted an old man who was still alive.
Kaname walked up, lifted him, and pressed his blade against the man's throat. "Where is Tsunayashiro Tokinada?"
The old man hastily replied, "Don't kill me, I'll tell you! Tsunayashiro Tokinada had been under house arrest, but he escaped recently, and no one knows his whereabouts!"
Although he was deeply curious how the "Arrancar" knew Tokinada, the cold steel against his neck prevented him from dwelling on it, and he explained everything clearly and thoroughly.
After Tokinada murdered his wife, Kakyō, he should have gotten away with the crime, but he was reported by Shunsui and subsequently placed under house arrest by the Tsunayashiro elders for several centuries.
It wasn't until recently, during Aizen's rebellion, that he managed to escape.
"Tsunayashiro Tokinada!"
Kaname's furious roar was drowned out by the thunderous explosions surrounding him.
...
Shin watched the commotion in the distant Noble District, feeling satisfied that the operation was progressing smoothly.
Instead of meeting up with Kaname, he headed directly for the Human World.