The Seijōtōkyorin, where Central 46 was located, was a ring-shaped white structure at the foot of Sōkyoku Hill. It was surrounded on all sides by deep blue water, with only a single orange wooden bridge connecting it to Seireitei.
By now, the blazing sun had shifted westward. Afternoon had arrived, and the once-scorching sunlight gradually softened, casting a dusky golden hue over the entire tower complex.
"We've arrived, Isane."
Retsu Unohana stopped at the entrance of the wooden bridge leading to the Seijōtōkyorin. She glanced around and frowned slightly.
"But there's an unusual silence here… I hope it's not what I'm thinking."
"Captain…" Isane Kotetsu responded softly. She surveyed the structure before them, an inexplicable sense of unease rising in her heart.
"Let's go, Isane. No matter what awaits inside… I won't let anything happen to you."
With that, Unohana stepped forward once more.
"Yes… thank you, Captain!" Isane replied gratefully and followed closely behind her across the sixty-four-meter bridge, arriving before the red main gate of the Seijōtōkyorin.
"No guards… the alarm barrier has been deactivated. Even the gate has been locked from the inside."
Looking at the protective grating already lowered before the entrance, Unohana sighed quietly.
"It seems Vice-Captain Fūjin was right. Central 46 has already been… overrun."
"T-That's impossible… This is Central 46, heavily guarded by the Seventh Division! How could it be taken without a sound?!" Isane said in shock.
"I also find it strange… but the facts speak for themselves."
Unohana drew her Zanpakutō and casually swung it forward. A cold flash of steel cut through the air, and in an instant the main gate and its barricade were destroyed.
"Captain…"
"The culprit defeated the guards and disabled the alarm barrier precisely to avoid causing a disturbance when we broke the gate."
She sheathed her blade, a faint smile appearing at the corner of her lips.
"As expected… that person is still inside. Come, Isane."
"Yes!"
Isane immediately unsheathed her Zanpakutō, leapt ahead of Unohana, and charged into the dim corridor.
Before long, after passing through seven heavy defensive doors, they reached a winding stone staircase descending downward, surrounded by smooth, polished walls.
At the bottom stood a cylindrical bluestone fortress—home to the forty sages and six judges of Central 46.
However, when Unohana and Isane arrived, what greeted their eyes was—
Forty-six corpses.
Inside the vast stone chamber, the bodies of the sages lay scattered in disarray. The circular table, the floor, even the stone walls were smeared with darkened, dried blood.
"What?! What happened here?!" Isane gasped in horror, rushing forward. She was about to touch one of the bodies when Unohana stopped her.
"Don't let your guard down, Isane. That person is still nearby… like a viper waiting for the right moment to strike."
Unohana slowly scanned the dark surroundings.
"Isn't that right, Captain Aizen…? No… at this point, it would be more appropriate to call you 'the treasonous criminal—Sōsuke Aizen.'"
"Ah... hello, Captain Unohana."
The long-missing Aizen slowly descended from the highest point within the stone fortress. Looking at the composed Unohana, he sighed lightly.
"As expected of a Shinigami who has existed for over a thousand years alongside Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. You discovered this place remarkably quickly."
"Aizen, for faking your death and conspiring to plunge Soul Society into chaos, I will end your life here."
Unohana raised her Zanpakutō slowly.
"Oh? Resorting to violence the moment we meet? How very fitting of the 'First Kenpachi.'"
Faced with Unohana's killing intent, Aizen's expression remained as calm as drifting clouds.
"But tell me… do you truly believe the current situation favors you?"
"Aizen, without your Zanpakutō, you're like a viper without its fangs… In my eyes, you have no chance of escape!" Retsu Unohana said as she drew her blade.
"I see. It appears you've attributed a Shinigami's strength entirely to their Zanpakutō."
Sōsuke Aizen chuckled softly and shook his head.
"However, I can responsibly tell you that such a notion is nothing but a fallacy."
"What?"
"In my view, a Zanpakutō is merely a tool that serves a Shinigami in unleashing their power—it does not represent a Shinigami's true strength."
Aizen smiled faintly.
"Or to put it simply: battles between Shinigami are, in essence, clashes of spiritual pressure.
Between two combatants, the one with greater spiritual pressure will overwhelm the other with thunderous force.
I won't deny it… at present, my spiritual power is slightly inferior to yours, and my Zanpakutō is not at my side, but—"
Unohana stared at him expressionlessly, her right hand tightly gripping her Zanpakutō as she pointed it at him. Vast spiritual pressure began surging from her body.
"But from beginning to end, I have never intended to deceive anyone. It's simply that none of you… truly understand who I am."
Even as Unohana gathered her strength, ready to strike at any moment, Aizen remained unmoved, smiling calmly.
"Besides, judging from the current situation… it seems I hold the advantage."
"Aizen, what nonsense are you spouting at a time like this?! I alone am more than enough to deal with you!"
Unohana signaled Isane Kotetsu to retreat to the entrance and stand guard, as she intended to focus fully on her battle with Aizen.
"Captain Unohana, I'm afraid you've misunderstood what I meant by 'the situation favors me.'"
The smile on Aizen's face deepened, his brown eyes gleaming beneath his black-rimmed glasses.
"What?"
"Splurt—"
A flash of cold steel streaked through the air. Blood sprayed from Isane's back as she collapsed at the entrance of the stone fortress.
From the shadows, Gin Ichimaru stepped forward with a light chuckle.
"Well then… what if you add me into the equation, Captain of the Fourth Division?"
"Oh… so you've betrayed Soul Society as well, Captain Ichimaru."
Unohana turned slightly, her gaze sweeping over Gin and the unconscious Isane at his feet. A terrifying glint flickered in her eyes.
"Good. Then I shall purge the both of you here and now!"
"Oh? The Captain of the Fourth Division certainly has an imposing presence! But—"
Gin held his Zanpakutō horizontally against Isane's throat, smiling with narrowed eyes.
"Which is more important—fighting us… or preserving your subordinate's life?"
"Gin… Ichimaru!"
Although immense spiritual pressure still poured from Unohana, the battle intent in her eyes gradually faded.
Clearly, faced with Gin using Isane's life as leverage, Unohana chose to yield. After all, she was no longer the merciless Unohana Yachiru of the past.
"How interesting…" Aizen smiled as he walked past Unohana, ascended the stone steps, and joined Gin. Then he turned back to her.
"Captain Unohana, for people like us, being bound by emotions and attachments is the behavior of the weak… It only dulls the blades in our hands.
But debating someone like you is pointless. Farewell… though I doubt we shall meet again. Gin—"
"Yes, yes… Sentan Hakuja!"
At Aizen's word, Gin swiftly cast out a long white cloth, spinning it around them and enveloping both himself and Aizen.
A sudden, sharp gust of wind filled the room, and within a single heartbeat, the invisible barrier swept Gin and Aizen away, leaving them to vanish into thin air.
...
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