On the other side, the fire of Chisato completely enveloped Aizen's spiritual pressure, then transformed into pairs of flaming hands, plucking Aizen's deep purple spiritual pressure from the bodies of Shinji and the others by its roots.
Swoosh!
Eight clumps of spiritual pressure gathered together. Makiya reached out and took them into his palm; the spiritual pressure quickly entered his body and was firmly suppressed.
He took a little extra spiritual pressure from everyone, considering it a medical fee.
Makiya's spiritual pressure slowly withdrew. Shinji and the others immediately gasped for breath as if they had survived a disaster. The Aizen before them vanished, replaced by Makiya and Kisuke Uhara.
'That spiritual pressure just now, was it Makiya?!' The shock in Shinji's heart had not diminished at all; rather, it grew stronger. Makiya and Aizen were each more monstrous than the last. After today's encounter, he felt that compared to Makiya, he was more suited to be the 6th Seat.
Crushed first in intelligence and then in strength, Shinji felt unsure of himself for the first time.
"Everyone, please endure for a moment... Sing, Benihime!"
Uhara swung his Zanpakuto, and countless red ribbons fluttered in the air, connecting him with the eight captains and lieutenants. The Hogyoku in his hand shone brightly. Deep blue unknown energy, along with medicinal liquid, entered everyone's bodies along the ribbons released by Benihime.
Aizen's Hogyoku power was too domineering. As Uhara continued to input energy, the hollowification symptoms of the group gradually deepened, but their spirits became more stable. Various lights flickered in their eyes. Spiritual pressure fluctuations unique to Hollows mixed within each Soul Reaper's body, merging and changing with their original spiritual pressure to form a new, special spiritual pressure.
The power of the Hogyoku had gradually integrated with their souls, no longer an alien energy within them. Even if Makiya stepped in, he could not drive them out without damaging their souls.
"That should be about it." Kisuke Uhara put away Benihime, looked at his colleagues, and pulled out a small notebook from his pocket to read the medical advice: "Let's see... Your current situation isn't stable yet. You're in a fusion phase between Hollow and Soul Reaper. Your Reiatsu and spiritual power will continue to rise. It's best not to fight anyone for six months. Drink plenty of water, eat less sugar, avoid spicy food, and do more Kegel exercises..."
"Captain Uhara." 3rd Division Captain Juro Otoribashi gave a bitter smile. "So, what are we now? Soul Reapers or Hollows?"
"Soul Reapers, of course, you idiot." Shinji Hirako put away his Zanpakuto and patted the dirt off his clothes. "We've just put on Hollow masks. A Zanpakuto is the symbol of a Soul Reaper's identity. If you can still perform Shikai, you're definitely a Soul Reaper."
Saying this, Shinji reached out to try and pull off the hideous bone mask on his face, but he found that no matter how hard he tried, it was useless. He could only add more burden to his neck.
"Hey, Uhara, when can this mask be taken off?"
"Once you can flexibly control the new spiritual pressure, you can take off the bone mask. You'll have to adapt for a while."
"Baldy! Jackass!"
Hiyori Sarugaki suddenly shouted angrily and kicked Uhara in the face. Although she didn't use much force, Uhara still ended up with a nosebleed.
"Hiyori, why are you suddenly going crazy?" Uhara was furious, reaching out as if to pull at the corners of Hiyori's mouth, and the two began to bicker.
"Jackass! Why did you show up so late? I almost died!"
"Aizen was right next to me! You were heavily injured by a brat's surprise attack in an instant; I couldn't do anything about it."
"Who are you implying? I'm not short at all!"
"Sigh, those two are still the same. They really have a good relationship."
Kensei Muguruma crossed his arms over his chest. "It seems the Head Captain and the others are coming. How do we explain this? We were clearly the planned bait, but we all fell for the enemy's scheme. If it weren't for Makiya and Uhara, we would have been completely wiped out."
"Boss, this can't be blamed on us. The enemy's ability was too strong; we couldn't help it." Mashiro Kuna sat cross-legged on the ground, raising her hand as she spoke.
"That's true, but the result is that we let the enemy escape. If we hadn't held them back, Makiya and Uhara could have definitely kept Aizen here." Kensei Muguruma was quite annoyed. He wasn't the intellectual type who relied on his brain, so he just waved his hand. "Forget it. I was the one who accepted this bait operation. When the Head Captain asks later, just follow my lead."
After speaking, Kensei noticed the others had fallen silent and couldn't help asking: "What's wrong? Why isn't anyone talking?"
Shinji Hirako covered his face. The hollowified bone mask felt hard and cold. He suddenly felt a bit of resistance to hollowification, feeling like this thing would likely affect his intelligence.
"Boss!" Mashiro Kuna, being an honest child, waved her hand and said: "Your face is covered by the mask; we can't see your expression!"
Kensei's forehead broke into an embarrassed sweat. Fortunately, the mask hid it. He coughed twice and began to defend himself: "A metaphor! I used a bit of a metaphor! I meant everyone should stick to the same story as me."
"No need for that, Captain Muguruma." Yoruichi's figure appeared in the middle of the crowd, drawing everyone's attention. "The Head Captain already understands what happened. He has ordered all affected Soul Reapers to be taken to the 4th Division for treatment. The Stealth Force will cooperate with the 8th Division to find out the truth of the matter. Don't worry, everyone."
A large number of Stealth Force members in special uniforms appeared next to each injured person using Shunpo, escorting them back to the Seireitei. Kisuke Uhara took the opportunity to get away from Hiyori and injected medicinal liquid into the surviving ordinary members of the 9th Division.
Makiya, Kisuke Uhara, and several key personnel couldn't leave yet. They needed to wait for the arrival of the 8th Division, which was specifically responsible for intelligence gathering, to cooperate in reconstructing the scene.
Fortunately, Shunsui Kyoraku didn't keep Makiya and the others waiting long. The intelligence unit arrived quickly, dispersing into the surrounding mountain forests to collect evidence or use Kido to gather information.
The Head Captain stood quietly high in the sky, looking down at everything. His well-groomed white beard fluttered in the breeze. His gaze crossed countless districts, casting toward the distant Seireitei, wondering what he was thinking.
"Kyoraku.", the Head Captain called softly.
"Teacher?" Shunsui Kyoraku arrived at the Head Captain's side using Shunpo.
"The attitude of the Central 46 is ambiguous. Gather the evidence as quickly as possible. This old man will make a trip personally."
"Alright, Teacher." Shunsui Kyoraku pressed down his straw hat and turned to approach the 8th Division members below.
"Kyoraku." The Head Captain suddenly called out to Shunsui Kyoraku again, tapping his cane. "In formal settings, you should address me as Head Captain. Go on."
Kyoraku: "..."
"Yes, Head Captain Yamamoto."
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In the central area of the Seireitei, at the estate of the Tsunayashiro family, one of the top remaining noble families that manages the Great Spirit Book Library.
Two uninvited guests appeared outside the towering courtyard walls.
"Is this where we'll be staying from now on?" Gin Ichimaru looked at the seemingly endless walls and spoke in a tone of amazement. "How extravagant. Even the courtyard walls are cast with Sekki-seki and carved with so many patterns. Just prying off one piece could buy a whole street outside District 10."
"Gin, there's no need to be amazed." Aizen didn't worry about his exposure at all; the smile on his face was unchanging for ten thousand years. "It's precisely because they are decaying, rotten, and foul-smelling that they need such luxurious exterior things to cover it up."
He strolled along the walls decorated with carved beams and painted pillars, his eyes locked on the distant buildings. "The most valuable thing in the Tsunayashiro family is not the treasures accumulated over a thousand years, but the Great Spirit Book Library, which records the history, culture, rules, and all other information of the Soul Society. It is located beneath the underground assembly hall of the Central 46."
A patrol squad wearing the crest of the Tsunayashiro family discovered the two uninvited guests. They drew their Zanpakuto and quickly approached. The spiritual pressure fluctuations of each person were not weak, and the squad leader had even reached the level of a lieutenant in the Gotei 13.
A moment later, the patrol squad respectfully escorted the two of them to the main gate of the Tsunayashiro residence, smiling like lackeys as they pushed open the heavy gates.
"Who is it?"
"Who are you?"
The guards in the courtyard heard the sound and immediately drew their swords in alert. The commotion spread deep into the gardens, and branch family members of the Tsunayashiro family and hired thugs continuously arrived.
"Very well, consider this a send-off for Kaname." Aizen slowly drew his Zanpakuto and whispered softly in front of everyone: "Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu."
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