"It seems I was careless," Kazuma said, his expression darkening as he stared at the interloper.
"I assumed you retreated after ambushing Isshin. I didn't expect you to keep lying in wait."
"You can hardly blame me for that. You were all too careless," Aizen smiled, stepping out of the shadows with open satisfaction. "Though I do have to thank you this time, Captain Kazuma. Without you, how would I have known that Kisuke Urahara and Shinji Hirako were hiding in Karakura Town? I owe you my gratitude."
"Spare me the pleasantries, Aizen," Kazuma warned, his voice turning cold as his hand drifted toward his hilt.
"Since you chose to reveal yourself, I assume you are confident you can keep me here."
"There is no need to be so hasty," Aizen replied, his smile remaining gentle and cordial. "We can still have a proper conversation. I am curious about what you discussed with Urahara."
"Oh? I thought you would have overheard it already," Kazuma countered.
"You overestimate me, Captain Kazuma. I have confidence in my abilities, yes, but with so many Captain-class individuals gathered there, I would not take such a risk lightly," Aizen explained, his smile deepening.
"In any case, the contents of your conversation no longer matter. I just need to kill you."
Feeling his heart sink at the grim reality of a three-on-one battle against a mastermind, Kazuma asked, "I haven't had my fill of living yet. Does it have to come to this today?"
Falling silent for a moment, Aizen offered a different path.
"You could consider joining us. Wasn't your dream to become Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13? Join me. Once I become king of the Three Worlds, I will leave the Soul Society in your hands. What do you say?"
Kazuma's pupils contracted, genuine surprise flickering through his carefully crafted facade.
"How do you know about that?"
Laughing with a trace of mockery, Aizen shook his head. "My, Captain Kazuma, your memory is worse than I thought. Or were all those words you spoke before just drunken nonsense?"
Frowning as countless possibilities flashed through his mind, Kazuma demanded, "Don't tell me... Gin told you?"
"Wrong. Gin was not the one who told me. You told me yourself," Aizen said, enjoying the revelation.
Kazuma froze, a ripple of shock washing over his features.
"You're saying the person who came to drink with me... was you? Impossible."
Lifting the corner of his mouth in a pleased smirk, Aizen stated, "There is nothing impossible about it. You were under the effect of my Kyōka Suigetsu from the very beginning. You never realized it."
Taking a slow step back, Kazuma continued playing the fool to maintain his cover, knowing he had secretly bypassed the hypnosis long ago.
"Kyōka Suigetsu? Isn't that supposed to be a Water-type Zanpakutō?"
"Even now you still don't know the true ability of my blade," Aizen sighed in disappointment. "To think I placed you on the same threat level as the Captain-Commander. It seems I was being far too cautious."
Realizing the negotiation was over, Kazuma gripped his scabbard, bracing for a fight.
"Don't think about stalling for time to wait for reinforcements," Aizen warned calmly. "You won't be leaving today."
"You're that confident?" Kazuma challenged.
At that moment, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen stepped out from the surrounding darkness, flanking him to cut off his escape routes.
Watching the three traitors while continuing to back away, Kazuma's mind raced, searching for an opening.
His gaze landed on Gin, prompting a sudden, desperate plan.
"Aizen, do you really think you have the situation under control?" Kazuma called out with a cold laugh.
A flicker of doubt crossed Aizen's eyes before vanishing behind his confident smile.
"Oh? Do you still have a trick left?"
Pointing a finger straight at the silver-haired Captain, Kazuma shouted, "Gin Ichimaru! He's a spy hiding right beside you!"
A wide, fox-like smile stretched across Gin's face as he hummed, "Captain Kazuma, there's no point struggling anymore."
Adjusting his glasses with a dismissive look, Aizen shifted his gaze briefly to his subordinate.
"Gin, is that true?"
Seizing the chance to fan the flames, Kazuma insisted, "That's right, Aizen! He deceived you! He's been sabotaging your plans from the shadows all along!"
As Aizen seemed to fall into thought, the tense atmosphere thickened.
"Shoot to kill, Shinsō," Gin murmured, releasing his Zanpakutō without hesitation.
Twisting his body sideways, Kazuma dodged the extending blade as it shot past his chest, shouting, "Aizen, you still don't believe me?"
Trying to scatter Aizen's focus to find an opportunity to escape, Kazuma found the viper refused to take the bait.
Letting out a cold laugh, Aizen replied, "Your attempt to drive a wedge between us is meaningless. Gin is my most trusted subordinate. I have never doubted his loyalty."
Attacking again, Gin's relentless strikes forced Kazuma onto the defensive, pushing him back step by step.
Knowing he had to drop the act to survive, Kazuma drew his blade.
"Star's Protection, Ziwei."
Releasing his suppressed, fake Shikai, a dense wave of First-Grade Reiatsu erupted outward.
"Aizen, you forced my hand."
His spiritual pressure swept across the battlefield like a surging tide.
Bearing the crushing pressure head-on, the speed of Gin's sword strikes slowed as the heavy Reishi weighed down his limbs.
Standing nearby, Kaname Tōsen trembled, fighting desperately to keep himself from dropping to one knee under the localized gravity.
Possessing a monstrous Reiatsu of his own, Aizen remained unaffected, but seeing his subordinates at a disadvantage, he released his own spiritual pressure to counteract Kazuma's influence.
Snorting coldly, Kazuma immediately pressed his counterattack against Gin.
As a veteran captain, raw Reiatsu was not his only strength.
A moment ago, Gin had caught him off guard, but in a contest of pure Zanjutsu, the younger Captain stood no chance.
"You are no match for me, Gin," Kazuma growled.
Unleashing his overwhelming swordsmanship, Kazuma forced the silver-haired Captain back.
Kazuma swung his starlight-infused blade with exquisite precision and brutal force, leaving Gin struggling to withstand the heavy impacts.
A flicker of genuine shock appeared in Gin's eyes as his expression shifted, not expecting the reclusive Captain's Zanjutsu to be this dominant.
Attempting to launch a counterattack, Gin found Kazuma was too fast, unable to react in time to the shifting angles of the blade.
In the blink of an eye, Kazuma tore through Gin's guard, carving savage gashes across his chest and staining his white Captain's haori a deep crimson.
Gin's breathing grew ragged, his body trembling as he reached his physical limit.
Showing no mercy, Kazuma swung a final, lethal strike, intending to cut the traitor down where he stood.
Seeing the arc of starlight expand in his vision, Gin used every ounce of strength to retreat, but he could not avoid the sweeping blow.
A deep wound tore from his shoulder down to his waist, spraying blood across the dirt as the strike nearly split him in two.
Losing all ability to fight, Gin collapsed to the ground in a pool of his own blood, his life slipping away.
Standing drenched in Gin's blood, Kazuma flicked the crimson droplets from the blade, a savage grin breaking across his face.
"Aizen! Killing me won't be that easy. Now it's your turn!"
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