The Garganta opened.
Aizen Sōsuke and his group emerged slowly.
Before them stretched a deep blue sky and the distinctly ordered skyline of a modern human city.
Karakura Town.
The spiritual nexus of the human world—and Aizen's chosen destination.
He used a subtle amount of spiritual power to construct a foothold beneath him in the air.
From far across Hueco Mundo, the group now stood above the city, gazing down.
Indeed—
Even those who had been waiting here for some time could only raise their heads and look up at the Arrancar in the sky.
Gin Ichimaru folded his hands by his sides and murmured thoughtfully as he observed the scene below.
"Looks like they've been waiting quite a while, huh?"
Led by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto—
Though several captains had already gone ahead to Hueco Mundo, the main fighting force of the Gotei 13 was gathered here.
Despite being mentally prepared, the sight of familiar faces evoked a swirl of emotions on both sides.
Resentment, anger—
All those smoldering sentiments now ignited into a more intense and burning resolve, scorching in the chests of all present.
Cough, cough. "So these are the Arrancar created with the Hōgyoku?"
Ukitake Jūshirō, who hadn't participated in the last confrontation directly, now stood with furrowed brows.
His only understanding had come through reports and data.
He wasn't unafraid. It was impossible to be.
Before clashing blades, observing and analyzing each other's spiritual pressure was the only real measure of power.
Like two wild beasts sizing each other up, with no intel save for posture and presence.
And these were strong—strong enough to trouble even seasoned captains.
"Yeah, they're a lot more powerful than when we last saw them," Kyōraku Shunsui responded, though with a noticeable tone of self-deprecation.
"Losing heart before the battle is the worst mistake," Sajin Komamura declared, removing the helmet from his head.
His deep voice and imposing physique gave him the presence of a general marching into war.
"Comrades, this is our battle for justice!"
Komamura took the lead.
And the first to answer him were the two most hot-headed among them.
Hitsugaya Tōshirō drew Hyōrinmaru and assumed a ready stance, voice low and sharp.
"People who toy with others' hearts… are beyond forgiveness."
For his childhood friend. And for his troubled lieutenant.
The burdens on Hitsugaya's shoulders cast his aura into a dark and solemn intensity.
"…"
Sui-Feng said nothing, but her sharp gaze never left one figure in the sky—her intent fully evident.
Because of betrayal, and the need to bring down Hueco Mundo…
Many vice-captains were also present among the Gotei 13 forces assembled above Karakura Town.
Their eyes—
Too obvious to ignore.
Especially those with more complicated emotions.
Seiya noticed these looks and turned his head slightly, locking eyes with one.
Though Retsu Unohana had departed for Hueco Mundo, her lieutenant, Isane, remained.
Call it coincidence, or fate.
Kuchiki Byakuya, who so desperately wanted to cut down Seiya, had chosen the wrong direction.
Now, Fourth Division's lieutenant stood among the ranks, silently watching the sky.
This wasn't the time or place for words.
Perhaps recognizing that, she swallowed whatever she wanted to say, allowing her emotions to ferment beneath the surface.
Seiya, in contrast, remained casual.
"Isane, been a while."
"…"
Silent rage.
She gripped her sword's hilt so tightly her veins bulged.
The usual soft smile on Isane's face twisted into the raw shape of fury.
Before she could act, a firm hand rested on her shoulder.
"Lieutenant Kotetsu, leave this matter to us, would you? I'm sure there are more urgent duties for a vice-captain."
Kyōraku's gentle smile calmed her somewhat.
Isane wasn't one to lash out.
She nodded sullenly and stepped back from the front lines.
So that's how it is.
Seiya spread his senses.
Several spiritual pressures, each close to vice-captain level, were scattered throughout the city.
Just like the original storyline. That meant Hinamori was likely among them too.
A setup by Hitsugaya, no doubt.
As Seiya's thoughts wandered, Kyōraku resumed directing the mood among the captains.
Maybe regretting bad luck, or just dreading the headache ahead…
The Eighth Division captain looked around and smiled faintly.
"Well, at least everyone seems lively. That's something."
But that wasn't the point.
"Before we begin fighting, let's confirm a few things, okay? What do you think, Old Man Yama?"
Even Yamamoto gave his silent approval.
Adjusting his straw hat, Kyōraku stepped to the front of the formation.
"To those above us—how are our colleagues who went to Hueco Mundo?"
Aizen responded calmly.
"Nothing serious. They're simply trapped in Hueco Mundo."
Controlling the opening and closing of the Garganta was a right reserved for Hueco Mundo's king.
Luring captains into Hueco Mundo to trap them was part of the strategy—and the reason he had allowed Orihime Inoue's abduction.
"To leave that place and arrive here will take… quite a bit of time."
Looking down from above, Aizen's face shone with a godlike serenity—a man who believed all things were within his grasp.
"But by the time they arrive… all of this will be over."
"Aha… you're confident, huh? That's a bit troubling."
Kyōraku smiled, fiddling with a lock of hair that had fallen from his hat, expression full of quiet exasperation.
"Well, we'll do everything we can to stop you. But first, there's something I need to know."
"Ask away, Kyōraku Shunsui."
"Your goal… it's the Soul King, isn't it? Do you intend to replace that being? To become this world's god?"
The high wind carried a solemn and cutting air through the sky.
But Kyōraku wasn't done.
"Or is it that you simply want to see… that which no one else has ever seen?"
So what's your answer,
Aizen Sōsuke?
A pause. Was he thinking? Or simply amused by the futility of the question?
Then, Aizen chuckled softly.
"Don't say such laughable things, Kyōraku."
"If we're all born beneath the same sky, then we should all be free."
"Why should one being tower over all others from the start? What meaning lies in rules and constructs created by man?"
A pause.
Aizen's eyes half-closed, his smile tinged with mockery.
"I used to wonder about such things…"
"Confusion, resentment, curiosity… I wanted to understand the truth behind it all."
"To see the ultimate being… to comprehend its thoughts."
But now—
None of that mattered.
Aizen raised his head and reached toward the heavens with his right hand.
Fingers opened, then curled into a fist, as if to grasp something unseen.
"If it remains above us… then I'll simply pull it down."
Whoosh…
A breeze stirred.
No show of power. But Kyōraku's face subtly changed.
Not good.
Just as the thought struck—
Like a tidal wave, Aizen's spiritual pressure surged outward.
Aizen Sōsuke, deep as the ocean, unveiled his merciless nature to the world.
His smile vanished into the flood of spirit energy, leaving behind only words:
"I will pull it… down from the sky."
We are not worshipers.
We do not kneel before the nobility and rules of the past.
If you reside atop the heavens—
Then we'll bring the sky crashing down.
"Everyone, watch out!"
Kyōraku called out, but the first to act was Yamamoto himself.
He swung his zanpakutō downward, unleashing flames that raced ahead of Aizen's energy.
BOOM!
Blue sea clashed with burning fire.
They roared in the sky, colliding, twisting—
The resulting shockwave sent Karakura Town trembling.
Faces turned pale.
No one could truly grasp this scale of battle.
Except Seiya.
His calm expression didn't waver.
He raised his gaze to the clashing powers in the sky.
"…This is getting a bit excessive."
You trying to destroy the human world?
Aizen, having failed to land a decisive blow, withdrew his power.
"Hmph. You've lost your patience already, haven't you, Yamamoto?"
A mere test.
Yet the response was so… extreme.
Suspiciously so.
So—what are you hiding?
"Aizen Sōsuke."
The old general finally spoke.
His voice was hoarse and grave.
It radiated authority and chilling intent.
"Cease this defiance. If you stop now, this remains an internal matter of the Gotei 13."
Therefore—
"Surrender, and you won't be killed."
Short words. Clear intent.
"…"
Aizen didn't respond immediately.
He simply looked silently at Yamamoto.
Their gaze locked. No words were needed to understand the impasse.
Finally, the king of Hueco Mundo spoke, calm and resolute.
"Knees once straightened won't bend again. Keep your pity, Yamamoto."
From the moment he betrayed Soul Society—
From the instant he stood here—
Aizen had already made his choice.
"We will shatter this low-hanging sky and carve out a new era."
With that, words were meaningless.
Tōsen Kaname turned slightly and gave the signal to the waiting Arrancar.
"Move freely. Kill all enemies on sight."
This was not the Aizen of the original story.
He had skipped the King's Key plan.
He had always intended to drag the heavens down.
Now the battlefield would burn white-hot.
These Arrancar weren't for show—they were meant to kill.
Tōsen, who held deep hatred for the Shinigami, now became the arrow of war as he launched toward the ground.
Come.
Find your opponent.
Clash until death.
There was no need to destroy the pillars supporting the battlefield—those served just as well as the bars of a cage.
Komamura's eyes widened.
He saw the descending figure and roared:
"Tōsen!!"
The wolf captain leapt after him without hesitation.
The numbered Arrancar followed next—beasts once chained, now unshackled.
In this false, octagonal cage—
They would all find someone to fight.
And dance to the death.
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Powerstones?
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