The Espada were just too powerful—leagues beyond what Ichigo had initially imagined. Their strength had shattered his perception of the spiritual world's power hierarchy.
He now resembled a recent graduate who had just entered the harsh working world. The idealism of youth was rapidly fading as he began to face harsh reality, developing the cynical thinking capacity of someone who'd been beaten down by life's unexpected challenges.
Unohana Retsu's eyes glimmered with an unexpected insight as she replied:
"No, quite the opposite. It is precisely because of your perceived weakness that you now possess a meaningful chance of victory. Aizen underestimated you so thoroughly that he never bothered to use his Shikai Zanpakutō in your presence. Only by witnessing the actual release process of Kyōka Suigetsu would you fall under its influence—and once caught, you could never break free of the illusion."
She paused, the significance of her next words hanging in the dimensional void:
"You may be the only Shinigami in the entire Soul Society who remains unaffected by this ability. That makes you uniquely valuable in this conflict."
Strictly speaking, Tōsen Kaname would also not be affected by Kyōka Suigetsu due to his blindness. It's a tragic irony that the former captain of the 9th Division had already defected to Aizen's side, rendering this natural immunity meaningless to their cause.
Even Uehara Shiroha, for all his overwhelming power, might not be able to completely escape the influence of Kyōka Suigetsu if he had seen its release. This would put him at a severe tactical disadvantage despite his raw strength.
Reflecting on this crucial detail, Unohana Retsu began to understand why the three captains—Kuchiki Byakuya, Zaraki Kenpachi, and Kurotsuchi Mayuri—had specifically requested Kurosaki Ichigo's participation in this mission. His immunity to Aizen's perfect hypnosis was potentially more valuable than raw power.
Kurosaki Ichigo, however, still struggled with lack of confidence, the weight of his recent defeats evident in his slumped shoulders:
"Compared to the captains and Commander Uehara, my abilities are still severely limited. Even if I'm immune to Kyōka Suigetsu, I probably wouldn't be able to contribute much to the battle."
He was particularly hesitant to unleash his full strength now, primarily because he feared using his Hollowification technique again. Although his inner Hollow had seemingly disappeared after the battle with Ulquiorra, and he had decisively defeated the Fourth Espada while utilizing that power, the uneasiness in his heart had been steadily growing.
The lingering discomfort had intensified rather than diminished, leaving him deeply suspicious of his own capabilities. He couldn't shake the feeling that some of Uehara Shiroha's cryptic warnings were coming true, and that something truly terrible lurked on the horizon—perhaps within himself.
Ichigo Kurosaki felt the crushing pressure of responsibility contrasted with his own perceived inadequacy.
Seeing that Ichigo Kurosaki was spiraling into depression—a dangerous mindset before a critical battle—Unohana Retsu quickly leveraged her natural maternal presence and comforted him in a gentle, reassuring tone:
"You may actually be our only hope of defeating Aizen. His Kyōka Suigetsu can completely control the five senses and spiritual perception of anyone who has witnessed its release. The other captains have all been compromised and stand little chance against him in direct combat. Even Commander Uehara, despite his extraordinary power, may not be able to exert his full strength under these circumstances."
Such compassionate reassurance would have been unthinkable from her a thousand years ago. Back in that bloody era, if anyone had dared to display such weakness in her presence, a slap across the face would have been considered merciful treatment. If they had truly displeased her, being cut down by her blade was the expected outcome.
The fact that she now had the patience to encourage and support Kurosaki Ichigo was testament to how far she had evolved—or perhaps how deeply she had buried her true nature.
Following this reassurance, Unohana Retsu outlined a straightforward tactical approach for Kurosaki Ichigo. It essentially boiled down to two crucial words: sneak attack!
The strategy was simple—exploit any momentary lapse in Aizen's attention and strike with overwhelming force, aiming to end the conflict in a single decisive blow.
This approach could be considered playing to Ichigo's strengths while avoiding his weaknesses. After all, in terms of tactical complexity, strategic foresight, and comprehensive battle awareness, Aizen would undoubtedly prove superior.
But such sophisticated advantages became irrelevant if Aizen could be eliminated in a single second with one perfectly timed sword strike. The simplicity of the plan was its greatest strength.
Meanwhile, in the pseudo-Karakura Town, Aizen's calculating gaze had turned toward the battle-damaged Harribel.
This sudden attention gave the Third Espada the momentary illusion that Aizen intended to assist her against their powerful opponent. A flicker of hope ignited in her chest—perhaps what Uehara Shiroha had said earlier was merely provocative trash talk, nothing but lies meant to destabilize their loyalty.
Aizen's next action, however, ruthlessly shattered Harribel's last vestiges of hope.
He was observed flashing directly in front of the seriously injured Espada with frightening speed. While Harribel was still processing his sudden appearance, frozen in momentary hesitation, Aizen struck without the slightest reservation.
After the devastating sword strike cleaved through her body, Harribel was left bleeding profusely, her consciousness rapidly fading as shock set in.
But even in this dire state, her warrior's pride would not let her release the grip on her own sword. She forced herself to glare defiantly at Aizen with eyes burning with betrayal, though she lacked any remaining strength to retaliate against this unexpected treachery.
This sequence of events diverged significantly from the original timeline. In the unaltered flow of fate, Captain Hitsugaya Tōshirō had joined forces with Hiyori and Yadomaru Lisa from the Visored group to collectively attack Harribel.
Despite their coordinated assault, Harribel had emerged essentially unscathed from that encounter, suffering only the temporary inconvenience of being partially frozen by Hitsugaya's ice.
Uehara Shiroha had deployed merely a fraction of his residual Reiatsu to inflict serious injuries upon Harribel before Aizen's intervention. Consequently, after being struck by Aizen's sword, she had completely lost her ability to mount any resistance. Unlike the original timeline, she did not compel Aizen to resort to his Zanpakutō's abilities.
The defeat was utterly comprehensive and humiliating.
"Aizen..." After being impaled, Harribel's voice was thick with resentment and wounded betrayal as she managed to ask: "Why?"
She had been betrayed by the man she had pledged loyalty to, yet couldn't comprehend the reason behind this shocking turn of events. She had been unfailingly loyal to Aizen and dedicated to the Espada cause—why had it culminated in this cruel outcome?
Could it be that what Uehara Shiroha had cynically suggested earlier was actually the truth? Were they truly just disposable cannon fodder for Aizen's ambitions, not even worthy of being considered subordinates, let alone companions?
If so, what value did their sacrifices and diligent efforts hold? What purpose had their existence served beyond being stepping stones for Aizen's ascension?
Facing the dying Harribel, whose eyes burned with a mixture of anger and despair, Aizen responded with his characteristic calm detachment:
"Allowing the Espada to continue sacrificing themselves would not improve our strategic position. So, I took direct action. In truth, from the very beginning, I never genuinely expected any of you to defeat Uehara Shiroha. I simply didn't anticipate you would prove so utterly useless that you couldn't even effectively engage a single captain. The Espada that I invested so much effort in cultivating have demonstrated themselves to be significantly less effective than my individual power. Therefore, your continued existence serves no practical purpose."
"Damn it!" Hearing the word "sacrifice" from Aizen's mouth, Harribel's body trembled involuntarily as traumatic memories resurfaced. A form of spiritual PTSD gripped her consciousness.
She vividly recalled Aizen's earlier hollow promise that he would never force them to make sacrifices—that their service would be valued, their strength respected. This assurance had been one of the primary reasons she had chosen to follow him.
Aizen had technically kept that promise in the most twisted way possible. He hadn't forced them to sacrifice themselves—he had simply discarded them when their utility expired.