As soon as the words left his lips, Sōsuke Aizen released his grip, allowing his Zanpakuto to fall. It descended slowly, sinking into the ground.
Ripples spread across the surface, as if the ground had transformed into water.
At that very moment, several madmen who had been charging forward abruptly stopped in their tracks. Without warning, they turned on their companions, attacking those beside them.
Seeing this, Jūshirō Ukitake and Chōjirō Sasakibe exchanged glances, both letting out a sigh of relief.
They knew all too well—Kyoka Suigetsu's ability had successfully activated.
From this moment onward, as long as Aizen remained unharmed, Kyoka Suigetsu would continue to distort the enemies' perception.
Since the riot began and up until the moment Aizen released his Zanpakuto, Shigure Segawa had remained silent. His expression was carefully composed to appear tense and focused.
Yet, a faint glimmer of amusement flickered in his eyes.
Because he had realized something.
This wasn't some accidental prison riot at all… This was a meticulously crafted scheme by Aizen!
The moment Shigure saw Aizen enter, he had immediately activated his Resonance Vision out of caution.
And what he discovered shocked him.
There weren't just three people who had entered.
There was a fourth… Gin Ichimaru, Captain of the Third Division!
Clad in a Spiritual Concealment Cloak and hidden by Curved Light Kido, Gin had been silently trailing behind them.
Neither Ukitake nor Sasakibe had noticed his presence!
While the group conversed earlier, Gin had slipped into the deepest part of the prison.
Under the cover of his cloaking Kido, he used his Zanpakuto, Shinsō, to destroy all the prison cells in an instant!
In any other location, the moment Gin released his Zanpakuto, his spiritual pressure would have been immediately recognized by Ukitake and the others.
But this was Black Corrosion Hell.
Here, the air was saturated with the twisted spiritual pressure emitted by the madmen.
Moreover, Gin had only needed a single strike to obliterate the cells, releasing even more chaotic spiritual pressure into the environment.
Gin's own spiritual pressure blended seamlessly into the chaos, making it undetectable.
And that was when the "riot" began.
The entire operation had been carefully planned to serve Aizen's ultimate goal.
Only under such unique circumstances could Aizen intervene with the justification of "quelling the violence."
And then… naturally, he could release his Zanpakuto in front of Shigure.
Once Shigure witnessed the release, he would fall under Kyoka Suigetsu's spell, forever under Aizen's control.
From that moment on, Aizen could activate his Perfect Hypnosis on Shigure at will, manipulating his senses entirely.
But—
"Your plan has failed, Aizen…"
Watching Aizen's back, Shigure smiled faintly, speaking silently in his mind.
What Aizen could never have anticipated was that Shigure already possessed the ability to see through the essence of all phenomena: the Eyes of Resonance!
Even if he fell into the state of Perfect Hypnosis, where all five senses were manipulated, Shigure could abandon the information provided by those senses and rely solely on his Eyes of Resonance to discern reality!
This was precisely why Shigure had dedicated so much effort to mastering Soul Resonance.
More and more madmen surged forward, but under the influence of Kyoka Suigetsu, their attacks were directed at one another.
Not a single one managed to approach within three meters of the group.
Aizen turned his head, his voice calm and composed. "Vice-Captain Sasakibe, now is the time. Please notify Seireitei immediately about what has transpired here!"
Sasakibe nodded firmly and turned away, beginning the incantation for Tenteikura.
Aizen then looked toward Ukitake and Shigure, his expression earnest. "Captain Ukitake, Shigure, please use Bakudo to restrain the incapacitated madmen. We must prevent any further incidents."
Hearing this, Shigure bowed slightly and replied, "Understood!"
Ukitake nodded in agreement. Aizen's instructions were logical. With the madmen now under the spell of Kyoka Suigetsu, their priority was to prevent any unforeseen complications.
Meanwhile, Sasakibe completed the incantation.
"Black and white net! Twenty-two bridges, sixty-six crowns! Footsteps, distant thunder, sharp peaks, returning ground, nightfall, sea clouds, azure sequence, overflowing full circle, soar to the heavens!"
"Bakudo #77: Tenteikura!"
With a resonant hum, a golden, net-like spiritual pressure expanded before him.
Sasakibe's voice rang out, steady and commanding:
"To all captains and vice-captains of the Gotei 13, this is Chōjirō Sasakibe, Vice-Captain of the First Division. I have an urgent report!"
"I, along with Captain Aizen of the Fifth Division and Captain Ukitake of the Thirteenth Division, entered the underground prison to escort Shigure Segawa. However, an unexpected incident occurred!"
"All cells within the third level, Black Corrosion Hell, have been destroyed for unknown reasons, releasing over 300 madmen!"
"Currently, Captain Aizen has the situation under control. I request any nearby captains to lead their squads here for immediate support!"
"End of transmission!"
Not long after, reinforcements arrived.
Led by Sui-Feng, Captain of the Second Division, and her Vice-Captain Marechiyo Ōmaeda, the Stealth Force quickly descended upon the scene.
Ukitake let out a breath of relief. "As expected of Captain Sui-Feng and the Stealth Force. Always so timely."
Sui-Feng surveyed the restrained madmen in the distance without wasting a word, immediately directing her squad to handle the situation.
With the reinforcements in place, Shigure and the others had no reason to remain.
Aside from Sasakibe, who stayed to oversee the cleanup, Ukitake, Aizen, and Shigure departed together.
As they stepped out of the underground prison, Shigure squinted against the bright sunlight, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Ukitake chuckled lightly. "It's fortunate that Captain Aizen was here. Otherwise… dealing with so many madmen without damaging the prison would've been far more troublesome."
Aizen smiled gently. "Captain Ukitake, now that the situation is resolved, I must return to the Fifth Division barracks."
"Of course, please go ahead," Ukitake replied with a smile.
Aizen turned to Shigure, his gaze warm. "Until next time, Shigure."
"Yes, Captain Aizen," Shigure replied, bowing respectfully.
Moments later, on a secluded path within Seireitei, Aizen walked calmly, his footsteps unhurried.
A figure suddenly materialized behind him.
Without turning, Aizen smiled. "Well done, Gin."
Behind him, Gin Ichimaru grinned. "Looks like Captain Aizen's little 'headache' has been dealt with."
"A headache?" Aizen repeated softly, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. He shook his head with a faint smile.
"You're mistaken, Gin."
"The term 'headache' implies an unsolvable problem."
"Shigure Segawa is nothing more than a pawn."
"Even if he joined the game late, a pawn is still a pawn. No matter how much power it possesses, it cannot defy the will of the player."
Hearing this, Gin's grin remained unchanged. "Captain Aizen's words are as profound as ever."
Aizen chuckled lightly.
"It doesn't matter if you understand, Gin. All you need to know is…"
"Our plan is back on track."
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