"Look!"
"On Kurosaki Ichigo's body… that's an Ōken!"
"It's exactly the same Soul King power that flows inside us!!!"
At this moment, as the new clip was revealed,
the ones who were the most shocked
were the denizens of the Royal Guard in the Royal Realm.
They were the first to notice that,
on Kurosaki Ichigo's body—aside from the black shihakushō—
there was another outer robe layered on top,
an overcoat actually woven out of Ōken itself!
Among them…
Shutara Senjumaru was the most astonished.
With just one glance, she recognized that it was her handiwork—
her own weaving techniques.
In other words…
In the future, she herself
would personally take Kurosaki Ichigo's measurements
and tailor this Ōken coat specifically for him!
"So in that case, Kurosaki Ichigo… is basically one of us?"
Kirio Hikifune couldn't help letting out a soft "huh".
Ōken was the passkey for entering and exiting the Soul King's domain.
Only those who were acknowledged
had the qualifications to possess an Ōken.
Otherwise…
In the footage revealed earlier,
Aizen with the Hōgyoku inside him
wouldn't have gone through so much trouble
to try and manufacture an Ōken in Karakura Town,
that heavily treasured location!
"One of us? Not necessarily…"
The Monk, Ichibē Hyōsube, shook his head.
Playing with the string of prayer beads around his neck,
he withdrew his smile, no longer looking kindly and benevolent.
His expression turned cold as he said in an icy voice,
"Whether it's Kurosaki Ichigo or Yhwach,
it doesn't matter who wins or loses…"
"It doesn't affect the existence of us few,
nor the stability of the Soul King's Palace,
nor the laws that govern the entire world of the Shinigami…"
Indeed—
Even though Ichibē was the leader of the Zero Division
and nominally the head of the Shinigami's side,
what he prioritized first
was still his own existence
and that of the entire Zero Division.
Therefore,
he didn't actually care about the outcome of the battle.
After all, including Ichibē himself,
the members of the Zero Division had long since been bound
to the very space of the Soul King's Palace itself.
As transcendents,
their lifespan was the same as heaven and earth!
On the contrary…
Once Aizen and Kurosaki Ichigo were defeated,
then the label of "artificial"
would finally be stripped off.
Kurosaki Ichigo would be forged into a new "post"
—a human stake—
to act as the wedge that stabilizes the three worlds!
If Yhwach lost instead,
his fate would be exactly the same.
This
was Ichibē's true nature—
and his genuine, inner attitude
toward this entire battle!!!
——
However,
back in the Seireitei,
for the Shinigami of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads,
their focus at this moment
wasn't solely on Kurosaki Ichigo.
But rather…
on the man who had appeared from the spatial rift together with Ichigo,
and who had the guts not to fear death in the slightest
as he swung his blade at the Soul King Yhwach—
Abarai Renji!!
"Huh?"
"Did I see that wrong?"
"That guy… isn't that Lieutenant Abarai?"
"???"
"What the hell? Why is he there too!
And how is he being that bold, actually trying to backstab Soul King Yhwach?!"
"Don't tell me… this is all Kyōka Suigetsu's illusion?"
The Shinigami were completely dumbfounded,
faces full of disbelief.
Some felt dizzy, others shook their heads hard;
everyone instinctively felt like their eyes were playing tricks on them,
or that they were trapped in some hallucination.
Come on…
Abarai Renji, that little punk—
he's worthy of being here?
Does he really have zero self-awareness?
You have to understand—
Before this scene,
throughout all these long rounds of rankings
and this seemingly endless viewing session—
Abarai Renji had only appeared twice in total.
Once was in the Human World,
when he got smacked into the Three-Snake Coffin attack and beaten up.
And another time
was when he fought his "big brother-in-law,"
where he was one-shotted by the Bankai of "Senbonzakura".
So of course the audience felt this was absurd!
A character who previously got beaten so badly
his face was swollen beyond recognition,
someone with zero presence,
a background extra so forgettable
that everyone had basically erased his name from their memory—
actually…
right at the brink of the grand finale,
forces his way into the spotlight,
standing shoulder to shoulder
with Aizen and Kurosaki Ichigo,
the two saviors of the world,
trying to grab a share of the credit?!
Abarai Renji…
Where did he get that kind of nerve!!!
There's no way
that this guy suddenly, this late in the story,
has somehow gained the power to fight against the Soul King.
Kids—
this is not funny at all…
This kind of ridiculous plot
was downright offensive to everyone watching!
And inside First Division—
the atmosphere that had finally livened up
thanks to Kurosaki Ichigo's appearance
instantly turned weird again!!!
"?!"
"It has to be an illusion, right?"
Zaraki Kenpachi frowned.
He really couldn't figure it out:
"If Aizen wants to hypnotize Yhwach,
honestly, that's something he totally can pull off!"
"It's just…"
Kenpachi paused for a moment.
He first looked at the image on the screen,
at the way Abarai Renji raised his sword and charged in.
Then he turned his head
and looked at the real Abarai Renji
standing behind Kuchiki Byakuya on the other side,
who also wore a completely dumbfounded expression,
same as everyone else.
Kenpachi said in utter confusion,
"Why would Aizen choose this brat
as the subject of his illusion?"
"The key point is—he's weak!!!"
Although his words
sounded extremely impolite,
even downright savage,
Kenpachi was just stating the truth.
From his perspective, Abarai Renji was trash—
some roadside small fry
he could chop down with a single swing.
So why the last-minute extra screen time?
Why was Renji suddenly standing side by side
with Aizen and Kurosaki Ichigo,
putting on this act
like he was super strong too?
Completely ridiculous!!!
"I…"
Abarai Renji was speechless.
Under that spiky red hair,
his eyeballs were practically popping out of their sockets.
He was completely stunned.
What the hell…
This really isn't an illusion?
In the future, he would actually dare
to swing his sword and attempt close-quarters combat
against Soul King Yhwach?
That's insane…
He must have lost his mind!!!
Even if they wanted to play things up for fun,
there's no reason to push it this far, right?
Renji simply refused to believe
that his future self would become that strong,
strong enough to qualify for this ultimate battle.
He could only chalk it up to the video editor trolling—
or that damn Aizen
messing around with Kyōka Suigetsu again.
If he wanted to pull a prank, fine—
but why pick on him specifically!!!
——
However,
everyone's shock
quickly faded
as soon as, in the footage,
Abarai Renji's arm was severed
by the sweeping black spiritual power.
"Tch…"
"False alarm!"
"So it really was just some kind of illusion.
I thought he had actually pulled off a comeback there…"
Zaraki Kenpachi bared his teeth in a feral grin.
After shooting a sideways glance at the real Abarai Renji,
he was extremely satisfied with this outcome.
The other captains' reactions
were almost exactly the same.
None of them could accept
that someone like Abarai Renji—
not handsome, can't fight,
and with minimal presence—
could also have some future "underdog comeback" arc.
Aizen had the Hōgyoku.
Kurosaki Ichigo was a four-in-one hybrid
with naturally overwhelming bloodline powers.
And what did Abarai Renji have?
A head of red hair?
That's it? That's all you've got?!!
However…
just as everyone finished complaining,
in the footage,
the arrogant Soul King Yhwach declared:
"Any Bankai is useless before him.
And furthermore…
he has long since gazed upon the future."
"He has already seen through Kurosaki Ichigo and the others—
every next step they would take,
and every possible outcome that could occur!"
Then—
he attempted to rely on the torrent of the Soul King's power
to kill Abarai Renji first.
But in that very instant—
the moment everyone blinked—
Aizen's figure suddenly appeared
in front of Abarai Renji!
Strictly speaking,
it was because even Soul King Yhwach
had fallen into the illusion.
His visual senses were being distorted
by the power of Kyōka Suigetsu.
That was why he failed to notice
the shifts happening in the shadows.
By the time he reacted,
Aizen had already closed the distance right in front of his face!!!
"Aizen…"
Yhwach gave a twisted sneer,
mocking in anger:
"Are you trying to protect Abarai Renji? How amusing!"
"To unite with others before a common enemy—
isn't that the very weakness of the feeble
you have always despised?"
"How truly ironic!!!"
And yet,
in the face of this taunt,
Aizen's expression didn't change.
The corners of his mouth remained slightly curled,
that faint smile never leaving his face.
Then—
he answered with action.
Before the stunned eyes of all the viewers,
he unleashed his strongest spell—
"Hadō Number 99—Goryūtenmetsu!!!"
In that instant,
as Aizen's figure landed on the ground
amid the crumbling terrain,
he simply raised one hand
and released spiritual power.
Even without reciting any incantation,
without any elaborate pre-chant,
he didn't even shout—
Aizen merely spoke the secret name of the spell
in an almost casual tone.
And in the next heartbeat—
"BOOOOM—!!!"
A terrifying sound,
like the dimensional shockwave
of a nuclear detonation,
erupted without warning.
Then, from within Aizen's body,
every last bit of solidified spiritual power
burst forth with nothing held back.
In a flood of dark violet radiance,
there formed a mighty torrent of purple spiritual energy
that swallowed up half the screen!
Not only that—
as the raging spiritual pressure shifted and morphed,
it finally—under countless stunned stares—
took shape as five colossal, violet dragons
made of condensed spirit particles!!!
"ROAAAR——!!!"
Dragon cries shook the sky.
Five draconic heads raised themselves high.
Just their upward surge alone
crushed the entire Seireitei to pieces.
The land beneath the squad barracks
shattered into fragments,
the very crust of the earth heaving violently,
countless boulders exploding into rubble.
It was as if…
the whole Soul Society
had been struck by an unprecedented
magnitude-one-hundred earthquake!
Those five streams of dragon-shaped, purple spiritual pressure
even tore straight through
the remaining fragments of the Repel Barrier in an instant!
Even the tide of Yhwach's black Soul King power all around
was forced back and suppressed—
the blackness receding and rolling away!
Before everyone's eyes,
it was clear who had the upper hand.
The black tide was visibly being pushed back
and was on the verge of being completely crushed!!!
Such an over-the-top visual spectacle
naturally caused an uproar;
the audience stared, slack-jawed.
"Too insane…"
"Hadō Number 99—
the ultimate demon art that only existed in legends!"
"This is basically the strongest special move
I've ever seen!!!"
"Aizen has never once let people down!"
"Not only can the power of Kyōka Suigetsu
hypnotize the Soul King himself—
even his own demon arts,
when unleashed at full strength…"
"Can actually suppress the power of the Soul King!!!"
Shock.
Awe.
Countless viewers felt their hearts quake,
their horizons blown wide open.
Especially the captain-level powerhouses—
when they gazed up
at those five purple dragon pillars
rising so high they vanished into the sky,
none of them could suppress their fear.
They all felt a bone-deep terror
at the sheer energy contained within!!!
"As expected…"
"This form of Aizen
is his truest, strongest self!!!"
Inside the Urahara Shop,
Kisuke Urahara sighed.
Even with his far broader perspective
compared to ordinary people,
he was still deeply shaken by what he saw.
"Yeah…"
Isshin Kurosaki forced the words out:
"To be honest,
if we're talking about a third candidate to become the Soul King,
there's no one more suited than Aizen."
"It's just…
he seems to be missing the Quincy portion of the power.
Without that, he probably can't become the Soul King…"
Even though he said this,
deep down Isshin had already accepted that Aizen's strength
was at the level of the Soul King.
At the very least—
put everything else aside—
just the impact of Hadō 99,
and the spectacle it created,
was enough to push the imagination
of countless viewers to its absolute limit.
Such an earth-shattering scene
would surely carve itself
into the hearts of everyone watching,
leaving an indelible mark!!!
——
Meanwhile,
in Hueco Mundo—inside Las Noches—
"He's too strong!!!"
"Lord Aizen is our god!!!"
"With destructive power like that,
he could casually wipe out the Shinigami's entire territory!!!"
"Honestly, with Lord Aizen sitting on the throne,
our Hueco Mundo and the Arrancar army
should have been invincible!!!"
At this moment,
as the camera zoomed farther and farther out,
the figures of Aizen, Kurosaki Ichigo, Yhwach, and the others
were about to shrink into mere dots.
But even so…
Goryūtenmetsu was still raging skyward!
The five dragon-shaped streams of spiritual pressure
had become gigantic monsters of energy,
almost exceeding the very bounds of Seireitei.
Such an exaggerated and explosive visual effect
sent the emotions of the Hollows and Arrancar
into a fever pitch,
their excitement and exhilaration off the charts.
Their pride surged yet hurt at the same time.
Their worship of Aizen
bordered on religious madness.
"Too strong…"
Yammy bared his teeth, trembling with excitement:
"This should be enough to kill Soul King Yhwach, right?"
"Any one of those five purple dragons,
if it went off,
could flatten half of Hueco Mundo!"
"I don't care what anyone says—
there's no way something like that
still can't hurt Yhwach!!!"
It wasn't that he was trying to look down on the Soul King,
nor was he stupid enough
to believe the Soul King's power could be easily suppressed.
It was just that—
Goryūtenmetsu
was simply too overwhelming.
Anyone who saw it
couldn't help but bow down
before its sheer force
and start praying for a decisive ending.
Everyone was hoping
that with this ultimate move from "Blood-Dyed Aizen",
the story could just blow straight into its finale.
And the answer
was soon revealed—
In the end,
with a flick of Aizen's hand,
the five dragon-shaped torrents of spiritual pressure
dived down in unison,
unleashing a flawless carpet bombardment.
Chain reactions erupted one after another,
like wave after wave of massive shockwaves.
The scale of the devastation was enormous—
the raging torrents of spiritual power
seized the entire screen.
Violet lightning roared.
The terrifying impact
seemed to pierce straight through everything.
And finally…
with the entire world's audience
holding their breath at the same time,
nerves stretched tight,
all eyes were fixed
on Yhwach's sinister silhouette—
as the blackness was swallowed completely,
and even the footage itself
exploded apart yet again!
"BOOOOOM——!!!"
After the deafening blast,
the image shattered once more—
like a mirror breaking into countless pieces,
shards scattered all over the ground.
Just like that,
one ultimate move—Goryūtenmetsu—
stunned the entire world.
It displayed the terrifying might of "Blood-Dyed Aizen"
to the fullest!!!
Until the transparent light screen overhead
was covered in deep cracks
and had to be taken offline for emergency repairs—
with no footage visible for a short while—
only then did the viewers,
still shaken to the core,
finally come back to their senses.
Everyone's backs
were drenched in cold sweat.
None of them even dared
to recall in detail
that heart-stopping scene they had just witnessed!!!
"Too terrifying…"
"If not for the existence of this ranking video…"
"How could ordinary mortals like us
ever have the qualification, the honor,
to witness a scene like that?!"
Inside First Division,
the Shinigami captains were all sweating profusely,
their conditions far from normal.
Everyone harbored a deep sense of reverence.
They no longer regarded themselves as the top powerhouses,
completely subdued by Aizen's strength!!!
Even the spell Hadō 99, Goryūtenmetsu—
even the Head Captain himself felt ashamed in comparison.
He believed that even if he were to perform
a full-length incantation—
if he cast the same demon art,
being able to reach one-tenth of the power shown in the footage
would already be enough to comfort himself.
From that alone,
one could see just how absurdly high
Aizen's peak combat power truly was!!!
However…
before everyone could fully calm down,
before they could truly stabilize their emotions,
the transparent screen finished its rapid repairs.
The image lit up once more.
On the pitch-black background,
new subtitles emerged.
And this time—
as in the previous rounds—
a completely new caption
about the next ranking
finally appeared!!!
[First Place - Kurosaki Ichigo]
[Zanpakutō – Zangetsu]
As these two lines of text—
this brand-new name that had never been shown before—
appeared on the screen,
the viewers' emotional ride
surged upward yet again, like a roller coaster.
The entire Bleach world
erupted in an instant!
Their expressions,
which had just shifted from terror to relief,
now transformed into even greater anticipation!!!
(End of Chapter)
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