Things in the Human World progressed like in the original story.
Soi Fon watched the giant axe draw closer. Just as she thought she was about to die on the spot—
Whoosh!
She felt herself being carried at an incredibly fast speed.
"Yo, Soi Fon."
Looking up, she saw that it was Shin.
Soi Fon was a bit stunned. "You... why are you here?"
Shin stopped. "I came specifically to help you. How about it? Aren't you touched?"
As he spoke, Shin began to heal Soi Fon's left hand with Reverse Cursed Technique.
"Stop talking nonsense, put me down."
Soi Fon realized that Shin must have come to the Human World for support after resolving the situation in Hueco Mundo.
"Don't move, I'll heal your injury first."
Barragan watched the two treating him as if he were invisible, rage surging in his heart.
"Human, it seems Ulquiorra and the others couldn't stop you. Since you've delivered yourself to me, I will be the one to finish you."
—
Inside Jōkaku Enjō.
"Oh, Shin has arrived. Captain Aizen, aren't we going out yet?" Gin maintained his fox-like expression, seemingly concerned.
"It's time, Gin."
As soon as Aizen's words fell, a gigantic Garganta appeared in the sky.
Everyone stopped fighting and looked at this sudden anomaly on the battlefield.
"A Garganta? Is it reinforcements?"
Leading them was a young Arrancar with short golden hair and protruding front teeth—Wonderweiss Margela.
Wonderweiss was followed by his companion, Fura (Hooleer). Fura was an unusually giant, one-eyed Arrancar.
"What is that thing?"
To everyone's horror, Fura exhaled a breath, and the Jōkaku Enjō was blown away.
While everyone was distracted, the wandering Wonderweiss ambushed Jūshirō, his right hand piercing his body.
Shunsui, seeing his good friend severely wounded, rushed forward to rescue Jūshirō, but overlooked Starrk behind him.
Starrk fired a Cero, hitting Shunsui directly.
"Sorry, since Wonderweiss has appeared, it means Aizen-sama can't wait any longer."
"Ah—"
Wonderweiss let out a baby-like cry, shattering Tōshirō's "Hyōten Hyakkasō" and freeing Harribel, who had been frozen within it.
The situation instantly reversed.
Especially with Aizen and his companion freed, the Shinigami present felt immense pressure.
Only Yamamoto's eyes were slightly closed, showing no emotion.
Shinji flashed to Yamamoto's side.
Yamamoto glanced at Shinji. "Have you come for revenge?"
The Visored, to which Shinji belonged, were all victims of Aizen's Hollowfication experiments, but under Aizen's treachery, they were nearly treated as Hollows by Soul Society.
They were ultimately rescued by Kisuke and Yoruichi and fled to the Human World.
"We're here for Aizen. If you hadn't set up a strong barrier around here, we would have been in already. Thanks to running into this guy outside, we could arrive." Shinji pointed to Chōjirō behind him.
It turned out that after Chōjirō dealt with Barragan's subordinates, he went outside the barrier to keep watch. Seeing the dire situation inside, he allowed Shinji and the others to enter.
Yamamoto's right hand gripped his Zanpakutō. "Shinji, can I consider you allies now?"
"Of course... not. We are merely Aizen's enemies."
Shinji finished speaking and returned to the Visored's ranks.
At this moment, Wonderweiss's cries echoed from the sky again.
Then, Fura opened his large mouth and spewed out countless Menos Grande.
The Visored.
Except for Lisa and Kensei, who stayed behind to fight Ayon, all of them charged towards the Menos Grande.
These Menos Grande were no match for the Visored once they donned their masks. Before long, they were all eliminated.
Subsequently, each of them chose their opponents.
Hiyori and Hachigen supported Tōshirō and Sajin.
Love and Rōjūrō fought Starrk.
Mashiro fought Wonderweiss.
Shinji, meanwhile, stood opposite Aizen and his companion.
"Long time no see, Aizen."
Although he was greeting with a smile, there was no warmth at all, only an icy coldness.
The next instant, Shinji flashed in front of Aizen, drawing his sword and slashing at Aizen's neck.
"Shoot to kill, Shinsō!"
Shinji had no choice but to abandon his attack and retreat.
"What a pity, did I miss?" Gin slowly emerged from behind Aizen.
"No, you hit."
Shinji looked up, a large amount of blood flowing from his forehead.
"Oh dear, I was aiming for your glabella, but I missed."
Gin raised his Zanpakutō, and Shinsō extended again at an incredibly fast speed, stabbing towards Shinji.
Clang!
A figure with a drawn sword blocked in front of Shinji.
Gin murmured, "Rangiku..."
It was Rangiku, healed by Izuru. Seeing Gin free, she couldn't help but rush forward.
Seeing this, Aizen narrowed his eyes. "Gin, kill her."
"Yes, Captain Aizen."
Gin continued to extend his Shinso, blasting Rangiku toward the ground, and then followed after her.
"Topple over, Sakanade!"
Shinji activated his Zanpakuto's Shikai.
—
Shin chuckled. "Finish me off? If you think you can, then go ahead."
"Brat, don't get too arrogant."
Baraggan teleported in front of Shin and Soi Fon, swinging his massive axe. Suddenly, a pillar of soaring flames erupted, forcing him to temporarily retreat.
Shin put down Soi Fon. "Since you have this aging and decay ability, wouldn't it be enough to just keep you from getting close?"
"Don't be naive. Even flames cannot escape the fate of decay."
"Rot!"
Baraggan unleashed his Resurrección. After his release, he wore a multi-layered crown, his face and body turned skeletal, and he was draped in a black cloak.
He took a step, and the rooftop beneath his feet rapidly decayed and vanished.
"Everything near me will age and head toward death."
Baraggan raised his left hand. "Die, Respira!"
The black miasma of decay spread outwards from Baraggan, and everything it touched rapidly aged.
Soi Fon's eyes widened in shock. "Is this Respira?"
Although she had known the information beforehand, witnessing it firsthand was still shocking.
Shin tentatively shot out a flaming lotus, which was, as expected, swallowed by the Respira.
Baraggan's ability was tricky. In the original timeline, Hachigen used Kido to send his arm, which was infected by Respira, into Baraggan's body, causing him to be consumed by his own power, which ultimately defeated him.
To deal with Baraggan now, Shin thought of two methods.
The first was attrition.
As Aizen said, the battle of a Shinigami is a battle of Reiatsu, and the Arrancar are no exception.
Although Baraggan's Respira is powerful, it cannot be released infinitely. It must be limited by his maximum Reiatsu.
Thinking of this, Shin wrapped his arm around Soi Fon and flew away.
"What's wrong? Can you only run away?"
Baraggan loved the feeling of tormenting his opponents.
As the Respira vanished, the two stopped on a building.
Soi Fon whispered, "Nohara, hold him off first. I need to prepare my Bankai."
Shin said, "No need to prepare. Just release it."
Soi Fon thought Shin didn't understand her Bankai. "My Bankai has too much recoil. I must equip the Ginjōhan first."
As she spoke, Soi Fon recalled the last time she had released her Bankai directly in an emergency.
Shin chuckled. "Not this time. I'll just stand behind you and block it. But first, let me wear him down a bit."
Soi Fon was momentarily stunned, thinking that might actually work. "Alright then."
"What are you two jabbering about over there?" Baraggan, ignored once again, was furious.
Shin said, "Didn't you say we only run away? So we decided not to run anymore. We're going to face you head-on and kill you."
"Ridiculous. Then let me see what tricks you have." Baraggan was supremely confident in his abilities.
Domain Expansion: Malevolent Shrine!
Shin deployed his domain, covering everything within a 200-meter radius.
"A barrier? Even a barrier cannot withstand my 'Aging' ability."
Baraggan used Respira again, intending to break the "barrier," but found it completely ineffective. What he didn't know was that this domain had no barrier, he could even enter and exit freely.
Endless slashes assaulted Baraggan, but they were all aged and decayed by the Respira surrounding him, then vanished completely. However, all the buildings within the domain were sliced into powder.
"Fuga."
A cluster of flames ignited within the black domain.
Boom!
A massive explosion suddenly erupted within the domain, engulfing Baraggan in flames.
"Is he finished?"
"And was that a dust explosion?"
Soi Fon witnessed the peculiar technique. The explosion within the confined space even surpassed her Jakuho Raikoben.
"Soi Fon, you actually know about dust explosions? This technique is indeed very similar to one."
Shin knew Baraggan wouldn't be defeated so easily. At most, he had suffered minor injuries.
Soi Fon punched Shin. "What do you mean 'actually'? I wasn't just fooling around in the Living World, I learned quite a few things there."
At that moment, an angry voice interrupted their conversation.
"Unforgivable!"
"I absolutely won't forgive either of you!"
"I am the King of Hueco Mundo, a god! I possess immortality!"
Respira swallowed all the flames and dust.
Baraggan reappeared. Part of the skull on his head was cracked, and his black cloak was somewhat ragged.
This was the second method for dealing with Baraggan: launching high-intensity, close-range attacks so that his Respira wouldn't have time to decay everything, allowing the attack to injure him.
"Daring to disrespect me? You must be tired of living. Turn to ash and repent in hell!"
Baraggan released a massive amount of decaying miasma, closing in on the two.
Simultaneously, endless flames condensed in front of Shin, surging toward Baraggan like a tidal wave.
Respira continuously devoured the flames, but the fire seemed inexhaustible, preventing the miasma from decaying and consuming it all.
Thus, a standoff between red and black formed within the domain.
(End of Chapter)
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