Although things had deviated slightly from his expectations, Aizen's immense composure allowed him to quickly suppress his shock.
Even if it wasn't Kisuke Urahara, it didn't matter. This person had dared to enter his territory alone, claimed to have brought something of interest, and was even a Quincy...
He couldn't say he had gained nothing, but first, he needed to confirm the true extent of this individual's strength.
Nearby, the Spirit Particle bow in Soifon's hand glowed brilliantly, shining as bright as a massive lightbulb.
Soifon looked at Aizen with feigned surprise. "When did I ever say... I was Kisuke Urahara?"
She felt somewhat insulted. Was she really that devious in her dealings? Why on earth would Aizen mistake her for that man?
"You never said so, Excellency," Aizen said, adjusting his glasses. "It was your actions that led me to a false conclusion. Truly remarkable."
That a mere Quincy could be so well-acquainted with his Hueco Mundo was something that piqued Aizen's interest greatly.
"However, you claimed your strength was 'decent' just now..." Aizen glanced at Kaname Tōsen beside him. "Would you care to demonstrate?"
Standing behind Aizen, Kaname Tōsen took a step forward. With a sharp shring, he unsheathed the Zanpakutō at his waist.
"Then... forgive my rudeness."
Just as Kaname Tōsen began the incantation for his Shikai, Soifon suddenly raised a hand.
This movement caused Aizen's brow to twitch. If the opponent chose to surrender now, it would be a waste of his anticipation.
But the words that came out of Soifon's mouth were:
"If we fight here, the archives behind us will be destroyed."
"Captain Tōsen, you wouldn't want the manuscripts personally transcribed by Lord Aizen to be annihilated by the aftershocks of our battle, would you?"
Hearing this, Tōsen hesitated, his blade poised to return to its scabbard, though he remained still, waiting for Aizen's final decision.
Aizen was silent for two seconds before offering a gentle smile. "Very thoughtful. Lead the way."
The four of them proceeded down the long, white corridors of Las Noches.
Back at the archives, after Ulquiorra closed the doors, he silently swore never to believe a single word from a person in a black cloak ever again.
...
In an open area of Las Noches.
Soifon and Kaname Tōsen stood facing each other.
Tōsen unsheathed his Zanpakutō, the blade glinting coldly under the artificial sunlight.
"Cry—Suzumushi!"
The blade instantly vibrated, releasing a swarm of high-pitched sounds and spiritual energy that shot toward Soifon like a cloud of locusts.
Soifon stood her ground.
She simply raised her left hand to condense her spiritual bow and drew the string to a full moon with her right.
Hum—
A dense barrage of Spirit Particle arrows intercepted every single sonic blade with pinpoint accuracy.
Boring probes were no longer necessary. Kaname Tōsen held his Zanpakutō before him. A black, spherical barrier expanded violently from his position, instantly enveloping Soifon.
Enma Kōrogi. It deprived the enemy within the barrier of their five senses, leaving only the caster free to move and act.
Tōsen walked toward Soifon at the center of the dome. He raised his right hand and swung his blade down in a clean, decisive arc—
Beneath her black cloak, Soifon had already been maintaining her Blut Vene at full power. However, her internal combat instincts sensed the danger, and she reflexively raised her right hand to block.
It was as if she knew exactly where the attack was coming from.
Clang!
Tōsen was shocked. The person in black had used a Spirit Particle arrow as a makeshift blade to firmly parry his Zanpakutō.
Before he could process this, Soifon flicked her wrist.
That Spirit Particle arrow moved as fluidly as a real sword in her hand. With a twist and a parry, she swept Tōsen's blade aside.
In the next instant, the dark barrier of Enma Kōrogi was cleaved open from the inside by a brilliant blue slash, and Kaname Tōsen was sent flying.
A long trail of blood sprayed from his shoulder, staining the white ground crimson.
Seeing this, Gin Ichimaru narrowed his eyes, his smile fading slightly. "Oh my... Captain Tōsen seems to be... having a bit of a hard time."
If Tōsen couldn't cut it, was it his turn next?
Sure enough, Aizen's warm gaze shifted to Gin Ichimaru before slowly moving away.
To be covered by Enma Kōrogi and still manage to heavily wound Tōsen in such a short time while remaining unscathed—this level of combat prowess was rare even among Captains.
Forget it. He wouldn't waste anyone else's time; he would handle this personally.
"Gin, please help Tōsen bandage his wound."
Aizen slowly drew Kyōka Suigetsu from his waist. It seemed he intended to test the waters himself.
...
Clang—
After clashing several times in mid-air, the black and white figures separated in a mutual standoff.
Sōsuke Aizen looked down at the small tear in his Captain's Haori. His interest in this cloaked figure grew even more intense.
This had happened just now, after he had quietly activated Kyōka Suigetsu. He had misjudged a movement, allowing Soifon to graze him.
If his reactions had been even a fraction slower...
Thinking of this, a slight smile played on Aizen's lips.
To be able to ignore his Kyōka Suigetsu! How absolutely exquisite.
"Your strength is indeed formidable," Aizen said, casting an appreciative look at Soifon. "I wonder, Excellency, would you allow me a glimpse of your true face?"
"Defeat me first."
Soifon twirled a Spirit Particle arrow like a blade and charged at Aizen again.
Finally able to fight with all her might, she was starting to feel a bit of a rush.
"You seem much more suited for swords and blades than the Quincies I recall..."
Parrying Soifon's attacks with effortless grace, Aizen continued to probe with his words.
"That is merely your stereotype of what a Quincy should be."
Soifon notched her bow and fired. Over a dozen Spirit Particle arrows struck at Aizen from various angles.
Aizen's figure blurred for a fraction of a second. In the next breath, he appeared three paces in front of Soifon, Kyōka Suigetsu raised high over his head, the blade wreathed in a terrifying, highly compressed Reiatsu.
"Then I shall no longer hold back either, Sir Quincy."
There were no flashy techniques, just a basic downward strike infused with his overwhelming Spiritual Pressure.
Shockwave!
Soifon's pupils dilated—this strike was not something a half-hearted Quincy ability could block!
The Spirit Particle arrow in Soifon's hand instantly shattered. She drew Suzumebachi from her waist, her Reiatsu exploding at full force.
"Bankai!"
Her spiritual power erupted without reservation.
Sōsuke Aizen doubted his own ears. Perhaps the noise from the impact of their clashing Reiatsu had distorted her voice.
You think you can distract me with a shout like that? How naive, Quincy.
Golden Reiatsu collided with the blue shockwave of the sword. The lance-like form of Jashaku Raikōben steadily blocked Aizen's strike, but the cloaking device she wore was torn to shreds by the violent spiritual pressure of the collision.
A deafening roar echoed beneath the canopy of Las Noches, and a circular shockwave rippled outward.
Gin Ichimaru had to use a Bakudō to protect the heavily injured Tōsen from the fallout.
The light gradually faded.
Aizen maintained his downward-slashing posture, his eyes widening behind his glasses.
The black cloak had been completely destroyed in the impact, dissolving into countless black fragments that drifted in the air. On Soifon's exposed neck and arms, blue Spirit Particle patterns—the Blut Vene—were visible.
Due to the gap in their Reiatsu, blocking that strike had not been easy for Soifon, but she was uninjured. She simply hadn't been able to protect the mysterious little cloak Kisuke Urahara had given her.
A Shinigami's Shihakushō, a Quincy's spirit bow, and a Bankai whose form was entirely different from the one shown during the Captain's proficiency exam decades ago...
Time seemed to freeze for several seconds.
"I see..." Aizen slowly sheathed his sword. "Captain Soifon, you have certainly given me a surprise."
It seemed he wasn't the only one who had faked his performance during the Captain's exam.
How ironic. Two of the Captains participating in that exam had failed to show their true Bankai.
On the other side, Gin Ichimaru's smile had vanished completely. Why was Captain Soifon—the close friend who was always around Matsumoto Rangiku—also someone hiding such deep secrets?
If such a powerful and cunning individual joined Aizen's side, what would happen to his plan for revenge?
"Someone like me, hiding their strength within the Soul Society."
"But Captain Soifon, your methods are arguably much more clever than mine."
Sōsuke Aizen spoke with sincere admiration. He truly did not know where he had slipped up, and he had found no trace of her activities.
If Soifon hadn't stepped forward herself, he likely would have been kept in the dark forever.
"Furthermore..." Aizen seemed to open up. "Captain Soifon, you actually possess two different types of power."
"I've changed my mind." He smiled, extending a hand toward Soifon. "A collaboration... no, perhaps we should use a different term."
"Captain Soifon, are you interested in changing the world with me?"
____
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