Fate in Bleach: Unlimited Blade Works!-Chapter 318: The Hōgyoku

BOOM!

A golden slash cleaved through the air, nearly splitting Sōkyoku Hill in two. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

"That spiritual pressure... is that..."

"Zaraki?"

Sensing the golden slash and the ferocious spiritual pressure emanating from Sōkyoku Hill, those who were still fighting within the Seireitei paused and looked up.

Within a dense forest, wind and lightning raged, tearing through the ancient trees.

Two figures clashed amidst the storm.

BOOM!

The impact of their collision created a thunderous roar.

The two figures were Yoruichi Shihōin, the former captain of the Second Division, and Soi Fon, the current captain of the Second Division.

Both were using Shunko.

However, Yoruichi was using Shunko enhanced with lightning-type Kidō, while Soi Fon was using Shunko enhanced with wind-type Kidō.

Based on their mastery of Shunko, Yoruichi was stronger.

But Soi Fon, with her wind-type Shunko and her Zanpakutō, Suzumebachi, in its Shikai state, was evenly matched against Yoruichi.

After another clash, both landed on treetops.

Yoruichi smiled, while Soi Fon gritted her teeth.

"Hahaha, well done, Soi Fon. Even I only managed to cultivate Shunko to this level in recent years."

Receiving Yoruichi's praise, despite all the resentment in her heart, a smile involuntarily touched Soi Fon's lips.

"Lady Yoruichi, even if you say that, I'm not happy!"

"..."

Yoruichi was speechless.

Girl, shouldn't you at least try to suppress your smile when you say that?

Your expression betrays your true feelings.

After over a hundred years, Soi Fon was still so adorable!

"Alright, Soi Fon, let's put our fight on hold for now. You must have realized by now that, besides the Ryoka, there's someone else orchestrating this chaos.

I'm certain that this individual is the one who framed Shinji Hirako and the others over a hundred years ago.

Soi Fon, you wouldn't want to see the Seireitei destroyed, would you...?"

In truth, after receiving Yoruichi's praise, Soi Fon had lost most of her fighting spirit.

In the years after Yoruichi left the Seireitei, Soi Fon had been angry, wondering why Yoruichi had abandoned her.

But as her strength increased and her perspective broadened, she realized that Yoruichi leaving her behind had been the right decision.

Besides everything else, without Ailin's guidance, Soi Fon didn't know how strong she would be now.

Or perhaps, if she had left with Yoruichi, she might not even have mastered Bankai yet?

It wasn't an impossibility.

After all, Soi Fon knew her own personality.

If she had stayed with Yoruichi, she would have undoubtedly clung to Yoruichi's side, neglecting her training.

Just as she had done when Yoruichi was still the captain of the Second Division.

Soi Fon had joined the Second Division only twenty years after Ailin. Moreover, after joining, she had always followed Yoruichi's lead. She was one of the witnesses to Ailin's rise.

Within ten years, Ailin had climbed from an elite Shinigami to lieutenant, then from lieutenant to captain of the Sixth Division.

And Soi Fon?

Even after Yoruichi left the Seireitei, she was still merely the lieutenant of the Second Division.

If not for Ailin's guidance, allowing her to find her own path to power, Soi Fon didn't know how she would have faced Yoruichi.

But now, she could proudly stand before Yoruichi, showing her the progress she had made over the past hundred years.

"Hmph, of course not. As the captain of the Second Division, I won't allow anyone to harm the Seireitei. I'm not afraid of fighting you."

"Yes, yes, yes. Soi Fon is the most capable captain."

After a brief exchange, Yoruichi and Soi Fon headed towards Sōkyoku Hill.

...

On Sōkyoku Hill, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen were practically just spectators.

They couldn't intervene in Zaraki and Aizen's fight. The most they could do was provide some minor distractions.

Besides them, Retsu Unohana, the captain of the Fourth Division, was also present.

However, she didn't participate in Zaraki's battle. She simply pulled the injured Shinigami aside and treated their wounds with her healing Kidō.

As for Zaraki, while he had sustained numerous wounds, seemingly at a disadvantage under Aizen's attacks, Unohana knew that this was the kind of fight Zaraki enjoyed.

He was reveling in the battle, the thrill of combat, the dance with death.

Moreover, judging by the situation, Unohana felt that if she intervened, she might even become a burden to Zaraki.

She had seen Zaraki swing his blade at seemingly empty spaces, only to hear the clang of clashing Zanpakutō.

It was clear that her vision had been manipulated by Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu. The Aizen she was seeing was a mere illusion.

But Zaraki was different. He fought primarily on instinct. When facing danger, Zaraki trusted his body more than his senses.

It was precisely because of this that, while Aizen seemed to hold the upper hand, he couldn't inflict any significant damage on Zaraki.

Aizen frowned. To be honest, Zaraki was the kind of opponent he was least equipped to handle.

While Kyōka Suigetsu's ability allowed him to dominate the fight, whenever he tried to land a decisive blow, Zaraki's instincts would activate. Even if he couldn't see Aizen, he would dodge instinctively, avoiding fatal injuries, and counterattack.

"Hadō #63—"

A feminine shout echoed across Sōkyoku Hill. Soi Fon appeared in the sky with a ball of lightning coalescing in her hand.

"Lightning Roar Cannon!"

BOOM!

The lightning exploded, transforming into a massive pillar that blasted Tōsen away from Zaraki.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Tōsen, his body charred black, rolled across the ground. Just as he struggled to his feet, Soi Fon and Yoruichi appeared beside him.

"Don't move, Captain Tōsen."

Soi Fon's Suzumebachi and a dagger Yoruichi had seemingly produced from thin air were pressed against Tōsen's neck, drawing blood.

A few drops of blood trickled from the wound, making Tōsen freeze.

"Captain Ichimaru, could you please stand down?"

Standing beside Gin were Shunsui Kyoraku, the captain of the Eighth Division, and Jūshirō Ukitake, the captain of the Thirteenth Division.

"Oh dear, oh dear, how terrifying, how terrifying..."

Gin sheathed his Zanpakutō and raised his hands in surrender. While he was strong, he wasn't arrogant enough to believe he could defeat both Kyoraku and Ukitake.

His goal was to avenge Rangiku and reclaim what was rightfully hers. He wouldn't die before achieving his objective.

Surrendering wasn't shameful. Besides, his time was almost up.

With Tōsen and Gin subdued, only Aizen and Zaraki were still fighting.

However, the next moment, Zaraki sheathed his Zanpakutō, spat on the ground, and stopped attacking.

Because Ailin and Yamamoto had arrived.

"Sōsuke Aizen!"

Flames raged on Yamamoto's Ryūjin Jakka. The flames seemed to be a manifestation of his anger.

Yamamoto had considered many suspects while searching for the one orchestrating the chaos within the Seireitei.

Even Ailin had been on his list.

However, he had never expected that the one to finally reveal himself would be Sōsuke Aizen!

Moreover, what shocked Yamamoto most was that Aizen wasn't alone. Judging by their interactions, Aizen was clearly the leader.

"It seems Captain Ailin and Head-Captain Yamamoto put on quite a show to lure me out."

Despite being surrounded by Ailin and Yamamoto, Aizen's expression remained unchanged. It was as if he wasn't afraid of facing them both.

And it was true.

He wasn't Zaraki.

While he could use Kyōka Suigetsu to manipulate Zaraki, he couldn't inflict any significant damage on him.

But facing Ailin and Yamamoto...

Aizen wasn't sure if his ability would work on Ailin. After all, even after all these years, he still couldn't see through Ailin. But as long as it worked on Yamamoto, that was enough.

Yamamoto was stronger than he had been a thousand years ago, but he was also weaker. His strength had indeed increased, but his heart had softened.

If it were the Yamamoto from a thousand years ago, Aizen wouldn't have dared reveal himself.

Because, to kill Aizen, Yamamoto wouldn't have hesitated to release his Bankai, even if it meant destroying the entire Seireitei.

That was how Yhwach had been defeated a thousand years ago.

There might be those in the world who could defeat Yamamoto in his Bankai state, but Aizen wasn't one of them.

Throughout Yamamoto's life, he had only been defeated once, by the ancient Hollow King in his youth.

However, having protected the Seireitei for over a thousand years, Yamamoto had developed a strong attachment to it.

Or rather, his thousand years as the Seireitei's guardian had given him a "protector" mentality.

To avoid causing unnecessary damage to the Seireitei, Yamamoto wouldn't unleash his full power unless absolutely necessary.

Even if he did release his Bankai within the Seireitei, he would end the battle as quickly as possible.

Otherwise, if it lasted too long, not only the Seireitei, but even the Soul Society would be destroyed.

After all, Ryūjin Jakka's Bankai, with its flames rivaling the sun's core, was powerful enough to incinerate the entire Soul Society.

"Hmph, do you think a villain like you would have revealed yourself if we hadn't put on a show?"

"Hehe..."

Aizen simply chuckled at Yamamoto's taunt. He held a blue crystal between his thumb and index finger.

"Captain Yamamoto, you underestimate me. What determined whether I revealed myself wasn't your performance. It was this!"

Looking at the blue crystal in his hand, a flicker of obsession crossed Aizen's eyes.

"What is that?"

While it was simply a crystal radiating a faint blue light, it stirred something within Yamamoto.

He felt like it could help him break through the limits of a Shinigami.

But Yamamoto quickly suppressed that feeling.

He had reached the limits of a Shinigami's power long ago. He knew that this was his limit.

Even if he used his Zanpakutō to enhance his strength, reaching a higher level, the burden on his body would be immense.

Only those who had truly reached their limits understood how despairing it was.

And now, this blue crystal made Yamamoto desire to break through.

It was clearly no ordinary item.

However, it was precisely because of that desire that Yamamoto's expression turned grave.

Why did Aizen need such a thing?

Could it be that Aizen had also reached the limits of a Shinigami?

"This is the Hōgyoku. It's the very thing I framed Kisuke Urahara to obtain over a hundred years ago."

Aizen tightened his grip on the Hōgyoku and looked at Yamamoto. He could tell that Yamamoto had guessed something.

But so what?

He had the Hōgyoku now.

"Even if Captain Ailin and Head-Captain Yamamoto were both here, I would have revealed myself to obtain this."

"How audacious!"

Hearing Aizen's blatant disrespect, Yamamoto raised Ryūjin Jakka.

"Rend!"