The Zanpakutō Rebellion had ended. According to the nursery rhymes circulating in the streets, that night, Captain-Commander Yamamoto fought one against three, yet failed to capture the treacherous Soifon, the mysterious man in the trench coat, and Aizen, and could only watch helplessly as they left the Soul Society.
Overnight, such rumors spread through every street and alley of the Seireitei and Rukongai. Even the seated officers of the Gotei 13 had no intention of stopping them; instead, they tacitly acquiesced to such a narrative.
Inside the First Division barracks.
"Old Man, we have already spread the news that you fell to a disadvantage, just as you instructed."
Shunsui Kyōraku and Byakuya Kuchiki stood together, reporting the work progress to the Captain-Commander.
There was no helping it. Among the surviving Captains, only these two could be considered reliable. The other Captains were either somewhat mentally or physically unwell, or their backgrounds were insufficient to handle this matter.
"Lord Captain-Commander, does this not damage the dignity of you and the Gotei 13?"
Byakuya Kuchiki frowned tightly, looking at the silent old man before him.
Dignity? Upon hearing this word, the Captain-Commander sneered disdainfully.
"The fact is, this old man failed to capture those two thieves last night."
"It is better to let you all recognize reality sooner. Do not think that whenever something happens, this old man will always be there to wipe your asses."
"Although I am the strongest Shinigami in a thousand years, I am still just a Shinigami..."
And Shinigami have limits!
The Captain-Commander's slightly closed eyes opened slowly, sweeping a glance over the two before him, his voice devoid of joy or anger.
The Zanpakutō Rebellion and the affair with Aizen and Soifon had exposed that the Gotei 13, currently in a period of lacking successors, was truly incompetent. Without the Zanpakutō and him, this old man, to suppress things, it was simply too unbearable to look at.
The only two geniuses who had grown into the 1st Spiritual Rank didn't know what was wrong with their brains, insisting on defecting in broad daylight. The Captain-Commander pondered day and night, feeling that he should ultimately blame the already dead Central 46.
In short, let's stack a 'mourning soldiers will win' buff first. He hoped that under high pressure, a few geniuses capable of shouldering great responsibilities would emerge. That was what the Captain-Commander believed.
On the other side, after sending Zangetsu back to Ichigo Kurosaki's hands, Soifon brought the wretched Aizen back to the top floor of Las Noches.
It was only after changing clothes and using Reiatsu to fix his hairstyle that Sōsuke Aizen finally showed his face before Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen.
"Wait, the decisive battle is in one year?"
"And Captain Aizen, why did you announce this information publicly?"
"Wouldn't a surprise attack on the Seireitei be better?"
Gin Ichimaru slammed the table and stood up. His seat in Hueco Mundo hadn't even warmed up yet, and now he was being told that they would go head-to-head with the Gotei 13 in a year?!
He really wanted to take an Arrancar hostage, open a Garganta, and go back to surrender.
"Yes, the decisive battle is in one year."
"Once I create the Royal Key, I will take you and Kaname to the Royal Palace together."
"At that time, I will make the two of you members of my Zero Division."
Aizen leaned back in his chair, resting his cheek on his hand. His expression was filled with composure, showing absolutely no sign of the wretched state from being beaten by the Captain-Commander just moments ago.
Who cares about becoming your Zero Division!
Although Gin Ichimaru really wanted to say that, he maintained an awkward yet polite smile and sat back down.
After speaking, Sōsuke Aizen glanced at the silent Soifon. He actually wanted to know how she viewed this decision of his.
After all, as far as he knew, Soifon had quite a few good friends in Karakura Town.
However, Soifon did not acknowledge his gaze. She blinked at the task panel floating before her eyes, somewhat surprised.
[Task Triggered: One Mind, One Body]
[Task Completed]
[Reward Obtained: Zanpakutō Fusion (Zanpakutō will not be lost, consumption reduced, Reiatsu increased)]
The reward for killing Kōga Kuchiki had finally arrived.
Although the opponent's strength did not match the mission reward, the task was triggered after retreating safely from the hands of the Captain-Commander. Perhaps repelling the Captain-Commander was also calculated into the mission progress, resulting in such a rich reward.
She roughly estimated her current Reiatsu. It had likely exceeded the limits of her own soul by a large margin, but due to the lack of a control group with equal strength, Soifon could not distinguish what tier her current Reiatsu was in.
Coming back to her senses, Soifon cast a pitying glance at Aizen, then stood up:
"If there is nothing else, I want to go see Nelliel and Harribel."
"I feel that the two of them have great potential; perhaps there is still room for their strength to improve."
Using Karakura Town as a sacrifice... to think Aizen could say such a thing. He probably hadn't seen Ichigo Kurosaki's current strength.
You might be able to tank the Captain-Commander's Shikai with the Hōgyoku and slowly evolve, but the Getsuga Tenshō of a stats monster won't listen to reason.
"Please do as you wish, Captain Soifon."
Aizen didn't mind Soifon's excuse, assuming she just wanted a reason to leave the meeting.
Walking along the corridors of Las Noches, Soifon shattered a surveillance camera not far away with her Reiatsu, then casually pushed open the door to an empty room and unhooked Suzumebachi from her waist.
With a thought, the Suzumebachi in her hand turned into a flash of yellow light and burrowed into Soifon's heart.
"Suzumebachi, can you come out?"
[I can, but do you mean in blade form or human form, Soifon?]
"Hah? You can still appear in blade spirit form?!"
The instant Soifon's voice fell, a ray of light flew out from her chest, hovering beside her.
"Of course I can. Whose Zanpakutō do you think I am?"
Suzumebachi stood with hands on hips, a giant stinger covering her right arm.
"Sting all enemies to death."
To verify her conjecture, Soifon simultaneously used Shikai, discovering that her Shikai abilities could actually still be used completely.
"Could it be...?"
Soifon's eyes widened slightly. Who knows how many wicked ideas flashed through her mind in that instant.
"Then, if I use Bankai right now, wouldn't that mean..."
With the thought in mind, Soifon was about to drive her Reiatsu to its peak state. The terrifying pressure distorted the space within the room, causing the Arrancars in Las Noches to look toward Soifon's room in panic.
"Wait! Wait!"
Suzumebachi canceled the armor on her right hand, grabbing Soifon's cheek flesh with both hands and pulling it outward, interrupting her charge:
"Idiot Soifon! Have you forgotten what level you are right now?"
"Using Bankai in Hueco Mundo—do you want to be noticed by the people in the Royal Palace?"
Her cheek being pulled casually like play-dough by Suzumebachi, it took Soifon a good while to understand what the other party's hint meant.
Reiatsu above the 1st Spiritual Rank, Royal Key enhancement, and Zanpakutō Fusion. Simply put, Soifon was currently an unsealed Zero Division member wandering freely in the Three Worlds.
[Character Detailed Information / Response]
Soifon: Affected by Muramasa's brainwashing, causing the two to be hostile to each other for a time. After the brainwashed state was lifted, she drove the enemy into a desperate situation with the fastest speed in the Soul Society and perfectly coordinated attacks.
____
👻🔥Whant more?: Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: Group chat of the Dead
✅ Read 40 chapters ahead on every series!
✅ Unlock supporter-only perks and news!
Let's reach these milestones together:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 free chapter for all readers
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 bonus chapters for all series!
👻 Walnut-chan on P...