"Ace Sombravida…"
Aizen repeated the name softly, as if tasting it.
Sombravida did not lower his guard.
"What are three Shinigami doing in my territory?"
His reiatsu was steady—but beneath the surface, a Cero was silently condensing. Concealed. Compressed. Ready.
"We have come," Aizen replied calmly, "to seek a partner."
"A partner?"
Sombravida's spiritual pressure flared instinctively.
"You slaughter half my faction and call that an invitation?"
"They were materials," Aizen answered without hesitation. "Necessary for experimentation."
Sombravida's aura surged violently.
"Materials?"
Gin and Tōsen instinctively raised their guard as Sombravida's pressure expanded outward like a shockwave.
"You used my subordinates as experimental stock?"
Aizen's hand rested lightly on the hilt of his Zanpakutō.
"Sombravida-kun. Experiments demand sacrifice. In return, they yield evolution."
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"I am dismantling the boundary between Shinigami and Hollow. A new existence. A new era. Join me—and you will transcend your limits."
Sombravida's response was immediate.
"No."
In canon, Aizen never valued Arrancar as equals. Tools at best. Disposable at worst.
Sombravida understood that clearly.
Joining Aizen meant eventual discard.
Or worse—absolute hypnosis.
Aizen's smile did not fade.
"You are not like ordinary Hollows. You built a structured settlement. You preserve hierarchy. You create."
His grip on the sword tightened slightly.
"You were human once, weren't you?"
Sombravida's Cero reached critical compression.
Aizen began:
"To demonstrate my sincerity, I shall—"
Whoosh—!
The concealed Cero detonated.
It erupted point-blank toward Aizen.
The ground shattered.
Reiatsu thundered outward.
Aizen vanished with Shunpō at the last instant.
Gin and Tōsen followed.
The explosion carved a crater dozens of meters wide.
When the dust settled—
Burn marks stained Gin's sleeve.
Tōsen's shoulder smoked faintly.
Aizen's shihakushō was scorched.
But he himself was unharmed.
"Sombravida-kun," Aizen said quietly, eyes now cold, "what is the meaning of this?"
"You slaughtered my people. That is my answer."
Sombravida was shocked internally.
Even his fully concealed Cero had barely touched them.
Their reaction speed was monstrous.
"A handful of Hollows," Aizen replied mildly, "are not worth such hostility."
"They were mine."
Silence.
Then—
"Insolence."
Tōsen stepped forward, reiatsu rising sharply.
"How dare you defy Lord Aizen?"
"Scream, Suzumushi."
His Zanpakutō released.
A resonant chime filled the air.
Tōsen closed distance instantly.
Clang!!
Steel collided.
Sombravida summoned his Sky-Splitting Greatsword to intercept.
The shockwave tore through the surrounding sand.
Sombravida immediately suppressed his auditory perception with reiatsu control—minimizing Suzumushi's disorientation effect.
He focused entirely on Tōsen.
If Aizen did not intervene—
Eliminating one combatant first was optimal.
Behind them—
Gin casually watched, blade angled.
"Interesting," he murmured.
Aizen observed quietly.
"Let us see his limits."
Clang. Clang. Clang.
The exchange intensified.
Tōsen's spiritual pressure was already captain-level, despite his rank.
But Sombravida was no ordinary Vasto Lorde.
Sombravida parried left.
Countered right.
Then lunged with claw strike.
Tōsen narrowly retreated.
Cero fired point-blank.
Suzumushi split it cleanly.
Sombravida vanished into concealment—
Attempted assassination.
Clang!!
Blocked.
Sombravida smirked faintly.
Right.
Blind.
Smoke and light meant nothing to Tōsen.
Tōsen's voice was calm.
"Your tricks will not prevail."
He raised his blade.
"Bankai."
Purple reiatsu exploded outward.
Nine rings manifested around them.
Darkness fell instantly.
"Enma Kōrogi."
Sound vanished.
Sight vanished.
Reiatsu perception vanished.
Only touch remained.
Sombravida stood still.
This Bankai removed all senses except tactile contact.
Perfect assassination domain.
But—
It had a flaw.
Thud.
Pain.
A blade pierced Sombravida's shoulder.
He did not regenerate.
He endured.
Another slash cut across his ribs.
Sombravida waited.
Tōsen prepared the decisive strike.
The killing blow.
Thud.
The blade pierced Sombravida's chest.
At that exact moment—
Sombravida's left hand snapped forward.
He grabbed Tōsen's wrist.
Contact established.
Instantly—
Sombravida's senses returned.
In Enma Kōrogi, the one touched regains sensation.
Tōsen's eyes widened.
"Impossible—!"
Sombravida twisted.
Greatsword erupted forward.
The slash tore through Tōsen's shoulder, lung, and torso in one devastating arc.
Blood sprayed violently.
Suzumushi fell from his grasp.
The Bankai shattered instantly.
Darkness collapsed.
Back in the open battlefield—
Tōsen crashed to the ground, critically wounded.
Gin whistled softly.
"That's severe."
He began Kaidō treatment immediately.
Aizen stepped forward calmly.
"Well done."
Sombravida retreated slightly, maintaining distance.
He had no intention of allowing Aizen closer.
Aizen spoke again.
"The score is settled, is it not?"
"Join me, Sombravida-kun."
Silence.
Sombravida's mind raced.
Never accept.
Never allow release command.
Never look at the blade.
Aizen's smile faded.
"In that case…"
His reiatsu exploded.
Overwhelming.
Far beyond captain-class.
Sombravida staggered one step involuntarily.
This pressure—
Was absurd.
He had never felt such density.
Even high-tier Vasto Lordes paled compared to this.
Aizen calmly advanced.
"Let me see how far you can struggle."
He moved to draw.
Sombravida refused to allow it.
Instant Flash.
Greatsword descended.
Aizen retreated with Shunpō—
Drawing Kyōka Suigetsu mid-movement.
Sombravida vanished again.
Appeared behind.
Strike.
Clang!!
Blades collided.
Sombravida disappeared once more.
Shadow Dance erupted—
Dozens of pale-gold afterimages striking from every angle.
Aizen calmly responded—
"Bakudō #61. Rikujōkōrō."
Six rods of golden light slammed into Sombravida.
Binding him midair.
Sombravida roared, forcing reiatsu outward—
Breaking free at the last instant.
Aizen raised his blade vertically.
"Shatter—Kyōka Suigetsu."
At that critical moment—
Sombravida teleported forward.
He grabbed the blade with his left hand—
Preventing full release alignment—
And simultaneously drove his greatsword downward.
Boom!!!
The impact hurled Aizen backward.
Sandstorm erupted.
When it cleared—
Aizen stood, lightly wounded only at the cheek.
Sombravida stood opposite.
Blood dripped from his left palm.
Aizen had torn the blade free manually.
Aizen's expression darkened slightly.
"Was everything just now... a coincidence?"
Visit patreon.com/ShiroTL to gain access to 40+ chapters