Restricted Death

Chapter 241 Before the Collapse of Heaven

The flames surrounding Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni suddenly froze, then erupted into an even more violent and intense raging inferno, as if it would burn the entire world to ashes! It was no longer just anger, but a violent stress response to having taboos touched and long-buried wounds exposed in public!

"Insanity!"

The roar that escaped Captain-Commander Yamamoto's throat was no longer a solemn pronouncement of punishment, but a furious storm carrying a thousand years of accumulated power, enough to tear apart the soul! His eyes, originally as deep as molten lava, churned with shock and a violent ferocity that surged rapidly after being stung! The blade of Ryujin Jakka hummed violently, and crimson spiritual light soared into the sky, dyeing the entire replicated space crimson. The magma lake churned and roared, like a raging furnace at the Earth's core!

Aizen looked at Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, who was enraged by him, and his expression became calm.

"Lord Aizen."

Helibel spoke up from the side, saying, "It is our fault that we failed to defeat the enemy."

Aizen looked away and then at Kisuke Urahara, who was also staring intently at him.

"What are you talking about? That's Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni." Aizen said calmly, "Even I, in my current state, don't have the confidence to defeat him."

Finally, he glanced at Xin in the crowd. Things had deviated greatly from his original plan, and the root cause of all this was Xin secretly stirring things up.

Recalling everything he had seen in the Great Spiritual Library, this person not only seemed to have known his purpose all along, but had also discovered the Quincy's conspiracy.

Unfortunately, the Great Spirit Book Corridor can only record everything that happens in Soul Society.

Was it when Shin was at the Spirit Arts Academy that he sent Tosen to test the waters and find any clues he might have revealed during his internship in the mortal world?

"time to go."

The moment the words fell, the sky above them, which had been glowing red with flames, was abruptly ripped open by a massive, writhing, pitch-black crack. Like an inky wound spreading wildly across a red cloth! A chilling, deathly aura of the void instantly surged in like a frigid tide, creating a stark contrast with the magma inferno beneath their feet.

It's a black box.

The appearance of the black cavity made many Grim Reapers realize that the enemy was planning to escape.

"Crazy man!"

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's roar shattered the solidified air. He was determined to crush this traitor, this blasphemer, and all the filth he had brought with him with absolute power!
At this critical moment, Aizen calmly drew his seemingly ordinary Zanpakuto from his waist—Kyoka Suigetsu. The blade gleamed with a cool, flowing light, creating an eerie contrast with the intense heat and destruction surrounding him.

"Commander-in-Chief, I urge you to calm down."

Aizen's voice pierced clearly through the deafening noise and raging flames, and upon seeing Aizen draw his sword, Kisuke Urahara, Shinji Hirako, and the others' expressions changed drastically.

"Oh no!" Urahara exclaimed almost instinctively.

"What's wrong?" Kyoraku asked immediately.

Before Urahara could say anything more, Aizen addressed all the Shinigami present: "My Zanpakuto, Kyoka Suigetsu, possesses the ability of complete hypnosis. It can completely control the five senses and can make the enemy misunderstand the shape, appearance, mass, touch, and even smell of an object. It can make a fly see a dragon, or a swamp see a flower field."

"Captain, are you sure you want to attack me? Aren't you afraid that the person you're slashing at right now isn't the real me? It's possible that you're charging at your subordinate right now, and he's completely unaware of my hypnosis, and then dies by your blade without feeling anything."

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni suddenly stopped.

“He’s telling the truth,” Urahara said in a deep voice.

Kyoraku's eyes narrowed slightly, and then he immediately shouted, "Master Shan!"

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni did indeed stop, but his eyes were fixed on Aizen not far away, his gaze filled with murderous intent. His spiritual pressure was as deep as the ocean, and it rolled outwards even more powerfully, trying to break through the invisible and intangible sensory shackles with absolute power.

However, he also had some concerns. If he were to unleash his full spiritual pressure, it could completely destroy the entire space. Moreover, not all of the Shinigami here were captains. Those with slightly weaker spiritual pressure might be crushed to death on the spot by his spiritual pressure.

Xin, who was in the crowd, had already quietly activated the "Stop" ability of his Zanpakuto at full power, enveloping himself and observing intently, trying to avoid being hypnotized. However, he had never truly faced Kyoka Suigetsu before and could not be sure if he could really be immune to this ability.

At this moment, Aizen and everything around him seemed normal; it was as if the other party had not yet activated any power, and there was no trace of illusion.

Aizen seemed to sense something, glancing at Shin out of the corner of his eye with a smile.

Xin felt a chill run down his spine. He was now certain that the other party had definitely checked his information within the Great Spirit Book Corridor and learned about his Soul-Slaying ability.

"Since you have reservations, then this battle shall end here." Aizen's calm voice echoed in everyone's ears.

As soon as he finished speaking, countless brilliant, sacred, and cold golden pillars of light descended from the depths of the dark crack, like a divine ladder of punishment guiding sinners to heaven! The pillars of light precisely enveloped Aizen, Tosen Kaname, and all the Arrancar Espada, enveloping them and isolating them from all external energy and detection.

Anti-membrane!

Before everyone's eyes, the enemies, shrouded in golden light, slowly rose into the air.

Upon seeing the appearance of the anti-membrane, Captain-Commander Yamamoto completely abandoned any thought of taking action.

"Aizen!"

Suddenly, a piercing roar erupted from below, filled with a thousand years of humiliation and deep-seated hatred, shattering the deathly silence: "You despicable coward! Now you think you can run away with your tail between your legs?!"

Upon hearing this, Aizen, who had risen into the air, merely lowered his head slightly and cast his gaze downwards. He looked down at the crowd below, who appeared as insignificant as ants, and clearly saw Hirako's furious figure reflected in his eyes. That gaze was no longer calm as before, but filled with undisguised contempt and mockery, like a god looking down at ants in the dust.

"Captain Hirako," his voice wasn't loud, but it clearly suppressed all the noise and resonated deeply in everyone's hearts.

"Your vision has always been as narrow as a frog at the bottom of a well... pitifully narrow. It was because I saw through your almost foolish arrogance that I was able to so easily... make you my perfect pawn in that little experiment with etherealization back then. Your misfortune lies in your incompetence."

Upon hearing this, Hirako's pupils dilated slightly, as if these words had deeply affected him, and old nightmares swept over him like a tidal wave, almost drowning him.

"However, I think that I am not a true enemy of you all. I have already stated my conditions, and I will wait patiently for you to come to me."

"Before the sky collapsed."

The enemies who had been fighting to the death were now left to be watched helplessly by everyone present.

The words, along with the golden light, vanished into the deep, writhing void of the enormous black cavity. The beam of light that had enveloped Aizen, Kaname Tosen, Barragan, Halibel, Stark, and the others, like the afterglow sinking into an abyss, carried their figures away into the unfathomable depths of darkness. The blinding divine golden light, Barragan's decaying spiritual pressure, Halibel's cold, profound oceanic aura, and the heavy, oppressive feeling unique to Hueco Mundo, along with the deafening roar that tore through space, all vanished the moment the black cavity abruptly closed— *Whoosh*—

It vanished completely in an instant.

As the black cavity closed, the blinding golden light, the smell of decay and the tide, and the oppressive feeling unique to Hueco Mundo suddenly disappeared, leaving only a desolate and lifeless copy space and the ruins of a battlefield littered with debris. Thick ashes and lingering smoke drifted silently, outlining endless desolation and bleakness.

The raging flames that had consumed the entire world and the terrifying spiritual pressure that had almost solidified around Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni slowly receded and extinguished, like the receding tide. After a low, mournful groan, Ryujin Jakka flashed with light and transformed back into its ancient, heavy wooden staff form. He gripped the staff handle and slammed it heavily onto the scorching, cracked earth beneath his feet.

boom--

The sound struck everyone's hearts, and the air became so heavy it was almost suffocating.

The first to break the deathly silence was Retsu Unohana. Seemingly unaffected by the heavy atmosphere, she spoke with her usual gentle yet authoritative tone, her voice like a clear spring nourishing withered trees, as she addressed the members of the Fourth Division behind her: "Heal the wounded."

"Yes!"

The Grim Reapers immediately responded and jogged toward the vice-captain and officers who had been injured in the battle.

The members of the Masked Army—Kunan Shiro, Mukkaru Kensei, Ushōda Hachigen, and others—slowly gathered from their silence and anger, silently standing behind Hirako Shinji and Urahara Kisuke, forming an isolated unit. There was no verbal exchange between them; only their eyes conveyed vigilance and unease, their gazes instinctively avoiding the figure standing like a mountain in the center of the scorched earth.

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's gaze also turned towards them at this moment. Although the flames had subsided, the oppressive feeling in his eyes had not diminished at all, and had even become more solemn.

The traitors have escaped. The next step is to resolve the century-old, unresolved feud between Soul Society and this group of "traitors." Their gazes were like red-hot irons, leaving scorched marks in the air.

On the other side, Shin walked through the billowing smoke and the crowd of people with varying emotions to stand before Ishida Sogen. This Quincy had remained detached from the core battlefield, not directly involved in the fighting, and it seemed that no Arrancar had actively sought trouble with him.

"Don't go back to the human world yet. Soul Society will protect you."

Upon hearing this, Ishida Muneaki glanced at him with a complicated expression, took a deep breath, and said, "Ryūgen... was taken away by them."

Shin paused, then asked, "Aizen took your son away?"

This was completely unexpected for him. Why would Aizen be interested in the Quincy? Was it because of the Wandenreich that Aizen wanted to deepen his understanding of the Quincy?

Ishida Munen shook his head. "It's...the Empire."

Xin's expression immediately changed: "The people from the Invisible Empire have come out?!"

Ishida Sogen said in a low voice, "...I know what you've been trying to achieve by getting close to me, but I no longer have the key to the Invisible Empire."

With a surge of thoughts, countless ideas collided and roared in his mind: "Let's discuss this later."

Ishida Sogen's gaze drifted unfocused towards Captain-Commander Yamamoto, whose mere presence made the entire space feel suffocating. His voice was weak and wavering, as if he were muttering to himself: "Do you think he can defeat His Majesty?"

"..."

Xin was speechless for a moment.

When Yhwach returned, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni did indeed die at his hands.

However, as of now, Yhwach has not yet awakened, nor has he regained his power.

Everything is uncertain.

Yoruichi Shihouin stood in front of Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, seemingly trying to prevent him from facing Urahara Hirako and the others.

Kyoraku and Ukitake stood on either side. Ukitake spoke up: "Captain-Commander, there was actually more to the story back then. The culprit was Aizen. This has been proven. They were all wronged."

Yamamoto remained silent upon hearing this.

Jingle also said, "Master Shan, I think we should go back and discuss this slowly now."

Yamamoto's gaze swept over the Visoreds and the others. These people were once the elite backbone of the Seireitei. The incident back then did indeed deal a very heavy blow to the Soul Society.

And now, these people's eyes are full of wariness.

The conclusion of that incident was that Kisuke Urahara secretly conducted Hollowfication experiments. Although Shinji Hirako and others were victims, the Seireitei still had to eliminate them as Hollows!
"Where's Tachikawa?" Yamamoto suddenly asked.

Xin then walked over and said, "I think we should let them return to the real world for now."

These words startled the people nearby.

"Commander-in-Chief, don't you realize that your current posture is frightening them?"

Captain-Commander Yamamoto frowned and said, "What are you talking about? You have no authority!"

Xin did not back down: "Then who has that authority? The Central 46th Bureau, Chief Commander? Do you still think that the 46th Bureau's decision back then was correct?"

Yamamoto glared at him coldly. His true thought at that moment was that the decision on how to deal with Urahara, Hirako, and the others should still be left to the Central 46.

Just then, the gate to the other side opened again in the open space not far away, and Chojiro Sasakibe rushed in.

"Lord Captain!"

He cried out urgently and rushed to the front of the group, quickly reporting, "Aizen Sousuke has betrayed Soul Society, trespassed into the Great Spirit Book Corridor, and murdered all the council members of the Central 46! Captain Komamura, Captain Kuchiki, and I were unable to stop him; Captain Komamura was severely injured."

"hiss--"

Everyone gasped in shock. They already knew about Aizen's betrayal and his intrusion into the Great Spirit Book Corridor, but they never expected that Aizen would also harm a member of the Central 46!
Kisuke Urahara couldn't help but turn his head to look at Shin beside him, his expression suddenly freezing. He saw a fleeting look of pleasure in Shin's eyes.

(End of this chapter)