XX-level Hokage

"!!

"Actually, what I do is very simple."

He raised his hand and with a sudden, forceful shake, knocked Tosen Kaname's Zanpakuto from his hand. Tosen Kaname staggered back several steps before finally coming to a stop.

Only then did Tosen realize that, even in a simple comparison of strength, this man was stronger than he remembered.

Chapter 133: Slaughtering Righteousness

His strength at this moment is at least several times that of an ordinary captain.

The man did not approach Tosen Kaname, but instead went directly to a female squad member who was not far from him.

He drew his Zanpakuto in front of the female soldier trembling in the darkness caused by the demonic cricket, and casually swung it down.

The female soldier fell to the ground in a pool of blood.

He swung his Zanpakuto and plunged it into the abdomen of another male soldier, who also collapsed with a groan of pain. He wasn't a bloodthirsty man, and those two blows didn't take their lives, but the damage they inflicted was real.

"See, this is what the so-called weak are like. When a situation beyond their control suddenly occurs, all they can do is stand there trembling, waiting for someone to rescue them, without even realizing the danger approaching them."

He flicked the blood off the Soul Blade and continued speaking with a somewhat bored tone.

"I regret that, apart from me, probably no one else tried to gain any control or take the initiative in this darkness. Therefore, it was not difficult for them to avoid them, push them away, or attack them. So from the very beginning, they did not move an inch."

Why are they able to move freely in this darkness? The answer is actually quite simple.

That is, before this darkness descended, he had already memorized the environment and the condition of everyone here.

Therefore, even if everything in the world disappeared, he could still reconstruct the entire environment in his mind and move freely within it.

To him, these people who hesitated out of fear were no different from inanimate objects like tables and chairs. And what difference was there between someone who remained motionless and a table that couldn't move?

For him, from the very beginning, in this darkness, there were only himself and Tosen Kaname.

So how did he manage to control Tosen Kaname's actions, who was able to move freely in this darkness, and even abandon Kiyomushi?

"So, you're planning to attack me from the left, right?" Tosen, who was about to take action, suddenly stopped.

"As I said, it's very simple, so simple that anyone can do it if they're willing to spend the time. As for you, your fighting habits, your tactics, your plans, and your thoughts are all within my expectations. In other words, if you can't surpass your current self, even if I do nothing, you won't be able to threaten me."

Even though he desperately tried to convince himself not to believe him, the horror and fear that came with those words had undeniably overwhelmed Tosen Kaname.

Why can't I succeed no matter how I launch the attack?

That's because this person has completely mastered all of Tosen Kaname's attack patterns, including the angle from which to swing the sword, how to change moves if the attack misses, and how to change moves if it hits.

He knew perfectly well how to counterattack when at a disadvantage and how to pursue when in the lead.

Therefore, what he saw in his mind was not only the ordinary soldiers around him, but also Tosen Kaname, whom he completely controlled and who acted according to his imagination and understanding as if he were a puppet.

But... "Why?"

He had even forgotten that he couldn't hear his own voice at all. Such a question slipped out of his mouth.

Why would they go to such lengths when they have almost no further interaction with each other?

Or perhaps, during the years this man disappeared and hid himself, he remained silent to everyone.

"No, that's wrong. I only treat you differently. You're the only one. I have high expectations for you. A big part of the reason I'm here is that I want to see and see your growth with my own eyes and hands."

That man was no longer simply avoiding her; this time, gripping his Zanpakuto, he took the initiative and walked towards Tosen Kaname.

"Whether it's Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni or Mashiro, whose personality I can't quite figure out, I can surpass them as long as I spend the necessary time and effort. They are obsessed with the power they possess and confident in the schemes they devise. That's just the kind of people they are. In the end, since they can be deceived by things like illusions, they have already lost their value for me."

"So, why me?"

Why do they have such high expectations of me, someone with whom they have almost no interaction?

"The answer is simple: because you are someone who knows despair, and also knows fear."

This man saw through Tosen Kaname's true nature at a glance, and understood exactly what Tosen Kaname was fighting for. Tosen Kaname, as a captain, was a person with immense power.

If we say that he is afraid of every battle, would that make people underestimate him?

But that is the truth; Tosen always uses fear as a weapon in his battles.

The more one abandons fear, the closer one gets to a heartless monster that is not a warrior; those who know no fear will eventually become demons. Therefore, Kaname Tōsen always fought with fear in his heart, and he was always accompanied by despair.

As a grim reaper, he must constantly harbor fear for the path he has embarked on, and even for the world itself that he is meant to protect. If one day he forgets his fear, then from that moment on, he will no longer be a warrior.

This is what makes Kaname Tosen the most different from everyone else. It has nothing to do with whether or not he is blind.

“Yes, that’s right. I have no fears, nor anything that confuses me.” The man finally revealed the reason for his excessive attention to Tosen.

“But that’s precisely why it’s necessary to have someone light the way, whether they are my subordinates, friends, or even… enemies.” *Bang!*

It sounded exactly like a balloon popping.

But what was actually the sound of the massive barrier surrounding the First Division's dormitory and the conference room being shattered from within. Something resembling torn canvas scattered in the air, gradually dissolving and disappearing.

The Gotei 15 members, who had been shrouded in darkness and filled with endless fear, have finally regained their sight, are finally able to determine their location, and are finally able to understand their own situation.

However, before they could even feel relieved, they were overwhelmed by even greater terror.

Kaname Tosen, the captain of the Ninth Division, should have been positioned at the top, where he could be seen by everyone simply by raising his head…

Now he was covered in wounds, with large amounts of blood gushing from his body, and he fell to the ground helplessly like a kite with a broken string.

Chapter 134: The Captain

Because of the series of events, because what was happening before their eyes was far beyond their wildest imaginations, for a moment no one reacted, no one made a move.

In this eerie silence, only one man's voice echoed.

"You want to convict me, you want to kill me, that's fine, but unfortunately, with your current strength you simply can't do that."

The man had short, brown hair combed back, with only a single strand falling in front of his face. His brown eyes held only a godlike gaze.

Ordinary arrogance and coldness are the ruthlessness of someone who is high above.

His attire was the complete opposite of the Shinigami's (death god's) Shinigami robes: a long white robe with black trim and a dark red belt around his waist.

He held the Zanpakuto power—the force of the blade dripping blood from its tip—in his hand. Even the most slow-witted person would know that Tosen Kaname was severely injured to this extent.

But what's even more terrifying is...

This man, dressed in an outfit completely different from Death's, even too conspicuous, has only just been noticed? When exactly did he appear between them?

But this man didn't even bother to glance at the guards around him. His gaze, his eyes, were fixed solely on Tousen Kaname, whom he had personally defeated.

"Just keep sharpening that blade, and hopefully one day its edge will be able to touch me." This man, Aizen Kyousuke, said softly with a cold smile on his face.

However, Kaname Tosen, who had fallen to the ground and was still gripping his Zanpakuto but had lost consciousness, was no longer able to answer his question.

"Who goes there?!" "Everyone on high alert!!"

The sound of Tosen Kaname landing was like a switch that roused everyone, tearing apart the deathly silence in an instant.

Without hesitation, the Gotei 15 members standing right next to Aizen and Sousuke drew all their swords and pointed them at Aizen and Sousuke alone.

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of swords rose up beside Aizen, the Right Suke. These Gotei 15 soldiers loudly questioned Aizen, the Right Suke.

One man against hundreds, one sword against hundreds of swords. What Aizen wanted Sousuke to do was...

After shaking off the blood from the Zanpakutsu, he put the Zanpakutsu back into its sheath at his waist.

Just like at the beginning, he has not given even a second glance to the people around him.

This also means that even though he was so close to these guards, and even though he was pointed at by so many blades, he never threatened them.

He didn't even intend to stay here any longer.

The Gotei 15 members who had been ignored by Aizen and Sosuke exchanged glances.

They weren't fools. Whether it was his arrogant attitude of ignoring them or his ability to defeat Dongxian Yao unharmed among so many people, it meant that he was not an opponent that ordinary team members like them, who weren't even board members, could defeat.

But even with such a huge disparity in strength, it doesn't mean that when facing such an enemy, they can only choose to retreat or put down their swords and surrender.

If they choose to surrender and flee in the face of an invincible enemy, then they do not deserve to be called the Grim Reapers of the Gotei 13. [A soldier should die for the Gotei 13; if he harms the Gotei 13, he himself must die.]

They exchanged glances and saw the determination in each other's eyes. Neither of them would choose to back down or run away.

Even knowing that charging forward would mean certain death, those Gotei 14 members should still die for the Gotei 14!

Just as Aizen, Sosuke, turned around to leave,

Just as the soldiers, gripping their powerful blades, were about to launch their charge with unwavering resolve, a deafening boom resounded.

Several scorching pillars of fire, radiating terrifying heat, suddenly erupted from around Aizen and Sosuke.

Even the air itself seemed to ignite and explode, sending the front-row guards flying.

Because the temperature of the flames was so terrifying, the surrounding tables, chairs, and documents instantly turned to ash. The dark gray ash swirled and rose into the air, carried by the hot wind.

Aizen, who seemed to have emptied his mind of everything, also stopped in his tracks. Looking at the scorching pillar of fire that surrounded him, Aizen didn't give Aizen any more time to react before the surging flames rushed to his side.

From the perspective of the surrounding Gotei 15 members, the flames rushing towards Aizen Yosuke looked like a gaping maw.

Without mercy, Aizen's body was completely engulfed in flames. What happened?!

The terrifying flames instantly turned the area that had served as a temporary wartime command post into ashes, not just those Gotei 15 members who were initially blown away.

The remaining Gotei 15 members, in order to avoid being caught up in the chaos...

Those who entered could only retreat.

"This, this flame?" "It's the Captain-Commander!!"

"The Captain-General has emerged from seclusion!!!"

"Really, they actually made the captain personally take action."

Ancient, heavy, scorching—the moment you hear that sound, these words transform into a wave of heat that washes over you.

The first thing that catches the eye is the forehead with two intersecting knife scars. The old man, with his long eyebrows and beard, and a long, silvery-white beard tied with a purple ribbon, walks towards us with a dignified and solemn demeanor, holding a cleaver with a dark purple hilt.

The orange-yellow, almost golden glow reflected from the burning flames also fell upon him, and the gold-purple haori draped over him billowed and danced in the hot wind.

At that moment, the surging, raging flames suddenly changed.

A cold glint suddenly flashed amidst the raging flames, and the flames themselves were cut in half, revealing the white-clad figure who had been engulfed by the flames.

The Zanpakuto that the Gotei 15 members disdainfully drew was now in his hand.

However, he still wore a calm smile and spoke unhurriedly to Yamamoto Genryu Shigekuni, "It's been a long time. Captain-Commander's spirit remains as strong as ever."

"Hmph, it's you, Aizen Sousuke. I didn't expect you to actually still be alive. I remember Shunsui telling me not long ago that you were dead." The Zanpakuto, with its brown scabbard, oval blade, and shimmering purple hilt, was held by Yamamoto Genryu Shigekuni, who merely gripped the scabbard in his hand.