XX-level Hokage

As if on ice, she thought, "It seems that the Hogyoku didn't foresee this."

This attack came without any warning, and without any extra spiritual pressure fluctuations.

From the moment Gin Ichimaru joined Aizen's side, all his pretense and obedience were for this one moment—for this revenge plan that had been hidden in the shadows for decades.

Kaname Tosen's "Enma Cricket" perfectly countered Aizen's "Kyoka Suigetsu," depriving him of his senses and making this fatal blow a true "final strike" without any illusion interference.

"Gin...you?" Aizen's pupils contracted slightly. He tried to turn his head to look at the person behind him, but the sharp spiritual pressure contained in the "divine spear" piercing his body was frantically destroying his internal organs. Every slight movement brought excruciating pain, making it extremely difficult for him to even turn his neck.

This sudden and astonishing reversal left Kisuke Urahara and the others below, who had been in despair, completely stunned.

Yoruichi Shihouin struggled to prop herself up from the rubble, her golden eyes filled with shock, the pain of her wounds temporarily forgotten; Isshin Kurosaki tightened his grip on "Kougetsu," a flicker of anger seemingly rekindling in his eyes; Kisuke Urahara slowly lowered the brim of his hat, the shadow obscuring his expression, but the knuckles of his fingers gripping "Benhime" were slightly white, revealing his inner turmoil: "So that's how it is... This is the real... assassination?"

Mashiro remained silently watching everything from high above, her gaze slowly shifting between Gin Ichimaru and Aizen, her face showing no surprise and her eyes revealing no emotion whatsoever.

As Aizen's spiritual pressure became disordered, Tosen Kaname's dark barrier completely dissipated.

Aizen's figure was fully revealed to everyone. A huge, gaping wound was visible on his chest, and blood gushed out like pearls from a broken string, quickly soaking his captain's haori and forming a dark red pool of blood on the ground.

Surprisingly, Aizen's face showed no sign of pain, only an unusual calm, as if the body that had been pierced was not his own.

"Why, Gin? Tosen?" Aizen's voice remained calm as always, but upon closer listening, one could detect a subtle fluctuation, as if confirming something or questioning it. "I thought you followed me for fun. What meaning does betraying me have for you?"

He paused, his gaze slowly sweeping over the two people in front of him, his voice becoming even lower: "Or rather, Yin Dongxian, were you... from the very beginning, pawns sent to my side by someone else?" In his mind, apart from being "manipulated," he couldn't think of any reason why these two "loyal" subordinates would suddenly turn against him.

"Captain Aizen, you're too arrogant." Gin Ichimaru's voice carried a hint of sarcasm. "From the moment you stole Mashiro's Hogyoku, all of this... was destined." He had never forgotten who the original holder of the Hogyoku was, nor had he forgotten everything Aizen had done to obtain it.

Tosen Kaname stood to the side, his shattered sunglasses hanging from his ears, revealing his blind eyes, yet still shining with unwavering determination: "Justice...cannot be tainted. Aizen, your ambition has already distorted this world. My loyalty has never belonged to you."

The "justice" he pursued was never the "new world" that Aizen spoke of, but rather protecting the order and lives that Aizen had trampled upon.

As soon as he finished speaking, Gin Ichimaru twisted his wrist sharply! The blade of "God Spear" churned violently inside Aizen's body, its sharp edge tearing at the surrounding internal organs like a venomous snake, attempting to cause even greater damage. At the same time, he let out a low shout, his voice filled with a do-or-die determination.

"Release! God-Slaying Spear!"

An even more terrifying spiritual pressure erupted from Gin Ichimaru's body in an instant, distorting and deforming the surrounding air.

The blade of "Divine Spear" contracted instantly, then extended forward again with far greater speed and power than before! This attack was not only physical destruction, but also contained the extreme speed of "Uninterrupted Blade Strike" and a deadly poison hidden inside the blade that could dissolve cells—this was Gin Ichimaru's trump card, a "gift" he had prepared for Aizen for decades.

"Boom!"

A violent explosion of spiritual pressure occurred instantly, and a dazzling white light engulfed Aizen's figure. Smoke and dust rose into the sky like a mushroom cloud, blowing away the surrounding rubble and debris, forming a powerful shockwave that forced Kisuke Urahara and the others in the distance to squint to protect themselves.

Using the recoil from the explosion, Gin Ichimaru leaped lightly backward, landing on a large piece of rubble. His chest heaved slightly, clearly indicating that using his release had taken a heavy toll on him. His wide blue eyes were fixed on the epicenter of the explosion, and his breathing quickened involuntarily.

Did it succeed? Did this meticulously planned, decades-long, deadly strike truly bring an end to the arrogant Aizen Sousuke? What was the truth?

Everyone's hearts were in their throats. Even Mashiro, high in the sky, leaned forward slightly, her gaze fixed on the center of the smoke and dust, seemingly also...

Waiting for the results.

The smoke and dust slowly dissipated, revealing the scene within.

However, this scene instantly froze the cold resolve on Gin Ichimaru's face, and shattered the glimmer of hope that Kisuke Urahara had just begun to have—Aizen... was still standing there.

The huge hole in his left chest still remained, with charred marks from the tearing and poisoning caused by the "God-Slaying Gun" still visible at the edges. Such an injury would be absolutely fatal to any Grim Reaper or Hollow, enough to end a life in an instant.

But Aizen did not fall. On the contrary, he slowly, extremely slowly, raised his head, his empty eyes seemingly piercing through everything in front of him, gazing at some higher-dimensional being.

He then suddenly chuckled, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth and dripping down his chin. However, his spiritual pressure showed no sign of weakening; on the contrary, an even stronger and more extraordinary power was surging forth from his body, causing the surrounding space to tremble slightly. The light of the Hogyoku flickered in the hollow of his chest, writhing as if alive, and the white spiritual pressure emanating from it was increasing at a visible speed.

It gradually repaired his body.

“Interesting…truly interesting.” A glint of excitement flashed in Aizen’s eyes, as if the fatal wound he had just suffered was merely an amusing game. “I didn’t expect you to choose this moment to make your move. Gin, your God Slayer Spear is indeed powerful. Tosen, your Enma Cricket perfectly counters my Kyoka Suigetsu. Logically speaking, this attack should have been fatal.”

Chapter 249: The Final Battle in Karakura Town (19)

Aizen chuckled, watching the two, his tone carrying an almost cruel admiration: "It was, you could say, a truly remarkable attack, Gin and Tosen. The timing, the determination, and even the hidden ability to unleash your power... were all flawless. If it were me a few minutes ago, I might truly be dead."

“However,” he changed his tone, with a sigh of despair, “you seem to have misunderstood something, something very important. The true power of the Hogyoku is not simply to fulfill the wishes of its holder. Its true power lies in transcending limits.”

As he spoke, the void in his chest, filled by white spiritual pressure, was healing and reshaping at a visible speed. The charred edges gradually faded, and fresh skin grew continuously, soon covering the wound and leaving only a faint mark. Then, the mark also began to fade.

"It responded to my deepest desire not to die, and... made it a reality." Aizen's voice grew increasingly ethereal, and the surrounding air began to vibrate unnaturally, the fluctuations in spiritual pressure rising and falling like waves. "In other words, from this moment on, any attack that cannot 'completely destroy me in an instant' will be ineffective. Furthermore, the same technique cannot work on me a second time."

"boom-!"

An incredibly terrifying spiritual pressure storm erupted from Aizen's body, sweeping across the surroundings like a tsunami. "BOOM!!!"

Before Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen could even react, they were instantly blasted away by the spiritual pressure, their bodies arcing through the air before crashing heavily into the distance.

A deep, resounding crash echoed from the ruins.

Gin Ichimaru struggled to lift his head, spitting out a mouthful of blood that stained his chest. He stared at the trembling "God-Slaying Spear" in his hand, his eyes filled with...

Shock and disbelief: "This guy... isn't dead?!"

Despite meticulous planning and unleashing all his strength, he failed to kill his opponent?

Kaname Tosen struggled to his feet from the rubble. His Qingchong had returned to normal, and his blade hung limply at his side. The "Enma Cricket" was also completely deactivated. The assassin's face was full of disbelief. "Impossible... This attack hit right in the heart." He had never thought that anyone could survive such an injury, let alone unleash even greater power.

For the first time, a look of near despair appeared on Gin Ichimaru's face. He had gambled everything, including his life and decades of pretense, only to receive this result—his attack had been "surpassed" by the Hogyoku in such an unbelievable way.

"It seems your rebellion has come to an end." Aizen looked at the two indifferently, then his gaze fell on Gin Ichimaru, carrying a hint of cold killing intent. "I'll deal with you first, Gin."

He slowly raised his hand, and terrifying spiritual pressure began to gather in his palm. The pale blue energy fluctuations caused ripples in the surrounding space. Just at this critical moment, a deep chant suddenly rang out: "Binding Spell Ninety-Nine Forbidden Techniques!"

It was Kisuke Urahara! He had managed to stand up at some point, his hands rapidly forming hand seals, blood constantly spilling from the corner of his mouth. Clearly, forcibly using the second-tier forbidden binding technique had put a tremendous strain on his already severely injured body.

Two enormous strips of cloth, covered in golden runes, shot out from the ground like living pythons, one of them precisely binding Aizen who had just...

One arm was raised, while the other was tightly wrapped around his body, trying to restrict his movements.

"Second move, forbidden, first movement, stop the bandage!" More strips of cloth surged from the ground, wrapping around Aizen's body in layers, further strengthening the forbidden technique. Urahara Kisuke's voice was urgent, "Quick!"

Almost simultaneously, Yoruichi Shihouin, bracing herself, formed hand seals and spoke in a hoarse but resolute voice: "You ruler! Mask of flesh and blood, all things taking flight, bearing the name of humanity! Scorching heat and strife, sweeping southward across the sea, stepping forward! Hakata no 31, Red Fire Cannon!"

This was an attack Yoruichi launched with great effort. Although its power was far less than its full strength, it was intended to disrupt Aizen and distract him. "Getsuga... Tenshou!" Kurosaki Isshin roared as he unleashed his last remaining Getsuga strike.

Their goal was not to defeat Aizen, but to secure a tiny, insignificant chance of survival for Gin Ichimaru.

Faced with this desperate obstruction, Aizen's face showed obvious impatience for the first time. He didn't even look at the attacks, but just slightly adjusted his eyebrows.

"What an annoying guy..." "Boom—!"

In an instant, an unimaginably immense spiritual pressure emanated from Aizen once more, then surged outwards like a tsunami. The restrained cloth strips shattered upon contact with this torrent of spiritual pressure, dissipating into their most basic spiritual particles.

The Crimson Fire Cannon and Crescent Moon Sky Slash were like sparks thrown into the ocean, disappearing without even causing a ripple.

Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi, and Isshin were once again violently thrown back, spitting out blood as they crashed heavily to the ground, completely losing their ability to move.

Gin Ichimaru, who was the first to be hit, was directly struck by this terrifying spiritual pressure. Blood gushed from his mouth, and his body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing into the ruins in the distance. His fate was unknown.

Aizen's chest hole had completely healed, and his skin was smooth and new, as if he had never been injured. However, his spiritual pressure had become even more terrifying and unfathomable, and a faint white mist began to emanate from his body, which was a manifestation of his overwhelming and materialized spiritual pressure.

He evolved.

Through his near-death experience and the response of the Hogyoku, he completed his second, deeper evolution.

He didn't even glance at Gin Ichimaru or Kisuke Urahara in the ruins again, as if their desperate resistance was nothing more than dust. His gaze returned to the spot where Gin Ichimaru was about to open the portal, which had become unstable due to the impact of spiritual pressure.

“A boring farce,” Aizen commented indifferently, slowly raising his hand. “It seems I’ll have to open the door myself.”

An even greater spiritual pressure began to condense, and space distorted before him, as an even larger and more stable portal slowly took shape.

High in the sky, Mashiro quietly watched Aizen, who had completed his second evolution and whose spiritual pressure level had soared once again. She glanced warily at the direction where Ichigo Kurosaki had fallen and the ruins where Gin Ichimaru was, and then turned her head slightly.

"Evolution has begun," she murmured silently, a faint, elusive anticipation flickering deep in her eyes. She was now eagerly awaiting to see just how far Aizen could go.

Chapter 250: The Final Battle in Karakura Town (End)

The battlefield in Karakura Town has been completely destroyed, with thick smoke and residual spiritual pressure permeating the ruins.

Aizen thought that Sousuke was suspended in mid-air, surrounded by white mist, as if a god had descended to earth. The wound on his chest that had been pierced by Gin Ichimaru's "God Slayer Spear" had completely healed, and the light of the Hogyoku flowed within him, emitting a terrifying aura that transcended the boundaries between Shinigami and Hollows.

The spiritual pressure was like an endless abyss, making it hard for everyone present to breathe.

"A boring farce." Aizen's voice was calm and cold, as if he were commenting on an insignificant performance.

Slowly raising his hand, Aizen's fingertips condensed spiritual pressure, distorting space, and a massive portal was taking shape. That portal emitted an ominous black light, leading to the real Karakura Town—the final stage where Aizen created the "Main Key."

Below, Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihouin, and Isshin Kurosaki lay in the ruins, their blood staining the ground. Their spiritual pressure was nearly exhausted, and their bodies were almost unable to move.

Although Gin Ichimaru's "God-Slaying Spear" pierced Aizen, it failed to stop his evolution. Instead, the Hogyoku propelled him to a higher dimension.

Kaname Tosen also collapsed to the side, his "Enma Cricket" barrier already shattered, his sunglasses broken, revealing blind eyes filled with shock and resentment.

"Gin... Tosen Urahara Kisuke gritted his teeth, struggling to get up, but the intense pain caused him to collapse again. His 'Benhime' hung limply at his side, his eyes filled with despair. 'I... even such a sneak attack failed.'"

Yoruichi struggled to lift her head, her golden pupils burning with unyielding fury, but her right arm was completely numb, and fragments of her spiritual pressure armor were scattered all over the ground.

Damn it. This guy... is beyond our capabilities now.

Kurosaki gripped "Moon" tightly, the blade long since devoid of its fiery glow. His breathing was heavy, yet his eyes still burned with an unyielding fighting spirit. "Ichigo... where are you? Hurry!"

High in the sky, Mashiro floated silently, her white figure like a lone cloud. Her deep eyes reflected Aizen's terrifying evolved form. She still did not make a move, but only murmured softly, "Evolution... has begun."

Her gaze shifted slightly, landing on the ruins where Ichigo Kurosaki had fallen in the distance. A faint smile curved her lips. "Ichigo-kun... your time has come."

Amidst the ruins, a faint yet resilient spiritual pressure slowly rose.

That was Ichigo Kurosaki. He struggled to crawl out of the rubble, his body covered in blood and dust, his clothes tattered. Every movement was accompanied by tearing pain. He gripped his "Kanso Zangetsu" tightly, the blade wreathed in a faint black spiritual pressure, as if it might be extinguished at any moment.

But in his eyes burned an unprecedented resolve, a will that transcended the limits of the physical body, as if declaring: even if the body collapses, I will never back down.

“Ichigo…” Kurosaki Isshin murmured to himself, a hint of relief and worry flashing in his eyes. He knew that his son had grown into a warrior who could stand on his own, but was his power enough to face someone like Aizen?

"Aizen," Ichigo murmured softly, his voice slightly hoarse. Countless images flashed through his mind: from the shock of his first encounter with Aizen, to the bitter battle in Hueco Mundo, and now to his despair.

He knew perfectly well that this wasn't just a fight for himself, but for all his fallen comrades, for the future of the Soul Society and the present world. "I won't let you have it!"

He stood up abruptly, each step feeling like he was stepping on a knife's edge; the excruciating pain nearly drove him to the brink of collapse.

His bones cracked and splintered, and blood seeped from his wounds, but he did not stop. Though his spiritual pressure was weak, it gradually coalesced under the drive of his will.

It was as if an undercurrent was brewing an explosion.

Aizen's gaze finally fell on Ichigo, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

"Ichigo Kurosaki... you can still stand up." His voice carried a hint of admiration, but more so coldness, as if he were examining an interesting but harmless toy. "Your potential is indeed a variable, but as you are now, you are still far from being able to challenge me."

Ichigo did not respond, but simply gripped "Kanso Zangetsu" tightly, his spiritual pressure surging wildly within him. His body was nearing its limit, but his gaze was more resolute than ever before.

"Crescent Moon... Skyward Surge!"

He swung his sword fiercely, unleashing a massive black crescent-shaped strike that tore through the air, hurtling straight at Aizen. While this attack wasn't as powerful as in his prime, it still contained a decisive force.

The heart makes even the air tremble.