The Demon King, reborn in Japan as a monk

Of course, they didn't forget to take precautions to prevent Aizen from seizing an opportunity to escape from the siege.

"However, now that I know the abilities of your Zanpakuto, it will be impossible for you to hurt me in the same way you did before," Aizen said with a smile.

"Really? That's not necessarily true," Kyoraku Shunsui said with a light laugh.

Then, Aizen, Jushiro Ukitake, and Shunsui Kyoraku all moved at the same time and collided with each other again.

"Shadow Ghost!"

Kyoraku Shunsui stepped on Aizen's shadow and activated the Shadow Demon's ability.

However, Aizen, having anticipated this, used Shunpo to dodge Kyoraku Shunsui's sneak attack. He then sidestepped Ukitake Jushiro's attack, slashing at the back of the weapon in Ukitake's right hand, causing Ukitake to stagger. Aizen then flashed behind Ukitake again, placing his palm against Ukitake's back, lightning crackling in his palm, as if unleashing a palm lightning attack.

Hado #63 - Thunder Roar Cannon!

"boom!"

In an instant, after a loud roar, Jushiro Ukitake was blasted away, his whole body steaming, and crashed heavily in front of the cherry blossom barrier created by Byakuya Kuchiki.

"Ukitake!" Kyoraku Shunsui shouted upon seeing this.

However, he also realized that now was not the time to worry about these things, so he quickly regained his composure and launched another attack on Aizen.

Having already grasped the general idea of ​​Kyoraku Shunsui's Zanpakuto abilities, he naturally wouldn't give Kyoraku Shunsui another chance to capture his shadow. So, he dodged repeatedly, preventing Kyoraku Shunsui from activating the Shadow Demon's ability, which made him frown.

Kuchiki Byakuya did the same. With a thought, he reduced the area of ​​the isolation zone, attempting to compress Aizen's space and create an opportunity for Kyoraku Shunsui to step on his shadow and strike him.

Aizen knew this wasn't the time to linger, so he frowned and pointed his free left hand at the ground—

"boom!"

Suddenly, a huge cloud of smoke appeared, instantly filling the space enclosed by Senbonzakura and blocking the view of Kyoraku Shunsui, who was chasing him.

The technique used was the Crimson Smoke Escape, which was the twenty-first technique of the Binding Technique.

A Kido technique developed in imitation of the smoke bombs used by legendary ninjas to escape the enemy's sight.

Although it lacked power and lethality, it was perfectly suited to the current situation, because Aizen immediately used his senses to locate Kyoraku Shunsui, silently swung his sword, and targeted Kyoraku Shunsui, who had narrowly avoided a fatal blow at the last moment.

Then Aizen once again concealed himself in the smoke, playing hide-and-seek with Kyoraku Shunsui...

Chapter 212 Chojiro the Sparrow

However, the next moment, a huge roar suddenly rang out.

"Boom!"

A fierce wind swept through, instantly dispersing the billowing smoke. Then, Kyoraku Shunsui saw a huge breach appear in the cherry blossom wall that had been surrounding Aizen, acting as a barrier to prevent his movements. Aizen was bursting out of the breach with his extraordinary Shunpo technique, charging towards Kuchiki Byakuya, who was hiding outside.

To reiterate, compared to melee and Kido-type Zanpakuto, Kuchiki Byakuya's Senbonzakura poses a greater threat to him, so it's better to deal with it first.

Kuchiki Byakuya quickly gathered the cherry blossoms back and rolled them towards Aizen.

Aizen immediately turned and charged towards Kenpachi Zaraki, who was standing to the side.

"Well done!" Kenpachi Zaraki shouted excitedly, then unleashed his spiritual pressure, slashing towards Aizen with a powerful and oppressive strike.

However, Aizen turned around again and charged back at Byakuya Kuchiki...

As for Senbonzakura, who had been chasing him, they were scattered by Kenpachi Zaraki's slash and could not reunite with Byakuya Kuchiki immediately.

However, Kuchiki Byakuya was no pushover either; he turned and used Shunpo to dodge.

At this moment, Kyoraku Shunsui, having recovered from his attack, charged forward again, blocking Aizen's path.

Aizen dodged. At the same time, with a wave of his arm, five iron pillars suddenly appeared in the hall of Chamber 46, which had been damaged by the captains' battle, and fell on Kenpachi Zaraki, whom he had easily toyed with.

"Bang bang bang bang..."

Kenpachi Zaraki's limbs and head were pinned to the ground by the iron rod, and he was unable to rejoin the fight for a while.

Unless, he can unleash even more power.

Kyoraku Shunsui, seeing that his side had fewer and fewer fighting forces, was not discouraged. After all, the Captain-Commander had not yet made a move, and Aizen's abilities seemed to have been temporarily sealed due to Captain Unohana Retsu's caution. Based solely on the fighting power that Aizen was currently displaying, he was definitely no match for the Captain-Commander, who was known as the strongest Shinigami in the Seireitei in two thousand years.

Therefore, Kyoraku Shunsui maintained a very calm mindset, diligently channeling his power to chase after Aizen and prevent him from causing trouble for Kuchiki Byakuya.

Unfortunately, Aizen, already aware of how troublesome he was, had no intention of wasting time with Kyoraku Shunsui. He directly blocked Kyoraku Shunsui's pursuit with a single move, and then threw a Six-Staff Light Prison at Kuchiki Byakuya, not giving Kuchiki Byakuya any more chance to resist, and directly immobilizing him in place.

Even if he could only freeze for a second or two, it would be enough for Aizen to achieve his goal, to kill Kuchiki Byakuya, and to severely injure Kuchiki Byakuya with a single strike before Kuchiki Byakuya's Senbonzakura could return to rescue him.

So far, aside from the few who haven't made a move yet—Captain-Commander, Retsu Unohana, Chojiro Sasakibe, and Sho Ishihara—there are no other members.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi is a typical bystander, barely fit to provide support, let alone be the main combatant. Not only was Toshiro Hitsugaya's Zanpakuto stolen by Aizen, but it's also being suppressed by him. Even if he wanted to get it back or remotely control it to fight back, he couldn't. He's simply a free kill, even less capable than Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who at least knows many Kido techniques and can unleash indiscriminate attacks when pushed to the limit!

Jushiro Ukitake was hit by a high-ranking Kido at close range. Although he did not die on the spot, because he was sickly, he was immediately put into a weak state. Although he was still breathing, it was unlikely that he could get up and continue fighting.

Unless, he's prepared to sacrifice himself and activate his cheat code.

Kenpachi Zaraki is currently being suppressed by the Five Pillars of Iron and cannot offer any immediate assistance.

Kuchiki Byakuya has just been slashed. Although he can still fight, he certainly won't be able to unleash his current power, so how long he can last is unknown.

So, after counting, of those who went up to attack earlier, only Kyoraku Shunsui remained unharmed. However, because his Zanpakuto's abilities were exposed and Aizen deliberately avoided him, he could fight back, but only Aizen knew how badly he might be hurt.

"Alright, Shunsui, you can step back now." Seeing this, the captain could no longer remain silent and spoke to Kyoraku Shunsui, who was considered half his disciple.

"Is the Captain-Commander preparing to take action personally? I am truly honored." Aizen stopped dodging and looked at Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, who seemed to be planning to make a move, and chuckled.

“Captain-Commander, it’s not time for you to make your move yet. Wait until I’m defeated before you act.” Just as Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni was about to make his move, Sasakibe Chojiro, the lieutenant of the First Division who had been keeping to himself, suddenly spoke up.

“You… alright, then he’s in your hands.” Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni turned to look at his adjutant and readily agreed without much hesitation.

"I will certainly live up to your expectations, Captain-Commander," Chojiro Sasaki replied.

Then he stepped out of the group and took over from Kyoraku Shunsui, who had retreated, and came to the opposite side of Aizen.

"The vice-captain of the Sasakibe. Although I've heard your legend before, seeing you in action firsthand, I might be the number one person in the Seireitei besides the Captain-Commander." Aizen didn't seem to mind that his opponent had changed from Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni to Sasakibe Chojiro; he simply smiled and said softly.

"Then remember it well, and use it as motivation for your regretful life today." Chojiro Sasakibe drew his Zanpakuto and held it upright in front of him.

Then, the image of Chojiro Sasaki's Zanpakuto suddenly changed, transforming from the Japanese sword commonly used by Shinigami into a Western-style pointed longsword used by medieval Western nobles for decoration and combat!

Combined with Chojiro Sasaki's usual demeanor and rigid personality, he really does resemble a descendant of aristocracy bound by ancient European aristocratic etiquette.

"I hope the surprise you, Vice Captain of the Sparrow Division, will bring me will be as great as the surprises Captain Shunsui and the others have given me," Aizen said with a faint smile.

Then, without further ado, Sasakibe Chojiro flashed forward like lightning, rushing towards Aizen. His rapier thrusts were like a storm, enveloping Aizen and forcing him to swing his Zanpakuto to block Sasakibe Chojiro's attack.

"A very sharp attack, a very fast speed. Unfortunately, if that's all, Vice-Captain Sasakibe won't be able to defeat me." Aizen said, covering Hitsugaya's Zanpakuto Hyōrinmaru with his spiritual pressure. He unleashed a slash, and Sasakibe's body was forced to lean back uncontrollably.

Then Aizen quickly followed and swung his sword at Sasakibe Chojiro's exposed chest.

Upon seeing this, Chojiro immediately turned around, forcibly dodging Aizen's attack to the side. Then, with a swing of his Zanpakuto, several bolts of lightning shot towards Aizen like arrows.

Aizen dodged aside, and a White Lightning Bolt of the Fourth Rank was returned to him.

Chojiro Sasaki blocked with his ring sword, and the white lightning was swallowed up by his Zanpakuto.

But taking advantage of this opportunity, Aizen once again attacked Chojiro Sasakibe, unleashing his spiritual pressure. The pressure, comparable to an abyss, surged towards Chojiro, stunning him instantly. Then, with a swift stroke of his sword, Chojiro followed in Byakuya Kuchiki's footsteps, being severely wounded and falling to the ground...

Well, just like in the original story, his reputation and strength are completely mismatched...

Both Ishihara Akane and Aizen had high expectations for him, thinking he would demonstrate some amazing strength.

After all that, this is it?

Chapter 213 The Captain-Commander Makes a Move

Indeed, Chojiro Sasakibe is described by others as powerful and mysterious—

For example, the name Genryusai in Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni was given to Sasakibe Chojiro by the Captain-Commander. Furthermore, one of the cross-shaped scars on the Captain-Commander's forehead was inflicted by Sasakibe Chojiro. Moreover, Sasakibe Chojiro's Zanpakuto is the third Zanpakuto in Soul Society, after the Captain-Commander's Ryujin Jakka and Hitsugaya Toshiro's Hyorinmaru, to possess the ability to alter celestial phenomena.

That can't hide the fact that this thing is just for show.

For example, in the original work, when he was blocking Kurosaki Ichigo from rescuing people along with the second division's vice-captain, Ōmaeda Kichiyo, and Kotetsu Isane, he was defeated by Kurosaki Ichigo with a single blow.

Although he was only knocked down, without falling unconscious or losing his fighting ability, this performance was still enough to attract attention.

Not to mention, during the later battle in Karakura Town, this guy put the Visoreds into the barrier for various reasons.

Although the reasons seem plausible, it still cannot erase the fact that this guy is unreliable.

Furthermore, in the later Thousand-Year Blood War arc, in order to maintain so-called etiquette and proper speech, he exhausted his last bit of life force, causing the information he risked his life to obtain to fail to reach Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's ears.

So in terms of sheer unreliability, this guy seems to be much worse than the cunning and sly Ōmaeda Kichiyo.

"Chōjirō," the Captain-Commander hissed upon seeing this.

“Captain-Commander…” Chojiro murmured.

"Vice-Captain of the Sasakibe clan, your performance is truly disappointing." Aizen, who had also been disappointed, sighed as he looked at Sasakibe's captain, Chojiro, whom he had easily defeated.

With a look of utter dissatisfaction, it was as if he had struck a nerve, instantly igniting the already ashamed Chojiro's anger. He then coughed up a mouthful of blood and completely lost consciousness.

"It seems that in the end, I will have to step in and clean up this mess myself," Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni sighed helplessly.

He never expected that Chojiro Sasakibe, who had always performed quite well in his eyes, would be so easily defeated, even falling short of his disciple Shunsui Kyoraku. It was truly disappointing!

I had thought he would be able to take care of Aizen after he made his move.

Aizen remained silent, only watching Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni with a faint smile, waiting for him to make his move.

"Captain Unohana, I will do my best to restrain Aizen's actions so that you, Shunsui, and Captain Kurotsuchi will have a chance to rescue the wounded and treat them as soon as possible, just in case," Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni said in a deep voice.

Of course, this precaution doesn't refer to guarding against Aizen. Although Aizen's strength is indeed very powerful and overwhelming, it's nothing special in the eyes of Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, who has been the strongest Shinigami for two thousand years. Moreover, he is confident that with him taking action and Aizen's Zanpakuto abilities temporarily sealed, he will not be a match for him!

Therefore, what Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni really needed to guard against was the aftermath of a major injury to a captain-level member—

For example, the unrest among the nobility.

As mentioned earlier, the Central 46 Chambers have been preventing captain-level Shinigami from becoming Sages, thus 'polluting' the purity of the Central 46 Chambers. The nobles have also long been dissatisfied with Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's control over the appointment of captains of the Gotei 13. In other words, they are very unhappy with his decision to hand over the position to a commoner Shinigami from Rukongai rather than compromise with the nobles.

They were only intimidated by his strength and the power of the Gotei 13. If an opportunity were to arise—like now, with all the captains seriously injured and their fighting strength greatly reduced—who knows what kind of crazy things those nobles might do?

Another thing is to guard against Hueco Mundo...

Although the presence of frontline troops makes it impossible for a Hollow to directly attack the Seireitei, what if someone were to take such a risk at this time?

Therefore, it is better to nip the danger in the bud.