Chapter 123: The Battle in the Present World

"Gah..."

Reflected in his widened eyes was the blood spraying from his own body.

How could this be...

Zommari could not believe it was real.

When exactly did he swing his blade?

Across the more than fifty eyes on Zommari’s body, the information fed to his brain had consistently shown Ichimaru standing before him—nothing more.

His eyes had provided him with no information regarding any movement from Ichimaru, so when had he been struck?

"That’s why I told you..."

Ichimaru offered a chilling smile and revealed the short blade hidden within his sleeve. The cold glint of the steel made Zommari’s pupils contract sharply.

"We’re playing on an uneven field, you see."

"You... don't you dare!!"

Zommari suddenly raised both hands, assuming a pose of pious prayer, as if worshipping some nameless deity.

"You shall not pass through here!! Even if I must reduce this body to nothingness! I will stop you! Our god is not someone you can blaspheme against!!!"

"I have no intention of blaspheming. It’s just 'a debt must be repaid'..."

Slightly raising the gleaming blade in his hand, Ichimaru’s smile grew even wider, enough to make Zommari’s hair stand on end.

"Even a god must abide by that principle; that is all."

"That is exactly what you call blasphemy!!"

Lifting his head, Zommari glared down at the silver-haired Shinigami walking toward him, attempting to halt his advance with words.

"To define a god using mortal concepts! Such disrespect will surely be met with divine retribution! For such treacherous words, Ichimaru Gin, you will inevitably..."

"You’ve suddenly become quite long-winded, Zommari."

The voice of the man in the white haori, who had suddenly appeared behind Zommari, cut off his speech.

No, it wasn't an interruption.

It was that the moment that figure appeared behind him, Zommari’s words had already ceased.

That previous strike, too fast to perceive, had severed his confidence along with his pride as an Espada.

"It’s time to end this..."

"Slash!"

As if echoing the previous wound, a massive gash tore through the other side of Zommari’s body. Just like before, no one had seen the trajectory of the enemy’s blade.

He had been mortally wounded in such an inexplicable fashion.

"Ichimaru... Gin... you actually... betrayed Lord Aizen... you will receive... divine punishment..."

"My apologies, Zommari. As for final words, even from someone like you, I have no intention of keeping them in mind."

Patting Zommari on the shoulder, Ichimaru dismissed his words like a passing breeze and walked deeper into Las Noches.

"Damn it... damn it all... damn it, damn it, damn it!!!"

He roared at the sealed ceiling in frustration. The eyes that had hoped to see the sky gradually lost their luster, and his sturdy body dissolved into foam, slowly vanishing within the pitch-black palace.

"Alright, next..."

Looking up at the long corridor that appeared before him, a faint killing intent began to emanate from Ichimaru for the first time.

"We’re finally going to meet, Captain Aizen."

As if hearing his voice, the man sitting upon the throne smiled faintly.

...

The events that followed unfolded as they had: Mayuri finished off Szayelaporro, and after Ichigo defeated Grimmjow, Kenpachi struck down the intruding Nnoitra. Although Chojiro had been eager to go to Hueco Mundo to see the adorable sight of Nelliel in her grown-up form, the plan was aborted because the old man Yamamoto had personally kept him under watch, forbidding him from wandering off...

"It was indeed my fault for allowing a captain to go to Hueco Mundo without authorization, but there was no need to place me under house arrest in such a bizarre place!!"

Looking at the pitch-black room around him, Chojiro couldn't help but grumble.

Fortunately, Yamamoto was not so stubborn as to have reached senility; he eventually released Chojiro—after all, he was one of the primary combat forces, and it would be a waste not to use him.

And so, when Aizen arrogantly opened the gates to Karakura Town, the following scene unfolded:

Among the remaining few combatants of the Gotei 13, who should have been extremely solemn, there was actually a guy mixed in with an annoyed expression, his cheeks puffed out in a somewhat childish manner.

"...You seem quite dissatisfied."

Aizen curled his lips in amusement. He could never truly fathom the thoughts within the mind of this Shinigami who had lived for over a thousand years. Even from any angle of analysis, there were certain inexplicable factors, which was why Aizen had always regarded Chojiro as the primary object of his attention, second only to Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto.

"Not at all. It’s just that it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, and it seems you’ve been living quite well."

Chojiro swept an annoyed glance at the high-and-mighty Aizen. His tone was sharp, as if the captain who had left Soul Society for Hueco Mundo was his mortal enemy.

"You think I am living well? That is not an accurate description, Lieutenant Sasakibe."

Aizen gestured toward the group of Shinigami as three more Garganta exits suddenly appeared behind him.

"I was originally a Shinigami; do you think it is easy to be among a group of Arrancar who evolved from Hollows?"

"Whether it is Stark, Barragan, or Halibel, each of them was once a supreme existence in Hueco Mundo. Allowing others to stand above them is fundamentally impossible, so I hope you will not use such mundane descriptions to evaluate me."

"The reason I am high above now is simply because I have obtained power that transcends both Hollows and Shinigami. That is all."

His tone was flat, as if he were recounting the life of someone else, devoid of any emotion—even pride was absent.

"Am I living well? That is a given..."

"Because everything is within my control."

"So, it would be best to put away that look of suspicion."

"...Fair enough."

Squinting at the Gargantas slowly opening beneath Aizen and the three leading figures emerging from them, Chojiro felt the powerful spiritual pressure overflowing from them, yet he didn't even furrow his brow. It was as if they were nothing more than insignificant cannon fodder.

"One look at them tells me you have indeed reached a high pedestal."

"Then, it is about time we began. I do not wish to waste any more unnecessary time."

Looking down at the Karakura Town below and the captains who were once his comrades, Aizen raised the corners of his mouth with a trace of contempt.

"'Destroy the false Karakura Town, then head to the real one in Soul Society to create the King's Key.' Our plan is just that simple. So then—"

"Stark, Barragan, Halibel."

At the edge of his vision were the enemies blocking his path, enemies he could wipe out without even needing to raise a finger—they were just that fragile.

"Go."