Chapter 477 - 477: Soi Fon: No, He’s Doing This on Purpose

Aizen might have been talking, but his attacks never slowed.

Yamamoto had lived far longer and was a genuine relic of another era.

Whether it was Kidō or swordsmanship, he had refined nearly every Shinigami combat art to its peak and could easily be called one of the greatest masters in Soul Society.

Aizen, however, was a true genius in his own right. There was a reason he had been chosen as someone capable of surpassing the limits of a Shinigami.

The Shinigami outside the battlefield made no attempt to interfere.

Instead, they worked together to erect an exceptionally durable barrier around the area, hoping to contain the aftermath of the fight as much as possible.

Any civilians still trapped inside were evacuated while unconscious.

"I never had a good opportunity before."

The rapid clang of colliding blades continued almost without pause as Aizen spoke.

"I've wanted to fight you properly for quite some time, Captain-Commander. This happens to be a rather good opportunity."

"Hmph. Then this old man is disappointed."

A blazing slash tore through the air with Yamamoto's response.

"Attacks like that won't work on me, Captain-Commander."

Within the flames, Aizen's figure seemed to shift like a mirage, slipping out of the burning area before the attack could engulf him.

The sight irritated Yamamoto, whose gaze briefly swept across their surroundings.

He couldn't unleash much more power here.

The World of the Living simply couldn't withstand it.

Aizen could naturally see what was holding him back, but he had no intention of exploiting the situation by relying heavily on Kyōka Suigetsu.

Complete Hypnosis was terrifying, but it had limits.

Yamamoto was indeed under its influence, yet if he released Bankai and flooded the battlefield with that overwhelming power, Kyōka Suigetsu's effectiveness would be greatly reduced and might even become irrelevant.

For Aizen, that didn't matter.

As long as he kept the fighting confined to this area and held the Shinigami's attention here, his goal would be accomplished.

The two sword-wielding figures blurred forward and collided violently, leaving trails of afterimages behind them as their blades crashed together again and again.

Shinigami battles were often brutally straightforward at their core: one sword against another, with superior Reiatsu, sharper technique, and more refined swordsmanship determining who gained the advantage.

Yet watching two of Soul Society's absolute strongest exchange blows like this left the surrounding Shinigami stunned.

Those who knew Aizen personally were even more dumbfounded.

In the eyes of most Shinigami, Aizen had always been a strong but unremarkable captain.

He was mild-tempered, approachable, and unfailingly gentle no matter whom he spoke to, rarely showing any strong emotion at all.

And yet the man before them was releasing top-tier Reiatsu while trading sword strikes with Yamamoto without being overwhelmed.

Was this really the same Aizen they knew?

"Tch. This bastard…"

Soi Fon had already released Suzumebachi.

She had originally intended to find an opening and strike, knowing that landing two attacks on the same point would mean instant death, but with the battle moving at this level, there was no room for her to interfere safely.

A figure suddenly appeared nearby in Shunpo.

Soi Fon spun around, then relaxed slightly when she recognized Byakuya's cold expression.

"You dealt with your opponent?"

"They retreated."

Byakuya's eyes never left Aizen.

"They must have received new orders."

His hand moved toward Senbonzakura's hilt, but Soi Fon immediately raised an arm to stop him.

"This isn't the time to jump in. If the Captain-Commander can take him down, then he doesn't need our help. If he can't, your intervention won't change anything."

Despite saying that, Soi Fon still believed Aizen had nowhere to run this time.

He was alone, and the barrier surrounding the battlefield should cut off his escape routes. That left only two outcomes: win or lose.

Then she suddenly froze.

"No…"

Her eyes moved sharply from side to side.

"If Aizen is here…"

Her expression changed.

"Then where the hell is Tosen?"

Her vigilance immediately spiked.

Tosen might not be as dangerous as Aizen, but he was still a captain-class Shinigami and one of Aizen's allies.

If Aizen had openly appeared here, then Tosen was almost certainly somewhere else carrying out another task.

"Kaname came too?"

Komamura's deep voice sounded from nearby, his anger barely restrained.

"We haven't seen him, but he has to be here."

Soi Fon's gaze remained sharp.

"And if he isn't with Aizen, then he's doing something else."

She was about to move when she looked back toward the barrier.

Aizen and Yamamoto were still fighting evenly, whether with swordsmanship or Kidō.

Yamamoto was clearly restraining himself because of their surroundings, but Aizen obviously wasn't showing everything he had either.

"I'll find him."

Komamura understood immediately and left without another word.

"I'm coming as well."

Byakuya's eyes narrowed before he disappeared too.

He couldn't contribute much to the battle inside the barrier, but Tosen had personally been involved in abducting Rukia.

If he knew where she was being held, then capturing him might be enough to find her.

Soi Fon remained behind, and the sense of wrongness that had bothered her finally disappeared as she understood why Aizen had chosen to appear here.

Of course.

A man who had hidden his true strength and intentions for so many years was obviously calculating to an extreme degree.

This situation seemed unfavorable to him, yet instead of escaping, he had willingly engaged Yamamoto head-on.

At first glance, it looked reasonable.

For Aizen, that was precisely why it wasn't.

'No. He's doing this on purpose.'

He had another objective.

Soi Fon just didn't know what it was yet.

…

Chaos continued spreading throughout Karakura Town, growing worse by the minute.

Ichigo hurried through the streets with several others following close behind, weaving around debris and avoiding one dangerous area after another.

"What the hell is happening?"

Orihime Inoue followed behind him, panic all over her face.

"Don't ask right now. I'll explain when we get somewhere safe."

Ichigo opened his mouth as though he wanted to say more, then gave up.

The truth was that his own thoughts were still a mess.

"Karakura Town…"

Chad, bringing up the rear, spoke in his usual low voice.

"This isn't something we can get involved in."

Ichigo looked back at Yasutora Sado with helpless frustration in his eyes.

That sense of powerlessness had been gnawing at him ever since he learned what was happening.

Faced with supernatural forces on this scale, what could people like them realistically do?

He was just about to pick up the pace when a figure suddenly appeared in front of him.

A hand landed directly on Orihime's shoulder.

Her body jolted to a stop, her expression twisting with shock and pain.

"Hah!"

Chad couldn't see Tosen standing there, but Orihime's sudden halt made it obvious that something invisible had stopped her. He reacted immediately, driving his fist toward the blindfolded stranger whose presence Ichigo could clearly see.

Bang!

His punch never landed.

Chad was blasted backward before he could connect, his broad body crashing away with a slight depression already visible in his chest.

"Hm?"

Tosen sounded mildly surprised as he turned toward him.

The big human's durability had apparently exceeded his expectations, though only slightly.

Then Tosen turned his attention back to Orihime.

"Miss, I'm afraid I need you to come with me."

His words sounded like a polite invitation.

But there was clearly no option to refuse.