https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-574-I-Merely-Took-Away-Your-Time/12559962/
Chapter 573: Aizen's Move
Chapter 573: Aizen's Move
Feng Ye had no intention of concealing himself.
If he were in a more dangerous world, he might have done so, but the Soul Society posed little threat to him. Aside from the Soul King at his peak, it was almost impossible for even a combined force of Aizen with the Hogyoku, Captain-Commander Yamamoto, the Zero Squad, and Yhwach to defeat him.
Their collective strength might be comparable to Feng Ye's, but there was a distinct difference between dispersed and unified power. Moreover, Feng Ye now commanded seven types of time-based abilities, especially after obtaining the power to detach from time itself. Even time stop spells were useless against him.
Under such circumstances, he could afford to be casual in his actions.
With Aizen's intelligence and insight, he would undoubtedly recognize Feng Ye's uniqueness if he didn't hide it from him. But that was fine.
From start to finish, Feng Ye had never considered Aizen an enemy because he was far beyond that. It was like an adult almost never considering a baby who had just learned to walk as an enemy.
If Aizen performed brilliantly and managed to ascend the steps to the Heavenly Throne, he would see Feng Ye's figure at the end of those steps.
Standing upon the throne!
"I'll be waiting for you there."
"Aizen."
A faint smile appeared on Feng Ye's face, and then it faded as he took a step forward.
Those Demon Lords sitting alone on their thrones were bored. They could only find pleasure in witnessing brave warriors who came to challenge them with hope and courage, only to eventually be consumed by despair. However, most Demon Lords took things too far and ended up ruining the game.
But unfortunately, that wouldn't happen with him.
Because...
He was Fate itself.
...
Two or three days later.
The Sakura Festival, held once every three years, had begun.
The souls in the Soul Society lived long lives, especially in the Seireitei, where they didn't have to worry about survival at all. As a result, their entertainment life was quite rich.
The Sakura Festival was a triennial celebration of peace and tranquility in the Seireitei, and it was usually attended by everyone from the upper nobility to the common folk, making it one of the grandest festivals.
However...
The Gotei 13 didn't get a holiday during this period.
Since the Sakura Festival was a grand event, maintaining order was of utmost importance. This period was often when various incidents were most likely to occur, so the Gotei 13 implemented a half-shift system.
Each member of the Gotei 13 could only enjoy a holiday once during the three Sakura Festivals, and they had to work overtime for the other two without any extra pay.
Among them...
The 3rd Division, 5th Division, 7th Division, and 13th Division were responsible for patrolling and guarding the outer areas in the southeast, southwest, northwest, and northeast directions, respectively.
Then, with the central region as its core, the 1st Division, 2nd Division, 6th Division, and 10th Division, which were affiliated with the Captain-Commander and the four great noble families, formed four concentric rings and patrolled the areas from the inside out in a crisscross pattern.
The 5th Division's patrol area happened to overlap with that of the 2nd Division.
In the Seireitei's second ring district, on a watchtower that stood over a hundred meters tall, there was what appeared to be an extremely tall pavilion. Inside, several people sat facing each other.
One of them was Aizen Sosuke, the lieutenant of the 5th Division, and the other two were Isane Kotetsu, lieutenant of the 4th Division, and Tsubaki Jinjiro, lieutenant of the 7th Division.
"Lieutenant Isane and Lieutenant Tsubaki are here as well."
Feng Ye, with his Zanpakuto sheathed at his waist, climbed the stairs to the pavilion and greeted the others with a peaceful smile.
"Oh, Lieutenant Kakashi is here too."
The two lieutenants smiled warmly at Feng Ye and greeted him in a friendly manner.
The current generation of lieutenants and captains in the Gotei 13 had a good relationship with one another, and although Feng Ye was a relatively new lieutenant, he possessed Bankai, so the other lieutenants naturally didn't dare to underestimate him. Moreover, Feng Ye's reputation was excellent, so not only the lieutenants but even the captains treated him amicably.
"Mhm, my patrol route just happened to pass by here."
Feng Ye responded gently and sat down beside them.
From this high tower, they had a clear view of a large area, including the bustling streets and several nearby blocks.
"How are you adapting to life as a Shinigami?"
Aizen poured a cup of sake for Feng Ye and raised his own cup as he asked warmly.
Feng Ye picked up his cup and replied casually, "Thank you for your concern, Aizen. I'm doing well so far."
Isane, sitting beside them, smiled and spoke up, "With your Bankai and captain-level spiritual pressure, your duties as a lieutenant must be a breeze."
"Indeed," Aizen agreed with a friendly smile. "When a captain position opens up, I'm sure Lieutenant Kakashi will be promoted directly."
After taking a sip of his drink, Aizen's gaze drifted downwards to the lively streets below, where numerous performances were taking place.
"It's nice to be able to relax and enjoy these programs during our off-duty hours. By the way, Lieutenant Kakashi and Lieutenant Isane haven't seen my Zanpakuto's release yet, have they?"
Aizen paused for a moment, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he picked up his Zanpakuto. This action didn't arouse any suspicion from the other two lieutenants because all they could sense from Aizen was friendliness.
Feng Ye took a sip of his drink, his expression calm and relaxed.
You're out of your depth, Aizen.
Although Feng Ye immediately saw through Aizen's intentions, he didn't point it out and simply watched Aizen's performance with a peaceful gaze.
"My Zanpakuto has the ability to manipulate water currents," Aizen continued. "By refracting light through water, I can distort others' vision and cause them to attack each other. Its release is quite beautiful, a spectacle worth witnessing. What better time to showcase it than during this festival?"
"Hmm, it's true that I haven't seen Aizen's release yet," Isane mused, stroking her chin as a look of curiosity and interest crossed her face.
Tsubaki Jinjiro replied with a casual smile.
Aizen smiled faintly and said, "Then I shall embarrass myself... Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu."
As he spoke softly, his drawn Zanpakuto was enveloped in a white mist that resembled countless dewdrops suspended in the air, reflecting the sunlight and refracting a colorful, rainbow-like spectacle.
Feng Ye watched this scene with a calm expression, setting down his wine cup and clapping gently. "It's indeed a beautiful release. It's a pity that we can't freely use Bankai within the Seireitei, or I would have liked to perform my Bankai as well."
"There will always be an opportunity to witness Vice-Captain Kakashi's Bankai... Speaking of which, Bankai is so far out of my reach. Every time I think about Vice-Captain Kakashi's talent, I can't help but sigh."
Tsubaki Jinjiro sighed.
Feng Ye smiled and said, "Talent doesn't represent everything. As long as you achieve the life you desire, that's a perfect life."
"Well said."
Standing amidst countless water droplets, Aizen's eyes shone with a profound light as he smiled and said, "As long as you obtain what you pursue, there will be no regrets. That's exactly what I think as well."
Feng Ye stood up and looked at Aizen, a faint smile on his face. "May you obtain what you desire, Vice-Captain Aizen."
"The same to you, Vice-Captain Kakashi."
The two men exchanged a glance, and Aizen saw in Feng Ye's eyes that he seemed to have seen through him. But Aizen knew that Feng Ye had only seen through his most superficial layer, while he himself was operating on the third layer.
However, the real Feng Ye was on the tenth layer.
"Alright, enough of that. Come on, this is a rare opportunity, let's drink another cup. That's what we should be satisfied with in the present."
Tsubaki Jinjiro smiled at the exchange between Aizen and Feng Ye and called out to them.
But just as Feng Ye was about to raise his cup again—
A spiritual pressure suddenly erupted from the east, soaring into the sky.
This spiritual pressure didn't belong to any of the captains, but its strength seemed to have reached that level!
"Something's happened."
Feng Ye's hand, holding the wine cup, froze in mid-air as he glanced at Aizen beside him and then disappeared from his original spot.
"That seems to be coming from the First Division, doesn't it?"
"Let's go!"
Tsubaki Jinjiro, Aizen, and the others exchanged glances, seeing the shock in each other's eyes. They put down their cups and rushed out of the pavilion toward the direction of the spiritual pressure.
Aizen was just a little slower than the others as he walked at the back of the group, adjusting his glasses with his finger and muttering,
"That guy has made his move."
...
First Division Barracks.
In a certain area near the northwestern region, a man with reddish-orange hair stood with a Zanpakuto in his hand, his body bearing multiple wounds, yet he was laughing loudly.
Near him were over a dozen Shinigami from the First Division, but they were all pinned down by the immense spiritual pressure he was emitting, unable to struggle to their feet.
The man with reddish-orange hair was named Hasegawa Jotai, and he had once been a member of a lower noble family in the Seireitei.
His left hand gripped his Zanpakuto, while his right hand held a deep black, vortex-like sphere about the size of a fist. One could sense that the captain-level spiritual pressure wasn't coming from him but from the black sphere in his hand!
Furthermore,
The black sphere was continuously absorbing and devouring the surrounding Reishi, and the spiritual pressure was still slowly increasing. Moreover, the strengthening spiritual pressure gave off an extremely unstable feeling.
"Finally, I've found it."
"Just because I created it, even though I didn't do anything, the Central 46 defined it as a danger that needed to be eliminated, causing the destruction of our entire Hasegawa family..."
"You will pay the price for this! So will the Central 46!"
At this point, Hasegawa Jotai suddenly turned his head toward the direction of the Central 46 and then leaped forward, rushing toward their location.
He charged forward, crashing through everything in his path. The members of the First Division who tried to stop him were almost unable to hinder his progress.
Swish!!
Just as he was about to approach the area where the Central 46 was located, a figure appeared in front of him and finally stopped him for the first time.
It was the vice-captain of the First Division— Sakonji Choujirou!
"I was careless."
Choujirou Sakonji's sword halted Hasegawa Jotai's advance, and his expression turned slightly somber.
As the First Division, they guarded many important things, including not only the Central 46 but also other critical areas, such as the 'forbidden zone' in the northwestern region.
This place housed various dangerous items created due to special circumstances, including prohibited weapons, dangerous tools used by the Quincy a thousand years ago, and a special substance that could continuously destroy the surrounding space.
What Hasegawa Jotai held in his hand was one of those dangerous items, called the Soul Core. It was a product of fusing countless souls and could endlessly devour the surrounding Reishi! This item was extremely dangerous because the result of absorbing a large number of Reishi could only lead to two outcomes: an explosion that destroyed everything nearby with violent spiritual pressure or a qualitative change, similar to how Hollows devoured each other to become a Menos.
Therefore, it was defined as a top-level dangerous item by the Central 46 after its creation, sealed, and confined to the forbidden zone, guarded by the First Division.
The forbidden zone had the strictest security.
But today, for some unknown reason, several patrol members were negligent at the same time, allowing Hasegawa Jotai to invade.
"This is a weapon crafted with the blood of our clan. With it, there's no way you can stop me!"
Jotai, sensing Jinjiro's rapidly diminishing spiritual pressure, coldly huffed. His Zanpakuto lashed out, and the clash of their swords sent Jinjiro flying back.
Bang!!
Jinjiro slammed into a wall several dozen meters away, his back hitting it before he came to a stop.
He wobbled, his face turning pale, but he still gripped his Zanpakuto tightly, ready to charge again.
But just at that moment, Genryusai Yamamoto Shigekuni's voice sounded from the side.
"Choujirou, stand down."
Shigekuni appeared nonchalantly, walking towards them with his cane, which suddenly shattered, revealing one of his slender Zanpakutos.
"Captain-Commander!"
Seeing Shigekuni, Jinjiro breathed a slight sigh of relief but quickly added, "He has the Soul Core! It can continuously absorb the surrounding Reishi!"
"I know," Shigekuni calmly replied, his figure flickered, and he appeared directly in front of Jotai. With a swift movement of his Zanpakuto, he struck down.
Upon seeing Shigekuni, Jotai became solemn. He knew that even with the Soul Core, he couldn't afford to be careless!
Clang!!
Jotai swung his Zanpakuto to block Shigekuni's strike, but under the immense pressure of the Captain-Commander's sword, he couldn't maintain his stance and fell from the sky, crashing into the ground with a loud boom.
Even after sending Jotai plummeting with a single strike, Shigekuni's eyes didn't show any relief. Instead, they turned grave.
Some of his spiritual power had been absorbed.
Even without releasing his Shikai and intentionally suppressing his spiritual pressure, the close-quarters clash had still resulted in the loss of a small amount of his spiritual energy, forcibly absorbed by the Soul Core.
As the dust settled, Jotai gripped his Zanpakuto and slowly walked out, taking a step back into the sky. "As expected of the Captain-Commander, your strength is indeed formidable. But I withstood your attack, so I win!"
"Arrogant." Shigekuni slowly spoke.
Even though his opponent had obtained the dangerous Soul Core, the notion that he could win against him was simply absurd.
If they weren't beside the Central 46 Chambers but in a spacious area more suited for battle, Shigekuni would have unleashed his spiritual pressure without hesitation, letting his opponent absorb it all!
Any absorption would inevitably have an upper limit, and his spiritual pressure was enough to shatter those limits.
But now, that wasn't an option.
They were beside the Central 46 Chambers, and using such a brute-force fighting style could easily lead to a massive explosion, endangering the Central 46.
In other words, he had to rely on hand-to-hand combat and Shunpo to defeat his opponent.
As the Captain-Commander for a thousand years, his hand-to-hand combat and Shunpo naturally stood at the pinnacle of the Soul Society!
"Ikka Senjin!"
In the next moment, Shigekuni appeared in front of Jotai. His haori fluttered, and the clothing beneath it exploded, revealing his muscular build as he threw a punch.
Boom!!!
Jotai swung his Zanpakuto to block, but he could only hold on for a moment before being blasted away like a cannonball, crashing into the ground hundreds of meters away and creating a massive fissure in the street.
Around the same time, many figures arrived one after another from a distance.
There was Yoruichi Shihouin, the captain of the 2nd Division; Soi Fon, the captain of the Hidden Mobile Unit's 2nd Division; Marechiyo Omaeda, the vice-captain of the 2nd Division; Kira Izuru, the vice-captain of the 3rd Division; and Rose, the captain of the 3rd Division...
Swish!
Marechiyo landed on top of a tall wall, glanced at the situation, and a faint gleam flashed in his eyes. Piercing through the dust with his gaze, he looked towards Jotai in the center.
A faint golden light shone in his eyes, and in an instant, he saw many scenes flash by, like a rewind, showing him glimpses of Jotai's past.
"So you used Kyoka Suigetsu on me and then began your plan, using this Jotai Hasegawa to attract the attention of the Gotei 13..."
"What are you up to, Aizen?"
It was highly unlikely that there would be such a huge lapse in the First Division's security, so there was no doubt that Aizen had interfered in some way.
Marechiyo looked calmly towards the direction of the Central 46 Chambers and then withdrew his gaze.
He wasn't particularly interested in what Aizen was planning at the moment, whether it was infiltrating the Central 46 Chambers or something else. It would be too boring to simply use the Eye of God's perspective and omniscience to see everything clearly.
"This Soul Core is quite interesting; it can continuously absorb the surrounding Reishi... If I can decipher its operating principles, perhaps I can reach the Royal Palace even sooner."
If he were to face the combined might of the Zero Squad, Shigekuni, Yhwach, Aizen with the Hogyoku, and Ichigo Kurosaki, he might encounter some trouble, but if he obtained the power of the Soul King, all of that would be rendered meaningless.
Thus, the sooner he obtained the Soul King's power, the better.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
