Fantasy Library, Ch 281-285

Chapter 281: Immaculate Morning Star

On the desolate white desert, the earth-shaking upheaval gradually subsided, restoring everything to silence once more.

A massive rift, like a bottomless abyss, sat in the middle of the land, splitting the white desert in two, strikingly conspicuous.

“Swish!”

With a flash of Shunpo, Kaiser appeared on the ground as if teleporting, stepping onto the white sand.

Within his perception, the Reiatsu of Grimmjow and Yammy had indeed vanished, and even Ulquiorra's Reiatsu had disappeared without a trace.

“Escaped, huh?”

Sensing that Ulquiorra’s Reiatsu was also gone, Kaiser curled his lips slightly.

“Escaped pretty fast. As expected of a Vasto Lorde-class Arrancar.”

Sensing the situation was turning dire, decisively abandoning his companions to retreat—this was precisely what one would expect of a Hollow. Truly very much in line with Hollow nature.

“Unfortunately, unless you completely retreat, leave Hueco Mundo, or abandon Sōsuke Aizen, the result won’t change.”

Kaiser released the Shikai of Crown of Heavens and sheathed it once more.

Then, he surprisingly absorbed Crown of Heavens back into his body instead of keeping it sheathed at his waist.

“Swish!”

As Crown of Heavens was reabsorbed into his body, a pair of transparent blue wings with white skeletal frames burst open from behind Kaiser.

“Boom!”

With a single beat of the wings, a burst of force exploded beneath his feet, blasting away countless grains of sand as his figure shot toward the sky, soaring into midair.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this blood boiling.”

Hovering in midair, Kaiser suddenly smiled. Then, the Reiryoku within his body erupted like a tidal wave, transforming into pure white aura that exploded outward from his form.

“Balance Breaker!”

On the wings of Divine Dividing behind him, a hazy light suddenly blossomed.

Within that light, Kaiser’s figure was gradually wrapped in the pure white aura, piece by piece being covered in white armor.

Blue jewels were embedded on parts of his body; a metallic dragon tail extended from his back; his outline took on the form of a pure, flawless white dragon; his wings spread wide, flowing with an overwhelming dragonic force.

Balance Breaker of Divine Dividing—[White Dragon Emperor's Armor].

After several decades, Kaiser once again assumed this form.

“Are you ready, Sōsuke Aizen…”

With a distorted smile and feeling the explosive surge of power throughout his body, the immaculate white dragon began to fly.

A long trail of light streaked through the sky of Hueco Mundo, flying at incredible speed in a single direction.

This day, Hueco Mundo was destined to undergo an earth-shaking upheaval.

………………

Las Noches.

In Hueco Mundo, a barren wasteland, this was perhaps the only existing structure.

Its appearance resembled a celestial pillar, but inside, it was a vast and complex labyrinth-like fortress. It originally belonged to the king who ruled all of Hueco Mundo, but after Sōsuke Aizen arrived and conquered nearly all of the Hollows, it became Aizen's base.

Using his own technology, Sōsuke Aizen created another world within this place, making the interior of Las Noches appear to possess a blue sky and white clouds—something that did not exist in Hueco Mundo. The Espada all had their own palaces here, and even Arrancar who were not Espada had residences assigned according to rank, giving the entire place a sense of order.

Inside and outside Las Noches were numerous detection and defense systems. Once an intruder broke in, their every move would be discovered—making it nearly impossible for any invader to remain unseen.

On this day, atop Las Noches’ highest level, Sōsuke Aizen appeared.

He no longer wore his Shihakushō and white Haori but a white longcoat with black trimming and hakama, tied at the waist with a dark red sash. On that sash hung the dreaded Kyōka Suigetsu. Compared to his appearance in Soul Society, he now seemed even more imposing and regal.

Indeed, Hueco Mundo had practically become Sōsuke Aizen’s domain. The Shinigami had become ruler over the Hollows and master of Hueco Mundo, leaving many Hollows with complicated feelings.

Even now, many Arrancar harbored rebellious thoughts toward Sōsuke Aizen—but none dared voice them.

Grimmjow, for instance, had always kept his fangs hidden, biding his time, ready to sink his teeth into Aizen’s throat and kill the false king who had invaded Hueco Mundo.

Sōsuke Aizen was well aware of this yet paid it no mind.

On the contrary, he considered it a form of entertainment—curious to see when Grimmjow would rebel, and how.

This same amusement was something he also applied to Gin Ichimaru.

“Our dear Captain Kaiser seems to have arrived in Hueco Mundo, Gin.”

Seated upon the throne, Sōsuke Aizen looked down at the standing Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen. After a moment, he smiled and addressed Gin.

“Well? Want to go greet him?”

At this, Gin Ichimaru, as always, wore his smiling expression, impossible to read.

“Please spare me, Captain Aizen.” Gin spread his hands with feigned helplessness. “If I showed up in front of Captain Kaiser again, he’d probably cut me down without a word, wouldn’t he?”

He had no doubt Kaiser had both the power and the will to do so.

“Seems Grimmjow and Yammy’s Reiatsu have disappeared,” Kaname Tōsen said gravely. “It appears they’ve already been killed by Kaiser.”

“What a pity, Grimmjow and Yammy,” Gin said in mock sorrow. “They still didn’t know the real reason Captain Aizen sent them to the World of the Living wasn’t to scout Karakura Town—but to serve as bait.”

The fact that Aizen had sent Arrancar to Karakura Town the day before the Gotei 13 Captains fully recovered clearly showed he had excellent intelligence on Soul Society’s current state.

Thus, he also knew that if he dispatched someone to Karakura Town, the one sent to the World of the Living would most likely be Kaiser—strong and uninjured.

“Luring Captain Kaiser into Hueco Mundo by sending out bait—Captain Aizen’s plan succeeded beautifully,” Gin said with unclear sincerity. “As long as no one opens a Garganta for Kaiser, he won’t be able to return to Soul Society or interfere with the World of the Living.”

“Without Captain Kaiser, whether it’s using Karakura Town as the ritual site to forge the Ōken, or invading Soul Society to open the path to the Royal Palace—everything becomes much easier.”

“We’ve essentially eliminated a powerful enemy—someone even harder to deal with than Captain Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.”

Gin smiled slyly.

“As expected of Captain Aizen—flawless as ever.”

These slightly sarcastic remarks made Kaname Tōsen frown.

But Sōsuke Aizen remained completely unfazed.

“The Hōgyoku has already begun its fusion, but Soul Society clearly doesn’t intend to wait for it to complete,” Aizen said with a smile. “With Kisuke Urahara secretly maneuvering, they surely have a good idea of its fusion progress and timeline.”

“To prevent the Hōgyoku’s full completion, they’ll likely act as soon as they recover their strength.”

“In that case, we cannot sit idle—we must first remove the most troublesome enemy.”

Sōsuke Aizen never expected to defeat Kaiser here in Hueco Mundo. That was unrealistic.

Even if Hueco Mundo was his domain, even if his Espada army was stronger than the Gotei 13, he didn’t believe he could take down Kaiser.

Crown of Heavens—that Zanpakutō was far too powerful. Not only was its power overwhelming, its protective capabilities were exceptional.

So even with Kaiser alone, Sōsuke Aizen didn’t believe they could defeat him.

What Aizen wanted was simple: to trap Kaiser.

As long as Kaiser was trapped, aside from Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who in the Gotei 13 could threaten him?

Even for Yamamoto, Aizen had already prepared a surprise specifically to deal with him.

“As long as we can keep Captain Kaiser in Hueco Mundo, then the only remaining threats to my plan would be Ichigo Kurosaki and Kisuke Urahara.”

Sōsuke Aizen continued.

“But Kurosaki isn’t mature yet, and Urahara wouldn’t dare act openly, fearing my countermeasures.”

“Therefore, now is the best time to move.”

“Invade Soul Society or forge the Ōken—let us start with one of these goals.”

With that, Aizen stood from his throne and slowly walked down.

“Mm. Let’s complete the Ōken first.”

“Notify the remaining Espada. Tell them to prepare to head to the World of the Living.”

“There’s no need to leave anyone in Las Noches. I’ve already turned this place into a prison. Once he arrives—it will be his place of sealing.”

Yet just as flawlessly as Aizen had arranged everything, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

“Hmm?”

“What is this…”

Gin and Tōsen also seemed to sense something. They suddenly looked up, faces full of doubt.

“What is this?” Aizen murmured with a frown. “It’s not Reiatsu, nor does it contain any Reiryoku… yet it’s clearly a powerful force rapidly approaching.”

“What kind of power is this?”

“Why…”

Do I have such a foreboding feeling?

Aizen couldn’t finish his sentence.

Because in that moment, the Immaculate Morning Star descended.

“BOOM!!!”

The ceiling of Las Noches suddenly exploded, scattering into countless fragments.

White light poured down from the sky—illuminating all of Las Noches.

Chapter 282: The White Light That Pierces the Darkness

“Wmmm…”

That was the sound of the entire Hueco Mundo brimming with activity, as Reishi surged when the radiant white light illuminated the world.

That sound resembled cheering, yet also resembled praise—like a salute, or a reverent worship—as if welcoming, as if adoring, as the light resembling the Morning Star slowly descended from the heavens, falling toward Las Noches.

The white light spread outward from it, slicing through all the darkness of Hueco Mundo, causing everyone who looked up to the sky to fix their gaze upon it.

Including Sōsuke Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, and Kaname Tōsen.

“What is that?”

It was a natural question to arise.

A reflexive shock.

But when the figure within the white light suddenly unfurled its translucent wings of light, appearing as if born from the radiance, all of their confusion and astonishment was instantly replaced by another emotion.

That emotion was called awe.

“Zing!”

Brilliant wings of light shone radiantly, causing the figure against the dark sky to glow resplendently, without a trace of shadow.

Not a speck of dullness could be found on the flawless white armor; the entire body was adorned with sapphire-like gems, radiating such a holy brilliance that all who gazed upon him either felt ashamed by comparison or were moved to tears.

Was this what one called beauty?

Was this what one called immaculate?

Holy, dazzling, magnificent, glorious… Every word of praise that could exist in the world seemed applicable to him in this moment.

Tremble…

The body could not stop trembling.

At least, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen were like that—like they’d been struck by something immense, terrifying, yet too beautiful to comprehend, causing their souls to be seized, their bodies unable to move.

Even Sōsuke Aizen found himself deeply captivated by the white figure glowing with mysterious light.

But he did not lose himself to it. Rather, an increasingly thick sense of foreboding welled up inside him.

“Thump!” “Thump!” “Thump!” “Thump!” “Thump!”…

Then, amidst a series of spatial distortions, one figure after another arrived beside Aizen, Gin, and Tōsen, carried by Sonído.

“Lord Aizen!”

“Lord Aizen!”

“What is that?”

“Are you alright, Lord Aizen?!”

Some of them immediately gathered around Aizen, others turned their gaze to the white figure in the sky, expressions stunned or shaken.

Each of them bore a number engraved upon their bodies—revealing their identities.

Bearing the number “1”, the Primera Espada, Coyote Starrk.

Bearing the number “2”, the Segunda Espada, Baraggan Louisenbairn.

Bearing the number “3”, the Tercera Espada, Tier Harribel.

Bearing the number “5”, the Quinta Espada, Nnoitra Gilga.

Bearing the number “7”, the Séptima Espada, Zommari Rureaux.

Bearing the number “8”, the Octava Espada, Szayelaporro Granz.

Bearing the number “9”, the Novena Espada, Aaroniero Arruruerie.

Aside from Ulquiorra, Grimmjow, and Yammy, the rest of the Espada had all gathered.

“Is that a Hollow?”

Starrk, who had the appearance of a middle-aged man and was accompanied by a little girl, stared at the white figure in the sky and muttered uncertainly.

“He actually… did that to my Las Noches…”

The massive, elderly-looking Baraggan, whose head was adorned with a crown-like crest, looked furious.

“I don’t sense any Reiatsu… what is going on?”

Tier Harribel, with her tanned skin, emerald eyes, generous chest, and golden hair braided into three long plaits, frowned with concern.

“Truly… beautiful.”

Zommari, a tall and muscular man with thick lips and golden eyes, resembling a black man, trembled slightly, seemingly moved by the holiness of that white figure.

“Did that thing attack Las Noches?”

Dressed in a full-body white cloak, white gloves, and a long vertical slit mask on his head, Aaroniero spoke with a voice that seemed to come from two people—clearly two distinct tones.

“No Reiatsu, not even Reiryoku—are we sure that’s a living being? Could it be some kind of machine?”

Szayelaporro, with glasses-shaped mask fragments, short pink hair, golden eyes, and the appearance of a scientist, pushed his glasses and looked up with curiosity at the white figure.

“Tch, that high-and-mighty posture is disgusting.”

Nnoitra, with a circular collar, tall and lanky frame, single eyepatch, black middle-parted medium hair, and wielding a scythe composed of two crescent blades joined with a chain to his waist, clicked his tongue in displeasure.

“Hey!”

Nnoitra took a step forward and shouted up at the white figure in the sky with murderous intent.

“I’ll give you one chance—get down from there and…”

He never got to finish the word “now.”

Because, the moment he stepped forward and issued his threat, the immaculate white dragon in the sky immediately dashed forward with a streak of light, appearing behind Nnoitra at unbelievable speed and grabbing one of his arms.

“Rip!”

The sound of flesh being torn rang out, and blood sprayed gloriously into the air.

The immaculate white dragon forcibly tore off Nnoitra’s arm, causing blood to gush from the stump.

“AAAAAAHHHHH…!”

Nnoitra screamed in agony, clutching his severed arm, stumbling back as blood spilled everywhere.

“!!!!!!”

Everyone present instantly had their pupils contract and their expressions change drastically, hurriedly retreating from the white figure that had suddenly appeared at their side.

“My hand…!”

Nnoitra howled in pain, bordering on hysteria.

“You… you dare rip off my hand!”

He was on the verge of going berserk.

The rest of them looked on, faces shifting again and again—either in astonishment or in alarm at the white figure before them.

“So fast…”

“That wasn’t a Hollow’s Sonído, nor a Shinigami’s Shunpo—it was pure speed!”

“I… I couldn’t see a thing…”

Some of the Espada had grim expressions, others broke into cold sweat.

Every Arrancar present was one of the top beings in Hueco Mundo. Each had been a Menos Grande before, and aside from one exception, all were previously either Adjuchas or Vasto Lorde-class. After becoming Arrancar, their strength was easily at or above Captain-level—they were no small fry.

They were a force strong enough to wage war against all of Soul Society—a group so strong that even the entire Gotei 13 might not be able to defeat them without risk of loss.

Yet none of them had been able to react in time to the white figure. By the time it tore off Nnoitra’s arm, they had only just realized it had appeared—how could they not be shaken or wary?

Even Aizen, Gin, and Tōsen each showed a different reaction.

“…This is getting a bit troublesome.”

Gin’s smile vanished from his face.

“How could this be…”

Tōsen reflexively gripped the hilt of his Zanpakutō, posture fully alert.

“……”

Even the expression Sōsuke Aizen wore—that ever-confident, in-control look—had disappeared. In its place was a deep and penetrating gaze, fixed on the immaculate figure, as if trying to see through it.

In this atmosphere, the figure finally spoke.

“The price for speaking rudely… is this. You must pay something, to understand what sort of attitude is appropriate when facing an unfamiliar power.”

A distorted voice echoed from within the dragon-shaped helm.

Though distorted, all the Arrancar could hear the mocking undertone.

“Besides, you’re a mantis. You’ve got plenty of arms. Losing one isn’t a big deal, is it?”

Hearing this, Nnoitra lost all reason.

“Die!”

Driven by rage, Nnoitra raised his massive scythe and charged at the white figure.

“Stop!”

“Be careful!”

Starrk and Harribel both cried out in shock, trying to stop Nnoitra.

But the white figure moved faster than they did.

“Divide!”

Accompanied by a heavy voice emitted from the blue jewel, the white figure extended one hand toward Nnoitra, releasing a ripple of dragonic power.

In that instant, Nnoitra’s charging speed sharply dropped, and even his Reiatsu and aura were halved.

“Divide!” “Divide!” “Divide!”…

As the voice echoed again and again, Nnoitra’s Reiatsu, aura, and speed were repeatedly halved, until they weakened below that of an average Hollow—only then did it stop.

“W-what?”

Nnoitra’s eyes widened in disbelief.

The others, even Sōsuke Aizen, all changed expression.

The white figure finally began to rise slowly.

“My name is Albion.”

A voice rang out across the entire area.

“My Sacred Gear—Divine Dividing—its power is to halve the strength of any being I come into contact with and turn it into nourishment for myself.”

Those words caused the Arrancar to change expressions once more.

“Halve their power?”

“W-what the hell?!”

“What’s a Sacred Gear?!”

The Espada exclaimed in confusion, visibly rattled.

The white figure clad in the White Dragon Emperor’s Armor—Kaiser—looked at the scene and smiled faintly.

“If you want to defeat me, you’d best hurry.”

“Otherwise, I’ll just keep growing stronger… while you keep getting weaker.”

“Until… you can’t even defeat a human.”

Chapter 283: Then It Belongs to Me

“Can’t even defeat a human.”

This was an extremely insulting statement to any Hollow.

To Hollows, humans were originally just food, and to the Menos Grande in particular, the souls of weak humans tasted so bad that they generally weren’t even worth hunting.

The targets hunted by Menos Grande were no longer ordinary humans, but rather Shinigami with high Reiryoku or fellow Hollows.

Especially among Hollows, in Hueco Mundo, if a Menos wanted to evolve—to ascend—there was only one path: devour their own kind, the stronger the better.

The souls of weak humans, unless born with incredibly high spiritual power, were only coveted by lesser Hollows—not even Menos. Only mindless Gillians would devour them out of instinct.

In other words, to Menos Grande, humans were unquestionably trash.

Even the more gentle Menos didn’t treat humans as trash—nor would they wish to fall to a state where they couldn’t even defeat one.

Yet now, someone had just told them that if they didn’t defeat him, they’d end up unable to even beat a human…

How could they tolerate that?

At the very least, Zommari, Szayelaporro, and Aaroniero could not.

Thus, these three Espada drew their Zanpakutō without hesitation.

“Pacify, Brujería!”

“Drink deep, Fornicarás!”

“Devour him, Glotonería!”

All three activated Resurrección at once, releasing their Zanpakutō and unleashing terrible Reiatsu from their bodies.

However…

“Divide!”

The ripple of dragonic power stirred once more. The halving ability of the Divine Dividing wings activated again.

Zommari, Szayelaporro, and Aaroniero all revealed looks of horror as they discovered their power had suddenly dropped by half—just like Nnoitra before them.

“W-why?!”

“Didn’t it only activate on those he touched?!”

“He didn’t even touch us!”

The three shouted in panicked disbelief.

“No, he touched you.”

Among the three remaining top-ranked Espada who hadn’t yet moved, the sole woman, Harribel, spoke.

“When he attacked Nnoitra just now, he already made contact with you.”

The speed of that immaculate figure was simply too fast—so fast that no one had been able to react.

But even if they hadn’t reacted, that didn’t stop the more perceptive from figuring out what had happened.

Since his ability had activated, it proved he had already touched Zommari and the others.

And the only chance for him to have done so was that very moment when he flew in and tore off Nnoitra’s arm.

In that flash, when none could respond, he had already touched all three—it was just that they didn’t realize it.

“Impossible…”

The three clearly didn’t want to accept it.

But as the Divine Dividing wings activated several more times, their power was halved again and again—until they were reduced to the same level as Nnoitra, weaker than even a human.

Their Resurrección was canceled mid-transformation, forcing them to believe they’d already become lambs on the chopping block.

In contrast, the figure soaring once again through the skies released a terrifyingly strong presence—growing stronger by the second.

“How boring.”

Kaiser’s distorted voice echoed again.

“I thought we could have a bit more fun.”

“In the end, the so-called Espada are only this level.”

“Then… let’s end it.”

As his words fell, the immaculate figure in the sky streaked forward with a longer, brighter trail of light than before.

“Boom!”

“Boom!”

“Boom!”

With three explosive sounds, the three powerless Espada were instantly reduced to pieces of flesh.

They were punched to death by Kaiser’s fists.

In less than a tenth of a second, Kaiser shot forward in light form and appeared before each of the three—one punch per person, blasting them apart.

As Kaiser finished off the Séptima, Octava, and Novena Espada, the top three Espada—Primera, Segunda, and Tercera—finally made their move.

“Cero!”

The three Vasto Lorde-class Arrancar seized the perfect moment and released Cero the instant Kaiser reappeared.

“Boom!”

Three differently colored beams of light simultaneously blasted toward Kaiser, engulfing the immaculate figure.

“Divide!” “Divide!” “Divide!”…

In the next second, the blue jewels embedded across Kaiser’s body echoed the command again, and the Cero that had struck him were weakened as if absorbed—visibly shrinking in power.

“He can even weaken enemy attacks on contact…?!”

Starrk, Baraggan, and Harribel all grew grim.

“No more holding back!”

Baraggan shouted in a booming voice.

“If we hesitate any longer, we’ll all be wiped out!”

He pulled out a massive battle axe.

That was his Zanpakutō.

“Lord Aizen.”

Harribel unsheathed her sword as she turned to look at Aizen.

Beside her, Starrk did the same, placing his hand on the head of the little girl always by his side as he glanced at Sōsuke Aizen.

They were seeking permission from Aizen.

Because all Espada ranked four and above were Vasto Lorde before becoming Arrancar, stronger than Captain-level Shinigami, their Reiatsu was too great—so different from the lower Espada they were practically a separate category.

Thus, the Resurrección of the top four Espada, like the forbidden Gran Rey Cero, was banned within Las Noches to prevent massive destruction.

That order had naturally come from Aizen, ruler of Hueco Mundo.

So, if they wanted to go all out here, they had to get Aizen’s permission.

“You may.”

Aizen gave a small nod, showing no concern for the deaths of the lower-ranked Espada—his attention still on the immaculate figure.

With permission granted, the three top Espada activated their Resurrección without hesitation.

“Hunt him down, Los Lobos!”

Starrk uttered his release chant, and the little girl at his side vanished into spiritual energy, merging with him.

“Rot, Arrogante!”

Baraggan raised his axe high as black energy erupted from him.

“Strike him down, Tiburón!”

Harribel wielded her wide-bladed short sword, and as she released her Resurrección, it triggered a massive wave of water.

“You think I’m just going to stand here and watch?”

Watching this unfold, Kaiser’s wings pulsed and he prepared to launch himself like before.

“Shoot to kill, Kamishini no Yari!”

Just then, a voice like a lurking serpent whispered.

“Zing!”

A gleam of silvery-white light burst forth at what seemed to be the speed of light—even faster than Kaiser in this state.

“Clang!”

The light crashed into Kaiser, striking his immaculate armor and sending him flying as sparks scattered brilliantly.

Gin Ichimaru had made his move—and he used his Bankai right from the start, activating Kamishini no Yari.

“Final Form: Enma Korogi!”

Tōsen reacted reflexively, immediately activating his Bankai, releasing a pitch-black barrier that engulfed all of Las Noches’s uppermost level.

“Divide!” “Divide!” “Divide!”…

But a moment later, that spell-like voice echoed within the darkness, and the expanding dome seemed to shrink—rapidly collapsing in size.

Kaiser, now airborne, burst from the shrinking dome as a beam of white light, shooting straight toward Kaname Tōsen.

“If you’re so eager to die, then I’ll deal with you first.”

A devastating punch landed squarely on Tōsen’s chest, exploding with tremendous force.

“Boom!”

The blow blasted apart his chest, leaving a mangled, bloody ruin.

“Gah!”

Tōsen spat blood violently, his body hurtling like a cannonball as it smashed through the walls of Las Noches, sent flying outside, his life or death unknown.

“Kamishi—”

Gin’s eyes, normally narrowed, snapped wide open as he pointed his Zanpakutō toward the approaching white figure.

But before he could activate Kamishini no Yari again, the immaculate figure blurred like teleportation, appearing right in front of him.

“That blade’s ability really isn’t bad. Even in this state, if I’m not careful, I’d be hit.”

The white-armored hand pressed down on the dagger-length Kamishini no Yari. Gin’s widened pupils shrank to pinpoints.

“It belongs to me now.”

The distorted voice entered Gin’s ears.

“In return, I’ll overlook that little sneak attack earlier.”

Golden patterns extended from Kaiser’s hand onto the Zanpakutō.

Gin clearly felt his sword tremble violently, then—as if submitting—break its connection with him.

“Swish!”

Kamishini no Yari disappeared from Gin’s hand.

“Boom!”

Kaiser threw a punch, blasting Gin away and slamming him into Aizen’s throne—shattering it to pieces.

The rubble buried Gin’s body, rendering him completely out of sight.

Two Captains who had followed Aizen in betraying Soul Society had now fallen.

“Wmmm…”

At the same time, three terrifying Reiatsu erupted and flooded all of Las Noches.

The three Espada who had completed their Resurrección now revealed their new forms in a surge of overwhelming power—

Chapter 284: Far Too Naive

“Boom!”

Inside the shattered roof of Las Noches, the fully released Reiatsu of the three Vasto Lorde-class Arrancar descended like a natural disaster, blowing away the entire upper level of Las Noches.

Flapping his Divine Dividing wings, Kaiser flew upward while gazing down, taking in the new forms of the three Vasto Lorde-class Arrancar after their Resurrección.

The Primera Espada, Coyote Starrk, resembled a hunter of wolves after releasing, clad in a fur-lined cloak, wielding two firearms in his hands. His overall aura was now reclusive and distant, a far cry from his previous appearance as an unremarkable middle-aged man—truly a transformation.

The Segunda Espada, Baraggan Louisenbairn, had undergone the most drastic change—his entire form transformed into a skeleton. He wore a multi-tiered crown atop his head, curled boots on his feet, and a regal purple-black robe, bearing a striking resemblance to the traditional European image of a grim reaper. Even his battle axe had changed, resembling bat-like wings, exuding a soul-reaping aura.

The Tercera Espada, Tier Harribel, had short hair now, with deep-blue lightning-shaped markings on her cheeks. The “3” tattoo had vanished. Her attire became a short-skirted swimsuit-like outfit, with some areas armored in white. In her hand she held a massive, fish-fin-shaped greatsword, its surface inorganic and dull. To an outsider, it might have looked like a shell, not a weapon.

“Let’s go, the two of you.”

Starrk shouldered his guns and spoke first.

“Don’t think you can order me. I know what needs to be done,” Baraggan’s voice had lost all trace of humanity—it was ghostly.

“Be careful of his ability. Avoid direct contact,” Harribel offered rational advice.

At that, all three used Sonído simultaneously, appearing in the sky and forming a triangle formation, completely surrounding Kaiser.

Their Reiatsu was strong enough to distort space.

Their aura was mighty enough to overturn the heavens and earth.

An ordinary Captain-level Shinigami would be like an ant before them—especially with all three working together.

In such pressure and presence, even a nearby Menos Grande would be obliterated on the spot, their soul collapsing.

Yet facing these three Arrancar, the immaculate white being was utterly fearless.

“Come.”

With his Divine Dividing wings fully spread behind him, Kaiser smiled as he released all the power he’d absorbed.

Thus, the three Vasto Lorde-class Arrancar launched their assault.

“Infinite Ammo Cero!”

Starrk raised his guns and pulled the triggers, releasing bullets like a storm.

These weren’t ordinary bullets—they were blasts of Cero.

Countless Cero erupted from Starrk’s guns, covering the sky as they rained down on Kaiser. Dense, endless, terrifying.

“Respira!”

Baraggan exhaled a long sigh of deathly breath, spreading forward like black mist toward Kaiser.

It was true death breath—anything it touched would rapidly decay, rot, and wither into death.

The air touched by it vanished silently, and the stench of rot filled the entire space.

“Cascada!”

Harribel raised her fish-fin-shaped inorganic greatsword, and from gill-like slits along its blade, a massive torrent of water burst forth.

It was like a waterfall—the sheer size of it made Harribel seem tiny beside it.

The enormous wave surged toward Kaiser, so powerful that one might believe even a mountain would collapse beneath it.

There was no doubt—these three were truly worthy of being Vasto Lorde-class Arrancar, their power far from ordinary.

Their attacks, post-Resurrección, could instantly eliminate a Captain. Most of the Gotei 13’s Captains wouldn’t last even a single exchange.

To Kaiser’s view, among all Shinigami, only Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto had the sheer power to dominate the three.

Unfortunately…

“Useless.”

Kaiser allowed the three attacks to land on him and then activated his ability.

“Divide!” “Divide!” “Divide!”…

White light from dragonic power flashed over his body, and with every flash, the three attacks were halved in strength.

After several repetitions, the devastating attacks were weakened to a level even an ordinary Shinigami could handle. They didn’t even crack Kaiser’s armor.

“So it’s still not enough?”

Starrk, Baraggan, and Harribel’s faces darkened—they felt the situation was spiraling.

Close combat risked getting touched and losing power.

Ranged attacks would just be weakened and absorbed upon contact.

Unless they didn’t fight and focused solely on dodging, no matter the tactic, they’d only feed him more power.

Adding to that his terrifying speed, the outcome was inevitable—they couldn’t run, and any attempt to fight would only make him stronger. They had no way in.

“His ability is too dangerous—we have to find a way to counter it.”

The same thought arose in all three of them as they recalled the moment Kaiser was struck by Gin Ichimaru’s Kamishini no Yari.

Keeping distance while launching solid physical attacks—this might be the only way.

Surely he couldn’t absorb or halve things like blades?

Thinking this, the three Vasto Lorde-class Espada charged forth.

“Boom!”

Harribel appeared above Kaiser using Sonído, raising her inorganic greatsword and slashing down.

“Boom!”

Kaiser raised his armored hand to block, but instead of touching the sword directly, he contacted a surge of water that sprayed from the blade.

“Gran Caída!”

Baraggan teleported behind Kaiser, pulling the chains on his massive axe to swing it down. Deathly energy poured from the blade, chilling to the core.

“Swish!”

With his back to Baraggan, Kaiser flared his wings and shot upward like a rising star.

“You’re not escaping!”

Starrk, seeing this, raised his twin guns and released his technique.

Next moment, luminous wolves materialized around him—vicious and radiant—forming a pack.

This technique divided Starrk’s soul into many fragments.

Each fragment became a wolf, functioning as an independent weapon. They would explode upon biting their target.

Against physical attacks, they would pass through like fire. They were, essentially, wolf-shaped missiles—with Starrk himself as the warhead. This was a costly ability to use.

Now, facing the extraordinary power and frightening abilities of Kaiser, Starrk held nothing back. The wolves howled and charged at Kaiser.

“Too naive.”

Facing the wolves, Kaiser gave this assessment.

“Half Dimension!”

In the next moment, Kaiser’s wings unfurled, releasing an invisible dragonic wave that spread over the wolves.

Within this wave, even space warped. The wolves froze, then, one by one, they compressed—flattened—vanishing.

“What?!”

Starrk’s face changed.

“Swish!”

Kaiser flared his wings again, his light trail slicing through the air as he shot toward Starrk.

“Boom!”

Starrk had no time to react—the immaculate white dragon slammed into him, sending him flying.

“Cough…!”

Blood spurted from his mouth, but that couldn’t stop what came next.

“Divide!” “Divide!” “Divide!”…

The incantation rang out again and again as Starrk’s immense Reiatsu, once unmatched in Hueco Mundo, was halved repeatedly—weakening him into frailty.

“Boom!”

Flames of energy stronger than ever flared around Kaiser as he instantly appeared above Starrk, swung his dragon tail, and slammed him into the ground—burying him in the desert, vanishing from sight.

“You bastard…!”

Harribel seized the opening and appeared behind Kaiser, her inorganic greatsword glowing with golden misty Reiatsu as she slashed at high speed.

“I told you—you’re far too naive.”

Kaiser didn’t dodge. He turned and punched, his blazing fist meeting the oncoming blade.

“BOOM!!”

A deafening clash erupted. Golden mist and white flame burst forth like shockwaves, generating overwhelming turbulence.

The outcome was clear.

Kaiser, who had absorbed the strength of multiple Espada, easily overpowered Harribel, shattering her weapon with a single punch.

“Boom!”

Before she could react, Kaiser followed with a whip-like kick, sending her flying.

Harribel shot through the air like a cannonball, breaking the sound barrier, slamming into the desert below. Sand exploded skyward in a spectacular plume.

“Die!”

Baraggan’s eye sockets glinted with killing intent. He swung his black great axe like a guillotine, cleaving downward toward Kaiser’s head.

But the strike missed.

“What a pity.”

The immaculate white figure vanished from Baraggan’s view and reappeared behind him like a streak of light.

“Seems that even Vasto Lorde-class Arrancar can only reach this level.”

With that, Kaiser placed a hand on Baraggan’s skull.

“Half Dimension.”

Dragonic power enveloped Baraggan. His skeletal body began to shrink.

Moments later, his entire form was compressed into nothing—completely erased from existence…

Chapter 285: You Really Thought I Had No Way?

Las Noches, top floor.

This place was already completely destroyed.

Whether it was the ceiling or the surrounding walls, all had turned into rubble—either scattered across the ground or fallen outside Las Noches—leaving only a vast, floor-only emptiness.

Moonlight shone upon it, as though illuminating a ruined wasteland, bringing a desolate feeling to the scene.

“Zheng…”

The immaculate white light, just like when it first descended, slowly drifted down from midair. When it landed on the floor, the radiance dissipated, revealing the flawless white dragon with Divine Dividing wings, bathed in moonlight.

That figure, even more sacred and sublime than before.

“Come out.”

The distorted voice rang from within the dragon-shaped helmet, filled with indifferent emotion.

“At this point, surely you’re not still planning to keep watching, are you, Sōsuke Aizen?”

As this voice echoed across the space, someone walked over from another direction.

“The Espada I personally created have truly been disappointingly useless. They couldn't even cause you a bit more trouble. If I had known, I wouldn’t have used the Hōgyoku’s power on them.”

Sōsuke Aizen walked forward slowly with his Zanpakutō at his waist, wearing his usual smile, speaking to the immaculate figure bathed in moonlight.

“Your power is even greater, even more fascinating, and even more mysterious than I originally predicted.”

“How many times now have you displayed power that exceeded my expectations?”

“Kaiser-kun…”

At these words, Kaiser’s brow beneath the helmet twitched slightly.

“So I’ve been exposed already?”

Kaiser’s question was met with Aizen’s light chuckle.

“It’s far too coincidental, isn’t it?”

Kaiser had just arrived in Hueco Mundo, and immediately such a mysterious being appeared, displaying such overwhelming strength—how could that be a coincidence?

Furthermore, Aizen considered his control over Hueco Mundo fairly absolute. If such a powerful and unknown entity had existed, there was no way he wouldn’t have had even a shred of intel.

Coupled with his observations during the battle just now, Sōsuke Aizen had concluded that the so-called Albion before him was in fact Kaiser.

“Divine Dividing… huh?”

Aizen’s gaze lingered on the wings behind Kaiser, his eyes filled with desire for knowledge.

“Something I’ve never heard of before.”

“It’s neither like a Zanpakutō, nor like any of the Shihōin Clan’s armaments—it’s something completely outside of my understanding.”

“And you, Kaiser-kun, your Reiatsu and Reiryoku suddenly vanished entirely, replaced by a power I don’t recognize.”

Although not a scientist like Kisuke Urahara or Mayuri Kurotsuchi, as someone who had researched the Hōgyoku, modified Hollows, and created Arrancar, Aizen was deeply intrigued.

“If possible, I’d truly like you to explain it to me,” Aizen said with regret. “But of course, Kaiser-kun probably won’t comply, right?”

“You have some self-awareness,” Kaiser said flatly. “But only some—not much.”

Otherwise, after he had utterly crushed the Espada, how could Aizen still casually appear before him?

“Could it be that the Hōgyoku is complete?” Kaiser looked at Aizen and said, “You’ve already evolved, transcended the limits of a Shinigami, and believe you won’t lose to me—so you stayed here with such confidence?”

“Now, what could it be…” Aizen didn’t answer directly. Instead, he smiled with closed eyes, as if playing a riddle. “Maybe it’s because I don’t believe… you can stop me?”

Hearing this, Kaiser’s expression remained blank.

“I suspect… the one standing before me now isn’t really you, Aizen.”

Kaiser suddenly said this and darted forward, his wings flaring as he shot to Aizen’s front.

“Boom!”

A flash of pure white fist slammed out, striking the Aizen in front of him and shattering his entire body.

The broken form quickly changed appearance—becoming someone who wasn’t even originally present here.

“Ulquiorra Cifer.”

Kaiser said this without surprise.

“So it was you.”

Yes.

The one who had appeared as Sōsuke Aizen was in fact Ulquiorra, who had fled from Kaiser not long ago.

“Here to die in his place?”

Kaiser gave him no time to speak. With one foot, he stomped on Ulquiorra’s fallen head.

What surprised Kaiser was that when the head was crushed, its appearance shifted again.

It wasn’t Ulquiorra at all—but the already-defeated Nnoitra.

“Seal it…”

Ulquiorra’s empty voice rang out behind Kaiser.

“Segunda Etapa.”

In an instant, a burst of black Reiatsu exploded, becoming black rain that poured over the area.

Ulquiorra, now appearing behind Kaiser, unfurled a pair of massive black wings that seemed to blot out the sky. He wore a long white robe, a helmet with two horns, elongated claws on his hands, longer hair, and darkened tear streaks down his cheeks.

“Lanza del Relámpago!”

In his hand formed a weapon of light made from Reishi. Though called a lance, it resembled a spear more than a sword.

“Boom!”

As Ulquiorra thrust it without hesitation, an explosion resounded.

But—

“Bang!”

A hand clad in immaculate white armor suddenly struck, shattering the lance capable of demolishing a building.

“If you’d already escaped, why come back?”

Amid the shattering Reishi, the same armored hand seized Ulquiorra by the neck and lifted him into the air.

“Divide.”

The voice from the blue gem activated, causing the gem on Kaiser’s hand to flash.

In that instant, Ulquiorra’s resistance collapsed, his strength swiftly fading.

“Aizen-sama…”

Ulquiorra no longer resisted. He choked out that name midair.

At the same time, a dazed look appeared on Kaiser’s face beneath his helmet.

For in his eyes, the Ulquiorra suspended by the throat changed appearance again…

Into Momo Hinamori.

“Captain…”

The girl’s face was filled with pain, tears falling from the corners of her eyes as she looked at Kaiser.

Kaiser’s expression instantly turned terrifyingly cold.

“Crash!”

Suddenly, the armor on Kaiser shattered. His wings vanished as well.

He flung aside the Ulquiorra-turned-Hinamori and spoke without emotion.

“You really thought I had no way to counter Kyōka Suigetsu, Aizen?”

In Kaiser’s hand, a spear radiating divine waves appeared from thin air.

The divine wave it emitted was even more dazzling and radiant than when he’d entered Divine Dividing’s Balance Breaker state.

“O lance! True Holy Spear that pierces even the divine!”

A sacred and solemn incantation flowed from Kaiser without hesitation.

“Draw upon the tyrant’s ideal slumbering within me, open the gap between blessing and destruction.”

“Thou, declare the will, and shine forth as light!”

The light-formed spearhead on the spear in Kaiser’s hand opened silently, expanding to its limit, and the divine wave surged explosively.

“Truth Idea!”

The divine wave expanded in pulses like tides, spreading to engulf the entire space.

At that moment, illusions shattered, truth revealed, and the false world dissolved.

“What…”

Sitting atop a throne that hadn’t been destroyed at all, Aizen’s previously composed smile froze completely.

In his hand, the Zanpakutō Kyōka Suigetsu was sealed by divine power—just like how Cao Cao’s Sacred Gear had once been sealed by Truth Idea.

“Pa!”

A hand seized Aizen’s sword-wielding arm, and in the reflection of Aizen’s shrinking pupils, its owner suddenly appeared before him.

“Got you.”

With that—

“Splurt!”

The True Longinus pierced through Aizen’s body. The spearhead jutted out his back, trailing a flood of blood.

“You…”

Aizen’s twisted face spasmed, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.

“Divide.”

The voice sounded within Kaiser’s body, halving Aizen’s power like it had the Espada.

“Buzz!”

Not only that—the golden markings glowing on Kaiser’s hand extended across Kyōka Suigetsu’s blade, stripping Aizen of his control and ownership.

“Kyōka Suigetsu’s power is indeed formidable. No wonder you could fool the entire Soul Society.”

Kaiser’s voice was ice-cold. “But no matter how powerful an ability is, you still need to be able to activate it.”

Aizen vomited a large mouthful of blood, his eyes fixed on Kaiser as he choked out words with blood and fury.

“If you had this kind of power… why didn’t you use it earlier?”

If he had known Kaiser had such power, he would never have used Kyōka Suigetsu against him.

Kaiser responded coolly.

“Because… I didn’t know what kind of attitude the Soul King, seated in the heavens, would show toward me once I revealed this power.”

The Soul King…

So, he had been wary of the Soul King…?

“Yes.” Kaiser seemed to read Aizen’s thoughts. “I’ve been somewhat cautious of Him.”

After all, the exclusive weapons in his hands, these powers—they didn’t belong to the world created by the Soul King…

(End of Chapter)