Facing three captains and a senior Kidō chief, and also three Lieutenants plus a deputy Kidō chief.

Such a luxurious lineup.

For almost any Shinigami in Soul Society to face this directly is equivalent to facing hell.

But Aiyan's face was as calm as still water, and not the slightest change could be seen in his expression despite standing alone against such a formation.

"Today."

"The eight of us are here to challenge you."

Muguruma Kensei pulled out his Zanpakutō, his eyes filled with unprecedented solemnity.

They were all captains of the Gotei. Eight against one.

No matter how one looked at it, the advantage lay entirely with them. But still, they dared not underestimate him.

"Don't call us shameless."

"After all, you are Aiyan Sōsuke."

Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō also wore the face of someone facing a true enemy.

It wasn't just the two of them.

Love Aikawa, the third captain, and Tsukabishi Tomioka, the Kidō chief, all had grim expressions.

It was as if they were standing before death itself.

"It doesn't matter."

"I won't call you shameless."

Aiyan shook his head.

"After all, there are only eight of you."

"Too few."

"You'll find it hard... to even stand before me."

As soon as these words landed.

Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō and the others showed faint irritation.

After all, no matter how bad they were, they were still captains of the Gotei.

Eight against one. No matter how powerful Aiyan was, he should at least treat this seriously.

Not look down on them like this.

"How arrogant!"

Muguruma Kensei couldn't bear it. He roared and released his Zanpakutō.

"Blow it Away— Tachikaze!"

He held the released Zanpakutō in both hands, placing it across his waist. As Reiatsu surged, a blue light sphere swirling with streams of energy formed instantly, and was then pushed forward.

"Blast Charge!"

The intense Reiatsu beam tore through the air and smashed forward with terrifying might, aimed straight at Aiyan.

Faced with the incoming Reiatsu beam, Aiyan didn't even try to dodge. He didn't draw his sword either. He simply raised a finger, and golden light flashed.

Boom—

A laser shot out, instantly disintegrating the Reiatsu beam into Spirit Particles. The impact exploded into smoke and debris as the beam continued flying, piercing straight toward Muguruma Kensei.

"Ah—!"

Muguruma Kensei had known about Aiyan's laser move, but he didn't expect his own attack to collapse so easily. Not only was it obliterated in an instant, when he tried to raise his sword to block, the laser smashed into him directly. It exploded midair into a blazing golden orb of light that engulfed his entire body, sending him flying and leaving him covered in injuries.

"Captain!"

In a captain-level confrontation, Muguruma Kensei was defeated in just one move.

This result shook everyone.

Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō and the others were stunned, but the battle had already begun—and it was they who had started it. They had no choice but to suppress their fear and charge forward while Aiyan was attacking Kensei.

"Chop Cleanly, Kubikiri Orochi!"

"Smash, Iron Dragonfly!"

"Crush Down, Tengumaru!"

"Play, Kinshara!"

In an instant, the two Gotei captains and two Gotei Lieutenants released their Zanpakutō, surrounding Aiyan from four directions with simultaneous strikes.

"Bakukō #61: Rikujokoro."

"Bakudō #63: Sajo Sabaku."

At the same time, Tsukabishi Tomioka and Hachigen coordinated long-range support from afar, one as Kidō chief, the other as vice-chief.

The two joined forces to bind Aiyan's limbs and torso with Bakudō, preventing him from dodging or countering, leaving him wide open to the four Zanpakutō aimed at his body.

Blade light flashed and slashed down at Aiyan's body from four angles.

Boom—

Kuna Mashiro dropped from above, spinning midair and charging Reiatsu into her right leg. With mountain-crushing force, she smashed her heel downward, aiming straight for Aiyan's skull.

Seven people moved in unison, displaying overwhelming force.

Even Byakuya Kuchiki, who was approaching from a distance, grew concerned.

He knew how strong Aiyan was.

But after all, his opponents were eight people.

Four of them were Gotei captains.

"Even for me, I'd have to use Bankai."

Unohana Yachiru looked at Aiyan with interest.

Facing a siege of eight people, even she would have to activate her Bankai to stand a chance.

After all,

No matter how weak Muguruma Kensei and the others were, they were still captains.

One was nothing. Two, still manageable.

But with three or four, plus Lieutenants and Kidō officers, the situation was entirely different.

"Tch. All the good fights got taken by him."

Zaraki Kenpachi walked over with his Zanpakutō slung across his shoulder. When he saw that Aiyan had returned, he was excited at first—but after seeing that all the captains and Lieutenants had gone off to gang up on him, he lost interest immediately.

"Are we really not going to help Captain Aiyan?"

"Captain..."

"The ones attacking him are Gotei captains. Four of them."

Kotetsu Isane couldn't help but glance at Unohana Yachiru beside her.

As her Lieutenant, she was well aware that her captain always regarded Aiyan differently.

In fact, there was even a slightly strange fondness.

"There's no need."

Unohana Yachiru refused immediately, but in her heart she added silently.

That man... is the only one who can completely satisfy me.

Kotetsu Isane was about to ask again, but was left speechless by what she saw.

"Is this... your power?"

At the same time, restrained by two Kidō masters and attacked by five others—

Aiyan stood calmly, completely unscathed. His voice was cool and steady, as if nothing had happened.

"What?"

Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō took a closer look, and finally realized—

Their Zanpakutō had indeed reached Aiyan's body—

But the moment they touched his form, those parts of his body had already dispersed into photons.

Every blade cut missed. Every strike fell into thin air.

"Did he already know how we were going to attack?"

"Impossible!"

"But if he didn't see through it, how else could he have dodged them all?"

Seeing Aiyan preemptively turn his body into light at the exact locations of each attack, Love Aikawa, Yadōmaru Lisa, and the others were all dumbfounded.

It looked like they hit him.

But every strike was just slightly... off.

"That's enough."

As the words fell—

Aiyan's entire body dispersed into tiny photons, finer than the naked eye could see. He escaped the bindings of the two Kidō spells and scattered them.

Then he reappeared behind Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō—as if he had teleported.

By the time his figure re-formed from the countless motes of light, a gleaming Ama no Murakumo had already appeared in his hand.

"You all should understand..."

"My power."

Pft. Pft. Pft.

The sharp sound of cloth tearing rang out.

Love Aikawa, Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō, Yadōmaru Lisa, Sarugaki Hiyori, and Kuna Mashiro, suspended in midair—

All five of their bodies were pierced, blood spraying from them simultaneously, falling like rain.

One by one, they plummeted to the ground.

"Why didn't you use Bankai?

Aiyan glanced down at the five lying at his feet, soaked in blood. Just as he raised Ama no Murakumo to finish them off—

Suddenly, streaks of black and violet Reiatsu lines shot out around him, forming a rectangular frame.

Dark curtains of light rose from all sides, sealing the space around him.

"Hadō #90: Kurohitsugi."

...

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