Fate in Bleach: Unlimited Blade Works!

Chapter 169: Aizen’s Scheme (1)

Chapter 169 - Aizen's Scheme (1)  

"It seems the H?gyoku in my possession is incomplete..." Aizen thought, tucking away the blue, luminescent crystal. He turned, and T?sen, anticipating his leader's next move, drew his Zanpakut?, poised to strike down the recently Hollowfied Shinigami who had lost all reason.

"Had? #4: Byakurai!"

A cold, sharp voice echoed from above, followed by a bolt of lightning that struck T?sen's Zanpakut? with pinpoint accuracy.

Boom!

The force of the Byakurai sent T?sen's Zanpakut? flying, sparing the Hollowfied Shinigami from an untimely demise.

"Roar..."

The Hollow, now devoid of reason, seemed to sense its brush with death. It let out a ferocious howl and lunged at T?sen, its hands transformed into razor-sharp claws by the Hollowfication process.

"Shhh!"

Despite the significant power boost granted by Hollowfication, it was still no match for a captain-class Shinigami. T?sen effortlessly dodged the Hollow's attack with a Shunpo, retrieving his fallen Zanpakut?.

Aizen and Gin looked up to see Ailin hovering in the air above them.

"Oh dear, Captain Aizen, it seems we've been discovered again," Gin remarked playfully.

"What an unexpected guest, Captain Ailin of the Eleventh Division," Aizen greeted with a composed smile.

"Aizen, T?sen, Gin, and..." Ailin's gaze swept over the three figures before settling on the Hollowfied Shinigami. "...a Hollowfied Shinigami."

"It appears what Kisuke Urahara claimed during his trial before the Central 46 was true after all. You've been conducting Hollowfication experiments, haven't you, Captain Aizen?"

"Oh my, Captain Ailin, whatever do you mean?" Aizen countered, unfazed by the accusation. "I merely came out for a stroll and happened upon this Hollowfied Shinigami. Naturally, I intended to apprehend it for investigation.

As for you, Captain Ailin, I thought you preferred to remain at the Kuchiki Manor. Why are you here at this hour? And why would you interfere with our attempt to capture this Hollowfied Shinigami?"

Caught red-handed, Aizen remained composed, even audaciously turning the tables on Ailin. "Could it be, Captain Ailin, that you've been the one conducting Hollowfication experiments all these years?"

"Oh? Aizen, are you trying to pull the same trick you used on Kisuke Urahara decades ago?" Ailin chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "I think you've misunderstood something. The reason you managed to frame Kisuke Urahara was because he lacked the strength to detain you. But do you believe you can escape me as easily as you did him?"

With those words, Ailin extended his left hand, red reiatsu gathering in his palm.

"Had? #31: Shakkah?!"

Boom!

A crimson fireball shot from Ailin's hand, striking T?sen, who had attempted a sneak attack to eliminate the Hollowfied Shinigami.

"Bakud? #63: Saj? Sabaku!" Ailin chanted, and golden chains materialized from thin air, binding the Hollowfied Shinigami to prevent its escape to Hueco Mundo during the ensuing chaos.

Boom!

T?sen, his reiatsu flaring, burst forth from the Shakkah?'s impact, his body bearing the scorch marks of the attack.

Even a simple Had? #31, when unleashed by Ailin, possessed far greater power than usual. T?sen escaping with only minor burns was a testament to his own strength.

"Forgive me, Lord Aizen. I failed," T?sen bowed his head, returning to Aizen's side.

"No, T?sen, Captain Ailin is known as the strongest Shinigami, 'Kenpachi.' Your inability to eliminate that Hollow is hardly surprising. However, this confirms that the Hollowfied Shinigami is Captain Ailin's creation. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to protect it."

"Heh..." Ailin chuckled at Aizen's words.

"Aizen, even now, you continue to play your charade before me. However, as it happens, I'm not in the best of moods. So, let's play along for a while..."

Golden ripples of spatial distortion appeared behind Ailin, thirty-two in total, each revealing the tip of a sword.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh...

In an instant, the thirty-two Zanpakut? transformed into streaks of golden lightning, hurtling towards Aizen and his companions.

Five aimed for T?sen, seven for Gin, and the remaining twenty locked onto Aizen.

Gin reacted the quickest. As Ailin's former student, he had experienced countless assaults from Ailin's Gate of Babylon during his training.

Boom, boom, boom...

Gin's figure flickered with Shunpo, narrowly evading each golden streak as it struck the ground where he had just stood, leaving behind craters and echoing booms.

Meanwhile, T?sen chanted softly, calling upon his Zanpakut?.

"Cry, Suzumushi!"

Buzz!

A sonic wave emanated from T?sen's released Zanpakut?. However, the five golden streaks tore through the sound waves effortlessly, continuing their relentless advance towards T?sen.

"Suzumushi Nishiki: Benihik?!"

T?sen swiftly drew a circle with his Zanpakut?. Countless Suzumushi blades materialized along the path he traced, forming a torrent of white as he swung his blade, sending the blades towards the five incoming streaks.

Clang, clang, clang...

Sparks flew as the white torrent clashed with the golden streaks. However, to T?sen's dismay, his Shikai attack barely hindered their progress.

The golden streaks pierced through the torrent of blades like a force of nature, leaving T?sen staring in horror as they pierced through his body.

Boom!

Five deafening explosions erupted from the mountain behind T?sen, obliterating a small peak. T?sen, his body riddled with five gaping holes, collapsed to the ground.

"Bakud? #81: Dank?!" Aizen chanted, facing the onslaught of golden streaks.

A golden barrier materialized before him, acting as the first line of defense against the incoming Zanpakut?.

The golden streaks bombarded the Dank?, their power causing Aizen's expression to shift slightly. Each impact created cracks in the barrier.

At this rate, his Dank? wouldn't hold against the relentless assault. Aizen swiftly drew his own Zanpakut?.

Boom!

The Dank? finally shattered, and the Zanpakut?, with their golden streaks, descended upon Aizen.

Clang, clang, clang...

Aizen parried each Zanpakut? with his own blade, deflecting them into the ground around him.

Explosions rocked the mountainside, flames erupting from the impact sites. The side of the mountain where Aizen and his companions had stood was now reduced to rubble.

Aizen glanced at the fallen T?sen and then at Gin, who had drawn his Zanpakut? but remained unharmed. His expression remained unreadable.

"Shoot to Kill – Shins?!"

Swoosh!

With a whisper, Gin's Zanpakut? extended rapidly, its tip aimed at Ailin.

Clang!

Ailin raised his left hand, catching the elongated Shins? between his index and middle fingers.

Screech...

Ailin remained unmoving, but Gin was forced back by the force of his extending Zanpakut?, his feet digging deep furrows into the ground until he finally stopped the blade's extension.

"Gin, it seems you've grown complacent since leaving my side," Ailin commented, sensing the restraint in Gin's attack.

However, he wasn't here to play the role of Gin's understanding teacher.

"And what gave you the illusion that the extension speed of your Shikai, Shins?, could even scratch me?"

Blue lightning crackled around Ailin's fingers, which still held Shins?'s blade.

"Had? #11: Tsuzuri Raiden!"

Crackle! Boom!

The blue lightning surged along Shins?'s blade, racing towards Gin. Gin's reiatsu flared as he placed his left hand on the blade of his Zanpakut?.

Pop!

The blue lightning reached Gin's hand, colliding with his reiatsu and instantly dissipating like a burst bubble.

"Oh? Hanten S?k?..."

"I take back what I said earlier, Gin. To be able to counter my Kid? with Hanten S?k?, you've grown considerably."

"Not at all. It's simply because I spent so much time with you, Teacher, that I'm familiar with your Kid? habits," Gin replied, retracting his Zanpakut? to its normal form.

"Whether it's due to your understanding of me or your own improved Kid? skills, the fact that you dared to use Hanten S?k? against my Kid? is commendable," Ailin acknowledged. "However, Gin, I recall telling you on the very first day of your training... When you point your blade at an enemy, you must be prepared to kill them, and be prepared to be killed!"