The Gikon  

Bang!

Crack! Crack!

A powerful shockwave erupted from "Ailin's" index finger. It shattered the single horn on Hiyori Sarugaki's Hollow mask, then the mask itself. Finally, it struck her forehead, sending her flying backward.

"Hiyori!" Shinji Hirako, who had been right behind her, roared in fury. He hadn't expected "Aizen" to injure Hiyori so easily. He had been merely a step behind, yet she had already been struck down.

Relieved that Hiyori's spiritual pressure hadn't diminished significantly, Shinji charged towards "Ailin", his Zanpakutō gripped tightly in both hands.

"Aizen!"

Clang!

Sparks flew as their blades clashed.

"My, my, Captain Hirako. After all these years, your blade lacks its former strength."

"Ailin's" seemingly casual words sent a wave of unease through Shinji. While the Visored, with Kisuke Urahara's help, had successfully subdued their inner Hollows and mastered their "Hollowfication," gaining a significant power boost, most of them harbored a deep-seated fear of their newfound abilities. Only the carefree Hiyori Sarugaki had truly embraced her Hollow powers.

The others, burdened by their fear, had unconsciously become hesitant to engage in combat.

It wasn't apparent in their daily lives.

But when faced with a battle, the question lingered in their minds: Would they be consumed by their inner Hollows?

They unconsciously used a portion of their strength to suppress their inner Hollows, resulting in a significant decrease in their overall power.

"Could it be that I've grown so much stronger that your abilities seem weaker now?"

"Damn it!"

Seeing the genuine confusion in "Ailin's" eyes only fueled Shinji's rage. He swung his Zanpakutō wildly, launching a furious assault.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

"Ailin" effortlessly blocked each strike, his movements precise and economical. While this "Mod Soul" might have belonged to Sōsuke Aizen, its memories were Ailin's. With Ailin's mastery of swordsmanship, he could easily defeat Shinji with a single, well-placed attack.

However, Ailin's swordsmanship was unique in the Soul Society. It was a style from another world.

The "Ailin" Mod Soul knew many things from his original, including his current predicament.

Upon arriving in the World of the Living, he had attempted to enter his Innate Domain, "Unlimited Blade Works." But as expected, he had failed.

He understood that even if Inaba successfully created a Mod Soul of Ailin's main body, even if it fused with Nozomi Kujō and became Ōko Yushima , it wouldn't stand a chance against the original.

The weapons within "Unlimited Blade Works" were simply too powerful.

Even those capable of rivaling Ryūjin Jakka were plentiful.

If the Mod Soul of Ailin's main body couldn't access Unlimited Blade Works, it would be powerless against the original.

Inaba's plan was doomed.

His Mod Souls were destined to be destroyed.

As for this "Ailin" Mod Soul, his fate would likely be imprisonment by the Central 46.

Therefore, he decided to fulfill his "original's" desire. He would find a worthy opponent and stage a grand finale, a fitting end for a pawn destined for destruction.

After all, here in Karakura Town, there were plenty of "old friends" waiting for him.

…

"Die, Aizen!"

The eight Visored surrounded "Ailin" within the dilapidated warehouse. To allow them to utilize their numerical advantage, "Ailin" hovered in the air, providing them with multiple angles of attack.

"My, my, after all these years, your strength has truly disappointed me." "Ailin" taunted them as he effortlessly blocked their attacks.

"I had hoped you might surprise me, but it seems you can't even force me to release my Zanpakutō…"

"Damn it!"

His words enraged the Visored.

What was more humiliating than being mocked by your enemy?

Kensei Muguruma, the former captain of the 9th Division, was the first to snap.

"I'll make you pay for what you've done, Aizen!"

"Bankai—Tekken Tachikaze!"

Boom!

Kensei unleashed his full power, no longer holding back to suppress his inner Hollow. Even if he was consumed by his Hollow in the process, it was better than suffering Aizen's taunts while being powerless to resist.

His spiritual pressure exploded, transforming his short Zanpakutō into gauntlets with bladed knuckles. The gauntlets were connected by a metallic band that extended from his back, resembling flowing ribbons.

He clapped his hands together, his Hollow energy coalescing within his palms.

"Haaaa!"

Boom!

A white, bone-like mask enveloped his face that resembled a futuristic helmet.

Hollowfication!

Kensei's spiritual pressure surged again. The sheer force of it cracked the ground beneath his feet.

Swoosh!

He vanished, reappearing behind "Ailin" with blinding speed. He threw a punch towards "Ailin's" back.

…

Shhh…

Two wounds, one on his chest, the other on his back, erupted on Isshin Shiba's body as the flames on his Zanpakutō dissipated.

"Damn it!"

He cursed inwardly.

Isshin Shiba was a confident man. The Mod Soul of Isshin had inherited his memories and strength. In the original Isshin's mind, only Head-Captain Yamamoto and Captain Ailin were stronger than him. Shunsui Kyoraku and Jūshirō Ukitake were on par with him. Retsu Unohana, the captain of the 4th Division, was a healer. Her strength lay in medicine, not combat.

The other captains—Byakuya Kuchiki, Gin Ichimaru, Sōsuke Aizen, Soi Fon, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Kaname Tōsen, Sajin Komamura—were his juniors.

However, after engaging Urahara, the Mod Soul of Isshin realized how unreliable those memories were.

Even in his Bankai state, he hadn't been able to force Urahara to release his. He had been defeated by Urahara's Shikai, Kidō, and some strange gadgets.

Urahara, unscathed despite the fiery explosion, approached Isshin. He adjusted his hat, a green and white striped bucket hat, and crouched beside the fallen Shinigami with a serious expression.

"Well, Urahara, what have you found?" Tessai Tsukabishi's towering figure loomed over them. Yoruichi, in her cat formwas perched on Tessai's shoulder.

"Quite a lot. A major discovery, in fact."

Urahara tapped Isshin's forehead with the hilt of his Zanpakutō and red spiritual pressure emanated from the point of contact.

Pop!

Isshin's mouth opened, a small brown pill rolled out.

Urahara caught the pill, but before he could examine it, it dissolved into blue reishi particles.

"This… This was a Gikon?" Seeing the pill, Yoruichi instantly recognized it.

"Yes," Urahara replied. "It was a Gikon, but not a typical one."

Tessai listened to their exchange. He didn't understand any of it. He was a simple man, his focus solely on honing his Kidō. It was why he had become the Grand Kidō Chief. After Yoruichi had rescued him, he had remained by Urahara's side, providing him with his expertise in Kidō.

Urahara, realizing Tessai's unfamiliarity with Gikon, explained, "Gikon are a byproduct of research conducted within the Soul Society."

The 12th Division of the Gotei 13 was home to the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, a conglomeration of countless scientific endeavors spanning a million years.

Urahara, the former captain of the 12th Division, naturally had access to all that research. He had delved into the data that intrigued him, including the research on "Gikon."

They were a byproduct of the previous captain, Kirio Hikifune's, research on "Artificial Souls."

Urahara had even taken the first Gikon ever created with him when he left the Soul Society.

"Centuries ago, Captain Hikifune of the 12th Division created 'Artificial Souls.' She then devoted herself to researching a method to implant these 'temporary souls' into Shinigami, significantly boosting their spiritual pressure."

"However, while Captain Hikifune abandoned her research on 'Artificial Souls,' some of her subordinates continued her work."