Chapter 69

Hearing that familiar voice, Aizen's killing intent subsided—but his blood pressure spiked.

Kaelith Yurei!

"Why is he here?"

Aizen's mind spun in chaos. "Did Kaelith see my lab? When did he even arrive? My power has been advancing by leaps and bounds—how could I not sense his presence from such a close distance?"

"Did he notice my power changes? How am I supposed to explain the lab?"

No matter what, abandoning the lab was not an option. The results were within reach, and even with all his patience, Aizen couldn't accept losing everything now.

His expression turned grave. If the worst came to pass, even if it meant making Kaelith his enemy, he would—

Before Aizen could finish the thought, Kaelith, standing casually on a stone pillar, raised his head and grinned.

"Yo, Sōsuke!" Kaelith called out. "Your good buddy is here to save you in your hour of desperation. Feeling moved yet?"

Aizen: "..."

For a moment, he wanted to swear aloud.

"This idiot just blurted out my real name in front of the enemy?!"

Wait.

Could it be… Kaelith had known all along? Did he come here specifically to stop me? Is he revealing himself now to save Goken Kenpachi?

Aizen's mind sharpened, his emotions calming. Kaelith had likely shown up to prevent Goken from recklessly draining his energy. Without this interruption, Goken would have worn himself out, giving Aizen the perfect opportunity to strike. Kaelith had clearly seen through this and acted to disrupt the sequence.

Aizen's gaze grew cold and calculating. If Kaelith were to align himself with Goken, he could use the rebel label against Goken. As Yamamoto's disciple, Kaelith couldn't ignore the accusation of rebellion.

At the very least, Aizen could manipulate the situation to keep Kaelith neutral.

Just as Aizen was about to deliver a clever argument, Kaelith's lazy voice interrupted him again.

"Stop spacing out! If you let him get away, you'll regret it later."

"I don't know what nonsense you're scheming, but forget it for now."

"Let's work together and take this guy down! There's no need to play fair with a traitor—let's handle this side by side!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Kaelith vanished with a flash step, appearing directly in front of Goken Kenpachi and swinging his blade.

*Boom!*

A powerful wave of Spirit Pressure erupted outward.

Kaelith grinned, standing toe-to-toe with Goken as their blades clashed. With his other hand, Kaelith suddenly formed a fist and launched a strike.

"One Bone!"

Instinctively, Goken flinched backward to avoid the blow—only to feel a sharp kick to his lower back, sending him lurching forward uncontrollably.

Aizen, who had flash-stepped behind Goken, timed his move perfectly. His kick forced Goken's abdomen straight into Kaelith's waiting punch.

*Boom!*

The massive impact shattered Goken's defensive Spirit Pressure and drilled straight into his stomach. His eyes widened in agony, nearly bulging from their sockets. The searing pain darkened his vision, and he almost lost consciousness. Somehow, he managed to cling on, activating his Spirit Pressure to conjure a web of spatial rifts around his body.

Neither Kaelith nor Aizen wanted to risk engaging directly with the spatial fractures. They retreated simultaneously using flash step.

Aizen stood with his Zanpakutō in hand, keeping a wary eye on Goken while stealing a complicated glance at Kaelith from the corner of his eye. 

"I truly can't figure out what this guy is thinking."

Kaelith casually swung his blade, summoning his shadow to his side. As he prepared his next move, Yamamoto's earlier words resurfaced in his mind. 

After a brief pause, Kaelith spoke.

"ORA ORA ORA, Star Platinum!!" (t/n never watched Jojo but even I know it is from that) 

Aizen: "...?"

"What on earth was that?"

In mid-air, Goken Kenpachi pushed back the two figures attacking him, his eyes narrowing in hesitation. 

The cloaked figure dressed in black seemed oddly familiar, though their face was partially obscured. That last punch from them had carried significant Spirit Pressure—strong enough to indicate someone nearing or already at captain-level strength. 

And Goken wasn't eager to fight two captain-level combatants simultaneously. He wasn't Kaelith Yurei, after all. 

"Wait… Kaelith Yurei?"

His pupils shrank as realization struck. Fixing his gaze on the half-visible face beneath the black hood, his emotions shifted between shock and rage. 

"Kaelith Yurei!!"

Kaelith reached up, pulling back the hood. "Ah, Captain Goken still remembers me? I'm honored."

Seeing Kaelith's face, Goken's composure shattered. 

He didn't know how Kaelith had managed to appear here, but the memory of Kaelith single-handedly taking on Shinchira Renzosuke and Takada Yasushi came flooding back. 

In an instant, one word filled his mind: *run.* 

Though he had claimed loyalty to the Spirit King and grand ideals, those weren't the real reasons he joined the rebels. His motivation was far simpler. 

If the rebels succeeded in overthrowing the Seireitei and conquering the Spirit King's Palace, *that great one* would ascend to supreme power. 

And when that time came, Goken had been promised his talent would be "remade," granting him unmatched strength and making him the strongest Shinigami. 

But if he died here, all those dreams would vanish into thin air.

His resolve firmed. He would create a diversion, escape, and return to the Seireitei to manipulate the Forty-Six Chambers into turning against Kaelith and Aizen. 

The plan formed rapidly in his mind. Once back at the Seireitei, he would report that Kaelith Yurei and the Shadow Killer were conducting forbidden human experiments in Rukongai. The panicked elders of the Forty-Six Chambers would be too afraid to sit idly by. 

By the time Kaelith returned, it would be too late. The Forty-Six Chambers would see him as a criminal, and both he and this "Sōsuke Aizen" would become their next targets. 

"I'll remain the Eleventh Division Captain, and they'll be executed as traitors!"

A sinister grin spread across Goken's face as he raised his blade. 

"He's going to run," Aizen remarked calmly.

But even as he spoke, Aizen's gaze shifted in surprise.

In the air, Goken's triumphant expression froze. Slowly, he glanced down at his chest, where an invisible blade had pierced straight through.

Aizen: "…"

If he wasn't mistaken, this must be Kaelith Yurei's Zanpakutō ability. 

"So… that bizarre release command wasn't just a joke? It's real?"

Aizen sighed internally. "Unbelievable. What did this guy do in his past life to end up with such a ridiculous release phrase?" 

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(t/n Deception 100)