Realization dawned upon Yamamoto. With haste, he appeared in front of the swelling Arrancar. The ticking time bomb exploded, and a catastrophic release of flames threatened to engulf everyone in its path. Desperate to shield his comrades, Yamamoto thrust out an arm, containing the inferno. Though he managed to deflect the worst of the blast away from the others, the backlash severely scorched him. His once proud and imposing figure now seemed vulnerable, and his clothes were burnt, revealing grievous injuries beneath.
Everyone was beaten and battered, and the battlefield bore witness to the immense power that had been unleashed. Aizen turned to look at Tousen, eyes widening slightly as he noticed Hisagi's kama lodged deep within Tousen's skull. Blood dripped from the wound, and Hisagi, his face a mask of grief and anger, slowly pulled out his weapon. Komamura, equally devastated, held his friend's lifeless body.
Tousen, their once comrade, had betrayed them. And in that moment of ultimate betrayal, the culmination of their bonds led to his death. A tragic end for one who had once walked beside them.
Aizen, without missing a beat, vanished, reappearing next to the grieving duo. He aimed a lethal strike, swiftly incapacitating them. The scene now was eerily silent. Aizen and Gin floated in the air, facing a singular figure: Kai.
"Now what?" Aizen asked, his voice dripping with amusement. The horizon painted the scene with a reddish hue as the sun began to set.
Kai exhaled audibly, his annoyance evident. He muttered, more to himself than anyone else, "Stupid Commander Captain." He chuckled, though there was no humor in it. "Offered him a golden opportunity on a silver platter, yet he wasted it."
Aizen tilted his head, observing Kai's reaction, trying to gauge his thoughts. It was unlike him to not be in control, to not foresee events. But Kai was an enigma, even to him.
Gin, always one to enjoy the moment, grinned, his fox-like eyes glinting mischievously. "Seems like you truly lifted Aizen-san's influence from the others. Yet the Commander Captain didn't believe you." His tone was light, almost teasing, but there was an underlying tension.
Kai shrugged, nonchalance painted on his face. "It's truly lifted." His words were definitive, leaving no room for doubt.
The next moment happened in a blur, yet it seemed to stretch into eternity. Gin's blade, swift as a snake, pierced through Aizen's heart from behind. The rogue captain's eyes widened, the very definition of shock. For the first time, the unfathomable, unreadable, and ever-cunning Aizen was caught off guard.
Aizen clutched the area around his heart, the very location of the Hogyoku, blood oozing from his lips. "I knew." The words were a painful rasp, a struggle to articulate. "I brought you into this knowing full well you'd betray me. My curiosity merely wondered about the nature of that betrayal. And now, Gin, after all your plotting... Do you believe this to be my end?"
Gin's smirk was unwavering, even in the face of Aizen's piercing gaze. "Did I think a mere stab would kill you? Nah." He held up his blade, the very instrument of betrayal. A minute chip was missing from its center. The revelation wasn't in the missing piece, but in its absence, a symbol of Gin's deception.
Aizen's eyes, usually so full of confidence and cunning, flicked to the blade, and then to his chest, realization dawning. "What have you done?" There was a rare tremor in his voice, one of genuine uncertainty.
Gin's eyes twinkled with a mix of mischief and determination as he began, "Long time ago, Aizen, do you remember me mentioning my Bankai ability?"
Aizen, still gripping the area where his heart should be, glared at him. "Your Kamishini no Yari's 'speed' and 'length'? Of course." His tone was defiant, but the underlying pain couldn't be masked.
Gin's lips curled into a devious smile. "Sorry, it was a lie." His eyes darted toward the tiny, missing piece of his blade.
"What nonsense are you—" Aizen began, but his words were interrupted by a sudden, excruciating pain that made him clench his teeth.
"The piece I left in your chest? It's a potent poison that starts breaking down cells as soon as it comes into contact with them. I intentionally left it there, deep within your heart, when I pierced you."
Aizen's usually calm and poised face contorted in a rare display of shock. His breathing grew ragged.
Gin's smile widened, stretching across his face, making his fox-like features even more pronounced. "Seems like you've realized. Soon, a hole will form right there in your chest, and you will die."
"You think this will end me?" Aizen growled, trying to steady himself, but the strain in his voice was evident. "Gin, you've underestimated me time and time again."
Even as he said this, Aizen's chest began to implode, the flesh around the Hogyoku dissolving, leaving a gaping hole in its wake. The very essence of Aizen seemed to weaken, and his majestic aura waned.
Gin moved with swift agility, reaching out to snatch the Hogyoku. With the jewel in hand, he retreated several feet, positioning himself away from the potentially dangerous vicinity of the now weakened Aizen.
But Aizen's reiatsu exploded with a force that even suppressed Gin. Instead of dying, his power grew, and he evolved once more. His hair lengthened to his waist, and his clothing transformed into a white armor that seemed to emanate a divine light. Gigantic, white wings sprouted from his back, giving him an almost angelic appearance. The skies themselves seemed to warp around him, the sun appearing to darken as if hiding from his newfound might.
"Victory is mine, Gin." Aizen floated higher into the sky, casting a colossal shadow over the battlefield. His voice echoed with authority and confidence. "Even if it is not inside of me, the Hogyoku you stole belongs to me."
The Hogyoku sizzled as it floated from Gin's hand, searing his skin with its blistering heat. Smoke billowed from the burned flesh as Aizen's form dissolved into nothingness, only to reassemble around the glistening gem. The act was almost theatrical, yet there was an undercurrent of menace in every movement.
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