I will always be your brother

"Zanpakutō is an extension of the soul."

"The hands and feet are extensions of the torso."

"Is that so?"

Hearing Aiyan's words, Aizen murmured quietly. Behind the lenses of his framed glasses, a sharp gleam flashed through his eyes.

"Let's go."

"I just put on a little show in front of the First Division and all the Guard Captains. If we don't return soon, it'll raise suspicion."

Aiyan patted Aizen on the shoulder, then picked up Tōsen Kaname—disguised as the captured Kōga—and disappeared with a flash of Shunpo.

"Brother, you said I overthink things… but aren't you the same?"

"Even if I seek to stand at the peak, I've never forgotten one thing…"

"I will always be your brother."

Watching Aiyan's fading silhouette, Aizen thought to himself silently.

He chuckled.

Then he withdrew both Kyōka Suigetsu and the demon blade Muramasa, deactivating their Shikai states. The dual blades reverted into a single sealed Zanpakutō, which he sheathed with a composed motion.

Afterward, he carefully erased all traces that might expose their presence. The Kidō barrier he had quietly erected earlier vanished in silence. With a flicker of Shunpo, Aizen darted away to catch up to Aiyan.

He hadn't forgotten—Unohana Retsu was currently using Kaidō on what appeared to be a mere cloud of air.

Although her five senses had been subjected to Kyōka Suigetsu's Complete Hypnosis, and everything she saw, heard, felt, and perceived would align with Aizen's illusions, he knew better than anyone…

Unohana Retsu is not like ordinary Shinigami. Neither her vision nor her intuition could be underestimated.

And since Aizen hadn't been present on the scene throughout, the longer he stayed away, the greater the chances that a misstep would be noticed.

… 

First Division – Assembly Hall

Under the command of Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, cleanup of the recent incident was mostly completed. The damage caused by the rebellion of the guard captains' Zanpakutōs, and the riots that followed, had largely been restored to order.

However, the captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13 had not yet dispersed.

They stood assembled inside the great hall, awaiting Aiyan's return. It hadn't been ordered by Yamamoto himself—they remained voluntarily.

This was their silent show of respect.

After all, Aiyan had suppressed the entire Zanpakutō rebellion single-handedly.

Twelve captains and thirteen lieutenants, not a single one missing, stood solemnly in formation.

"He's back."

Yamamoto Genryūsai's slightly narrowed eyes opened with a flash.

The rest of the captains and lieutenants simultaneously turned their gazes to the great doors of the meeting hall.

Aiyan entered shortly after, carrying the unconscious "Kōga" over his shoulder.

He walked in calmly, unhurriedly, drawing all eyes as he approached.

"As expected… he's been captured?"

Kuchiki Ginrei's gaze immediately settled on the "Kōga" Aiyan carried.

He released a pulse of Reiatsu to scan the prisoner. Detecting faint but present spiritual pressure, he finally let out a faint sigh of relief.

As long as Kōga wasn't dead, it wasn't a total loss.

The former heir to the Kuchiki name may have been irredeemable, but the fragment of the Soul King embedded in him was still recoverable.

Whether Kōga would be executed or not didn't concern him much. As the head of the Kuchiki Clan, Ginrei still held influence enough to guide the outcome.

"A Muramasa capable of hypnotizing all Zanpakutō—and the genius Shinigami, Kōga himself."

"And they couldn't even scratch Aiyan?"

"Not even his Captain's Haori was damaged."

"This guy is terrifying."

Kyoraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jūshirō weren't surprised that Aiyan had captured Kōga and returned safely. What truly shook them was the fact that neither Muramasa nor Kōga had left even a mark on him.

Their minds involuntarily replayed hypothetical battle scenarios.

Kidō—overwhelmed.

Zanjutsu—crushed.

Shunpo—outclassed.

Hakuda—dominated.

Reiatsu—oppressive.

Zanpakutō—overbearing.

No matter how they envisioned it, the outcome was the same: Aiyan overpowering Kōga in every aspect. The only variation was which combat skill he chose to do it with.

"There are only two types of geniuses in Soul Society…"

"One is Aiyan."

"And the other is everyone else."

Shiba Isshin stared at Aiyan and then down at the limp figure of Kōga slung over his shoulder like a ragdoll. He couldn't help but let out a sigh.

The Soul Society's history was so vast that even measuring it was nearly impossible. Throughout the ages, countless powerful Shinigami had been born. Even those hailed as once-in-a-century geniuses were as numerous as grains of sand along the Ganga River.

Even Yamamoto Genryūsai was simply the strongest among thousands. If you went back far enough, there were other titans equal to him.

Yet today, in front of all captains and lieutenants, Shiba Isshin made a bold declaration:

There are only two types of geniuses—Aiyan, and everyone else.

The weight of that evaluation was staggering.

As expected—

When Shiba's remark spread across the room, the captains' expressions shifted, and murmurs spread among the lieutenants.

But when their eyes returned to Aiyan—

No one refuted it.

Even Yamamoto Genryūsai himself remained silent.

Soon-to-be Squad Zero members like Shutara Senjumaru and Hikifune Kirio, as well as the First Generation Kenpachi, Unohana Yachiryu, were no exceptions.

They were scholars and warriors alike. Well-read in the entire history of Seireitei, none could recall a single Shinigami with talent on par with Aiyan's.

"Isshin-sensei~"

"Don't think wearing a top hat's gonna save you from the bill."

"I helped you suppress Engetsu today, so you'd better leave me something behind tonight."

Aiyan placed "Kōga" and his Zanpakutō on the ground casually, breaking the heavy silence with a chuckle.

"I knew you wouldn't let me go home that easily."

"No problem. Tonight's meal's on me."

"Oh, and some good news—Aizen's fine. The blade missed his vitals. He'll be up and about in a week."

Shiba Isshin grinned and waved it off.

"Alright, alright, I'll pay the bill tonight."

He didn't notice that the "injured" Aizen he mentioned was standing quietly beside Aiyan, observing him with amusement sparkling behind his glasses.

"Silence."

Yamamoto Genryūsai finally spoke, his tone grave.

"Captain Aiyan, thank you for quelling the chaos."

"Seireitei does not neglect those who contribute."

"You quelled the Zanpakutō rebellion and captured the criminal Kōga alive. I will report this to Central 46, and appropriate rewards will be issued."

But as his eyes drifted toward Kōga, a cold shadow crossed his face, and the room's temperature dropped.

"As for the criminal Kōga..."

His words trailed off, his voice pausing deliberately—as though weighing something… or waiting.

What a fox Kuchiki Ginrei is.

He immediately recognized the meaning behind Yamamoto's hesitation and stepped out from the row of captains…

...

Congratulations to Itz_me0 for being selected as the winner.

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