Fate in Bleach: Unlimited Blade Works!-Chapter 310: Confrontation

Under these circumstances, it was impossible for Aizen to use Kyōka Suigetsu to affect Ailin.

Ailin hadn't expected that Rukia and Aizen would encounter each other within the Central 46 chambers.

Moreover, they had even come into conflict.

While Rukia's current strength might be greater than in Ailin's memories, he didn't believe she stood a chance against Aizen.

...

At the bottom of the Palace of Penitence, Byakuya Kuchiki, still battling Ikkaku Madarame, also sensed Rukia's spiritual pressure. His heart skipped a beat.

Was Rukia in danger?

While Byakuya didn't know the relationship between Rukia and Hisana, Rukia's striking resemblance to his late wife made it impossible for him to ignore her.

To Byakuya, Hisana was an eternal presence, etched into his very soul.

In his youth, Byakuya had been arrogant and aloof. As the eldest son of the Kuchiki Clan, one of the four great noble families, and the future head of the clan, he had possessed an unmatched status and authority.

At a young age, he had believed his mastery of Shunpo far surpassed even Yoruichi Shihōin, the "Goddess of Flash."

Then, tragedy struck the Kuchiki Clan. Byakuya's father was killed by Koga, and the weight of the entire clan fell upon Byakuya's shoulders. Countless hopes and expectations were placed upon him.

If it weren't for Ailin marrying into the Kuchiki Clan at that time, Byakuya didn't know if he could have withstood such pressure.

But that pressure had also forced Byakuya to shed his youthful arrogance and naivety, allowing him to truly witness the world's cruelty.

If it weren't for Hisana, Byakuya might have become a mere tool, dedicated solely to upholding the Kuchiki Clan's glory.

Hisana had brought "humanity" back into Byakuya's life, teaching him to choose his own path.

Sadly, Hisana was an ordinary soul, lacking spiritual pressure. From the moment she entered the Soul Society, her life had already begun its countdown.

In a sense, Rukia carried Byakuya's hopes for Hisana.

Sometimes, Byakuya would wonder, if Hisana had possessed spiritual pressure, if she could have cultivated, would their lives have been like his uncle Ailin and aunt Haruko?

However, Byakuya was a rational man. He could differentiate between Hisana and Rukia.

But this didn't mean that he would remain indifferent if Rukia was in danger!

The countless cherry blossom petals converged, reforming into his Zanpakutō.

He then turned the blade upside down, gently releasing his grip and allowing it to fall into the spatial ripples on the ground.

"Bankai—Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!"

Whoosh!

Instantly, a pink aura shot skyward, transforming into a tsunami of cherry blossom petals that engulfed Ikkaku Madarame.

...

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Chad and Shino ran through the Seireitei's alleyways. However, they had overlooked a crucial detail.

Chad had only been in the Seireitei for a few days. He didn't know the layout.

Shino had always been a member of the Thirteenth Division. Besides the Shin'ō Academy, she was only familiar with the Thirteenth and Eleventh Divisions.

The Palace of Penitence, located within the nobles' district, was unfamiliar territory.

Moreover, they had to constantly evade the patrolling Shinigami, forcing them to take detours.

After running for a long time, they came to an abrupt halt, facing a dead end.

"Um..."

Chad, a man of few words and with a darker complexion, didn't show any outward signs of embarrassment.

Shino, however, clasped her hands behind her head, looking away as if she couldn't see the wall.

It was too awkward!

"Oh my, oh my, Miss Madarame. Your escape route is truly unpredictable. I waited for you at several exits, but I never expected you to hide here."

"Captain... Captain Ichimaru?"

Seeing Gin appear before them, even Shino felt a wave of despair.

White bandages swirled around them, whipping up a powerful wind.

The next moment, their vision blurred, and they found themselves at the base of Sōkyoku Hill's torii gate.

"Oh my, oh my. It seems I'm not too late."

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As the white bandages dispersed, Gin tossed the unconscious Chad to the side, then approached Soi Fon and stood beside her with his hands tucked into his sleeves, his eyes narrowed to slits.

"Hmph!"

Soi Fon snorted and moved away slightly, indicating that she didn't want to stand near Gin. To be honest, she didn't have a good impression of him.

This was mainly because, decades ago, Aizen had said that the reason he considered Ailin the mastermind behind the Seireitei's turmoil was because Gin had told him some things.

While the subsequent investigation revealed that those incidents had nothing to do with Ailin or the Hollowfication experiments, Soi Fon still looked down on Gin.

Trained by Captain Ailin, yet betraying him in the end, Gin was truly a venomous snake.

Hum...

A red ribbon materialized around Shino Madarame's wrists. An invisible force lifted her into the air, her arms outstretched, as she was slowly suspended from the torii gate.

Once the execution time arrived, Sōkyoku would be unleashed, delivering Shino's death sentence!

...

Bang!

Aizen stood amidst countless ice shards with a few drops of blood dripping from his Zanpakutō.

"Excellent, Rukia. Your Zanpakutō's ability is even more impressive than Captain Hitsugaya's."

Aizen looked at the frozen blood crystals on his Zanpakutō's blade and smiled.

After witnessing Rukia's ability, Aizen finally understood why Ailin had taken her as a disciple.

While Hyōrinmaru's reputation was greater than Sode no Shirayuki's—after all, Hyōrinmaru was the "strongest ice-type Zanpakutō," while Sode no Shirayuki was merely the "most beautiful"—in some aspects, Sode no Shirayuki was superior to Hyōrinmaru.

For instance, when facing Ryūjin Jakka, the strongest fire-type Zanpakutō...

Ryūjin Jakka's Bankai could generate flames that reached fifteen million degrees Celsius, rivaling the sun's core.

Under such extreme heat, all moisture in the Soul Society would be evaporated.

Hyōrinmaru's ability was to control moisture within a certain radius and condense it into ice.

If all moisture was evaporated by Ryūjin Jakka, Hyōrinmaru would be rendered useless.

But Sode no Shirayuki was different. Sode no Shirayuki could lower the temperature around her wielder to sub-zero levels, freezing anything she touched.

Even without moisture, Sode no Shirayuki's power wouldn't be weakened in the slightest.

It was a Zanpakutō capable of confronting Captain-Commander Yamamoto's Ryūjin Jakka.

"Did I overestimate you?"

Discovering Ailin's secret for training Rukia, Aizen's admiration for Ailin practically vanished.

Decades ago, after being effortlessly defeated by Ailin and imprisoned within Unlimited Blade Works, Aizen had witnessed a glimpse of Ailin's "truth."

He acknowledged Ailin's strength.

But even Ailin, when fighting against Captain-Commander Yamamoto, had to consider the compatibility of their Zanpakutō's attributes?

Aizen's path was indeed correct.

In this world, spiritual pressure reigned supreme!

He stood before Rukia, raising his Zanpakutō.

"Rukia, what do you think Captain Ailin's reaction would be if I killed you here?"

"I'll kill you before you can even touch her, Sōsuke Aizen!"

Before Rukia could respond, Ailin's voice came from behind Aizen.

"Oh?"

Aizen's Zanpakutō which was about to strike, paused. He turned and saw Ailin standing behind him angrily.

Whoosh!

Aizen blinked, and Ailin vanished from his sight.

His pupils constricted.

He was so fast!

Aizen's Reikaku couldn't even sense Ailin's movements?