Toshiro Hitsugaya's spiritual pressure, his chilling cold, rapidly drained away, eventually coalescing before him into a young man with blue hair and a white, "乂"-shaped marking on his face.
"This… This is…?"
"Hyōrinmaru?"
As his spiritual pressure dissipated, Toshiro deactivated his Bankai. However, he wasn't focused on himself.
He couldn't believe that his teacher, Ailin, could do such a thing.
"Do you see, Toshiro?"
Ailin's figure flickered, appearing before Hyōrinmaru.
"This world is filled with miracles. All sorts of abilities, constantly emerging. While Hyōrinmaru is the strongest ice-type Zanpakutō, it isn't the strongest Zanpakutō overall.
There's nothing wrong with relying on your power, but Toshiro, that reliance must be built upon your ability to protect that power.
If you lack the strength to protect your own power, what will you do when it's taken from you by someone else?"
Looking at the dumbfounded Toshiro, Ailin recalled Toshiro's performance in the Thousand-Year Blood War, after his Bankai had been stolen.
Among the captains whose Bankai had been stolen, Byakuya Kuchiki undoubtedly suffered the worst defeat.
He had even been forced to entrust his pride to Ichigo Kurosaki.
While Toshiro, with the help of Rangiku Matsumoto's Haineko, had developed a clever trick—"Vacuum Multi-Layered Barrier"—the results of his efforts weren't worth mentioning.
Now, Ailin had used Muramasa's power to drive a wedge between Hyōrinmaru and Toshiro, making Hyōrinmaru refuse to lend its power to him.
The current Toshiro was practically in the same situation as in the Thousand-Year Blood War, forced to fight against his own Bankai-wielding Zanpakutō spirit with only his Shikai.
Of course, in a sense, the Hyōrinmaru that Toshiro was currently fighting against was even stronger than the one who had wielded Daiguren Hyōrinmaru during the war.
If Toshiro could defeat Hyōrinmaru in his current state, then even if his Bankai was stolen in the Thousand-Year Blood War, he would still have a good chance of defeating the Sternritter who wielded it.
"Hyōrinmaru, I'm entrusting Toshiro to you."
"Yes, Lord Ailin."
Hyōrinmaru bowed slightly to Ailin, then walked towards Toshiro. He extended his right hand, instantly forming a Zanpakutō identical to Toshiro's from ice.
"Master, Lord Ailin has ordered me to fight you with my full strength. If you don't want to die by my hand, please fight with everything you have and survive."
After speaking, Hyōrinmaru pointed his Zanpakutō at Toshiro. An ice dragon, over ten meters long, spun from the tip of his blade, charging towards Toshiro with immense force.
"Damn it!"
Seeing Hyōrinmaru attack, Toshiro bit his lip so hard that it bled. He had never imagined that his teacher would do such a thing. To Toshiro, Hyōrinmaru was an irreplaceable part of him.
Now, Ailin had forced him to fight against Hyōrinmaru. How could he possibly do that?
…
As Hyōrinmaru battled Toshiro, Ailin turned his attention to Gin.
Whoosh!
Sensing Ailin's gaze, Gin immediately used Shunpo to distance himself. He was different from Toshiro.
Toshiro couldn't yet withstand Hyōrinmaru's true power. And he hadn't encountered an opponent who could survive until all the petals on his ice flower had melted. Therefore, Toshiro had never experienced the full extent of Hyōrinmaru's power.
But Gin…
As a Shinigami, his talent surpassed even Toshiro's.
Even after giving a part of his soul to Rangiku Matsumoto, his talent was still comparable to Toshiro's.
Moreover, because Gin was over a hundred years older than Toshiro, he had long mastered Shinsō's true power.
However, he only planned to unleash that power when he was fully prepared, when he delivered that final blow to Sōsuke Aizen.
But if his Zanpakutō was summoned by Ailin, like Toshiro's, Gin didn't believe he could survive his own Bankai.
Whoosh!
Ailin's figure flickered, appearing behind Gin.
Shhh!
A white light pierced through Gin's captain's haori, passing under his arm and aiming for Ailin's head.
"Oh?"
Ailin's brow twitched.
With his current speed, Gin's Reikaku shouldn't be able to track him.
In other words, Gin, based on his understanding of Ailin, had anticipated that Ailin would appear behind him and had already launched his attack before Ailin even moved.
Ailin tilted his head slightly. The white blade missed his ear. The wind from its passing ruffled his hair.
"Well done, Gin. But if you had been more ruthless and released your Bankai, your fangs might have truly reached me."
Standing behind Gin, Ailin sighed.
Gin's Bankai, Kamishini no Yari, could instantly transform its blade into dust and extend thirteen kilometers in an instant.
With less than three meters between them, it could be said that as long as Gin released his Bankai, Kamishini no Yari could reach Ailin.
"Who knows?"
Slowly retracting Shinsō, Gin turned to face Ailin.
"Teacher Ailin, I believe you know that my Zanpakutō is different from Captain Hitsugaya's. Your method of teaching Captain Hitsugaya won't work on me."
It was true. Kamishini no Yari's Bankai was simply too fast. Unless one focused all their attention on the blade, anticipating its trajectory and dodging in advance, no one could escape Kamishini no Yari's unreasonable extension speed unscathed.
"Yes, I know."
Ailin naturally wouldn't teach Gin in the same way he taught Toshiro. He had forced Toshiro to fight against Hyōrinmaru because, in Ailin's memories, the reason Toshiro's Bankai had been stolen was simply because he was too weak.
If Toshiro had reached the level of a "century captain," he could have defeated the Sternritter with Hyōrinmaru's Shikai alone. His Bankai wouldn't have been stolen!
Of course, if Toshiro could defeat Hyōrinmaru in his current state, with only his Shikai, then even if his Bankai was stolen, he would still have a high chance of defeating the Sternritter who wielded it.
Gin was different. While he hid his strength well, he couldn't deceive Ailin. Gin had already surpassed the peak of a captain, reaching the level of a "century captain."
As for how far Gin had progressed within the realm of a "century captain," with Gin concealing his true strength, Ailin couldn't tell. However, considering Gin's talent, over a hundred years of training should have brought him close to the limits of a "century captain."
In other words, Gin's current strength was comparable to Retsu Unohana's.
Of course, in a true battle, Unohana would probably be slightly stronger.
This was because Unohana's Zanpakutō ability countered Gin's.
Gin's Zanpakutō, Shinsō, could be called the "fastest Zanpakutō" in the Soul Society.
Practically no one could avoid being injured by Gin's Bankai, Kamishini no Yari. However, because it was a straight thrust, unless it directly struck a vital point, its lethality was slightly weaker than other powerful Zanpakutō.
Unohana's Bankai, Minazuki, could transform everything within a certain radius into a sea of blood.
This blood, cultivated by Unohana based on Tenjirō Kirinji's "Blood-Soaked Hot Springs," was under her complete control. It could form blood-red slashes that corroded everything they touched. Moreover, the blood possessed healing abilities even greater than high-level Kidō.
Tenjirō Kirinji's "Blood-Soaked Hot Springs" could instantly heal even the most severe injuries. While Unohana's blood wasn't as fast, it could still bring someone back from the brink of death.
It could be said that, at the same level, Unohana completely countered Gin.
Even if Gin used his true Bankai, he might not be able to kill Unohana.
In fact, within Unohana's domain of blood, he would have to constantly evade the endless blood slashes.
Looking at Gin, Ailin sighed. Unlike Toshiro, Gin's fate was tied to the battle of Fake Karakura Town in six months.
No, not the battle itself, but what happened afterward, when they returned to the Soul Society.
Sōsuke Aizen's strength had already reached the limit of a Shinigami. Once he completely fused with the Hōgyoku, his spiritual pressure would surpass that limit, reaching an unimaginable level.
"Gin, your attack is strong enough to accomplish what you desire. But have you considered what might happen if your target survives that attack?
Your greatest weakness is that you've focused all your efforts on that single strike, neglecting your own defense."
"…"
Gin remained silent. To be honest, the more he understood Aizen, the more he realized the vast gap between their strength.
It could be said that if he didn't focus all his efforts on that single attack, he wouldn't even have a chance of reaching Aizen.
He understood everything Ailin had said.
But…
"I know you have your own plans. But Gin, as your teacher, I won't refuse to become your strength.
I want you to remember that no matter what, as long as you call, I will always be there.
You can rely on me…"
…
Normally, a year or two would pass quickly for the Shinigami of the Seireitei. But recently, time seemed to have slowed down. Even though only a few days had passed, it felt like a year or two.
Early one morning, Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto arrived at Sōkyoku Hill with his lieutenant, Chōjirō Sasakibe.
Soi Fon, the captain of the Second Division, and her lieutenant, Marechiyo Ōmaeda, were also there.
Ailin was there as well, but instead of his lieutenant, Zaraki, he had brought his Third Seat, Kiganjō.
These three captains were among the first to arrive at Sōkyoku Hill.
As for the others…
Ailin's spiritual sense spread throughout the Seireitei.
Shunsui Kyoraku, the captain of the Eighth Division, was heading towards Sōkyoku Hill with his lieutenant, Nanao Ise.
Jūshirō Ukitake, the captain of the Thirteenth Division, was currently at the Shihōin Clan's estate.
Retsu Unohana, the captain of the Fourth Division, was re-examining Sōsuke Aizen's body with her lieutenant, Isane Kotetsu.
While Unohana had also been affected by Kyōka Suigetsu's ability, her instincts, honed through a millennium of battles, had allowed her to sense something amiss with Aizen's body.
…
Bang!
A tall, muscular man kicked open the doors to the Fourth Division, startling the Shinigami inside. They cursed at him, but the man ignored their insults, as if they didn't exist, continuing to search through the division's sickbeds.
It was Zaraki, the lieutenant of the Eleventh Division, with Yachiru Kusajishi clinging to his shoulder.
"Damn it!"
Seeing Zaraki's reckless behavior, the Fourth Division members gritted their teeth. They were quite familiar with Zaraki. For a long time, Zaraki had been a regular visitor to the Fourth Division. Their progress in healing Kidō had even benefited from Zaraki's frequent visits.
They knew that beneath Zaraki's rough exterior was a gentle heart.
This was why they dared to curse at him every time he destroyed the Fourth Division's doors.
However, if they knew that the reason Zaraki ignored them was because he considered them too weak, that fighting them wouldn't be satisfying, they might think differently.