Chapter 165: The endgame! Aizen: Hirako and Urahara, you

Night. The bleak moonlight spilled onto the earth, draping a strange veil over the candle-lit Seireitei. The demons and monsters inside and outside the Seireitei all hid in the shadows, silently watching this grand opening ceremony! Everything that happened today was a major event destined to be recorded in the annals of the Soul Society~

Rukongai.

Under the influence of Hirako's Bankai, the captains who had been subjected to Aizen's Hollowfication experiment could no longer distinguish friend from foe and had begun to slaughter each other. The battle had entered a white-hot stage, leaving Hirako Shinji trembling with fear. He never expected that these Hollowfied captains could even release Ceros, which only "Menos Grande" could master.

"Captain Hirako~"

Just as Hirako Shinji felt that the Reiatsu in his body was about to be drained by his Bankai, the voice he was incredibly familiar with finally sounded in his ears.

"Urahara Kisuke, you finally came..."

Hirako looked at the person behind him, Urahara Kisuke wearing a pitch-black cloak. While breathing a sigh of relief, he released his Bankai and then Shunpoed to Urahara's side.

"This is..."

Urahara looked at the captains who still hadn't stopped, killing continuously like "Menos Grande." His eyelids twitched slightly. Although he had guessed in advance that Muguruma Kensei and the others might have been ambushed by the enemy and forced to become test subjects for the enemy's Hollowfication experiment, he was still surprised when he saw the completely Hollowfied Muguruma Kensei and the others. There was no doubt that the guy who used Kensei and the others as test subjects had already completed his Hollowfication experiment.

"Urahara, when we arrived here, Kensei and Kuna Mashiro were already in this state—not quite Soul Reaper, not quite 'Menos Grande'..."

"At the beginning, we could rely on our numerical advantage to suppress Kensei and Kuna Mashiro! But who knew, just when we caught Kensei and Kuna Mashiro, a darkness suddenly attacked us. Immediately after, everyone present felt their vision go black. In that darkness, we couldn't hear sounds or see things; it seemed our five senses had all disappeared in that darkness. After the pitch-black retreated, everyone except me collapsed. When they woke up, they had all turned into the same state as Kensei."

Hirako Shinji explained the things he had just experienced to Urahara Kisuke beside him in incredibly brief words.

"Urahara, do you know what that substance on Kensei and the others that looks like a Hollow actually is?! By the way, they seemed to be able to release Ceros just now..."

After Hirako Shinji finished telling his experience, he seemed to think of something important. He asked Urahara Kisuke while adding.

"Undoubtedly, this is Hollowfication!"

Urahara's brows locked tightly after hearing Hirako Shinji's words, and he said deeply.

"Hollowfication? Is it caused by some kind of virus? Is there a solution?"

Hirako Shinji was slightly stunned after hearing this.

"No! This is undoubtedly artificial. Someone conducted an artificial Hollowfication experiment on Muguruma Kensei and all the captains present..."

"Hirako, you also said that all of you entered a period of darkness, right? If I'm not mistaken, the enemy contacted you during that time and fused the Hollowfication materials into the bodies of Rose and the other captains..."

"As for the solution, although I dare not say I can solve the Hollowfication on the captains 100%, temporarily suppressing it or sealing the Hollowfication is absolutely no problem. In short, after my treatment, it will definitely not affect their daily actions."

Urahara Kisuke was worthy of being the embodiment of wisdom. After hearing what Hirako said, he immediately deduced the general process of what Hirako and the others had experienced.

"It's good that there's a solution..."

Hirako breathed a sigh of relief after hearing that Urahara Kisuke had a way to solve this so-called Hollowfication. He didn't ask Urahara to solve the Hollowfication 100%; as long as he could let the captains present return to normal life or achieve effective relief, that was enough.

"Are you saying we have already had direct contact with the enemy?"

"According to what you said, the darkness that suddenly attacked us just now was indeed the 'Bankai' of the enemy's Zanpakuto? In that case, the enemy is actually inside our 'Gotei 13', am I right?!"

Immediately after, Hirako's brows furrowed, and he continued looking at Urahara.

In fact, Hirako had long guessed that the darkness was the ability of the enemy's Zanpakuto. It was just that Hirako still couldn't believe that their enemy didn't come from the outside but from the inside. This was the so-called "guarding against thieves day and night, but it's hard to guard against the thief within the family," right?!

"Yes..."

Urahara was silent after hearing Hirako's words. This topic was clearly incredibly heavy, something neither of them wanted to face. If the conversation between Urahara and Hirako today were made public in the "Gotei 13," it would definitely cause a huge uproar...

No one would have thought that under Araki's leadership, the seemingly indestructible "Gotei 13" would have a traitor. If this were spread out, it would definitely strike a blow to the confidence of every division, right?!

"But speaking of darkness? Is there anyone in our 'Gotei 13' whose Zanpakuto ability is related to darkness? In the hundreds of years I've known, among all the captains of the 'Gotei 13', there hasn't been anyone whose Bankai is related to darkness."

Hirako touched his chin, thinking about the Zanpakuto abilities of all the "Gotei 13" captains he knew. In the end, Hirako looked at Urahara blankly, because in the hundreds of years Hirako Shinji had lived in the "Seireitei," the Zanpakuto abilities of all the captain-level Soul Reapers he knew didn't match the ability just now.

"If that's the case, there is finally one good piece of news. The enemy is at least not any of the captains of the 'Gotei 13'. At most, they are just a vice-captain. But speaking of vice-captains, is there really any vice-captain of any division capable of scheming against so many captain-level Soul Reapers?"

Urahara breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Hirako's words. If the enemy were a captain of the "Gotei 13," the situation would be really troublesome...

In Urahara Kisuke's view, even if it meant paying an unimaginable price, such an enemy must absolutely not be allowed to become a high-level official of the "Seireitei"! Otherwise, it would bring unimaginable, destructive blows to the entire "Soul Society."

"In any case, after this matter is resolved, let's not spread it everywhere to avoid alerting the enemy! After we go back, I will discuss it with the Captain-Commander alone..."

Hirako Shinji decided to report today's events to Captain-Commander Araki alone. After all, now that he and Urahara Kisuke had deduced that the enemy was within the "Gotei 13," then everyone in the "Gotei 13" except the Captain-Commander had lost their so-called credibility in Hirako's eyes.

"Captain-Commander..."

Urahara's brows furrowed slightly after hearing Hirako Shinji's words.

It seemed Urahara Kisuke didn't trust Araki as much as Hirako Shinji did.

"Idiot! If the mastermind behind this matter were the Captain-Commander, then he wouldn't need to use such low-level means. He could just knock us all out or force us to accept the experiment in the form of an order..."

"Who do you think the Captain-Commander is? That is the most powerful Soul Reaper in the history of the 'Soul Society.' Even if all the captains of the current 'Gotei 13' attacked together, there would absolutely be no chance of winning. The Captain-Commander is invincible."

Hirako Shinji looked at Urahara Kisuke and educated him in the tone of a senior.

"Sorry, sorry, I was overthinking~"

"However, I have already told Shihoin Yoruichi about today's events~"

"And I also told her the worst result I had guessed before..."

Urahara first apologized to Hirako, then added a sentence.

"You..."

Hirako's expression changed slightly upon hearing this. If one more person knew about this, there would be one more risk of exposure. Sometimes Hirako really wanted to open Urahara's brain to see what on earth was inside?! Sometimes Hirako couldn't figure out whether Urahara was a genius or a fool?

"Roar!!"

Just as Hirako and Urahara spent about five minutes exchanging information, the Hollowfied captains, who were still killing each other, finally reacted to the fact that they were attacking their own kind.

Consequently, these Hollowfied captains stopped their actions and then, following their respective instincts, looked at Hirako Shinji and Urahara Kisuke.

"The real trouble is coming..."

"Let me say first, my Bankai doesn't exert any effect at all when there are teammates beside me. So if you want me to help you do something, I have to say sorry to you in advance. The current me isn't much stronger than any of the Hollowfied captains there..."

Hirako, holding his Shikai Zanpakuto Sakanade, said to Urahara Kisuke beside him with great distress.

"This is really a huge trouble~"

Urahara said with a headache after hearing Hirako's words.

"Then I can only use my Bankai to end all this..."

Urahara said, drawing his Zanpakuto, looking sharply at the Hollowfied captains in front of him, while the Reiatsu in his body kept rising.

"Oh! Oh! Urahara, are you going to use Bankai? I've never seen your Bankai. It seems your Bankai is very powerful! It gives you the confidence to defeat so many captains..."

Hirako breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Urahara's words. He smiled and patted Urahara on the shoulder, looking full of confidence in the omnipotent Urahara.

"That, Hirako, actually there is one thing I have never told you..."

Urahara's expression changed slightly after hearing Hirako's praise.

"Hmm?"

Hirako looked at Urahara, his eyes showing a hint of doubt.

"Actually, my Bankai's attack power isn't strong, and I have absolutely no confidence in facing so many Hollowfied captains alone. You should know that I am just a researcher."

Urahara smiled awkwardly after hearing Hirako's words, then replied.

"Ah?!"

Hirako was completely dumbfounded after hearing Urahara's words.

"Hum~"

It was at this moment that Kensei and the others had already opened their bloody mouths, and scarlet Ceros were gathering in their mouths.

"Isn't this finished?!"

Hirako and Urahara looked at each other, their pupils trembling slightly.

"Binding Way of Ninety-Nine, Part Two: Bankin!!"

Just as Hirako and Urahara were facing the captains preparing to release Ceros, their expressions were somewhat ugly, not knowing what to do...

Accompanied by a low and powerful whisper, countless white binding spirit ribbons extended from all directions where these Hollowfied captains were, surrounding these Hollowfied captains and completely binding them to the ground...

This wasn't the end. Immediately after, a giant rock comparable to a mountain suddenly appeared in the sky, pressing down toward these Hollowfied captains, pinning all the Hollowfied captains hard to the ground, kicking up countless dust and smoke.

"This is?!"

When Hirako and Urahara saw this clean and neat operation that instantly pinned all the captains, their pupils shrank, and they looked behind them simultaneously.

Behind the two, the light twisted, and a tall man wearing a dark blue cloak, holding a Zen staff, and wearing glasses on his nose appeared before the two. Then, he greeted Hirako and Urahara incredibly politely: "Sorry, Captain Hirako and Captain Urahara. I have only exposed my identity until now. I have heard every word you just said."

"You are the Kido Chief Ushoda Hachigen, right?!"

Hirako looked at the man in front of him, his pupils shrinking slightly, and asked helplessly.

"Exactly..."

Ushoda Hachigen nodded lightly after hearing Hirako's words.

"When did you come?"

Urahara asked, looking at Ushoda Hachigen.

"From the moment you left the 'Twelfth Division', the original order Captain-Commander Araki gave me was to keep an eye on you and ensure you stayed in the Twelfth Division barracks. But after I saw your nervous face, I decided to come with you to find out what was going on. I didn't expect such a thing to happen..."

Ushoda Hachigen's brows locked tightly after hearing Urahara's words, and he said deeply.

"It seems the Captain-Commander had already guessed that you, Urahara, would leave the Twelfth Division barracks. There is really nothing that can be hidden from the Captain-Commander~"

Hirako shrugged helplessly after hearing Ushoda Hachigen's words.

"After all, it's the Captain-Commander~"

Urahara sighed. He only now realized that he had indeed underestimated Captain-Commander Araki.

There was a reason why Araki could be recognized by all the squad members of the "Gotei 13" as the most powerful Soul Reaper in the history of the "Soul Society"...

"Crack! Crack..."

Just as Urahara and the others were chatting, another change occurred. The captains who had been pinned to the ground by Ushoda Hachigen using Bankin actually stood up from the ground again, bearing the pressure of Bankin.

As for the cloth strips used to seal their Reiatsu on these captains, they had already been torn into countless fragments and drifted all over the ground.

"How is this possible?!"

This scene left Ushoda Hachigen completely stunned. He never imagined that there were creatures in this world that could break free from the restraint of a "Ninety-Nine" Binding Way relying solely on physical strength. This was a Binding Way he had created by further strengthening the original "Ninety-Nine" Binding Way to seal high-level Menos Grande!

"It seems the Second Stage Bankin I developed still cannot suppress the highest-level Vasto Lorde-level Menos Grande. What a huge failure..."

After a brief moment of loss, Ushoda Hachigen immediately calmed down. At the same time, after experiencing this failure to seal the Hollowfied captains using the Bankin he created, Ushoda Hachigen clearly understood the power of his Bankin. It was still far, far away from the ideal of sealing a Vasto Lorde Menos Grande...

"Now is not the time to consider the power of your Kido. If you have any other moves, use them quickly! Otherwise, we really won't be able to handle it..."

Hirako Shinji shouted at Ushoda Hachigen somewhat speechlessly after hearing his words. Hirako didn't know what to say to Ushoda Hachigen anymore. Was the other party really thick-skinned, or did he not know the urgency of the situation? In such an emergency, he was still thinking about developing his Kido?!

"It seems I have to use Bankai..."

"In any case, Captain Hirako and Kido Chief Ushoda Hachigen, please assist me with all your strength after I use Bankai."

Seeing that those Hollowfied captains were about to break free from their restraints, Urahara had no choice but to draw his Zanpakuto again. Although his Bankai really wasn't very good at fighting.

"Okay!"

Ushoda Hachigen and Hirako Shinji nodded forcefully after hearing Urahara's words. They looked forward to Urahara showing a powerful Bankai and then turning the tide...

"Bankai: Kannonbiraki..."

Urahara didn't mean to hesitate. After confirming that the situation in front of him absolutely couldn't be handled without Bankai, he immediately aimed his Zanpakuto at the captains in front and shouted loudly.

"Boom!"

However, before Urahara could finish speaking, accompanied by a roaring sound from the sky, a muscular man holding a Zanpakuto, with long hair disheveled, like a beast, suddenly descended from the sky and landed between Urahara Kisuke, Hirako Shinji, Ushoda Hachigen, and the Hollowfied captains.

"Zaraki Kenpachi..."

When Urahara Kisuke saw the person who arrived, his pupils shrank, and even the sword he was preparing to use for Bankai paused. With Zaraki's arrival, whether he used Bankai or not seemed to have little impact on the subsequent battle situation.

"Ah? Why are there so many people?"

Zaraki turned around, looking at Urahara Kisuke and Ushoda Hachigen beside Hirako Shinji, his brows furrowing slightly, his expression carrying a hint of doubt.

"I don't remember the old man giving an order for the Twelfth Division captain and the Kido Chief to move out together~"

Zaraki asked Urahara and Ushoda Hachigen.

At this moment, Zaraki's cold eyes were staring fixedly at Urahara and Ushoda Hachigen. That look seemed to be signaling to Urahara and Ushoda Hachigen that if they didn't give Zaraki a reasonable explanation for appearing here, Zaraki would treat Urahara and Ushoda Hachigen as enemies as well.

"I..."

Urahara's expression panicked slightly. He was thinking about his explanation.

"Captain Zaraki, I called Urahara and Ushoda over..."

"Sorry, I couldn't handle so many captains alone, so I took the liberty of inviting Urahara Kisuke and Ushoda Hachigen, who are closest to me, to help me~"

However, before Urahara and Ushoda could speak, Hirako stepped forward and explained to Zaraki. Hirako took all the responsibility upon himself.

"Is that so?"

Zaraki frowned slightly after hearing Hirako's words. He looked at the three people in front of him deeply before withdrawing his gaze.

"Forget it, you should go explain it to Captain-Commander Araki."

Zaraki couldn't be bothered to distinguish whether Hirako's words were lies or truth. He responded casually to Hirako and the others, then intended to deal with the current problem.

"Hum!"

It was at the same time Zaraki and Hirako were talking that the completely Hollowfied Muguruma Kensei and the others had already opened their bloody mouths, preparing for a scarlet flash.

"Captain Zaraki, be careful!"

Hirako Shinji couldn't help but remind Zaraki.

"Careful?"

Zaraki turned his body lightly after hearing Hirako's words and looked at the Hollowfied captains in front of him. It was the moment Zaraki turned around that the Ceros prepared by Muguruma Kensei and the other Hollowfied captains were released.

"Boom!"

In an instant, the Ceros, carrying endless power and capable of easily blowing up a mountain, shot toward Zaraki!

"Oh no!"

When Hirako, Urahara, and Ushoda, who were standing behind Zaraki, saw the menacing scarlet flash, their expressions changed. They were afraid that Zaraki would be defeated by the Cero due to carelessness.

"Idiot, how could such a painless thing hurt me?"

However, what surprised everyone was that Zaraki, facing the infinitely powerful Cero, just waved his palm and grabbed at the Cero casually.

Then, a shocking scene happened to everyone: the red Cero released by the Hollowfied captains, which looked infinitely powerful and didn't belong to the level of an Adjuchas-level Menos Grande, was grabbed by Zaraki with one hand, then squeezed gently, turning into Reishi and shattering.

"Hey, hey, hey! Are you kidding me?!"

"Can that level of Cero be grabbed with bare hands?"

For a moment, Hirako Shinji felt his scalp go numb. He knew Zaraki Kenpachi was strong, but he never expected Zaraki to be this strong.

"Whoosh!"

Just after Zaraki crushed the Cero released by Muguruma Kensei, a roaring sound suddenly came from the sky. A white figure used the inertia and impact of descending from the sky to kick toward Zaraki.

"Huh?"

Seeing this, Zaraki didn't intend to use his sword but punched toward the sky incredibly casually.

"Boom!"

Accompanied by Zaraki's casual punch, which easily broke the sound barrier, the resulting visible shockwave caused the white girl's knee descending from the sky to shatter directly, and she was sent flying like a broken kite.

"Fool! Attacking from the sky, isn't that seeking your own death?"

Zaraki said indifferently after crippling Kuna Mashiro's legs with one punch.

It was the moment Zaraki crippled Kuna Mashiro's legs that the Hollowfied Aikawa Rabu and Rose launched an attack on Zaraki from left and right.

These two captain-level Soul Reapers, although they had lost consciousness, their bodies seemed to still remember the instinct of using swords. They swung their Zanpakuto and rushed toward Zaraki's carotid artery and chest.

"Ding~"

With two crisp metallic sounds, Aikawa Rabu and Rose's Zanpakuto sparked against Zaraki's body.

"Did you guys not eat dinner? With only this little strength, how could you possibly break through the Reiatsu defense attached to my body surface?!"

Zaraki was very dissatisfied with Aikawa Rabu and Rose's swordsmanship. It was too weak, really too weak. Even after Hollowfication, the two were still incredibly weak.

"Roar!!"

Rose and Rabu seemed to hear the mockery in Zaraki's words. Both roared at Zaraki, trying to intimidate him.

"Swish!"

Zaraki didn't mean to indulge Rose and Rabu at all. He swung his Zanpakuto at Rose and Rabu. Accompanied by two blood flowers blooming in the sky, Rose and Rabu instantly collapsed to the ground. The reason they didn't die immediately was entirely because of the regeneration ability that came with their Hollowfication.

"Whoosh..."

At the same time, Hiyori and Muguruma Kensei opened their big mouths again, preparing for a Cero.

"Swish..."

However, before Kensei and Hiyori could release the Cero, Zaraki had already arrived in front of them. Zaraki first kicked Kensei away, then grabbed Hiyori's head with a big hand.

"I've already seen this move just now; it's too weak and makes no sense at all!"

"Show me something else I haven't seen..."

Immediately after, Zaraki ordered Hiyori in an incredibly domineering tone.

"Boom!"

Hiyori, who was kicked into mid-air while being held by the head by Zaraki with one hand, kicked and punched Zaraki, then released her charged Cero at Zaraki at close range.

In an instant, the scarlet light completely engulfed Zaraki, kicking up endless smoke...

When the firelight dissipated, Zaraki was still standing in place, motionless, not even a speck of dust on his haori. Conversely, Hiyori had completely fainted because she had borne the full force of her own charged attack at close range.

"Are you kidding me? How could you be defeated by your own attack?"

Zaraki was somewhat speechless looking at the fainted Hiyori. He threw Hiyori to the ground like a rag.

"Roar!"

It was at this moment that Kensei, who had been kicked away by Zaraki, roared and revived, rushing toward Zaraki horizontally.

"You're too weak..."

Zaraki mocked Kensei coldly as he rushed toward him, then threw his fist.

"Boom!"

Accompanied by a sonic boom, the entire head of the completely Hollowfied Kensei was shattered by Zaraki's punch. The mask on his face had completely disappeared, and even Kensei's own face had become bloody and blurred.

If Kensei hadn't completely Hollowfied and begun to instinctively regenerate his body tissues, he might have died...

"Swish!"

On the other side, after Zaraki smashed Kensei to the ground, he solved Ushoda Hachigen in the distance with one slash. The bright silver blade light cut a huge wound on Ushoda Hachigen that was deep enough to see bone, and blood was still flowing out of the wound.

As for Yadomaru Lisa, who was still standing firmly in place, she was smashed to the ground by Zaraki's huge fist in the blink of an eye, half of her body sinking into the soft soil. Although Zaraki had held back, he still dealt a fatal blow to Lisa.

"Is this solved?!"

After Zaraki cleaned up the Hollowfied captains like a whirlwind, Hirako Shinji, Urahara Kisuke, and Ushoda Hachigen finally recovered.

They once again witnessed how powerful the Soul Reaper with the name "Kenpachi" was, as if he were in a different dimension from ordinary Soul Reapers like them.

Being captain-level, the gap was like heaven and earth, clouds and mud!

"As expected of Captain Zaraki, this combat power is truly amazingly strong!"

Urahara Kisuke praised after Zaraki solved everything.

"It's better if these guys just die here."

However, just as Urahara Kisuke intended to step forward to explain the situation to Zaraki and then take away these completely Hollowfied captains who had been slashed down by Zaraki, Zaraki muttered to himself and aimed his Zanpakuto at Muguruma Kensei.

"Hmm?"

For a moment, Urahara Kisuke, Hirako Shinji, and Ushoda Hachigen were all frightened by Zaraki's decision.

"No, Captain Zaraki, please wait a moment!"

Ushoda Hachigen, Urahara Kisuke, and Hirako Shinji immediately stepped forward, blocking Zaraki, who intended to swing his sword, and said nervously.

"Wait a moment?!"

Zaraki frowned, looking at the three people in front of him and asking back.

"That's right! Urahara Kisuke has the ability to solve the Hollowfication on these people, so please give Urahara Kisuke a chance, please..."

Hirako Shinji first patted Urahara Kisuke on the shoulder, then looked at Zaraki in front of him and said incredibly seriously.

"That's right, please give me a chance. I will save all the Hollowfied captains..."

Urahara Kisuke nodded forcefully after hearing this.

"What kind of nonsense are you talking about? First of all, I cannot determine whether this strange situation on them will spread to other members of the 'Gotei 13'. As for your so-called guarantee, in my opinion, it has no meaning..."

"Secondly, you guys should all wake up a little! The moment I deployed, these people were destined to be killed! Don't you understand? From the moment Captain-Commander Araki arranged for me to be on standby at any time and gave me the freedom to attack..."

"I have been the cleaner for this incident, responsible for clearing out all existences that might harm the 'Seireitei'! Whether they are enemies or former friends, as long as I judge them to be harmful to the 'Seireitei', then I will slash them."

"And now, since I cannot judge whether these people will harm the 'Seireitei', they have already shown aggressiveness toward me, so I judge them as existences harmful to the 'Seireitei' and slash them. This is in accordance with the regulations of the 'Seireitei'! So if you understand, get out of my way..."

Zaraki looked at Urahara Kisuke and the others in front of him with an incredibly cold expression and said coldly.

"Sorry, I cannot let you kill these people here no matter what."

"I am going to take them back to the 'Twelfth Division' for immediate treatment."

Urahara Kisuke replied incredibly firmly after hearing Zaraki's words.

"Brat promoted by Shihoin Yoruichi, do you really understand what you just said?!"

Zaraki's face turned cold violently after hearing Urahara's words. Originally, he intended to give Urahara a pass for Yoruichi's sake and not care why Urahara ignored Araki-sensei's orders and appeared here privately, but Urahara kept provoking him again and again.

"Perhaps you didn't hear clearly just now. I'll say it again: I won't let you take them to the 'Seireitei'..."

Zaraki took a deep breath, then repeated with a cold gaze.

"Sorry..."

Urahara Kisuke expressed his apologies to Zaraki again.

"What a pity."

Zaraki sighed. He raised his Zanpakuto high above his head: "It seems that besides Kyoraku Shunsui, I have to offend Shihoin Yoruichi as well. As expected, the teacher shouldn't count on me to maintain the relationship between fellow disciples."

"You're going to die, brat."

After Zaraki expressed his pity, the way he looked at Urahara was like looking at a dead man.

"It's over!"

Zaraki said, swinging his Zanpakuto at Urahara Kisuke.

"Boom!"

However, as Zaraki's sword fell, Urahara Kisuke was still unscathed, which made Zaraki's pupils shrink slightly.

"Ah, Captain Zaraki, did you smell any sweet fragrance in the air? Sorry, I already released my Zanpakuto just now~"

Hirako Shinji, holding a Zanpakuto with a strange ring-shaped hilt, rotated it lightly and smiled at Zaraki.

"Boring..."

Zaraki said, preparing to attack Urahara again.

"It's useless, Captain Zaraki~"

"The moment you smelled the scent in the air, your up and down, left and right, front and back, the directions you see, and the positions you perceive, have all been reversed. In other words, your attacks can no longer pose any threat to us..."

Hirako Shinji said to Zaraki with a smile, hoping to make Zaraki retreat.

However, before Hirako could finish speaking, Zaraki had already closed his eyes.

"If my five senses can no longer be relied upon, then I'll just rely on my sixth sense and fight with my intuition, won't I?!"

Zaraki grinned at Hirako and said indifferently.

"Eh, wait, no way?"

"You just easily broke my Zanpakuto's ability?!"

Hirako's eyes twitched slightly. He never imagined that his Zanpakuto would have such a way of being broken.

"Captain Zaraki, are you a monster?!"

At this moment, Hirako couldn't think much. Zaraki's sword was aimed at Urahara again.

After seeing Zaraki's sword-swinging action, Hirako already knew that Zaraki hadn't lied to him. The other party had broken his Zanpakuto's ability in a split second using that intuition comparable to a beast, which made Hirako's behavior of spending over a hundred years practicing his Zanpakuto ability seem really silly.

"Binding Way of Ninety-Nine, Part Two: Bankin!"

"First Song: Shiryu! Second Song: Hyakurensan! Final Song: Bankin Taiho!"

The moment Hirako's Zanpakuto ability was broken by Zaraki, Ushoda Hachigen immediately activated his strongest Binding Way. He used the Ninety-Nine Binding Way right away. Suddenly, countless white spirit-binding cloths, countless iron bolts, and a stone tablet that looked like a mountain descended from the sky, pressing down toward Zaraki...

Although Ushoda Hachigen had failed to control the Hollowfied captains using Bankin before, he was still very confident in his Kido. It was because he controlled too many people just now, and the power of this move wasn't very strong when shared among everyone. But if he controlled one person with full force, the effect would be a different matter.

"Boom!"

Before Ushoda Hachigen could think more, the Bankin used to seal Zaraki had already begun to collapse slowly. The Ninety-Nine Binding Way used with his Reiatsu actually couldn't control Zaraki for even a minute!

"Bankai! Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame..."

At the same time, Urahara Kisuke didn't have any hesitation and directly performed the Bankai of his Zanpakuto. For Urahara right now, facing Zaraki Kenpachi alone made him feel more heart-shaking than facing all the completely Hollowfied captains combined. Zaraki's threat to him far exceeded the sum of all previous captains.

When the giant Kannon appeared behind Urahara Kisuke, it was as if the entire street was under Urahara's control. Urahara Kisuke's Bankai ability was to remodel everything within the reach of his Zanpakuto, including himself. He could treat his own injuries or make tumors grow on the enemy's body instantly to severely injure the enemy.

However, after Urahara Kisuke used Bankai, he was surprised to find that Zaraki's body surface was attached with a layer of powerful Reiatsu, which actually prevented his Zanpakuto from touching him. In other words, he couldn't directly remodel Zaraki.

"No other way..."

After a brief moment of surprise, Urahara Kisuke directly stitched and remodeled the Bankin on Zaraki's body with the surrounding streets. In other words, if Zaraki wanted to break free from the Bankin on his body, he had to destroy the entire street.

"Senior Ushoda, perform time-stop on these Hollowfied captains, then immediately use space transfer to take us away from here. We must return to the 'Twelfth Division' and use my equipment to save these captains before Captain Zaraki breaks free..."

Urahara shouted incredibly anxiously at Ushoda Hachigen.

"I understand..."

Ushoda Hachigen nodded after hearing Urahara's words. Although the two Kido Urahara Kisuke mentioned were both forbidden arts clearly prohibited by the "Central 46," Ushoda Hachigen still did it. Accompanied by the endless dazzling blue light, the time on all the captains, including Kensei, was stopped by Ushoda Hachigen.

Immediately after, another light shone. Ushoda Hachigen, Urahara Kisuke, Hirako Shinji, and all the Hollowfied captains disappeared from in front of Zaraki Kenpachi. On the once-bustling "Rukongai," only Zaraki Kenpachi remained, struggling against the Bankin released by Urahara Kisuke and Ushoda Hachigen together.

"Boom!"

It was not long after Urahara and the others left that everything within a kilometer radius centered on Zaraki Kenpachi was blasted into powder by Zaraki's powerful Reiatsu.

"Ah? Did they escape?"

Zaraki, shouldering a Zanpakuto that looked like a giant battle-axe, looked toward the distant "Seireitei" and stretched his neck lightly.

"That strike just now was somewhat interesting."

"Worthy of the name of a 'Gotei 13' captain..."

"But to deal with me, it's still far from enough!"

Zaraki said, putting away his released Zanpakuto, and then rushed toward the "Seireitei." Zaraki hadn't forgotten his mission.

In fact, Zaraki had held back. If he had fought seriously, Urahara and the others would have had no possibility of escaping; he would have killed everyone present in an instant...

It was just that Urahara was Yoruichi's person, and Yadomaru Lisa was Kyoraku Shunsui's person. For the sake of fellow disciples, Zaraki gave Urahara a chance. If the other party could save these captains before being found by him, then he would treat what he saw tonight as if he hadn't seen it.

On the other side, "Twelfth Division."

When Urahara Kisuke and the others entered his private laboratory in the "Twelfth Division," a delicate figure was already waiting for Urahara here.

"Hey! Urahara, I told you not to be impulsive. You're really bold!"

The woman with a perfect, proud figure, incredibly healthy skin slightly darker than wheat, and orange-yellow eyes was none other than Shihoin Yoruichi herself. At this moment, she was looking dissatisfied at Urahara Kisuke, who had acted a step ahead of her.

"That, Captain Yoruichi, sorry..."

Urahara Kisuke replied helplessly after hearing Shihoin Yoruichi's words.

"Now is not the time for apologies!"

"I felt Zaraki's Reiatsu from far away. You guys must have fought with Zaraki, right?!"

Yoruichi deduced the fact that Urahara Kisuke and the others must have fought with Zaraki through the Reiatsu permeating everywhere in the "Soul Society."

"Indeed, Captain Zaraki is truly a monster. Even if we added ourselves together, we were no match for him at all~"

Urahara Kisuke replied sheepishly after hearing Yoruichi's words.

"Idiot! Junior brother Zaraki is the one with the strongest combat power among all the disciples of my master! Even if the four of us—me, Kyoraku, Ukitake, and Tokinada—joined forces, we couldn't get any advantage in Zaraki's hands. How could you rookies who just became captains be his match? It's already a blessing that you didn't die..."

Yoruichi reprimanded angrily after hearing Urahara Kisuke's words.

"I guess we survived by the skin of our teeth?!"

Urahara didn't refute Yoruichi's words; he just scratched his hair root and replied honestly.

"In any case, it's not safe here anymore. Go to our secret training base!"

"If it's there, Zaraki shouldn't be able to find it..."

Yoruichi said helplessly looking at Urahara.

"That's all we can do!"

"I have something I need to ask Kido Chief Ushoda for help~"

"Please help me send Captain Muguruma and the others, as well as my instruments, to the top of the Sokyoku~"

Urahara said seriously to Ushoda Hachigen beside him after hearing Yoruichi's words.

"I understand."

Although Ushoda Hachigen was puzzled by Urahara's request, he still activated his ability and brought the entire laboratory, as well as Hirako and the others, to the top of the Sokyoku.

"Next, follow me..."

After Urahara and Yoruichi arrived above the Sokyoku, the four of them who could move each chose to carry two Hollowfied and unconscious captains and walked toward a cave below the Sokyoku cliff. When everyone passed through the cave and arrived inside, they were all stunned by everything in front of them. The Sokyoku cliff had actually been hollowed out by Urahara and Yoruichi, and a huge training ground had been built here.

"This is truly surprising!"

Hirako Shinji was once again shocked by the lawlessness of Shihoin Yoruichi and Urahara Kisuke. No wonder Urahara repeatedly committed actions contrary to the rules of the "Soul Society."

"Then, let me start the treatment!"

Urahara said, taking out a treasure jade that emitted endless blue light from the box he carried with him. That treasure jade contained unimaginable power.

"This is..."

Ushoda Hachigen and Hirako Shinji's pupils trembled upon seeing the treasure jade in front of them. They were stunned by the object in front of them.

"This is the Hogyoku! It is something I shouldn't have manufactured. However, perhaps it is precisely because I manufactured it that I can cure Kensei and the others?!"

Urahara Kisuke smiled and replied after feeling the shock of Hirako Shinji and the others.

"Urahara Kisuke, you are truly a surprising guy..."

Hirako Shinji pursed his slightly bitter lips and smiled lightly at Urahara.

"Then, next is to let me thoroughly cure all the captains present!"

Just as Urahara Kisuke was about to start the treatment, Hirako Shinji suddenly stepped back a few steps and knelt on one knee in front of everyone.

"Captain Hirako, are you okay?!"

Urahara Kisuke was startled after seeing the unusual Hirako Shinji, then asked.

"That, Urahara Kisuke, I might have a slightly troublesome matter that I need you to help me with for a while..."

Hirako knelt on one knee and didn't stand up to speak. He just let out a bitter laugh and then asked Urahara Kisuke for help.

"Speak!"

Urahara Kisuke asked after hearing Hirako's words.

Through the joint battle between Hirako and Urahara, the two had fully gained each other's trust. The relationship between the two now was like that of close friends.

"Sorry, I got hit too!"

Hirako Shinji said, lifting his head that had been lowered, revealing half of his cheek attached with a Hollowfied white bone.

"..."

For a moment, everyone present fell silent.

"I understand..."

Urahara Kisuke took a deep breath. Although the road ahead was somewhat confused, he still started his surgery. Since he had already decided, he would absolutely not regret it. He wanted to save everyone here; he wouldn't abandon anyone.

Meanwhile, after a long run, Zaraki Kenpachi had returned to the "Seireitei" from the distant "Rukongai." The first thing Zaraki Kenpachi did upon returning to the "Seireitei" was to head to the "Twelfth Division" where Urahara Kisuke was located.

"Boom!"

Accompanied by an explosion, Zaraki blasted open the gate of the "Twelfth Division." He turned around the barracks several times as if no one was there, and finally said helplessly: "Urahara Kisuke, that guy isn't here?!"

"I already told you, that bastard Urahara Kisuke went out of the 'Twelfth Division' very early and hasn't returned since. Are you an idiot who can't understand human speech?"

Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who failed to stop Zaraki from breaking into the "Twelfth Division," roared angrily at Zaraki Kenpachi in a roaring posture after Zaraki confirmed for himself that Urahara Kisuke was indeed not in the "Twelfth Division."

"Understood, I'll go look elsewhere..."

Zaraki replied after hearing Mayuri Kurotsuchi's words, shouldering his Zanpakuto and heading to the "Fifth Division" barracks, only because Zaraki remembered that Hirako Shinji, the captain of the "Fifth Division," was beside Urahara Kisuke.

"Captain Zaraki, I am very sorry, but Captain Hirako hasn't returned to our 'Fifth Division' barracks. I can testify to this. After all, I have been patrolling the barracks all day today, and I haven't gone anywhere, so I remember the entry and exit of personnel in the barracks clearly. If you don't believe me, you can go in and search a few more times~"

Outside the "Fifth Division" barracks, Aizen Sosuke bowed and showed respect to Zaraki, his face full of apologies.

"Huh? They aren't in the 'Fifth Division' barracks either?!"

"They didn't go to the 'Twelfth Division', and they didn't go to the 'Fifth Division'..."

"No matter what, they couldn't have gone to the 'First Division', right?!"

Zaraki's brain wasn't enough at this moment. He frowned and turned around the "Fifth Division" barracks several times. In the end, it was indeed as Aizen said; Hirako and the others were not in the barracks.

"Captain Zaraki, our Vice-Captain Aizen patrolled the barracks all day today, and everyone who entered and left the 'Fifth Division' was recorded by Vice-Captain Aizen, so what Vice-Captain Aizen said is absolutely correct..."

At this time, a group of "Fifth Division" squad members also helped Aizen Sosuke and said to Zaraki. Everyone present was Aizen's best witness.

"I understand..."

Zaraki said, leaving the "Fifth Division" directly and heading to the "Eighth Division."

"Senior brother Zaraki, I'll leave it to you next~"

At the gate of the "Fifth Division" barracks, Aizen looked at Zaraki's departing back, his mouth slightly raised. On the lenses of his flat glasses, the bleak moonlight from the moon in the sky was refracting. Yes, Aizen had changed from a substitute to his true self without anyone knowing, to the point that even Zaraki, who had the intuition of a beast, was deceived.

Under Aizen's "pushing," Zaraki went to the "Eighth Division," "Ninth Division," "Seventh Division," as well as the "Third Division" and "Second Division" one after another.

In the end, Zaraki failed to find Urahara Kisuke and the others. And as Zaraki made such a fuss, the entire "Seireitei" learned that Zaraki was looking for Urahara and the others. For a time, countless rumors and messages drifted and rose in the "Seireitei."

People said that this soul combustion disappearance incident was not a natural disaster but a man-made disaster! It was caused by Urahara Kisuke and Hirako Shinji, whom Zaraki was constantly looking for...

This message was the first fire of Aizen framing Urahara Kisuke!

However, this wasn't the end. To solidify the actions of Urahara Kisuke and Hirako Shinji, Aizen immediately lit the second fire~

"Fourth Division" medical room.

"Phew..."

The high-ranking seat officers of the "Ninth Division," who were originally on the verge of death, except for Tosen Kaname who was already near death, opened their eyes one after another. After all, their injuries were about the same, and they recovered quickly under the treatment of the "Fourth Division."

"Hirako Shinji! You bastard, it's a pity our captain treated you like a brother..."

Heizo, Ejima, and Todo, the three high-ranking seat officers, had eyes red like beasts, roaring continuously in the ward of this medical division.

"Tosen, wake up! Tosen!"

"Damn it, if you hadn't saved us, you wouldn't have been injured so badly! Don't worry, we will definitely find Hirako Shinji and avenge you..."

When the three high-ranking seat officers looked at Tosen Kaname lying on the hospital bed, tears flowed from their eyes. They hugged Tosen's shoulders and cried painfully...

Although they had lost consciousness at the time and couldn't speak, they could vaguely perceive everything that happened outside. If it weren't for Tosen dragging his bleeding wounds to carry them back from the wild, they would probably have been killed by Hirako Shinji, just like how Hirako slashed their captain.

"..."

At this moment, Tosen couldn't answer anyone's questions because he was truly seriously injured.

Yes, this Tosen was also the real one. A mere Kyoka Suigetsu couldn't escape the eyes of Araki and Unohana. It was Aizen Sosuke who imitated Hirako's sword style and slashed Tosen half to death. Tosen also really walked back to the "Seireitei" step by step, bleeding while carrying his three "brothers."

Yes, these three high-ranking seat officers who were the parties involved were the second fire that solidified the joint Hollowfication experiment of Urahara Kisuke and Hirako Shinji~

However, there was a third fire!

When the judges of the "Central 46" personally found Zaraki to ask.

Zaraki replied incredibly impatiently: "At the scene, besides the Hollowfied captains, there were Hirako Shinji, Urahara Kisuke, and Ushoda Hachigen!

"Huh? You ask me why Hirako Shinji, who also participated in the investigation team, was the only one who didn't Hollowfy? Where the hell would I know that? Go ask Hirako Shinji!"

"What, you ask me why Urahara Kisuke and the others were there? Hirako Shinji said he called them over, saying he needed Urahara Kisuke's help. It's that simple!"

"As for where they are now, where would I know? I've been looking for them for a whole night! You tell me where they are now?!"

"Aizen, who was on duty at the 'Fifth Division' all night, told me that their captain didn't return all night. Their own division doesn't know, how could I know where their division captain is?!"

Yes, Zaraki, who could connect everything, was the third fire that completely solidified the actions of Urahara and Hirako~

"Alright, Captain Hirako and Urahara Kisuke, please tell me, how are you going to break this situation?"

Outside the "Fifth Division" barracks, Aizen Sosuke, who appeared worried, constantly worrying about the safety of his captain Hirako Shinji, and had been asking the captains of the "Gotei 13" where Captain Hirako was all night, showed a smile looking at the proud sun slowly appearing above his head.

"Junior brother Aizen, don't worry too much. Everything will be fine."

Ukitake Jushiro, because he was too worried about Aizen, had been accompanying Aizen since midnight. Seeing Aizen looking at the sun and shedding tears, he patted Aizen on the shoulder and couldn't help but comfort him.

Another chapter, a big chapter of fourteen thousand! Finally finished writing this part in one breath, stringing Aizen's layout together~ ===== CHAPTER 166 =====