"From the very start, no one has stood upon the heavens. Not you, not I, nor even gods. However, that intolerable vacuum has come to an end. Henceforth…I shall stand upon the heavens." — Sōsuke Aizen.
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A single step.
A short pace forward.
The simple movement of a foot. It was as basic as any action a person could take… and yet when he did, it was as if the entire battlefield was drowned to frozen depths.
The first one to fall was a spaced out Sajin who still couldn't come to terms with the fact that his best friend died without them exchanging a single word.
His eyes widened behind his helmet as the man took a step towards him. His eyes blazed with fury as he raised Tenken, rage swirling his vision as he brought his hand down, the phantom giant mirroring his movements with greater ferocity.
The first step had been the heralding of what was to follow, and for an instant Sajin's anger faded away from his eyes to allow him comprehend what was to come, and the flick of his wrist the beckoning wail.
A single step. A swift draw.
Sajin fell to his knees with his eyes frozen in shock. The step ending as his light faded to darkness and a sprouting spring of blood sprayed upwards from his abdomen.
Another step, and this time, Hachigen froze.
His hands came together, fingers locked, as he tried to summon a high-tier Bakudō only for his body to grow rigid as a piercing cold invaded him from his back. He fell to the ground with a trail of blood following behind.
By now, everyone was aware of what happened and their awareness was stretched thin in a bid to perceive his next actions.
Why bother when he would come to them anyway?
Jūshirō's eyes contracted as the chill pervaded his senses, but unlike the initial two, he didn't rush into action but instead focused fully on Aizen… as if that would make any difference.
… For him it did.
Aizen's motion was forced to a halt as Shunsui attacked him from behind, only to be blocked by an El Escudo, while Yoruichi came from the left with a heavy kick, blocked by his arm, and Soi Fon from with right with stabbing sting, caught dead by her wrist.
Jūshirō aimed to finish the four-pronged attack with an upward rend but Aizen effortlessly evaded the outcome with a seamless Shunpō.
"You waited until your army was wiped out for you to attack us all by yourself. I don't know if it's arrogance or stupidity." The idle comment came from Yoruichi who was stretching her limbs that were all covered in metal guards.
"If you could understand my thoughts we wouldn't be here." Aizen remarked easily.
He swerved to the side, dodging a lunge from Shinji and parrying a kick from Yoruichi which left him open for Rōjūrō who wrapped him with his whip, Kinshara.
Limit of the thousands hands, respectful hands, unable to touch the darkness. Shooting hands unable to reflect the blue sky.
Rōjūrō stared spinning Aizen, each spin accompanied by destructive shockwaves that made the air tremble.
The road that basks In light, the wind that ignited the embers, time that gathers when both are together, there is no need to be hesitant, obey my orders.
With a final shout, he spun Aizen for the last time, which was complemented by the loudest destructive boom, and flung him towards where Shunsui and Jūshirō were waiting fully chanted Hadō.
Light bullets, eight bodies, nine items, book of heaven, diseased treasure, great wheel, grey fortress tower. Aim far away, scatter brightly and cleanly when fired.
Hadō #91: Senju Kōten Taihō.
Twenty arrows of fading crimson hovered around them, released in an instant as Rōjūrō flung Aizen their way.
Disoriented from the barrage of Rōjūrō disintegrating shockwaves, Aizen's senses were in haywire.
Without any suspense and any Captain in sight, the volleys of energy points acquainted themselves with Aizen and an ellipse of obliterating explosion devoured a large portion of the sky. The resulting quake was so strong that it threatened the stability of the anchored space they were in.
They watched with unnerving focus and saw as a half burnt figure shot out of the dusk of explosion with a trail of smoke.
"He is one tenacious bastard alright." With a whoosh Shinji was gone and was quickly followed by the other Captains.
When they finally reached Aizen, they saw that all his upper garments were gone along with half of his lower garment. And that was when they saw it.
The purple jewel lodged in his chest, twinkling with dazzling lights as if it held in itself a sea of stars. The fruit of two of the greatest genius minds ever to exist. The Seed of Ascension.
The Hōgyoku.
They all eyed the jewel warily, unknowing of what it was capable of.
"I must thank you, Shinji Hirako, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, Soi Fon." He traced a hand over the shinning jewel. "My gratitude also express to you, Yoruichi Shihōin, Jūshirō Ukitake, Shunsui Kyōraku. And my greatest regards to you, Kisuke Urahara."
He looked at the group of Shinigami Captains with an inviting smile and an outstretched arm. "You who have tolled the bell for my ascension. Allow me to repay the courtesy."
White mucous mass started seeping from the hole where the Hōgyoku was resting and was slowly covering Aizen's form.
"Now then, Exalted Captains of the Gotei 13…"
All he took was a step. No. It couldn't even be considered an half step.
And now he stood in their midst.
"Shall we begin?" His hand was raised, Kyōka Suigetsu held in his grip, and slowly he brought it down.
The Captain hastily dispersed, and so did Aizen, and when they saw him again, Rōjūrō's Kinshara was wrapped tight around his Zanpakutō that was already halfway deep into the former's right shoulder.
"Rōjūrō!" Shinji rushed towards Aizen, uncaring for anything other than getting Aizen away from his friend.
Aizen ducked under his overhead swing and kicked out to Shinji's chest which caught in his palm with a strong huff. He threw the leg away, aiming to throw off Aizen's balance, and flourished his Zanpakutō for a clean rend, only for his blade to meet wind.
Aizen appeared behind him and cut through the hastily conjured Bakudō, giving Rōjūrō time to retreat to safety.
Not letting up, Shunsui and Yoruichi boxed Aizen in a two-way of swords and hands but the ascending ex-Captain showed sufficient mettle as he held his own against them with relative ease.
He slapped away Yoruichi's kick, only to be pelted across the face with two heavy kicks and a hand in his face to blast it off with Hadō #54: Haien, courtesy of Soi Fon who was clad in a robe of wind. Her own version of Yoruichi's Shunkō.
"Hadō #88: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō."
Lightning struck down on Aizen, one that soon bloomed into an explosion of intense flames.
"What will it take to put this bastard down?" Yoruichi huffed, a disgruntled look on her face as she saw Aizen walk it off with minimum damage.
At this point, his body was now completely covered in a hard white exterior and his eyes were now fully purple like a gleaming gem.
"Is this it?" Came Aizen's muffled voice. "Struggle more. For the inevitable futility of your struggles, my ascension draws near."
This time he appeared near the farthest member, which was Jūshirō, and slashed his blade in an arc aiming to take away the white haired Captain's arm, only for a green spear to anchor into his chest and carry him far away from Jūshirō and into the distance and exploded.
The others turned in surprise and saw a bat-winged Ulquiorra Cifer in his Resurrección.
"Don't look too surprised. We'll feel bad if we sat on the sidelines and watch you all fight with everything you have when we are also part of the problem." Starrk explained, still his Resurrección fusion with Lilynette.
Standing over the molten land where Ulquiorra's Luz de la Luna had made berth, the group watched with disbelieving eyes as Aizen stood up unfazed. Had it not been for the crack on his armored skin, no one would have been able to prove that he was on the receiving end of attacks from a group of Captains.
"Of course, my Espada." He sounded merry and full of mirth as he spoke. "Since you have fulfilled your assignments, why not acquiesce to my command for one last time. Join them and aid my ascension. That way you would have at least served a meaningful purpose under my employ."
"I hardly liked you, but I preferred you when you spoke less." Starrk regarded as he pulled up his gun to Aizen.
...
[Hueco Mundo]
"Ughhh! Oi Itachi! How much longer?" Kenpachi shouted impatiently.
Around the fed up Captain were the other two Captains, Isshin and Byakuya, as well as the Lieutenants, Junpei and Kaien. They all sat in an arc with their backs resting against the walls.
At the end of the room was Itachi and Miyako, the latter no longer squirming in pain but still wholly unresponsive.
Itachi's eyes slowly opened, first taking a soft breath, and then he stood up.
"She's alright." He said to the worried men who nodded in gratitude, which he politely returned.
"We've wasted enough time as is. It's time for us to return."
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