Bleach: The Fifth Division Captain

His mind was in turmoil.

The other self was still raging inside him, trying to seize complete control of his body.

He had to suppress it. He couldn't let it take over.

Just doing that alone was already exhausting.

Yet Shinji Hirako still forced himself to take a breath, struggling to use what little vision he had left to perceive his surroundings.

The scent of incense.

A familiar voice…

Through his blurred vision, a shadow flickered beside him, bringing a hazy presence into focus.

No mistake.

The one standing there was the very person he had been painstakingly mentoring these past few months.

The one he had groomed for the position of Fifth Division Captain—

Seiya.

—He shouldn't be here.

—This place is too dangerous.

—Subordinates who don't follow orders are a damn headache.

He had a mountain of things he wanted to say, but the sheer strain on his body compressed all those thoughts into one, tired whisper.

"…Run."

With that, Shinji's remaining strength gave out, and he collapsed against Seiya.

"…"

So this is what Hollowfication felt like.

The second self awakened by the process would fight for control over the body, tearing at the boundaries between Hollow and Shinigami.

The power it granted was undeniable, worth delving deeper into.

But—most people could never accept it.

It was invasive, unnatural.

More than that, after centuries of being raised with the Shinigami doctrine, the idea of a second self lurking within them was anathema.

Maybe that internal conflict, that resistance—

Was why the Vizards' power had always remained incomplete.

"In the end, true strength comes from accepting your full self."

With that passing thought, Seiya remained silent.

He took a few steps back, positioning himself next to Kisuke and Hachigen.

The two of them removed their hoods, stepping forward with him.

Their presence alone made their stance clear.

"Ahaha… well, this is quite the mess," Gin Ichimaru's trademark amused tone only made the air feel heavier.

Beside him, Kaname Tōsen remained silent but visibly tense, as if debating something internally.

So, what now?

"You've really caused quite a scene," Kisuke remarked flatly, stepping forward.

His expression betrayed no emotion as he locked eyes with the man standing at the center of it all.

"Aizen Fuku-taichō."

The addressed man responded without a flicker of emotion.

"That would be me."

"What exactly are you doing here?"

"As you can see, I rushed here due to the disappearance of Captain Muguruma's spiritual pressure… only to find wounded allies in need of aid."

"Aid? Using your Zanpakutō?"

Spare them the blatant lies.

"You were experimenting with Hollowfication, weren't you?"

Aizen neither confirmed nor denied the accusation.

Instead, his gaze shifted.

And for the first time, his voice carried something close to familiarity.

"Seiya."

"I'm here, Aizen-sensei."

Everyone around them fell away.

In this moment, there was only the two of them.

"Once, I was your mentor, your correspondent, and your friend… Are you sure you want to stand over there?"

Aizen extended his hand, palm open in invitation.

"A final offer."

"Come to my side. Let's fight together."

"Seiya-kun."

The words hung in the air.

From the corner of his eye, Seiya caught Kisuke's sharp intake of breath.

Hachigen's confused glance, looking between them.

So they hadn't known.

That he and Aizen had a history.

That an offer like this… wasn't the first.

And that he had once stood at that crossroads, long before today.

Gin's barely-open eyes sharpened slightly.

An unnatural gleam in those icy blue irises.

And then—

"Shoot to kill, Shinsō."

A blinding flash of white.

Like a coiled viper striking at its prey, the blade extended, aiming straight between Seiya and Kisuke.

The attack was nearly instant.

"Seiya!" Kisuke barely had time to turn.

It was—

Too late.

The blade shot forward, carving through the space between them.

A split second before impact—

Seiya exhaled.

And vanished.

Gin's eyes opened fully, momentarily stunned.

"Tch. Should've known."

"Kisuke-taichō, take Seiya and—!"

Hachigen's warning came too late.

Another voice cut through the air.

"Bankai."

"Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Kōrogi."

Darkness exploded outward.

"What—"

Kisuke's voice was swallowed whole.

Every sense—sight, sound, smell, spiritual awareness—was erased.

All that remained was touch.

A suffocating void.

Aizen watched without concern as his subordinates enacted their roles.

Tōsen's Bankai—despite its limitations—was perfect for neutralizing an enemy's coordination.

And Gin…

Well, Gin had his own role to play.

The two most troublesome opponents were now contained.

That just left—

Seiya.

Who was already getting to his feet.

He dusted off his robes and let out a slow breath.

"That was close," he admitted.

Gin tilted his head, smiling.

"But you're still standin', aren't ya?"

"Or maybe you just weren't aiming properly."

The two exchanged an unreadable look.

But Seiya's focus had already returned to Aizen.

His true opponent.

Their battle had started long before this night.

"Let's begin, Aizen-sensei."

A pause.

And then—

The corner of Aizen's mouth curled.

"As you wish."

In that moment, two identical movements unfolded.

Their right hands rose simultaneously, fingers pointing skyward.

"Hado #63: Raikōhō."

Twin surges of golden energy erupted.

Two streaks of lightning twisted together in a dazzling collision.

The resulting explosion painted the night in gold.

Gin instinctively stepped back, shielding his eyes.

"Damn…"

The sheer force of the spell had twisted the landscape itself.

Trees, buildings—everything in the vicinity had been distorted by the clash.

Gin lowered his arm, exhaling.

"Two monsters."

They weren't done.

Not yet.

Two more hands lifted.

"Hado #73: Sōren Sōkatsui."

Twin blue flames roared to life.

Sky and earth warped under the heat.

The very air seemed to shatter.

Gin took another step back.

But what unnerved him most—

Was that both of them were laughing.

Aizen's expression was calm, but his eyes gleamed with exhilaration.

And Seiya—

The ever-calm Seiya—

Was grinning.

Not just in amusement.

But in pure, unrestrained joy.

They were speaking the same language.

A battle of equals.

That alone made Gin frown.

"The hell kinda fight is this…?"

Neither held back.

Neither hesitated.

Then, at last—

They raised their hands one final time.

Fingers pointed skyward.

"Hado #90: Kurohitsugi."

Twin black voids erupted.

Massive. Towering.

Consuming all light.

The sky itself seemed to wither in response.

Shinji—barely conscious—felt his breath hitch.

"Move…!"

And yet—

At the final moment—

A shadow flickered behind Seiya.

A silver glint.

A blade.

Then—

"Run—!"

Shinji's desperate cry came a second too late.

Gin's blade slid clean through Seiya's chest.

Straight through his back, piercing his lung.

Seiya gasped.

Blood sprayed forward.

His vision wavered.

He half-turned, his expression unreadable.

"You avoided my heart."

Gin said nothing.

Then, without a word, he withdrew the blade.

More blood spilled.

Seiya crumpled to his knees.

The Kurohitsugi collapsed.

And the battle was over.

Seiya's body trembled uncontrollably.

A deep, sharp pain burned through his chest, every breath rattling, as if his lungs were being shredded with every inhale.

The sudden loss of pressure from the withdrawn blade caused his wounds to rupture further.

Two streams of blood gushed out—one from the entry wound in his back, the other from the gaping hole in his chest.

The once-sturdy posture collapsed entirely.

With a dull thud, Seiya fell to his knees.

His vision blurred, his hearing distorted.

But through the haze, he could still make out the presence of the others.

Someone shouting his name.

Someone rushing toward him.

He barely had the strength to lift his head.

His eyes flickered toward Gin.

His lips parted slightly, forming a soundless whisper.

"You… hesitated."

Gin, still holding his bloodied blade, said nothing.

He simply looked down at him, his usual lazy smile absent.

The air between them was thick with unsaid words.

Then—

A voice cut through the tension.

"That should be enough."

Aizen's tone was casual, as if merely commenting on the weather.

Gin slowly lowered his sword, taking a step back.

Aizen turned, glancing at the approaching figures.

Hachigen and Kisuke had broken free from Tōsen's Bankai and were closing in fast.

There was no longer any reason to linger.

"Let's go, Gin. Kaname."

Without hesitation, Tōsen moved to his side.

Gin hesitated for the briefest of moments—his gaze lingering on Seiya—before silently following.

As the three turned to leave, a weak, hoarse voice called out.

"Aizen… sensei…"

Aizen paused but did not turn back.

From where he knelt, barely clinging to consciousness, Seiya spoke.

Even with blood dripping from his lips, his tone was eerily calm.

"You trust Gin… but do you trust him completely?"

Gin's eyes narrowed slightly.

Aizen let out a quiet chuckle.

"Seiya-kun… always so perceptive."

He tilted his head slightly, just enough for his profile to be visible.

"I suppose we'll see, won't we?"

And with that, they vanished into the darkness.

Their departure left an eerie silence in their wake.

For a few moments, no one spoke.

Then—

"Seiya!!"

Kisuke was the first to reach him.

He dropped to one knee, quickly assessing the damage.

"Stay with me, Seiya," he muttered, pressing a hand against the wound in his chest to slow the bleeding.

Hachigen arrived a moment later, already forming a kido barrier to stabilize him.

Seiya blinked slowly, his body swaying.

His mind was already drifting.

But as his vision darkened, a single thought repeated in his fading consciousness.

"The final condition… has been fulfilled."

And then—

Everything went black.

Seiya's consciousness drifted in and out.

Even as darkness swallowed his vision, his mind clung to fragments of thought, details of his plan falling into place.

He had accomplished his three conditions.

First— To openly stand against Aizen, solidifying his position as an "enemy" in the eyes of everyone present.

Second— To be struck down with the intent to kill, forcing himself into a state of near-death where his ability could activate.

And finally— To come into direct contact with the other half of the Hōgyoku.

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Powerstones?

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