NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: Chapter 8
Shinji and the others barely had time to process their shock before an enormous humanoid Hollow lunged toward them.
It wasn't until now that they finally got a clear look at the creature.
And what they saw stunned them all over again.
Despite his now-massive frame, despite the white bone armor covering his arms, despite the square bone mask completely concealing his face—
They recognized him immediately.
"Kensei?!"
Rose Ōtoribashi, Aikawa Love, and Yadomaru Lisa exchanged disbelieving glances.
The sheer spiritual pressure emanating from the Hollowified figure was overwhelming. The mask covering his face was proof that something wasn't right.
"No way… Is this really Kensei?"
They didn't want to believe it, but there was no mistaking it—
The white captain's haori draped over his shoulders, the black "69" tattoo on his chest and abdomen—
This was Kensei Muguruma.
"Regardless of whether this is Kensei or not, we have to fight!"
Shinji gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on his Zanpakutō.
Almost immediately, the Hollowified Kensei erupted with a devastating surge of Reiatsu, signaling the start of the battle.
"Be careful, Shinji! Kensei isn't acting like himself—!" Hiyori tried to warn them, but before she could finish, the fight had already begun.
From the very first exchange, Shinji understood what Hiyori meant.
Kensei, now devoid of reason, could no longer wield his Zanpakutō, yet his raw power was devastating. The bone armor covering his body granted him immense durability, making him nearly impervious to attacks.
His punches carried destructive force, shaking the very ground beneath them.
Faced with his former comrade, Shinji hesitated.
No matter how dangerous Kensei had become, he couldn't bring himself to go all out against him.
And that hesitation cost him.
Realizing the dire situation, Aikawa and Rose rushed forward to assist.
Even with the combined strength of three captains, they were barely able to hold Kensei back.
Then, suddenly—
Mashiro appeared.
Her sudden arrival caught everyone off guard.
But what shocked them even more was her appearance—
Like Kensei, her legs were now covered in white bone armor, and her face was concealed beneath a black-and-white mantis-like mask.
The spiritual pressure radiating from her body was wild and chaotic, a level far beyond what a vice-captain should possess.
The Shinigami froze in shock.
"What the hell…? Mashiro too?"
Recovering from their disbelief, Lisa swiftly joined the battle, drawing her Zanpakutō.
Meanwhile, Hiyori, still weakened from her injuries, collapsed onto the ground.
Now, it was four Shinigami against two monstrous former allies.
Yet, despite outnumbering their opponents, the Shinigami were being pushed back.
Just when it seemed like they would be completely overwhelmed, salvation arrived—
Hachigen Ushōda , the Deputy Chief of the Kido Corps, finally made it to the battlefield.
With his expertise in binding Kido, the battle took a turn.
After a grueling struggle, the Shinigami combined their efforts to assist Bokugen in casting Bakudō #99: Kin & Bankin—
A powerful sealing technique that finally managed to restrain Kensei and Mashiro.
But the damage had been done.
Shinji and the others stood there, battered and bleeding. Their bodies were covered in deep wounds, their exhaustion weighing heavily on them.
Yet, amidst their relief, they failed to notice something important.
Hiyori Sarugaki's condition was rapidly deteriorating.
Her breathing became erratic. Her vision blurred.
Her consciousness was slipping.
Then—
A sudden, violent surge of spiritual pressure erupted from her body.
A terrifying black-and-white Hollow mask materialized over her face.
Her eyes glowed with raw malice.
And in that moment—Hiyori was no longer herself.
"Hiyori?!" Shinji's eyes widened in horror.
Rose, Aikawa, and Lisa all took a step back, stunned as they watched Hiyori transform before their very eyes.
Then—
Darkness fell.
A suffocating black veil descended upon them, shrouding the entire battlefield.
Their hearing, sight, smell, even their spiritual senses—
All of it vanished in an instant.
"What's going on?!"
Aikawa gripped his Zanpakutō tightly, desperately trying to call out to his comrades.
But no matter how much he shouted, his voice made no sound.
There was nothing.
No light, no sound, no presence—
Just an endless void of darkness.
Then—
A sudden, searing pain pierced his chest.
By the time he registered what had happened, he was already falling.
When the darkness finally receded, he found himself lying on the ground, blood pooling beneath him.
And he wasn't alone.
Shinji, Rose, and Lisa had all collapsed around him, their bodies wounded and broken.
Shock and despair filled their eyes.
They had lost.
From a distance, hidden in the shadows, Uehara Shiroha leisurely opened another bag of homemade potato chips.
"The real show's about to begin."
Only Shinji remained conscious, though barely.
Summoning every ounce of his remaining strength, he forced himself to look up.
And when he saw who their attacker was, his pupils shrank in horror.
Standing over them was a man wearing a white mask, his blade dripping with fresh blood.
But what truly sent a chill down Hirako Shinji's spine—
Was the uniform the man was wearing.
It was the Ninth Division's captain's uniform.
A single name escaped Hirako's lips in a whisper of shock and fury.
"Tōsen Kaname… You… You were the one who attacked Kensei, weren't you?!"
"Why?!"
"Why did you betray us?!"
A heavy silence hung in the air.
Then—
A gentle yet chillingly familiar voice echoed from behind him.
"He didn't betray me."
Hirako froze.
His breath hitched as recognition dawned upon him.
Slowly, he turned his head.
And there, standing right behind him, was the man he had suspected all along—
Aizen Sōsuke.
A sinister smile curled on Aizen's lips as he stepped forward. Behind him, Ichimaru Gin smirked in amusement.
Tōsen Kaname knelt before Aizen and bowed his head respectfully.
"Lord Aizen."
In his hiding spot, Uehara Shiroha's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Finally! The real mastermind enters the stage."
It was his time to act.
Shinji clenched his fists, rage twisting his face.
"I knew something was wrong with you, Aizen!" He spat through gritted teeth.
Aizen, still eerily composed, gazed down at his injured captain.
With an unsettling calmness, he spoke:
"So… when did you first suspect me?"
Shinji sneered.
"Since you were in your mother's womb!"
Aizen chuckled at the response, not the least bit fazed.
"You have always been perceptive, Captain Shinji," he admitted. "But, unfortunately… didn't you notice?"
His voice dropped into a chilling whisper.
"For the past month… it wasn't even me you were watching."
Shinji's eyes widened in realization.
He had been played.
And now, he and his comrades were nothing more than Aizen's test subjects.
Aizen's blade slowly lifted—
"You've served your purpose."
"But now… I have no more use for you."
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