Hearing this, Aizen's expression flickered with momentary surprise before quickly settling into calm indifference. He sneered, his tone dripping with contempt.
"Akira, I expected something more impressive from you," he said dismissively. "It seems I overestimated you."
He scoffed. "I didn't think your last words would be nothing more than the impotent barking of a cornered dog."
"Captain Akira!"
From below, Unohana Retsu's voice rang out urgently.
"I don't know what you intend to do, but if there is any chance—please, take back the Hōgyoku!"
Aizen's eyes narrowed slightly.
"...What?"
The word Hōgyoku echoed in his mind, sending a rare, genuine tremor through his composure.
Aizen Sōsuke was a man of meticulous calculation. From the very beginning, he had ensured that the true nature of his objective—the Hōgyoku—remained undisclosed to the Gotei 13. No one within their ranks should have known. Even Ichimaru Gin's infiltration had been independent of their influence, making it impossible for him to have leaked such a secret.
And yet, Akira had spoken as though he had known all along.
There was only one conclusion—
"Akira," Aizen said coldly, his gaze sharpening. "You knew from the very beginning that my target was Rukia Kuchiki... and the Hōgyoku!?"
Akira chuckled. "That's why I told you, Aizen—stop being so smug."
His eyes gleamed with defiance. "Do you really think you can take the Hōgyoku without my permission? Every step you've taken has been within my grasp."
Aizen's arrogance, deeply ingrained as it was, still flared at the provocation. His expression darkened, but he swiftly mastered his emotions, exhaling slowly.
"...Whether that's true or not," he finally said, "it doesn't matter. In the end, all you can do is stand there and watch as I achieve my goals, unhindered."
"Is that so?" Akira replied coolly. "Then, perhaps you should take another look."
Aizen frowned. "...Another look?"
Almost unconsciously, his gaze shifted—and then his pupils contracted sharply.
What—?! Impossible!
Before him, the Negación—an absolute barrier, immune to outside interference—was rapidly disintegrating, consumed by pitch-black flames.
"What manner of fire is this...?" Aizen muttered, unable to completely suppress his shock. "It's burning through Negación?!"
Amaterasu.
An unnatural, transcendent flame, foreign to this world—its properties had been further refined and augmented through Akira's mastery of Dragon Slayer magic.
"So, it seems your so-called 'perfect escape' isn't as secure as you thought," Akira said coldly.
Aizen's expression darkened further.
For the first time, someone had truly unsettled him.
Yet, ever the strategist, he quickly composed himself. After a measured breath, he spoke again, his voice laced with quiet amusement.
"Captain Akira," he said, "I must admit—you never fail to surprise me."
His form began to rise within the collapsing Negación, his retreat accelerating.
"But the next time we meet... will be the moment we truly settle this."
With those final words, Aizen and Ichimaru Gin vanished into the dimensional rift.
As silence settled over the battlefield, Akira descended from the sky, landing beside Yamamoto Shigekuni and Unohana Retsu.
Unohana turned to him, her expression unreadable.
"Captain Akira… what exactly happened just now?"
Akira shrugged and said, "Sorry, my Amaterasu dragon flame can burn through Negación, but it will take time."
Unohana Retsu nodded in understanding. "It's not your fault. Aizen retreated too quickly, and there's little we can do if he refuses to stay."
In truth, whether or not Akira could have stopped Aizen was something only he knew.
Why had he allowed Aizen to take the Hōgyoku? Wasn't it all for the sake of preparing for the inevitable future crisis? Without the Hōgyoku, where would he find an Arrancar army? And how would he have the chance to challenge Aizen once the Hōgyoku fully merged with him?
"Now, I've reached a level of strength where only a handful of beings across Soul Society and beyond can threaten me."
Akira mused to himself. With his increasing power, the challenge was no longer mere survival—it was finding worthy opponents.
Now, his only hope was that Aizen would continue to grow stronger, for beyond him, there was another looming threat—the Wandenreich, the hidden empire of Quincy.
As for whether or not he would need to intervene…
Akira already knew precisely how far Aizen would go with the Hōgyoku.
In this scenario, Akira had confidence—no matter what, he would always surpass Aizen.
Everything had fallen into place.
With the undeniable evidence of Central 46's massacre and the testimony of both Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni and Unohana Retsu, Akira's innocence was firmly established.
However, from the very beginning, Akira had never truly been considered a traitor.
As Unohana had pointed out, he was not merely a rogue but a benefactor of Soul Society—perhaps even its savior in the chaos that had engulfed Seireitei.
To call him the hero of the Gotei 13 would be an understatement.
In the end, it all boiled down to:
"Sure, I hijacked the execution grounds, fought multiple captains, and sent half my colleagues to the Fourth Division's infirmary… but I still count as a good Shinigami, right?"
Aside from Hinamori Momo, who still harbored deep resentment, the rest of the Gotei 13 reluctantly accepted this reality.
"I never expected things to turn out like this…"
Matsumoto Rangiku and Ise Nanao walked side by side through the streets of Seireitei.
"To think that the same captain we were ready to hunt down is now being hailed as Soul Society's great hero?" Rangiku mused.
Ise Nanao shook her head, still processing it all.
Their destination was the temporarily restored First Division meeting hall.
With most captains still recovering from their injuries, this was an unprecedented gathering—one attended solely by the vice-captains.
As they arrived, they took in the scene. Aside from the vice-captains, only Unohana, Yamamoto, and Akira were present among the captains.
Just as they were about to greet them, their eyes were drawn to Akira's haori.
On the back of his white captain's coat, something had changed.
In addition to the original "six," there was now an extra "three" above it.
…Wait, what?!
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