Both start in hell: but their talents are multiplied a hundredfold.

Blood gushed from Aizen's palm, flowing down his arm, soaking the white inner sleeve of his shirt, and dripping from the cuff onto the stone floor of the main hall.

His head was lowered, his glasses were gone, and the wisps of hair on his forehead covered his tightly closed eyes.

The captain's armband hung askew on his sleeve, stained dark brown with blood.

Her entire posture resembled a painting nailed to the wall—quiet, dignified, and imbued with a chilling sense of ritual.

The blood is still dripping.

One drop after another, making a clear, even jarring, sound in the empty hall.

Hinamori Momo doesn't even remember making a sound.

Her mouth was open, her throat felt like it was being gripped tightly by a hand, and all the words she wanted to shout were stuck in her chest, turning into a muffled sound that was heart-wrenching but could not be uttered.

Hinamori Momo stumbled forward, tilting her head back, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face, blurring her vision.

Aizen was barefoot.

His wooden clogs were neatly placed against the wall, just like she remembered his habit of changing his shoes every time he came indoors.

Hinamori Momo's later words to the arriving members of the Fourth Division were incoherent, but the only sentence she repeated many times was this one.

"The blood is still dripping, which means it's still warm..."

Hinamori Momo was trembling all over as she said this, as if she had been shattered from the inside by something unseen.

Retsu Unohana personally examined the injuries, and the expression on her face afterward revealed nothing.

She only said "He's still alive" before directing her team to carefully lift Aizen onto a stretcher and take him to the Fourth Division's general medical facility.

The Zanpakuto that pierced Aizen's two palms were two nameless swords.

Judging from the style of the blade, it is not the sword of any official captain, but a standard shallow sword.

In other words, the killer didn't even use his own knife.

When Aizen was carried into the Fourth Division's general medical facility, it was still dark in the Seireitei, but the news had already spread like wildfire.

After Retsu Unohana personally confirmed that "his life is not in danger, but his injuries are extremely serious," the same sentence was repeated in every corner from the First Division to the Thirteenth Division: Captain Sosuke Aizen of the Fifth Division was attacked and is critically injured.

This statement was like a pebble thrown into stagnant water; the ripples spread faster than anyone expected.

Aizen is incredibly popular.

He was so good that he didn't seem like the captain of the Gotei 13, but more like an elder shared by the entire Seireitei.

He taught calligraphy to the young members of the Third Division, helped the Ninth Division's document team revise their year-end reports, and even ate hot pot with the officers in the Seventh Division's cafeteria.

Countless people have benefited from his kindness.

This man was nailed to the wall of his own barracks, his palm pierced by two broken knives, and he bled for half an hour before being discovered.

The surge of anger was inevitable. The Shinigami, who had received Aizen's favor, unleashed all their fury in one direction: the Ryouka.

There were no other suspects. There were only a few unfamiliar faces who had invaded the Seireitei. Madarame Ikkaku and Ayasegawa Yumichika of the Eleventh Division had just been defeated by them. Although Shen Jue had made a contribution by capturing the two, there were at least two or three more still on the run.

"It must be the one with the orange hair."

"I heard there's a big guy too."

The search for the traveler was upgraded overnight from "routine patrols" to "full-scale encirclement and suppression." The patrol density of each squad nearly doubled, and all roads leading to the Purification Tower were heavily guarded.

The pressure was transmitted to Ichigo Kurosaki.

Chad did some mental calculations. Rukia's execution date was drawing ever closer, and at this rate, they would lose the strength to rescue Rukia before they even reached the roof of the Purification Tower.

Chad made the most direct, yet also the most dangerous, decision.

If all the Grim Reapers are focused on his teammate, then let him go and challenge the Spirit Purification Tower.

This would at least divert half of the search team's attention.

This decision is very Chad: not saying much, not consulting anyone, silently walking towards his doom.

The defenses of the Spirit Purification Tower were twice as tight as he had anticipated. He broke through three checkpoints from the flanks, knocking down countless Death God members who tried to stop him, his massive right arm shattering four sides of the barrier.

But Chad is ultimately just one person.

When Kyoraku Shunsui appeared at the foot of the Purification Tower, he was still carrying the unfinished jug of turbid wine.

His vice-captain scattered red rose petals from a high place.

"Oh dear, oh dear." Kyoraku Shunsui pushed his straw hat up higher, and the sake sloshed around in the pot with a clear, crisp sound as he did so.

The roses piled up in front of him like a small, fiery mountain.

"Hey big kid, this isn't a good road for one person to walk on." Kyoraku Shunsui's tone was like he was greeting an acquaintance from the next squad, but there was no hint of a smile in his eyes.

The outcome of the battle was entirely predictable.

Chad was very strong; his right arm nearly shattered the entire stone wall behind Kyoraku the moment his spiritual pressure erupted.

However, the captain of the Eighth Division was not appointed based on seniority.

The Katen Kyokotsu flashed only once before Chad Yasutora's massive arm drooped down, and his entire body collapsed like a tower with its base removed.

Kyoraku Shunsui crouched down, put the sake bottle aside, checked Chado Yasutora's breathing, and then stood up to straighten his haori, which had been ruffled by the wind.

He only said one sentence to the Fourth Division members who came to clean up the mess: "Send the Fourth Division off, don't tie them up too tightly."

After arresting the person, the captain of the Eighth Division did not return to the barracks, but instead strolled leisurely across most of the Seireitei, heading towards the Tenth Division.

Kyoraku Shunsui's straw hat was pulled low, and he swung the sake bottle around on his finger, his posture as lazy as if he were taking a stroll.

But he walks quite fast.

Kyoraku Shunsui and Shen Jue had something to discuss.

Almost at the same moment, the Fourth Division's Comprehensive Treatment Center welcomed Shen Jue, the captain of the Tenth Division.

Retsu Unohana personally sent someone to invite him, Shen Jue, who was to succeed Isshin Shiba as the captain of the 10th Division, and who possessed extremely unique power in the field of circumvention.

The Reincarnation Technique is exactly what Aizen desperately needs to cure.

When Shen Jue arrived, Unohana Retsu was standing in front of Aizen's sickbed, the light of the Echo in her hand gradually fading.

Without turning her head, she only said, "His spiritual pressure circulation is very unstable and could disappear at any moment."

When Shen Jue saw Aizen, who was pale and barely breathing, she almost burst out laughing.

Fortunately, he was professional enough to put on a solemn and sorrowful expression.

Because at this moment, Aizen was no longer a puppet that had been created.

To put on this act, Aizen actually rushed back from Hell, took away the fake Aizen doll, stabbed himself several times, and pretended to be seriously injured and dying.

Shen Jue could only say that Aizen truly lived up to his reputation as a master of disguise, not even using the illusion technique of Kyoka Shuiyue, and was far too ruthless towards himself.

"No, Captain Aizen's spiritual pressure is too strong. My Reincarnation Technique can't rewind too much of his time," Shen Jue said in a low voice without blushing or skipping a beat.

In fact, with his current spiritual pressure, Shen Jue could use the Reincarnation Technique to rewind Aizen's timeline to his teenage years.

It's just that Shen Jue wouldn't do that.

Retsu Unohana asked Shen Jue about the captured Ryuko, and Shen Jue answered her questions one by one, telling Retsu Unohana that the Ryuko's purpose was to rescue Rukia Kuchiki.

When Shen Jue returned to the 10th Division, he saw a straw hat at the entrance of his barracks.

Kyoraku Shunsui leaned against the gatepost of the Tenth Division, the sake jug in his hand finally empty, the shadow of his straw hat obscuring most of his face.