Faced with Kuchiki Ginrei, who had flown into a Hollow-fueled rage and summoned a monstrous flood of Reiatsu capable of submerging the entire Senzaikyū, both Aizen and Tōsen Kaname vanished instantly.
In the blink of an eye, they reappeared—standing calmly in midair above the raging torrent.
Kuchiki Ginrei's sharp eyes swept across the sky, locking briefly on Aizen and Tōsen standing not far away. When he didn't spot his target, his eyes narrowed further. He immediately released a new pulse of Reiatsu consciousness, sweeping the surroundings, searching for Aiyan's position.
But the next voice didn't come from around.
It came from behind him.
"Captain Ginrei, are you looking for me?"
That calm voice struck like thunder.
Ginrei's pupils shrink in shock.
In that instant, his body reacted faster than his thoughts—he slashed backward instinctively with all his strength.
The moment the blade moved, the Reiatsu current at his feet surged in unison. The water rose in a massive crescent slash, turning into a monstrous scythe-like wave—crashing down upon Aiyan's figure with mountainous force.
Yet, when the water cut through the target, no blood sprayed.
The figure that had been struck wavered, like a reflection disturbed by a stone—
Kuchiki Ginrei's breath hitched. His Reiatsu consciousness instantly spread again.
He snapped his head toward another direction—
Aiyan's form once again appeared at the edge of his perception.
Without hesitation, Ginrei launched another strike.
"Reverse Dragon Halberd!!"
From the swirling sea of Reiatsu, a massive trident with a dragon's head, formed entirely from concentrated water Reiatsu, burst out and speared forward—tearing through Aiyan's torso.
The "wound" shimmered—
"This Shunpo… it's beyond what even the head of the Shihōin family could achieve!"
Two deadly strikes—both failed.
Kuchiki Ginrei felt a rare twinge of fear gnaw at the edge of his mind.
The pressure was building.
"Don't underestimate the Kuchiki family!"
He plunged his Zanpakutō into the sea of Reiatsu.
With a roar that tore the night apart, hundreds of Reiatsu water dragons broke free from the flood below. Their giant serpentine bodies coiled, swirled, and launched into the air, scattering destruction across the entire Penitentiary.
Wherever they passed, the air itself warped—compressed until it rippled like liquid.
It was a terrifying attack—one only a Zanpakutō of the highest elemental class could unleash.
Yet, even as he called down destruction, Aiyan remained calm—serene, even.
He neither drew his Zanpakutō nor unleashed any attack.
He moved only with Shunpo, weaving between the dragons with effortless grace.
Whenever a dragon struck—
Aiyan danced among the dragons—gliding, twisting, stepping through the gaps like water slipping through a sieve.
Not a scale touched him. Not a thread of his robes was torn.
"Aizen-sama… is this really okay?"
Tōsen Kaname's voice wavered with concern as he looked toward Aizen.
"He's fighting the Kuchiki clan head. He holds Wanchuan Kaikai—the strongest Zanpakutō of the flowing water type… and he's already Hollowfied."
"The explosion of Reiatsu here is enormous. Even with a barrier in place, Gotei 13 will sense it."
"If this drags on too long…"
"We'll have to evacuate and recover."
From his perspective, Aiyan should have ended the battle already. A single fatal blow—clean, decisive. There was no need to toy with someone like Kuchiki Ginrei.
But Aizen only smiled.
He looked at Tōsen and replied with faint amusement in his voice:
"Do you believe that my brother's strength is rooted in his Zanpakutō?"
"If so, then you've misunderstood."
"Kōfūin is terrifying, yes—but it's only one part of a whole."
"My brother's strength lies not in a single piece—but in all six pieces."
"Kidō. Kendo. Shunpo. Hakuda. Reiatsu. Zanpakutō."
"All of them—every single discipline that defines a Shinigami—he excels in."
"None are weak. All are superior."
"That is why, Tōsen… I have never once believed I could surpass him."
"That's why… he's my goal."
Tōsen stood speechless. He had believed Aizen to be an unreachable peak. To hear Aizen declare Aiyan as the one beyond that peak…
"Shunpo… improved again?!"
Kuchiki Ginrei was still mid-combat.
This time—even his Reiatsu consciousness couldn't catch up.
That was when something touched him.
A faint pressure on the back of his head.
Though it was only a finger, gently resting against his skull—a chill colder than death itself surged through his spine. It raced up from his feet, through every muscle, every nerve, until it erupted behind his eyes.
In panic, Ginrei reacted—
A technique from the Shihōin family's secret arts, Empty Cicada allowed him to leave behind a replica and evade in an instant.
Aiyan simply watched him flee, retracting his hand calmly.
His voice was low—almost amused.
"Hadō #90… Kurohitsugi."