"Watch out!"
Nelliel's warning pierced through the still air, and the hair on the back of Midoriko's neck stood on end.
She instinctively twisted her body, only to see Aizen's Zanpakutō slashing right at the tip of her nose!
Impossible!
He had clearly been twenty steps away just a second ago!
Whoosh!
The dull sound of a blade slicing into flesh exploded in her ears.
Midoriko's eyes widened as she watched her body being split in two.
But what was strange was that no blood gushed from the wound. Instead, two bloodstained paper figures slowly floated to the ground.
"A substitute?"
Aizen raised his eyebrows slightly, withdrawing the illusion and staring at the fallen paper talismans with interest.
"An intriguing system of abilities."
Completely different from a Shinigami's.
Elsewhere—
Midoriko's true body reappeared a hundred meters away, her back soaked in cold sweat.
She took a deep breath, then locked her eyes on the blood drifting in the sea.
Bright red spread across the surface like an actual corpse had sunk.
"A substitute?"
No...
Something's wrong.
If it had been a substitution technique, there shouldn't have been any blood.
"Confused?"
Aizen's voice echoed again. It was distant, yet felt disturbingly close—right at her ear, or maybe at the edge of the horizon.
"You did hit me just now."
Midoriko's eyes narrowed as she sensed a strange ripple in the air and retreated without hesitation!
The next second—
Aizen appeared in front of her!
Seeing this, Midoriko immediately threw out three talismans. Golden light burst forth, binding Aizen's limbs like chains.
This time, there was no illusion.
It was as if the chains had genuinely wrapped around him!
But...
With what had just happened, Midoriko knew better than to take it at face value.
Still...
She had to try.
Taking advantage of Aizen being bound, she released a faint black flame from her palm and hurled it toward him!
This was her true soul-attack ability!
Fwoosh—
The dark flame landed directly on Aizen.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!"
A shrill, distorted scream erupted!
Aizen's body peeled like scorched bark.
Midoriko quickly withdrew her hand and stepped back.
That scream... it was too theatrical.
Sure enough, the charred "Aizen" suddenly raised his head. The corners of his cracked mouth curled into a grotesque arc.
"Your ability is... quite fascinating."
Amid eerie whispers, the burnt figure raised a hand and effortlessly extinguished the lingering dark flame.
Midoriko's pupils contracted sharply.
So easy...
What was even more terrifying was that as Aizen's fingers ran across his neck, the skin—supposedly scorched by the talisman—was completely intact!
And...
Wasn't this guy supposed to be a soul?
Her attack was meant for souls.
So why—
Just as she was trying to make sense of it all.
The waves beneath her suddenly churned. The sky beneath her feet cracked, and seawater surged upward like a whirlpool trying to drag her in!
A sense of terror flooded Midoriko's heart.
Wait!
Aizen Sosuke...
Why could he control Ingvild's sea?!
Is that even possible?
But—
The smell of the sea hitting her face confirmed it.
She tried to stabilize herself, dodging the surging seawater, then instinctively looked for Ingvild Leviathan.
She wanted to call out for her to regain control of the ocean.
But—
Ingvild was just as confused.
She had raised both hands, activating the power of her Sacred Gear to manipulate the sea.
But...
"Why... why isn't it responding?"
Ingvild stared blankly at the unruly ocean before her, her eyes full of confusion.
On the other side.
Seeing Ingvild's condition, Midoriko's eyes also showed shock.
She knew what Ingvild's power was.
Ocean dominion...
But now...
Before she could process it all, Aizen's voice echoed once again.
"Hadō #33 – Sōkatsui!"
A blazing ball of flame shot toward her!
Midoriko dodged instinctively.
But...
Under her gaze...
It curved midair?!
"?"
A question mark flashed across her face. She panicked, raised her hand, and erected a barrier!
Boom!!
The flames exploded on impact, and the sheer force sent her flying backward!
Although her hastily raised barrier managed to block the main blast, the scorching heat still penetrated and singed her skin.
Sweat dripped down her forehead.
But more than the heat.
What truly bothered her was the unpredictability of Aizen's techniques.
Tch...
She frowned.
What had Aizen done?
---
In the main world.
Watching Midoriko getting toyed with by Aizen, Lynn shook his head and spoke through the Evil Piece:
"Kyōka Suigetsu's true ability is to manipulate all five senses, inducing complete hypnosis."
Hueco Mundo.
Midoriko froze. "Lynn-sama?"
It's over. It's really over.
He saw all that just now?
Midoriko felt embarrassed.
All because of that glasses-wearing bastard!
She threw Aizen a glare.
But...
Manipulation of the five senses. Hypnosis...
Midoriko narrowed her eyes.
No wonder...
Whether it was landing a hit, only for him to reappear unharmed, or his body shrugging off her flame.
And even the ocean Ingvild couldn't control...
All of it was hypnosis.
Now it all made sense.
But...
Even knowing that, how was she supposed to break free?
Her brows furrowed deeper.
Just then—
Lynn's voice sounded again.
"Maybe... try using the Strange Soul?"
He offered advice.
If it were him, Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu would have no effect.
But Midoriko...
She couldn't reach that level yet.
"Strange Soul!"
The moment she heard Lynn's suggestion, Midoriko's eyes lit up.
Right!
She still had that!
Thinking of this—
She didn't hesitate.
"Strange Soul, open!"
(To be continued.)