Chapter 144: Hypnosis

Time rewound—yes, just to this moment would suffice...

*Cough, cough!*

A mysterious youth, adjusting a projector, cleared his throat twice, then switched it on in the pitch darkness.

At last, an image appeared before everyone’s eyes—

*Clang!*

The sharp clash of blades echoed.

*Tsk...*

Two figures engaged in combat, with the more disheveled being Aizen.

Deprived of the emotion of ‘battle,’ despite his overwhelming power, Aizen could only adopt a passive defense against his opponent’s assaults—simply intercepting attacks without any counterstrike.

The sword in Chōjirō’s hand had long since been swapped from the short *Shizukuyuki* to the fully released *Izanami*, yet Aizen’s emotions remained absent.

It seemed that once stripped away, those feelings would not return without the wielder’s permission.

Though thoroughly pressed by Chōjirō’s attacks, Aizen’s strength and cunning were undeniable. While blocking another strike, his mind raced to analyze *Shizukuyuki’s* abilities.

This was truly a contest of power.

With Aizen unable to release his Zanpakutō, Chōjirō likewise refrained from releasing *Izanami*, their duel a balance of attack and defense in their sealed states.

*Clang!*

Yet, if one were to be honest, Chōjirō was merely courting trouble here.

Though *Kyoka Suigetsu* was sealed, the power gap between the two was not as vast as that between Aizen and other captains—it hovered at a delicate equilibrium. Neither side would see much shift in the short term, even with Aizen forced to purely defend.

*!*

Seizing an opportunity, Chōjirō forcefully lifted Aizen’s blade. Charging forward for a decisive blow, he collided into Aizen’s embrace. Despite his inability to strike back, Aizen’s sensitivity to evasion was extraordinary; the moment his sword was deflected, he instantly distanced himself with Shunpo.

“Heh, even just defending, you’re unexpectedly tricky…”

Retracting his missed strike with a wry smile, Chōjirō showed a hint of helplessness.

He had presumed that sealing *Kyoka Suigetsu* and Aizen’s fighting instincts would make the battle unpleasant but not overly time-consuming. Yet after so long, they remained evenly matched.

Could the gap between us really be this vast?

“You dare call yourself Vice-Captain Jaketsu? To lock away my sword and power like this, and still have the nerve to say I’m tricky…”

Aizen’s face and form were indeed quite battered, yet the calm, unshaken smile lingered at the corner of his mouth.

Though at a disadvantage, his plan was far from unraveling. That Zanpakutō was troublesome, yes—but not without a solution.

He was waiting—waiting for the moment to crush Chōjirō in one decisive blow.

*...*

Though holding the upper hand, Chōjirō remained cautious.

Firstly, Aizen had not suffered a fatal blow; his power was still intact.

Secondly, Aizen still carried one final element that made Chōjirō wary—

The Hōgyoku.

The Hōgyoku was what had propelled Aizen beyond the ranks of Soul Reapers, evolving him to dominate all beings.

Even without ‘battle’ emotions, Chōjirō couldn’t be certain if the Hōgyoku might possess an automatic activation in critical moments. With scant information, Chōjirō harbored great apprehension towards Aizen.

Given that, there was no reason to hold back.

Clenching his sword tighter, Chōjirō bowed his head slightly.

*“!”*

*Crackling.*

With a casual flick, the sealed Zanpakutō burst into a Western-style sword shimmering with lightning.

“You liberate your Zanpakutō without hesitation? Don’t you think that’s a bit excessive for me?”

With the freedom to wield his blade at will, Chōjirō had no intention of playing fair.

Fairness in battle?

What a joke.

Such childish ideals had been discarded centuries ago. If space allowed, he would have unleashed his Bankai without hesitation.

The red square arena was just about sufficient for a battle between Chōjirō and Aizen, but adding Bankai would clearly make it too cramped. Perhaps the Bankai of Byakuya or Hitsugaya might fit, but Chōjirō or Komamura’s enormous Bankai? The arena simply couldn’t contain their power.

*Crackle... crackle.*

Utilizing *Izanami’s* flexible blade and flashing lightning, Chōjirō etched a streak of thunder through the air.

*“!”*

Raising a brow, Aizen retreated half a step.

Lightning, known for its speed, ferocity, and wild nature, was especially dreaded by Aizen in his disadvantaged state. He prepared meticulously.

“That distance is useless, Aizen.”

Lightning crackled and distorted in the air, its harsh noise nearly drowning out Chōjirō’s voice.

“Do you think you can dodge it?”

*Crackle!*

With a thunderous roar, lightning branches erupted from the streak, engulfing the area before Chōjirō.

“Indeed…”

Though overwhelmed by the electric onslaught, Aizen’s face betrayed no anxiety—only a hint of excitement.

*Swish!*

Effortlessly weaving through gaps between the lightning with agile movement and Shunpo, he then stepped back, escaping the electric storm.

“It’s not over yet.”

*“!”*

No sooner had Aizen spoken than Chōjirō leapt forward, lowering his body before him, one hand poised—

*“Izanami Bakurai!”*

*Boom!*

The ground beneath them exploded violently, overshadowing the previous thunderclap.

“Tch… troublesome…”

Emerging from the blast, Aizen glanced irritably at the rising smoke—this attack had surely left a deep impression.

“Just as I thought!”

*Ding!*

Without giving Aizen a moment to think, Chōjirō instinctively blocked the sudden attack with a quick thrust of his dagger in the left hand.

*“!”*

But this marked the beginning of Aizen’s downfall.

For Chōjirō’s attack came from his left-hand dagger.

“It’s over, Aizen!”

With a deft twist midair, to Aizen’s shock, Chōjirō’s right hand, gripping his Zanpakutō in reverse, plunged the blade into Aizen’s body.

The sensation of blade slicing flesh was all too familiar to Chōjirō.

Only—

*Shii!*

The figure pierced was not Aizen but a mirror-like shard that shattered instantly. Meanwhile, a sharp pain stabbed through his own body.

“Well done, Vice-Captain Jaketsu.”

Holding the sword that had pierced Chōjirō, Aizen’s face remained serene, a slight smile playing upon his lips as if the one he had struck was but an insignificant speck of dust.

“If not for *Kyoka Suigetsu*, I would indeed have been defeated as you saw.”

“But now, that no longer matters.”

*Swish!*

With a flick of his blade, he sent Chōjirō’s gravely wounded body flying, letting him fall. Aizen casually wiped the blood from his sword and slowly sheathed it.

*Whoosh!*

The red square dissolved as Chōjirō’s spiritual pressure support vanished, revealing the outer world.

“It’s time to commence the plan…”

Upon stepping out of the red square, Aizen’s eyes first met the Soul Reaper corps—expressionless save for shock on their faces.

“Greetings, inhabitants of the Soul Society.”