The heat was unbearable, rolling through the battlefield like a tidal wave. Even the Shinigami, including high-ranking officials, found it oppressive.
The vice-captains present had to work together to erect a protective barrier, shielding the weaker Shinigami from the overwhelming force.
"What the hell!? If Akira isn't stopped, we'll be the ones to die first!" Hisagi Shūhei shouted, his face tense with desperation.
Despite the fear, others like Hinamori Momo and Iba Tetsuzaemon clenched their fists, their determination burning just as intensely as the flames around them.
"It has to be an all-out attack—we have to end Akira completely!"
"Damn it! Why hasn't the Captain-Commander taken him down yet?!" Iba gritted his teeth, frustration evident in his voice.
Hinamori's eyes were bloodshot, her fists trembling. "Akira… why are you so strong?! Why won't you just die?!"
Hearing these words, Matsumoto Rangiku and Kira Izuru, who were struggling to maintain the barrier, exchanged sorrowful glances.
"…I never imagined Akira would push everyone to their limits like this," Kira murmured.
"In the past, who would have thought a single Shinigami could throw all of Seireitei into chaos?" Rangiku added, her voice heavy with disbelief.
And it wasn't just a metaphor—he was literally turning the world upside down.
In the sky above, Akira clashed with Yamamoto Genryūsai. Their battle raged, filling the air with blistering heat as countless embers scattered like falling stars.
"It should be about time," Akira muttered to himself.
Dodging a wave of flames from Yamamoto's Zanka no Tachi, he glanced into the distance, his gaze fixed on something unseen.
Then, shrouded in dark flames, he disappeared with a swift Shunpo.
"Hold it right there!" Yamamoto roared, his voice shaking the battlefield as he hurled Zanka no Tachi's residual flames forward, pursuing his opponent.
A moment later, a massive explosion erupted in the distance.
BOOM!
The impact was so tremendous that even from afar, the deafening shockwave continued to ripple outward, detonating in succession.
Central Underground Chamber
Unohana Retsu was not present at the battlefield. Instead, she stood within the shadows of the underground chamber, staring at the horrifying sight before her.
"…It's exactly as Akira said."
Before her lay the decayed corpses of Central 46, long dead.
How long had the Gotei 13 been operating under a lie?
Examining the bodies, Unohana noted the state of decay, her sharp mind calculating the timeframe. "Judging by the blood and decomposition… Central 46 has been dead for well over a month."
A chilling realization crept over her.
"Could they have been killed before Akira even became a captain?"
The thought alone made Unohana shudder.
The entire Gotei 13 had unknowingly been following the orders of a non-existent governing body. They had been puppets, manipulated by an unknown force hiding in the shadows.
And yet, they had branded Akira as a traitor.
"…No," Unohana murmured, her voice steady despite the emotions roiling within her.
"Akira isn't the sinner of the Soul Society—he's its savior."
For the first time, she felt something she rarely experienced—relief. Relief that she had chosen to trust him. Relief that Akira was strong enough to resist the fate that would have crushed anyone else.
Had he been weaker, he would have already been executed under false charges.
Only with the heaven-defying strength of Akira can he stand alone against the entire Gotei 13—until the conspiracy is revealed!
"Aizen Sōsuke… is it really you?!" Unohana Retsu narrowed her eyes, her voice tense with suspicion.
Suddenly, the temperature in the Central Underground Conference Hall spiked.
"It's so hot… What's happening?"
Unohana, usually calm, felt beads of sweat forming on her brow. This heat wasn't normal. The very ground beneath her feet trembled slightly, and a deep, echoing rumble grew louder by the second.
"Today… isn't today the day Akira was taken to Sōkyoku Hill for Rukia Kuchiki's execution?" she murmured, her expression darkening. "What in the world is happening!?"
Rushing outside, Unohana's eyes widened at the overwhelming scene before her.
Boom!
A massive black inferno clashed violently against a crimson blaze that surged like a tidal wave.
"Black Flame Dragon Mode—Dragon Slayer Profound Truth: Jet Black Blazing Blade!"
Akira's voice roared through the battlefield as he wielded the chaotic fusion of Longyan and Amaterasu's black flames, intertwining them into a vortex of searing red and black destruction.
On the other side, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni stood resolute. The scorching fire surrounding his body burned like the very core of the sun. With the force of an erupting volcano, he swung his blade to meet Akira's attack head-on.
Though it lacked Amaterasu's unique properties, Yamamoto's flames exuded an overwhelming heat capable of incinerating nearly anything in existence.
BOOM!
The resulting shockwave sent debris flying in all directions, the sheer force making Unohana's haori smolder at the edges.
"This can't be…! Akira is actually holding his own against Captain Yamamoto's Bankai?!"
Her disbelief was momentarily drowned out by the sounds of destruction. A loud, agonized groan echoed from behind—Unohana turned to see the Central 46 chambers crumbling under the aftershocks of the battle. Cracks snaked up the walls, threatening to bury crucial evidence beneath the rubble.
I can't let the truth be buried!
With this in mind, Unohana hurried toward the battle.
"Captain-Commander! Captain Akira!"
At her call, Yamamoto momentarily halted his assault. His piercing gaze turned toward her, filled with both authority and reprimand.
"Unohana," he said, his voice like a crackling fire. "Not only do you address this criminal as 'Captain,' but your absence today has already raised questions. You will answer for it when this is over!"
He exhaled sharply, his flames intensifying. "But for now, I give you a direct order, as the Commander-General—join me in suppressing this traitor, Akira!"
Though Yamamoto was confident in his own strength, he understood that defeating an opponent like Akira would take time. And the longer this battle continued, the greater the disgrace it would bring to the Gotei 13.
However, the answer he received was beyond his expectations.
Unohana met his gaze without hesitation, her expression resolute.
"Please allow me to refuse."
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