168 CHAPTER 187: The Victim

Kisuke had run countless experiments in an attempt to counter Aizen's Shikai ability, but every idea met a dead end. No device or technique could help him when his senses were fed false information on all fronts. However, he knew the sight before him was no illusion.

"Yoruichi-san…"

She sat unconscious within a transparent barrier shaped like a cube, her body bound by a thick rope commonly used by the Onmitsukidō to subdue criminals and suppress their Reiatsu.

He had sent off Yoruichi half a minute before he faced Aizen. The thought of Aizen defeating her in thirty seconds was outrageous, disrespectful even. After all, Yoruichi was one of the strongest Captains, having mastered Shunkō and a multitude of assassination techniques.

He couldn't help but feel a dissonance with facts and illusion.

"How long do you think passed while you stood here… waiting for me to unravel my concealment Kidō?" Aizen held up one finger, then slowly raised each one until his hand was open. "Five minutes. More than enough time to approach Yoruichi in disguise. She completely let her guard down around me because I looked, smelled, and acted just like her childhood friend to an extent…"

Kisuke's grip on his Shikai weapon shook as the realization hit him like a tidal wave — Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu wasn't just an instrument for creating illusions; it also had the power to manipulate one's perception of time.

Aizen unsheathed his Zanpakutō and admired the katana gleaming under the moonlight. "A fascinating night to conduct—"

"Rikujōkōrō (Six-Rod Light Restraint)," Kisuke whispered the name of Bakudō #61 as he snuck up behind the distracted Aizen and touched his back. Six bright beams of energy shot towards Aizen's waist, enough to restrain a regular Vice-Captain. But Kisuke knew it would take more than one binding spell to hold Aizen.

Not wasting a second, Kisuke pointed his finger at Aizen, invoking another kidō. "Sajō Sabaku (Ethereal Binding Chain)."

A burst of yellow energy obeyed his command and split into multiple thick ropes that wrapped around Aizen's torso.

Despite rapidly casting two high-level Kidō back-to-back, Kisuke wasn't done. He joined his index fingers before tracing an inverted triangle in the air. "Tōzanshō (Inverted Mountain Crystal)."

A brilliant blue energy responded to his command, shooting forth and expanding into four points above Aizen. The points of light coalesced into an inverted pyramid, solidifying into a translucent barrier that encapsulated Aizen within.

Aizen stared wide-eyed, as if surprised by Kisuke's ability to quick-cast kidō spells with no chant. "Such high comprehension of spiritual energy…"

Kisuke ignored Aizen's whispers and punched the barrier around Yoruichi, shattering it into countless pieces. With Yoruichi in his arms, he turned to escape, planning his next move while retreating toward the safety of his shop.

"Shouldn't you at least check on Yoruichi-san's well-being first, Kisuke?"

Kisuke glanced down at his arms, only to witness her body shattering into thousands of shimmering shards. Whipping around, he saw Aizen floating unscathed with a smug smile plastered across his face. Yoruichi was still trapped by his side, enclosed in a perfect barrier that seemed to mock Kisuke's every effort to free her.

Aizen unsheathed his katana again, its blade coated with the same substance that induced the Hollowification state in Shinigami. He slid the blade gently through the barrier and positioned it beneath Yoruichi's chin, threateningly close to her throat. "You wouldn't have made so many errors in the past. The simple conception of Yoruichi getting hurt — it took away your composure. You're freaking out. You're losing grip on your strengths."

Aizen poured salt on Kisuke's wounds, relishing every moment of triumphing over the brilliant mind that precariously came close to his level.

Kisuke lowered his hat, his eyes darting in the direction of battle between Espada and Kazuya. The battle had concluded, yet he couldn't feel the Reiatsu of his last hope.

'He'll come. I just have to stall for time.'

Aizen let out a soft chuckle. "The entire section of the town is under a Kidō barrier. Even a Hado in the nineties won't break the force field."

Kisuke looked up, his sharp, disdainful gaze boring a hole through Aizen. "Proclaiming victory so cockily when you're holding my childhood friend hostage… Aizen-san, you're quite shameless."

"I didn't hold anyone hostage. This…" Aizen replied calmly and deliberately lowered his sword to the center of Yoruichi's chest. "Is an experiment to test the limitations of mutated Shihōin bloodline."

"Aizen, stop! I'll give you the Hōgyoku."

Kisuke desperately cast another Rikujōkōrō spell, but once again, Aizen shattered into shards and revealed himself as an illusion. As the illusion faded away, Aizen reappeared in a different spot and slowly drove the infected blade into Yoruichi's chest.

As he pulled back the blood-covered sword, Yoruichi's eyes snapped open. She started coughing and struggling against the thick rope. "Aiz… Aizen. You bastard…"

Her blood boiled with rage, visible on her contorted face. She recalled being in Kisuke's home, conversing with Toshiro, before Aizen — disguised as Kisuke — lured her away under the pretense of an 'important' talk. She had let her guard down in her friend's home, allowing Aizen to trap her with a swift cast of Rikujōkōrō spell. She barely got the chance to utter a word as Aizen cast a series of chantless mid-level kidō spells to incapacitate her.

"The hatred in those eyes…" Aizen said with a gentle smile. "You seek to destroy me over prioritizing your survival… the former leader of Onmitsukidō hasn't lost her touch."

"As if this can kill me," Yoruichi growled before letting loose a fierce smirk. With the same unyielding spirit, she looked at Kisuke, who stared at her with wide eyes. "Kisuke, stop being a dramatic pussy. I'll smash this bastard once I become a Hollow."

Her time spent with Kazuya and all the friendly ladies around him had changed her perception of Hollows. Becoming a Hollow was a far better alternative to letting Aizen manipulate Kisuke into revealing Hōgyoku and achieving his ambitious goals.

Just then, Yoruichi's spiritual pressure perception registered a familiar Reiatsu, prompting her to turn her head.

'Huh? Isn't that…'

A tide of crimson petals cascaded from the sky, swirling and coalescing into a tempest fiery. The tempest slowed down, the person who emerged wasn't her friend, but… a woman. Long, silver hair drifted around her, each strand gently waving to the rhythm of her Reiatsu. She even wore the same blindfold Kazuya wore in the first form of his Resurrección.

Yoruichi's mind reeled. The oppressive Reiatsu, the crimson flames, and even the familiar features — all the logic pointed towards the mysterious woman being her companion. Having grown close to Kazuya, she refused to believe in a reality where he existed as a woman. It was simply ridiculous that she flirted with a woman all this time.

'Could he have gained the ability to switch genders? No, that's crazier than him switching races at will.'

Yoruichi's pupils suddenly dilated as a burning sensation welled up in her throat, a visceral urge to vomit overtaking her. She bashed her head against the barrier, fighting the barrier with every ounce of her will. As courageous as she was, she lacked the strength to defy the natural laws.

A/N: So… uh… Kazuya finally used his syatem to become a hot girl…