Bleach: The Shinigami Who Inherited Hashirama

The crimson flash kept condensing.

A gorgeous red glow spiraled like a vortex above the black, horned skull, and the surrounding space itself began to warp slightly.

The sudden turn of events instantly shifted the atmosphere of the battlefield again.

"A Cero!"

"What kind of monstrous power is that?! Even space looks like it's about to collapse!"

Isshin's expression changed drastically.

The excitement and relief from moments ago vanished, replaced by naked shock.

He forced himself to keep his eyes open despite the stinging red light and watched as the horned Cero continued to gather power.

At that moment—

even as a Captain-class Soul Reaper, and one of the stronger ones among the captains at that—

Isshin felt a deep chill in his heart.

Just from sensing the pressure of that still-forming blast, he could tell:

once it fired, the destruction would be unimaginable.

"Quick! Everyone get behind me!"

"All of you—release your Reiatsu and defend with everything you've got!"

Snapping back to himself, Isshin barked out orders while frantically setting up defenses.

At the same time, he began firing off defensive Kidō one after another:

"Bakudō No. 39—"

"Bakudō No. 65—"

"Bakudō No. 81: Dankū!"

In just a few breaths, Isshin used every defensive spell he could cast at speed.

Barrier after barrier rose in front of him, stacking tightly together to shield both him and the Tenth Division members behind him.

But even after doing all that, his face remained tense.

Not for a second did he feel safe.

Because compared to him, Hollow White had become far too powerful.

And that horned Cero—

just the pressure rolling off it made his eyelids twitch.

"If I keep skipping the incantation…"

"the strength of these barriers probably won't be enough to stop it!"

Isshin's face darkened.

Every word carried deep anxiety.

As the Cero swelled, the crimson vortex already seemed to exceed what the ambient spirit particles of the Human World could withstand.

Once it fired—

the result was obvious.

At least half of Karakura Town would likely be caught in the blast.

Unless Bai Chen released one of his Zanpakutō—

unless he brought out power on the level of Ryūjin Jakka's raw destructive force—

then maybe, just maybe, he could take it head-on.

But right now…

Bai Chen showed no sign of releasing either blade.

No wonder Isshin was worried.

Not far away, hidden within the rain curtain, Aizen's group reacted as well.

"When facing the most violent and highest-tier Vasto Lorde…"

"A Soul Reaper's Bakudō really does look useless, doesn't it?"

Gin narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly.

The red glow of the charging Cero reflected across his face.

Watching Hollow White roar back and seize control of the battlefield again, Gin's earlier alarm disappeared.

Its Cero was almost fully charged now.

At this moment, his expression changed completely.

No more unease.

No more tension.

The sly fox smile returned to his face.

He had resumed his role as a calm spectator.

"Kidō tricks are meaningless in the face of absolute power."

Compared to Gin, Tōsen's emotions were even more extreme.

The moment he sensed the destructive aura pouring off the horned Cero, he became almost feverishly excited.

Even though he was blind—

and even though much of his face was hidden—

anyone who could see him would have noticed the twisted intensity in his expression.

As the one who had overseen Hollow White's development over the years—

feeding it Soul Reaper souls, watching it evolve step by step—

Tōsen truly believed this was it.

Once the horned Cero fired—

not only would Rikujōkōrō shatter completely—

not only would Hollow White break free—

but Bai Chen would finally be forced into a miserable, disadvantaged state instead of standing there in total control.

And among the three of them—

only Aizen said nothing.

Hands clasped behind his back, he stood silently in the rain, his cold eyes fixed entirely on Bai Chen.

What he wanted to know was simple:

How would Bai Chen respond?

In Aizen's judgment, the answer was obvious.

Defense.

Surely Bai Chen would defend.

But what happened next—

shocked everyone present.

Isshin.

Gin.

Tōsen.

Even Aizen himself.

All of them widened their eyes in disbelief.

"A Cero, hm?"

"That isn't a privilege exclusive to Hollows."

Bai Chen smiled lightly, completely ignoring the overwhelming red light that had swallowed the battlefield.

Then—

just as he had copied the Visoreds' techniques earlier using the power of his Three-Tomoe Sharingan—

he raised his arm again.

At the same time, he swung the Flame-Extinguishing Fan, pointing its tip directly at Hollow White.

Whoosh!

In full view of everyone—

Bai Chen lifted his arm, stirred the fan, and released his Reiatsu without holding anything back.

The next instant—

black spiritual power surged forth.

It recreated the exact scene Hollow White had just displayed.

A swirling mass of darkness condensed into a vortex-like beam at the fan's edge.

A terrifying destructive aura spread out instantly and filled the entire sky.

And this scene—

so familiar, yet so deeply wrong—

made the entire battlefield erupt in shock.

Including Aizen.

"What…?!"

"No way… he can use Cero too?!"

"And not just any Cero…"

"That's the special Black Cero only Espada can unleash after Resurrección!"

For the first time in a long while—

Aizen's expression froze.

He could no longer maintain his composure.

And in that instant, one thought thundered through his mind:

Just how many secrets was Bai Chen still hiding?

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