Hearing Aizen's words, Zommari fell to his knees.
"I'm deeply sorry! Aizen-sama! I... I will never repeat the same mistake... I will fight to the death to protect Hueco Mundo!"
Of course, Aizen understood the essence of leadership well, so he merely issued Zommari a warning without excessive blame.
"However, your repeated cries of 'Aizen-sama!' in that projection also demonstrated your loyalty."
"Simultaneously, this warns us that these Shinigami's power should not be underestimated."
"Furthermore, there's another factor, Zommari—the opponent you faced was Byakuya Kuchiki."
"He commands hundreds of millions of blade petals, far exceeding the number of your eyes. Against any other captain, you might not have failed."
"You simply need to consider carefully how to counter captains like Byakuya Kuchiki."
Hearing this, Zommari, still kneeling, burst into tears of gratitude.
"Thank you, Aizen-sama! I will go through fire and water for you, whatever the cost!"
Grimmjow spoke with disdain:
"A mere Shinigami captain, and he couldn't even handle him. If it were me, I'd easily crush this Kuchiki Byakuya with my strength."
Espada No. 8, Szayelaporro, also sneered:
"You're not even superior to me despite being the Séptima Espada."
Ulquiorra noticed other details:
"Isn't this our Hueco Mundo? Will the Shinigami actually attack our domain? This seems rather unimaginable."
Aizen Sōsuke frowned thoughtfully about this.
"The Shinigami would never mobilize a full army to assault Hueco Mundo. They likely seek to sabotage us because we've begun implementing our plan."
"But they're far too naive. Their original power falls significantly short of ours!"
"This will only scatter their forces—they're digging their own graves!"
"Regardless, don't worry. We have no rivals standing before us."
Aizen Sōsuke's words resonated powerfully! They echoed throughout Las Noches, filling all the Espada with excitement!
They firmly believed that under Aizen's leadership, they would definitely flatten Soul Society and show the Shinigami their true power!
The people of Soul Society also began analyzing the recent battle:
[Kurosaki Ichigo]: I have to admit, that Espada was genuinely powerful. Even though Captain Kuchiki defeated him, it was still quite thrilling.
[Unohana Retsu]: Indeed, speaking seriously, if Kenpachi Zaraki faced such an opponent, he would likely suffer defeat. After all, this requires specific strategies to handle.
[Hitsugaya Tōshirō]: Precisely. Captain Zaraki is strong, but if he's not facing an opponent but rather an out-of-control version of himself, the outcome becomes uncertain.
[Zaraki Kenpachi]: Hey! Really?! I want to see if he can successfully control me!
[Kurotsuchi Mayuri]: Hehe, I'm also interested in studying this Zommari. Being able to control others with just a glance is fascinating. I wonder if I can replicate his techniques!
[Ukitake Jūshirō]: I'm already getting goosebumps.
Of course, there wasn't much to analyze regarding the battle's technical details.
Everyone was more concerned about the causes and consequences of this conflict.
[Unohana Retsu]: By the way, why did our Captain Kuchiki go to Hueco Mundo? It seems something significant will occur in the future.
[Kyōraku Shunsui]: I wonder if it's connected to Future Aizen's attack on the World of the Living.
[Ulquiorra Cifer]: Perhaps the connection is that because your people came to Hueco Mundo, they never returned alive! After all, among those Shinigami attacking Aizen-sama, this Byakuya Kuchiki was notably absent.
[Abarai Renji]: Are you joking? Captain Kuchiki isn't someone you can handle!
[Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez]: Hmph, you and Rukia Kuchiki didn't appear either. Perhaps they were killed alongside Byakuya Kuchiki.
[Abarai Renji]: We'll just have to wait and see. We'll discover the truth eventually.
Though he spoke confidently, Abarai Renji couldn't help feeling somewhat worried.
It must be said that entering Aizen's territory—Hueco Mundo—was indeed extremely risky.
Why would my future self do such a thing?
Unless there's some crucial reason...
Before everyone could discuss much longer, a new scene soon appeared on screen.
In Soul Society's architectural complex...
Abarai Renji, whose attire had obviously changed, was battling a mysterious enemy.
During the fight, he discovered his attacks proved ineffective.
His opponent consistently used a mysterious emblem to deflect his strikes.
While Abarai Renji seriously contemplated how to handle this enemy, another adversary appeared behind him, launching a sneak attack.
Fortunately, Byakuya Kuchiki materialized at that moment and neutralized this enemy's assault.
The person before him was none other than the Sternritter of the Wandenreich—"F" Äs Nödt!
After discovering his Shikai couldn't harm Äs Nödt whatsoever, Kuchiki Byakuya frowned and prepared to activate his Bankai.
But Abarai Renji dissuaded him:
"Captain Kuchiki, according to Lieutenant Sasakibe's report, this guy can seal Bankai and is extremely dangerous!"
Kuchiki Byakuya replied simply:
"I understand, but these people are Lieutenant Sasakibe's enemies—they made the Seireitei bleed without any warning! This is unforgivable!"
"Without Bankai, we cannot defeat them. We can only attempt to find a way to break through the seal..."
"So Renji, if my Bankai is sealed, I can only rely on your Bankai!"
After saying this, Kuchiki Byakuya hesitated no longer.
"Bankai!"
"Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!"
Thousands of cherry blossom-colored blade petals surrounded "F" Äs Nödt!
However, Kuchiki Byakuya was shocked to discover his power vanished the next instant. He muttered in bewilderment:
"How is this possible? My Bankai... wasn't sealed... it was stolen!"
After witnessing this scene, everyone throughout the world of the dead was stunned!
[Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni]: What time period does this scene represent? Is this also from the future? Enemies have actually invaded Soul Society?!
[Kurosaki Ichigo]: This time is different from before—there are mysterious enemies who genuinely invaded Soul Society!
[Kuchiki Byakuya]: If they can steal my Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, then the other captains can also...
At this moment, all the Shinigami were utterly shocked!