Chapter 449 - 449: The Power of a Soul Reaper Goes Far Beyond This

Aizen spoke, yet strangely, none of the other Shinigami reacted.

It was as though they hadn't heard him at all.

Except for Gin.

Cyrus withdrew his attention from the others and looked back at Aizen.

"Done hiding?"

His voice came calmly from behind the mask.

"I thought you'd keep pretending a little longer."

"There wouldn't be much point."

Aizen shook his head.

"If we're going to negotiate, I should at least show some sincerity."

Even so, he did not release his Zanpakutō in front of Cyrus.

It wasn't because he didn't want to.

Aizen simply couldn't be certain that Kyōka Suigetsu would actually work on this man.

If he revealed its ability and Complete Hypnosis failed, the result would be far from ideal.

"Negotiate?"

Cyrus sounded completely unsurprised.

That reaction made Aizen frown almost imperceptibly.

It was too calm.

Aizen was genuinely curious about Cyrus's power and very much wanted to study it, but his plans for Hueco Mundo were equally important.

No—more important, at least for now.

He still knew almost nothing about Cyrus's strange abilities, whereas everything he had been preparing in Hueco Mundo was directly connected to his goal of breaking through the limits of a Shinigami.

Yet in only a short time, Cyrus had already gathered an astonishing number of powerful Hollows around himself.

That was exactly what Aizen had originally intended to do.

These high-level Hollows were useful both as experimental subjects and as tools.

If Aizen still wanted to carry out that plan now, Cyrus was an obstacle he could no longer ignore.

That was why Aizen had finally acted.

Kyōka Suigetsu had already placed the other Shinigami under hypnosis, leaving him free to step forward without them realizing what was truly happening.

"Yes. A negotiation."

Aizen glanced toward Gin.

The damage caused by Cyrus breaking his Zanpakutō had clearly affected him, and Gin quietly took two steps back.

"You mentioned before that you were interested in the power of Shinigami. As it happens, I've spent quite a bit of time researching that subject."

Aizen began walking toward Cyrus.

The battlefield around them had fallen unnaturally silent.

Farther back, the Hollows gathered along the edge of the forest stared in utter confusion, but no one present cared much about what they thought.

"So you're offering me that knowledge in exchange for letting your people leave?"

Cyrus asked as Aizen approached.

"No."

Aizen's harmless smile returned.

"That would be a separate transaction."

"As for my research into Shinigami power…"

His smile deepened slightly.

"Consider that a gesture of good faith."

"Heh. Good faith."

Cyrus laughed but said nothing more.

Aizen understood the implication perfectly and continued.

"Whatever your purpose in this world may be, I can assist you."

His voice remained smooth and measured.

"With your strength, there is no reason we couldn't become genuine allies."

As he spoke, Aizen raised one hand almost instinctively, nearly reaching up to sweep his hair back.

Then he remembered that he would most likely have to return to Shinigami afterward and suppressed the impulse.

"I'm investigating some of the deepest secrets of this world."

His voice grew more animated.

"The power of Shinigami is only the foundation of what I'm pursuing. My real objective is to discover a power that transcends the limits of a Shinigami."

Aizen's eyes locked onto Cyrus.

"And that knowledge, once obtained, is something I'm willing to share with you."

He smiled.

"That is what I'm offering."

A faint intensity entered his gaze.

"Interested now?"

"Watch your emotions."

Cyrus interrupted.

Aizen paused.

"My apologies."

His expression softened again.

"This is something I've pursued for a very long time. I suppose I get somewhat carried away when discussing it."

"Now that does sound interesting."

Cyrus nodded.

"So you agree?"

Aizen's smile widened.

"Before we talk about that…"

Cyrus looked directly at him.

Behind the mask, the corner of his mouth curled upward.

Flames ignited in his lowered hand.

The fire rapidly condensed into a long blade.

Snap.

Cyrus rested the flaming sword across one shoulder and pointed at Aizen with his free hand.

"First, show me that you're actually qualified to cooperate with me."

His finger tapped lightly against his own mask.

"And while you're at it, prove that Shinigami power has something worth my attention."

Cyrus's amusement was obvious.

"Keeping up that disguise must be exhausting, right?"

"Suppressing your power all the time just so you can play the part of some harmless, mediocre captain."

Aizen's smile froze again.

Cyrus knew far too much about him.

That was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

It had only been one sentence, yet Aizen had the deeply unpleasant feeling that there were very few secrets he could successfully hide from the man standing before him.

He hated that feeling.

Still…

If Cyrus wanted a demonstration—

Aizen raised his Zanpakutō horizontally in front of himself.

"Very well."

His composure returned.

"I'm curious about your power as well."

The instant he finished speaking, a long blade glowing crimson appeared directly in front of him.

Aizen raised his sword to block.

Clang!

The moment the two blades collided, Aizen was sent flying.

The sheer physical force behind Cyrus's strike overwhelmed his footing completely, making it impossible for him to properly control his body as he hurtled backward.

"Hey!"

Cyrus called toward the forest after knocking Aizen away.

"Keep an eye on things here."

Then his body broke apart into fire and disappeared.

Starrk, who had finally relaxed enough to sit on a tree branch, looked down at the Hollows below before scratching his head and dropping to the ground.

"You heard him."

He glanced around at the gathered Menos.

"Don't do anything stupid. If you get yourselves killed while he's gone, don't expect anyone to make excuses for you."

The warning was necessary.

With Cyrus present, everyone behaved.

With Cyrus gone, Starrk had no idea how long that obedience would last.

Ulquiorra looked toward him.

"That man…"

His voice was quiet.

"Who exactly is he?"

Ulquiorra's gaze followed the direction Cyrus had vanished.

"He isn't one of us."

"Don't ask me."

Starrk sighed.

"I don't know either."

Then his expression grew slightly more serious.

"But there's one thing you should remember."

"He can kill you whenever he wants."

Starrk could sense danger from Ulquiorra himself, which was enough to prove how powerful the younger Hollow was.

And yet Cyrus had still captured him with barely any effort.

Capturing someone alive was harder than killing them.

That fact said more than enough.

Nearby, Gin was beginning to regret his life choices.

Every other Shinigami had been caught inside Aizen's hypnosis.

And now Aizen had disappeared to fight Cyrus, leaving Gin alone among this entire crowd of high-level Hollows.

'Seriously?'

He glanced around.

'I'm supposed to deal with all of these by myself?'

There was no chance in hell.

…

Meanwhile, Gin's captain was having problems of his own.

Aizen's expression had become genuinely serious.

Even when he used his full physical strength, he still couldn't comfortably withstand Cyrus's sword strikes.

No flames.

No unusual Devil Fruit abilities.

Just raw strength.

And that alone was enough to leave Aizen struggling to defend himself.

'What is this man's body made of?'

Aizen wondered as Cyrus sent him flying again.

Both of his arms had gone numb from the impact.

"That's it?"

Cyrus watched as Aizen barely stabilized himself in midair.

He shook his head.

"That's not enough."

Aizen steadied his breathing.

"Your physical strength is remarkable."

His tone remained controlled despite the strain.

"But the power of a Shinigami goes far beyond this."

He pointed his Zanpakutō toward Cyrus.

"A Shinigami can release the power residing within their Zanpakutō."

As he explained, Aizen suddenly vanished.

Shunpo.

He reappeared beside Cyrus in an instant, drawing his sword back before slashing directly toward his neck.