At a conservative estimate, Aura almost had no spiritual pressure left in her at all. While in that state, she was releasing even more spiritual pressure and trying to subjugate that gigantic castle in the air.
Based on her complexion, it was surprising that she was still standing. Aura smiled thinly.
“Are you worrying about your enemy? You really are a strange man.”
“We’re not enemies anymore! I don’t know what happened, but I heard that your capturing Mr. Urahara was also a sham. And you’re doing this for Hikone, aren’t you?”
“No. I’m not doing this for Hikone’s sake. I’m simply doing this because I want to.”
She turned her eyes to the sky, but it wasn’t clear whether what she saw overhead was the falling castle or the small figure that was continuing to fight against power incarnate even higher than that.
Before Hisagi could find out, Tokinada’s voice reverberated from the structure.
“Oh, I thought you’d do that. Thank you, Aura. I’m so grateful that you can be the actress in such an enjoyable show even while I am on the verge of death.”
His voice filled with twisted delight was enough for them to imagine his unpleasant smile.
“Hikone.”
In a syrupy tone, Tokinada spoke his final order.
“This is a matter of utmost importance. Kill Aura.”
Those who witnessed that moment felt as though time had stopped around them. Far up in the sky, Hikone, who should have been continuing to fight Kenpachi Zaraki, had come to stand behind Aura.
They had likely used all kinds of hoho to do it. It was not just their speed that was odd. Even coming from such a high point at a speed that was close to instantaneous, they hadn’t so much as raised a cloud of dust where they came to stand.
The scene made it seem almost as though they had used spiritual pressure techniques in order to bend the forces of gravity and inertia. Witnessing those movements, which could have been described as beautiful, most of those present weren’t able to respond immediately.
There was just one who was up to it.
Only one of them had realized that Hikone would promptly, without any hesitation whatsoever, come to kill Aura, even in the midst of a fight with Kenpachi…
Only Shuhei Hisagi stood guard at Aura’s back, getting in Hikone’s way in order to protect her.
“Mr. Shuhei Hisagi, would you please move slightly for me?”
Hikone looked different from their earlier form, when they had met Hisagi. Though they had a peculiar appearance, like a Soul Reaper had been mixed with an Arrancar, their essential nature as a young person who still had some youth left—had not changed. However, internally they had transformed to an extent that could not be reflected in their external appearance.
Soul Reaper and Quincy presences that were complexly mixed together, as though Hollow konpaku were forcefully binding them, had formed into a twisted spiritual pressure. Had one looked at their Reiraku, it no longer would have appeared as a long and narrow cloth, but had transformed into a strange globe of all colors collected together.
“Are you planning on killing Aura?”
“Yes, sir! Since that was Lord Tokinada’s order!”
“But Aura was trying to protect you. That’s why she turned on Tokinada.”
“Really?”
When Hikone tilted their head, Aura said, “Please stop them. It’s not the child’s fault.”
Sensing that Aura was smiling bravely behind him, Hisagi couldn’t speak but gritted his teeth and resolved to confront Hikone.
With her hand still lifted to the sky, Aura said to Hisagi, “Please don’t mind me. You already know that I cannot be slain by any physical attack, don’t you?”
“Can you really manage this as you normally do? If you could, wouldn’t you already have turned yourself into mist and erased your presence?”
Her silence was his answer.
Hisagi gripped Kazeshini and took a step toward Hikone. No one who witnessed this situation would have thought Hisagi had a chance. Aura understood that well.
“Why are you doing so much?”
“I’m not doing this for you. It’s just that I’ve got to take responsibility for the past in my own way is all.”
Aura still seemed as though she could not accept that. Hisagi was at a loss for how to respond for a moment, but then he recalled something Muguruma, who was at the corner of his vision, had said, and smiled derisively at himself.
“Apparently, I’m pretty susceptible to seduction.”
Spouting out these words to dodge a proper answer, Hisagi continued on his path.
“I’m helping you out after you risked your life for Hikone because you’re a fine woman. That’s a good enough reason, don’t you think?”
Beside him, the specter of fear he bore accompanied him as always.
“So I suppose you won’t move for me then.”
Recognizing Hisagi, who stepped toward them, as an obstacle to fulfilling Tokinada’s orders, Hikone closed their eyes. At the same moment they opened their eyes again, they slowly turned the blade of Ikomikidomoe at him.
“That’s too bad.”
Hikone dodged to the side.
It wasn’t just Hisagi who was prepared—Yoruichi and Muguruma immediately readied themselves to respond, and the Arrancars and Quincies watched Hikone’s actions from afar to probe for an opening or to determine what powers Hikone had. Grimmjow, who usually would have leapt at them right away, was more deeply wounded than the other Arrancar, after having actually done so with Tokinada. He was being restrained by Nelliel.
They were going to move.
All of them felt it in that instant, as the mass of death named Hikone began to shift…
An attack like lightning falling from the sky sent the ground around Hikone flying.
“Guh…!”
Enduring the shock wave, Hisagi swept aside the clods of earth that flew toward him. What appeared in Hisagi’s vision was Kenpachi Zaraki, who had the terrifying look of a god on his smiling face, and the sight of him stopping Hikone’s blade with his own zanpaku-to.
“We were in the middle of a fight, weren’t we?! What’re you lookin’ away for?!”
“I was planning to finish before you could follow me, but…oh well.”
Though Hikone said that, there was a faint joy on their face and an expanse of spiritual pressure started to circulate within their body.
“It’s odd, isn’t it? I feel like fighting with you has been more fun than other people.”
“That’s the most important thing!”
It was a fight between two demons.
Just the aftermath of the force from their sword-clashes was enough to make it so that a normal person couldn’t stand, and everyone there realized it at the same moment.
Just how long has that Soul Reaper Hikone been clashing with Kenpachi Zaraki?
Though they didn’t know how much time had passed, being able to stop Kenpachi’s sword even once was abnormal. Those surrounding them were once again reminded what a fiendish being Hikone was as the two of them continued their duel.
“Are you not going to use your shikai, sir?”
Hikone released countless instantaneous attacks as Kenpachi used one brutal swing to drive all of them away.
“Hah! When fighting somebody like you, it’s more entertaining to drag the thing out with the most possible moves!”
Seeing the many attacks exchanged up to that point, Candice said in exasperation, “Can you believe this? I can’t believe these guys are smiling in the middle of a fight to the death.”
“Back when he fought Gremmy, that scary Soul Reaper guy was smiling the entire time, you know.”
“Come to think of it, didn’t Gremmy seem to be enjoying himself too?”
Liltotto responded, “Who knows? Not like I would notice.”
Since she replied in a cool tone, Candice and the others said nothing more.
“Hurry up and finish your observation so you can stop them from moving, you peeping Tom.”
At Liltotto’s words, Najahkoop gritted his teeth.
“Just wait a little. Their pattern is way too complex. It’s different from Aizen’s simple and ridiculously strong pattern.”
When Najahkoop said he wanted another ten minutes, Liltotto sighed, “I’ll just pray you don’t get killed in that time.”
While the Quincies were having their conversation, Kenpachi and Hikone were also exchanging a few words.
“You’re getting slow. You worried about when I’ll use my shikai?”
Kenpachi’s blow made Hikone fall back dramatically.
“Don’t think about crud like that. What’s important is fighting here in the moment, right?”
“You’re right. Since I’ll defeat you with my full power and then kill Ms. Aura and everyone else here like I should.”
“Hah! Don’t get greedy. If you start thinkin’ about the future and get stingy and hold back, I’ll slaughter you.”
“Yes! I’ll fight you with my whole mind and body!”
At the same time Hikone made that declaration, the spiritual pressure contained within them started to circulate in an even higher gear than before, and the balance between Hollow and Soul Reaper started to crumble.
“Their spiritual pressure can increase even more…?”
Just as Kyoraku said that, Hikone’s body quivered eerily. They attempted to ready their zanpaku-to again, but…
They stopped for a moment.
Hikone realized that another figure had inserted himself between them and Kenpachi.
“Mr. Hisagi?”
Hikone turned bewildered eyes to Shuhei Hisagi, who stood in front of Kenpachi. They understood why Hisagi had stood in front of them in order to protect Aura. But they could not understand why Hisagi would intrude while they were fighting Kenpachi.
The smile disappeared from Kenpachi’s face as though he were also bewildered, and he spoke to Hisagi’s back, which was right in front of him. “Hey…what’re you trying to do?”