An explosion of pure reiatsu blasted the area, destroying the entire ground. It shook the land and a strong gust of wind followed, throwing everyone away.
Dust and rocks were sent flying everywhere, carving a giant crater in the ground.
Everyone was blown away by the sheer power of the arrow. The meteor-like arrow was filled with pure energy that could have killed a Captain of Gotei 13 easily. Even a small portion of its energy was dangerous, as evidenced from how it destroyed everything in the vicinity.
Fortunately it only affected a small portion of Sokyoku hill, saving everyone who was in the blast range. Only the Captains who were near Aizen were injured.
Everyone else was safe.
Renji and Ichigo were far away enough to not get injured.
Aizen and Gin were the most affected, as the center of explosion was where they were.
Dust settled and the air cleared up showing a clear view of the destruction. Everyone expected Aizen to come out with injuries after taking on that explosion. They expected him to die from the sheer amount of power in the attack.
After all, it wasn't a simple arrow. It was an arrow filled with reiryoku that could cut Heaven and Earth, that could even kill a Heroic Spirit.
However, the traitorous Captain only had a hole on his right shoulder. Aizen's condition was better than they had imagined, mostly uninjured except for the part where he was pierced.
This explosion was just a start.
All Captains and Lieutenant who had been away from the hill due to various circumstances gathered.
Yoruichi sealed Aizen's zanpakutou with a cloth while Soi Fon's wakizashi was put near his neck.
"Don't move." The former warned in a chilling voice.
Komamura, injured after fighting Zaraki, restrained Tosen's hands from the back. Hisagi, who had come to stop Tosen, was standing beside his Captain, his sword pressed against his neck.
After putting Rukia next to injured Ichigo and Renji, Byakuya pressed his sword against Gin's back.
Even Kurotsuchi Mayuri appeared on the hill with his assistant. His smile looked unsettling and creepy.
Not only that, but Shirou had managed to reach the Sokyoku Hill by using hirenkyaku right after firing his arrow. He stood in front of his injured friends and held Kanshou and Bakuya, glaring straight at the traitorous Captain.
"It's over, Aizen." Yoruichi declared. "We have you outnumbered and surrounded. Surrender and accept your fate, or die by the hands as the one who massacred Central 46."
Shirou didn't move or say a word. He just kept standing and observing the traitors with his two blades on each of his hands. He kept his stance ready, just in case the enemy decided to do anything funny to his friends.
Soul Society's internal problem wasn't his worry. He only followed Yoruichi's plan because he judged it was the best move to save Rukia while reducing the number of casualties.
Yamamoto Genryuusai looked calm but Shirou could feel a hidden danger behind him. It was like watching a volcano ready to explode any moment.
It wasn't a surprise though. This Captain had heard the fall of Central 46 by the hands of his subordinate and had been fooled by the illusion created by Kyouka Suigetsu. And even his other subordinates betrayed him.
Aizen's face remained calm, but a small smile could be seen.
The way Aizen acted ticked something in his brain. He had this ominous feeling about his behavior.
Similar to arrogance but not the same. It was a behavior of someone who had full control over the situation despite being in a dire strait.
He was like an actor in a play.
"Yoruichi-san, get away from him!" Shirou shouted as he noticed the traitorous Captain was preparing to do something. He recognized the sign, the way Aizen's lips curled up.
The dark-skinned woman didn't need any explanation as she immediately jumped back from him. But the thing that happened after that shocked everyone who was present on the hill.
Swooosh!
"Impossible..."
A voice of disbelief rang out from Yoruichi's mouth, causing a ripple to spread through the group.
Light covered Aizen and the world shook. A distorted cry unique to Hollows rang loudly in everyone's ears.
The air became heavier and the temperature dropped drastically.
Reiatsu that was thick like fog could be felt, and everyone had to brace themselves against the pressure. A strong gale blew away everything that was around him and it threw away anyone near him.
Even Captains who gathered felt shocked as the sky split open by dozens of pale white hands reaching for something above it. The air became heavy as a massive eye-like crack appeared in the sky.
From inside, a dozen menos grande came out, roaring.
A horde of gigantic hollows with the white mask appeared. Their size was comparable with the size of the Menos that Shirou faced in the Living World.
"Impossible!"
"Are those Gillian?"
"Look, there is something behind them!"
What seemed like closed eyes or creepy smiles loomed in the background. And they were moving slowly behind the Gillian, looking down at them as if they were ants.
And following their appearance, two more lights similar to the ones covering Aizen shot out, engulfing Gin and Tosen. They were lifted up to the sky, toward the giant black holes.
"I'll be taking my leave." The traitorous Captain announced as he rose to the sky.
Shirou rushed forward, but Yoruichi stopped him.
"It's no use." Yamamoto said in a grave tone. "That light is called Negacion, and it's used by Menos Grande to rescue their kind. Once used on a target, no one could interfere. They're in another world now and nothing could reach them."
"Tsk!"
A trail of blood appeared from the corner of Shirou's mouth. He looked at the three Captains who escaped, focusing on their swords on their waists.
"Trace... on." He muttered softly behind Yoruichi's shadow.
Shirou trace Tosen's and Gin's swords. He didn't want to let their power to be used against him. So he took it by tracing and copying them inside his mind.
Pain immediately attacked him. His head throbbed painfully as he read the swords' history. He ignored the pain and continued until he finished copying all of them. He winched slightly but not to the point he would lose consciousness.
One of the swords had a pretty sad history. Something that he guessed to be his real feelings.
Noticing his pained look, Yoruichi asked worriedly, "Shirou! Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I am fine." He answered, looking at the traitor that interested him as the other Captains tried to ask for reasons from the traitors.
That person just grinned as they entered the crack.
At the last moment, Aizen's gaze landed on both Shirou and Ichigo.
"Goodbye, Soul Society."
And so they disappeared.
***
After the three traitors ran away, medic team arrived at the scene. The 4th Division under Unohana Retsu arrived with the 12th Division to recover and heal everyone who had been involved in the battle. They were tasked with cleaning up the aftermath of the fight. They would also gather evidence for Central 46.
A pink-haired girl also brought Orihime to the scene. The healer herself immediately rushed to the side of her injured friends.
And Shirou stood at the edge of the hill, watching as the men moved around. The crack in the sky was closed and the only thing that reminded everyone about the event was a hole in the ground.
The battle had ended and Shirou felt tired, mentally and physically. He wasn't able to completely protect his friends but they were at least not dead.
One thing that made him a bit worried was the Captain with 12th Division haori. Kurotsuchi Mayuri had looked at him and whispered something that sounded like, "interesting."
He didn't want to know what it meant. But his instinct told him that he shouldn't get close to that strange man ever. Somehow he felt eerily similar to a mad scientist.
Rukia and Byakuya talked privately on the side. Judging from her expression that turned soft mixed with confusion, Shirou judged that the Captain might have told her something pretty important.
Shirou smiled softly as he witnessed the sight.
Just when he thought everything was done and over with...
"Kurosaki Shirou."
A Captain with long hair approached him from behind. He turned his body to face her and saw someone he wasn't familiar with.
"Ah, I forgot to introduce myself." The Captain smiled in a friendly manner, "My name is Ukitake Juushirou, Rukia's Captain. Thank you for helping Rukia. I owe you my gratitude for that."
Ukitake bowed and Shirou shook his head, waving his hands. He felt uncomfortable receiving such praise when it wasn't his doing that saved Rukia. He was merely doing his part.
"No, don't bow to me, please. I didn't do it alone and honestly, all I did was being a bait." Shirou explained as he stared straight at the kind Captain.
"You don't have to put yourself down. You beat Kenpachi Zaraki, Kuchiki Byakuya, and even helped Captain Unohana to stop Captain Aizen." Ukitake said in an assuring tone. "You've done a lot. I can even say that you saved Soul Society by forcing Aizen to show up early."
Saving Soul Society?
Was it really something that big? Did he really save Soul Society by cancelling Captain Unohana's hypnosis?
"I am not so sure." Shirou replied with a sigh. He turned his head away and stared at the sky.
In his book, saving someone meant to take their hand away from the grip of death. Not only that, it also included saving their hearts.
It wasn't an easy task.
While he told Archer he would scale down his ideal, he still wanted to help everyone around him. His self-worth depended on it, his reason to exist depended on his ability to save everyone. So if he didn't try his best to do so, his life would have no value at all.
He was just an imitation of Emiya Kiritsugu, a man who lived his life for others.
But his ideal was so vague that he didn't even understand it himself.
That's why Archer warned him. That man that appeared in his dream surely knew.
Even though he said he would change, he would still walk into this path. He would meet people he wanted to save as long as he lived his life. The problem would always appear before his eyes. And he couldn't do anything about it. He wasn't a person who could pretend he didn't see it.
The only way was...
Shirou sighed again, looking straight at Ukitake's face.
"Captain Ukitake, I have a request." He said.
"Hmm? Sure, if I can fulfill it I'll do anything." The Captain nodded, smiling kindly.
"Can you lower Rukia's punishment? About giving her power to Ichigo and turning him into Shinigami..."