Aizen stood still, observing silently.
Trapped in the reversed reality of Sakanade, he dared not make a move—didn't even dare to draw his sword.
Puff.
The sound of a blade tearing through flesh echoed.
Hirako Shinji had already appeared behind Ran Yan with a swift flash step, Zanpakutō in hand.
A casual slash.
The blade plunged through Ran Yan's abdomen, protruding from his back like a stake of steel.
Just as Hirako had described—his random attack was a nightmare for one caught in Sakanade.
"Understand this," Hirako Shinji leaned down, whispering in Ran Yan's ear,"This is what happens when you overestimate yourself and challenge a Gotei captain."
But as he smirked in self-assured victory, he failed to notice the expressions of Unohana Yachirū, Shiba Isshin, and Sasakibe Chōjirō.
They weren't shocked.
They weren't concerned.
They looked… amused.
Even Sarugaki Hiyori, standing outside the barrier, shouted:
"Idiot, you didn't even cut him!"
Shinji's confidence shattered.
He backed off, glancing at his blade.
There was no blood.
Only a black mist seeped from where the Zanpakutō met Ran Yan's body.
"So this is your Shikai?"
Ran Yan's calm voice rang out.
"I expected something... more. But it's just child's play."
He smiled—not with anger, but with genuine amusement.
Reaching for Shinji's wrist—
Thunk.
He missed completely, elbow swinging behind him.
His direction was reversed.
"You're still inside my Sakanade, remember?" Shinji sneered.
"Your instincts work against you. Every movement, every reaction—you need to think before you act now. And in battle, that's death."
He kept his distance, taunting.
"You're so skilled it makes your downfall worse. A master of swordsmanship can't afford to think before moving."
"And to beat you, all I need is..."
He raised his hand mockingly.
"Just this."
But Ran Yan smiled again.
He stepped forward, calmly raising his right palm.
"Kuroimizu." (Dark Water)
From his hand, a miniature black hole formed—dense, heavy, and impossibly gravitational.
The air twisted.
Even the Kidō barrier set up by a captain groaned under the pressure, bending at unnatural angles.
Shinji's eyes widened.
"What—!?"
It felt like being caught in the depths of the ocean, dragged into a vortex. There was no escape.
Shunpo?
Impossible.
Bakudō or Hadō?
Too late.
He could barely even move a finger, let alone cast a spell or dodge.
He was pulled helplessly toward Ran Yan, spiraling like debris in a collapsing star.
"But I still have a chance!" he thought wildly.
"In the reversed world—his movements are reversed too. His attacks must be slow!"
"I'll strike the moment he attacks—"
But before the thought finished, he was in front of Ran Yan.
And then—
His Shikai vanished.
His eyes darted downward.
Sakanade, which had taken its distinct released form, was now a plain Zanpakutō once more.
Unreleased.
Sealed.
"What...?"
"My Shikai… it's gone?"
"This—this is your Zanpakutō's ability?"
Ran Yan looked down at him, still holding him easily with one hand.
"You've finally realized."
"That look in your eyes—hold onto it."
"If you live through this, never forget it."
He reversed his blade.
Just as Shinji had done to him before.
Puff.
The blade sank into Shinji's abdomen and out through his back.
"You... what did you do to me?"
"Why—why did my Shikai… deactivate?"
Shinji's body trembled. Blood spilled from his mouth and his wound.
He wasn't a Hollow.
He wasn't an Arrancar.
There was no regeneration, no resilience.
Just a pure Shinigami—and that stab had erased most of his life force.
Ran Yan tilted his head.
"With your intelligence, you shouldn't ask such childish questions."
"Unless... the truth is too terrible for you to accept."
"You already know the answer. You just don't want to admit it."
He leaned in closer.
"As you guessed..."
"I sealed your Shikai."
"Just like that."
The horror in Hirako Shinji's eyes deepened.
And around the battlefield, those watching were just as stunned.
Unohana. Isshin. Sasakibe. All three looked stunned.
And the 600+ Shinigami gathered behind them?
Silence.
A wave of fear swept over the crowd.
Sealing a Shikai—
To neutralize the very essence of a Shinigami's power.
To revert a captain to the level of a new recruit.
And Ran Yan did it…
With one hand.
Just how terrifying is this power?
Just how deep does Ran Yan's Zanpakutō, "Shokuyami" (Candle Yin), truly go?