Bleach: No cheat codes, he joined Aizen's side.

Chapter 161, Page 159. Is what you see necessarily not real?
Inside the Seireitei, countless Shinigami are still battling the Hollows.

Even though they saw some Arrancars rushing into the noble district, the Grim Reapers, who were severely lacking in captain-level combat power, could only watch helplessly.

The captain of the Fourth Division, Retsu Unohana, and the vice-captain, Seinosuke Yamada, moved among the wounded, providing aid.

The first division's vice-captain, Chojiro Suzaku, joined the army guarding the Seireitei, using his domineering Bankai to gradually redeem himself for the remaining Shinigami.

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, the captain of the First Division and also the captain-commander of the Gotei 13, was able to wipe out the Hollows one by one with his sword, cutting them down like vegetables. However, since he could not release his Zanpakuto again, his efficiency was ultimately somewhat lacking.
Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi of the 12th Division quietly dealt with the lost sheep who had wandered into his underground laboratory. Before the battle was even over, he enthusiastically began his anatomical research on the Arrancar. This was, in fact, the first time he had obtained such fresh Arrancar samples—excellent!
Most of the Shinigami in Seireitei have their own things to do and are very busy;

Most nobles also had their own things to do, and finding a place to hide was too difficult.

However, when Barragan brought Las Noches, a palace that had been seen by only a few and existed mostly only in the legends of Soul Society, from Hueco Mundo to Seireitei, almost all the Shinigami, nobles, and even the Hollows in Seireitei were momentarily stunned.

How did they do that?!
Such thoughts arose in the minds of countless Grim Reapers.

Then the question that follows is: what kind of Shinigami is fighting that could force the Lord of Hueco Mundo to pull Las Noches from Hueco Mundo?

Is he the captain?

"It's Higashino Shuichi."

Severely injured, Tosen Kaname stood quietly beside Aizen, neither treating his injuries nor allowing them to worsen.

"It seems that Szayelaporro has been making quite a move behind my back, sending the entire Las Noches here. The technology inside should be the space technology that Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Kisuke Urahara jointly developed, which I gave him before, right?"

Aizen spoke words of reproach to Szayelaporro, but his eyes were full of admiration.

That's right, that's how technology can advance!
"Legacy of Las Noches alone might not have much impact on Shuichi. However, Lord Aizen, I just received a message from Szayelaporro in Hueco Mundo. Besides Las Noches, he also provided Barragan with a 'weapon.' His exact words were..."
'Lord Aizen, since you're already planning to let Barragan cause a major ruckus in Seireitei, it shouldn't be a problem for him to add fuel to the fire, right?'

Tosen Kaname's face showed a worried expression.

He had never had any particular fondness or ill will towards the Hollows in Hueco Mundo. However, this battle involved Shuichi Higashino, Aizen's first disciple. In Tosen Kaname's eyes, Higashino was also a comrade-in-arms who could help him realize the great ideal of his close friend, Kagami.

It would be a real shame if Higashino Shuichi were to fall here because of his own people.

"He also supplied Barragán with a 'weapon'? That's really interesting."

Aizen instantly understood what the weapon Szayelaporro was referring to was. If it was that thing, it might actually cause some trouble for Shuichi Higashino.

However, this unexpected development only made Aizen more interested.

He even began to vaguely anticipate the battle between Higashino Shuichi and Barragan, a battle whose final outcome, in his view, was becoming increasingly unpredictable.

On the other side, Retsu Unohana, the captain of the Fourth Division, happened to arrive near the area where Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto was located. After learning from Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto that the one currently fighting against Barragan, the Lord of Hueco Mundo, was none other than Shuichi Higashino.

Under the jealous gaze of Vice-Captain Yamada Seinosuke, who was practically spitting fire, Unohana Retsu politely apologized to the Captain-Commander and then quickly left the battlefield.

why?
Why has he been gone from the Fourth Division for so long?! He was once a traitor to Soul Society! Now, he stands in opposition to all the Shinigami of the Gotei 13. Captain, have you forgotten that man's provocation of all the captains at the captains' meeting that day?!

Seinosuke Yamada really couldn't understand what it was about that man named Shuichi Higashino that attracted his captain!

At this very moment, Higashino Shuichi, whom Yamada Seinosuke had once again set his sights on, was standing inside Hueco Mundo.

Within the vast palace, as far as the eye could see, only Higashino Shuichi and Barragan, a Death God and an Arrancar, remained.

All the demons created by Higashino Shuichi were kept outside Hueco Mundo.

Through the feedback from his vision, Higashino Shuichi could see that they were attacking the outer perimeter of Hueco Mundo with all their might, but it was clear that they would not be able to break in anytime soon.

Having already entered a state of self-inflicted suffering, he no longer had the opportunity to revert to his initial state and extract more spirit beings from the Peach Blossom Spring space.

Otherwise, the enormous future cost of that loan, without the support of self-sacrifice, would instantly crush Higashino Shuichi.

"If I didn't know that your original target was Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, and that my intervention was also a spur-of-the-moment decision, I would almost suspect that you are someone who traveled back from the future, just waiting to deal with me."

Having lost the long-range firepower support of the demons, and with the Hellish Demon Shadows on his body, who had been willing to protect him in order to enjoy his body more and were thus successfully sold by Higashino Shuichi, the number of demons had plummeted from five to half. The fierce howls and wails that were originally just habitual wailing and lamentation had now become heartfelt.

Higashino Shuichi knew that his plan to take down Barragan in one fell swoop by leveraging the huge boost brought by his double Bankai had failed.

Barragan's aging ability is ultimately too abnormal. Until someone like Hideaki Shōda, the former vice-chief of Soul Society in the original story, masters true spatial teleportation abilities, there is really no shortcut for Shuichi Higashino to defeat Barragan.

"Hehe, Higashino Shuichi, you've made me play my trump card, Hueco Mundo. I'll make you taste the bitterness of aging. Hueco Mundo can do more than just keep your brats out!"

Seeing that Higashino Shuichi had lost the means to restrain himself, and that the ghostly shadows on his body that could prevent his aging were now just flickering candles in the wind, yet he was still stubbornly arguing, Barragan mocked him.

Barragan had been preparing for this attack on Seireitei to avenge his previous defeat for centuries. To this end, he even went so far as to swallow his pride and approach his former subordinate Szayelaporro, from whom he obtained several advanced technological products that he and Aizen Sousuke had originally developed together.

Barragan had to admit one thing: Aizen was indeed annoying, and his arrogant, self-important attitude was even more irritating.

However, the things he developed and researched are really great to use.

It's like Hueco Mundo.

Standing in his familiar palace, Barragan held up two fingers held together in the distance towards Higashino Shuichi.
"A body of death!"

In the next instant, without any warning, Higashino Shuichi's body rapidly transformed into a superposition of aging and normalcy.

Higashino Shuichi could clearly feel that the amount of money he had borrowed from the future through his self-inflicted suffering was decreasing at a visible rate.

这 是
Without Baregane needing to say more, Higashino Shuichi understood.

It seems that Las Noches not only isolated Barragan from the battlefield, but its unique environment and structure, along with the fact that the palace itself may have been specially modified by Barragan and Szayelaporro, to the point that the entire palace has become a perfect conductor of Barragan's aging abilities.

Within this palace, the speed at which the effects of Barragan's aging abilities were originally limited were greatly reduced.

As long as Higashino Shuichi remains in this palace, Barragan can imbue him with his aging abilities at any time.

It's completely impossible to defend against!

If it weren't for Higashino Shuichi's ability to suffer self-inflicted injury, his body might have collapsed due to excessive aging, something that even his infinite regeneration ability couldn't save him from.

"Since that's the case, Barragan, I'll show you my trump card too."

However, contrary to Barragan's expectations, Higashino Shuichi's face did not show any panic or shock. Instead, a confident smile appeared on his face, as if his body, which constantly switched between two states, was insignificant.
"You haven't seen this tactic of mine before, have you, Barragan? It's the origin of military strategy: using someone else to do your dirty work!"

At the same moment, someone inside Soul Society received a void request from Shuichi Higashino.
"Please lend me your power!" "Ha!"

A faint smile appeared on the man's lips, and then he agreed.

Immediately afterwards, the fiery red Zanpakuto that Barragan was so familiar with in Higashino Shuichi's hand changed, becoming a Zanpakuto that looked somewhat illusory, as if it shouldn't exist in this world, completely shrouded in mist.

"Suppress all spiritual power!"

In an instant, from Barragan's perspective, all the spiritual energy within the entire Las Noches Palace seemed to come to a standstill.

Only he and Higashino Shuichi could see the flow of spiritual energy.

What Barragán found even more unbelievable was that the aging ability in Higashino Shuichi had been banished.

"This is impossible!"

The arrogant expression that had just been on Barragan's face finally disappeared, replaced by a growing sense of fear.

Barragan has seen just how powerful aging ability can be. Even Aizen, Stark, and others could only confront it head-on, using attacks to counteract it, but they had no way to avoid it.

For someone like Shuichi Higashino to erase the effects of aging directly from its root cause is even more of a pipe dream.

This is something Barragan could never have dreamed of happening after successfully breaking through the enemy's defenses and gaining the ability to age.

And yet, it just happened right in front of him.

"Nothing is impossible, Barragan. Do you know why you Hollows are always overshadowed by us Shinigami? It's because our Shinigami Zanpakuto abilities are full of infinite possibilities."

You don't really think that I did nothing during the hundreds of years we fought against each other, do you?

This is the perfect meal I found for you. How is it? Do you like it?

Higashino Shuichi stood before Barragan, full of confidence, as always.

"No! This is absolutely impossible! Death's Lament!"

Under Barragan's manipulation, an endless aura of aging sought to turn Higashino Shuichi into bones.

But Barragán was dismayed to find that his orders seemed to have vanished without a trace.

The aging aura that used to be so easily controlled now seems like a bunch of disobedient children. He can still sense the presence of these powers, but they just won't obey Barragan's orders.

At that moment, Barragán took a half step back, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time.

Since that stinky monk cut off half of his spiritual pressure, was sent back to Hueco Mundo by the young Yamamoto, and then had Aizen take away his position as the de facto ruler of Hueco Mundo, this is the fourth time he has felt fear.

Unlike the previous three times, Barragan could tell from Higashino Shuichi's eyes that this Grim Reaper was truly fighting him with the determination to kill him.

He was unwilling to accept it; he still wanted to struggle.

He tried countless times to use the power of aging to attack Higashino Shuichi, but failed countless times.

Higashino Shuichi stood there, a smile that conveyed immense anger, silently observing his own impotent rage.

Ultimately, Barragán gave up; he decided to abandon this self-humiliating behavior.

"Higashino Shuichi, you forced me to do this!"
"Come forth, Atedis Utoley!"

The sound of a culture vessel shattering echoed from the empty hall, and then, an Arrancar that was not unfamiliar to Higashino Shuichi quickly appeared before him.

Looking at the broken face with several more tubes on its back, Higashino Shuichi recalled the scene he had seen in the human world when he used his Quincy body, Kabuto Takuya. At that time, Aizen seemed to have used him to attack the Kurosaki couple.

If Higashino Shuichi remembered correctly, Aizen told him that this Arrancar named Arthdes was originally developed specifically to deal with Yamamoto. However, due to Higashino Shuichi's return, this targeted Arrancar project, which was still in the initial testing phase, was thwarted midway.

Aizen ordered Szayelaporro to perform special modifications against Quincy.

But now it seems that Szayelaporro is not an employee who makes his boss worry-free. He has secretly, or rather, openly become a traitor.

"Lord Barragan, do I really need to deal with a Grim Reaper like him? Wasn't he already nearly crippled by your abilities?"

Then, Atedis's very first words broke Barregan's defenses once again.

"Which eye of yours saw that Higashino Shuichi was crippled by my abilities?"

He's the one who sealed my abilities, okay?

Barregan felt that Atedis was really bringing up the wrong thing, and that this was not how you flatter someone.

But Atedis's clear eyes didn't seem to be lying at all.

"Isn't that so, Lord Barragan? Although this Grim Reaper appears to be in good physical condition on the surface, it's obvious that the large, recurring signs of aging on his body are making it increasingly difficult for him to maintain his current state. And, Lord Barragan, your abilities haven't been sealed, have they? The palaces surrounding the Grim Reaper have all been corrupted by your abilities!"

In other words, Atedis doesn't know what it means to be wronged, otherwise he would definitely have complained to Barragán.

After hearing Atedis's description, Baregan finally realized what was going on.

Why does this feeling seem so familiar?
That's it! He remembered, it was that day!
On that very day, Aizen suddenly stormed into his Hueco Mundo and defeated him there.

On that day, he was also deceived by Aizen in almost the same way.

He thought he was attacking Aizen, but it turned out he was attacking one of his own subordinates instead.

"Damn Higashino Shuichi, I should have known better. As Aizen's lackey, it's obvious he'd help you, isn't it?"

Barragan's face regained its fierceness, and he no longer wanted to enjoy the pleasure of ravaging Higashino Shuichi. He wanted to kill Higashino Shuichi as quickly as possible and then kill Aizen!
At this moment, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's importance in his heart is not as important as killing Aizen!
However, standing opposite Barragán and Atedis, despite the illusion seemingly being exposed, Higashino Shuichi remained completely calm, even sporting a confident smile.
"Hey, I'm telling you, Barragan, after all these years of fighting me, you still don't understand me!"
I've never been one to waste words in battle, but do you know why I'm spouting so much seemingly meaningless nonsense this time fighting you?

Seeing Barragan's stunned expression, Higashino Shuichi reached out and stroked his Zanpakuto, a sword as beautiful as a dream.

"When did you come to the conclusion that what you see must not be true?"

"Bankai, Dream Collapse!"

(End of this chapter)