The alarm from Tenteikūra and the Research and Development Insitute resounded almost simultaneously within the Seireitei.
The former notified Soul Reaper of Vice-Captain rank and above, while the latter served as a reminder among the lower-ranking officers.
"An Adjuchas is spotted in Sakahone. Captain Tsunayashiro Tokikaze of the Ninth Division is currently engaging it. Requesting reinforcements as fast as possible!"
"Correction, it's an Adjuchas with Reiatsu approaching the level of a Vasto Lorde. Soul Reapers below Captain rank are strictly prohibited from entering Sakahone!"
The former was a notification from Rangiku Matsumoto through Tenteikūra, while the latter was an announcement by Hiyosu once he discovered this information through the Spiritual Wave Measurement Device.
Since Mayuri was still under surveillance at the moment, the Twelfth Division was temporarily managed by several Seated Officers.
As the head of the Spiritual Wave Measurement Lab, Hiyosu naturally held a considerable authority.
As the alarm sounded, Seireitei was in an uproar.
It hadn't been that long since the hollowfication incident, and now an Adjuchas had appeared in the Rukongai. Such a significant event naturally drew the entire Seireitei's attention.
Amidst the repeated alarms, many Soul Reapers noticed Sōsuke Aizen and his Vice-Captain Gin Ichimaru hurried toward the Eastern Rukongai from the Fifth Division barracks.
As the supporting division, the Fifth Division's duty was to handle situations like this.
Following closely behind was the Fourth Division. In addition to Unohana Retsu, who was still gathering medicinal herbs, Vice-Captain Yamada Seinosuke and several Seated Officers also headed to Sakahone.
Though they couldn't participate in combat, they could provide assistance to the injured.
Meanwhile, in Sakahone.
Tokikaze's Reiatsu surged. Intense blue Reiatsu swirled around him. He remained calm despite the situation.
The Adjuchas in front of him had reached the new level after having its arm severed and half of its body burned.
Not only did it regrow its arm, but its Reiatsu also increased significantly.
As detected by the Spiritual Wave Measurement Lab, the Reiatsu of this Adjuchas was now approaching that of a Vasto Lorde.
Unfortunately, it was up against Tokikaze.
A Soul Reaper that had reached Rank 2 Reiatsu.
Vice-Captain usually had Rank 4 to 5 Reiatsu, while an average Captain was at Rank 3 Reiatsu.
Moreover, as an all-rounder, Tokikaze had nearly mastered Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Kido, and Hoho. So, with Rank 2 Reiatsu, he could unleash 120% of his full potential.
If it weren't for the fact that the Adjuchas before him was Aizen's creation, Tokikaze might not have paid much attention to it.
Rumble!
The ground began to shake.
The spikes on the Adjuchas' lower body suddenly came off, revealing numerous holes. A lot of white gas spewed out, lauching the colossal creature into the sky that its shadow enveloped Tokikaze's whole body.
"He can do it, too?"
Tokikaze was surprised as he looked up. The shadow instantly magnified and covered him.
As the white gas disappeared, the Adjuchas descended from the sky with spikes emerging from the small holes. Then, his lower body rotated like crazy, making it look like a real meteorite from a distance.
Tokikaze had no intention of being hit.
Boom!
The deafening explosion echoed across the desolate wilderness, and the dry ground seemed to ripple like the surface of a vast sea, surging towards the distance in layers.
Dust rose all the way to the sky, and the entire desolate land turned gray.
Fortunately, Tokikaze's Shunpo allowed him to evade in time, avoiding the impact.
Just as he was regaining his footing, a sudden crimson light was suddenly sighted in the distance.
Reishi in the air condensed from within the dust.
In just an instant, the red light erupted again, tearing apart the dust as it made its way towards Tokikaze with unparalleled momentum.
Cero!
A powerful blast condensed from a massive Reiatsu with a force comparable to a 60ish Hadō erupted. Tokikaze's gaze subtly sharpened as he faced the intense Cero approaching in an instant. His fingers lightly brushed over the surface of the Zanpakuto.
Blue Reiatsu enveloped his Zanpakuto, and his Reiatsu skyrocketed!
Terrifying gusts of wind suddenly erupted, sweeping through the entire area with a devastating force.
The concentrated gale portrayed an unparalleled sharpness.
The Cero that the Adjuchas condensed was instantly swallowed by the oncoming tempest in a mere moment, transforming back into spiritual particles, dissipating into the air.
Yet, the wind's momentum showed little sign of diminishing, heading straight for the dust.
It left nothing but destruction in its path.
The ground was ravaged, and the clouds were torn apart.
The Adjuchas' countless eyes rotated, fixated on the raging wind. Its bloodthirsty, tooth-filled mouth opened wide, once again condensing a Cero.
The speed was so fast that it defied Tokikaze's knowledge of Arrancars.
"Is this its unique power?"
Tokikaze murmured to himself, "It takes time for an Adjuchas to condense a Cero."
With two consecutive Ceros, the fierce winds were finally neutralized.
Only remnants of the gusts hovered in the air, cutting through the residual dust.
In the distance, spectators couldn't help but marvel.
"Whoa, this is truly terrifying!" Gin Ichimaru said with a sly smile. "His Shikai is even stronger than some people's Bankai."
"Captain Tokikaze indeed deserves to be called genius," Aizen still had a calm smile on his face, not the least bit surprised by what he saw.
"Contrary to some people's knowledge, Tokikaze has fully mastered the true name of his Zanpakuto, so it's only natural that he fares this well."
A mysterious light flickered on the lens of his sunglasses as Aizen's eyes focused on the ongoing battle.
"In fact, what surprises me more is the performance of this Adjuchas."
"The fusion of a Soul Reaper soul and a Menos core has embarked on a completely different path of evolution because of Mimihagi's power."
"Perhaps... This could offer more possibilities for our plan..."