The green pines still stood tall, but the autumn wind was already chilly. At the mountainside, the crowd of warriors gathered, and a great battle was about to unfold.
The brown-robed Steward looked at the token in silence for a moment, casting a deep glance at Aizen, who was calmly gazing back at him. Aizen's eyes were cold and deep, and there was an unreadable smile at the corners of his mouth.
"This kid… his ambitions must be immense. I just wonder how strong he really is..." The steward's eyes flickered as he lightly tossed the token back to Aizen. It moved slowly, almost lazily, tracing an arc in the air as it floated toward him.
