Soul Society, Central 46.
At the heart of the densely packed buildings stood a colossal gate that stretched into the sky.
Inside it, strange colors swirled and shimmered. Countless vortices spun across its surface as hazy light flickered, revealing and concealing intricate, mysterious patterns. The entire structure radiated an otherworldly aura that seemed to draw in anyone who looked at it.
"Captain Chengdui, is this the gate that leads to your world?"
A black-haired man wearing glasses walked up beside him and asked softly, his expression as gentle as ever.
"Step through it, and you'll arrive in my world," King Chengdui answered coldly, glancing at him. "Aizen... you seem very interested."
"Of course I am." Aizen smiled, his eyes wandering across the Realm Gate to study every detail of the extraordinary creation.
Even so, he had no intention of stepping inside. There was no telling where it led, or whether it concealed some bizarre trap.
The more time he spent with King Chengdui, the more terrifyingly unfathomable the man seemed.
"Pass through this gate," King Chengdui suddenly said with a strange smile, "and you'll witness the vastness of the world... and the immensity of the universe."
Aizen narrowed his eyes, carefully studying Chengdui's expression for a long moment before shaking his head. "Captain Chengdui, I'll pass. It's not the right time yet."
After giving the Realm Gate another look, he asked curiously, "So why are we here? It doesn't seem like you intend to return to your own kingdom."
Ever since they arrived, neither of them had moved another step. From Chengdui's expression and body language, there was no sign he planned to enter the gate at all.
"We're waiting for someone."
"From this moment on, our task is to guard this gate."
"If we lose it... we lose this war."
His calm voice revealed nothing. Although he spoke of the gate as though it were vital, there was something deliberately ambiguous about his words, as if he were testing Aizen's reaction.
A faint gleam flashed behind Aizen's glasses, and he smiled. "So this gate is important to you after all, Captain Chengdui."
Chengdui offered no reply. He simply stood there in silence, waiting.
That only made Aizen more suspicious. He couldn't tell what the man was planning, or what scheme he was hiding.
And as for waiting... who exactly were they waiting for?
A gentle breeze drifted through the area, stirring dust across the ground. The Realm Gate continued to pulse with shifting light while everything else remained eerily quiet.
Aizen hadn't sensed anyone approaching.
Then, five or six minutes later,
"'Getsuga Tenshō!'"
A loud shout rang out from somewhere in the distance.
The next instant, a black crescent-shaped slash tore through the air, twisting as it ripped forward toward them.
The air in front of King Chengdui suddenly compressed, exploding into violent currents.
His right hand settled on the hilt of his sword.
A heartbeat later, he drew the blade and swung.
At the exact moment the sword rose and fell, the black crescent slash twisted unnaturally, appearing directly in front of him. More astonishingly, it aligned itself perfectly beneath the descending blade.
The sword came down.
'Slice!'
A sharp cutting sound echoed through the air as Getsuga Tenshō was split cleanly in two. The two halves skimmed past either side of King Chengdui before exploding three meters behind him, erupting into towering flames.
Bathed in the firelight, two figures slowly emerged from the blaze.
The moment Aizen and King Chengdui saw their faces, both of their pupils contracted.
"I knew it was you," King Chengdui said coldly, flicking his sword downward. The sword's energy carved a long gash across the ground.
Aizen's eyes widened in shock as he stared at Yhwach. "The king of the Wandenreich... Yhwach. I never expected to find you here."
Of course Aizen knew the legendary figure. What surprised him was that someone like Yhwach had actually chosen to join forces with another person.
Without anyone noticing, a new alliance had quietly taken shape.
"You can ally yourself with outsiders, so why can't I?" Yhwach let out a cold laugh. "Aizen of the Soul Society."
Aizen narrowed his eyes, then smiled again, sly as a fox. "I'm just a small fry. How could I possibly compare to Lord Yhwach?"
King Chengdui's gaze sharpened. Realizing the man standing beside Qin Yi was no ordinary opponent, he turned to Aizen. "Who is he?"
"Lord Yhwach is the man who nearly destroyed the Soul Society a thousand years ago. His power is far beyond anything I could hope to contend with. Though according to legend, he disappeared a millennium ago. I never imagined he'd appear here," Aizen spoke with a bitter smile.
King Chengdui narrowed his eyes and looked back at Qin Yi.
For the first time, his expression became truly serious, and even more intrigued.
It had taken him years of careful planning in this world before he managed to make contact with Aizen and the others, expand his strength, and establish his own power. Yet Qin Yi had accomplished something similar in such a short time, even managing to recruit someone like Yhwach as an ally.
King Chengdui couldn't help but wonder if Qin Yi had awakened 'The Almighty', or possessed some ability that let him obtain far more information about the target world than anyone else.
Ever since their first encounter, Qin Yi had seemed to stay one step ahead, winning every crucial stage of their conflict.
There had to be a reason for it. King Chengdui refused to believe otherwise.
"Captain Chengdui," Aizen said with a helpless shrug, "that king is your opponent. But if you're asking me to fight Yhwach... I'm no match for him."
King Chengdui narrowed his eyes. "I'm sure you'll find a way."
Aizen rubbed his forehead, putting on an expression of distress.
Across from him, Yhwach silently observed the ordinary-looking man with black hair and glasses, unable to see what made him special.
Qin Yi, however, suddenly smiled. "Captain Aizen, there's no need to put on an act. The Hogyoku should have already pushed you to an entirely new level. Hasn't it?"
The simple question made Aizen pause for a moment before his smile returned. "It seems the King of Qin knows quite a few things that others don't."
Qin Yi looked at him meaningfully. "What if I told you... I've already seen through everything about you, Captain Aizen? Would that make you want to silence me?"
Aizen's eyes narrowed briefly before his familiar fake smile returned. "I don't have that kind of strength. I'm the weakest person here."
Qin Yi couldn't be bothered with Aizen's shameless pretense anymore. He slowly raised the 'King of Hell' and pointed it straight at King Chengdui.
"Now..."
"It's time to settle this once and for all."
"Chengdui!"
(End of Chapter)
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