Chapter 440: Aizen vs The Holy Lord
"Didn't they say fighting was strictly forbidden?"
The young Ying Zheng asked in confusion.
He wouldn't let go of any opportunity to gather intel on the Samsara Game.
Terumi Mei explained, "Normally, players can't fight in safe zones like game towns, but the arena is a designated place for players to battle and resolve conflicts."
Is that so?
The young Ying Zheng watched as Whitebeard and the Sneaky Snake disappeared, lost in thought.
So every world is the same, governed by invisible rules like iron chains—omnipresent and, to some extent, protecting the weaker side.
Just like in the [Warring States World], the various nations were bound by morality, bloodlines, and countless intangible restraints that prevented them from easily invading weaker countries.
The nobility was shackled by certain constraints that forbade them from openly slaughtering slaves and civilians.
Unless one possessed the power to truly break free of those chains.
And now, he himself was bound by countless unseen shackles—Lao Ai, Lü Buwei, the ministers of the court, slaves, palace maids...
What he had to do was spin his web like a spider, peeling back layer after layer until all the chains were snapped.
Battle formations, Daoist arts, yin-yang, magic...
All of it was fine. None of it mattered. His final goal was to sweep aside everything that stood in his way.
[The Holy Lord has challenged you to an arena duel. Do you accept?]
Just as Aizen predicted.
The blatantly arrogant Holy Lord, after being ignored and witnessing the clash between Whitebeard and the Sneaky Snake, now had his gaze fixed squarely on Aizen.
Humans, Hollows, Shinigami, Quincy...
Even the intelligent demon he first met—all were bound by emotions if they formed bonds. That was the tragic flaw of life.
Tsunade furrowed her brows. "The Holy Lord's strength… even I would have a hard time beating him."
The implication was that Aizen should refuse.
After all, even if the Konoha Mobile Unit and the Shadow Organization didn't get along, they were still players from the same village.
"It's alright."
Losing an arena duel only meant losing some reward points. It wouldn't cost a life.
Aizen smiled gently and added, "Think of it as a way to probe the Holy Lord's strength."
A player like the Holy Lord, whether joining a player faction or going solo, would rise rapidly no matter what.
Losing a few reward points in exchange for gauging his strength? Definitely worth it.
"Is that so?"
Tsunade didn't agree or disagree, nor did she try to stop him further.
To be honest, she hadn't seen the slightest flaw in Aizen so far. The Will of Fire burning in him far exceeded most Konoha-born players.
But something just felt… off.
[Arena activated. Random map for this match: Layer One of Flame Hell.]
A cracked, blackened ground with searing magma flowing through the crevices.
The entire forest was engulfed in flames.
Towering tree trunks, hundreds of meters tall, glowed like red crystals, radiating intense heat. Even the canopies above burned in a crimson blaze.
The moment he was teleported in, the Holy Lord felt an abundant force of flame.
"Seems like even the world itself favors me?"
He crouched low in a provocative stance, dragon claws outstretched, madly drawing in the surrounding fire energy.
Just the sheer heat would have already evaporated a lower-level player.
Dressed in his white haori, Aizen seemed to shed a layer of disguise. The gentle expression slowly faded, replaced by eyes as cold as moonlight.
The moonlight of Konoha.
From beginning to end, the moon never had light of its own. It only borrowed the sun's light to maintain its illusion.
The true moon was lifeless, cold, and incapable of sustaining life.
"Although I dislike shattering life's illusions, as a senior who knows the arena rules just a bit better than you, I feel obligated to give a warning."
Aizen's hand rested on the hilt at his waist, thumb lightly pushing the blade out of its sheath.
Crack.
A sound like shattering glass echoed throughout the arena.
The Holy Lord burst out laughing, pointing at him. "Your weapon broke from the heat before the battle even started? Pathetic human!"
A demon needed no weapons—his very body was the greatest weapon.
Sure, it might be a trick, but so what?
He was the great demon, the king who ruled the world, a primordial being from the dawn of creation—there was no way he could lose to a mere human!
Especially one whose aura felt so weak that it posed no threat at all.
"What I meant to say is..."
Aizen remained in place, calmly explaining the arena rules.
But the Holy Lord suddenly felt his vision blur. When he snapped back to attention, nothing had changed.
Aizen still stood where he was—he hadn't even moved.
But the voice came from behind him.
"The arena calibrates the environment to favor the weaker combatant based on the overall strength of both players."
"So, it's not that you're lucky—it's that you're weak."
Splurt.
His back was suddenly torn open, blood gushing out.
The human he'd seen as insignificant was now vanishing like a breeze-blown illusion.
Grimacing in pain, the Holy Lord dashed forward a few steps to create distance, then turned around—only to find Aizen standing inexplicably behind him.
"Was that... teleportation?"
Clutching his wounded back and staring at the bloodstained ground, his dragon eyes flickered with shock.
Had his senses failed him?
By all logic, even if he just stood there and let Aizen hit him, it shouldn't have penetrated his defenses.
Even though his physical form wasn't as durable as Earth Fiend's, he was still a demon. Normal humans swinging weapons at him would have their arms shattered.
"Apologies. While some Shinigami do like explaining their abilities… I don't. It's not my habit."
Shatter—Kyōka Suigetsu!
As Aizen walked slowly toward him, the Holy Lord was on full alert, trying to convince himself he'd just been caught off guard and ambushed.
His blood-red eyes tracked Aizen's every move. As long as the man disappeared again... he'd be ready.
Splurt.
A narrow blade pierced through his chest.
Aizen's voice came from behind. "Don't always trust what your eyes see. Sometimes, even your eyes lie."
Impossible!
The Holy Lord's eyes widened. He hadn't looked away for even a second. Even if it were teleportation magic, it should cause spatial distortions.
He was the mighty Fire Demon, and yet here he was—fooled like a commoner.
"No! You despicable insect—I refuse to lose to you!"
The Holy Lord's body erupted in fierce flames, forming a blazing shield around him that engulfed his massive frame.
"Afraid I'll get close, so you're using an area-of-effect spell?"
Aizen nodded slightly, acknowledging, "Good thinking. Not bad for a demon king who could rule the world. But still not enough..."
"Arrogant!"
His enormous form flickered within the inferno, letting out cold laughter.
He admitted to being caught off guard.
But if all this strange human could do was sneak attacks with bizarre powers, then this battle should already be over.
Now that he was cloaked in demonic fire, if Aizen tried to attack again, he'd be vaporized instantly.
"Indeed. If it were the old me, I wouldn't have been able to cut through your demon flames."
Aizen's tone remained casual as he stepped forward.
"I'm different from most players. I never upgraded any game skills. Since becoming a player, I've done only one thing—"
"Push my mental stats to the limit."
He smiled, unconcerned with the time it took to finish the battle.
Sometimes, unveiling the truth to a beast trapped in a cage made for an interesting diversion.
"So tell me—when did you start believing you were cloaked in demonic flames?"
Whoosh!
The inferno surrounding the Holy Lord vanished in an instant, as if snuffed out.
Not even a trace of heat remained.
It didn't look like a skill had been disrupted...
It looked like the Holy Lord had never used the skill at all—like he'd just stood there, waiting for Aizen's blade.
[Arena Winner: Aizen]
Reward: 50,000 reward points.
Note: Winner's reward is paid by the loser. If insufficient points, valuable game items are deducted automatically.
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