Chapter 79: Aizen, Lord Above All Hollows
The reason Mo Yu had this thought was primarily that he detected certain "impurities" within Aizen's fist.
Mortals might be unable to perceive it, and even Aizen himself might be entirely unaware, but in Mo Yu's senses, it was glaringly obvious. That impurity wasn't a direct boost in physical power, but rather a form of "permission" at the authority level.
This implicit permission was somewhat ambiguous; essentially, as long as Aizen remained within Hueco Mundo, anything he did would receive a degree of positive-trend influence. Clad in this layer of authority, Aizen's research in Hueco Mundo likely progressed more smoothly, the Hollows within would be more reverent toward him, and many other matters would naturally develop in a "favorable" direction.
In a single sentence: he had divine assistance.
Such an implicit permission involving the entire Hueco Mundo could basically only come from one existence: the Eternal Progenitor Hollow.
Mo Yu found this granting of world authority quite interesting. Hueco Mundo could automatically vacuum the souls of the Living World to complete an internal reincarnation cycle, and the Eternal Progenitor even guest-starred as the World Will. The various Hollows within the realm had already constructed a complete food chain and ecosystem.
In terms of completeness, Hueco Mundo's architecture as a "world" was actually more refined and mature than that of the Soul Society. Of course, this was based on the premise of the Soul King remaining as motionless as a salted fish.
Based on this, Mo Yu understood more clearly why Yhwach had chosen the World of the Living as his "place of burial"; presumably, in that realm, Yhwach also had certain authorities granted by the world.
From this perspective, the true completed state of the so-called Three Worlds should have been a smoothly circulating alliance of three worlds—one primary and two auxiliary—rather than the stiff, severed mess they were now.
But that no longer mattered. From this point forward, there would be no more "Three Worlds."
Mo Yu didn't mind Aizen obtaining the Progenitor's authority. Aizen was a peerless talent, after all. Whether it was the artificial creation of Menos through the Hogyoku or the Arrancarization process, these were technological revolutions for Hueco Mundo. Facing such talent, giving him some authority was a small price; Mo Yu would be willing to give even more.
Truth be told, in the original story, the plot where Aizen fused with the Hogyoku and called it "evolution" looked a bit bizarre to Mo Yu. Aizen wasn't so much evolving as he was sprinting headlong toward the form of an ancient Menos.
"Excellent. A very good punch—more potent than the old man's!"
Looking at the Soul King—who was coughing up blood after taking his hit, yet whose smile and gaze were so "macho" it was hair-raising—Aizen's mood was quite subtle.
As a villain, especially a mastermind specialized in disguise, facial and image management were core subjects. Aizen really wanted to tell the Soul King: You are a celestial being; could you please mind your image? Try to be more elegant and solemn when you laugh. Don't grin like a Red Lotus Godzilla watching King Kong stick his butt in the air—that smile is too weird and definitely not child-friendly.
Aizen suppressed these stray thoughts. Simultaneously, he had to admit that the King's smile and gaze brought him immense pressure. Being the target of a frantic, burning "Hunting Gaze" from the entire world was a pressure truly hard to withstand.
In the next instant, the counterattack arrived. Boundless dark-crimson light expanded, completely blotting out Aizen's vision. His pupils shrank as his form distorted, vanishing like a bubble. He reappeared a considerable distance away.
Aizen's choice was correct. A fist wreathed in dark-red molten light slammed into the spot where he had just stood. The resulting solar inferno was so hot it scorched space itself into nothingness.
"Aizen! You are so potent now, so why run? Charge head-on! Use your matchless iron fists to thoroughly defeat me, goddammit!!!"
The Soul King, wreathed in dark lava light, let out a searing roar!
The 3D world naturally lacked the concept of "Purity," but the Soul King's vessel and the Bleach World Bubble possessed it. During battle, the pain inflicted by the enemy transformed Mo Yu's battle intent into a high-purity, infinitely climbing fire of spirit. This mental roar and surge then flowed back to Mo Yu in the 3D world through the sensory link.
The one currently dueling the powerhouses of the Bleach world was no longer Mo Yu the web-novel author, but a Martial Arts God of absolute Purity. If Ichigo, the "Messiah of Fighting," could see through an enemy's ultimate mysteries in one fight, Mo Yu, the God of Fighting, would only do it better, stronger, and more potently.
Aizen took a deep breath, his eyes cold yet filled with sentiment.
"Old Man Yamamoto's Zanka no Tachi? A truly boring destiny. But perhaps this is the trial I must cross to ascend to the heavens..."
While lurking in the Soul Society, through a thousand schemes, he could never bypass the strongest Soul Reaper who had suppressed the realm for a millennium. Aizen had planned for Yamamoto as the ultimate stumbling block on his path of ambition.
With Mo Yu's arrival, the situation shifted, and many things spiraled out of control. The strongest Soul Reaper fell at Ichigo's hands. Just recently, through his hidden assets, Aizen learned of Yamamoto's death and the fall of the Seireitei.
At the time, Aizen had felt a bit of lament. Having surpassed the limits of a Soul Reaper, he would never have the chance to clash with the strongest of the previous era. His "Ascension Path" lacked a bit of "gold content."
Yet, fate was a trickster. Aizen never expected that he would face that searing, ultimate power again through the hand of the Soul King!
Distress, lament, sentiment, excitement, and an unspeakable exhilaration transformed into flames, scorching Aizen's nerves—usually so calm, rational, and filled with ice.
"Soul King... let me, a former Captain of the Gotei 13, test just how much of Yamamoto's color your Zanka no Tachi truly possesses."
The world distorted. The only truth deciding reality from illusion was the pair of fists Aizen swung!
The roar of dragons shook the world. Wherever the dragon-shaped force passed, everything exploded.
"FIGHT!"
Mo Yu's response was brief. Only his exaggerated "face-acting" smile witnessed his inner fire. Matchless remnant-flame force condensed in his fist, designed to erupt only upon contact with the enemy, manifesting as a descending star.
The fist of the soaring Azure Dragon clashed with the fist of the Searing Crimson Sun. In a single moment, they traded dozens of blows.
Mo Yu realized that while Aizen's fists were potent, the fight wasn't as "satisfying" as his brawl with Yamamoto. The force of the punches flickered between reality and illusion, leaving Mo Yu in a state of confusion.
Did I hit Aizen's power? Or rather... is the one I'm fighting even Aizen?
Clearly, as a master of illusions, Aizen hadn't discarded his honed skills upon becoming a Martial Artist. He had melted them into his Kido Punch. That posture of shifting between reality and void truly held the divinity of a True Dragon—capable of blotting out the sky or hiding in a grain of sand.
As his confusion climbed, Mo Yu couldn't help but slightly open his "Eye"!
As the material and symbolic manifestation of the world, the Soul King's vessel possessed power far beyond the norm. Yhwach's The Almighty was essentially just a local manifestation of a portion of the Soul King's authority.
Now that the Soul King chose to "open His eye," the World performed a meticulous scan of the mortal realm and everything Mo Yu was looking at. Karma, fate, past and future, change and stasis—all were laid bare.
Then Mo Yu saw it. The Aizen he was fighting was indeed an illusion. Of course, one couldn't be too absolute; even if it was an illusion, it was one infused with potent force, capable of throwing matchless Dragon Punches to blast an enemy to dust.
The real Aizen was crouching nearby, hidden by an illusion. He was using spiritual power to manifest wrenches and screwdrivers, frantically assembling some kind of machinery. He kept checking his watch, looking like a construction worker racing against a deadline.
Aizen's illusion-shield wasn't useless; even the World's scanning eye was slightly affected. An incomplete Almighty like Yhwach's would have been fooled. But to the World itself, the effect was merely like a dropped frame-rate—nowhere near the level of a censor-mosaic.
Mo Yu didn't call him out. He pretended not to know, leaving the villain some face, and continued his "intense fight" with Aizen's illusion-body.
A few moments later, the true Aizen finished the assembly and architecture of his equipment. After burying it in the ground and activating it, he turned around, smoothed the hair he'd messed up during assembly, and adjusted his slightly disheveled robes. Ensuring his appearance was meticulous and flawless, he allowed the illusion-body to vanish like a bubble and revealed himself.
Aizen's smile was charismatic, his posture tall and elegant as he spoke:
"Lord Soul King... your 'Remnant Flame Punch' looks similar to Yamamoto's Zanka no Tachi, but the essence is entirely different. Your punch is pure. But because of that, it loses the most powerful aspect of the technique."
At that moment, instead of critiquing the punch, Mo Yu really wanted to comment: Aizen, is your "Idol Baggage" in this World Bubble a bit too heavy!?
But he held it in. Powerhouses are allowed their quirks.
"Oh? Interesting. In your eyes, my punch is inferior to the old man's?"
Mentioning this, Aizen lowered his eyes. "Captain-Commander Yamamoto's power—especially Zanka no Tachi—was irrationally strong!"
That was Aizen's conclusion after watching the duel with Ichigo. Great power must be matched by an equal consumption. Yamamoto had two thousand years of accumulation, but Aizen was several centuries old and extremely diligent; he wasn't lacking in effort. Spiritual power doesn't just increase with age—many in the Seireitei were as old as Yamamoto, yet only a handful were truly strong.
Aizen admitted a gap in talent, but on the level of raw Reiatsu, he possessed over ten times that of a normal Captain. Even if that was doubled to twenty times, it shouldn't have been enough to fuel a Zanka no Tachi that could push the Soul Society to the brink of destruction.
Zanka no Tachi was a different dimension of strength. How was that extreme consumption sustained? Aizen thought it through and ran a few small experiments. He reached a conclusion.
Zanka no Tachi, South: Kaka Jūnyōshi Daisōjin. This move summons the ashes of those killed by Yamamoto's blade to fight endlessly as a skeletal army. That was the foundation of the Bankai's existence.
Zanka no Tachi wasn't power erupted by Yamamoto alone; it was the combined, frantic destructive force of every enemy he had ever slain—souls bound in eternal purgatory and relentlessly squeezed for energy.
Realizing this, Aizen lamented that as a "God of Death," Yamamoto was a failure—yet he was more like a True God of Death than anyone! Release and Eternal Punishment were determined by his whim. He was an existence any soul would instinctively fear.
Aizen continued: "A crimson sun is never pure, nor does it need to be. Its interior is fueled by the screams and agony of countless dead. Every ray of that scorching light is a cruel, violent punishment of purgatory. That is the source of its horror. Lord Soul King... your punch is too pure. Thus, it is merely fire..."
Mo Yu laughed. "Perhaps a spectator sees clearer. Or perhaps your talent is so high you see too deep. In truth, the old man didn't think that much. He just needed power and used any means to get it; he didn't care for the 'meaning' behind it. His Zanka no Tachi emphasized the fire itself, not the 'Underworld Purgatory' vibe you've sensed..."
Had it been anyone else, Aizen wouldn't have believed it. But coming from the Soul King, he found it absurdly funny.
"Is that so? I overthought it. But perhaps that is lucky. Had I not looked so deep, I would have been unable to forge a matching 'Transcendental Power' immediately after breaking my limits."
By discarding the Hogyoku and using his own Purity and Path to surpass the limit, Aizen had gained and lost. He couldn't evolve endlessly like in the original story, but he had more possibilities. At the very least, his brilliant scientific mind wasn't blinded by the manic heart of a Hollow.
"Soul King! Witness my Path of Transcendence! For this is a boundless ambition capable of swallowing even the heavens!!!"
Aizen threw back his head and let out a savage roar. Gone was the elegant poise; in its place was the matchless aura of a powerhouse.
The Espada, who were watching, fell to their knees. It was an instinctive submission, a reaction to their power being rapidly vacuumed away. Further out, the giant Menos wobbled; some began to disintegrate into torrents of Reishi, racing toward Aizen.
This had happened before, but now it was more intense, more absolute.
The true impact began. Centered on Aizen, the earth trembled. The bone-ash of billions of Hollows was ignited, forged, converted, and extracted, merging into Aizen's body!
Mo Yu glanced at the equipment Aizen had secretly buried. Seeing the hidden devices "overclocking" with sparks and lightning, he knew Aizen's Transcendental Power wasn't actually perfected yet.
That was normal. Not much time had passed since he broke his limits. Mo Yu didn't intend to be harsh or call him out. He spoke with interest:
"Aizen... you plunder the power of all Hollows and greedily consume the ancient power lingering in this earth. This Transcendental Power you've forged... is it Hollowfication?"
White, bone-like fluid spread across Aizen's face and body. In a blink, it transformed him into an extremely eerie, fiercely non-human form. Brutal ferocity and overwhelming bestiality radiated from him, but his eyes remained unchanged—burning with a dangerous flame between reason and cold logic.
"It is no simple Hollowfication. I took inspiration from Ichigo Kurosaki. I have melted my ambition, arrogance, greed, and cruelty into a single Heart. Then, I plundered everything I could to fill that Heart and forge its frame. In this moment, I am no Hollow—I am the one who Reigns Over All Hollows!"
Mo Yu couldn't help but look up at the moon. The eerie lunar orb was now flashing like a neon strobe light in a nightclub.
Aizen was right about one thing: he was currently the Lord above all Hollows. But by standing so high, he had drawn too close to that lone moon hanging in the sky.
But there was no need for those words now! Mo Yu felt the surge of Aizen's aura, and his smile grew more joyful.
What was the combat style of the Bleach world? It was a turn-based battle of "Style-Points" and "Cheats." Mo Yu laughed:
"Plundering all of Hueco Mundo for yourself... I acknowledge this Transcendental Power. In response, I shall let you experience the Remnant Flame Body: Ultimate Edition—a version even Yamamoto failed to fully reach!"
Aizen stopped talking. Governing this Transcendental Power left him no room for distraction. Mo Yu didn't delay; boundless fire exploded outward, blotting out the heavens and swallowing the earth.
In a heartbeat, the eternal night of Hueco Mundo welcomed its first "Sunrise."
End of Chapter
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