Chapter 74: A Passionate Opening Performance
It was precisely for this reason that the Hollowfication of Shinji Hirako and the others was deemed a failure by Aizen.
Donning a Hollow mask, making spiritual power a bit more violent, toughening the body and fighting style, adding a layer of Hierro, and even being able to use Cero—this was considered "becoming stronger"?
Don't be ridiculous. What Aizen craved was not this kind of nonsensical "improvement." If he simply spent less time on research and more on honing his Reiatsu, Kido, or the development of Kyoka Suigetsu, he could easily crush that level of amplification.
What Aizen desired was something more fundamental, more subversive—an absolute "strength" that could thoroughly shatter the limits of a Soul Reaper!
But truth be told, while Aizen possessed this craving, he himself wasn't entirely clear on what such a "strength" beyond those limits should look like.
Was it a gaze sufficient to tear an approaching enemy to pieces? Was it a casual swing of a blade capable of cleaving mountains? Was it the ability to cast high-level Kido without an incantation? All of these were essentially built upon Reiatsu. If one possessed an absolute Reiatsu beyond imagination, did that count as transcending the limits?
The old Aizen might have thought so.
Until he witnessed the world-shaking battle between Ichigo Kurosaki and Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto.
Facing a Captain-Commander clad in the fifteen-million-degree heat of the Zanjitsu Gokui, Aizen asked himself: if it were him, he would surely avoid the edge, refusing to fight head-on. If forced, he would use every means to calculate a victory from other angles. This was a blameless, logical choice. A solar raiment of such heat was no longer something a mortal being could rival; even the Soul Society and the Three Worlds wailed in scorched agony under that power.
However, Ichigo Kurosaki, in a posture so "macho" it was frightening and so fierce it was appalling, had charged straight in.
If it were mere suicide, it wouldn't have mattered. But the problem was that Ichigo truly weathered the fifteen-million-degree heat to swing his fists, pummeling the Commander until he was bruised and swollen.
In that moment, the ones left stunned and dazed were not just the battered Yamamoto, but Aizen himself.
What is absolute strength that transcends limits? In that instant, Aizen saw the truest, most manifest example.
Aizen even felt that if the enemy weren't Yamamoto, but the actual 1.39-million-kilometer-diameter sun falling from the sky as an irreversible apocalypse, Ichigo Kurosaki would still charge head-on. He would use his bare fists to deliver a beating—pummeling the sun until it was black and blue and forced to roll back where it came from!
Aizen believed Ichigo could do it, no matter how absurd or nonsensical it seemed from any perspective. Because within Ichigo's fists resided the strongest will—one that would beat the world itself to crush all "impossibles."
Before those peerlessly potent fists, common sense and the "impossible" only had one choice: to be beaten senseless and bow their heads in total defeat.
At last, Aizen had a clear, comprehensive understanding of what it meant to transcend limits. So, how great was the gap between the fists he swung now and that realm?
His Reiatsu had been pushed to the absolute peak, his fists clenched tight, and the Purity condensed in his will was exploding, climbing within the Absolute Realm. Every punch was fiercer than the last, but the more he fought, the more clearly Aizen knew that the gap between his fists and Ichigo's was still...
A! WORLD! OF! DIFFERENCE!
Aizen had been conceited and arrogant his entire life. His gaze had long since left the Soul Society, fixed instead on the throne above the heavens, vowing to surpass every hero and powerhouse of the last million years. He believed he could—and must—achieve the great work they failed: to ascend to the highest point and change everything.
But now, his ego and pride were collapsing, transforming into the fires of shame, scorching his body and soul.
No one forced Aizen to become stronger. But for the first time in his life, he wanted to cast everything aside and pursue true strength from the very marrow of his bones. Because Aizen knew that once Ichigo Kurosaki woke up from his world-shaking metamorphosis, the world would welcome an undisputed supreme being.
When that time came, and Ichigo said, "Dear friend, let us spar," what would Aizen do? Ask Ichigo to go easy? To slow down? To not hit so hard? Or would he have to kneel and beg Ichigo not to kill him?
He didn't even need to reach that stage. Just the thought of Ichigo looking at him with eyes full of disappointment made the proud Aizen feel that there was no point in talking about ambition anymore. He might as well find a deserted place—like the depths of Muken—and rot there for ten thousand years.
His life would be second to none! He had to walk to the peak called "The Strongest."
Not someday in the future. Right here, right now!
The tide of Hellish Macho-Men surged endlessly. Under the purge of the Espada led by Aizen, black cocoons formed one after another, returning the dead of Hell to the mortal world to vent the madness accumulated from eternal torment.
"Absolute Realm 75%—FIVE-DRAGON DESTRUCTION PUNCH!!!"
Accompanying Aizen's roar, the level-99 Kido Goryūtenmetsu manifested in a state that almost discarded the incantation entirely.
Goryūtenmetsu is a supreme Kido that summons multiple dragons of spiritual energy to cause indiscriminate destruction. Its mystery lies in the intricate structure of the spiritual energy, which allows it to respond to the caster's will like a living creature.
But Aizen did not release them. He used his will to pierce through, control, accommodate, and contract them!
Five massive dragons of energy roared into the sky, circled once, and then dove back toward Aizen. They shrank continuously until they coiled around his body, forming a brilliant radiance like a dragon-shaped battle robe, with dragon-shaped bracers covering his arms.
This was the fruit of his confrontation with the Monk. It was the first time Aizen grasped the wonders of Purity, and through it, he combined Kido with Hakuda to form a brand-new combat style.
The principle of this "Kido Punch" wasn't complex, but its implementation was something only Aizen could achieve. It was the result of peerless talent combined with tireless effort, honing every facet of technique to a point of seamless perfection.
With one punch, the roar of dragons echoed through the world, and a torrent of destructive energy pulverized everything in its path. But it didn't end there. Driven by the Kido Punch, Aizen was now fully integrated with the supreme Kido. His spiritual power surged without end, fueling a continuous explosion of the technique. It was no longer a one-time spell, but a persistent bombardment of slaughter.
The 75% Absolute Realm was already top-tier in this world, witnessing how much power Aizen had accumulated through years of bitter cultivation. Under this extreme eruption, not just the Hellish Macho-Men, but even the returned dead were blasted to dust in a single exchange.
Aizen's face was cold and sharp, but the heaven-shaking dragon roars witnessed his wild pride and power!
The Arrancars of the Espada saw Aizen discard his usual calm and depth to gallop across the battlefield with fists of madness, slaying countless enemies like a living god of war. Their eyes shone with awe. To a Hollow, a leader with deep schemes might inspire fear and obedience, but only a King of matchless vigor and extreme violence could win their heartfelt devotion.
Facing such a "potent" Aizen, they were all hot-blooded, wanting to follow his example and crush all enemies with their fists.
But Aizen didn't care about them at all. Having cast aside years of disguise and restraint to let his will and emotions explode, Aizen's heart was still screaming.
"NOT ENOUGH! THIS PUNCH IS STILL NOT POTENT ENOUGH! NOT STRONG ENOUGH!!!"
After melting all his techniques together through Purity, this Goryūtenmetsu Kido Punch was the peak of what he could manifest. Even if his Absolute Realm index climbed further and his lethality doubled, it would still just be an increase in output.
It was still separated from the kind of fist Ichigo possessed—the one that crushed the impossible—by a definitive boundary!
Aizen "saw" that boundary for the first time—the one that symbolized the limit of a Soul Reaper and the limit of himself as an individual. Upon seeing it, his power, will, conviction, and determination reached their zenith. They fused into a peerless Purity, launching an ultimate charge against the boundary that bound him—against his own fate!
"I, Aizen, shall be second to no man! How can the mere limit of a Soul Reaper bind me forever!?"
Pride, conceit, arrogance, and ruthlessness—the pillars of his ambition—transformed into the steps leading to the heavens. Even the world seemed to sense Aizen's matchless Purity; the heavens and earth rumbled as the world's battle intent resonated and danced with him.
At that moment, Hell made its move. An unprecedentedly large black cocoon formed, and a massive, deformed Hollow crawled out! Its eyes were black and red, wreathed in a manic ferocity. The Reiatsu erupting from it was vast and ancient, leaking a primitive, desolate aura.
Aizen sensed the Reiatsu of this ancient Menos; it was equal to his own. It wasn't surprising; Hollows, who grew through devouring rather than training, had a natural advantage in raw spiritual mass. If not for that, Soul Reapers wouldn't have needed to develop so many techniques.
"Perfect timing. Become the foundation for me to transcend my limits!"
Aizen felt no fear. His battle intent soared as he intended to thoroughly defeat this foe at the height of his Purity.
Suddenly, an object in his robes reacted, slowly floating out. Aizen's pupils shrank. The unactivated, semi-finished Hogyoku he had created was actually activating now.
In an instant, a thousand thoughts flashed through Aizen's mind. The creation of the Hogyoku was simple: the dismantling and reshaping of souls to create a singular crystalline core. Urahara's was made of Hollow souls; Aizen's was made of Soul Reaper souls. But they were essentially the same because the true power came from the Soul King fragments within.
To activate and master it, Aizen had conducted countless experiments without success, eventually concluding that only by merging his with Urahara's could it be fully awakened.
But the anomaly now told Aizen his understanding was wrong! The Hogyoku had never been "asleep." It was always active, but Aizen had lacked the qualification to master it. Or rather, the Hogyoku had read Aizen's heart—sensed his uncertainty and his belief that merging two was necessary—and thus granted him exactly what he expected: a dormant state.
But that was then. Now, Aizen's extreme will, Purity, and conviction were like a surging tide that finally touched the Hogyoku, prompting a response. The doorway to breaking limits and transcending all things was placed clearly before his eyes, beginning to creak open.
In the past, Aizen would have been ecstatic. But now, his expression was icy. He slowly clenched his fist. For this Hogyoku, he had spent half his life, made countless attempts, and put in endless effort. In a way, it carried everything he was.
But at this moment, Aizen couldn't help but ask himself: Is this Hogyoku truly qualified to carry everything I am?
Was his conceit, his arrogance, his ambition, and every thought and action of his life something that could be contained within such a small glass sphere?
Was the existence named Sosuke Aizen actually such a "small" thing?
Aizen lifted his eyes, which were now filled with a supreme arrogance!
"What a joke! My arrogance and ambition are not something a mere Hogyoku can carry! It is a supreme will that requires this entire sky to bear!!!"
The powerful punch he threw was the witness to his choice.
Aizen felt no regret. There was only extreme satisfaction and a sense of infinite freedom as his will expanded. Nothing could stop his ambition or his fist—not an ancient Hollow, and not the Hogyoku!
The dragon-shaped torrent of energy roared. The once indestructible Hogyoku suddenly developed surface cracks. The cracks spread until it shattered completely, swallowed by the blow. To the ancient Menos, the incoming dragon of energy changed form as it approached.
The vague shape became distinct: a pitch-black dragon body, whiskers fluttering, five claws of tempered steel, and blood-red eyes radiating dominance over all things. Clouds swirled, rain followed, and lightning coiled around its claws! The dragon's size ballooned until it blotted out the sun, its claw descending like the falling of the moon.
This was not what the Hollow saw, but what the Espada saw. They were frozen in horror. In that instant, the ancient Hollow seemed to sense something, muttering:
"An illusion!"
The Hollow lunged in another direction—the place it felt the "true" threat—ignoring the dragon claw falling from above.
In the next second, the ancient Menos was crushed into pieces by that very "illusion." Until the moment of death, its eyes were filled with disbelief. It saw the sky-blotting dragon vanish.
It was an illusion. But why could an illusion kill it? With its riddle unsolved, the ancient Hollow returned to Hell.
"My, how terrifying. The moment he breaks his limit, he touches the realm of Ultimacy. He even melted the soul-ability of Kyoka Suigetsu into his Kido Punch, switching between 'True Illusion' and 'Illusory Reality.' Truly a top-ten anime villain; that talent is something else."
In the Soul King Palace, a certain million-year-old "Salted Fish" sealed in amber let a smile touch His lips!
He could see all. He could sense all. Aizen's roars, his conviction, his choice—all were clear. And not just him: the world-shaking metamorphosis of Ichigo Kurosaki, the choices of Yamamoto and Yhwach... all were vivid, felt with an immersive sense of empathy. This was a feeling that observing through a computer screen could never provide.
"They are all so potent... it's making my own blood boil a bit. Perfect. A King of Fighters tournament needs a proper opening ceremony. Let's do it now..."
A faint, laughing whisper drifted through the palace, radiating out as a will toward the Three Worlds.
In an instant, every powerhouse who had grasped Purity felt their will being pulled toward the heavens. Crossing the ninety-nine barriers, they saw the "Hell on Earth" that was the Soul King Palace. At the peak of the tower covered in shadows and red eyes, they saw the noble, holy man sealed in amber.
He looked at them and smiled!
Then, the cracked amber crystal shattered completely! After a million years, He stepped out of his seal. Pitch-black shadows and searing blood-red patterns wove across His bare torso like war-paint.
He spoke softly, his voice full of pleasure:
"Friends of the Three Worlds, it is a pleasure to see you. Now that the tournament is underway, I have a piece of good news. I, the Soul King, have decided to jump ship to Hell. I've made 'Destroying the Three Worlds' my new career goal. So... if you don't want to die, you had best try... TO KILL ME!"
The opening act of the tournament: [The Soul King's Post-Resignation Apocalypse Declaration]. Mo Yu felt this performance would definitely hype up the audience of the Three Worlds.
End of Chapter
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