Chapter 486: Aizen — It's All Out in the Open
"Impossible?"
"Is he lying to us? There's no way Lord Aizen would actually do that!"
The Konoha players fell into stunned silence.
Then came disbelief, panic, and desperate questions, hoping for a denial from Aizen himself.
But anything could be questioned—except the effects of a Samsara Game item.
A dark-gold grade [Purification Effect] item—
Even if it were ten Orochimaru-level manipulators, they couldn't possibly keep controlling Lord Aizen.
So the words Aizen spoke were his own, in complete lucidity.
"Even when the truth is laid bare, you still refuse to accept it. Meaningless."
Aizen lifted his head and looked at the Hollows pouring through the rift, sighing: "As expected, after being away from this familiar place for a while, even I find myself feeling a little nostalgic."
As Anko's falling body was about to be caught by someone—
A transparent barrier pushed everyone back.
Her consciousness fading, Anko realized that Aizen had never been under anyone's control, and she had no strength left to resist.
Was she going to die?
At that moment, the wound in her chest—where Aizen's hand had pierced her—began to glow faintly.
The fury, betrayal, and grief from having her trust shattered all began to gather at that glowing spot, as if forming a pure white bone mask.
At the same time,
The Hollow Aizen had just cleaved earlier—their remains scattered on the ground—began to twitch.
Each severed piece of flesh squirmed like a blood-scenting shark, frantically crawling toward Anko's falling body.
And they fused into her chest.
"Aizen, what did you do to Anko?!"
Two Konoha players had placed their unwavering faith in Aizen, only to be mercilessly betrayed.
Tsunade, trembling with rage, hurled a golden spear that tore through Aizen's body.
A moment later,
The shattered Aizen appeared atop a high-rise, calmly standing beside Orochimaru.
"Well, that's unexpected. You'd get so close to me and not worry I'd kill you, Aizen-kun?"
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, a venomous smile creeping across his lips.
Even as he spoke, he couldn't fully sense Aizen. His Zanpakutō, Kyōka Suigetsu, was just too overpowered.
"If you say that, I might be hurt, Orochimaru-san. After all, we're teammates."
Aizen shrugged indifferently, then turned to the furious Tsunade and calmly explained, "Relax. I only implanted something called a [Spirit King Fragment] into her heart."
The original Hōgyoku had been returned to Gin Ichimaru.
But Aizen had since obtained another, and using the Samsara Game's enhancement system, he had improved its abilities.
Its power to evolve the host had been vastly amplified.
ROAR—
Countless Hollows surged toward Anko's heart, like moths to a flame, driven by their lust for the Hōgyoku.
The ground quaked, splitting open. Thick black necrotic mist gushed out of the cracks.
Crack.
As if echoing the tremors below, the sky rift widened—revealing not just Hueco Mundo, but also faint echoes from the Soul Society.
"Aizen, you're insane! Anko trusted you, and you're turning her into a monster?!"
Wreathed in golden holy light, Tsunade raised her warhammer and struck at Aizen and Orochimaru.
"Aizen-kun, such a convenient ability you have…"
Orochimaru lifted a hand, releasing necrotic energy that summoned a towering ghoul general.
Its broad, shield-like back absorbed Tsunade's holy warhammer.
Orochimaru glanced at Aizen, knowing well that wasn't the real Aizen standing there.
Even if Tsunade struck it down, the real Aizen would be unharmed.
So Orochimaru took the blow himself.
The ghoul general's body was crushed, its organs exposed and incinerated by holy fire.
It collapsed, inert.
Orochimaru didn't bat an eye. To him, such ghouls were expendable.
The Fire Empire's special Ghoul Factory could mass-produce high-grade ghouls. With minimal investment, they could evolve into elite troops.
Even losing hundreds wasn't worth a frown.
"Trust?"
Aizen closed his eyes and shook his head gently. "Lady Tsunade, with all due respect—trust and reliance are the same thing. Both are acts of the weak."
"And the weak are not worthy of survival in a world of sin."
"I never asked anyone to trust me."
He no longer concealed his disdain for Konoha. That past "gentleness" had clearly been mere restraint.
To him, the act of slaughtering the Hidden Hot Spring Village and Konoha's takeover afterward was no different from the crimes of Central 46.
Both were systems that didn't deserve to exist.
"But Lord Aizen was so kind—damn it! Was it all fake?!"
Konoha's players wept with fury and despair, yet they could not deny the truth:
Aizen was a traitor—or rather, had always been a pretender.
Some were enraged at being deceived. Some grieved.
But none of their accusations or stares affected Aizen.
He smiled once more, gently, and said: "The Aizen you knew never existed."
He looked to the evolving Hōgyoku—
It was beginning to take on a Hollow-like form. Its energy surged: Gillian, Adjuchas, Vasto Lorde… then Arrancar… even Quincy…
Anko's final form—
Her legs had become a bone-white serpent tail extending to her abdomen. Her upper body transformed into a butterfly form covered in ornate patterns. Four wings flapped on her back.
Each flap launched a wave of blue Cero blasts in every direction.
Anko had clearly lost all consciousness.
The Hōgyoku was the true culprit behind her transformation. The bone tail symbolized her abandoned obsession with Orochimaru; the ornate butterfly reflected the pain of being betrayed by Aizen twice.
Anko now radiated the presence of a Gold-tier Dark Boss in the new season.
"Excellent. From now on, you are the master of Hueco Mundo."
Aizen, satisfied with the fully evolved Anko, smiled.
Then he began to exercise his clan leader authority.
[Clan Wall (Attack Mode) Disabled…]
[Wall Pearls (Attack Mode) Disabled…]
[Spectral Cannons (Attack Mode) Disabled…]
[Abyss Defense Towers (Attack Mode)…]
[You are the leader of the Konoha Clan. Confirm sale of [Konoha Clan Lv.Max (Tier 2)] for 10 million reward points?]
Warning: You are not friends with the buyer (Orochimaru). Proceed with caution.
Warning 2: Selling a clan requires approval from over 70% of [Clan Elders]. Currently unavailable.
Aizen glanced at the prompts and smiled indifferently, then waved his hand.
The monster fused with the Hōgyoku let out a deafening roar.
Endless Hollows began to overrun Konoha.
"No matter. Just kill all the clan elders and elites. Orochimaru-san, I'll be counting on you."
"No problem. It'll be my pleasure!"
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