Doujin Artist: So strong…!
Eriri didn't even know what words to use anymore. All she could do was repeat "so strong" to express how shocked she was.
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: He took them out instantly…
Scarlet Lotus Fairy: Yeah, they didn't even have a chance to fight back.
Amegakure Village's Angel: If it were us, we'd end up the same way. We couldn't even see what Anzen-san did.
Konan looked a little upset.
She had thought she was growing fast, that she'd soon be able to catch up to Aizen. But now she saw—she'd been way too optimistic. She couldn't even tell how far apart their levels were.
Shark-Faced Guy: You're terrifying, Aizen-san. Way more terrifying than I expected.
From his own experience, Kisame thought he could beat Kakine Teitoku. And maybe hold off Accelerator for a while, even if he'd eventually lose.
But Aizen didn't need any flashy moves. Just a simple flash step and slash were enough to completely wipe them out. Even scarier—he sliced that windowless building in half like it was nothing.
Everyone in the group who'd seen the story of Index knew: that building was Aleister's base. Said to be strong enough to survive a nuclear blast—and now Aizen had turned it into rubble with a single strike.
"Do I seem scary to you? That should be how enemies feel about me," Aizen said with a gentle smile, using Ruiko's body to slowly walk to the right. "So, are you treating me like an enemy?"
Gulp.
Kisame swallowed nervously, clearly terrified, and quickly sent a message: Of course not, I've never thought that way from the beginning!
"It's okay," Ruiko—still under Aizen's control—had now walked up to Mugino. She reached out a pale hand and gently touched her smooth cheek. "Even if you see me as an enemy, I won't hurt you."
Curly-haired Guy: Pfft!
Shark-Faced Guy: Oh, so you were talking to that girl?
Hoshigaki Kisame let out a sigh of relief.
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: Whoa, sudden flirting? Wait, Anzen-san! What are you doing?
Doujin Artist: If I'm guessing right, it's exactly what you think.
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: No! Stop that! That's my body you're using!
"Why are you shaking?" Aizen curved his lips into a half-smile, giving Mugino a charming yet sinister look. "Come on, give me a smile."
Yeah right—like she could smile right now!
Mugino was terrified.
She hadn't forgotten that she was supposed to be an enemy of this girl. Even monsters like Accelerator and Kakine couldn't last a single move against this person. She didn't stand a chance.
If she had known this would happen, she never would've stayed behind. She just wanted to make sure the girl was dead, but now it turns out she's some monster in a schoolgirl's skin.
What now? Even running away didn't seem like an option anymore.
"Mugino, I still think you should try smiling," Frenda tugged on her sleeve and whispered.
Shut up already!
Mugino shot her a warning look, but in the end, she forced a very awkward smile.
"Not bad. You look way better smiling than with that scowl," Aizen said with a nod. "Well then, next…"
Buzz.
Before he could finish, a strange energy field suddenly spread across the entire area.
Thud. Thud.
Without warning, Mugino and the others rolled their eyes back and dropped to the ground, completely knocked out. Even Mikoto, who was still watching in shock nearby, collapsed the same way.
Whoosh.
A dark green figure suddenly appeared behind Ruiko as if it had teleported. It held a staff made of some unknown material and gently sliced toward the back of Ruiko's neck.
Zzzzt.
A bright white line cut across the sky, distorting the air as it passed. The entire space twisted around it. But just before it could touch Ruiko, a glowing hexagonal shield appeared and blocked it completely.
"So you've come, Aleister." Aizen turned his head slightly, still speaking in a calm, kind voice. "You didn't really think I wasn't ready for you, did you?"
"State your purpose, stranger," came Aleister's voice, even though his mouth didn't move. He floated down from midair, wearing a dark green surgical gown, staff in hand.
"Couldn't take me down quickly, so now you want to talk, is that it?" Aizen smiled and spoke slowly. "Why not try using Aiwass?"
Aiwass was the key to all of Aleister's plans—a powerful angel not found in any Bible, created purely through physical laws.
According to the original story, Aiwass was unbeatable. With just one finger, it could destroy the whole world. Even Aizen, now fused with the Hōgyoku, couldn't match that kind of power.
But Aizen wasn't worried. His face stayed calm and confident.
Because he knew very well that, even though Aiwass was summoned by Aleister, it had its own will. Not even Aleister could control it completely.
And right now, Kazakiri Hyouka—the safety valve—wasn't fully formed yet. If Aiwass showed up now, its unstable energy would cause it to lose a lot of power.
Whoosh.
As soon as Aizen finished speaking, Aleister gave up on talking. He swung his staff again, slicing across the air. That same space-distorting white line reappeared.
But this time, Aizen didn't use his massive shield to block it. Instead, he spun the handle of his sword, and a wave of silver-white energy burst out.
Boom.
The two forces clashed, but there was no thunderous explosion like one might expect—just silence. Then, with a soft "pop," dozens of thin black cracks about half a meter long suddenly tore through the air.
Space itself had split open.
This was just the aftershock of a test exchange between them, and it was strong enough to rip the fabric of space.
Slice.
A small cut appeared on the upper part of Aleister's surgical gown, about the length of a finger. Pale skin peeked through as light blood seeped out.
Ruiko, under Aizen's control, was completely unharmed and stayed calm. "Looks like I hit a nerve, Mr. Edward."
Edward Alexander—that was Aleister's real name. Compared to "Aleister," the name "Edward" was far more famous in the world of magic.
"It seems you really do know a lot about us." After a brief pause, Aleister spoke flatly, "In that case, I can accept your reasonable requests."
His face showed no emotion, but those words were a real sign of compromise.