"Is this your Hollowfied form?"
Naraku Sora stared at Aizen, whose appearance had barely changed, a trace of suspicion flashing in his eyes.
When a normal Soul Reaper underwent Hollowfication, they would at least have a bone-white mask embedded on their face. In more extreme cases, they might even grow armor-like plating.
Take a certain someone named Sora, for instance.
In contrast, Aizen didn't even have a mask, let alone a tail or armor. The only difference was that his originally brown eyes had turned into golden, snake-like slits, and his sclera had turned pitch black.
This aspect was identical to Naraku Sora's Hollowfication. Or rather, it was a common trait shared among Hollowfied Soul Reapers.
Naraku Sora looked Aizen up and down, seriously suspecting that this so-called Hollowfication experiment was nothing but a sham. Its true purpose was likely to settle a personal grudge or establish dominance.
Fortunately, his own strength was astonishing, allowing him to forcefully shatter this unfilial son's evil schemes.
"Actually, you don't need to feel too disappointed." Naraku Sora patted Aizen on the shoulder and said earnestly, "I completely understand your current state of mind."
"A close friend who used to be beneath you gradually became unattainably high, eventually transforming into a completely unreachable existence."
"When something like that happens, anyone would feel a sense of inadequacy."
"You don't need to be too sad. After all, life is just full of drama like this."
"Besides, your Hollowfication looks pretty strong. Who knows, maybe you really can fight me to a standstill..."
Although his words sounded entirely comforting, his smug, gloating expression completely betrayed his innermost thoughts.
Aizen remained expressionless, subconsciously recalling the slash he received the moment he woke up from his Hollowfication. *'This idiot's face is getting uglier by the minute.'*
"Victory and defeat are things you only know after you fight." The calm voice suddenly echoed within the resting room of Las Noches, drawing everyone's subconscious gaze toward Aizen.
"?" Naraku Sora froze for a moment, and then an expectant smile surfaced on his face.
To actually rouse a desire for battle in someone with Aizen's personality—it seemed Hollowfication had indeed given him quite a bit of confidence.
A group of Arrancars and Soul Reapers, wrapped in various bandages, stood atop the walls of Las Noches, looking expectantly at the two confronting each other in the distance.
Nnoitra leaned against the wall, letting out a sharp, ambiguous sound. "Who's stronger?"
Grimmjow shot him a sidelong glance and said coldly, "His Majesty Naraku, of course. Do you even need to think about it?"
Beside them, Komamura Sajin and the others nodded in agreement.
Although Aizen's performance during the Hollowfication experiment had been incredibly strong, Naraku Sora had overseen and controlled the entire situation with relaxed ease, not showing the slightest hint of strain. This alone was a testament to his immense strength.
"Actually, I favor Lord Aizen."
As soon as these words were spoken, dozens of gazes instantly converged on Szayelaporro.
"Hey, tentacle freak, whose side are you on anyway?" Rangiku asked in dissatisfaction.
Hearing this, Szayelaporro grinned. "I am the lead researcher of Aizen's laboratory, after all."
*'? Oh no, a traitor has appeared in Las Noches!'*
The crowd glared at him with hostility, but Szayelaporro remained calm and composed, his expression placid.
In truth, ever since his very first meeting with Aizen, he had known about this young Soul Reaper's terrifying potential.
Effortlessly plucking out his hidden recording insects; seeing through his meticulously researched phosphorus gas modifications; even his proud Arrancar technology had its flaws pointed out by Aizen at a single glance.
Most outrageously, during their subsequent head-on battle, he was the first to witness Aizen's true terror.
That horrifying Reiatsu felt as if it could shoot the very moon out of the sky.
The so-called Reiatsu of a Vasto Lorde Arrancar was completely insignificant in front of Aizen.
It could be said that in all the years Szayelaporro had lived, this was the first time he had seen a Soul Reaper possess this level of Reiatsu, completely shattering and redefining his worldview.
Yet this was not Aizen's strongest point. In his eyes, Aizen's greatest strength was precisely that absolute calmness and intellect that controlled everything.
Unlike their own king, who constantly clamored about his "world-shocking intellect," Aizen possessed literal intellect, whereas Naraku Sora was mostly just "world-shocking."
Just as the crowd was debating whether they should eliminate the traitor first, the battle in the distance had already begun.
Perhaps due to his anticipation for the upcoming fight, Naraku Sora felt he was in peak condition today. The moment he slightly lowered his body, his right hand gripped the hilt of his sword.
As his five fingers shifted, accompanied by the high-pitched grinding of his knuckles, a violent, intense heat poured out like an erupting volcano.
Wisps of black and red Reiatsu coiled around his arms like living creatures, writhing rapidly as magma-like patterns manifested, and his Kidō Reiatsu burst forth recklessly.
Shunkō: Blazing Lightning Hell!
The next moment.
The all-severing blade sliced through the air, carrying an unparalleled wave of heat as it slashed straight toward Aizen's position.
Facing this ferocious strike, Aizen retracted the smile from the corner of his mouth, a touch of seriousness appearing deep within his eyes.
Since this was a test of his strength after Hollowfication, he could skip the meaningless probing at the start. He would get straight to the point.
In a flash, a ferocious, smiling face closed in instantly. Pure, terrifying power erupted at this moment, tearing through the air.
Dragon Flash!
The pitch-black blade, crackling with azure arcs of electricity, clashed against the ordinary-looking Zanpakutō, sending a trembling shockwave echoing across the battlefield.
Naraku Sora's eyes widened. By the time he reacted, the ink-like slash had already silenced all the restless noise. Passing right through their crossed blades, it landed unreservedly on his chest.
The sound of tearing flesh rang out as a shockwave exploded from his front. In an instant, he was suffocated.
*'This guy is playing dirty!'*
No probing, no wind-up. His opening move was a Kidō sword technique based on Black Coffin. While boasting astonishing attack power, it directly neutralized Naraku Sora's proud physical strength and tore through his indestructible Hierro.
It was only now that Aizen thoroughly displayed his astonishing talent.
Compared to him, ordinary Soul Reapers were worlds apart.
The spectating Soul Reapers even suspected they were at the very bottom of the Shino Prison, unable to even look up and see the gap between them.
If it weren't for the brief standoff, they wouldn't have been able to see the trajectory of their movements at all.
Seizing the opportunity, Aizen released the pressing Zanpakutō and stepped back.
A muffled sound of tearing space suddenly rang out. His figure vanished from his original spot, instantly appearing on a sand dune hundreds of meters away.
Sonído.
If it were any other Hollowfied Soul Reaper, mastering this basic technique might have taken a very long time.
But Aizen, as an expert on Menos Grande, had figured out the mechanics of Sonído a long time ago.
Previously, he was only hindered by the limitations of his own Reiatsu, unable to force its use.
However, long before this, he had already experimented with the movement method of Sonído through the assistance of other technologies.
"Hadō #90: Black Coffin."
Aizen raised his left hand. His pupils beneath his glasses gleamed with a golden hue, and a trace of tyrannical aura permeated the air.
This was his first battle after voluntarily entering Hollowfication. He was bound to teach a certain someone a profound lesson.
Boom!
A profound darkness rose from the ground, obliterating the nearby silver sand with overwhelming force. An endless torrent of Reiatsu crashed down, and sturdy iron walls enveloped Naraku Sora within.
Pitch-black patterns emerged, and countless blades grew madly inside.
Immediately after, the sound of clashing metal echoed from within the Black Coffin, as if a massive machine were operating. Countless gears ground together, sending sparks flying.
Aizen had long anticipated this inhuman defense. The Black Coffin could only be considered the horn of the offensive; the real show was just beginning.
"Limit of the thousand hands, respectful hands unable to touch the darkness..."
"Hadō #91: Senjū Kōten Taihō."
Just as Naraku Sora cleaved open the pitch-black coffin, he was met head-on by brilliant cherry-blossom-colored flames, as if they were trying to dye the night sky of Hueco Mundo a different color.
A terrifying wave of intense heat crashed into him, and earth-shattering explosions rang out one after another.
Clusters of gorgeous fireworks bloomed beneath the night sky. The erupting sparks fell like a torrential downpour, and the deafening blasts merged into a continuous roar that made people's hearts tremble.
A battle without any restraint meant turning everything in sight into ruins.
The silver sand melted, displaying a colorful, glass-like luster.
It was only now that the spectating crowd finally gained a relatively clear understanding of Aizen's true strength.
Hadō spells in the nineties, which even ordinary Soul Reaper Captains might not have mastered, were cast by Aizen with effortless ease.
Looking at him, it was as if he had merely swung a simple, unadorned slash, without showing the slightest hint of strain.
The most exaggerated aspect, however, was the scale of his Kidō.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri and Urahara Kisuke had both learned Black Coffin and Senjū Kōten Taihō, so they were very clear about the power of these two Kidō.
Furthermore, they had also seen other Soul Reaper Captains cast them.
But whether it was others or the two of them, the Kidō they released compared to Aizen's was simply worlds apart. They weren't in the same dimension at all.
"Now that hits the spot."
Naraku Sora walked out from the sweeping waves of dust. His Shihakushō was in tatters, and even his lean, muscular body was covered in scorch marks and torn flesh.
It could only be said that there was a gap even between Kidō users. Aizen's talent in Kidō could definitely be considered number one in the Soul Society. The kind that even Old Man Yama couldn't compare to.
He erupted his Reiatsu, shaking off the ash on his body, and grinned at Aizen in the distance.
Seeing that certain someone's expression, an ominous premonition suddenly rose in Aizen's heart.
Immediately after, he saw that someone sheathe his sword and point both hands toward the sky.
A heavy, viscous, materialized Reiatsu poured out, instantly transforming into a massive pillar of light that shot straight into the sky, making the night sky even deeper as the ground sank uncontrollably.
An eerie and dense black-purple aura continuously emerged, with all of his Reiatsu being poured into it.
Aizen's gaze sharpened slightly, a flash of realization passing through his eyes.
As a Kidō master, he naturally knew what Naraku Sora's next move would be.
But if it was just a Kidō clash, he didn't believe any Soul Reaper could surpass him. Naraku Sora was no exception!
The abyssal Reiatsu caused Hueco Mundo to fall completely silent. Dozens of horrified gazes fell upon Aizen, as if they were looking at a pure monster.
Naraku Sora's Reiatsu was terrifying enough, but compared to Aizen's, it still fell short.
*'Just how the hell did these two train?'*
Just as the crowd was in shock, Aizen raised his right hand, and a black-purple light symbolizing destruction surged around him.
The next moment, their voices rang out simultaneously across the boundless desert.
"Hadō #99—"
"Goryūtenmetsu!"