章節 220: Chapter 220: *Spoiler Title*
Aizen straightened his chest.
The poison from 'Shinsō' had eroded a piece of flesh from his chest, leaving a gaping hole. Yet, despite these severe injuries, they didn't affect him in the slightest. In fact, his spiritual pressure and aura had grown even stronger.
"Gin, you're quite the patient one," Aizen remarked, suppressing the excitement from earlier. "You had so many chances, but you waited until now—when my guard was at its lowest."
"I almost thought you wouldn't do it."
"But you were too late."
As he finished speaking, Aizen's body began to change once more.
A black, eye-like cavity ripped open on his forehead, and the hole in his chest emitted a brilliant light.
The Hōgyoku in Naruto's hand resonated with it, releasing the same intense, radiant light that shone through his fingers.
Behind Aizen, massive wings unfurled.
Butterfly-like, they appeared in three sets of six wings.
"I didn't expect such a transformation to be triggered by you, Gin," Aizen extended his hand as his Zanpakutō vanished, seemingly merging with his body. "I owe you thanks."
"I've now become something beyond both Shinigami and Hollow."
"This boring game can end now."
He moved with a flash step, aiming for Naruto.
Raising his right hand, a blade extended from his wrist. He swung it down with force.
Naruto blocked it, but the immense force made him stagger, and the invisible platform formed from spiritual particles beneath his feet cracked with a sharp sound.
"What immediate results," Aizen laughed joyfully, "I've become so much stronger than you."
With his other hand, Aizen reached for the Hōgyoku in Naruto's grasp, intending to reclaim it.
A flash of golden light.
*Flying Thunder God Technique* activated.
But almost at the same moment, Aizen turned, flash-stepped, and thrust his blade forward.
The short blade pierced Naruto's abdomen.
Blood sprayed out.
Naruto looked down, his brows furrowing deeply.
*Flying Thunder God... had been caught up to.*
"Don't be surprised," Aizen said softly, his tone gentle. "Your technique is fascinating, even better than the Arrancar's *Sonído*."
"It activates without a sound."
"But I can still catch up to you. Do you know what that means?"
Kisuke Urahara slashed at Aizen, his blade glowing red as it sliced through the air.
Aizen casually waved his hand toward the direction of the strike. "No matter how powerful a technique is, it's still limited by the user's ability."
The red light of Benihime's attack dissipated with ease.
Aizen sneered and continued, "This means that, in terms of speed and reaction, I am completely above you."
"I am the evolved one."
"And you're stuck clinging to old relationships, stuck in the past..."
Naruto stepped back, allowing the blade to exit his body. He then brushed his hand lightly over the wound.
"Don't bother thinking about *Kyōka Suigetsu*," Aizen remarked, noticing Naruto's small gesture. "I no longer need to use that power."
"Now..."
"I possess the power of evolution."
"Weak and boring Shinigami are no longer worth using it on."
Naruto placed his hand over his stomach, green light blossoming in his palm. His healing ability, combined with his natural regeneration, closed the wound at a speed reminiscent of *High-Speed Regeneration*. "Just as Kisuke Urahara said, you really do despise your own inner self."
Aizen narrowed his eyes, unfazed. "Urahara's assessment?"
"Yes, I hate the power of my Zanpakutō."
"That is perhaps the greatest flaw in my life as a Shinigami."
"But now."
"Having evolved, I am something transcendent."
Naruto met his gaze, speaking calmly, "Evolved, evolved, evolved..."
"You keep repeating that word."
"But what about now..."
"Is this truly evolution?"
Aizen spread his arms wide, questioning him, "Isn't it?"
"Look at my beautiful form, my immense power."
Naruto shook his head, raising the hand that held both "Ashura" and the Hōgyoku. "You said it yourself, the Hōgyoku's power is to guide a person's inner desires into manifesting changes in their body."
"So..."
"These changes you're experiencing are simply what you desired, happening to you."
"What you consider evolution is merely a reflection of your wish."
"It formed a cocoon, and now a butterfly emerges..."
"Your idea of evolution is really quite mundane."
Aizen didn't seem angry or introspective. Instead, he smiled grandly and raised a hand, "Are you envious?"
"I said before, that was your last chance."
"Now allow me to go back on that."
"I'll give you one more opportunity, Naruto-kun. We both reject the Soul Society, both reject this world manipulated by the Five Noble Clans."
"We can walk together. We can cooperate."
His gaze shifted to the Hōgyoku in Naruto's hand. "You're so attached to the Hōgyoku."
"I'll even let you borrow its power, let you evolve as I have, and become a transcendent being."
Naruto shook his head. "Over and over again."
"This is pointless, Sōsuke Aizen."
Aizen's expression darkened, and his voice followed suit. "You really are ungrateful, Naruto-kun."
"It seems you'll only end up as a test subject for me."
Naruto raised his other sword.
The incantation for release began.
"It's time, Kurama."
In his inner world, the red-furred fox lowered its head, teeth clenched. "This enemy isn't easy to deal with."
"But Naruto..."
"If you want my power, take it all."
Aizen watched with an amused expression, not attacking, tilting his head as he observed. "Such incredible power."
"Even within a Bankai, this is remarkable."
"I've always had a bold theory in my mind."
"Naruto-kun, are you truly someone from the Soul Society?"
The nature of these powers seemed almost identical to the "Shinigami powers," but the way they manifested was entirely different. And now, with his newly evolved eyes, Aizen could see much more.
Aizen paused for a moment, then looked Naruto up and down again. "It seems I was wrong in the beginning."
"This isn't the power of your Zanpakutō's Bankai."
"Are you manipulating the 'spiritual particles' in a special way, like the Quincy?"
"How interesting, and you've actually succeeded in doing it."
Naruto glanced at Aizen's forehead. "Gaining a new eye only let you see these things."
"Secrets are called secrets because they're hard to uncover." Aizen smiled. "The more elusive the secret, the more valuable it is."
"Now, in my mind..."
"You are second only to Ichigo Kurosaki."
Aizen lunged forward, slashing at Naruto.
Naruto blocked the attack, but compared to before, he could barely hold on.
Meanwhile, Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihōin, and the other Shinigami tried to step in to help.
But Aizen waved his hand lightly, and the sheer force of his spiritual pressure easily pushed them back.
Even the vice-captains couldn't get close to the battlefield.
Only the captains could stand on the fringes, providing long-range support.
"Is this all?" Aizen mocked, "Where's your other sword?"
"That one called... Ashura?"
"Why haven't you used it yet?"
"It seems like it could make you a bit stronger. Maybe if you use it, you could actually challenge me."
Naruto remained silent, focusing on defense.
Aizen's target was clear: Naruto's left hand, the one holding both "Ashura" and the Hōgyoku. That was what he truly wanted to reclaim.
After several exchanges...
*Clang!*
Aizen's blade clashed with "Ashura."
Small cracks appeared on the golden sword, fragments breaking off.
"Your sword is broken," Aizen noted immediately. "It's damaged before you've even used it."
"What a shame."
"Have you been saving it as a trump card?"
"You made the same mistake as Gin."
Naruto withdrew, his expression blank. He sheathed "Kurama" and returned "Ashura" to his right hand. "Broken?"
"Why..."
"Why would you ignore something that just happened to you?"
Aizen narrowed his eyes.
Metamorphosis?
Did that statement mean... transformation?
But how could a Zanpakutō undergo some kind of transformation, and how...
"Did you leave it behind not because you didn't want to give it to me, but because you were trying to use the Hōgyoku's power?" Aizen realized.
Naruto smiled. "Of course."
"And I have you to thank for explaining the Hōgyoku's ability to guide power."
He paused, adjusting his tone as his wrist moved, shaking off the golden dust from the sword. "It's well-known that 'Kurama' is a special sword, born from Kurama's power. You've all seen it."
"But when did I ever say that Ashura was my true power?"
"Like Kurama, it's a force inside me that doesn't belong to me."
In the distance, Ichigo Kurosaki froze.
He recalled what Naruto had said to him some time ago.
So it turned out...
Naruto's inner power was also a tangled mess.
"But unlike Kurama," Naruto continued, watching as more golden fragments fell away from the sword, revealing larger and larger pieces, "Ashura doesn't possess a soul."
"It's just a remnant power from ancient times, a kind of primal instinct."
"My true power has always been feeding on it like nutrients, and only recently did it begin to sprout."
"The Hōgyoku complied with my wishes, and it complied with this sword's desire too."
"Allowing it to fully grow."
Aizen looked down, his voice low. "Another unexpected turn of events."
"Naruto-kun, you always manage to bring so many surprises."
"But what does it matter?"
"A sword..."
Naruto cut him off, swinging the sword once. The golden casing fell away entirely, revealing a plain, unadorned blade. "Aizen, you said you've reached the end of the Shinigami's path."
"But as a Shinigami, you're still no match for the Captain-Commander."
"With such pitiful progress..."
"How dare you claim you've reached the pinnacle of the Shinigami?"
Aizen casually waved his sword, dismissing Naruto's words. "That's a problem with my Zanpakutō."
"Kyōka Suigetsu doesn't have offensive capabilities."
Naruto tilted his head, studying him. "So, just like you think the Hōgyoku gave you evolution."
"You also believe you've reached the end of the Shinigami's path."
"But the power of a Shinigami..."
"Is far from being as limited as you think."
Aizen stared at his sword. "Does your new blade give you confidence?"
Naruto released his grip, letting the sword dangle loosely.
"Yes, a true sword gives me that confidence."
"Because unlike you..."
"I've always been firm in my path."
He paused briefly, lowering his head as he chanted the release command.
"Disturb , Vortex (Uzumaki)."
The Zanpakutō responded, halting mid-air as its blade began to slowly disintegrate. A gust of wind swept by, carrying blue particles that dissolved into the air, becoming invisible to the naked eye.
Aizen extended his hand.
The increasingly violent wind battered his palm, bringing with it faint tinges of pain.
"A wind-based sword?" He muttered softly, recognizing it in an instant. "What difference does that make?"
"Even if it's the strongest wind-type sword, it still won't..."
His words were cut short as he turned around to see his six wings being gradually erased, as if they were being wiped away.
"My sword is indeed wind-based." Naruto raised his hands, the golden light around him now interspersed with bright blue strands, swirling like a tangible force in the air.
"But its wind doesn't just act physically—it reaches into your mind."
"As you said, I always surprise you."
"And this sword's ability is to deliver surprises."
Aizen clenched his teeth, lunging at Naruto with a grab.
But this time...
His strike missed as Naruto's body split into two gusts of wind—one reformed nearby into his body, while the other wrapped around Aizen's sword, eroding it until only a thin metal rod remained.
"Is this what you're after?" Naruto raised his left hand, holding the Hōgyoku as he locked eyes with Aizen.
Aizen narrowed his gaze, choosing not to answer.
Naruto exhaled, the blue light enveloping the Hōgyoku.
Slowly but surely, its transparent outer shell began to dissolve and break apart.
Aizen's pupils dilated.
Even Kisuke Urahara was taken aback.
"The Hōgyoku... is being destroyed?" Yoruichi Shihōin exclaimed. "Didn't you say, Urahara, that it couldn't be destroyed?"
Urahara smacked his hat as if something had dawned on him but remained silent.
"The Hōgyoku's power is to guide the development of power." Naruto spoke in a calm tone as he watched the gem break apart. "Of course Kisuke Urahara couldn't destroy it."
"He was only worried about the boundaries between Shinigami and Hollow being erased."
"How could he bring himself to destroy his greatest creation?"
"I wanted to destroy it."
"So, I could."
As he spoke, most of the Hōgyoku had already been eroded.
The spiritual pressure on Aizen's body became increasingly unstable; his wings had completely vanished, and the black, eye-like cavity on his forehead flickered erratically.
Naruto turned toward him. "Your current appearance is truly grotesque."
"Unable to believe in yourself..."
"You placed all your hope on the Hōgyoku."
"You've completely denied your own inner self. Can you hear it? Even Kyōka Suigetsu is crying."
"For itself, and for you."
~~~
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