novelblue
Chapter 182
Chapter 182
Chapter 182
Seeing the torrent of black liquid rushing toward him, Aizen frowned.
He couldn’t identify its composition, and it was clearly dangerous. The liquid’s speed was too high to dodge completely, so he would have to minimize contact. He’d sacrifice an arm to shield his head. The rest of his body might still be about one-third exposed to the black substance. Hopefully, the consequences wouldn’t be too severe.
As he made this instant calculation, Aizen began raising his arm. But just then, a tremendous force slammed into him.
“Joestar Teleportation!!”
With a loud shout, Kaelith suddenly barreled toward Aizen like a charging truck, knocking him away. As Aizen was sent flying, he watched in disbelief as Kaelith was consumed by the black sludge.
“Damn it!”
Aizen flipped midair, stabilizing himself on a platform of solidified reishi beneath his feet, then rushed back toward Kaelith’s position. At the same time, he thrust out his arm:
“Bakud? #62: Hyapporankan!”
Dozens of shining rods of light condensed from the air, hurtling toward Szayelaporro. Yet Szayelaporro, unmoved, simply retreated, as though Aizen’s interference was of no real concern. He showed no frustration or anxiety over losing such a prime chance to finish Kaelith off.
…Something was off.
Noticing Szayelaporro’s reaction, Aizen slowed down, suddenly wary. Under his gaze, the black sludge covering Kaelith began to writhe and contract.
Pop!
Pop!
Pop!
Splashes of black mud shot out from Kaelith’s body in several directions. Each lump of black sludge squirmed and grew rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, five figures identical to Kaelith appeared on the battlefield.
Kaelith eyed these “new selves” curiously.
“Clones of me?”
Szayelaporro laughed aloud. “Exactly! Surprised, Kaelith? This is my true trump card! These clones possess all your strength! At your age, you must be quite proud of such power. Unfortunately, that power now stands against you. Tremble, then fall before your own might, and submit to me!”
Hearing this, Aizen’s pupils contracted. He understood Kaelith’s strength better than anyone. If what Szayelaporro claimed was true—if all five clones really matched Kaelith’s power—then their best option might be to run away.
Sensing Aizen’s thoughts, Szayelaporro sneered. “Don’t even think about fleeing. Remember, this is the World of the Living. There’s a human city right beneath our feet. You Shinigami are supposed to protect humans, right? If you run now, who knows what will happen to this city?”
A normal Shinigami might falter at such a threat, but Aizen couldn’t care less. After all, what were humans to him? He’d killed so many Shinigami already—would humans be any different?
He turned to Kaelith, intending to call him over so they could coordinate. They needed to probe the clones and see how strong they really were. It was never wise to fight without preparation.
But what he saw nearly made him choke. Kaelith had sidled up to one of the clones, pinching its cheek and pulling out its Zanpakut? for a closer look. Only when the clone responded, attempting to grab him, did Kaelith flash away to maintain distance.
Kaelith then glanced at Aizen. “Aizen, look! These clones really do resemble me! Can you tell which one is the real me?”
Aizen fell silent. Yes, of course he could. The one with the most obnoxious behavior was clearly Kaelith.
Without waiting for Aizen’s response, Kaelith turned to Szayelaporro. “How many clones can you make? Is their internal structure the same as mine?”
Szayelaporro was taken aback. What kind of reaction was this?
Mouth agape, he hesitated. Kaelith waved dismissively. “No need to explain. Just do that trick again and make a few clones of Aizen this time. If I kill two Aizens, I’ll figure out what’s going on with these clones.”
Szayelaporro: “?”
Aizen: “?”
Behind his mask, Szayelaporro’s expression was one of utter confusion. “Why not just kill your own clones to find out?”
Kaelith gave him a disdainful look. “What a foolish question.”
Nearby, Aizen guessed what Kaelith would say next. Likely something annoying, like not wanting to destroy these perfect replicas of himself, or how taking down Aizen’s clones would be easier.
With a slight tilt of his head, Kaelith smirked. “It’s simple. These clones bearing my face are too weak. You, half-baked as you are, haven’t replicated even a third of my true abilities. Yet you dare claim they match my power?”
Szayelaporro paused, then laughed bitterly with rage. “You dare underestimate my clones without even testing them in battle? This is a special ability unique to me after breaking certain limits! My clones’ strength is absolutely equal to the original!”
Kaelith chuckled. “Want to make a wager?”
Szayelaporro narrowed his eyes.
“If these clones can truly muster even half my strength, I’ll willingly become your test subject,” Kaelith said.
Aizen frowned. “Kaelith!”
This was too reckless a proposal. While it had no binding force, what if Kaelith decided to go through with it for some reason?
Szayelaporro’s eyes gleamed. He had only daydreamed of Kaelith willingly becoming test material, but never imagined it might come true so soon!
Though excited, Szayelaporro remained rational. “And if I lose?”
Kaelith crossed his arms. “I own a business in the Soul Society called the Kaelith Technology Bureau. I plan to open a branch in Hueco Mundo. Your cloning ability interests me, so if you lose, you’ll come to the Hueco Mundo branch and serve as my deputy director!”