228: Chapter 228 A mirage, a piercing thorn

The Living World · Karakura Town

Halibel's zanpakuto had long been released—the shark-like giant blade "Tiburón" erupted with the oppressive pressure of the water element, while her three subordinates, Apache, Mila Rose, and Sun-Sun, also charged forward rapidly amidst the spiritual pressure storm.

However—

Snap.

Their footsteps came to an abrupt halt.

Three streaks of pitch-black mist spread out from the bronze gate, coiling around their shadows like chains.

In the next instant, their calves, arms, faces... the exposed skin began to rot, as if being gnawed upon by invisible demons, flesh peeling away and bones charring!

"—Retreat!!!"

Halibel roared as she swung her giant blade, the high-pressure water blade cleaving through the black mist and forcibly tearing apart this ominous binding.

Yet, before she could even catch her breath, the bronze gate in front of her—suddenly swung wide open!

Amidst the blinding light, a blonde woman wearing a silver crown stepped out slowly.

Her eyes were covered by a white veil, and a pure white robe shrouded her entire body, making her appear holy and flawless; however, her bare feet were covered in scars, as if whipped by thorns or scorched by flames.

In her hand, she held a holy sword adorned with two strange little scales; she pointed the scabbard at Halibel and her subordinates.

"...Impure beings, accept judgment."

As the incantation fell, a cluster of ghost fire suddenly manifested, twisting into thousands of holy swords of light that tore through the air and shot toward the three subordinates!

"Apache—!!" "Mila! Dodge—!"

Amidst the screams, flesh splattered.

But what was hair-raising was that the severed limbs did not fall to the ground—Apache's left hand, Mila's right arm, and Sun-Sun's left leg were bizarrely stitching and reassembling in mid-air; as flesh writhed, bones twisted and expanded, and finally...

They transformed into a four-clawed giant beast capable of blotting out the sky!

—Ayon. It was born ahead of schedule!

"Roar—!!!!!!"

"..." Mia herself was stunned, her pupils trembling slightly.

"Is that... the Saint from the Goblin Slayer world...? Is the Original Owner trying to compete with me today to see who is bigger?"

She was also the ruler of the Nightmare Cathedral and would no longer be abused by the Original Owner.

But the Hell Gate clearly did not operate according to her will, but rather... listened to the Original Owner.

The Original Owner had extracted certain "existences" she had slain (even those with outside help counted) and—manifested them here!

Bang—! Bang-bang-bang-bang!!!

In the moment Mia was distracted, Starrk—this lazy yet powerful No. 1 Espada, had already pulled the triggers of his twin guns.

The barrage of spirit bullets poured down like a rainstorm, each one capable of piercing steel and tearing through spiritual pressure defenses!

Mia had no room to dodge.

So—

She moved!

Clack—

Her slender, black-stockinged leg traced an elegant arc in the air, toes pointed straight like a sharp battle scythe, sweeping high with force—

"Such a beautiful person—yet using such an unrefined fighting style. Truly, what a waste..." Starrk sighed softly, sidestepping to avoid it.

However...

Snap!

The spirit bullets she had kicked and shattered... solidified.

No, that wasn't right—they had condensed into energy bullets interwoven with black and pink!

[Mimicry]!

"—Bad!"

Starrk's expression shifted slightly, and he quickly [Sonido] back, but he was still a step too slow.

A thin energy bullet, elongated by speed, grazed his left cheek; the moment blood splattered, a hideous black rose curse mark appeared at the wound, spreading like some kind of toxin!

Mia's pursuit was like a viper coiling; her long legs suddenly clamped around the wrist Starrk held his gun with, twisting fiercely!

Snap—!

The sound of bones breaking accompanied Lilynette's scream. (Lilynette was currently in the form of the bracer and gun.)

"Ahhh—! Starrk!!!"

His right wrist twisted and deformed, the metal casing of the pistol in his hand cracked, and his spiritual pressure turned chaotic...

Aizen gazed at the scene from afar, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly: "So that's how it is... She has disguised her essence as a 'Demon Lord' into the spiritual pressure system of Shinigami and Arrancar..."

"Infinite Cero!!" Starrk unleashed his ultimate attack at point-blank range.

But Mia dodged it nimbly, like a black butterfly—beautiful yet poisonous.

"You are much stronger than Barragan; you truly deserve to be the No. 1 Espada!!"

A sweet, cloying whisper sounded in Starrk's ear, followed immediately by an ax-like leg drop that smashed him into the dust.

Meanwhile, on the other side—

Thud—!!

Ayon roared, its giant claws suddenly smashing the Saint's holy sword!

Amidst the wood chips from the shattered scabbard, the blonde Saint staggered back, though her gaze beneath the white veil remained calm.

"A fake is just a fake," the Original Owner looked at her scale-adorned holy sword, now missing its scabbard, with a hint of helplessness.

But she was not without support—

Swish!

From within the Hell Gate, a tall figure suddenly rushed out!

White hair, red eyes, and the same appearance as Mia, but wearing blood-stained black combat gear, dragging in her hands a bronze battle-axe larger than her own body; the blade was covered in rust, and from beneath every rust mark seeped a blood-colored mist...

"—Kill."

She said softly, swinging the ax blade!

Boom—!!!!

Ayon roared and tried to evade, but the forelimb that had been grazed suddenly rotted, the flesh turning to pus and the bones shattering into dregs... This ax could even sever the High-Speed Regeneration of a Hollow!

"That is... my... evil thoughts?" Mia glanced sideways during a moment of evasion, her pupils shrinking.

Her killing persona—the manifestation of the Rakshasa Ghost?!

The Hell Gate had not only invited out the "Saint" that the Original Owner inhabiting her body was pretending to be, but had also dug up the most brutal side of her heart—and molded it into an independent combat entity!

Ayon, furious, clawed wildly at the ground, lunging to bite at the white-haired girl.

The girl did not dodge.

—She dropped the ax.

The next second, her slender hands clamped onto Ayon's upper and lower jaws—

"Rrrrrip—!!!!"

Amidst the chilling sound of tearing fabric, the body of this giant Hollow was ripped in two like a piece of rag!

Flesh and blood showered down like a rainstorm, and the girl tilted her head back, letting the black blood-rain drench her cheeks, a sound of satisfaction emitting from her throat—

"Mmm... gulp..."

This wasn't a battle; it was a feeding.

Well, there was only one Espada left in the Living World...

Then the three of them, or rather, Mia's True Self, Good, and Evil, worked together. They suppressed Halibel, beating her from the sky to the ground.

When Halibel was pinned into the earth's crust by the Saint's sword of light...

When Starrk knelt on one knee, clutching his broken wrist bone...

When Ayon's remains turned into pus and blood at the white-haired girl's feet...

—The bronze gate began to tremble.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

As if someone were frantically banging on it from the inside, the gate shuddered violently, and the surrounding spiritual pressure suddenly became chaotic and berserk!

Mia swayed, turning her head abruptly—

"...Hell is closing!"

She immediately realized—the Living World could not accommodate the interference of the Hell Gate for long; this massive gate was about to be repelled, and everything summoned from within...

Would dissipate under the correction of the laws!

Bullshit! It was just that Mia was out of mana; her MP, which had reached over ten thousand, was now down to less than twenty percent.

The white-haired girl's body gradually became transparent, and the Saint's silhouette began to fade. Just before leaving, the Original Owner even pursed her lips at Mia...

"What a pity."

Aizen's voice came from behind her, low and elegant, yet laced with a deadly coldness.

Mia didn't even have time to turn around—

Swish—!

The tip of Kyoka Suigetsu had already pierced through her heart from the back!

Blood gushed out, and the cold gleam on the blade reflected Aizen's deep eyes—

"Let me see..." he said softly, "how much longer your Hell can last?"

Mia coughed up a mouthful of blood, but the corners of her mouth curled into a crazed smile.

Because she had already summoned [Soul Blade: One Person] in her hand. She grabbed the hilt with all her might, pivoted, and slashed horizontally with the [Musou no Hitotachi]!

Thunder mixed with the fire of heroic spirits completely engulfed Sosuke Aizen behind her, and a massive explosion resounded through the sky.

And she herself had been left with a gaping wound across her upper body due to her own reckless action. Blood sprayed down.

"I told you..." she panted softly, "this strike... has to be taken by you."

Mia's [Qi] erupted—

Boom—!!!!

For a moment, Mia wanted to try: could she slash out an ending with a single strike?