Let's Play a Game

"Lord Aizen, who exactly is this guy?" Ulquiorra and Grimmjow rushed over, standing behind Aizen and sizing up the man in front of them.

Their hearts were beating very fast, and they even felt that their blood was flowing dozens of times faster than before.

Their instincts told them that the man in front of them was extremely dangerous.

Aizen smiled and said, "This is the former master of the Soul King Palace, the Soul King — Adnyeus, who once pioneered the Three Worlds."

"What?" Grimmjow's eyes widened. He knew the outcome of the Soul Society War, of course, but why...?

"So it was all part of your plan after all. Yhwach's attack was precisely the time for your retirement," Tokoyo Misao said calmly. "But why are you blocking my way now that you've already retired, and trying to take my child away?"

Adnyeus said calmly, "It's not that I want to take your child away, it's that Hell needs your child."

To be honest, my original plan was simply for Yhwach to replace me as the wedge, stabilizing the Three Worlds. And then I could resolve the potential threat of Hell.

Before Tokoyo Misao ask, Adnyeus opened his arms and continued to explain with a smile, "Back in the time of chaos, there were already humans and soul beings, namely me, the five great families, and Ichibē Hyōsube."

Now you should understand that Soul Reaper is not simply the soul of a dead person; they are special life forms in themselves.

Tokoyo Misao nodded. Not only can Soul Reapers have children, but he and Soul Reaper even had two kids. As for the idea that Soul Reapers are formed from the souls of humans after death, that's just nonsense.

"Your idea is good," Adnyeus said with a smile.

Tokoyo Misao's pupils narrowed. Could this guy actually read minds?

"No, I can't read minds. Just as you once said, as long as you gather enough information, you can deduce a lot of things."

"I've existed for who knows how long, and I can roughly guess what you're thinking just by looking at your expression," Adnyeus continued.

"The Soul Reapers had no connection with humans from the beginning, but Hell appeared during the chaos. Even with the combined efforts of the Five Great Noble Clans and Ichibē Hyōsube, we could only keep Hell out of the world."

But this is only a temporary solution; Hell will still erode the world. So I thought of another way.

"What method?" Tokoyo Misao waited for a while, and when he realized that Adnyeus hadn't continued, he simply asked.

Adnyeus smiled and waved his hand, "It's been a long time since we chatted, and I hope to get a response."

My initial idea was to divide the chaos into Three Worlds, then concentrate the corrupting power of Hell primarily in Hueco Mundo, so that the World of the Living and the Soul Society could coexist peacefully.

"This isn't right, is it? There are also voids appearing in the World of the Living, even the Gates of Hell have appeared." Grimmjow said, frowning.

He didn't care about Adnyeus's suggestion to use Hueco Mundo as the first line of defense.

Adnyeus nodded. "Too much time has passed; naturally, the corrupting power of Hell will gradually approach the World of the Living."

Tokoyo Misao felt the icy chill on his shoulder again and immediately interrupted, saying, "After all that, you haven't gotten to the point yet. Why are you here? Why are you blocking my way?"

Adnyeus refocused his gaze on Tokoyo Misao's face. "Don't worry, your wife can hold on for at least ten more days. Once we return to Soul Society, her body will heal itself, so please be patient."

There is a reason why I call myself the Soul King: because I dispersed my power, forming the Quincy and the human race.

"Once, every human possessed a sliver of my power, until one day, the human population became so vast that my power was no longer sufficient. But then something interesting happened," Adnyeus said, putting his hands behind his back.

"Once this limit is exceeded, the more humans are born in the World of the Living, the stronger my power becomes, and in modern times it is several times stronger than it was in the chaotic era."

"I see." Aizen nodded. "So that's why you left the Soul King Palace at this time and came to Hell, and now you've taken over Hell, right?"

Aizen quickly summarized the situation.

It is several times stronger than in the chaotic era. Why does it become stronger as the human population grows?

What kind of evolutionary process is this? He was pondering this question deeply.

"No, I overestimated myself and underestimated Hell. Right now, I'm just in a stalemate with it. I have to thank you, Tokoyo Misao." Adnyeus actually bowed slightly.

"It is because of your appearance that you absorbed a portion of Hell's power, and even scattered a considerable amount not long ago, which is why I am able to have a slight advantage and appear before you in this form."

"You should know I'm a very pragmatic person, Adnyeus, so why are you trying to keep us in Hell?" Tokoyo Misao narrowed his eyes.

There was no doubt that the person before him was the Soul King, and there was no doubt that he had always respected him. Even now, Tokoyo Misao still held the Soul King in high esteem.

However, this does not mean that Tokoyo Misao would not oppose the Soul King, as nothing is more important than his wife and children.

"It wasn't me. I've already made it very clear, haven't I? I only slightly outmaneuvered Hell. It's Hell that's preventing you from leaving."

The reason is quite simple: the child in your arms possesses special powers from birth, and can be said to have perfectly inherited your abilities."Adnyeus revealed a gentle smile, looking at Shizuka Tokoyo with a very kind expression.

Tokoyo Misao's brow twitched. "You mean, my child can also strengthen himself by absorbing other powers?"

"That's right, and he should be even more powerful than you." Adnyeus raised his head and sighed softly. "And that is the most fundamental power of Hell."

"Speaking of which, I once had a subordinate with the talent of devouring. But unfortunately, he was corrupted by the souls he devoured, and eventually became bloated," Aizen interjected.

He remembered a former Arrancar who possessed the talent to become Espada.

Adnyeus shook his head. "You should have realized it by now, right? Tokoyo Misao's abilities are completely different from his. That kind of superficial understanding and absorption are not on the same level."

"Wait, you said you fully understand and absorb it, but my child was just born. What can he understand?" Tokoyo Misao.

Adnyeus nodded. "You guessed right. Your child's talent surpasses yours. There's no need for prior analysis; once he consumes it, he'll fully understand and absorb it. This is the most essential power of Hell."

"So after all that talk, why did you leave me here?" Tokoyo Misao had a bad feeling.

It's not a good thing that your own child is so deeply involved with Hell.

They were born with the most fundamental abilities of Hell.

"Your child, after all, belongs to the Three Worlds, so he can easily break through various restrictions. That's why Hell is so determined to have your child." Adnyeus sighed slightly again. "So..."

"Hey! Take back what you're about to say!" Tokoyo Misao roared angrily, the veins on his neck bulging.

"If you tell anyone, I'll definitely kill you!"

"Don't worry, I understand. That's why I've gathered my strength to appear this time—I've come up with a way to get your wife and children out of Hell."

Tokoyo Misao remained silent, his eyes fixed intently on Adnyeus.

"However, this method is risky. If you fail, your child will be stuck in Hell forever. Think it through." Adnyeus' tone became serious.

"What method do you want to use first?" Tokoyo Misao asked, but the latter remained silent.

"Okay, go ahead and tell me. I understand the risks."

Adnyeus pointed a finger to the sky and said, "Let's play a game."

Chapter 223 Let's Play a Game

The moment Adnyeus finished speaking, everything went black.

Moments later, the surrounding environment underwent a dramatic change.

This is a spacious platform plaza with an extremely flat surface, covering an area of at least tens of thousands of square meters, with rows of strangely shaped giant pillars in the distance.

The pillar has a square base, and a green Azure Dragon is carved on its round body, winding its way up to the sky.

The other three are carved with the Vermilion Bird, the White Tiger, and the Black Tortoise, respectively.

"What's going on? My power!" Grimmjow reverted to his Arrancar form, as did Ulquiorra beside him.

Tokoyo Misao opened his arms and slammed them to the ground, but the Causal Principle could not penetrate this place.

He frowned, stood up again, and shouted, "Adnyeus, what do you mean by playing games?"

Adnyeus's voice echoed from the sky, "Tokoyo Misao, didn't you have a theory that under Reiatsu, all rules are meaningless?"

You're right, there's an old saying in the East: "One force can overcome all laws."

If you are strong enough, no rule can harm you.

Unfortunately, your strength is insufficient, so in this playground that I and Hell created together, you must abide by the rules."

"Rules? What rules?" Tokoyo Misao asked, frowning.

At that moment, a rumbling sound rang out, and a platform rose up in the very center of the enormous arena, upon which sat an exquisitely carved stone coffin.

It is made entirely of glossy black Hell, with a lotus flower carved from an unknown golden mineral.

In just a moment, Tokoyo Misao understood the use of this thing.

He shouted, "You don't mean you want me to put my wife and kids in there, do you? I'm not that stupid."

Adnyeus's voice continued, "Yes, you have to put it in."

If you are victorious, the coffin will reach Soul Society, and your wife will be safely restored.

But if you fail, they will belong to Hell.

I know what you're worried about; you think this is a trap.

Unfortunately, all I can assure you is that this is a solution I've agreed upon with Hell. Believe it or not, it's up to you.

Tokoyo Misao remained silent.

No matter how you look at it, putting your wife and children in a coffin is just ridiculous.

However, as Adnyeus said, his current power does not surpass that of his opponent or Hell, and it is simply impossible for him to overcome all laws with sheer force.

Whether judging from Adnyeus's assessment or from his own feelings, Rukia only hold on for another ten days at most.

Even if one slowly tries to understand and absorb the power of Hell to strengthen oneself using the Causal Principle, it would still take at least several years to break through.

Aizen, standing beside him, was in the same situation; even though all his seals had been broken, his Reiatsu was constantly increasing.

But at this moment, they are no match for Adnyeus and Hell.

Aizen stood to the side with a smile, saying nothing, and even signaled to his two subordinates not to chime in.

"Choose, Tokoyo Misao," Adnyeus's voice rang out again.

"When you were working in Soul Society, you proposed that everyone should have the right to choose, and I completely agree with that."

That's why I negotiated with Hell and secured this opportunity for your wife to live. Now it's your turn to choose."

Tokoyo Misao could certainly understand what Adnyeus meant by his words.

Indeed, without this game, he and the child could probably have survived in Hell, but Rukia would have eventually died.

But who can guarantee that this stone coffin isn't a trap?

What if Hell accepts the child immediately after we put them in?

His teeth chattered, making a clicking sound, and his grip on the child tightened. For a moment, he didn't know what to do.

This is the first time I've felt so conflicted since arriving in Soul Society.

"Waaah!" Shizuka Tokoyo opened her eyes and let out two loud waaahs, but she didn't cry.

She stretched out her small, fair hands and placed them on Tokoyo Misao's cheeks, her big, bright black eyes staring intently at him.

After a long silence, Tokoyo Misao pressed his forehead against the ground and asked softly, "I want to take a gamble, is that alright?"

"Waaah," Shizuka Tokoyo cried out twice more, then giggled.

Tokoyo Misao took a deep breath, stepped to the stone coffin, and first placed Rukia, who was on his shoulder, into the coffin.

Then he untied the Kenseikan, pressed his face against Shizuka Tokoyo's cheek, poked it a few times, and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Daddy will definitely make sure your mother and you live."

Even if it kills me, I will bring you and your daughter back.

Upon hearing this, Shizuka Tokoyo continued to giggle, and seemed to laugh even more heartily.

Shi Misao hardened his heart and placed the child in the coffin.

With a snap, the coffin lid appeared instantly, sealing the opening.

Adnyeus's voice echoed again from the sky, "Now that you've made your choice, I'll explain the rules of this game."

"Actually, the rules are very simple. You just need to stand by the sarcophagus and defeat the enemies created by Hell."

However, there are two limitations. First, the Reiatsu of all of you will be limited to the peak of the First-Class Spiritual Pressure of Soul Reaper.

Secondly, none of you have more than one life. Even someone as unkillable as Aizen would be teleported away if he died.

"What? Are all these rules against us? Didn't you say you were fighting with Hell? Aren't there any rules that benefit us?" Tokoyo Misao Cao shouted.

"Of course," Adnyeus said.

With a whooshing sound, several weapon racks suddenly rose up ten meters to the right of the coffin, displaying all sorts of weapons.

Swords, spears, halberds, axes, hooks, forks, clubs, whips, fists, and daggers—you name it, they had it.

Next to the weapon racks were armor racks, containing leather armor, light armor, heavy armor, and cloth armor.

"You can choose these weapons. Once you have made your selections, these weapon racks will disappear... Please be careful."

These weapons are something I've thought about and fought for a long time before you were able to use them.