Battle against Griffith (2)

Griffith's massive demonic body slowly rose from the ruins, its flesh churning violently like boiling magma at the severed points on its shoulders.

A pale white substance, as if alive, gushed from the wound, throbbing, expanding, and shaping, emitting a teeth-grinding crunching sound. The white substance resembled countless tiny insects wriggling, intertwining, entwining, and growing wildly. In the blink of an eye, two brand-new claws covered with jet-black carapaces regenerated perfectly from the severed wound!

Griffith flexed its newly grown fingers, gently clenching them to feel the power surging within. Its blood-red eyes locked onto Liu Hao once more, the fighting spirit in them not diminishing but growing even more intense.

As Liu Hao watched this scene, the disappointment on his face slowly faded, replaced by a faint smile with a hint of appreciation.

"Not bad." He nodded slightly, his tone carrying a hint of approval, as if he were appraising a reasonably good work of art. "They didn't give up the High-Speed Regeneration ability... That's actually quite something."

He raised the Imperial Sword in his hand and casually flicked it, causing the blue bloodstains on the sword to be shaken off and dissipate into specks of Reishi light in the air.

Then, he swung his sword at Griffith.

The movement was as casual as if he were merely swatting away mosquitoes, but the instant the sword blade swept across, an extremely refined sword beam shot out from the Imperial Sword! The sword beam was incredibly fast, tearing through the air with a sharp whistling sound, heading straight for Griffith's throat!

Griffith's battle instincts screamed a warning! Its figure blurred for a moment, and with Sonído, it narrowly avoided the deadly sword light! The sword light swept past its side, severing half of the ruins of a dilapidated building behind it, the cross-section of which was as smooth as a mirror!

But Griffith gave Liu Hao no chance to catch his breath.

In the instant it dodged the sword's edge, its figure vanished again, and the next moment, it appeared in front of Liu Hao!

Two enormous claws, like a raging storm, lashed out at Liu Hao! Each claw carried the power to tear steel apart, and each claw was incredibly fast, weaving together an impenetrable web of death!

Claws flashed like mountains, killing intent surged like a tide!

Liu Hao's body began to sway constantly amidst this storm of attacks.

His body seemed boneless, each time perfectly dodging the deadly claws: veering three inches to the left to avoid a claw sweeping across his throat; leaning back an inch to dodge a strike aimed at his heart; shifting half a step to the side to let the claws, powerful enough to split mountains and shatter rocks, graz his clothes...

His movements were fluid and graceful, as if he were not dodging a fatal attack, but rather performing a pre-choreographed dance.

In that fleeting moment of vulnerability, with a tiny opening created by Griffith's continuous claw strikes, Liu Hao made his move!

The Imperial Sword in his hand, like a venomous snake that had been lurking for a long time, suddenly pierced out!

A flash of sword light!

Laugh--!

A deep sword wound stretched diagonally from Griffith's left shoulder to his right waist!

Crimson Reishi blood gushed from the wound like a fountain!

However, the wound had just appeared—

White substance gushed out from the edges of the wound! Like a living thing, it rapidly filled the wound, reconnecting the torn flesh and covering the damaged carapace! In the blink of an eye, the white substance transformed back into a jet-black carapace, as if the sword wound had never existed!

Liu Hao frowned slightly, pushed off with his feet, and floated backward, creating distance between himself and Griffith.

Griffith, however, was relentless! The instant Liu Hao retreated, it charged forward again! Its blood-red eyes burned with a pure, reckless fighting spirit!

Liu Hao raised his left hand, pointing his index finger at the charging Griffith, lightning flashing at the tip: "Hadō #4, Byakurai!"

A beam of blazing white lightning shot out from his fingertips! The lightning was faster than sound, heading straight for Griffith's face!

Griffith suddenly turned his head!

The Byakurai flashed across its cheek, leaving a charred burn mark on its side! But the burn mark was instantly smoothed out by the gushing white substance, restoring it to its original state!

Byakurai couldn't stop Griffith's advance!

It still rushed right up to Liu Hao!

The claws lashed out again in a frenzy!

A cold glint flashed in Liu Hao's eyes. He stopped retreating and instead took a step forward, swinging the Imperial Sword in his hand once more.

A flash of sword light, and one of Griffith's claws was severed at the wrist!

At the same time, Liu Hao clenched his left fist and punched Griffith in the chest!

Bang--!

A dull, resounding crash, like the sound of leather being struck!

Griffith's massive demonic body was struck head-on by this punch, like being hit by a speeding train. He was sent flying backward, tumbling through the air, smashing through a broken wall, and carving a deep trench in the ground!

Liu Hao did not pursue. He raised his left hand, his index finger once again aimed at the flying Griffith, the golden light at his fingertip more than ten times more intense than before!

"Hadō #73, Sōren Sōkatsui!!"

A massive, golden beam of light, over a meter in diameter, shot out from his fingertip! Wherever the beam passed, the air was completely ionized, the ground was scorched with a charred furrow, and the rubble was instantly vaporized by the intense heat!

The golden beam of light slammed straight into the flying Griffith!

Griffith's fighting instincts screamed a warning! At that critical moment, it twisted its body violently!

The beam of light grazed its upper body—but its lower body was not so lucky.

Boom--!

Golden light engulfed Griffith's lower body!

When the light faded, only the upper half of Griffith's body remained! From the waist down, his entire lower body, legs, tail, and part of his abdomen had vanished into the terrifying Sōren Sōkatsui!

Crimson Reishi blood, like a burst dam, gushed wildly from its shattered body!

However, even so--

At the broken ends of the body, white substance surged out wildly once more! Like countless tiny tentacles, it intertwined, coiled, and grew, beginning to reshape Griffith's missing lower body at a visible speed!

A cold glint flashed in Liu Hao's eyes as he watched this scene. He gripped his Imperial Sword tightly, preparing to finish off this troublesome opponent before the other party could complete his High-Speed Regeneration!

He pushed off with his feet, about to rush forward—

However, just as he was about to take that step, his body stiffened slightly.

An unusual feeling emanated from the Imperial Sword in his hand.

Liu Hao lowered his head and looked at the Imperial Sword in his hand.

On the sword, fine, dark lines had appeared at some unknown time. These lines spread and intertwined on the sword like living things, faintly emitting an eerie and unsettling light.

He could clearly feel that the flow of Reiatsu on the sword was significantly obstructed. The Reiatsu, which was originally as smooth as a rushing river, now seemed to have encountered countless hidden reefs, becoming intermittent and stumbling.

His brow furrowed slightly.

Then, he looked up at the figure in the distance who always maintained a calm smile.

Sōsuke Aizen.

He stood quietly on the ruins, his arms crossed, a smile on his face that seemed to say he had everything under control.

Liu Hao spoke, his voice calm, yet carrying an indescribable undertone, as if confirming something. "This is... your seal?"

Aizen chuckled softly. His laughter was gentle and composed, yet it sent a chill down one's spine. "No, no, it's not my seal."

He paused, his gaze falling on Griffith, who was undergoing High-Speed Regeneration: "It's Griffith's seal."

He took a step forward, his posture elegant and composed, as if explaining some interesting experimental phenomenon, "Although I don't know the specific abilities of your Imperial Sword... as long as you can't use it, that will suffice."

Liu Hao listened quietly, his gaze returning to the Imperial Sword in his hand. He looked at the spreading black patterns, feeling the increasingly sluggish flow of Reiatsu, and a look of understanding flashed in his eyes.

"I see..." he murmured to himself, his tone carrying a faint, calm quality, as if he were analyzing the battle situation. "It seems that every time I use the Imperial Sword to attack Griffith, my Imperial Sword accumulates more seals."

He looked up at Aizen: "A good sealing method... Either I don't use the Imperial Sword, or I have to risk having the Imperial Sword sealed away to defeat Griffith."

Upon hearing this, Aizen's smile deepened. He tilted his head slightly, his tone carrying a hint of amusement, as if awaiting an answer, "Not bad. You have the ability... to defeat Griffith without using your Zanpakuto?"

Liu Hao fell silent.

He looked at Griffith, the demon Visored that was undergoing an astonishingly High-Speed Regeneration. Its lower body was already mostly reconstructed, new legs were taking shape, and a new tail was growing.

Then, he withdrew his gaze and looked at Aizen again.

A faint smile appeared on his face, as if he had already seen through everything. "Yes."

He paused, his tone becoming more meaningful. "However, it's no longer necessary."

A barely perceptible ripple flashed in Aizen's eyes.

Liu Hao continued, his voice calm as if stating a fact he already knew. "I think even if I don't use the Imperial Sword to defeat Griffith... you will find another way to seal my Imperial Sword."

He gently shook his head, his tone carrying a faint hint of "you knew it all along": "After all, you guessed that I knew the future. So, Aizen, you will definitely find another way to seal my Imperial Sword."

Aizen listened quietly, then gently clapped his hands.

The applause was exceptionally crisp in the silent battlefield, yet it carried an indescribable meaning, as if congratulating something. "Intelligence."

He withdrew his hand, his smile growing even wider, "Whether I use your Zanpakuto or not, Griffith can seal Zanpakuto... just like you sealed Zanpakuto back at Sōkyoku Hill."

He paused, his tone becoming even more meaningful. "As long as you've made contact with him, you can seal your Zanpakuto. However, using your Zanpakuto to attack will only accelerate this process."

He tilted his head slightly, his deep eyes gleaming as if awaiting an answer, "So, Liu Hao... what are you going to do next?"

Liu Hao looked at him, his smile unchanged.

He simply said, his tone casual, as if he were chatting about everyday things. "It doesn't matter."

He gently shook the Imperial Sword in his hand, looking at the increasing number of black lines on it. "Let it be sealed then."

He raised his head, his gaze falling on Griffith, who had completed his High-Speed Regeneration and stood up again. His tone was light, as if saying "nothing special": "Even if I were to kill an Arrancar with my bare hands, I could still do it."

Upon hearing this, Aizen gently shook his head. His gesture carried a hint of amusement, as if he were looking at an amusing child. "No, no, no."

He took a step forward, his tone becoming more meaningful. "What you need to consider is... how to defeat me afterwards."

Liu Hao turned his head and looked at him.

Their eyes met in the air.

A faint, mysterious smile played on Liu Hao's lips, "You'll find out soon enough."

After saying that, he ignored Aizen and looked back at Griffith, who had completed his High-Speed Regeneration.

A faint pity flashed in his eyes, as if he were looking at a pitiful puppet manipulated by fate. "What a pathetic fellow."

He spoke softly, his tone carrying a hint of self-reflection. "Even when I was almost killed, I felt no fear."

The moment he finished speaking, he vanished.

The next moment, he was already standing in front of Griffith!

The Imperial Sword in his hand was raised high, and then—

He slashed down fiercely!

The sword flashed like a bolt of lightning, its cold gleam like snow!

However, this time, Griffith did not dodge.

It raised a sharp claw, its five fingers spread wide, and firmly grasped the blade of Liu Hao's sword as it slashed down!

The sword was held in its palm, blue blood seeping from between its fingers, but it held on tightly, refusing to let go!

At the same time, it swung out its other claw!

The claws didn't open; instead, they clenched into fists! Above the fist, crimson light frantically condensed and compressed, like burning blood-red flames!

That punch, carrying enough power to shatter mountains, slammed fiercely towards Liu Hao's chest!

A cold glint flashed in Liu Hao's eyes. He raised his left hand, fingers spread, to meet the fatal punch—

Boom--!

A deafening roar!

A violent shockwave emanated from the two of them, spreading wildly in all directions! A layer of ruins beneath their feet was ripped away, and countless fragments of rock flew outwards like cannonballs!

Smoke and dust filled the air, obscuring everyone's view.

As the smoke and dust slowly dissipated...

Liu Hao leaped out of the dust and smoke! He flipped in the air and landed steadily on the roof of a dilapidated building! His clothes were a little disheveled, but there were no wounds on his body!

However, the instant he landed—

A dark, Cero suddenly shot out from the smoke and dust!

The Cero was incredibly fast, arriving in front of Liu Hao in an instant!

Liu Hao raised the Imperial Sword in his hand, held it upright in front of him, and slashed down fiercely at the black Cero!

Sizzle--!

The black Cero, powerful enough to destroy everything, was cleaved in two by his sword! The scattered energy splashed to both sides, blasting two huge craters in the ruins behind him!

Liu Hao steadied himself, his gaze fixed intently on the smoke and dust.

The smoke and dust slowly dissipated.

Griffith's figure appeared behind him!

It had somehow circled behind Liu Hao, and a sharp claw swept horizontally, aiming straight for Liu Hao's waist!

This attack came silently and with unbelievable speed!

However, just as the sharp claws were about to touch Liu Hao's waist—

As if anticipated, Liu Hao's left hand reached out backward, his five fingers spread, and grabbed Griffith's wrist with perfect precision!

Griffith's movements froze instantly!

Liu Hao gave it no chance to react. He grabbed the wrist and swung it forward violently—

Griffith's massive body was slammed to the ground like a giant sandbag!

Bang--!

It crashed heavily to the ground, creating a huge crater, sending debris flying and dust billowing everywhere!

Liu Hao gave it no chance to breathe. He gripped the Imperial Sword with both hands, raised it high, and pointed the tip of the sword at the sky.

His voice, like an ancient incantation, echoed across the silent battlefield, "Imperial Decree, Heavy Water!"

The moment the words fell, a gigantic water sphere materialized out of thin air in the sky! The water sphere was several meters in size, completely transparent, and reflected a mesmerizing light under the sunlight, hovering above Griffith!

The water sphere crashed down, completely engulfing Griffith, who had just gotten up and hadn't even had time to react!

Griffith struggled frantically inside the water sphere, but each struggle was suppressed by the immense water pressure, making it impossible for it to break free!

Liu Hao pointed his Imperial Sword at the enormous water sphere. "Imperial Decree, Heavy Water into Ice!"

A beam of sword light shot out from the Imperial Sword, striking the water sphere enveloping Griffith with perfect accuracy!

In an instant, the enormous ball of water solidified from the inside out!

Click... click click... click click click...

A piercing sound of ice forming rang out! The water sphere transformed into a huge, crystal-clear ice ball at a speed visible to the naked eye!

And Griffith was frozen inside this ball of ice! It remained in a struggling posture, and in its blood-red eyes, a faint, indescribable light seemed to flash—perhaps anger, perhaps resentment, perhaps...fear?

But it couldn't move.

It was completely frozen.

Liu Hao gave it no chance to break free. He gripped his sword with both hands, pushed off with his feet, and charged towards the huge ice ball like a black streak of light!

The blade is imbued with a destructive power capable of slicing through anything!

In the distance, Aizen silently watched this scene.

His face always wore that calm and unhurried smile.

When he saw Liu Hao unleash the abilities of "Heavy Water" and "Heavy Water into Ice," a barely perceptible glint flashed in his deep eyes, as if he were saying, "Just as I thought."

"As expected." He murmured to himself, a hint of satisfaction in his voice as if confirming a certain conjecture. "Liu Hao, your abilities... aren't limited to fire and space."

He paused, watching the black figure rushing towards the ice puck, his smile deepening, "It seems you intend to try and kill Griffith before your Zanpakuto completely sealed, thus preventing its complete closure."

His gaze fell on the Imperial Sword in Liu Hao's hand—the black patterns on the sword were becoming more and more numerous and dense, almost covering most of the sword.

"However..." He shook his head slightly, his tone carrying a hint of amusement, as if saying, "You're too naive," "The more you display your abilities, the stronger the seal will become. Griffith's seal will automatically adjust its power based on the abilities you use, ensuring that your Imperial Sword cannot unleash all the abilities it has consumed."

He crossed his arms, his posture calm and elegant, as if watching a captivating performance. "Let me see... what you'll do next."