Aizen vs. Liu Hao (XI)

The Imperial Guard remained expressionless, but his eyes sharpened, and he leaned forward slightly, ready to strike at any moment. As Liu Hao's bodyguard, his duty was to protect Liu Hao's safety, no matter what kind of enemy they faced.

Liu Hao remained calmly seated on the Imperial Throne. He watched the somewhat deranged Aizen, the surging Reiryoku, and the dissipating Zanpakuto, his eyes showing no emotion. His gaze was as still as water, as if he were watching a boring drama, a laughable performance.

After a moment, Liu Hao slowly spoke, "Imperial Decree, strip away."

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly. It was calm and indifferent, like a god proclaiming the fate of mortals. Four words, spoken lightly, yet containing an irresistible power.

The moment the words left his mouth, Aizen's smile froze.

He felt a sharp pain in his chest, a pain unlike any physical pain, but a deeper kind of pain—as if something was being forcibly torn from his body, as if something was tearing his soul apart, as if something was destroying his existence.

Aizen looked down and was horrified to see a hole suddenly appear in his chest. The hole appeared out of nowhere, its edges smooth, but there was no flesh or blood to be seen, only a deep darkness. And in this darkness, a crystalline sphere was slowly floating out.

That's Hōgyoku.

The Hogyoku, which had merged with Aizen, which he regarded as the key to godhood, and which he believed to have become Hōgyoku with him, was now drifting out of his body. It drifted very slowly, as if reluctant to leave Aizen's body, reluctant to leave the entity that had once contained it. But it was still drifting out, irresistible, unstoppable, and irreversible.

Aizen's eyes widened. He suddenly reached out, trying to grab the Hōgyoku that was drifting away from him. His fingers curled, his arm stretched out, his body leaned forward—but it was all in vain. The Hōgyoku drifted away even faster, as if someone was pulling it, as if some force was calling it. It slipped through Aizen's fingertips, passed through his palm, and disappeared before his eyes.

In the end, the Hōgyoku fell into another hand.

The hands of the Imperial Guard.

The expressionless guard had appeared before Aizen without anyone noticing. He extended his left hand and steadily caught the Hōgyoku that had been detached from Aizen's body. His movements were light and steady, as if he were catching a fallen leaf, a drop of dew, or an ordinary pebble. But everyone knew that he had caught Aizen's centuries of hard work, Aizen a god, and Aizen's entire life.

Aizen stared blankly at the Hōgyoku in the Imperial Guard's hand, at the Hōgyoku that once belonged to him, at the Hōgyoku that carried all his dreams. His lips trembled, wanting to say something, but no sound came out. His eyes were filled with disbelief, despair, and fear.

Just then, a white fire frame suddenly appeared behind Aizen, and flames from the frame transformed into Aizen snakes that coiled towards him. These fire snakes were incredibly agile, precise, and swift.

They wrapped around Aizen's arms, Aizen legs, Aizen body, and every inch of Aizen skin. With each wrap, Aizen felt his power being sealed a little, his existence suppressed a little, and his consciousness blurred a little.

Aizen stared at Liu Hao in shock, his eyes filled with disbelief, anger, and despair. He opened his mouth and roared with all his might, "What is this?! What the hell is this thing?!"

His voice was hoarse and frantic, completely devoid of his former composure. The Sōsuke Aizen who had once been a master strategist, who had once laughed at the world, and who once thought he was in control of everything, had now completely collapsed.

He couldn't accept this fact, couldn't accept that his meticulously planned scheme of hundreds of years had failed, couldn't accept that he was only one step away from becoming a god but had been dragged back into the abyss, couldn't accept that he had been defeated so thoroughly, so miserably, so ridiculously.

Liu Hao looked at him, his gaze calm as still water. He spoke slowly, his voice indifferent and composed, as if answering an ordinary question, "Oh, this? It was something I had Kisuke Urahara research, used to seal your Kidō. When you fought Kisuke Urahara, he used other Kidō to inject into your body."

He paused, a faint smile playing on his lips. "From the very beginning, I never intended to kill you. It was just that just now, because of Renji, I almost wanted to finish you off. But then I thought about it, and killing you would be too easy for you. Letting you live, letting you taste the bitterness of defeat, letting you experience the pain of being sealed, letting you watch your dreams shatter... that's the best punishment for you."

A flicker of madness, resentment, and despair flashed in Aizen's eyes. He roared madly, "Then why don't you kill me now?! Why are you keeping me alive?! If you have the ability to kill me, why don't you?! Are you humiliating me?! Are you toying with me?!"

His voice grew increasingly hoarse, increasingly frantic, increasingly desperate. The fire serpents coiled even tighter, almost enveloping his entire body. But he seemed to feel no pain, no restraint, no impending seal. His eyes were only on Liu Hao, only on the man sitting on the Imperial Throne, high above, looking down at him.

Liu Hao looked at him, a hint of pity flashing in his eyes. The pity was faint and light, yet it was real. He said softly, "Just like how you didn't initially intend to eliminate Momo Hinamori yourself. Because some things don't need to be done personally."

You treated her like a pawn, a tool, someone you could exploit. You watched her become obsessed with you, crazy about you, and give everything for you, but you never truly cared about her feelings. You felt she posed no threat to you, so you couldn't be bothered to make a move.

It was only later, when you realized she might become a threat, that you took action yourself. Because you were afraid; you were afraid that the person who once trusted you the most would become the reason for your downfall.

Aizen froze. His madness was frozen on his face, his anger was suspended in his eyes, and his struggle stopped in mid-air. He stared blankly at Liu Hao, a trace of bewilderment, confusion, and an emotion that he himself could not understand flashing in his eyes.

Liu Hao continued, "Are you thinking that I believe you personally intervened because Momo Hinamori will become a threat to you? Aizen, human emotions are interconnected, even for you."

Otherwise, you wouldn't have orchestrated so many elaborate schemes just to get rid of Momo Hinamori. You exploited her feelings, her trust, and her naivety. But when your plan ultimately failed, why did you personally intervene?

Because you're afraid. You're afraid that the woman you always thought you could control will become the reason for your failure. You're afraid that the person who once treated you sincerely will become your greatest weakness.

Liu Hao's voice was calm and deep, each word like a heavy hammer blow to Aizen's heart.

"Actually, Momo Hinamori might be your last salvation. Just like Yoruichi Shihōin by Kisuke Urahara's side. You know, for Kisuke, Yoruichi is not just a friend, not just a comrade-in-arms, but also a kind of salvation."