Chapter 583
"Yes, it's like fighting against gravity, or more precisely, choosing through willpower." Mebius disliked idealism, but that was the truth. The Reincarnation Game was still waiting for the player's choice, just not related to power.
If you want to leave, He will give you the chance; if you want to return, He cannot stop you.
"The data has all been recorded. I need to get out of here quickly. Remember to complete Fatty's request..."
The sound gradually faded and eventually disappeared. Yuki blinked and looked around. The Outpost, billowing with thick smoke, had become blurry. Fewer and fewer players were flying back like scattered petals, and those who wanted to stay had already left.
He reached out and grabbed one of them, who looked bewildered. He then let go, letting the man fall into the vortex.
I see.
Yuki in the air, having already discovered that these 'gravity' forces had no effect on him, but he could choose any vortex or any hole if he wanted to.
The path to freedom is right before my eyes. Take one step, and the Reincarnation Game will become a nightmare deep in my memory. No, judging from the fact that Ignore gravity, perhaps I won't lose my memories or even my power at all.
"It's time to end this."
He withdrew his gaze and saw that the thin thread that had been there was now closing, like a tug-of-war, the Reincarnation Game instinctively pulling the world back into its embrace.
"Want to leave? You can choose any option."
Yuki suddenly looked in front of him, Sōsuke Aizen, transparent like a ghost, motionless.
This defies common sense; any player inside the Outpost would be pulled away by gravity, no matter how powerful they are. Just by seeing this phantom, Yuki immediately understood who was playing tricks on his senior.
"Kyoka Suigetsu?"
"As expected of Taiyi, I merely exist in your memories to witness this incomparably magnificent scene."
Aizen smiled slightly; the scene was indeed breathtakingly beautiful.
The world is collapsing, countless vortexes are spinning, and the Transcendental Grade power that is scattered out is like fireflies flickering. Each hole is a world, and there are countless such worlds here.
Memories are fleeting, no wonder they're fading.
Yuki glanced at this incredible skill; as more and more players forget Aizen, he will eventually disappear.
"This is against the rules. If the other Grand Inquisitors find out that you've been in contact with me privately, you'll be in trouble."
"The rules are for the weak, and this doesn't even count as contact. I just want to see the end."
"Let's see if I'm of any use to you?"
Aizen paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded, "Yes, our interests do not conflict. The throne is vacant, and I intend to fill it, while you are tired of fighting. We can be said to be keeping to ourselves."
He made no attempt to conceal his ambition. Their paths never intersected; Taiyi would eventually leave, and what happened after the Reincarnation Game was none of his concern.
'I see.'
Yuki had long suspected someone was secretly cooperating with him. It wasn't so much cooperation as a choice, but rather a correct but advantageous one. Following this logic, Sōsuke Aizen would have loved for him to kill Judge so he could control everything, but—
"Would you be at ease if I didn't die?"
One sentence revealed his thoughts. Yes, Aizen was serious this time, and the final victor was still Yuki, who was unaffected by 'gravity,' clearly surpassing the game's rules.
How can we be at ease?
Aizen wasn't annoyed; instead, he gave a knowing smile, "No."
"That settles it then." Yuki smiled, showing no sign of killing intent despite being mortal enemies. "Is there anything else you want to ask?"
"There are many, but I want to ask one question: why not kill one or two Grand Inquisitors this time? You knew there was an opportunity."
There was indeed an opportunity, and Yuki didn't use his full strength. There are many possibilities, such as hiding his trump card or proceeding step by step, but using his trump card to exchange for a Grand Inquisitor is a very good deal.
"Because I know someone wants to ascend the throne, why should I be a stepping stone for him?" Yuki said with a smile, only to see Aizen's smile freeze and turn into a sharp killing intent.
His ambitions are unrelated to himself, but the Reincarnation Game fears a single dominant power, and the Grand Inquisitor system is too ingenious. Why would he help Aizen ascend the throne?
"Alright, get lost."
Swish--
He swung his sword, shattering the illusory image. Yuki twirled his sword, and seeing the illusory image crumble, he chuckled softly.
Why not just kill the Grand Inquisitor? Because the time isn't right.
The thought flashed through his mind, and he locked onto the tear stain, about the thickness of a thumb, and raised the knife again.
"Pluck!"
With a single slash, the link was completely severed, and the replaying world suddenly accelerated, like a leaf falling rapidly from a tree.
The Outpost was shattered, the ruins turned to dust, the sky exploded, revealing Abyss Grade as the cracks that had appeared before.
Yuki finally sensed something was wrong. It was as if someone had pulled away the foothold, and he was falling rapidly. He looked up at the sky, where the night was receding into the distance, and then reached out and grabbed the strange bronze sculpture.
"Go home."
"Damn it! What on earth is going on?"
In the Judgment Domain, the black vortex rapidly decayed, eventually dissipating into a single atom and vanishing completely. On the desert, hundreds of Judge gasped for breath.
Despite possessing absolute power, they fled back in a sorry state like stray dogs, and when their numbers were counted, one-fifth of them were missing.
This left the Grand Inquisitor completely bewildered. Taiyi had 'eliminated' so many Judge without Taiyi casting a single blow. Upon calming down, he felt a chill run down his spine.
"How many floors is this bastard hiding on? I thought it was an experiment, but it turns out he's severing people's hearts." Boros clenched his fist, feeling a sense of powerlessness as if he were striking empty air.
That's incredibly insidious. It's not just about getting the fish eaten multiple times; it's about setting up countless possibilities from the very beginning.
What if the Judge hadn't pursued them? What if the Judge had forced their way in? They were extremely cautious, yet they still fell into the trap. Who knew there was a 'traitor' among the Judge? They didn't talk about it usually, but they were tired of the Reincarnation Game.
Taiyi, yielding to the will of the people, offered them 'tickets' without even giving them a chance to clean house.
The idea that everyone has their own ambitions is a false proposition. In the Reincarnation Game, the weak should submit to the will of the strong, and whoever dares to disobey will die.
However, Taiyi didn't need to make any contact or resort to tricks; with a single strike, he directly stripped them of one-fifth of their power.
"It's a good thing, I suppose. These people will only cause trouble sooner or later if they stay."
"What a load of rubbish! Even if someone has wavering thoughts, we can squeeze every last drop of value out of them. Most of the people who stay actually only have a tiny bit of ambition."
The crowd remained silent. Whether it was a whim or a lack of absolute loyalty, they only needed to stand still. One or two more time travelers in the countless timelines wouldn't make a big deal, but it was quite unpleasant for the Grand Inquisitors.
The battle hadn't even begun when the losses were devastating; many of the Judge hadn't even managed to launch a single attack.
As expected of 'Taiyi', he saw through my scheme even though he didn't know me.
Sōsuke Aizen stood in the desert, cracks appearing on his hands behind his back, but he was thinking about something else entirely. After this conversation, he had completely abandoned the idea of cooperation.
Since they don't take me seriously, I'll take it seriously too.
"Gentlemen, complaining now will not help." Aizen clapped his hands, focusing his attention. "We did gain something from this battle, but it can only be said that 'Taiyi' is too powerful; every move he makes represents countless possibilities."
All eyes turned to Aizen, and no one could blame him. If he hadn't been extremely cautious, he would have lost the entire battle, even his underwear. Everyone had witnessed the final scene.
All power will be released and stuffed into some world. Wouldn't all that betrayal and struggle be for naught?
"Yes, this battle at least made us understand what 'Taiyi' is, what it wants to do, and where its Limit are."
Solomon nodded with slight gratitude, no longer questioning Aizen's force field. If he hadn't stopped them in time, everyone's efforts would have been in vain, waiting for the last three Grand Inquisitors to return from the mission space to see what was happening.
Huh? Everyone's gone?
"Taiyi is difficult to deal with, but without this information, there's no way to deal with him at all," Uchiha Madara said, snapping his fingers lightly.
The world shifted with a snap of the fingers, as if someone had turned off the lights; all the ordinary Judge vanished, leaving only the seven of them.
The Judge didn't lose this battle either; Yuki exposed enough secrets that several points can be drawn without careful analysis.
First, Taiyi is not a fragment, but possesses skills such as creating clones or puppets.
Secondly, the Return Faction has quietly formed, but it is definitely not strong enough; otherwise, we would have already clashed with them head-on.
Third, Taiyi knows the Grand Inquisitor's movements; this X-ray vision cheat is the prerequisite for all operations.
Fourth, Taiyi also cannot surpass the Limit of epic power; there is no absolute crushing force.
Fifth, His goal was to leave the Reincarnation Game, but for some reason, He didn't leave this time.
In conclusion, He can be destroyed.
The Grand Judges breathed a sigh of relief. In any battle, knowing the enemy's strengths and weaknesses is half the battle won. Moreover, they also knew the process by which the Outpost escaped the cycle of Reincarnation Game.
The process consists of three stages: resonance, preparation, and detachment.
"There's something I don't understand: why didn't he leave this time?"
"I don't know. Judging from the summary, this is like taking parts from the core of the Reincarnation Game. Perhaps the game is too deeply bound to it and needs to be weakened?"
"No, it's also possible that this was just an experiment, and what He wanted to send away wasn't the 'Night Parade of One Hundred Demons'?"
"It's possible. Elysia's 'True Self' authority cannot be deceived, and neither the Savior nor the Classic of Mountains and Seas have left. They wouldn't be foolish enough to become stepping stones."
There's no need to adjust one's mindset. Having reached this point, rationality has become instinctive. The Grand Judges are like emotionless thinking machines.
Aizen listened quietly. Everyone's analysis was largely the same as his own. Taiyi hadn't left, which didn't make sense; there must be some reason.
As for the reasons, I can't think of any, and I don't need to waste time thinking about them. The most important thing is how to use the intelligence at hand to formulate a battle plan. Things like drawing a circle around oneself and becoming a prison can no longer happen.
"The Outpost has broken away, Taiyi has not left. This shows that we have the opportunity to destroy Him, and we must destroy Him."
Aizen spoke, silencing the clamor of discussion. The trial was still ongoing, which was both good and bad news.
At least they weren't judged as defeated because Taiyi escaped, which led to their elimination, while Taiyi remained, leaving both sides with only a life-or-death struggle.
"We've obtained information about how the Outpost escaped the cycle of Reincarnation Game. Should we formulate a plan based on that?" Uchiha Madara, already having an idea.
The main focus is on the 'preparation' phase, which takes a long time—enough to launch a major battle. Although the Reincarnation Game is mindless, it is also constantly optimizing itself, and its reaction speed will be even faster next time.
"Specific tactics require analysis of the specific circumstances. Let's discuss it again when the remaining three, 'Sword Demon,' 'Sin Lizard,' and 'Truth,' return." Aizen shook his head, revealing a hint of worry. "I'm more concerned that strategically, this battle will be like a monstrous wave, sweeping across the entire Borderlands."
The battle itself is not important, but the result is very important. Many players who want to take advantage of the chaos will wait until the last moment, and the news simply cannot be kept secret.
This is a different ideology, a different path. Even among the Judge themselves, one-fifth of the members chose to evade their duties, not to mention the other players.
At this moment, countless players are probably kicking themselves for not joining the fun. Most players just want to leave this hellhole and don't care whether they can return to their hometown. But anyone who tries to stop them is a mortal enemy.
"But from another perspective, this path is also the mortal enemy of all ambitious people. Besides, this is cutting flesh off the body of the Reincarnation Game itself, and He will react. Aizen, do you know the Reincarnation Game's feedback?" Solomon took out a copy of the Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge, and each of the Grand Inquisitors looked at Aizen.
With its main body in Aizen's hands, all its countless eyes were closed, appearing utterly silent. Last time in the dungeon, Taiyi's actions made the game speak; surely there should be some reaction this time.
He is transcending time and space, connecting with the highest-level authorities. The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons is a declaration of war, enough to trigger the highest level of defense mechanisms.
The game only needs to issue an order to surround and kill Taiyi to solve all the problems. Countless ambitious people and bounty hunters will inflate the combat power many times over, while Taiyi has nothing to win people's hearts except hope.
Yes, it's that simple.
Aizen lowered his head and glanced at the Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge. The Reincarnation Game couldn't possibly stand aside and dump all the problems on them, just like how the 'Judge' were immediately patched up after the Great Cataclysm.
When it comes to life or death, even a salted fish will jump around a couple of times.
Similarly, the Reincarnation Game leaves them no way out, allowing Taiyi to dig up His roots at will.
The image of the black-haired youth flashed through his mind, and he kept recalling his various methods. Such a simple question made him feel flustered and confused.
Aizen had a feeling that since Taiyi dared to leave no room for maneuver, he must have made some preparations. He also looked at the Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge.
The 'brain death' Reincarnation Game reacts too slowly; it might take several days for a single thought to arise. But through the Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge, he felt the urgency of the game in that instant.
Can this urgency be used to my advantage?
Aizen was already pondering another question. The reason he was able to master the key item, the Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge, was because of his experience fighting Taiyi, and another reason was that his combat performance was not as intuitive as that of Boros and others.
But someone wants to take away the original body of 'Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge'.
He read the gazes of the Grand Inquisitors, yet gripped the eyeball tightly. "I sense the tension and urgency of the Reincarnation Game. Ladies and gentlemen, we have neither won nor lost; there is no need to worry too much."
"I want to ask, how long do you intend to keep the Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge under your control?" Solomon persisted, for this was their only tool of reincarnation, which, in theory, all the Grand Inquisitors could use.
"Until I am utterly defeated and the next ruler takes over, don't forget that Taiyi can also plunder the power of the Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge, and is safest in my hands."
"Just because you're only good at illusions?"
Aizen paused for a moment, then nodded with a smile, "Yes."
"Alright, are you trying to say 'I'd do it if I could'? Aizen's arrangements this time are flawless, and now is not the time to discuss responsibility." Boros jumped in to smooth things over, since he wasn't good at strategizing anyway.
Having just suffered a bizarre defeat, it was indeed inappropriate for them to turn on each other upon their return. The minor incident quickly passed, but no one noticed that Aizen's gaze was growing colder.
The Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge is a key item that directly connects to the Reincarnation Game; it is his shortcut to the pinnacle, and he will never give it to anyone.
He gently stroked his eyeballs, pondering how to use them to their fullest potential. Also—
Am I really only good at illusions...?