Chapter 9: A Meeting on the Edge of Hell
A deadly silence crept into the place, as if time itself had paused in reverence for this confrontation. Saito stood firm, his cold eyes fixed on the grotesque creature before him. The Ashen Forbidden One's body writhed, as if trying to escape from something unseen, while drops of thick black aura dripped from it, devouring the ground wherever they fell.
Then...
"S...Saito...?"
The voice was distorted, as if spoken through a mouth full of burnt ash.
Saito's eyes widened slightly before he smirked, his tone cold enough to challenge nature itself:
"That's new… I've never heard of an Ashen that could talk."
The creature did not reply. It merely stood in place, as if struggling against something within itself.
With slow, deliberate steps, Saito advanced. With every step, the air grew heavier, and the aura surrounding him deepened further into darkness. On the other side, the Ashen trembled more violently, but then—
It lunged forward with blinding speed!
The Clash: A Battle Between Two Forces
The Ashen's arm morphed into massive black spikes, only to be torn apart by an unseen force before they could even reach Saito. The air exploded with thick smoke, but amidst the chaos, a calm, confident voice rang out:
"Level 4, huh? Is that all you've got?"
As the smoke cleared, Saito emerged unscathed. The Ashen stood still, staring at its shattered limb... it didn't understand what had happened.
"How...?"
Saito slowly raised his hand, as if explaining something trivial:
"Any metal or weapon that gets near me shatters automatically... You're literally hitting air."
But the Ashen wasn't a fool. It quickly realized that direct combat was useless, so it switched tactics, attacking from a distance. Its limbs extended into deadly whips, striking toward Saito at impossible speeds!
"Let's see if you can dodge this!"
The attacks rained down mercilessly, and for the first time, Saito felt increasing pressure. He maneuvered between the strikes effortlessly, but finally—one of the spikes broke through his defense, piercing directly into his shoulder!
"Tsk..."
Blood dripped from the wound, but Saito showed no sign of pain. He raised his head, his eyes gleaming with a lethal glow as he muttered:
"Who... are you, really?"
Silence lingered for a moment before the Ashen whispered in a distorted, eerie voice:
"I... no... WE..."
Saito narrowed his eyes. There was something strange behind those words.
"We...?"
The Ashen hesitated before continuing, its voice fragmented:
"Very soon… this world will be ours. You humans… have no chance of survival!"
Then it let out a crazed, hollow laugh—one that didn't belong to the living. But Saito remained unaffected, merely whispering under his breath:
"I see now..."
Unleashing True Power
The entire area trembled as a massive aura erupted around Saito. In an instant, he vanished—only to reappear before the Ashen, his fist already buried deep in its gut.
"KAHHHHH!!!"
A deafening scream tore through the night as the Ashen was launched into the air. But it had no time to react—Saito was already there again.
"Consider yourself lucky… that I'm your opponent."
Then, in the span of a heartbeat, Saito unleashed a barrage of strikes, each powerful enough to shatter mountains.
The Ashen was utterly defenseless, but suddenly—
"This isn't over yet..."
Its shadow expanded, forming a massive ring of darkness. A thick fog consumed the battlefield.
The Pivotal Moment: Eternal Phantom of the Abyss
Within the mist, the Ashen moved at impossible speeds, creating infinite copies of itself, all attacking simultaneously.
"You can't escape this."
But Saito merely closed his eyes and whispered:
"Technique… Eternal Banishment."
In an instant, all the clones vanished—as if they had never existed.
"What…?! HOW?!"
Before the Ashen could comprehend what had happened, it felt a powerful grip tightening around its throat.
Saito lifted it effortlessly, his eyes glowing with a terrifying light.
But then—
A human face emerged within the Ashen's body.
Saito's eyes widened.
"It's… human?!"
With a desperate voice, the face pleaded:
"Please… kill me… Please..."
Tears mixed with the darkness consuming its form.
Saito showed no emotion. He stared at the figure for a moment before whispering softly:
"You don't need to ask."
And with a swift motion, he pierced its heart—ending its suffering forever.
Scene Shift: Aizen's Wrath
Elsewhere, Aizen struggled to his feet, his body covered in wounds, his breaths heavy. Before him, Ryouma lay unconscious, while another Ashen Forbidden One approached him slowly.
Aizen said nothing. He wasted no unnecessary movement. He simply took a single step forward, his eyes narrowing with pure, undiluted rage.
"I'm the one who will kill you."
(End of Chapter.)