"Forget it, there's no need to rush."
Rias looked at the Hōgyoku in front of her and murmured softly.
The Hōgyoku is currently incomplete, possessing only the power of a 'Shinigami'.
The way the Hōgyoku breaks boundaries is by breaking the boundary between Shinigami and Hollow, blending the two powers to expand the soul's vessel, increase its density, and elevate the life form to a higher level.
If I obtain the Hōgyoku created with Hollow power and combine it with the power of the magical device: holy grail, I should be able to directly modify my own life form.
Spiritual power, magic power, light power, divine power... even magic power itself has countless attributes: destruction, Magic Formula, water, ice, fire, time, and so on—
Perfectly accommodating these attributes might allow for the forging of a higher-dimensional universal power.
"Next, let's go find Aizen."
With a thought, Rias placed the Hōgyoku inside her body, just like a Sacred Gear.
Closing the Domain of Destruction and returning to the Soul Society, Rias saw Kuchiki Rukia still standing there, lost in thought.
Holding the magical device Rias gave her, she was likely thinking about Rias.
She didn't care much about it; if she could save her, she would, and if not, so be it.
Leaving the Thirteenth Division, Rias walked toward the Fifth Divsion.
As it happened, Aizen was just about to head out.
"Hm?"
Sensing something, Aizen frowned slightly.
Pre-evolution Aizen had already reached the peak of a Shinigami, and his overall strength was second to none even among the captains of the Gotei 13.
In comparison, he slightly surpassed a Ultimate-Class Devil.
But Shinigami have boundaries; until he breaks that boundary, Aizen still couldn't be considered a Demon King-class combatant.
"To be able to notice my presence despite being two major realms apart, truly remarkable."
Rias remarked with admiration.
"Who are you?"
Aizen gently pushed up his glasses, the lenses glinting slightly, revealing a deep color.
Appearing before him was a very young-looking girl floating in the air.
However, her youth was merely an appearance; those eyes, as calm as a mirror-like lake, made it impossible to ignore her presence.
Just looking into her eyes, one felt a pressure as heavy as a mountain.
The aura she emitted was as terrifying as a prehistoric beast, causing even Aizen to shudder involuntarily.
"What's going on with that girl..."
Aizen's lip twitched slightly, and then he noticed something shocking.
His body was trembling.
He was shivering, almost unable to control his body.
The aura emanating from her made Aizen feel an instinctive sense of fear.
Truly incredible.
With a'snap', Rias snapped her fingers.
In the next instant, the entire world changed.
Finding himself within a red domain, Aizen could no longer hold back, and an astounding Spiritual Pressure erupted from his body.
This Spiritual Pressure had even surpassed the limits of a Shinigami, yet the moment it leaked from his body, it was 'destroyed'.
"Just who are you?"
Aizen asked once more.
If not for his powerful Spiritual Pressure, he wouldn't even be able to move right now.
Rias's Hakai Hōteishiki was gradually becoming perfect, a world of difference from her level when she first met Unohana Retsu a year ago.
It was like the gap between pre-evolution Aizen and post-evolution Aizen.
"My name is Rias Gremory. Have you heard of the Other World? Aizen Sosuke."
Rias spoke softly, resonating with the Hōgyoku, and then a layer of invisible ripples spread out.
"Hm, it really is on you."
With a smile and a wave of her hand, the Hōgyoku appeared in Rias's palm.
Although this domain was still incomplete, it already possessed an extraordinary power.
"A person from a Other World... even someone from a Other World knows about the Hōgyoku."
Aizen instantly understood the other's objective and remarked with a sigh.
"I know just a little bit more."
Rias gestured 'a little bit' with her index finger and thumb.
"I see."
Aizen understood immediately.
A 'little bit' that's actually a 'lot'—how could a King of Posturing like Aizen not understand?
Aizen pushed up his glasses and spoke cautiously, "Then do you know that the Hōgyoku actually has..."
"Two of them, right?"
Rias smilingly produced the other Hōgyoku.
The two Hōgyoku resonated, attracting each other like magnets and spinning continuously.
"One is formed from the fusion of Shinigami souls, and the other from Hollow souls. These two extreme powers are like Yin and Yang, forming a true dual-unity."
Rias chuckled, "But looking at this, it seems fusing the two Hōgyoku will take some time. It's as if destiny brought them into being; I doubt this world will ever produce another Hōgyoku."
Rarity adds value, and something like the Hōgyoku clearly isn't something that can be created with just any Shinigami or Hollow souls.
Aizen once said that Shinigami souls couldn't satisfy the Hōgyoku, and Kisuke Urahara also said that creating the Hōgyoku was an accident; even with the same steps and an identical process, one would surely fail to create a new one.
Because something critical must be missing, something that neither Kisuke Urahara nor Aizen could even identify.
Watching the two Hōgyoku in Rias's hand, Aizen fell silent.
Because he realized that things were completely out of his control.
Furthermore, he had lost all initiative.
Forget the initiative; even his life was no longer in his own hands.
If this young girl willed it, she could destroy him in an instant, leaving nothing behind.
"Is there anything else you want to say?"
Rias smiled.
Origin unknown, purpose unknown, only that her target was the Hōgyoku.
Is it for evolution?
Then, what about the resources of the Other World?
"Are you interested in this world?"
Aizen smiled.
"Not really."
Rias responded with a smile of her own.
"..."
For a powerhouse like her, valuable things were few and far between.
Aizen knew in his heart that his bargaining chips were dwindling.
The only valuable chip left was himself.
To this, Aizen responded with a helpless smile.
"Truly a total defeat."
"So, how do you intend to deal with me?"
Aizen said with a calm expression.
"'Deal with' sounds a bit harsh."
Rias shrugged and said, "But considering you created the Hōgyoku, I can give you two choices."
"Choices..."
Mulling over those words, Aizen clenched his fist.
No pretense; before a superior power, pretense was unnecessary.
"Are you angry?"
Rias tilted her head.
"No," Aizen smiled. "The weak have no right to express anger toward the strong; I am well aware of that."
"So you're angry at yourself then?"
Rias laughed, "Angry because your life and death are not in your own hands... that's both arrogant and admirable."
Aizen fell silent.
This girl must be among the extremely powerful even in her Other World.
Truly a'superior powerhouse'; even when she speaks so bluntly, no one can defeat her.
For the first time, Aizen felt a genuine sense of defeat from the bottom of his heart.
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