Chapter 495: Reshaping the World
"I exist here because my heart is here."
Masatsuki Aozaki wasn’t even sure who he was speaking to.
A Shinigami’s power is born of the heart. The Zanpakutō in their hands is the manifestation of that heart.
It’s something taught in every textbook at the Shin’ō Academy—yet not everyone truly grasps the meaning behind it.
But for Masatsuki Aozaki, the long sword in his hand is both the world born of his heart and the home of those he holds dear.
The power of creation—unleashed!
In that moment, he felt like the master of the world. The long blade in his hand radiated a dazzling brilliance, like a burning torch.
The trembling World Blade stilled. Masatsuki Aozaki raised the shining torch high and brought it crashing down.
The radiance of creation clashed with the judgment of damnation.
The two forces intertwined, howling as they collided. The sheer power roared skyward before surging like a tidal wave, swallowing each other whole.
The colossal Will of Hell was stripped of its armor, wreathed in flowing light as it stumbled back.
Even Hell itself twisted within the stream of brilliance, and the loss of "life" left its god momentarily thoughtless.
Was the world being destroyed?
Yes. The one who created the world also created itself. Of course, it remembered—but it hadn’t expected the other to also wield the power of destruction.
The timing was perfect. The destructive force landed with terrifying might, so much so that the Will of Hell’s body began to wither, its strength drained away.
But it still wasn’t enough!
How unfortunate—the world you wield is too small, too fragile, capable of containing only so much power.
Had you held the Three Realms in your grasp, perhaps you could’ve shattered Hell entirely.
The World Blade was a projection of Masatsuki Aozaki’s inner world. At best, it had only existed for a little over a century and had only recently been perfected.
Even so, the blow wasn’t enough to kill the Will of Hell. Its rules continued to push back against the force of annihilation.
However, the shockwave from the golden flames of sin and punishment colliding with the destructive power enveloped Masatsuki Aozaki entirely.
After all, his opponent wasn’t merely a descending will—it was a god’s very body, and even gods shouldn’t be immune to their own rules and power.
The Sword of Sin and Punishment rose again, locking firmly onto Masatsuki Aozaki, who had emerged from the pillar of flame unscathed.
Yet as the Will of Hell looked closer, it saw his body bore no wounds. His soul still shone brilliantly. Only his eyes remained calm and unfathomable, like a still, ancient well.
No damage at all. Was it possible that the power of a true god couldn’t even be eroded by the laws of the world?
"Condemnation? Punishment? Do you even know who gave you that authority?"
Masatsuki Aozaki asked with a gentle smile, his gaze carrying a hint of mockery and curiosity, as if challenging the authority before him.
The Will of Hell didn’t respond right away. It seemed shaken by the overwhelming divinity.
But then, it saw the World Blade—shattered only moments ago—now completely intact, shining once more.
Sensing the danger it harbored, the Will of Hell dared not delay. It swung the Great Sword of Rules with full force.
Masatsuki Aozaki looked at the cold, expressionless woman before him and sighed inwardly.
What a dull woman. Can’t even spare a moment to talk?
Still, considering she was only recently born and knew little of the world, Masatsuki Aozaki let it go.
Idle chatter ends here. There’s plenty of time to talk later.
"It was the God of Creation who gave me my purpose. So if I can’t hurt you, I suppose that’s acceptable."
The Will of Hell knew the answer, but felt no need to speak it aloud.
Even as the crumbling world gnawed at its mind, it clung to reason.
As its words fell, a burst of black light erupted from within, igniting into black flames.
The black fire instantly wrapped around the Great Sword of Rules, surging up its length, engulfing the Will of Hell’s body in an instant.
Face the judgment of Hell.
Boom!!!
The blazing Sword of Sin and Punishment came down, cleaving through the overflowing spiritual particles. Everything neared its end. Time itself froze.
You came too soon, young god!
The blade closed in on Masatsuki Aozaki’s head with unstoppable force, the golden flames so intense they scorched the very air.
Yet Masatsuki Aozaki kept smiling. Facing the descending blade, he raised his right hand, thrusting his sword straight ahead.
Clang!!
The Sword of Sin and Punishment came crashing down, clashing violently with the Sword of Directness.
In an instant, searing flames surged along the blade, crawling up to his hand, then racing up his arm and across his entire body.
The fire clung like maggots on bone—impossible to put out, even harder to shed—threatening to reduce him to ashes.
It was over. The end had come at last.
Sparks drifted through the air as the world born of his heart was completely suppressed. His frozen consciousness slowly began to turn once more.
The Will of Hell immediately considered how to deal with what came next—how to handle this noble vessel, how to bear this great existence.
It harbored no intent to possess this supreme treasure, only thoughts of how not to defile such a revered being once the Sword of Sin and Punishment touched the ground.
Suddenly, with a burst of light, the brilliance of the world returned—and every thought came to a screeching halt.
The Will of Hell didn’t even have time to be shocked, to react, or to move. It could only watch helplessly as that radiant light followed the sword’s edge and plunged straight into its chest.
...
Within Seireitei, Aizen stared at the pitch-black screen, lost in thought.
A figure had flashed across it, then vanished completely, leaving him with nothing to go on.
Just as he was trying to make sense of it, a member of the Inner Court Troop came rushing over.
"Grand Wise Man, something serious has happened! Please come take a look!"
Seeing the urgency in his expression, Aizen frowned slightly and followed him outside.
Outside, Seireitei was shrouded in a deathly silence.
There were no enemies in sight, no signs of battle.
Yet what sent a chill down his spine was the presence of something far more terrifying descending from the sky.
He looked up. Above the heavens of Soul Society, three colossal Hollow-like silhouettes were slowly coming into view.
The World of the Living, Hueco Mundo, and Hell!
Why were they getting closer? Was the world coming to an end?
Aizen’s frown deepened.
He had surpassed the limits of a Shinigami, convinced that there was little in this world that could trouble him. But this time, he truly had no answers.
Everything had happened too suddenly. There was no clue where to start—no idea what to do next.
"Don’t worry. Your ideals won’t be shattered. I’m simply going to remake this world."
"...?"
The voice was unmistakably familiar, but hearing it now made Aizen freeze.
"That voice..."
He turned—and saw the man behind him, wearing that familiar smile, holding the hand of a young girl who radiated both purity and danger.
"Ah, I snatched this kid from Hell."