Throne of Heaven: Sosuke Aizen

With his brief vacation over, Lu Su prepared to return to Shanghai City.

Before that, however, he still needed to personally collect the materials he had ordered earlier.

Although the Diamond Grade Card Master delivering the materials could not understand why Master Luo still needed Diamond grade materials, he did not pry.

Such cases were rare, but not unheard of. Some cards required lower-grade cards for their Bonds, after all. He had not considered the possibility that Lu Su himself was also a Diamond Grade Card Master.

After collecting the materials, Lu Su found a place to stay nearby.

As one of Great Ming’s only four Master Grade Card Masters, he naturally received the very best treatment.

Listening to the occasional birdsong by his ear, Lu Su took a deep breath and calmed himself.

"Then let’s make the Hogyoku first."

"After putting it off for so long, Laolan can finally advance to Diamond Grade."

At the thought, he could not help but shake his head slightly. Aizen had been a card created when he was at Gold Grade, yet it had unexpectedly become one of the last few cards to advance to Diamond Grade.

But materials, especially high-level ones, were simply something one could only encounter by chance. Lu Su had no solution for that.

He really wanted to shout, "Activate Feng Ling Yue Ying!" and have materials rain down from the sky.

With a sigh, Lu Su cast aside his wild thoughts and wrapped his Spiritual Power around Evolution Jade (Red), God’s Remains (Red), and Manifestation Core (Red).

Please begin compiling your story.

At first, Aizen had created the Hogyoku in pursuit of power that could break through his limits.

After Aizen’s Hogyoku had been fed an enormous number of Soul Reaper souls and the Soul King’s fingertip, it was then fed the Hogyoku created by Kisuke Urahara. Only at that moment did it finally gain a measure of satisfaction. This was the Perfect Hogyoku Aizen had pursued.

"It’s done."

To be honest, after experiencing the creation of so many cards, Lu Su was no longer easily moved.

He simply put away the Hogyoku card and gave its information a cursory glance.

Perfect Hogyoku

Rank: Diamond

Quality: Red

Category: Item

Traits:

Heart's Metamorphosis: After fusing with the Hogyoku, the individual will continuously evolve according to the desires in their heart.

Complete Regeneration: The recovery ability of an individual fused with the Hogyoku will be greatly enhanced. Even injuries fatal to Hollows will not be enough to kill the fused individual.

Description: What kind of being do you want to become?

The Perfect Hogyoku’s abilities were more or less what Lu Su had expected.

After briefly recovering some Spiritual Power, he prepared to advance Aizen to Diamond Grade.

Feeling the Limit Breaker (Red), Lord of Heaven (Red), and Solitary Seeker (Red) on the table, Lu Su slowly closed his eyes.

At the same time, golden motes of light began continuously drifting from the Hogyoku card in his hand.

Please begin compiling your story.

After fusing with the Hogyoku, Aizen did not believe he would lose to Tsugikuni Yoriichi, even if the latter’s Bankai was indeed powerful.

Only in the end did Aizen realize that Kurosaki Ichigo’s strength had already surpassed his own. After being struck head-on by Mugetsu, although he had forcibly survived through his incredible regenerative abilities, he also understood that he had been defeated.

Card creation complete.

Lu Su opened his eyes. The materials before him and the Hogyoku card in his hand had both vanished, replaced by a card radiating brilliant light. He let out a slight breath of relief.

"It worked. This also counts as gaining some experience for advancing Altria."

After steadying himself, Lu Su put away Aizen’s card and examined it.

Throne of heaven: Sosuke Aizen

Rank: Diamond

Quality: Red

Category: Creature

Skills:

Kido Mastery
Zanpakuto: Shikai: Mirror Flower, Water Moon

Hogyoku Fusion: After fusing with the Perfect Hogyoku, Aizen finally obtained the power to break through the limits of Soul Reaper and Hollow. When facing a life-threatening crisis or reaching his limits, the Hogyoku will help him enter the next phase.

Note: The maximum number of evolutions is five.

Traits:

Hair Gel Hand
I Am An Inventor
A Soul Reaper's Battle Is a Battle of Spirit Pressure
Disguiser
Lord of Hueco Mundo

Limit Breaker: Having broken through his limits, Aizen's Spirit Pressure will slowly increase along with the card holder's Spiritual Power.

Note: The upper limit is Master Grade.

Description: Gods are merely humans skilled at disguising themselves.

Advancement: Gold Grade Fifth Division Vice-Captain: Sosuke Aizen → Jade Grade Lord of Hueco Mundo: Sosuke Aizen → Diamond Grade Throne of heaven: Sosuke Aizen.

Bond:

When appearing alongside Gin Ichimaru and others of the same series, the effect Traitor? Traitor. can be activated.

After reading Aizen’s card information, Lu Su was briefly stunned.

Compared to Jade Grade, Diamond Grade Aizen had merely gained one Trait and one Trait.

The Hogyoku Fusion Trait was not much different from the original story. During the battle in Karakura Town, Laolan had indeed only evolved five times before being cut down in one stroke by that stat-monster Yellow Hair.

Thus, Lu Su was not dissatisfied. He had never expected Laolan to evolve endlessly. After all, if that were possible, it could not remain merely a Diamond Grade card.

However, the Limit Breaker Trait pleasantly surprised him.

It meant that once Lu Su advanced to Master Grade, he would instantly gain a turret of the same rank.

That was right, just a turret.

After all, only his Spirit Pressure would grow. While a Soul Reaper’s battle was a battle of Spirit Pressure, that only applied to the world of the original story.

On Blue Star, Soul Reapers were not the only power system.

"Still, with the Hogyoku Fusion’s regenerative power and all those Trait enhancements, Aizen shouldn’t be instantly killed."

Thinking that, Lu Su let out a soft breath.

Then he recalled the Diamond Grade Trait of the Las Noches Field Card.

Another possibility: When Las Noches reaches Diamond Grade, Throne of heaven: Sosuke Aizen will gain a brand-new form.

"Laolan has already fused with the Hogyoku. He can’t possibly fuse with another one like Ulquiorra and the others, can he?"

With that thought in mind, Lu Su immediately summoned Aizen.

It had to be said that Aizen looked quite stylish in his first and third fusion phases, but the other phases…

In Lu Su’s view, perhaps Laolan had been enraged by that stat-monster and no longer cared about his appearance, only wanting to grow stronger.

Unfortunately, a Soul Reaper’s battle was a battle of style points (x).

"So, can you directly enter the next phase?"

Looking at the Aizen before him, who was only in the first fusion phase, Lu Su could not help asking.

Hearing that, Aizen carefully sensed his condition before shaking his head slightly. "No. Unless I face a life-or-death crisis, or my strength reaches its limit, I can only enter the next phase then."

"Like this."

As his words fell, an enormous Spirit Pressure instantly enveloped the Brown-haired Man’s entire body, and his appearance completely changed.

"That fast?"

Lu Su was somewhat surprised. From Aizen’s words, he had thought it would take quite some time, yet less than a few minutes had passed before the other man entered the next phase.

Aizen, now covered from head to toe in solidified milky-white Spirit Pressure, nodded. "At this level, it isn’t difficult."

"But after this, I may need a little help."

He had never shied away from power.

Besides, the Brown-haired Man himself was rather curious about what would happen next.

Lu Su immediately understood and summoned Kurosaki Ichigo.

"Let’s change locations first. We don’t want to frighten the people in the city."

Once he finished speaking, he brought the two of them outside the city.

Since the Demon Army had already been wiped out, there was plenty of open land to the north for Lu Su to test Aizen’s abilities.

Very quickly, with Kurosaki Ichigo’s "help," Aizen entered the fifth phase of Hogyoku Fusion.

At that moment, countless small stones were lifted into the air by the immense Spirit Pressure, only to be pulverized into dust in an instant and scattered away by the wind.

Lu Su stroked his chin as he looked at Aizen in this form and nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad. He’s roughly as strong as Ichigo in his Mugetsu state."

That was the truth, though to spare Laolan’s feelings, he did not mention that this was only assuming Kurosaki Ichigo did not use Final Getsuga Tensho.

Having tested his basic abilities, it was time to test the abilities granted by Las Noches.

"Aizen, do you think you can still take another Hogyoku?"

Aizen naturally understood what Lu Su meant. He carefully sensed the power within his body, and a strange expression appeared on his face, whose skin had been pushed to both sides. "…I think I can continue evolving."

"?"

Lu Su froze, then turned and signaled for Kurosaki Ichigo beside him to give Aizen another slash.

Unfortunately, an attack of that level did not count as a life-threatening crisis for fifth-phase Aizen.

For a moment, the three of them were left standing there awkwardly.

Lu Su opened his mouth and said helplessly, "…We can only wait until the time comes."

There was no need to have Kurosaki Ichigo enter his Mugetsu state merely for testing. After all, using Final Getsuga Tensho came with a mandatory seven-day cooldown.

Who knew whether some unexpected situation might arise during those seven days?

The sun rose and set.

In the blink of an eye, night had arrived, and a dark curtain covered the sky over the city.

At this time, the Shuběi Army Card Masters remaining in the city were changing shifts.

The incoming guard softly asked his colleague, "Did you notice the aura coming from Master Luo’s side this afternoon?"

"Of course. That Diamond Grade aura was so obvious it was impossible to ignore. But Master Luo was probably just testing a Bond, right?"

The Card Masters naturally sensed the aura in the city fluctuating high and low that afternoon, but they assumed Lu Su was experimenting with a Bond. After all, until Lu Su left the city, Aizen had only been in the second phase.

It was at that moment.

BOOM—!

A terrifying roar came from an extremely distant place, and howling winds swept across the earth in an instant.

The Card Masters standing guard atop the city walls did not even have time to tidy their windblown hair before shouting, "Who is it?! Are there remnants of the Demon Army!?"

"This aura!? Could it be Master Grade?!"

Feeling the mountain-like pressure weighing down on them, the Shuběi Army in the city panicked but did not lose order.

Yet the aura came quickly and faded just as fast. Before long, the night returned to calm.

Just as the Card Masters atop the wall looked at one another, unsure what had happened, Lu Su appeared before them.

He coughed and said somewhat awkwardly, "Please notify everyone that I accidentally caused that disturbance just now. Tell the city not to panic."

The Card Masters present were initially stunned, then replied, "Yes."

After Lu Su left, their taut nerves finally relaxed.

"…That scared me to death. I thought the Demon Army had risen again."

"Tell me about it. But it looks like Master Luo’s newly created card isn’t Diamond Grade."

Elsewhere.

Lu Su could not help scratching his cheek. He had not expected the commotion to be so great.

All he could say was that this so-called "brand-new form" had exceeded his expectations.

"In that case, the pressure on Shanghai City should be even lower."

A fine drizzle pattered upon the ground, lightly moistening the moss between the stone cracks.

White mist filled the air, making Sucheng impossible to see clearly through the rain.

Screech—!

A long braking sound rang out as a train from North Capital slowly pulled into Sucheng Station.

As the train doors opened, a stern-faced man with scars covering his face stepped off the train.

At that moment, a youth dressed in the simple uniform of the Great Ming Card Master Association hurried over to him.

"Are you Mr. Jin Yubin?"

Hearing his name, the man immediately turned to the Card Master Association staff member who had approached him. "I am."

"Please come with me. Master Luo is already waiting for you."

Seeing that he had found the right person, the staff member smiled and walked ahead, leading the man who had just disembarked away from the station.

"Mr. Jin, your Great Ming language is just as good as my colleague said. If I didn’t know your identity, I would have thought you were one of us from Great Ming."

Hearing this, the man called Jin Yubin pressed his scarred lips together and said solemnly, "Great Ming is the Celestial Empire. We humble subjects from tributary states should naturally study the language of the superior nation diligently."

"…What era is this? Mr. Jin, there’s no need to say things like that."

The staff member immediately laughed awkwardly. He had no idea whether the man behind him truly meant those words or was merely offering hollow flattery.

But that was not for him to judge. He only needed to safely bring the man before Master Luo.

Before long, the black sedan came to a steady stop before the entrance to the Sucheng Card Master Association Headquarters.

"Come on, Mr. Jin. I’ll take you upstairs."

As he spoke, the staff member led Jin Yubin to the elevator.

Realizing that he was about to meet the youth who had given him a new life, Jin Yubin could not help feeling nervous. He took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself.

Ding—

Accompanied by a crisp chime, the elevator doors slowly opened.

"Master Law, I brought him here safely."

The staff member bowed slightly and spoke respectfully.

Then, he was about to prompt the man beside him to step forward and greet him.

But the moment he turned his head, he saw Jin Yubin already kneeling flat on the ground in full prostration.

"Benefactor!"