Chapter 182: Come Be a Vice-Captain at My Place?
Seeing the black liquid rushing toward him, Aizen frowned.
Unable to determine the composition of the liquid, the danger level was extremely high.
The liquid sprayed too quickly to dodge completely; he could only minimize contact as much as possible.
Sacrifice one arm to protect the head.
The rest of his body... roughly one-third would come into contact with the black liquid.
He hoped the consequences wouldn't be too severe.
While making this judgment in an instant, Aizen raised his arm.
But just then, a tremendous force suddenly struck him.
"Joestar Teleport!!"
With a loud shout, Satoru, appearing out of nowhere, charged over like a bulldozer and slammed into him, sending him flying.
As he was thrown backward, Aizen stared in astonishment as Satoru was completely swallowed by the black sludge.
"Damn it!!"
Aizen flipped mid-air, condensed a Reishi platform under his feet, forcibly halted his backward momentum, and rushed toward Satoru.
At the same time, he swung his arm sharply:
"Hadō #62... Hyappō Rankan!!"
In the air, Reishi instantly condensed into over a dozen luminous spears, thrusting toward Szayelaporro with a whooshing sound.
Facing the Kidō released by Aizen, Szayelaporro paid no mind and simply retreated.
Even though his rhythm had been disrupted, losing a perfect opportunity to finish off Satoru, he showed no signs of anger or impatience.
...Something's wrong.
Seeing Szayelaporro's reaction, Aizen instinctively slowed his pace.
Then, to his astonishment, the black sludge enveloping Satoru began to writhe rapidly.
Splat!
Splat!
Splat!
The black sludge on Satoru's body flew off in several directions.
After separating, the sludge quickly writhed and grew.
In the blink of an eye, five Shinigami, nearly identical to Satoru, appeared on the battlefield.
Looking at the several new "versions" of himself around him, Satoru showed a curious expression.
"Are these... my clones?"
Szayelaporro laughed heartily, "Exactly!"
"Didn't expect that, did you, Satoru? This is my trump card!"
"These clones all possess the same strength as you!"
"At your age, with such power, you must often take pride in it, right?"
"Unfortunately, that power has now become your enemy!"
"Tremble, then fall by your own strength and submit to me!"
Szayelaporro laughed uproariously, spreading his arms wide like an opera performer.
Hearing his words, Aizen couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock.
He knew better than anyone just how powerful Satoru was.
If what Szayelaporro said was true, and these five clones all possessed Satoru's strength, then their best option now was to retreat immediately.
As if guessing his thoughts, Szayelaporro grinned and said:
"Don't even think about running away... Remember, this is the living world. Right beneath our feet is a human city."
"You Shinigami are supposed to protect humans, right?"
"If you run away, I can't guarantee what will happen to this city~"
If it were ordinary Shinigami, they would have instantly lost their nerve upon hearing such a threat.
But... Aizen didn't care.
As Satoru would say, what did the humans in this city have to do with him?
He had already killed so many Shinigami—what were a few more humans?
He glanced at Satoru, intending to call him over.
The two of them would first unite, then figure out the true capabilities of these clones.
A rational person never fights a battle unprepared.
But when he looked over, he nearly choked on his own blood.
Satoru had approached one of the clones, pinched its cheek, and even pulled out its Zanpakutō to examine it.
Soon, the clone reacted and reached out to grab him.
Satoru swiftly dodged backward.
Then, he turned to Aizen.
"Sōsuke, look!"
"These clones really do resemble me!"
"Can you tell which one is me?"
Aizen remained silent.
Of course he could. Too easily.
The one with the most annoying mouth is you.
Before Aizen could respond, Satoru turned to Szayelaporro.
"How many of these clones can you make at most?"
"Are their internal structures identical to mine as well?"
Szayelaporro: "?"
Was there something off about this guy's reaction?
He opened his mouth, about to say something.
But Satoru suddenly waved his hand. "Never mind, no need to explain. Just use that move again and make a few clones of Sōsuke."
"I'll kill two Sōsukes and see what these clones are really made of."
Szayelaporro: "?"
Aizen: "?"
Though his face was masked, Szayelaporro couldn't hide his confusion. He asked incredulously:
"Why not test it by killing one of your own clones?"
Satoru made a disgusted expression.
"What a foolish question."
Not far away, Aizen had already guessed what Satoru would say.
It would undoubtedly be something annoying like, "I can't damage these perfect clones that look just like me," or "Sōsuke's clones are easier to deal with."
Under Aizen's gaze, Satoru slightly raised his head.
"The reason is simple."
"These clones with my face are too weak."
"You half-baked imitator didn't even replicate a third of my power, yet you have the nerve to claim they're as strong as me?"
Hearing this, Szayelaporro was momentarily stunned.
Then, he laughed in furious disbelief.
"You dare look down on my clones without even fighting them?"
"This is a unique ability I gained when I broke my limits!"
"My clones are in no way inferior to the originals!"
Satoru smiled.
"Then, how about we make a bet?"
Szayelaporro narrowed his eyes.
Satoru continued, "You really want to experiment on me, don't you?"
"Then let's bet. If these clones can truly match my strength... no, if they can demonstrate even half of my power, I'll willingly become your test subject."
Hearing this, Aizen frowned. "Satoru!"
Satoru's proposal was far too reckless.
Although this guarantee holds no binding power, what if this guy suddenly loses his mind and actually decides to enforce it?
Szayelaporro's eyes lit up.
Such a good deal?
Just moments ago, the idea of making Satoru willingly become experimental material was nothing but wishful thinking.
Unexpectedly, happiness arrived so suddenly—it might actually become a reality in the blink of an eye!
Though excited, he rationally asked, "What happens if I lose?"
Satoru crossed his arms:
"I run an enterprise in Soul Society called the Mikami Technical Bureau."
"I plan to open a branch in Hueco Mundo."
"Your cloning ability really appeals to me, so if you lose, you'll come work as the deputy director at my Hueco Mundo branch!"