"Snap—!"
At the very last moment—
A hand shot in from the side and grabbed Apocalypse's arm.
Despite the terrifying momentum of his charge—
He couldn't move forward even a single inch.
His attack stopped—
Just one centimeter away from Mirrorblade's eye.
Aizen—
Who had already arrived—
Had been silently observing the battle from the shadows.
Only when Mirrorblade was about to reach his limit—
Did he finally step in.
Dressed in the flowing robes of Las Noches, he removed his glasses and brushed his hair back.
In that instant—
He became a completely different person.
Gone was the gentle demeanor.
In its place—
Cold indifference.
A tyrant's presence.
Eyes that saw life as nothing.
"So…"
Aizen looked at Apocalypse calmly.
"You're the one causing trouble for my BOSS?"
"That's quite an impressive power."
"Why not submit—"
"Crack—!"
Before he could finish—
Aizen tightened his grip slightly.
A clear sound of bone breaking echoed.
Apocalypse's seemingly indestructible body—
Felt fragile.
Powerless.
"Bang—!"
Like throwing away trash—
Aizen flung him straight into the wall.
Apocalypse slowly stood up again.
His arm—
Already healed.
His gaze turned sharp, filled with caution.
His Beast Instinct ability screamed warnings.
Danger.
Extreme danger.
Nearby—
Storm and Angel hurriedly dug Magneto out of the ground, where only his head had been exposed.
The Four Horsemen regrouped instantly.
They moved into formation—
Protecting the unconscious Professor X.
All eyes—
Locked onto Aizen.
"Who gave you permission…"
"To challenge the authority of the Hero Alliance?"
Aizen's voice turned cold.
"Arrogant."
"You've slept for thousands of years, yet foolish humans keep appearing one after another."
"Hmph."
"You dared to trouble my BOSS."
"Then you'll die for it."
He slowly drew his Soulblade.
The blade reflected a cold, silver light.
And in that instant—
Everyone's gaze—
Was drawn to it.
Unknowingly—
They had already fallen—
Into an illusion.
Eidolon.
"Fine."
Apocalypse's eyes turned cold.
"Then I'll get a little serious."
His eyes flashed—
Twin beams of energy shot out instantly—
Piercing straight through Aizen's body.
Then—
His left arm transformed—
Morphing into a sharp blade.
With a single clean motion—
He sliced off Aizen's head.
The entire sequence—
Smooth.
Effortless.
Like cutting vegetables.
Even Apocalypse himself felt a hint of confusion.
"…Was that all?"
"Was that man's power… just for show?"
He shook his head.
"No matter."
"I don't have time to play with you."
He stepped forward.
His fingers transformed into hooked claws—
And he ripped out Mirrorblade's Eternal Sharingan.
Then—
Without hesitation—
Implanted it into his own eye.
The pain—
Meant nothing.
As the eye settled—
A surge of overwhelming ocular power flooded in.
Illusion art.
Space distortion.
A terrifying ability.
Ignoring the motionless figures—
Wolverine.
Jean.
Cyclops.
Havok.
Apocalypse called his Four Horsemen.
With Professor X in tow—
He prepared to leave.
"Snap—!"
He snapped his fingers.
But—
Nothing happened.
No teleportation.
No spatial shift.
His expression darkened.
"…What?"
"Slash—!"
A blade pierced through his abdomen.
Aizen's Soulblade—
Had appeared out of nowhere.
With a light swing—
Half of Apocalypse's body was severed.
"What the—?!"
Shock flashed in his eyes.
Hadn't Aizen been killed?
But Apocalypse quickly stabilized himself.
His body regenerated rapidly—
At the same time—
He counterattacked.
His arm morphed into a blade—
And stabbed straight through Aizen's heart.
"…Something's wrong."
A voice echoed behind him.
"Did you really think that would be enough to kill me?"
Apocalypse froze.
Behind him—
Three identical Aizens stood.
Speaking in unison.
Their expressions—
Filled with disdain.
Under Eidolon—
Apocalypse was nothing more than a toy.
Completely played with.
After all—
Aizen, who had fused with the Ascension Core—
Barely even needed Eidolon anymore.
He himself—
Had surpassed both Death Gods and Monsters.
"…Interesting."
Apocalypse waved his hand.
Three blade-like projectiles shot out—
Piercing all three Aizens.
They clutched their chests—
Falling to the ground.
"Cheap tricks like this…"
"Don't use them against me."
"…Is that so?"
"Crack—!"
The illusion—
Shattered.
Eidolon—
Was released.
Apocalypse turned—
And his expression froze.
Aizen—
Stood there.
Completely unharmed.
Then—
He looked behind him.
His Four Horsemen—
Each clutching their chest.
The wounds—
Identical.
The very attacks—
He had just launched.
Professor X—
Gone.
Mirrorblade—
Gone.
Jean—
Gone.
Cyclops.
Havok.
Wolverine.
All—
Gone.
"Clap… clap… clap…"
Aizen slowly applauded.
A faint, mocking smile on his face.
"Magnificent."
"Truly magnificent."
"Our 'god'…"
"Has personally executed his own followers."
"Bastard!!"
Apocalypse's eyes turned bloodshot.
Only now—
Did he fully realize.
He had been played.
Completely.
Though he didn't care much for the lives of the Four Horsemen—
He still needed them.
Without hesitation—
He sliced off four of his own fingers—
And flung them into their chests.
The regenerative cells within them—
Stabilized their fatal injuries.
Prevented death.
"…Enough games."
Aizen's smile faded.
"Now—"
"Die quietly."
"Hmph."
Apocalypse sneered.
"I'm done playing with you, foolish human."
In these thousands of years—
Too many powerful beings had appeared.
This wasn't a fight he needed to continue.
Retreat—
Was the correct choice.
Silently—
He summoned a spatial barrier.
Taking a few steps back—
He moved toward his injured Horsemen.
"Trying to run?"
Aizen noticed—
But it was already too late.
Apocalypse stepped into the barrier.
As it closed—
Aizen unleashed a final strike.
A blade of pure spiritual pressure—
Sliced through space.
"AAAAARGH—!!"
A scream—
Filled with soul-deep agony.
On the ground—
A severed arm remained.
A clean cut.
Because a Soulblade—
Did not just cut the body.
It cut—
The soul.
Even if Apocalypse regenerated—
That arm—
Would never function again.
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Read Chapters ahead: [email protected] / KaiOynx