I Am a Heroic Spirit

"I only know that Merlin is a prophet, the son of nightmare, and a magician, but I have never heard that Merlin is a swordsman, and his swordsmanship is so superb. However, it seems that he is not very proficient. He revealed flaws in places where he should not have revealed them. Otherwise, Aizen would have been defeated." Unohana Retsu evaluated the two people in the confrontation with his superb swordsmanship and eyesight.

"Too naive." A cold and arrogant voice sounded.

"What?" Ukitake Jushiro asked in the direction of the voice, and saw Red Dragon Lily with her arms crossed over her chest, having returned to her demeanor before Merlin appeared.

"Merlin is my teacher. Do you think that the Knight King's teacher doesn't even know swordsmanship?" There was a hint of mockery on the face of the Red Dragon Lily, which made the Death Gods' faces freeze.

Yes, there is no need to question King Arthur’s swordsmanship. After all, he is the undefeated knight king. So, could it be that King Arthur’s teacher Merlin does not have superb swordsmanship?

Although everyone thought of this, no one could accept it. The legendary prophet and magician Merlin was actually a master of swordsmanship. How could anyone accept this?

However, ordinary audiences quickly accepted this setting. After all, a few months ago, there was a man who picked up a pair of iron fists and could beat the dragon alive.

What's so strange about the Iron Fist Saint Martha being beaten to death and the current British Sword Saint Merlin? After all, it is easier to accept than the Iron Fist Saint. After all, with King Arthur as his disciple, it would be strange if Merlin didn't know swordsmanship.

"Although it is understandable, it is hard to accept." Ukitake Jushiro pressed his forehead and said helplessly.

In the raging wind, the golden light of the holy sword shook off Aizen's soul-slaying sword and slashed towards Aizen's left shoulder. Aizen turned his body to the side, narrowly avoiding the falling holy sword, but was still stabbed by the sword's sword energy.

Facing a temporary disadvantage, Aizen advanced instead of retreating, his Soul-Slaying Blade dancing nimbly and lightly, dropping towards Zhang Luo's shoulders and head. Zhang Luo, however, used his powerful and heavy sword technique to slowly and steadily block Aizen's attacks one by one.

The two men's swordsmanship is completely opposite. Aizen's swordsmanship is flexible, changeable, light and fast. It is a native Japanese swordsmanship of the tachi, like a torrential rain or a gentle breeze. Although the power is also very strong due to the spiritual pressure, the main characteristics are speed and accuracy.

Zhang Luo's swordsmanship is the British heavy swordsmanship. Although he uses a staff, the staff wrapped in the light of the holy sword can also bring out the characteristics of heavy swordsmanship. It is powerful and heavy, steady but not losing speed, like a raging storm or a roaring wind, and the most important thing is to overwhelm people with momentum.

Completely different sword techniques were displayed by two people of the same level and with similar strength, and when they fought against each other, it was impossible to tell who was better. However, as Zhang Luo gradually adapted to the battle, Merlin's British heavy swordsmanship was gradually brought into play at almost its full level. Aizen naturally noticed this, or in other words, Aizen, who was engaged in a fierce sword fight with Zhang Luo, had already discovered the defeat he was about to face from his gradually suppressed swordsmanship.

After discovering this, Aizen immediately used instant step to disappear from his original position and put some distance between himself and Zhang Luo.

Zhang Luo had just adapted to Merlin's swordsmanship when he saw Aizen withdraw from the battle circle. He wanted to catch up with him and use Aizen's swordsmanship level, which was comparable to his own, to hone his swordsmanship, but he suppressed the impulse. After all, he didn't come here to fight Aizen to the death, but for a more important purpose.

"This swordsmanship is truly rare and can be called peerless. I didn't expect that as a caster, you would have such a swordsmanship." Aizen said in a deep voice.

"Haha, that's natural. To be honest, I'm Altria's swordsmanship teacher. After all, I don't really like magic. If you chant too fast, you might bite your tongue. It's much faster to just use the holy sword and chop, right?" Zhang Luo said with a chuckle.

Aizen was stunned. He didn't expect Zhang Luo to say such words. He was obviously a famous magician, but not only did he complain that it was easy to bite the tongue when chanting spells, he also said things that those barbarians in the 11th Division would say.

However, Aizen didn't really think that Zhang Luo was not good at magic. He heard clearly that Zhang Luo said he didn't like it, not that he was not good at it. As for the saying that chanting the spell too fast would bite his tongue, does it mean that he can't release magic if he doesn't chant the spell?

It's just a word game.

With Aizen's wisdom, he found the implicit message in Zhang Luo's words as soon as Zhang Luo finished speaking.

Anyone who is smart will not take Zhang Luo's words seriously. After all, the famous magician Merlin is not good at magic. No matter how many reasons he gives, it can only deceive ordinary people. Even if Merlin is really not good at magic, as a caster, he will gain corresponding magical abilities. Moreover, with Merlin's reputation, this magical ability cannot be weaker than that of the leaders of the ghost path.

(Some readers say that I weakened the Heroic Spirits and strengthened the Death Gods, but I didn't find this to be the case. Putting aside the question of who is stronger between the Death Gods and the Heroic Spirits, I only want to ask one thing: after being strengthened by magic, Kuzuki Sensei can suppress the Heroic Spirits with his human boxing skills. Then, how can the Death Gods, who have practiced for hundreds of years, have hundreds of years of experience fighting against the Hollows, and have a complete ability system?

】 -

Chapter 277 The Final Trial Plan of Humanity

Zhang Luo said: "The world is about to be destroyed, and then a new life will come."

In the illusion where no one can see or hear, in the sight of the Shinigami and everyone, Aizen and Zhang Luo, who are still fighting, are having a harmonious face-to-face conversation.

Aizen asked, "Because humans are evil? Beast class?"

As soon as Zhang Luo finished speaking, Aizen understood what Zhang Luo meant.

Aizen asked again: "Destruction and rebirth, which creator god is it?"

Destruction and rebirth, or creation and destruction. Since Zhang Luo used such words to describe it, it means that the impending human evil is actually a creator god.

Although Aizen knew the reasons why these heroic spirits came to the world, he did not take it seriously until King Arthur, Gilgamesh, and Merlin appeared in front of him, then he began to pay attention to the information revealed by the heroic spirits.

If it was the God of Creation, then he should be an opponent more powerful than the Spirit King. In other words, even if he ascended to the throne of the sky, he would still be a powerful existence that could make him feel defeated.

Zhang Luo said, "It's the goddess Tiamat. In my clairvoyance, she intends to rewrite the Earth's ecosystem and return it to the mother of all things."

Aizen asked doubtfully, "Clairvoyance?"

Whether in mythology or in reality, there are legends about clairvoyance, but true clairvoyance only exists in the Eastern Heaven. However, he never knew that clairvoyance also has the ability to see the future.

From Zhang Luo's words, Aizen understood the actual ability of the so-called clairvoyance.

Zhang Luo nodded. "Although it's not necessary, it's worth mentioning. Clairvoyance, as the name suggests, is a skill that allows one to see far away. However, the highest level of clairvoyance allows one to see through time and space, such as the past, the future, and the present."

"Your clairvoyance is to see the present." Aizen thought for a moment and then said the ability of Merlin's clairvoyance. After all, the legendary Merlin's prophecy has nothing to do with the distant past or the future hundreds of years later, but is about the present within a hundred years.

"That's right." Zhang Luo admitted.

"Tiamat is one of the creator gods in Mesopotamian mythology, the goddess of salt water. It is said that the heavens and the earth were created from her body. Indeed, human evil is not actually evil. For this goddess Tiamat, returning the earth to herself is the most normal and reasonable thing to do."

Skipping the topic of clairvoyance, Aizen's importance to Zhang Luo's 017 doubled, but he didn't show it. He just continued with the previous topic and talked about the legend of the God of Creation.

Zhang Luo said, "That's right. She can't be described as evil, but she is an enemy that must be defeated. If she succeeds in achieving her goal, all existence on Earth will disappear."

Aizen suddenly smiled and asked, "You created an illusion to confuse others, and then told me so many secrets. Do you want me to fight to protect the world?"

"Well, to use the words of the decent people in the story, let's fight together for world peace." Zhang Luo tilted his head and said with a smile.

"Hmph, how interesting, I actually became a decent guy." Aizen snorted and said with a puzzled look.

"Or villains. To the goddess Tiamat, aren't we, who are rebelling against the mother of all things, the rebellious sons who are preventing her from taking back what belongs to her?" Zhang Luo said.

"..." Aizen was silent for a moment before continuing, "Although I have no interest in protecting the world, I will never give up resisting the God Tiamat. Do you have anything else to say? I don't think you want me to open the illusion just to tell me that the end of the world is coming."

"Of course it's more than that." Zhang Luo's face turned serious, which made Aizen understand that the next topic must be a secret that no one could know.

"What do you think of the goddess Tiamat? The legend about her, her power." Zhang Luo asked Aizen.

"Are you asking me? According to the records, Tiamat had a tail, two thighs, something that could move simultaneously, an abdomen, an udder like a cow or a goat, ribs, a neck, a head, eyes, nostrils, a mouth, and lips. Inside her body were: a heart, arteries, and blood. This is a description of Tiamat's body."

After Aizen finished speaking, he paused and continued.

"But let me see, these are completely fabricated, because it's impossible to see how these things could form a body that could transform into the creator god of heaven and earth. Regarding the body of the goddess Tiamat, there's only one certainty: that she was transformed into a seven-headed dragon due to the pain of Abzu's death."

"She isn't good at fighting, but her massive size allows her to withstand most attacks and even physical collisions. She is the goddess of salt water and must possess the power of water. She is the creator of all things, and no living being in this world can harm her."

"But those aren't that big of a deal. According to Enuma Ellich's records, Tiamat possessed two primary abilities. After her death, her body was used to create the universe, demonstrating her inherent ability to create. She and Apsu gave birth to the gods, a manifestation of her fertility. Finally, like a craftsman, she could create all sorts of bizarre creatures—"creation" in a narrower sense. Tiamat's creative ability is the sum of these three abilities. Before her final battle with Marduk, she created eleven monsters whose power rivaled or even surpassed that of the gods."

"To summarize, Tiamat's own combat abilities might not be that difficult to counter, but her greatest power is giving birth and creating mythical monsters. This means that if you fight her, you must be wary of a frenzy of monsters surging in numbers. Since she died due to the power of the wind, wind is her fatal weakness."

Aizen quickly used the knowledge in his mind to make a very detailed analysis of the goddess Tiamat, which was very accurate and not much different from the settings in FGO.

"Clap clap clap!"

Zhang Luo stretched out his hands, smiled, and applauded Aizen's analysis.

Zhang Luo added, "The analysis is excellent. Whether it's the birth of monsters, the enormous dragon body, the lack of combat prowess, or the resistance to attacks from Earth creatures, the analysis is correct and flawless. However, there's one more point: the sea of ​​life that emerges from the body of the goddess Tiamat in the form of black mud will cover the Indian Ocean in just seven days and eventually reach land. Anyone who is pulled into the sea by the black mud will be transformed physically and their spirit will be polluted, becoming a warrior of the goddess Tiamat."

Aizen's expression changed, and he said solemnly: "That is, the extreme explosive soldier with the quality merged."

"Yes, you also play StarCraft?" Zhang Luo nodded and asked curiously.

"It's just a study of the future world. With the lifespan of a Death God, it's entirely possible to live into the interstellar age." Aizen said calmly.

He thought he understood what Zhang Luo meant, which was simply that the upcoming battle would require a large number of cannon fodder.

It is said that soldiers fight against soldiers, generals fight against generals, and kings fight against kings. If you don't want to be held back by soldiers and generals, then you must create enough soldiers and generals to fight against the enemy's soldiers and generals.

The place with the most cannon fodder is naturally Hueco Mundo. He doesn't think that the prophet Merlin is unaware of his arrangements in Hueco Mundo.

"I will build an army as quickly as possible, but the Soul Society may interfere with me." Aizen said with ulterior motives.

"There's no need to force yourself. To fight against the goddess Tiamat, the most important thing is to fuse the Hogyoku and use the power of the Hogyoku to the limit. The Soul Society and Ichigo Kurosaki, whom you originally arranged, can help you achieve this step." Zhang Luo revealed Aizen's hidden arrangement without any concealment.

"According to the original plan?" Aizen wasn't surprised that Zhang Luo knew his background, but rather he was somewhat puzzled by Zhang Luo's intentions. If he wasn't planning on asking him to explode his troops in Hueco Mundo, then why...

Zhang Luo narrowed his eyes slightly and said quietly, "You can proceed with your original plan as you originally intended, as long as you don't waste combat power. In addition, I have a plan that incorporates your original plan. It's called the Final Trial of Humanity, for the goddess Tiamat in three months..."

……

"I'm not going to fight anymore. You can't do anything to me, and I can't do anything to you. There's no point in continuing to fight."

In the sight of the Shinigami, Zhang Luo and Aizen retreated in their final confrontation, and then Zhang Luo ended the battle.

"It should have been done long ago." Aizen said calmly, and his look made people feel that he had the upper hand in the battle.

"Dear Lily, I have to leave first. As for these matters concerning the god of death, you should stay out of the way." Zhang Luo greeted the red dragon Lily, and his figure flashed and disappeared.

Red Dragon Lily opened her mouth and wanted to say something, but she couldn't find her teacher anymore, so she could only close her mouth helplessly.

"This match ends here. You no longer have any reason to execute Kuchiki Rukia. As for Kurosaki Ichigo and Arisawa Ryuki, I don't think you intend to make enemies outside before the internal conflict is resolved. Nero, Lily, Shuten, it's time to go."

A few seconds later, a voice came from the White Stork Knight's mouth, and then the White Stork Knight flapped his wings and flew up.

Nero, Elizabeth and others took the opportunity to lift the barrier and left the place, leaving only Aizen and a group of Shinigami still on the street after the barrier was lifted.

Seeing this, a group of reporters and conquering officials hurriedly left to avoid being affected. The military and police outside also cooperated to evacuate the onlookers. After just over ten seconds, there was no one else in this area except a dozen or so death gods.

"Sinner Aizen, follow me back to Soul Society to stand trial."

Heavy footsteps sounded, and Captain Yamamoto strode out of the gate, glaring at Aizen. All his spiritual pressure burst out and suppressed Aizen.

"Captain Aizen, please surrender, otherwise we will immediately execute your accomplices." Hisagi Shuhei stared at Aizen coldly, and with a little force in his hand, the Soul-Slaying Sword pressed a bloody mark on Tosen Kaname's neck.

"I'm really sorry, Captain Aizen, we've all been caught. Do you want to leave by yourself?" Ichimaru Gin said to Aizen with a smile, his back pressed against Matsumoto Rangiku, with no intention of escaping from Matsumoto Rangiku's control.

"Calculating the time, it's time to arrive."

Aizen ignored Captain Yamamoto, Gin Ichimaru, and Hisagi Shuhei, and simply looked up at the sky, muttering to himself.

"Hisagi, Matsumoto, get out of the way!"

Before Hisagi Shuhei could ask a question, he heard Shihouin Yoruichi's stern shout.

Hisagi Shuhei and Matsumoto Rangiku subconsciously jumped back. At the same time, three yellow light screens fell from the sky, covering Aizen, Ichimaru Gin, and Tosen Kaname.

Everyone looked up at the sky and saw a crack in the sky torn by two pale claws. Then dozens of big voids poked their heads and claws out from the crack. The three yellow light curtains were connected to those big voids.

With a dull sound, the ground beneath the feet of Aizen, Ichimaru Gin, and Tosen Kaname suddenly cracked, and three huge rocks separated from the ground, carrying Aizen and the other two up into the sky.

Chapter 278 Lucky Call

The final trial plan for humanity was the plan that Zhang Luo and Aizen had discussed before. As for the content, to put it simply, it was to cause trouble, and do something big.

To be more specific, it is to create disasters for human beings in an artificial way, drive human beings to become stronger in the disasters, and prepare for the coming of the goddess Tiamat.

Of course, it doesn't matter if humans cannot pass the trial, because the main purpose of this trial is to gather the power of humanity. It makes no difference whether this power is gathered in the hands of humans or in the hands of the trial-taker.

The trial-taker in Karakura Town is Aizen, and the subjects of the trial are the Shinigami, Arisawa Ryuki, Inoue Orihime, Kurosaki Ichigo, Ishida Uryuu and others.

As for other trials, they have not yet been determined.

"Is that so? This is the final test for humans in order to force them to grow? This is indeed a good idea for the goddess Tiamat who will descend in three months." Arthur nodded and agreed.

"Well, even though you say that, things are not that simple. The first thing is the combat power of humans. Are you sure they have enough strength? If you ask the heroic spirits to help, then the trial will be meaningless." Young Jill thought for a while and said.

"This depends on you. First, use your eyes to see the hidden capability systems of various countries." Zhang Luo ordered Merlin and Young Gil.

"No problem, Omniscient and Omnipotent Star."

"Okay, just leave it to Brother Merlin."

Young Gil liberated the Star of Omniscience and Merlin also activated his ability of clairvoyance. In the eyes of both of them, the entire earth had no secrets.

After a few minutes, the expressions of Young Gil and Merlin became a little strange.

"This is too big of a deal, real person." Merlin said, and you can see that his expression is very solemn.

"What's going on?" Seeing Merlin's expression, Zhang Luo also became serious.

"Do you remember the ancient evil god in the information?" asked Young Jill.

"Of course, that should be a cabin in the woods." Zhang Luo recalled and said.

"So, do you remember the monster in the cabin in the woods?" Merlin asked.

"Of course, aren't they just the monsters in those horror movies? The one with real power is the so-called Ancient Evil God." Zhang Luo paused and asked in surprise, "Could that Ancient Evil God really be some great god?"

"Although he is not as good as the goddess Tiamat, he is also a very difficult guy, Kronos, the King of Titans." Young Gil said in a deep voice, with a frown on his face, seeming to be in great trouble.

"How come Kronos, the second generation king of gods in Greek mythology, was sealed in a cabin in the woods?" Arthur asked in surprise. In fact, what he meant was, why should humans seal a king of gods.

"They're not sealed in the cabin, but the cabin is built on top of the seal," Merlin explained. "There's a gap beneath the cabin, leading to the abyss of Tartarus. The Greek Age of the Gods in this universe is where the War of the Titans takes place. Under the cabin is where Kronos, the King of the Titans, escaped from the abyss. Although it was sealed by the Greek gods, a crack appeared long ago. Because of this, the undead monsters imprisoned in the cabin were trapped there by humans using the power that leaked out when Kronos, the King of the Titans, slept, and are unable to escape."

"Although all nations have repaired the seal, how could a mortal man possibly repair the seal of the Age of Gods? Therefore, they can only perform sacrifices to prevent the severely injured and sleeping Titan King Kronos from waking up."

"How strong is Kronos, the King of Titans?" Zhang Luo asked.

"If the goddess Tiamat did not have the power of the beast, the strength of the Titan King Kronos would be comparable to that of the goddess Tiamat. Moreover, the Titan King Kronos also has a group of monsters as his subordinates, which makes him very difficult to deal with." Merlin said.

"After all, he is the second generation of God-King of Greece." Young Gil added.

"By the way, the monsters imprisoned in the cabin in the woods should not be underestimated. Among them are even monsters comparable to first-class heroic spirits." Merlin added.

"Are you kidding me? How could a monster comparable to a first-rate heroic spirit be locked up?" Zhang Luo asked angrily.