Bleach: Watch Closely, This Is How You Use a Zanpakutō novel Chapter 171

Chapter 171 - 171: Exotic Allure

"Give it up. Crying and wailing aren't sounds I enjoy hearing."

Masatsuki Aozaki murmured softly, as if offering a final act of mercy to the pitiful souls before him.

He let out a faint sigh, a hint of unspeakable sorrow flickering in his eyes—an expression so out of place on someone so ruthless that it begged the question: what could possibly make him feel such grief?

He had chosen to walk a bloodstained path in pursuit of power.

Not because he enjoyed it. Not because he reveled in the thrill of taking lives.

But he would never regret it. And he would never turn back.

Masatsuki Aozaki slowly extended his palm. His hand, pale and delicate like white jade, radiated a chilling coldness that sent shivers down the spine.

With a simple wave, he forcefully tore the soul from the woman who had unleashed waves of water, ripping it straight from her body.

Her body convulsed violently before crumpling lifelessly to the side.

"No! I don't want to die!"

A Fullbringer let out a terrified scream, his eyes filled with despair and unwillingness.

"Ginjō-sama! Where are you?! Please—save us!"

Another Fullbringer cried out, his voice hoarse with desperation, clinging to the last sliver of hope.

But their pleas found no mercy.

Masatsuki Aozaki's expression remained cold as he swung his hand once more. Like a ghostly specter, it slipped swiftly and precisely into the chests of one Fullbringer after another.

Each movement was met with an anguished scream, followed by the easy extraction of a soul that gleamed with an eerie green glow.

No matter how fiercely they struggled, their resistance was meaningless before Masatsuki Aozaki.

Their strength was insignificant. Their defiance—futile.

All they could do was watch helplessly as their souls were torn away, their hatred lingering even as their consciousness faded.

"Go in," Masatsuki Aozaki murmured, his voice unnervingly calm.

With a subtle flick of his wrist, the snaking tendrils of light unraveled and dissipated. In his hand, a beautiful, crystal-clear gemstone emerged.

At this moment, for both Masatsuki Aozaki and the Hōgyoku, there was no safer place in the world than right here.

And so, this priceless gem remained ever at his side.

The thin veil of Reishi surrounding the Hōgyoku slowly peeled away, as though lifted by invisible hands.

Masatsuki Aozaki brought his left hand closer.

In an instant, the souls in his grasp—along with the precious fragments of the Soul King contained within them—were drawn into the Hōgyoku by an overwhelming suction force.

For a brief moment, the Hōgyoku's surface, once a dull bluish-black, began to pulsate with an intense flickering light—like the frantic beating of a heart—radiating waves of unsettling energy.

But the disturbance didn't last long.

Soon, its glow dimmed, the energy fluctuations subsided, and all was still once more.

Masatsuki Aozaki let out a slow breath, finally relaxing as a relieved smile spread across his face.

Gently, he ran his fingers over the Hōgyoku, eyes gleaming with satisfaction, before carefully tucking it away.

"The Soul King fragment has finally satisfied the Hōgyoku," Masatsuki Aozaki murmured, his voice carrying a hint of barely restrained excitement.

"Next, I'll need the souls of Hollows."

At that thought, his brows furrowed slightly.

Testing the Hōgyoku's abilities could not be delayed, yet the Gotei 13's oversight on various affairs had only grown stricter. Conducting Hollowfication experiments now would be too risky. For the time being, he had no choice but to put that plan on hold.

"In that case, I'll start with the Arrancar experiment. This way, I can collect souls at the same time."

Tightly clutching the Hōgyoku in his arms, Masatsuki Aozaki's gaze hardened with unwavering determination.

He had waited far too long for this day—now, at last, his goal was within reach.

A surge of exhilaration coursed through him as he took in his surroundings. The trees and grass swayed in the wind, their rustling sounds resembling a chorus of celebration, as if the world itself was rejoicing alongside him.

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