Bleach: Watch Closely, This Is How You Use a Zanpakutō novel Chapter 186

Chapter 186 - 186: Stairway

The Hōgyoku began to heat up without warning.

It seemed to be trying to convey something, and somehow, Masatsuki Aozaki instinctively grasped its meaning.

Like an intricate spider's web, countless fine threads of Reiatsu streamed endlessly from within the Hōgyoku, weaving outward and rapidly linking with the branches of the surrounding trees.

This was what the Hōgyoku desired!

"Strange... After its completion, the Hōgyoku showed no reaction to ordinary Soul King fragments, so why does it now crave these bizarre 'pieces of flesh'?"

Pressing a hand against his chest, Masatsuki Aozaki murmured to himself, puzzled.

Yet, despite his uncertainty, he made no move to stop the Hōgyoku.

Threads of Reiatsu continued to flow from his chest, slipping through his fingers and extending outward, deepening their connection with the thicket.

Under their influence, the once rigid branches softened, moving with an eerie fluidity—like sentient tendrils swaying in the air.

One by one, the upper branches latched onto the Reiatsu threads, slowly drawing together and converging in their direction.

Then, the massive tree at the heart of the grove erupted with a brilliant white light.

It was at that moment that Masatsuki Aozaki finally realized the truth—this dense thicket before him wasn't simply vegetation.

It was nothing more than decaying flesh clinging to the massive tree.

"What the hell is this? Is it really a piece of the Soul King's flesh? Or... could it be one of the Soul King's internal organs?"

His eyes widened in shock as he stared at the unfolding scene.

Fixing his gaze on the tree, Masatsuki Aozaki's expression grew contemplative, as though he were peering beyond its bark, glimpsing the passage of time itself.

With measured steps, he approached its base, feeling the pulsing energy beneath his feet.

Then, he slowly raised a hand and pressed his palm against the tree trunk.

In an instant, a powerful surge of energy rippled outward from his hand, triggering a violent resonance with the Hōgyoku!

The intensity of the reaction crashed over him like a tidal wave.

And then, something incredible happened.

The massive tree began to tremble violently!

The very earth beneath him shuddered in response.

Branches sagged downward, while the once lifeless white thicket—now seemingly imbued with vitality—began surging toward the center, frantically converging.

It was as if the colossal "tree" had suddenly awakened.

Yet, it did not possess life in the way ordinary creatures did.

Instead, it moved in a grotesque imitation of the living—an existence that was both active and dead.

Then, from the thick, gnarled trunk, a gigantic eye silently opened.

The sclera was pitch black, with only the central pupil emitting an eerie, profound glow.

It stared at Masatsuki Aozaki—silent, unblinking, devoid of life.

And then, without warning, countless branches and vines surged forward like a tidal wave, rushing toward him.

They seemed to be reaching out—longing to pull him into their embrace!

Yet, despite the abruptness of it all, Masatsuki Aozaki remained utterly calm.

His expression was still and unshaken, like the surface of an undisturbed pool.

"Have you already passed on?"

Masatsuki Aozaki murmured softly, but even as he spoke, the words felt uncertain.

His gaze rested on the lifeless eyes before him, a faint trace of sorrow flickering within.

With a quiet sigh, as if lamenting its fate, he slowly spread his arms. He made no resistance as the branches and vines coiled around him, their movements gentle—like soft, sentient tendrils embracing him.

In the depths of his tranquil, lake-like gaze, the massive tree and the surrounding grove suddenly erupted with a dazzling, almost blinding light.

In the blink of an eye, the entire sky seemed to ignite, radiating an overwhelming brilliance.

What was once a world shrouded in darkness was now engulfed by endless white light.

All around him, the snow-white thickets began to contract and close in upon themselves, moving with an eerie slowness. They intertwined seamlessly, merging into one, without a single gap or flaw.

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