Chapter 402: BSUS Chapter 405: The Audience's Rules

A chess player should possess a certain level of resolve: when you arbitrarily manipulate the pieces, there might just be a pair of invisible hands hanging over your own head.

Just like Hiroe, who in the eyes of others could manipulate people’s fates, but at this moment could only continue moving forward alongside Ashido.

Ever since entering Las Noches, not a single enemy had appeared before them. And having walked this far, the notion that there were humans needing rescue in their direction was highly likely just a lie.

Hiroe was ninety-nine percent sure of this thought, but until the hourglass representing one hour truly ran out, he was just like a piece on a chessboard, only able to advance along a fixed route. And the invisible hand manipulating all of this belonged to Aizen.

As for why Aizen was doing this, Hiroe could roughly guess. Las Noches was largely still an exam for Ichigo and the others, a testing ground for their potential, and Aizen did not want him interfering too much.

Both sides were currently maintaining a certain degree of restraint. Like two opponents sitting far apart, they wouldn’t suddenly sweep the board clear; instead, they followed some unspoken rules to determine a victor in what was merely a game.

Of course, Hiroe was the one being forced into this. If Aizen were truly sitting across from him with a real chessboard between them, he probably would have flipped it into the man’s face long ago!

Unfortunately, this game where he could only watch from the sidelines seemed destined to continue. If he wanted to break the deadlock, he could only wait quietly.

Ashido appeared a bit more uneasy. He had likely sensed the abnormality as well, occasionally casting glances at Hiroe, yet unable to voice any of his questions.

“Are you worried that the Espada will pick off Ichigo and the others one by one?”

“That is a flaw in our formation. Looking at it now, it’s not impossible for the enemy to take that step. Besides, this is Las Noches, after all.”

Hiroe fell silent for a moment before continuing, “Aizen wouldn’t stoop so low as to bully those brats like that. Furthermore, a simple slaughter is quite boring from an audience’s perspective.”

Ashido said no more. From the current situation, Hiroe’s reasoning wasn’t wrong. If the enemy’s goal was truly to pick them off individually, then the other directions—such as the one Ginjō was facing—wouldn’t be dealing with three-digit Arrancars.

As they continued to advance, the distance between everyone was shrinking. Although it was unclear exactly what the enemy was plotting, things were indeed developing in a favorable direction for their side.

The two pressed on. Along the way, they could sense the other battles concluding one after another. As expected, no accidents occurred, and they eventually arrived before a massive door.

Judging by the time, if the humans from the previous footage weren’t behind this door, then there would be no need for them to go any further.

Without any expectation, let alone the relief of impending freedom, Ashido took the lead and pushed the door open. Hiroe followed closely behind into a room with a circular, domed ceiling.

Surprisingly, inside the massive cage in the center of the room were the very humans awaiting rescue—the ones they had almost concluded were a lie.

A look of joy crossed Ashido’s face. He was just about to step forward when Hiroe threw an arm out to stop him. Before Ashido could voice his confusion, a fierce flash of a blade instantly flared, slicing the distant cage in half and decapitating both the humans and Hollows inside!

“Chōzuka!”

“Look closely, Ashido. Those aren’t humans.”

Hiroe’s voice didn’t waver in the slightest. Following his calm gaze, Ashido realized that both the humans and the Hollows were spurting pitch-black blood.

“A trap. How despicable,” Ashido said through gritted teeth.

Hiroe, on the other hand, appeared unbothered. His eyes darted left and right before finally fixing on the center of the room. “Stop hiding and come out!”

*Another ambush.* Ashido instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword, his body gradually tensing up.

After a moment, no one appeared or responded in the room. *Could this be a probe from Chōzuka?*

Just as Ashido was thinking this, Hiroe said impatiently, “Do I have to drag you out myself?!”

Before his voice even faded, Hiroe raised his palm. A pillar of pale blue flame shot toward the center of the ceiling, only to suddenly explode in midair, as if it had hit an invisible wall.

“My, my, you still managed to find me?”

A somewhat shrill, androgynous voice echoed from above. The owner of the silhouette passed through the scattering fireworks, landing on the ground and offering a polite bow to Hiroe and Ashido.

“Szayelaporro, I should have killed you back then!” Ashido said coldly. If it weren’t for this traitor, Aizen’s plan to seize Karakura Town definitely wouldn’t have succeeded.

“That’s not for you to decide, Lord Ashido?” Szayelaporro mocked. His gaze lingered on Ashido for only a second before returning to Hiroe. “As long as Lord Chōzuka still needs me, I won’t die. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be so polite to me.”

“Only daring to control a shell to stand before me—you aren’t as confident as you claim, Szayelaporro.”

Hiroe mercilessly exposed him. With his true body absent, there was naturally no danger; this was the safety guarantee that allowed him to stand before Hiroe again.

“Your thoughts are still too difficult to fathom. Who knows if you’ve already found a replacement for me?”

Szayelaporro was quite candid, shifting the topic to ask, “I just have one question. How did you see through the trap with those humans? It couldn’t be that you just attacked directly because I was up there, right?”

“You always do unnecessary things, liking to put your own label on your creations, even if they are just counterfeits meant to deceive.” Hiroe pointed to his eyes. “Since when do so many humans have strange markings under their eyes like you?”

Ashido froze for a moment. The scene of the cage he had just seen flashed through his mind. It seemed Hiroe was right; the people he recalled all had strange markings around their eyes.

But to notice that and act instantly in such a situation… Even though he already had certain expectations, Ashido still looked at Hiroe as if he were looking at a freak.

“It can’t be helped. Who told those humans to be so utterly hideous? So hideous that I couldn’t stand it at all.” Szayelaporro closed his eyes and spread his hands in a look of disgust. Then, opening his eyes, he continued, “But to remain so calm in those final moments… those humans are still dispensable to you, aren’t they, Lord Chōzuka?”

“Saying such things to Ashido and me is completely meaningless, Szayelaporro.” Hiroe didn’t intend to waste his breath on this topic. “You didn’t show up here just to catch up or show off, did you?”

“If it’s just due to your own bizarre curiosity, I don’t have time to entertain you. Or, if you came here to tell me the rules I need to follow to proceed, then I suppose I can listen.”

“So, stop wasting time!”