[136] King’s Game

The instant Louise felt this illusion grip her, the surrounding environment shifted dramatically.

The ground, previously swept bare, rippled outward like waves unfurling across the sea, forming cascading tides, almost like ripples.

Makoto stood a short distance from the woman, a faint smile slowly spreading across his face.

The blade, reduced to half its length, gradually extended into the form of Oharai Gougi, adorned with black-and-red ribbons, transforming into a four-foot tachi.

His voice seemed to overlap with that of his zanpakuto.

[First, let's make a pact.]

[Until one of us wishes to stop, neither of us can die.]

The layered voices, blending the tones of a man and a young girl, echoed in Louise's ears simultaneously.

The pure white woman froze, her expression faltering instinctively.

Makoto's demeanor remained calm, his hand already resting on the slender blade of Oharai Gougi.

At the same time, a translucent interface, like a pop-up window, reflected in his vision.

[Playlife x Free World]

Alongside it, several inner-world scripts unfolded in sync.

[Corpse Party!]

[Hypnosis! Life Coach!]

[King's Game?]

[NTR Dark Elf Invasion!]

Flashing screens popped up like windows before Makoto's eyes.

As usual, not a single one was remotely proper.

But Makoto had grown accustomed to it.

He casually selected a world, his gaze calmly lifting to meet the woman standing opposite him, her expression still laced with arrogance. His tone was light.

"Though it's a bit late to say this now."

"For you…"

"I might be one of the worst possible matchups in all of Gotei 13."

Hearing Makoto's words, Louise's beautiful face creased with a slight frown.

Yet, under her Vollständig, she retained absolute confidence, His Majesty's power was invincible.

This was her faith!

Naturally, upon hearing Makoto's words, Louise responded with only a scornful smile.

"You?"

The moment her words fell.

[Free World: King's Game?]

[Theme: Authority and Command!]

[Background: The game is the path to seizing the King's orders… but the kind of game played is often unfair.]

[Rule: The King's commands are absolute!]

As the panel appeared before both their eyes, the rippling ground beneath their feet, like ocean waves, began to tremble abruptly.

At the same time, two new lines appeared on the panel before Makoto.

[Please select a game: ???]

Makoto smiled at Louise, her hands empty, and slowly selected the [Fencing] option.

The moment the game was chosen, the trembling earth came to a sudden halt.

Louise turned her head warily.

The once-empty ground had transformed, unnoticed, into a blood-soaked battlefield littered with corpses and weapons, exuding a grim, murderous aura.

The two stood at the very center of the battlefield.

Countless swords of varying shapes were plunged into the ground around them, encircling them in a vast arena.

[Round 1: Fencing]

[Rule: Only striking a vital point with a weapon counts as a point!]

Hearing the voice that suddenly echoed in her mind, Louise's gaze darted cautiously around the environment, her senses on edge.

But as she looked closely, she suddenly noticed something.

Among the corpses strewn across the ground, the vast majority were women, most of them petrified.

Rather than the dead, they resembled stone sculptures crafted to look like corpses.

Only their expressions…

Louise glanced at the face of a female corpse near her feet, mouth agape, tongue lolling out, and felt an odd unease.

How did these people die?

The thought crossed her mind.

Just then, Makoto's flippant voice reached her ears.

"You still have the leisure to study them?"

Louise raised her head, her face cold as carved ice, and said flatly, "The one who should be afraid is you, Shinigami."

"If your zanpakuto's ability is merely this, playing tricks and altering the environment…"

"Then this is your end."

Her crescent-moon-like porcelain eyes reflected Makoto's figure.

The moment her words fell, Louise reached out with her right hand, touching her heart.

Yet Makoto stood his ground, watching her quietly.

"Erase."

Thud!

The invisible rule took effect deep within the woman's body, obliterating the concept of her 'heart.'

In sync, Makoto, caught in her gaze, felt a sudden emptiness in his chest.

As if something had been lost.

His body collapsed heavily to the ground, blood surging from his mouth, producing a muffled sound.

"Hm?"

Seeing him fall so decisively, even Louise herself paused, momentarily stunned.

She hadn't expected victory to come so easily.

But as she stepped forward to inspect Makoto's corpse, a panel prompt suddenly flashed before her eyes.

[Pfft!]

[King's Game Participant: Louise]

[Rule Violation: 1!]

[Notice: In the 'King's Game,' only methods permitted by the rules may be used.]

The moment the voice faded, Louise was shocked to see the number [3] above her head slowly change to [2].

Not only that.

As the number decreased, the single wing of reishi behind her, like a flame burning out, flickered and shuddered violently, forcibly diminished by some unseen force.

Even the vast reishi coursing through her blood was stripped away by this invisible rule.

Louise froze.

Then, she abruptly backed away from Makoto's 'corpse,' her gaze wary as she stared at him.

"What did you do?!"

"What is this…?"

For the first time, her pure white, icy face showed such intense emotion, as if roaring in disbelief, a faint trace of fear glinting in the depths of her eyes.

Cough! Cough!

Makoto, feigning death, coughed up blood and slowly rose from the ground.

Above his head, the number shifted from [3] to [4].

A smile lingered on his face.

Louise could clearly sense that his reiatsu had surged significantly compared to moments ago.

Makoto's tone remained light. "The rules should have already been explained to you, right?"

"In this world, you can only follow my rules."

"Louise-san."

Gripping the slender Oharai Gougi, Makoto gazed at the pure white woman with a hint of mockery in his eyes.

Hearing his airy words, Louise's porcelain-white, moon-like eyes widened abruptly.

Whether she believed it or not, Makoto had no intention of pausing his explanation.

Just as Louise's abilities were bound by this world's rules, explaining those rules to his opponent was a 'rule' he, too, had to follow.

"There's only one way to win in this world."

As he spoke, Makoto raised his blade toward Louise.

His expression gradually hardened.

"And that is-"

"To slay your opponent with the weapon in your hand."

The instant she heard this, Louise's eyes widened instinctively.

Such an unfair rule…

How could I possibly comply!

But before she could react, Makoto's speed surged to its peak. Like a streak of light, he shot across the ground, his blade tearing through the air with a piercing hum.

Swish!

"Erase-"

Yet, before Louise could finish her words, Makoto's blade flickered, becoming intangible for a moment.

[Sakuingyakuka]

The blade sliced through the air without a trace, cleaving into the arm Louise raised to block.

Silent.

In that instant, a flash of confusion crossed Louise's eyes.

Though her body, gifted by Yhwach, had transcended ordinary human limits, her will remained her weakest link.

The moment she was cut, Louise forgot what she intended to do next.

But Makoto's blade showed no mercy.

It swiftly followed with a strike to her neck.

Her throat was severed.

Cold, dark red blood flowed out.

Her rigid body lost all strength in an instant.

Yet, as the blade cut through her, Louise regained her senses.

Her gaze toward Makoto grew increasingly uncertain.

What exactly is his ability?!

A gentle smile remained on Makoto's face. "Didn't I tell you?"

"There are countless ways to kill you."

"And also…"

"I suggest you check your face."

Instinctively, Louise turned, using a nearby upright sword as a mirror to glimpse her reflection.

A stroke of jet-black ink had appeared on her cheek, unnoticed.

It formed a faint horizontal line.

Though she didn't yet know its purpose, the sight triggered an overwhelming sense of crisis within her.

If she let this mark persist, something catastrophic would surely happen.

What is this King's Game?

What happens to the loser?

Such timid thoughts surfaced in Louise's mind.

But the next moment, she cast them aside.

"Don't think you can toy with me so easily!"

"If your ability is this 'world'…"

"Then I'll just erase it entirely!"

Louise's voice rose, her once arrogant and scornful tone now uncontrollably sharp. The single wing behind her flared and expanded, unleashing the full force of her reiatsu.

The pure white woman stood with arms outstretched, her slender hands engulfed in white flames.

"Erase!"

A piercing cry erupted from Louise's lips.

Standing before her, Makoto could clearly feel the invisible wave spreading outward in all directions.

Weapons, corpses, sand, soil, stones…

Everything crumbled and dissolved under this intangible force, scattering like dandelions in a hurricane, reduced to pulverized ash.

In an instant, everything within hundreds of meters of the two was obliterated.

All 'existence' within their field of vision was erased by this unreasonable power, leaving only the purest void.

Thud.

Louise collapsed to her knees, gasping heavily as the immense reiatsu drain took its toll.

Only the small patch of ground beneath her feet should remain, right?

How will you counter this, Shinigami?

With that thought, a faint smile crept onto Louise's rigid face as she lifted her head.

But when she looked up, Makoto stood calmly before her.

Louise's gaze faltered.

A trace of confusion flickered in her eyes.

It wasn't just Makoto.

The ground, the corpses, the weapons…

Everything remained unchanged.

"What… is this?"

Her murmured question, almost to herself, was answered only by Makoto.

"Didn't I tell you, Louise-san?"

Makoto reached out, gently lifting her chin to meet his eyes, colder than steel.

"Now, you must follow my game's rules."

His words fell.

Without a hint of pity, his blade plunged straight into Louise's chest, drawing a spray of blood.

Louise's body stiffened for a moment.

As the blade was withdrawn, no trace of the wound remained.

Another stroke appeared on her face, a vertical line.

At that moment, urgency gripped Louise's heart.

"No!"

"If this continues…"

"I'll die horribly!"

Though she didn't know the 'consequence,' it certainly wouldn't be pleasant.

With that thought, dozens of reishi veins extended across her skin. Bolstered by her single wing, her physical strength and reiatsu surged dramatically.

With a Swish! she lunged to the side, seizing a gleaming katana.

"Finally getting serious?"

Makoto gazed calmly at the woman, his smile faint. "But even a blade…"

"Isn't something you can just pick up and kill with."

As his words fell, he effortlessly sidestepped Louise's full-force thrust.

In the moment they passed, his tachi slashed upward.

A waist-severing strike!

Louise tumbled to the ground with a muffled thud.

A third stroke appeared on her beautiful face.

"This thing…"

"What kind of rule is this?!"

When someone is stripped of their greatest strength and laid bare before another, it's no surprise they'd appear utterly helpless.

Yet, the pure white woman seemed to feel nothing. Once her body fully restored, she struggled to her feet, charging at Makoto again and again.

Until her fifth death.

On her face, a complete '5 counts' character finally formed.

In that moment, Louise's entire body was completely frozen.

Unable to move.

***

Bonus Chapter:

100 Power Stones = 1 BC

300 Power Stones = 2 BC

500 Power Stones = 3 BC

700 Power Stones = 4 BC

1000 Power Stones = 5 BC

***

If you want to read up to 50 chapters ahead, don't hesitate to visit our patron: pat reon . com / XElenea (remove space)