"Does melee combat actually have the same combat power as me, or even stronger?" Although Ryder was trying to appear relaxed, a deep fear began to take root within him.
He possessed some of the world's top strength, but facing Aizen, it felt like all of it was being suppressed. Even those aspects he thought he could rely on seemed irrelevant.
This situation was familiar to him, but only when he faced opponents far weaker than himself. Now, however, the roles had reversed.
"Is there a higher level above what's considered the top?" Ryder thought, unable to shake the growing pressure.
Aizen, standing calmly before him, didn't show any sign of struggle, no matter the situation. Ryder couldn't find any weakness in him. Swordsmanship, Kidō—nothing seemed effective, and even his own ability to read others' hearts couldn't penetrate Aizen's composed exterior.
Aizen smiled gently. "Ryder, the world you're familiar with is no longer the one in control. The world is shifting, without most even realizing it. I speak truth, and the sooner you acknowledge this, the better."
Ryder scoffed. To someone who had lived through this world's many changes, Aizen's words seemed nothing more than abstract nonsense.
But Aizen's words held weight. "You're denying it, but deep down you know it. You don't want to accept that change is inevitable. You'd rather stay within the rules you understand. But you've already failed to prove that these rules are still in play."
Aizen's calm, persuasive tone almost made Ryder doubt himself. But Ryder wasn't easily swayed. With a fierce growl, he raised his umbrella sword, causing the earth to tremble as massive red slashes tore through the air, aimed directly at Aizen.
Aizen didn't flinch. Instead, Reiatsu surrounded him, the pressure growing so intense that it seemed to suffocate the very air.
The sword energy Ryder released was swept away effortlessly, destroyed by the sheer force of Aizen's Reiatsu. It wasn't even a contest.
Aizen's Reiatsu crushed Ryder's attack as though it were nothing. He now stood at 20% of the Aizen template's potential power, which allowed him to fight opponents like the Golden Lion, and even face off against top-tier figures like Ryder with ease.
Ryder's eyes widened in disbelief as Aizen's momentum forced his attacks to crumble. The man who had once seemed like a fledgling now towered over him with a terrifying aura.
"How could this be…?" Ryder muttered, his mind reeling from the sheer power radiating from Aizen.
"I told you, the world is changing," Aizen continued, his voice calm yet filled with an undeniable confidence. "And you, Ryder, are so attached to the past that you can't even see the future."
Aizen's words held a certainty that made Ryder's stomach twist. His entire being felt the weight of that ominous shift in the world around him.
Without waiting for Ryder's response, Aizen raised his hand. "Hadō No Ninety-Nine: Five Swirling Dragons of Destruction!"
Blue Reiatsu surged into the sky, forming five majestic dragons of energy that swirled around Aizen.
"You talk too much! I'm the Red Earl! Lonely Ryder!!!" The fury in Ryder's voice was palpable as he swung his umbrella sword furiously, each strike infused with immense Armament Haki.
The dense, lethal sword energy collided with the swirling dragons, creating an explosion of light that illuminated the surroundings.