"Hahahaha."
A hysterical laughter boomed in the white hallways. Just the sheer joy on this person's face wouldn't spread happiness; it filled others with sheer dread. Only one scientist in Las Noches acted with such insanity.
Szayelaporro Granz.
The unlucky duo enduring Szayelaporro's sadistic laughter, or rather the source of his pleasure, were Menoly and Cirucci. The two wished for nothing more than to crush this mad scientist—but for now, their hands were tied. Hot on their heels was a relentless army of Hollows that looked identical to Cirucci and Menoly. The only difference between them was the purple marking on the clones' eyes.
They were Szayelaporro's creations, formed through the Carbon Copy ability of his Resurrección.
Although these clones couldn't use Resurrección themselves, their base ability wasn't much inferior to Cirucci and Menoly. Only their meager intelligence withheld them from making the best use of their strength. Or else, they would have long overwhelmed the pair.
Mixed with this clone horde was Szayelaporro's personal Hollow army, each one more abominably hideous than the last. Each one had gone through experiments to make them strong, resulting in them developing extreme personalities. It wasn't wrong to say they gained strength at the cost of their sanity.
"Cirucci, how do we deal with this?" Menoly cried, desperation clear in her voice. They'd come ready for a tough battle, but nothing could've prepared them for Szayelaporro's Resurrección having the ability to mass-produce clones.
Tragically, Menoly was wrong about them being unprepared. Kazuya had given Cirucci all the information they needed about Szayelaporro because he wanted her to get rid of him on her own. But the self-proclaimed evil lady... hadn't been listening. Too busy enjoying herself in his arms, Cirucci had let critical intelligence slip past her ears. If Menoly had known that, she'd have forgotten all decorum and cursed Cirucci out loud for getting them into this nightmare.
Cirucci remained mute in the face of Menoly's question. Sure, it wasn't hard for the two of them to kill a hundred. They could even kill a thousand. But charging headlong into this endless horde won't be different from suicide. Kazuya's immunity to death worked through Reiatsu. She was concerned that if thousands of Adjuchas drowned them, his Reiatsu might drain too fast. And they weren't the only ones relying on his immortality right now; the more important battles took place someplace else.
The depletion of Kazuya's Reiatsu would spell certain death for the two of them.
As such, Cirucci avoided a frontal clash, her retaliation limited to throwing Cero from time to time to keep those clones at bay.
"Cirucci?" Menoly asked in a concerned tone. "Hey! Are we just going to run?!"
Just as Cirucci was about to speak, a calm and soothing voice reached her. "Just fight. Don't worry about my Reiatsu."
A sense of warmth washed over her, realizing that he was still watching over her, despite Harribel and everyone being present here. This trivial gesture and tiny bit of attention left her feeling touched.
Cirucci nodded diligently before looking over her shoulder and revealing a vicious expression. "Come, we'll kill our way to that lunatic!"
Having enough of this humiliation, she swung her whip. The giant disc slammed into the horde, obliterating several dozen clones in an instant. The opening she created filled immediately, but she swung again, the massive blade tearing through the army without mercy.
Menoly trembled at the spectacle of blood and flesh. The fact that nearly half of them wore her own face made her stomach twist and turn. These images would haunt her nightmares for the coming months, if not years.
"Menoly, don't just stand there! Help me kill these freaks!"
Menoly snapped out of it, hurriedly accumulating her Reiryoku into a red Cero and hurled it into the horde, creating some breathing room for Cirucci. It was the extent of her support. Her Resurrección required close combat, but throwing herself into that meat grinder would only waste Kazuya's Reiatsu.
The cost wasn't worth it since her strength was leagues below even Cirucci, who had yet to use her Resurrección.
Just like that, the two waged a war against Szayelaporro's army.
After a few moments, Cirucci paused, spotting a familiar face on one of the heads flying through the air. "Eh, that guy… he looked like that one of Grimmjow's…"
Her shock lasted for a moment before she resumed her slaughter. Clones were annihilated left and right, their flesh and blood covering the white hallways. She couldn't give a damn about Grimmjow's friends when facing a tough opponent like Szayelaporro.
Szayelaporro, who was basking in the pleasure of watching Cirucci and Menoly slaughter their own clones, suddenly appeared not too far from Cirucci. His Resurrección form didn't look much different from usual, except for the two massive, gray, branch-like structures sprouting from his back, resembling twisted butterfly wings. Each branch dripped with twelve red, teardrop-like strands.
A look of interest flashed in his eyes. He waved his hands, and all the clones and Hollows retreated. The hallway was eerily empty all of a sudden.
Cirucci calmly tilted her head in a taunting manner. "What else have you got?"
Menoly was stunned speechless by Cirucci's action. They barely survived the horde, yet Cirucci's confidence made it seem like this battle was a breeze. This confidence wasn't faked either. Cirucci truly believed in her victory against Szayelaporro. Such belief may have shaken many; unfortunately, she was up against an insane man.
Unbeknownst to Menoly, Cirucci's confidence stemmed from her improved mindset: could this mad scientist be worse than her previous existential crisis? She, who had crawled out of the depths of despair, didn't even put death in her eye, much less a lunatic man devoid of virtue.
Szayelaporro's hands rested lightly on his elbows, his posture more contemplative than defensive. "Cirucci, I'm a little curious. You had excavated hundred percent of your potential, and you were just an ordinary Adjuchas. What did you experience outside to have this growth?"
Cirucci used to be a weakling in his eyes; he couldn't say the woman standing before him. She gave him a feeling of pressure even before she released her Resurrección. Winning against her was almost impossible without involving trickery, unless she forgot her combat instincts as an Espada.
She shook her head. "Telling you is just a waste of time. You're going to die today."
Menoly patted Cirucci's shoulder. "We should just attack."
Giving more preparation time to Szayelaporro wasn't the right move in any situation. Moreover, Menoly wanted to get the hell away from Las Noches as soon as possible. This place provoked memories she wanted to forget, memories of a certain "friend" who used to bully her. Although Loly ultimately betrayed her, there was no denying the bond they built in Hueco Mundo.
Cirucci snorted. "You have me and Kazuya. You can't die as well. What are you afraid of?"
Menoly was speechless again. Facing an old enemy, Cirucci seemed to have unconsciously slipped back into her old Espada persona, showing the arrogance that got her to pay a heavy price for underestimating Kazuya. It couldn't be helped, as this was simply how she acted in front of strangers. The caring Cirucci only showed up for her friends and family.
Szayelaporro lowered his chin and looked at the two with a sharp, piercing gaze. "You said you can't die?"
"Only us. You will die."
She still didn't make a move, looking wary of any trap around Szayelaporro. His current position was full of openings. However, Cirucci didn't dare act hastily.
Szayelaporro burst into laughter. "Very well, I'll get to the bottom of your secrets my way."
As he finished, the wings on his back suddenly expanded and pounced on them. Cirucci was quick to react and leaped backward. Menoly, however, didn't have the same reaction speed. The massive red bulge swallowed her and spat her out in the next second.
...
You can read 20 more chapters on my Patreon!
patreon.com/Lordheaven