"Roar!!"
The colossal Hollow, born from the fusion with Kenpachi Kuruyashiki, let out a bestial roar as endless streaks of red light converged in his mouth.
"This is bad! Try releasing Bankai…"
Szayelaporro, watching the brilliant crimson glow forming in Kuruyashiki mouth, broke into a cold sweat and immediately activated his Bankai.
"Whoosh!!"
In the next instant, a savage Hollow Flash tore toward Szayelaporro, obliterating everything behind him.
"Boom!!"
A terrifying explosion cleared the laboratory, reducing it to rubble. A mushroom cloud drifted upward, and the ground's dust vanished as if it were never there.
"Hm?! That spiritual pressure…"
Azashiro and his companions, lounging nearby, felt the reiatsu erupt and then rain down, their brows furrowing.
"It's like both a Shinigami and a Hollow. What on earth has that idiot Szayelaporro created?"
Lilinet closed her eyes to sense the pressure in the air.
"Whatever it is, that idiot's about to get killed by this bizarre creature. We have to help! We can't just stand by, right?"
Azashiro sat up from his chair and addressed the others.
"Right!"
Heribelle nodded lightly after hearing Azashiro.
"Roar!!"
The fusion-born Hollow—Kenpachi Kuruyashiki—stood amid the desert sands, roaring and bellowing, his unparalleled power on full display.
"Damn…"
Behind a rock about 500 meters away, half-charred, Szayelaporro grimaced. The enemy's power far exceeded his expectations—one strike had nearly killed him. Such terrifying might had never been seen before.
"Luckily, though, such overwhelming strength isn't paired with equal intelligence. It's nothing more than a beast. Given enough prep time, I might handle it—but for now, time to retreat…"
Szayelaporro stole one last glance at the Hollow before turning and hiding behind the rock, preparing to retreat and look for another opportunity.
"Phew~"
Then, in something like a scene from a horror tale, as Szayelaporro turned, standing in front of him was the very Hollow who had been roaring in the desert—just 500 meters away.
"Hm!?"
"How did you—?"
Szayelaporro stared in panic as the Hollow, panting, stood right before him.
"Slash!"
In that split second of fright, the Hollow's Zanpakutō severed Szayelaporro's arm.
"Run! I have to get out of here…"
Szayelaporro gawked at the Hollow that, with one blow, cut off his arm along with the massive rock behind him. His eyes filled with disbelief, and his only thought was escape—the enemy's combat strength was far beyond what he could handle.
"Smack!"
Before Szayelaporro could think further, the Hollow's massive foot smashed into his chest, kicking him along with the rock behind him.
"Boom!"
The rock shattered beneath him, and he skidded across the sandy ground for hundreds of meters before finally stopping.
"Roar!"
But again, before he could catch his breath, the Hollow's foot drove down on his chest.
"Hum!"
A glaring red light concentrated in the Hollow's mouth, the brightness so intense it made his scalp tingle.
"This is it—total destruction!"
As an alchemist, Szayelaporro watched the Hollow Flash—born of combined reiatsu—gather in Kuruyashiki mouth. Sweat dripped from his forehead; faced with this blow, he knew he wouldn't leave this world alive.
"Whoosh!"
The red light illuminated his vision.
"Boom!"
The devastating blast reverberated throughout the Bailurg territory. All Hollows, whether the unconscious Kilian or the self-aware Achucas, instinctively knelt, as if in worship of their king.
"Am I dead?"
Szayelaporro's final consciousness was of being swallowed by red light; he knew that if he'd been struck by a Hollow Flash of that magnitude, he would surely die.
"Wow~ Little Szayelaporro, what in the world have you created?!"
At that moment, a crisp voice spoke in his ear.
"Whose voice was that?"
Szayelaporro slowly opened his eyes.
Standing by his side was none other than Azashiro—who had also protected him from the blow.
"Roar?"
The Hollow—now fully fused—gazed at Azashiro confusion, uncertain how this person appeared or how he blocked the Hollow Flash.
"Smack!"
Before the Hollow could react, Azashiro kicked him flying, gouging a deep trench across the desert floor.
"Hey! What's going on, Szayelaporro? What is that strange thing doing here?"
Heribelle glared at Szayelaporro as she demanded an explanation.
"This... can we call it an accident?"
Szayelaporro rose, brushed dust from his clothes, and forced a wry smile. His usual poise shattered, he reflected on his miscalculation—he never anticipated the Wastoud-class Hollow would fuse with Kuruyashiki, let alone in a symbiotic form, much less one beyond his predictions.
"An accident? Causing such a mess for Lord Azashiro? You may as well kill yourself."
Heribelle's tone was calm as she laid out Szayelaporro's sins.
"Haha... not now... This thing is more interesting than I thought."
Azashiro interjected, as the Hollow rose again from the desert floor—Azashirohad never assumed it would be so easy to defeat.
"Roar!!"
The Hollow roared at Azashiro much like a Hollow, but instead of attacking him as it did Szayelaporro, it approached instinctually, as if thinking.
"Just as I conjectured—Hollows evolve by removing the mask they wear, while Shinigami evolve by putting one on!"
Azashiro observed the partially human, but increasingly Hollow-like Kuruyashiki, his eyes gleaming.