As Shin burst through the encirclement, a horde of Gillians sluggishly raised their heads. Countless hollow eyes fixed upon the lone figure suspended in the center.
Caught in peril, Shin immediately stirred the countless reishi within his body and drew them all toward his chest. With a pulse outward, gather and release, four distinct orbs of condensed energy formed, hovering half a meter from his chest, back, and shoulders.
When the turbulence subsided, four glowing spheres floated in silence around him, each brimming with unmeasurable force.
The eerie crimson of enemy Ceros reflected against Shin's own orbs, creating a vast curtain of light suspended in the air. He knew well: these spheres were the source of Ring Cero. The trigger was simple, set them into orbit, let the friction with the atmosphere ignite their true nature.
He willed them into motion. The spheres whirled faster and faster, their orbital momentum rising sharply. As speed grew, their friction against the air left streaks of blazing light, forming a luminous circuit that encased him. At this moment, Shin looked as though he had been bound within a ring of light.
The Gillians grew restless. Their primal instincts screamed of danger, warning that the halo spinning around Shin carried overwhelming killing intent. Though dim-witted, they understood enough: if they didn't fire first, they would be annihilated.
Their jaws stretched wide, each gathering unstable orbs of scarlet energy. But before they could release, the spinning halo surrounding Shin reached its critical temperature. With a sound like silk tearing, Ring Cero erupted.
The spheres exploded outward, unleashing a violent wave of energy that swept in all directions. The atmosphere wavered, temperatures soared, and a fiery storm engulfed the battlefield.
The Gillians had no defense. Compared to Shin's surging ring of light, the small Ceros trembling at their lips were laughably fragile.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The clash detonated in a rapid chain of explosions. Each Gillian's Cero was shredded and blown apart at its surface. Masks cracked and shattered one after another, fragments scattering before the oncoming tide. The ripple of Ring Cero surged past them, swallowing even the ranks behind.
On the ground below, Peśche gawked mid-battle. "Did you see that? Shin's Cero, it's not the usual straight beam!"
"Maybe it's some kind of variant technique… Either way, that just solved a massive problem!" Dondochakka managed to reply, blocking another strike.
For Shin, this was the perfect chance to harvest attributes. Even one R-rank Cero would push him closer to his mission goal.
But before he could move, a flash of crimson cut across the darkness above. A new Cero streaked downward, faster and stronger than the rest. Its target wasn't Shin, it was aimed squarely at the blind spot behind Peśche and Dondochakka.
And there stood little Nel, defenseless.
Shin's heart lurched. He lunged forward, but even Sonído couldn't close the distance in time. The Cero struck Nel head-on.
Yet, no explosion, no cries. Nel simply opened her mouth and gulped. With a few muffled gulps, she devoured the entire Cero whole.
Shin slapped his forehead. "Right, I almost forgot. Nel can swallow Ceros!"
The next instant, she spat it back out. The stolen Cero retraced its path, flying skyward like a scarlet comet, then detonated against its unseen caster.
From within the smoke, more glowing orbs rained down, Bala. Shin recognized the technique instantly. Weaker than Cero, but twenty times faster.
"Ah!" Nel cried out as one Bala clipped her. Though not fatal, the impact sent her tumbling dozens of meters.
Shin dashed back to the ground, kneeling to catch her limp body. "Nel! Are you alright? Where does it hurt? Tell me!"
Her small hand brushed his cheek, her voice faint and broken. "Nel… hit the bad guy. Nel… tried hard. Nel… was good… right?"
Shin's chest tightened.
Peśche and Dondochakka rushed over, flanking him in defense. In this state, even Bala and Cero would be pointless, whoever attacked had revealed himself.
From the shadows descended a figure. Dressed in pure white, a red sash tied at his waist, a sword at his side, slicked-back hair, though charred and ragged from the reflected blast.
"You've got skill," the man said coolly, "but it's your misfortune to run into me. I am No.103, Dordoni Alessandro Del Socacchio."
Shin's eyes narrowed. Three-digit Arrancar… former Espada who had been cast aside, often relegated to guarding Las Noches. For one to appear here in the Forest of Menos, there had to be someone pulling the strings. It matched the suspicions he had been forming.
His thoughts cut short as Dordoni vanished from the ground and reappeared in a blur. Peśche and Dondochakka were both booted aside with ease. Even stripped of Espada rank, he was still far above ordinary followers.
Shin clutched Nel tighter, locking eyes on every motion. Dordoni leapt high, leg raised for a crushing strike, aimed directly at the terrified child in Shin's arms.
"You little brat… you'll pay for embarrassing me!"
"Shin! Move!" Peśche and Dondochakka screamed, scrambling back to their feet. They had felt Dordoni's power firsthand and knew Shin wasn't his match.
But then, clang! A dull shockwave rang through the darkness. Dordoni landed unsteadily, his right leg caught in an unyielding grip.
Shin's eyes burned like an eagle's, his voice a quiet growl. "Because you laid a hand on Nel… you must die."
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150 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter