Chapter 117: Infinite Hollow Flash Light.
At the location of the Fourth Division pillar, the battlefield had already been scorched into ruin.
The ground was burned to cinders, as if the world itself had been cauterized. Only the stone pillar remained, standing stubbornly, continuously releasing an invisible fluctuation that disturbed a vast stretch of space time.
Nanao stayed atop the pillar, maintaining the four sided barrier. That alone had nearly drained her stamina and spiritual power dry.
Her face was pale. Sweat streamed down her cheeks, and her body trembled uncontrollably.
It was not just from exhaustion.
It was also because of what she could see.
A barren world that should have been white was now dyed black. White gravel, white quartz trees, white rocks, all of it burned. And considering the height difference from the surrounding terrain, calling it a meteor crater with a diameter of over ten kilometers would have been more accurate.
The one responsible hovered in midair, black wings spread wide, a batlike demon wearing a human shape.
The spiritual pressure rolling off him made it feel as if a vast ocean hung in the sky, heavy enough to crush the lungs.
That same oppressive color clung to the bright, pale green spear of light in his hand.
"I need to correct my previous statement."
Ulquiorra looked down at the man standing in the scorched earth below.
"Captain class Shinigami really are no more than this. But you are different. Relying only on your Shikai, you were able to contend with my Resurrección."
"That is why I used my second release, which no one has ever seen."
"Honestly, I thought you would be instantly killed by Lanza del Relámpago. I did not expect you to survive my attacks again and again, even if it was at a great cost."
"Is this what you call conviction supporting you?"
On the ground, Kyōraku held his two large swords.
His captain's haori and outer coat were gone, whether burned away or torn apart. What remained of his Shinigami uniform was shredded and hanging loose. Wounds covered him.
His face was smeared with blood and the black stains of smoke and flame. He looked miserable.
Yet he still wore that easygoing smile.
"Who knows? Why talk about big principles on a battlefield where one of us has to die?"
"Conviction or whatever, that's the kind of thing you could argue about for days and nights and still not explain."
"In the end, it's simple. I don't want to die."
"If I die, everything ends. And living might not be much better, either. My whole body aches to the bone from your attacks. It feels like my organs are going to shatter from the shock."
Kyōraku let out a tired breath, then chuckled as if it were someone else's problem.
"I didn't think you could transform again after Resurrección. I'm really unlucky to run into the only Espada with a second release."
"An enemy that won't die and keeps changing forms. For someone like me, someone who can only play around with small tricks that don't amount to much, you could call it my natural nemesis."
"I'm not joking. If your thrown spear had even slightly better aim, I would've been dust a long time ago."
Ulquiorra did not accept the self deprecation.
"It is those small tricks you mentioned that inflicted considerable damage on me, forcing me to use my full strength."
"And I know you have trump cards you still haven't used."
"Show them to me."
"Your Bankai."
"Bankai…" Kyōraku sighed, as if saying the word alone was troublesome. "I guess it's finally time."
"Your strength went far beyond what I expected. Are you really only Number Four? I've got a feeling you could rank higher."
"But either way, the fact remains. I can't defeat you with Shikai alone."
"If I keep hiding it and the pillar gets destroyed, that's one thing. Captain Shimiya probably won't blame me."
"But you don't look like the type who would let us off easily."
"Yes."
Ulquiorra's voice did not waver in the slightest.
"My orders, besides destroying the pillars, also include fighting to the very end."
"Unless there is no one left to kill, I will not stop."
"…That's strange." Kyōraku tilted his head, a faint look of contemplation passing through the blood and soot. "If that kind of order came from someone else, I'd call it cruel."
"But hearing it from you, it just sounds natural."
"Maybe because… you simply don't understand the human heart?"
For the first time, Ulquiorra showed something close to displeasure.
"Heart?" he said, the word flat. "A useless stumbling block."
"It dulls your blade."
"It makes you overthink in battle."
"It makes you suffer fear, and that fear becomes despair."
"The reason I am stronger than you is precisely because I do not carry such a burden."
Ulquiorra's gaze sharpened, and a strange curiosity crept into his tone.
"However… I am also curious about this heart you speak of."
"If I pry open your heads and tear open your chests, will it run out to save you?"
"Can I see its appearance by doing so?"
Kyōraku's smile turned thin, almost sinister. His eyes lost their previous warmth, replaced by a chill that seeped into the air. His twin blades hung loosely at his sides.
"Wo… man?"
"Yes," Kyōraku replied softly. "So next, I'll let you experience it."
"Bankai."
Spiritual pressure roared.
It felt as if some massive machine that governed the rules of the world had started turning, forcing reality to change around it.
Black pine trees and pine needles slowly spread beneath their feet like an unfurling scroll. Spiritual pressure seeped through the space like water from the Yellow Springs, staining everything with a gloomy darkness. One glance was enough to make the throat tighten, to make the world fall silent.
"Katen Kyōkotsu: Karamatsu Shinju."
Ulquiorra became alert.
He did not feel uncomfortable in the altered environment, but the man in front of him was anything but ordinary. Kyōraku's Shikai had already been insidious and unpredictable. If not for Super Regeneration, Ulquiorra would not have made it this far unscathed, and that was before Bankai.
Just the range and intensity of the spiritual pressure alone surpassed Ulquiorra's.
"First neutralize the offensive, then counterattack when the opponent runs out of steam…"
Ulquiorra formed a countermeasure in an instant.
But at the same time, Kyōraku's "offensive" had already fallen.
Ulquiorra's thin body suddenly erupted with injuries, appearing without warning. He groaned as sweat and blood surfaced one after another, yet under Super Regeneration, those wounds began to recede at once.
"First Verse: Bashō, injury sharing," Kyōraku said calmly. "The injuries sustained by the opponent manifest on my body, as if shared."
"Still, I know this won't do much to you, Little Brother. So let's continue."
Kyōraku's expression was terrifyingly calm as he spoke.
"Second Verse: Samidare."
"A man who regrets injuring his opponent is bedridden by shame, afflicted with an incurable disease."
As the words fell, Ulquiorra's body became mottled with black spots, like a spreading plague. They festered. They bled.
For a time, even Super Regeneration could not keep up with the increasing speed of the damage.
Ulquiorra understood immediately.
"This Bankai… accumulates massive injury in a short time and then wipes the opponent out in one stroke."
"It's also meant to prevent me from using Super Regeneration in time…!"
Even with pain tearing through him, he forced his arm to move and hurled Lanza del Relámpago.
Boom!
The impact rose like a mushroom cloud, shaking the scorched earth now tainted by the Yellow Springs.
As if Kyōraku had already predicted it, he sprang high, caught by the surge of reishi and blown further upward, taking only minor damage.
In the next moment, Ulquiorra appeared behind him.
"Here it comes?" Kyōraku murmured without turning. "Then the Third Verse."
"Suikōtō."
Ulquiorra, about to thrust his lightning spear, suddenly plunged into river water.
The world became a drowning current.
"Two people who have made their resolve throw themselves into surging water until their spiritual pressure is completely depleted."
Even Kyōraku sank into that chilling, pitch black river.
This time, he truly created an ocean in the sky.
"What…!"
Ulquiorra's wounds had nearly vanished, but he had paid for that healing with a massive amount of spiritual pressure.
Given the state of both sides, he would be the first to run dry.
"Then I'll kill you before I run out!"
"I told you," Kyōraku said lightly, "your aim is too poor, and your movements are a little sluggish."
Kyōraku slipped past the Lanza del Relámpago and counter slashed, severing Ulquiorra's wrist.
"But it's understandable," Kyōraku continued, voice calm in the freezing water. "Submerged in a river this cold, even the will to drown yourself would freeze solid."
"But you're already here. Regret won't help you now."
With the wrist damaged, Ulquiorra could not easily gather the destructive force needed to form another Lanza del Relámpago.
Kyōraku used that opening.
He flashed back, calmly sheathing both swords, then gathered white, threadlike reishi lines around his fingertips.
"The ruthless heart of a woman doesn't care about a man's regret."
"A white thread soaked in longing shines at his throat."
"At least I'll send you on your way personally, with these tangled threads of attachment."
"This is the final verse."
"Itokiri Basami, dyed red with blood."
Like a flourish of a vermilion brush, the cut was decisive.
Even the cold river water seemed to split apart.
A blinding flash bloomed at Ulquiorra's throat.
His pupils dilated as he reached toward the light above him, grasping at something he could not touch.
Reishi surged from the wound like foam, swelling, multiplying, and then exploding.
Ulquiorra's entire head blasted apart.
Kyōraku released his Bankai.
He landed beside the headless Ulquiorra.
Thud.
A sound behind him made Kyōraku sigh.
"Honestly, Little Brother… I envy you a bit."
"If I could be as unconcerned as you, I probably wouldn't have so many worries."
"But then again…"
Kyōraku's eyes softened, just slightly.
"If I didn't understand human hearts, nobody would feel safe entrusting their precious things to me, then leaving me behind to worry myself sick, right?"
"So you weren't wrong. The heart really is a burden."
"Captain!"
Seeing the battle end, Nanao dissolved the barrier and jumped down from the pillar, relief and joy flickering across her exhausted face.
"Oh?"
Kyōraku straightened, smiled at her, and slipped back into his usual frivolous manner.
Then he sensed it.
An unfamiliar spiritual pressure.
Not far away.
No, to be precise…
Right behind Nanao.
"?!"
Kyōraku had barely lifted his foot when a blade was already pressed to Nanao's neck. There was no time to use Shunpo to rescue her.
"What?!"
Nanao froze, shocked by the ambush.
"Stopping was the correct decision."
The Arrancar behind her was tall and dark skinned, his voice low and cold.
"Your Shunpo is fast. Even after fighting Ulquiorra to the death, you are still not to be underestimated."
"But my Sonído is faster than yours."
"Don't blame me for being despicable. Blame your adjutant for underestimating the ground beneath her feet that can devour people."
"She removed the barrier when she saw her superior win. Otherwise, it would not have been so easy for me to act."
Nanao's expression twisted, regret flooding her so hard it nearly choked her.
"Captain, this is my mistake. Never mind me!"
"…What are you saying, Little Nanao?" Kyōraku spread his hands, helpless. "How could I ever do that?"
Then he stared at the Arrancar without a trace of emotion.
"Talk. What are your conditions for letting her go?"
"If you ask me to kill myself, forget it. I'm willing to negotiate, but I won't place all my hope on the enemy."
"So think carefully before you answer, Arrancar."
"I am the Eighth Espada, Zommari Rureaux."
Zommari's tone was cold and domineering.
"Unlike Ulquiorra, my purpose is madness."
"I have fewer scruples than you imagine."
"You are not negotiating with me."
"You will be unilaterally dominated by me, just like this woman."
The blade pressed closer.
A thin line of blood appeared at Nanao's throat.
Kyōraku fell silent for a moment, then raised both hands.
"Yes, yes. What do you want? Tell me."
"Hand over this woman's Zanpakutō."
"?!"
For an instant, Nanao and Kyōraku both stiffened.
They had not expected the ambush, the threat, all of it, to be aimed at the divine blade inherited by the Ise Clan.
"…To make that request," Kyōraku said quietly, "it seems I can't fool you with small tricks."
"I don't know where you learned about it, or why you want it."
"But in the end, it's just an object."
"That's still slightly better than the result I expected."
Kyōraku's gaze lowered, and his voice softened.
"So… I'm sorry, Little Nanao."
He looked Zommari in the eyes, then extended his right hand.
An arm reached out from the shadow at Kyōraku's feet and placed a strangely shaped sword into his palm.
"…!"
Nanao stared at the ancestral divine sword, emotion surging violently within her.
But she bit down hard on her lower lip and said nothing.
All she could do was trust Kyōraku's decision. Only that gave them a chance to escape, and perhaps even leave both sword and enemy behind.
"Toss it over," Zommari ordered.
"Understood. Catch it carefully."
Kyōraku tossed the Eight Mirror Sword with a casual flick.
The force was perfect. Zommari only had to lift his hand to catch it, without moving so much as half a step.
But the throw was slightly too high.
Just enough to steal Zommari's attention.
The instant Zommari caught the Eight Mirror Sword, the Kyōraku in the distance melted into shadow and vanished into the air.
Then a killing intent colder than ice struck from behind, accompanied by the scream of a blade tearing through wind.
Splat!
"Oh," Kyōraku said pleasantly as he appeared, watching Zommari retreat while Kyōraku pulled Nanao behind him. "Your Sonído really is fast."
"You dodged even after being baited by my shadow transfer, and even after I seized the initiative."
"I don't know how your technique works," Zommari said, voice harsh, "but you clearly hit me."
Zommari held twin blades, one a sword, one a saber.
Blood dripped from his feet. A deep wound ran across his back, so severe it nearly severed his spine.
"That's right," Kyōraku replied. "But I was aiming for your head, and I missed."
"…Since I have obtained the item, I will leave now."
"Something entrusted to me by others can't just be taken by a stranger," Kyōraku said, tone sharpening.
"Everything in this world exists in a relationship of domination," Zommari replied coldly. "Everything, including this sword, should be dominated by that Lord."
"Divine artifacts belong to the gods. It is time they return to their rightful owner."
"You…" Kyōraku's eyes widened. Nanao's did too. "What did you say?"
It was undeniable that the Eight Mirror Sword was the Zanpakutō passed down through generations of the Ise Clan, the Shinto lineage responsible for sacred rites.
But essentially, it did not belong to any single person.
Nor did it truly belong to the clan guarding it.
Its master should be the one who entrusted it to the Ise Clan for safekeeping.
But that person should have already…
"Additionally," Zommari said, glancing toward where Kyōraku had originally been standing, "if you want to fight me, you probably won't have the leisure."
"…!"
Kyōraku turned slowly.
Ulquiorra was standing again.
His head had regrown.
At his fingertips, a black Cero gathered, compressing into a darkness that seemed to swallow light itself.
When Kyōraku looked back, Zommari was already gone.
"Seriously," Kyōraku sighed, staring at Ulquiorra. "I know you're good at Super Regeneration, but reviving after your head gets cut off is a bit much."
"Are you an actual demon?"
"…It's just a death throe," Ulquiorra replied, voice low. "You already know everything."
"Super Regeneration is not without cost."
"The cost of fatal injuries is far greater."
"I have little reserve energy left to repair myself."
"In other words, as long as you can neutralize this attack, you can kill me easily."
As he spoke, the black Cero grew denser, Ulquiorra pouring every last shred of spiritual pressure into it.
"…What benefit is there in going this far?" Kyōraku asked plainly. "You could have survived. So why force yourself into a corner like this?"
Kyōraku's gaze felt as if it could see straight through him.
"Rather than not fearing death, it's more like you want to achieve something through death."
"If that's the case, then what we're facing…"
"…is a group of monsters launching suicide attacks."
Ulquiorra did not answer.
The black Cero burst forth, sweeping across the land like a tidal wave of reishi drenched in despair.
"No answer," Kyōraku murmured. "That means you agree."
"Hachimon Tonkō. Bakudō Number 81, Dankū!"
Kyōraku swung his twin blades. A spiraling hurricane slash screamed out, weakening the black Cero's force. At the same time, he summoned a transparent barrier to protect himself within the torrent.
Before the black Cero fully subsided, a black blade pierced straight through Ulquiorra's heart from behind.
Ulquiorra glanced sideways and understood.
The light of the Cero had stretched his shadow behind him, giving Kyōraku the chance he needed.
"Kageoni," Kyōraku said, emerging from the shadow with a joking tone. "You've seen this one before, so I won't explain."
"Anyway, Little Brother, you've caused me quite a bit of trouble."
"If we meet again, you'll have to compensate me properly."
"Compensation…" Ulquiorra's voice remained calm. "Demanding that from an enemy?"
"Still, as the victor, you have the right."
"But I'm powerless now, so let's save it for later."
Ulquiorra looked up at the moon.
Then his body dissolved into flying sand, as if melting under moonlight.
His soul seeped into the earth and flowed toward an unknown destination.
The Gotei 13 Central Command tent.
Beep, beep, beep.
Takeru stood at the camp entrance, watching an unknown number of Divine Birds fly away.
Suddenly, the denreishinki rang.
"Hm?"
It was a message from Nanao, clearly authorized by Kyōraku behind the scenes.
Takeru's eyes swept over the lines of text, and his expression grew heavier with every word.
"A suicidal attack without regard for consequences, and they even took the Zanpakutō inherited by the Ise Clan…"
Even that secret had been reported.
It seemed Kyōraku was using the blazing water mirror as a warning, believing the enemy intended to use the Eight Mirror Sword to launch a conspiracy, perhaps even a fatal blow against the Gotei 13.
So after grasping the seriousness, he had chosen to report it even at the cost of exposing the Ise Clan's hidden history.
But more than the Eight Mirror Sword, what truly concerned Takeru was the life or death of the Espada.
Kenpachi's report still echoed in his head.
"Since he got bigger, I made my sword bigger too. Killed him in one swing. Also, I don't know why his number turned into 0."
The Tenth.
Six Espada were gone.
Only two pillars had been destroyed.
Right now, they held a slight advantage.
But if those dead Espada could be resurrected, or even return stronger, then the situation would become extremely troublesome.
"…!"
Takeru pondered for a moment, then called over a messenger.
"Tell Lieutenant Kurosaki to abandon his position after dealing with the enemy and support the other battlefields."
"And capture every enemy alive if possible."
"Yes, sir!"
…At the location of the ninth pillar.
"This is…?"
Rukia felt the denreishinki vibrate. She pulled it out, read the message, and her expression shifted.
Then she shouted toward the sky, where Ichigo was facing the enemy.
"Ichigo! New orders!"
"Huh?"
Ichigo blinked, then called to Starrk across from him, "Sorry, wait a second."
"Oh."
Starrk nodded.
Immediately, the flintlock pistol in his hand started yelling at him.
"What do you mean 'Oh'?! This is a fight, not a game where you need to go to the bathroom! You don't get to stop just because you said hello!"
Starrk, in his Resurrección, wore the look of a hunter chasing prey, a flintlock shaped weapon in each hand.
This was the result of the independent soul, Lilynette, who had once split away, returning to his body.
Even after merging, she could still speak with him while retaining her own consciousness, much like a true Zanpakutō.
"But games are relaxing," Starrk said lazily. "Being interrupted is annoying, sure, but stopping something troublesome like a fight is actually a good thing."
"You unambitious bum! I shouldn't have split you off in the first place!"
"Maybe that would've been nice too."
"What did you say?!"
While the two bickered, Ichigo dropped to Rukia's side and learned the details.
"Tell Takeru I'll finish this quickly!"
"Be careful," Rukia warned. "Don't rush yourself into a trap just because you want a quick win. That guy looks lazy, but he isn't lacking in battle sense."
Ichigo grinned.
"Don't worry. After a few exchanges, I already get what kind of guy he is."
"And yeah, capturing him alive should be fine too."
Then Ichigo rose back into the sky.
"Done already, little brother?" Starrk asked, tone mild. "No need to rush. We can chat a little longer."
"Can't." Ichigo's eyes sharpened. "Our captain told me to finish you quickly so I can support the other battlefields and capture all enemies alive."
"I don't know why the order says alive, but honestly, I'm pretty good at that sort of thing."
"Cap…ture?"
Starrk froze, falling silent.
Lilynette was the one who exploded.
"Starrk! Why did their strategy suddenly change? Did some idiot expose something?!"
"…You're an idiot too," Starrk muttered.
"Huh?!"
"Quiet down, Lilynette. You want to get captured by Shinigami?"
"I don't mind quiet places where I do nothing, but prison is different."
"Mmm… fine." Lilynette clicked her tongue. "Then focus up. Finish off that arrogant yellow haired brat in one shot!"
"One shot might not be enough…" Starrk murmured.
His gaze slowly sharpened, the laziness peeling away.
"Finally showing some fighting spirit," Ichigo said, satisfied.
"Little brother," Starrk said, voice low, "this habit of yours, deliberately provoking your opponent into fighting seriously, makes you look more like a Hollow than I do."
"Maybe I really am a Hollow."
"What?"
"No more chatting," Ichigo snapped.
"Bankai!"
Under Starrk's stunned stare, Ichigo raised his blade and shouted, black and red spiritual pressure erupting like a pillar of light around him.
For an instant, it resembled an Espada's Resurrección.
When the surge faded, Ichigo stood revealed.
A black trench coat rustled violently. Orange hair whipped in the wind.
A half mask with a horn.
Skin pale as bone.
Hands sharpened into clawlike fingertips.
Everything about him carried the chill of a Hollow.
Yet in his hand, he gripped a pure black sword with a swastika shaped guard.
"Tensa Zangetsu."
Influenced by that Hollow pressure, Ichigo's expression turned terrifyingly calm. Black and red spiritual pressure rolled like tides, beating against the air as if he were standing on it.
"This is your Bankai…" Starrk's expression grew grave, pupils tightening and expanding, emotion churning beneath. "An unexpected look."
"I'm not trying to deceive you." Ichigo spoke bluntly. "Even though it's Bankai, it's actually a half Bankai."
Because Hollow White had been subdued, the Bankai had changed, and that half released state was no exception.
"Half Bankai," Starrk echoed. "Meaning only half released."
"Is that why there's only half a mask?"
"I won't ask where you got that mask."
"I just really want to see what your full Bankai looks like."
Starrk inhaled, then raised both guns, aiming them at Ichigo.
Deep blue spiritual pressure surged, clashing violently against Ichigo's black red tide.
"Infinite Cero again?" Ichigo narrowed his eyes.
"Yes," Starrk said. "But not an ordinary Cero."
"I already proved it's useless against you. You counter it with your arrow rain."
"So I'm going to use something harder to counter."
"A stronger technique."
Deep blue lightning gathered at the muzzles of Starrk's guns. It was still reishi, but compressed to the brink, the precursor to a high concentration Cero so dense that even space warped.
"Infinite Cero catalyzed by blood."
"In terms you can understand, it means firing Gran Rey Cero, a technique only Espada rank Arrancar can use, infinitely."
"Until all the blood in my body runs out."
Starrk's gaze steadied on Ichigo, calm and heavy.
"I want to see your full strength before I literally die from exhaustion."
.....
[Check Out My Patreon For Advance Chapters On All My Fanfics!]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]