Afternoon.
Shin received a message from Kaname and set off for Hueco Mundo.
Las Noches.
"Shin, it seems our instincts were right."
Aizen sipped his tea and continued, "I just didn't expect it to be Yhwach."
"Still, his strength doesn't seem to have improved much since a thousand years ago."
Shin thought to himself, 'At this point, Yhwach hasn't reclaimed all his power.'
Shin said, "Better safe than sorry. Yhwach has hidden for a millennium. Who knows what tricks he's saved?"
Aizen gave a soft sigh. "So cautious. The Wandenreich... How do you plan to deal with them?"
Shin smiled. "Let them throw Soul Society into complete chaos."
Then his tone shifted. "But we still have to preserve as much of Soul Society's strength as we can. We can't let the Wandenreich leave it in ruins."
Aizen pondered for a moment. "Very well."
"On the day the Wandenreich strikes, I'll have Starrk and the others reinforce Soul Society."
Shin nodded.
The Wandenreich had no way to steal the Arrancar's Resurrección, and with Aizen's recent improvements, the remaining Espada were definitely stronger than before.
—
Garganta.
While returning to the Human World, Shin and Ikaros ran into two road-blocking thugs.
One had dark skin, slicked-back blond curls, thick upward-arching brows, a tall, muscular build, razor-sharp nails, and a beastly face with fangs—like a gorilla.
The other was lanky, with teal eyes, a spiky violet mohawk, black gloves and armbands, and open-collar black cloth shoes—every inch the cocky delinquent.
"Shin." The mohawk youth shoved his hands into his pockets.
Shin grinned. "Looks like introductions aren't needed. So who might you two be?"
He recognized the mohawk, but the big guy's name escaped him—probably just a bit-part thug.
"Bazz-B."
"I'm Jerome Guizbatt."
[Missiontriggered: Defeat Bazz-B]
[Reward: 800 points]
After stating their names, Bazz-B asked, "Shin, what were you doing in Hueco Mundo?"
He cared about Shin's ties to Hueco Mundo. After all, Shin had always been close to Soul Society.
Shin looked at him mockingly. "Sight-seeing. Believe me?"
"Fine, keep quiet. I hear your power is flame?" Bazz-B bared a savage grin.
"Seems you've done your homework on me."
Bazz-B shouted, "My Schrift is 'H'—The Heat! Let's see whose fire burns hotter!"
"Bazz-B, why waste words? My Schrift is 'R'—The Roar. The girl's mine, I'll finish her and then help you."
Jerome cracked his knuckles, itching to fight. The girl looked harmless, with no Reiatsu at all.
Shin almost laughed.
Taking on Ikaros?
Jerome would regret it for life.
"Hah!"
Jerome punched straight at Ikaros.
"Don't underestimate her!" Bazz-B yelled as Jerome charged.
Ikaros, expressionless, shifted into combat mode and met his fist with her own.
"Aaaargh—"
Jerome was sent flying, every bone in his hand shattering as he screamed in agony.
"Idiot! I warned you not to take her lightly."
Rage consumed Jerome and he ignored Bazz-B.
He unleashed his Schrift, "Roar," transforming into a giant gorilla and blasting a powerful sonic scream.
Ikaros deployed a defense barrier that blocked the sound, flew to Jerome, and, to his shock, punched clean through his chest.
"Impossible… that earlier punch… wasn't even your full strength?"
Jerome stared at the gaping hole, unable to believe a girl had killed him so easily.
His eyes dulled as his body tumbled into the darkness.
Shin moved over and stored the corpse in his Yogasa—rare spoils of war he wouldn't waste.
"Damned fool!"
Jerome's instant death drew no reaction from Bazz-B.
"Bazz-B, your partner just died, you know."
"Partner? That trash wasn't worthy."
Bazz-B turned his gaze to Ikaros, who stood quietly behind Shin.
"Didn't expect someone that strong at your side."
None of the intel on Shin had ever mentioned this girl.
"Strong she is, but Ikaros isn't my subordinate." Shin corrected.
"Whatever. Let's go."
Shin didn't stand on ceremony, he flicked a casual flame at Bazz-B.
Feeling the searing heat, Bazz-B's face lit up. "Now that's a flame worth fighting!"
Burning Finger 1!
He condensed scorching heat into his right index finger and shot a pillar of fire.
"My Schrift 'The Heat' lets me gather Reishi into phenomenally powerful flames from both hands." He explained while attacking.
Burning Finger 2!
Two fingers released twin fire pillars, even stronger, causing a massive explosion.
"Stop testing me. Even if you used every toe you'd never scratch me." Shin handled Bazz-B's assault with ease.
"Cocky, huh? Then witness a Quincy's true form."
A sky-blue pillar swallowed Bazz-B. When it shattered, he emerged, a Quincy pentagram star above his head and wing-like rods on his back.
"Feel that power now?"
"Under Vollständig, my 'Heat' is stronger, your flames won't stand a chance."
"Vollständig? Let's test it."
Shin wasn't worried. Bazz-B was notable among the Sternritter, though mostly thanks to his good buddy Jugram.
In the original timeline Bazz-B had ambushed Yamamoto with two others, only to be blasted away. He'd blocked most of the damage, otherwise all three would've died on the spot.
Bazz-B shaped his hand like a gun and fired several bullet-flames. The "bullets" reached Shin in a blink and pierced his flame shield.
Shin's eyes narrowed and he used Teleport to dodge.
The attack's speed and power were far stronger than the Bazz-B he remembered.
Seeing his flames break through, Bazz-B grinned. "How's that feel?"
"Not impressed." Shin was surprised but refused to show it.
"Is that so? Then try this!"
Burner Finger 4!
Bazz-B slightly curled his thumb and pressed his four fingers together. A knife-like flame enveloped his right hand, and with a powerful swing, a massive burst of fire shaped like a shark fin illuminated the Garganta.
Great Blade of Crimson!
Boom!
The flame katana struck the "shark fin," resulting in a fierce explosion.
"It looks like you weren't going all out before."
In Bazz-B's opinion, Shin's flames shouldn't have been able to stop that attack.
"Perfect!"
Bazz-B used Hirenkyaku to instantly appear before Shin, slashing down with his flame blade, only to have it blocked by Nietono no Shana, which was also enveloped in flames.
The next instant, a massive amount of fire erupted, centered around Shin.
Bazz-B immediately retreated. Although he spoke with great arrogance, he was perfectly clear in his mind and naturally wouldn't face the Shin's flame head-on.
However, those flames transformed into colossal palms, pursuing Bazz-B relentlessly as if they had eyes.
Burning Stomp!
Bazz-B concentrated scorching heat at the sole of his foot and stomped down, causing the flames to spread out in ripples.
The colossal flame palms were gradually weakened wave after wave until they finally disappeared.
Sixth Form: Burning Bones, Summer Sun!
Shin immediately followed up with another attack. The flame-wrapped katana let out sharp, whistling sounds as it cut through the air.
Rings of blazing fire ignited around Shin, resembling a fiery tornado.
Bazz-B accurately pinpointed Nietono no Shana amidst the roaring flames, narrowly shifting his body to evade the deadly threat.
Eighth Form: Solar Heat Haze!
Having missed his strike, Shin immediately changed techniques, shaking the tip of his blade to create the illusion that the sword had shortened.
Bazz-B was caught off guard, and the tip of Nietono no Shana sliced a wound across his lower abdomen. His passive defenses were practically nullified by Shin's assault.
However, Shin gave him no chance to breathe, as successive attacks immediately followed.
Twelfth Form: Flame Dance!
Third Form: Raging Sun!