A colossal blade materialized out of thin air, mirroring the path of the Zanpakutō in Sajin Komamura's hand. It stirred up a howling gale and sliced clean through the fist Ayon had swung at him.
"Oh..." Ayon's murky eyes fixed on his falling arm. With a low growl, he slapped the severed stump. Blood gushed out as a new arm pushed from the wound, swelling larger and larger until the massive limb was even thicker than Ayon's torso. "ROAR!!!"
A savage, beast-like Reiatsu surged. Dragging that enormous arm, Ayon charged at Sajin Komamura with a furious roar.
"Simply making your fist bigger is useless." Sajin Komamura raised his Zanpakutō. "Bankai, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō!"
Behind Sajin Komamura, an armored Myō-ō wielding a katana rose to its feet. Its towering body blotted out the sky, casting a vast shadow over Ayon. Behind its visor, cold eyes looked down in silence, as if regarding an insect.
"To generate more power, you must enlarge the rest of your body as well." Sajin Komamura swung his Zanpakutō. "Keep that in mind next time."
The mountain-like Myō-ō brought its massive blade crashing down. Ayon raised his arm in a futile attempt to block, only to be crushed under the blade the next instant.
Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō's blade was far too broad. Crushing Ayon was no different from crushing a bug.
Three figures suddenly closed in. Emilou, Mila, and Sung-Sun charged at Sajin Komamura together.
"Your courage is commendable..." Sajin Komamura swung his Zanpakutō. "But your strength is lacking!"
The colossal blade swept sideways, covering everything within a hundred meters. The three of them had nowhere to dodge. With the sound of bones breaking and tendons tearing, they were sent flying backward, spraying blood before smashing into the high-rise buildings.
"S-so strong..." Shūhei Hisagi stared in stunned disbelief.
Feeling Sajin Komamura's Bankai at close range, the overwhelming pressure of the colossal Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō shook him to the core.
"Focus on the treatment," Sajin Komamura said, standing firm with his blade lowered. "This old man is here!"
Momo Hinamori and Izuru Kira felt their hearts settle, and they devoted themselves fully to the healing.
"Emilou... Mila... Sung-Sun..." Harribel lowered her eyes slightly, her golden lashes trembling. "You've done all you can."
"Mourning your subordinates?" Tōshirō Hitsugaya tightened his grip on Hyōrinmaru. He had gradually adjusted to Harribel's attack rhythm. As long as he could stall a little longer... "The moment they attacked a Captain-class opponent, they should have been prepared to die."
"That was not defeat." Harribel corrected him. "It was a sacrifice made for a world without sacrifice."
"Then..." Tōshirō Hitsugaya's gaze hardened. "I assume you're prepared to make that same sacrifice."
"If you can make me." Harribel held her hollow Zanpakutō upright before her. "Hunt, Tiburón!"
Surging spiritual water spilled from both sides of Harribel's body, waves churning and rolling. Like a pair of wings, they spread open and folded shut, enveloping Harribel within a spindle-shaped current that spun around her, only to be split apart by a single sword stroke.
The mask that had covered her mouth and nose disappeared, revealing a cold, stern face marked with deep-blue lightning-shaped lines.
White armor covered both shoulders. Two slender fishtail-like structures extended from her back, while two thin strips reached down from her neck to cover her chest.
Below, narrow white arrow-shaped pieces of armor extended over the deep brown curves of her body, connecting in a thin line to the white skirt-like armor at her waist.
Her calves and forearms were also covered in white armor. The greatest change, however, was Harribel's weapon. Her original hollow blade was gone, replaced by a massive white greatsword adorned with three shark-gill patterns.
Cold air rose from Hyōrinmaru in Tōshirō Hitsugaya's hand. With his opponent changed this drastically, he absolutely could not afford to let his guard down.
Broken limbs fell from the sky. Only half of Tōshirō Hitsugaya remained suspended in midair, crimson blood spraying from his body.
"So-called Ice Dragon..." Harribel's eyes were cold. "One strike from a shark is enough to send it sinking to the bottom of the sea."
The remaining half of Tōshirō Hitsugaya's body began to fall as well, crashing into the ruins.
Boom!
The giant axe swept across, shattering a high-rise building.
The white-haired 2nd Espada, Baraggan, swung his double-bladed giant axe as he pursued the fleeing Suì-Fēng and Marechiyo Ōmaeda.
Suì-Fēng kicked off the rubble in rapid succession, using her incredible speed to slip behind Baraggan before launching a kick at the back of his head.
But just as the attack was about to land, that distinct, unnatural sensation surfaced again.
Again... Suì-Fēng focused, trying to identify it.
Every time she was about to touch him, the speed of her foot would suddenly slow. What was this...
Before she could figure it out, Baraggan had already reached back, grabbed her slender ankle, and swung hard, flinging her away.
Seeing the petite Suì-Fēng smash through a rooftop, Marechiyo Ōmaeda cried out in worry, "Captain!"
"Shut up!" Suì-Fēng leapt back onto the roof and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. "I'm fine."
But what exactly was that?
It was not Reiatsu blocking her, nor was it some special barrier. It felt more like her own movements had slowed down.
Gravity manipulation? An effect on her muscles? Or interference with her motor nerves...
Drawing on the training she had received, Suì-Fēng forced herself to consider every possibility while settling on several ways to test them.
At this point, she certainly could not expect her opponent to tell her outright.
"It seems you still don't understand my ability." Baraggan did not pursue her. His single eye fixed on Suì-Fēng. "Then allow me to explain."
Suì-Fēng: "...?"
"For the Espada, there are many forms of death. They are the abilities and philosophies each Espada possesses, as well as the reason for their existence," Baraggan said at length. "Anger, greed, madness, ecstasy, destruction, despair, nothingness, sacrifice, loneliness... and the form of death I command, aging."
"Aging is the power of time. It is the strongest and most absolute power of death, the force that stands before all life." Baraggan reached out and placed his hand on Suì-Fēng's shoulder. "You see... merely touching you through my will like this is enough to make your bones age."
When did he get there?!
Suì-Fēng's heart jolted, and she instinctively flashed back to put distance between them.
Yet that very movement, one she knew better than almost anything, made her left arm let out a series of cracking sounds.
Her arm had actually snapped from the air resistance during her own movement.
"How..." Suì-Fēng held her arm in shock. "How is that possible...?"
"It's only natural that you don't understand. This is death." Baraggan planted his double-bladed giant axe in front of him. "Rot, Arrogante!"
Dense black mist surged from the giant axe, swallowing Baraggan completely.