BOOM!
A black Cero erupted across the skies above Karakura Town, swallowing all light and leaving behind only a despair-like darkness.
Violent spiritual pressure burst forth from Shimo's palm.
It completely engulfed Szayelaporro's head. With the spiritual pressure unleashed to its absolute limit, the defensive strength of the Arrancar's Hierro was utterly incapable of stopping it.
In an instant—
Everything above Szayelaporro's neck was completely erased.
The black Cero gradually dissipated, and Shimo slowly released his hand.
Moments later, Szayelaporro's twisted body fell from the sky.
A thunderous crash echoed through the ruins as the corpse slammed into the ground. Dust filled the air, obscuring the scattered debris and shattered stones.
Standing in the sky using spiritual footing, Shimo lowered his gaze toward the dust below.
Then—
He calmly stepped downward through the air.
By the time he landed on a nearby piece of rubble, the dust had begun to disperse.
What remained was a headless corpse lying amid the ruins, its limbs twisted into an unnatural posture.
Shimo's gaze remained fixed on it.
Until—
"...That hurts."
A voice suddenly emerged from Szayelaporro's headless body.
"I never expected that a Shinigami like you would also be capable of using Cero."
"That's truly... a delightful surprise!"
The moment those words ended—
A mass of black liquid suddenly surged from the severed neck, rapidly forming a new head.
In terms of appearance, he looked almost identical to before.
The only difference was that his spiritual pressure had weakened slightly, though it did not significantly affect his combat ability.
"After devouring Tōsen Kaname, it seems you've evolved once again on a biological level."
Stars shimmered faintly within Shimo's eyes as the Shared Soul Barrier allowed him to perceive the changes within Szayelaporro.
Hearing this, Szayelaporro froze briefly before twisting his head at an unnatural angle.
"It seems your eyes possess... some interesting qualities."
"What an enticing specimen you would make for my collection!"
His lips curled back, revealing rows of densely packed, sinister teeth that sent a chill down the spine.
Just as Shimo had said—
After devouring Tōsen, Szayelaporro had undergone a dramatic transformation at the level of life itself.
Even his outward appearance hinted at it.
Szayelaporro clasped his hands together. The four wings behind him trembled as they condensed several massive spheres.
"Come forth—my puppets!"
With his shout, the spheres exploded one after another, releasing torrents of black liquid.
Shimo's brow furrowed slightly.
Tier Harribel.
Ulquiorra Cifer.
Nnoitra Gilga.
They were replicas of the Espada.
The figures that reappeared on the battlefield showed almost no emotion in their eyes.
Their vacant expressions revealed their state clearly.
In the distance, the severely injured Harribel felt a wave of cold dread surge through her heart.
Her emerald eyes widened.
She instinctively moved closer to her Fracción.
The earlier battle against the Shinigami had already left her unable to continue fighting.
Fortunately, her subordinates were not too badly injured and could still offer her some protection.
But if Aizen were to lose...
Harribel's gaze flickered with complicated emotions.
Hopefully, it was only a speculation.
After creating the Espada replicas, Szayelaporro's body visibly grew thinner. His cheekbones protruded sharply, giving him a somewhat pitiful appearance.
However, the moment he spoke, that pitiful impression vanished entirely.
"The highest combat power of Hueco Mundo..."
Szayelaporro covered his face with one hand and burst into wild laughter.
"Kill him!"
The instant the order was given—
More than a dozen familiar Arrancar in white uniforms vanished.
In the next moment, they had already surrounded Shimo.
Gran Rey Cero!
Each Arrancar began charging their Cero in different ways.
The terrifying fluctuations of spiritual pressure caused the surrounding space itself to tremble violently.
At the same time, Szayelaporro attempted to seal the surrounding space, preventing Shimo from escaping with Sonído.
But Shimo had no intention of fleeing.
Running away in disgrace would completely ruin the image of the Third Division Captain.
Thus—
Under the worried gazes of the Shinigami, Shimo slowly raised his left hand.
"Military Formation Eight Inches—there shall be no retreat."
"Gate of Blue.
Gate of White.
Gate of Black.
Gate of Red."
"Interlock and sink beneath the sea—
Dragon's Tail Gate, Tiger-Fang Gate, Tortoise-Shell Gate, Phoenix-Wing Gate!"
"The Gate of Four Beasts!"
The moment the incantation ended—
The Espada's Ceros erupted simultaneously.
A deafening roar swallowed Shimo's position completely.
Blinding, multicolored light exploded across the ground of Karakura Town.
Watching Shimo at the center of the Espada's Cero barrage, Szayelaporro shouted excitedly, his voice hoarse.
"Just a mere Shinigami—let's see how you defend against this!"
"Your ultimate fate is to become my experimental specimen!"
The light of the Ceros gradually faded.
What remained was a landscape reduced to complete devastation.
And—
The smile on Szayelaporro's face suddenly froze, as if time itself had stopped again.
"What... is that?!"
He snapped out of the shock and roared angrily.
But no one answered him.
At the center of the Espada's encirclement stood a massive fortress.
Gigantic white defensive walls.
Massive reinforced shields.
A tortoise-shell-shaped barrier.
Crimson circular defenses.
All of them connected by black spiritual pressure, forming an impenetrable defensive structure.
"Kugh… If I remember correctly…"
Jūshirō Ukitake wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and spoke with a somewhat strange expression.
"That should be Hachigen Ushōda's self-created Kidō."
"The defensive power of that technique… surpasses even Bakudō #90."
"With Shimo's level of spiritual pressure…"
Ukitake shook his head before finishing the sentence.
The result was obvious.
The Four-Beast Fortress Gate formed from spiritual pressure slowly dissolved into reishi particles.
Shimo stepped out from within—
completely unharmed.
This sight dealt a tremendous blow to Szayelaporro.
An attack he had been utterly confident in had produced such a result.
Shimo looked around at the surrounding "familiar faces," a faint smile appearing at the corner of his lips.
"…Interesting."
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