No... impossible! Was it an illusion?
"Trivial skills."
Above, Barragan, King of the Hueco Mundo, commented indifferently on their attacks, his hollow eyes gazing down. In an instant, he vanished!
Not good!
Yoruichi secretly thought, "Not good!" Sure enough, Barragan suddenly appeared behind her. The "Goddess of Flash" among the Shinigamis didn't react in time, and his hand landed on her shoulder!
"Ah...!"
Yoruichi reacted, seeing the deathly breath begin to corrode her body. Fortunately, her reiryoku was strong enough that it didn't manifest as severely as with Soi Fon.
Instantly!
Yoruichi used Shunpo again, unleashing enormous reiryoku and halting the corrosion as the breath of death spread!
"I'm... done playing."
Barragan said lightly. With a wave of his hand, he unleashed the breath of death again, spreading it out in an instant.
Yoruichi instantly entered thunder god form again, grabbing Soi Fon and fleeing.
"Let me go, Lady Yoruichi!"
Seeing the breath of death closing in, Soi Fon gritted her teeth and spoke quietly.
"What are you talking about?!"
Yoruichi, panting, choked out, "How could I ever give up on you? A hundred years ago, I left you behind once. I'll never do that again!"
Soi Fon listened to Yoruichi's stern voice, stunned for a moment. Then she smiled softly, her expression peaceful as she looked upon death as her home.
"Lady Yoruichi, do you know why my Bankai is called Jakuhō Raikōben (Hornet Thunder Whip)?"
"..." Yoruichi frowned. "Now's not the time for this!"
Soi Fon leaned on Yoruichi's back, watching the breath of death approach, her heart strangely at peace.
"I want you to understand the meaning, Master Yoruichi. Let me show you."
"What are you talking about?"
Yoruichi frowned, feeling something off with Soi Fon.
"I've seen the 'devil'."
Soi Fon said, "After seeing that devil, I realized something. Sometimes, to protect others, you don't need to exist yourself."
"Just like now."
Soi Fon suddenly placed her hand on Yoruichi's back.
"The so-called Jakuhō Raikōben... is so I can become a 'missile'!"
Soi Fon's body suddenly glowed, and before Yoruichi could react, she felt a tremendous force press on her!
Boom!
That force pushed Yoruichi's body forward, launching her like a "missile"! At the very moment she was launched, the dark aura closed in.
One step slower, and both would have been engulfed and perished together!
But now, thanks to Soi Fon's tremendous push, Yoruichi broke through!
"Soi Fon!"
Unable to control her body, Yoruichi couldn't even look back, only watching as the dark aura engulfed Soi Fon. Then... her reiryoku disappeared!
Damn it! What was that girl thinking?!
Soi Fon was suffering unbearable pain; Yoruichi knew Soi Fon had sacrificed herself so she could live!
A hundred years, and they'd barely kept in touch. Yet Soi Fon gave her life for Yoruichi!
Yoruichi was grieved. But in that moment, she seemed to hear Soi Fon's voice again—faint, but present, directly in her soul.
Soi Fon's reiryoku... was still there?
But not in the breath of death, rather as if it had appeared directly in her body.
What was going on?
Yoruichi recalled what Soi Fon had said earlier.
Jakuhō Raikōben... Why was Soi Fon's Bankai called Jakuhō Raikōben? Why did it take on such an exaggerated form?
In theory, Zanpakutō represent the Shinigami's heart; Shikai is the embodiment of their power, and Bankai is the fusion of heart and blade.
For Soi Fon, her heart was a wasp—light, agile, sensitive, a "two-hit kill" Zanpakutō fit for assassination.
Why, then, did her Bankai become so large and conspicuous, contrary to her subtle ways?
Bankai also represents the wielder's intentions; "Jakuhō Raikōben" was also an expression of Soi Fon's will.
If there was a "contingency for breaking secret moves," it'd naturally match another's intent.
That's right—Thunder God is Yoruichi! The bird-wasp is Soi Fon, so the Hornet Thunder Whip clearly represents Yoruichi.
In a sense, Jakuhō Raikōben was a Bankai specially prepared for Yoruichi!
The essence of the ability was to "inject herself into Yoruichi's body"—or rather, to inject Yoruichi into herself!
Soi Fon always knew they couldn't defeat Barragan, even together; at their limit, they wouldn't last any longer.
So, as the breath of death drew closer, she couldn't bear to watch both perish. At least let Lady Yoruichi live!
With that thought, she seemed to comprehend the true power of her Zanpakutō.
So she resolutely gave Yoruichi the chance to escape.
She injected her reiryoku into Yoruichi, creating an explosive thrust like the one released by Jakuhō Raikōben.
With that force, Yoruichi was suddenly propelled away from Barragan!
By the time Yoruichi regained control of her body, she understood everything.
"Soi Fon..."
Yoruichi clenched her fists, suppressing her sorrow. Collapsing to the ground, staring at the world engulfed by the breath of death, her gaze grew cold.
There, the breath of death slowly faded. Eventually, everything was gone—corroded, vanished, nothing left.
"..."
Barragan hovered in mid-air, his movements subtle. He looked at the corroded area, slightly confused.
In theory, even if Soi Fon died, at least her bones should remain.
"But one problem is solved,"
Barragan looked down at Yoruichi. "Next, it's your turn."
"Why did you say 'one problem solved'?"
Yoruichi asked quietly.
"No reason needed. It is simply the truth."
Barragan frowned.
"You're wrong."
Yoruichi tilted her head, feeling the pressure on her body begin to shift, her power transforming—becoming even more explosive!
"Her soul... is with me!"
Yoruichi shouted, "Thunder God's Battle Form!"
Boom!
Before, she couldn't open Thunder God's Battle Form again due to the physical toll, but now she used the power again—stronger and more complete than before!
Yoruichi's instant attribute was thunder, Soi Fon's was wind. Thunder developed Thunder God Battle Form; wind, the infinite instant movement!
Soi Fon herself never used it, but Yoruichi, who had designed it for Soi Fon, now used it herself.
Infinite Shunpo meant wrapping herself in a cyclone of reiryoku, forming a cycle that greatly reduced the strain on her body, allowing her to maintain the state almost indefinitely!
This was exactly what Yoruichi needed—her Thunder God battle form was powerful, fast, but lacked the stamina for endless cycles. Now, she could sustain it!
"Wha... what?!"
Even Barragan was startled by this sudden surge in Yoruichi's reiryoku. It was completely different from before!
Boom...
Yoruichi's body burst with thunder, lightning merging with wind, swirling around her, creating a phenomenon that shook even the heavens!
At that moment, the sky was filled with lightning and thunder, as if summoning a thunder god!
Yoruichi's form almost vanished in an instant.
Yoruichi's speed was now beyond Barragan's perception—if she truly possessed such speed, she'd be terrifying!
But for now, Barragan could still track her movements and knew she was aiming for him.
Rather than running, she charged straight at them, seemingly driven by anger!
Barragan manipulated the breath of death, forming an impenetrable defense around himself, while sending the rest to attack.
"Heaven's Thunder Subdues Demons!"
As the deadly aura closed in, Yoruichi appeared in the center, unafraid. Massive thunder and lightning condensed in her hands, Thunder God's drums roaring behind her.
Lightning formed a golden vajra in her hands, and with the force of subduing all demons, she stabbed directly through Barragan's defensive aura!
"?!"
For a moment, Barragan felt his breath of death pierced by the golden vajra, his heart shaken!
Hmph!
The breath of death was like a sea, but Yoruichi broke through the resistance, stabbing her weapon deep into the abyss!
And then...
She stabbed Barragan's body!
Golden lightning flickered within the deathly aura, forming a terrifying, holy force of purification!
Boom!
Another explosion erupted in the sky, golden lightning crackling like dense spider silk.
The breath of death surged and intertwined with gold, but now it was no longer so easily dissipated!
Now, all of Yoruichi's attacks were infused with "wind," forming a protective shell around the thunder—making it harder to dissipate the lightning!
How fast was lightning? If not blocked directly, it struck instantly. Just like now, it landed squarely on Barragan!
A blinding light burst forth, like a sun exploding, flooding the entire battlefield. In that moment, it looked as though a new sun had risen!
….
"Barragan..."
Halibel sensed the shock of Barragan's reiryoku, frowning.
"It seems your companions have failed."
Bazz-B smiled coldly, "Let's finish this quickly. I don't want things to drag on!"
As he spoke, wings appeared on his back, and a halo formed above his head. His Vollständig was complete!
Seeing Bazz-B's new power, Halibel frowned. She hadn't expected Starrk, the Zero Espada, to fall first, and then Barragan, to suffer such a terrifying attack. Now, only she and...
Szayelaporro, the Segunda Espada, remained.
Halibel took a deep breath. "In that case... I'll show you my true power."
Destroy, Tiburón!
Halibel's body radiated golden reiryoku; her weapon grew sharper, lined with rows of jagged teeth—just like... shark teeth!
"What?!"
Bazz-B was surprised; he hadn't expected Halibel to be holding back.
"Under Lord Aizen's guidance, more than half the Espada have mastered their second stage. Why shouldn't I?"
She glanced at Szayelaporro again, confirming nothing was amiss, and focused all her energy on Bazz-B.
…
Meanwhile, Szayelaporro was dominating his front. Before him stood two figures—Urahara Kisuke and Tessai Tsukabishi.
At that moment, Szayelaporro spoke in disappointment.
"Is it really Urahara Kisuke? Your performance... is far too lacking."
His gaze grew cold.
"Unworthy!"
Boom!
A blinding light appeared here as well. Urahara was surprised. He sensed a change in Yoruichi's reiryoku, but didn't know its meaning. But this enemy before him—Szayelaporro—was nothing like the one who fought Mayuri in the original. Their gap was like that between clouds and mud.
But... in some ways, it was the same.
Urahara pointed his Zanpakutō at the ground and spoke softly.
"Do you know about the 'reiryoku point' of a Shinigami?"
"Huh?"
Szayelaporro frowned.
"What?"
"A Shinigami's reiryoku is released from the points at their wrists. I observed your reiryoku manipulation in our earlier fight, and realized Arrancar are the same as Shinigamis in this regard."
"Originally, there was no void here... but after your transformation, your body now has the same structure as a Shinigami."
"The reiryoku point... on my hand?"
Szayelaporro repeated, his expression changing.
"Yes, you should have realized."
Urahara smiled.
"Sorry, in the previous fight I blocked it... You will die from the collapse of your own powerful reiryoku!"
Boom!
Szayelaporro had no chance to react; suddenly his face twisted, his body swelling and contorting!
Boom!
In an instant, his exploding reiryoku burst out from his body, spreading from inside out, becoming a violent flame that consumed him!
This was the Shinigami's killing technique; as long as the target was a Shinigami, survival was impossible! If this trick landed, even if it hit someone at Aizen or Yamamoto's level, there would be only one way out!
But in the face of this terrifying explosion, Urahara did not rejoice.
"...Did I win?"
Clutching Tessai Tsukabishi, his body covered in wounds, he sat on the ground, leaning against a large rock, breathing heavily.
"Terrifying... but it can't be that simple."
After their last fight, Urahara had learned about this enemy's existence. Back then, Szayelaporro had used only his first stage Resurrección. Judging from the previous battle, the Espada must have more tricks up their sleeves!
If that was all, Szayelaporro would have died for sure, but he wasn't sure if he had any countermeasures against the second stage.
What worried Urahara even more... was Yoruichi's side!
After all, Barragan still hadn't used all his Resurrección!
Boom!
As the thought crossed Urahara's mind, the light faded, and a deeper layer of darkness spread.
"You think... you could kill me with such a small force?"
Barragan stared at Yoruichi, who still held the golden lightning stabbed into his body.
Barragan's outer shell wasn't that tough—perhaps because he found steel too troublesome. He protected himself with the breath of death; what use was hard skin?
That's why his body was quite fragile—he'd sustained many wounds from Yoruichi's earlier attack—but under his power, all was meaningless now!
"I am the Emperor of Fate and Bones!"
Barragan's body turned crimson, and in an instant the world around him melted. A mighty force soared skyward, eclipsing even the sun above!
But this force did not rush at Yoruichi. Instead, it exploded toward the distant Yoshio!
"Now that I can use this power, I'll defeat you first... You are truly unforgivable!"