Angra faced Yamiko. As for his main body's cousin, Angra didn't intend to kill her—just see how much she'd grown.
He didn't use his full strength. Even so, he was beyond the reach of others.
Yamiko knew how powerful Angra was, and immediately released her Zanpakutō.
"Three-Aspect War Beast!"
Yamiko aimed her blade at Angra, and an invisible domain spread out.
Angra remained unmoved, letting the power of the domain wash over him.
He knew the Three-Aspect War Beast's ability, but not Yamiko's Bankai, or what changes she would undergo after absorbing Ikomikidomoe.
Yamiko using her Three-Aspect War Beast to absorb Ikomikidomoe's power should help her break through the limits of her soul. She was different from Aizen; as a child acknowledged by Soul King, the soul limit was not insurmountable for her. What she lacked was accumulation. Absorbing Ikomikidomoe would help her surpass Shinigami and perfect her abilities.
After all, Ikomikidomoe's spiritual pressure was terrifying.
Angra wanted to see how much Yamiko had grown—like a 'brother' examining his 'sister's' progress.
Yamiko, however, didn't know Angra was actually Yoshio. In her heart, Angra was just an enemy.
Facing such a strong enemy, she dared not be careless.
After releasing her Zanpakutō, she pointed a finger at Angra again.
Cero!
Also a hybrid of three races, Yamiko could use Cero!
She herself was an 'impossible product,' just like her Zanpakutō. The so-called Three-Aspect War Beast was born from the combination of three mutually antagonistic creatures.
She also represented the combination of mutually antagonistic souls. As a hybrid creation, her completeness was much higher than Hikone Ubuginu's!
This Cero combined three powers. Though an ordinary Cero, its power was much greater than the Gran Rey Cero of powerful Arrancar!
Yet, facing such a Cero, Angra didn't even move.
The blast was like a stone falling into the sea—just a small ripple, then nothing.
"!"
She'd known Angra was powerful, but this exceeded her expectations.
"Subduing the War Beast?" Angra felt the domain's power. "A good power, but your power of subjugation is still too weak compared to my War Beast."
He raised a hand, extended a finger, and released his own Cero.
Boom!
It was black—not the powerful Black Cero, but actually the weakest Cero in his hands.
It blasted in front of Yamiko. The power could destroy a mountain, yet it couldn't advance an inch past Yamiko's defense!
"I don't think so."
Yamiko's voice was soft. "My Three-Aspect War Beast can not only counter the enemy's power—but, most importantly, it can subdue all malicious power.
The greater the attacker's malice, the stronger the defense. Someone like you, who exudes malice everywhere, cannot break through my 'Absolute Defense.'"
This rule also applied to Yamiko, but she'd long since learned to attack without hostility.
Angra, however, could not—he was the embodiment of malice!
He was the 'All the World's Evils'. Even if others didn't know this, confronting him, they could feel the endless malice as if it wanted to drown the world.
The evil aura covered the heavens and earth, making the harmonious domain seem like demons dancing madly!
Surtur believed her ability countered Yoshio, and similarly, Yamiko believed her ability countered Angra Mainyu!
The stronger the attack, the stronger the counterattack.
The greater the malice, the stronger the harmonious power.
Someone like Angra, whose malice was boundless, would only cause the harmonious power around Yamiko to surge.
Although the Cero's power was terrifying, it seemed blocked by Yamiko's harmonious power!
But at the same time, Angra suddenly bore the force of his own Cero, yet his body didn't change.
"I said, your power cannot subdue my 'War Beast.'"
Even the harmonious power could not withstand…
This sea of malice that could drown the world!
The Cero, stagnant in the harmonious domain, suddenly became unstable. In Yamiko's eyes, she saw another version of herself within that Cero—a demon with a green face, fangs, and blood-red eyes, immersed in a sea of blood!
Roar!
In an instant, Yamiko's mind was drowned by darkness. The Cero broke through the harmonious power and blasted her!
Boom!
A huge force struck Yamiko. Fortunately, she had Still Blut and Hierro, and the harmonious power had dissipated most of the impact. The Cero did not cause fatal damage, but Yamiko was left somewhat disheveled.
"So, use your full strength."
Angra suddenly appeared behind her.
Yamiko's pupils dilated; she turned and swung, but Angra was gone—appearing at her side, hands in his pockets.
Yamiko immediately distanced herself.
"Alright, since you insist… I'll fight you with my new abilities."
"The Great Roc and the Snow Lion, King of Heavenly Birds and Earthly Beasts. Because they kill and hunt each other, they are called the War Beast of Wrath · Great Roc Lion!"
She held her blade above her head and chanted softly.
A powerful force erupted from her body!
Reishi formed golden wings behind her.
Her eyes hid a lion, her hair grew longer.
Golden-winged Great Roc and Snow Lion…
The Great Roc Lion among the Three-Aspect War Beast!
This…
It wasn't Bankai.
Angra watched, his interest piqued.
This was still Shikai, but a higher stage—just like the three-stage Shikai Ikomikidomoe that Hikone used against Ichigo.
Each release made Hikone stronger, but was mainly to let Ikomikidomoe further unleash its power.
This power… it must be the ability that the Three-Aspect War Beast possessed after absorbing Ikomikidomoe.
But instead of turning her Zanpakutō into a monster, Yamiko transformed herself.
Interesting. If nothing unexpected happened, there should be two more stages.
Yamiko's strength was already immense—after releasing the Three-Aspect War Beast, Shinigami had no way to deal with her. Now she had become stronger still. She was officially embarking on the path of transcending the limits of Shinigami.
"You should have two more stages. Use them all," Angra said.
"Is that so?" Yamiko did not directly use the subsequent two stages. "That's not necessarily true."
Yamiko vanished!
Her speed was much faster—perhaps a result of merging with the Golden-winged Great Roc.
She appeared before Angra, swinging her blade.
Angra blocked with the back of his hand.
Clang!
A crisp sound.
Yamiko was shocked—her attack blocked by his bare hand?
Absurd!
"Gran Rey Cero!"
Seeing her blade ineffective, Yamiko immediately used Cero again.
But this time, not from her hand, but from the blade itself—right at the point of impact!
The Cero engulfed Angra, distorting the space around them.
A hand reached from the light and distortion, pressing against Yamiko's abdomen. Pitch-black reishi, viscous like mud, expanded, like a giant mouth devouring Yamiko.
After swallowing Yamiko, the darkness contracted, but as it shrank, a loud bang erupted.
Boom!
Massive reishi exploded, a hole pierced the dark cage, and Yamiko leaped out.
Terrifying!
Even after passing through Harmonious Power, such immense power remained. This guy… he truly lived up to Aizen's description as the first transcendent. Urahara's "ultimate weapon"—even Yoshio might not be his match.
If so, then he must not be allowed to go to other battlefields!
"Otter and scaly fish, water and land for lewd sacrifices, otters sacrificing fish and dancing, called Foolish Dispute · Otter Fish!"
Yamiko unleashed the next stage. Her body mutated—a tail appeared, and scales formed on her neck!
If before she was still human, now she was turning into a monster.
After this transformation, her injuries vanished.
Each stage not only enhanced her stats and reishi, but also healed all wounds—like a Hollow Resurrección!
She could undergo three liberations—three Resurreccións, three lives!
After devouring Ikomikidomoe, she now possessed power surpassing Shinigami—and immortality!
After the second stage, Hikone's speed and strength increased further!
She slashed, the strike tearing space itself—dark cracks extending toward Angra.
Angra finally drew his weapon. Black mud formed a blade—first like gas or liquid, then a solid weapon!
An eye appeared on the hilt, and when gripped, it appeared on the back of the hand.
The two-meter blade slashed, releasing darkness that devoured the cracks, followed by dozens of black reishi blades!
The black blades shot at Yamiko. Her eyes widened; she held her own blade horizontally. Five Cero appeared simultaneously—on her hand, the blade's center, tip, above and below the center—forming a cross.
"Cross Cero!"
Five Cero converged, forming a more powerful Cero!
Boom!
The Cero collided with the black blade, an earth-shattering explosion.
Angra's power, however, was silent and condensed within tranquil darkness.
Yet, it rapidly pushed the Cero backward!
That viscous darkness invaded the Cero, turning it black and evil, and then—
The Cero was subverted, changed direction, and now blasted back at Yamiko, stronger than before!
What?!
Yamiko cried out, dodging at incredible speed, barely avoiding the blackened Cero!
Boom!
The impact annihilated everything, shockwaves tearing Karakura Town apart!
Even fighting Shinigami were affected by the power!
Yamiko avoided the direct blast, but not the shockwave.
Fortunately, her harmonious barrier held.
"…How about we change locations?" Yamiko suddenly said.
"Both of us can open a Garganta, so Karakura Town's barrier can't trap us," Angra replied. "Wherever you wish to go."
Yamiko felt it was best to move the battlefield. Angra's power was too destructive; if left unchecked, it would affect others—especially Aizen and Yoshio.
She opened a Garganta, preparing to return to Hueco Mundo.
In the blink of an eye, they moved from Karakura Town to the world of Hollows—a dark, desolate, cold white desert.
No one knew how far from Las Noches.
Here, they could fight without restraint.
Yamiko took the initiative. Her blade stirred the wind direction of the world, summoning a terrifying storm!
Angra watched, knowing to force Yamiko to use the next stage, he had to injure her.
A bit greedy, aren't I?
Angra shook his head.
This was like saving a skill in a game until your HP was almost gone—maximizing its use.
Yamiko clearly had the same idea.
Understanding this, Angra softly said:
"Destruction."
With those words, Yamiko's expression changed.
A hollow ring appeared on her body, flesh on her abdomen vanishing!
She looked at Angra in disbelief.
Behind her, a massive vortex-shaped void appeared—miles wide—erasing everything!
This 'Destruction' was not a Souls Ability from Grimmjow, but Angra's own.
After becoming a transcendent, his power of evil evolved.
Transcendents' abilities are generally very strong and evolve with their master.
His power of evil had seven modes:
Spirit of Destruction: All attacks cause immense destruction.
Falsehood: Change a person's nature, turning good people into hypocrites.
Malice: Sense, bestow, and absorb malice.
Disorder: Collapse order into nothingness.
Apostasy: Cause betrayal of beliefs or duty.
Heat: Pure heat, can produce poisonous gas.
Thirst: Induce hunger, thirst, desire.
The 'Destruction' just now was Spirit of Destruction—the strongest mode.
He merely tested the waters, yet made Yamiko endure incredible power!
Now, she had no choice but to enter the next stage.
Badly injured, Yamiko had to unleash her power further!
"Capricorn and conch, the retribution of two seas complete, devouring all that exists, called Greedy Dispute · Sea Monster Conch!"
But from that exchange, she knew—even the third stage wouldn't last long, so...
"Calm down, Three-Aspect War Beast."
Monster features emerged, then vanished.
The Roc's wings, lion's mane, scales, otter's tail, conch shell, new horns—all disappeared.
She seemed to revert to her original appearance.
But her power surged like never before!
This was a Bankai, a Resurrección, a Vollständig—Yamiko's most powerful form!
At this moment, it was as if she'd returned to her true nature.
In a way, it was similar to Angra Mainyu's three stages of Resurrección.