Upon hearing this, Ginjō's pupils sharply contracted, but then, a flicker of rage appeared in his eyes:
"Stop joking! Aozaki Reiji? It's Aozaki Reiji again!! What on earth are you guys thinking?!"
His voice was laced with unconcealed anger and disgust, as if he harbored deep resentment for that name.
Then, his emotions grew even more agitated, and he continued to roar:
"It's truly infuriating, always like this, one after another, making me sick, just die, you bastards!"
In his furious, crimson gaze, the blade in Ginjō's hand suddenly pointed at Harribel.
A wisp of purple dark light rapidly condensed in the radiance, instantly forming a powerful collar-like light sphere.
The next second, The purple beam of light flashed by, trailing a long afterimage, disappearing in an instant, striking Harribel with astonishing speed.
Immediately after, a loud bang was heard.
Boom!
The purple Reiatsu burned like flames, and terrifying power instantly erupted.
Just the aftermath alone caused waves to ripple across the entire ground, and everything around was utterly destroyed.
Harribel frowned, watching everything unfolding before her with a serious expression.
"This is... a Cero?!"
She murmured in surprise.
As Aozaki Reiji's intimate lover, she knew that a Hollowfied Shinigami could unleash a Cero.
However, to her surprise, Ginjō was not wearing a mask, yet he was still able to use a Hollow's abilities.
"Die!"
Ginjō's face distorted into a grotesque smile, and he spread his hands, as if displaying his victory.
However, just at that moment, he suddenly realized a figure had appeared not far away—
Nelliel stood there quietly.
Her expression was exceptionally calm, seemingly unfazed by everything that was happening.
Given their previous sister-like relationship, if she saw that blonde woman struck by his Cero, shouldn't she have rushed over immediately?
But why was she so calm?
Nelliel didn't even glance at him, and said coldly:
"Harribel's power is far more than this."
Then, she continued: "Your power is not on the same level as hers; it's just that you haven't realized it yet."
"More precisely, your trembling body has already revealed your inner fear to me, but you are unwilling to face reality."
"Trembling?"
Upon hearing this, Ginjō slowly raised a hand, and indeed, that hand was slightly trembling.
Ginjō took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.
He shifted his gaze back to Harribel, then let out a burst of wild laughter, his voice filled with madness and triumph.
"Hahahahaha... I think you've misunderstood; this is not fear, but immense excitement from being able to wield such immense power."
His expression became even more distorted, a hint of fierceness and cruelty in his eyes:
"Haven't you noticed? Your foolish companion has already failed!"
"It's truly a pity; if I had been able to seize your power back then, perhaps the situation would be different now."
"Individuals as powerful as you have a very high probability of possessing Reio's fragments."
"If I could absorb your power, I would undoubtedly become even stronger."
"However, none of that matters anymore."
"Next, I will go to another city to find more people with 'extraordinary power' and seize their Reio's fragments."
However, just then, his laughter abruptly ceased.
In the gradually dissipating light, Harribel stood there quietly.
Her posture was upright and unmoving, like an indestructible mountain.
Before her, that purple Cero was caught by a doll-like hand, as if it had struck a copper wall and iron barrier, and it was gradually dissipating.
That doll-like hand seemed to contain endless power, dissolving the energy of the Cero little by little.
In just the blink of an eye, this Cero, unleashed almost with Ginjō's full power, was completely annihilated, as if it had never existed.
"This is impossible! How did you do that?!"
Ginjō's eyes widened, and he questioned in disbelief.
He couldn't comprehend what was happening before him; his incredibly powerful attack had been easily blocked and neutralized.
This perpetually calm woman not only didn't die from his Cero, but she was also completely unharmed!
Even her clothes showed no damage whatsoever!
This left him speechless with fright.
Although he knew that an Arrancar's Hierro defense was very strong, this was too strong, wasn't it?!
Ginjō secretly marveled in his heart.
He realized that he might have underestimated Harribel's strength; this woman was far more powerful than he had imagined.
Facing such an opponent, he couldn't help but start to worry about his own safety.
Harribel walked towards Ginjō step by step, her left hand wearing a white glove, and her right hand carrying a large sword with a shark pattern.
Her steps were steady and powerful, each one carrying an invisible pressure, as if she were stepping on Ginjō's heart.
"Why? Why is it ineffective? Why are you still alive?"
Ginjō took a step back, his eyes wide with astonishment, asking with a hint of fear.
His voice trembled slightly, his dread of Harribel almost unconcealed.
At this moment, he had lost his confidence; facing such a powerful enemy, he didn't know how to react.
"Cero is the instinct of a Menos Grande, just like a beast instinctively bares its claws and teeth when facing prey."
Upon hearing this, a hint of confusion flashed in Ginjō's eyes.
Harribel continued:
"It is in itself merely a way of Reiatsu Exploit that appears powerful but is actually very primitive and inefficient."
Under Ginjō's gaze, Harribel seemed to recall something, her eyes softened, and she slowly spoke:
"Do you want to see? A true Cero, this is also what Reiji taught me."
She lightly swung the Zanpakuto in her hand, and golden-yellow Reiatsu slowly gathered at the tip of the sword.
The speed of the Reiatsu's condensation appeared slow, but in reality, it was astonishingly fast, as if completed in the blink of an eye.
Before Ginjō could even react, the Reiatsu had already gathered, and even the surrounding space began to distort.
"Gran Rey Cero!"
Harribel let out a soft cry, and swung the Zanpakuto in her hand fiercely.
The next second.
Accompanied by a dazzling flash, a powerful Cero shot towards Ginjō's chest like lightning.
Boom!
Wherever the Cero passed, space shattered, emitting a deafening roar.
Almost in an instant, Ginjō's proud Reiatsu was directly pierced by the Cero, striking his body.
He widened his eyes, his face filled with an expression of disbelief, as if he had seen the end of the world.
He stared blankly ahead, unable to believe that his Reiatsu would be so fragile, easily defeated by the opponent's Cero.
That Cero, like an unstoppable arrow, pierced through his body without any hindrance.
As the Cero continued its flight, it triggered an earth-shattering explosion in the sky.
This power was so astonishingly strong that it even tore open a massive spatial rift.
The pitch-black rift was like a black hole in the universe, devouring everything around it.
However, just when people thought space was about to collapse, the rift quickly healed, returning to its original state.
But soon, the Cero erupted again, destroying space again, then healing again...
This cycle repeated, plunging everyone into endless fear.
☰