A crimson radiance erupted within the mountain forest, carrying a sharp, biting blade-light that forcibly sheared off half of the Menos Grande's hoofed leg.
The rage triggered by the agonizing pain caused the Menos to let out a deafening roar. The ground trembled slightly as dust swirled in all directions.
Unlike the generic, long-haired Gillian types, the creature before them not only possessed intelligence but also a form far better suited for combat—it was essentially an Adjuchas-in-waiting.
But what terrified the Menos even more was that the Soul Reaper brat standing before it was clearly inferior in terms of Spiritual Pressure. Yet, by relying on a combat style so fierce it bordered on the deranged, he was actually forcing it back step by step, preventing it from forming any effective counterattack in the short term.
If this continued, wouldn't it actually fall at the hands of this Soul Reaper?
Dammit!
"You're nothing but mere food, how dare you?!"
Enraged, the Menos seized a gap in Naraku Sora's assault. Its bloody maw snapped open, and a scarlet beam of light struck out without warning.
Mid-combat, Naraku Sora reacted with extreme speed. The moment he side-stepped with a Flash Step, the red Cero grazed past him, triggering a violent explosion behind him.
Blazing flames soared into the sky, dyeing the entire forest in hues of fire.
Without a single pause, the Menos seized the opening created by the Cero. Its massive body lunged forward, arriving in front of Naraku Sora in an instant.
A claw the size of a grown man swung upward, slamming down toward Naraku Sora with crushing force.
Boom!
The earth shook, leaving a deep crater where he had stood. The soil was compacted so tightly it turned a grayish-black.
Naraku Sora had been watching the opponent's movements closely. Before the attack could connect, he used the invincibility frames of a Flash Step to evade the powerful strike.
Blood-red Spiritual Pressure surged around him like a thin mist, causing his dark, well-defined eyes to glow with a crimson light. He looked almost like the same species as the Menos facing him.
His body, tense as a drawn bowstring, crouched low. Gold and red intertwined upon his Zanpakutō as explosive thunder and blinding fire complemented one another.
Two forces that should have been in conflict had reached a bizarre harmony under his exquisite control.
The blade vibrated, and the air fluctuated under the intense heat, causing his face to appear warped and terrifying in the distortion.
He looked like a demon.
The Menos retreated a few steps. It heard a crackling sound—the sound of the hair on top of its head shattering.
The surrounding air temperature spiked sharply. Sparks mingled with lightning as they drifted through the air; several strands of hair, like dried weeds unable to withstand the heat, snapped and fell.
They turned to ash.
Catching this scene out of the corner of his eye, a hint of surprise flashed deep within Aizen's gaze.
He had thought Naraku Sora's Spiritual Pressure growth was already exaggerated enough, but he hadn't expected his talent in Zanjutsu and Kidō to be even more terrifying. Back at the Spiritual Arts Academy, he had been only slightly stronger than the average student.
Yet, upon graduation, the boy seemed to have undergone a sublimation. The talent he displayed was becoming increasingly ridiculous.
'Even compared to me, he is hardly lacking.'
'Is he a late bloomer, or is there some other secret?'
Countless thoughts instinctively flashed through Aizen's mind, but he swept them away immediately, refocusing his attention on the surroundings.
For some reason, even though Naraku Sora had gained the upper hand and was completely suppressing the Menos, Aizen's inner unease grew stronger. It felt as though another danger was lurking nearby.
But he had already covered the entire mountain forest with his Spiritual Pressure and found no unfamiliar signatures. He hadn't detected even a ripple of abnormal Reishi.
Where was the danger coming from?
Aizen's brow furrowed. 'What exactly am I overlooking?'
While one side was eerily quiet, the other was burning hot.
Naraku Sora let out a feral grin. The moment he lunged forward, his Zanpakutō swung upward in a lifting slash.
An intense heat erupted instantly, more terrifying than the sun itself, severing the Menos' thick, pillar-like tail.
Blood, so red it was almost black, sprayed out like a fountain. It was a spectacular sight, yet it evaporated in an instant.
Vanished.
As the pain of the severed limb hit, a deafening roar echoed through the woods.
But unlike before, there was a trace of cowardice and retreat in the sound.
The Gillian looked at the demon-like youth in terror, suddenly feeling that the boy looked more like a Hollow than it did.
It defied all logic.
What it thought would be an easy battle had turned into a crushing defeat under the youth's violent momentum. It wasn't just a lack of retaliation; it was a total collapse. There wasn't a single glimmer of hope for victory.
It was time to retreat. If it didn't run now, forget its tail—its entire soul would be left here.
However, the moment the Menos entertained the thought of fleeing, the outcome of the battle was already decided.
The sound of breaking air returned.
Shakkahō and Sōratsui intertwined upon the blade. A powerful roar burst forth the moment the edge descended!
A searing wind swept through.
The terror on the Menos' hideous face froze. A red line appeared in the center of its massive head, extending from top to bottom.
Boom!!
Amidst the explosive roar, the very earth beneath the Menos was cleaved open. The violent light condensed into a pillar of fire that shot into the heavens.
The aftershock formed visible ripples of impact that spread in all directions, uprooting clusters of thick trees and instantly turning the battlefield into a wasteland.
"Gu..."
The Menos made a faint, imperceptible sound before being obliterated in the howling gale. Its life force was extinguished, and even its corpse collapsed, flesh peeling and evaporating until only a charred skeleton remained in the deep pit.
To Naraku Sora's surprise, the moment the Menos died, ripples appeared before his eyes like waves on water.
[Successfully slew Sinful Hollow Gillian. Sin Value: 1145. Participation: 100%!]
[Your Spiritual Pressure has increased. Current Spiritual Power Grade: 6!]
[Your Hakuda has increased. Current Level: LV48!]
[You have obtained the Power of the Hollow!]
'Justice, you've done a fine job!'
He had thought he could only get rewards by locking them in the underground prison, but it seemed that in certain situations, direct execution also yielded returns.
Now he really had to give it his all.
That familiar sensation returned—the tyrannical, brutal Spiritual Pressure surged violently through his body, and a scalding heat burned from the depths of his soul.
It was even more intense than the last time he obtained Hollow power.
However, Naraku Sora was no longer the weakling he once was. He could now use precise control to keep the Hollow portion firmly within a reasonable range.
But just as he was merging the power, Aizen suddenly used Flash Step to appear beside him.
Without a word, Aizen grabbed him and fled.
In the next heartbeat.
Under the twilight glow and the moon's reflection, the soil of the entire mountain forest began to churn as if it were boiling. Amidst the roar of violent friction...
Blazing fire erupted from within, instantly turning every inch of land in sight into molten lava.
Naraku Sora stared wide-eyed at the terrifying scene unfolding behind them and couldn't help but curse under his breath:
"Dammit!"
In less than ten seconds, the vast mountain forest had been transformed into a flaming hell!