Zzzzt!
Lightning surged across Yekawa's body as his lightning whip lashed out repeatedly. With every strike, a Giant Hollow was obliterated. After advancing into a Giant Hollow, Yekawa's control over Flash Lightning had reached an entirely new level.
Crack!
The lightning whip, infused with violent electrical force and terrifying reach, cleaved a worm shaped Giant Hollow cleanly in half. Almost simultaneously, Yekawa's massive tail followed through, and Soul Eater was activated without pause.
This Soul Eater truly delights me!
One Giant Hollow after another fell. Each time Yekawa killed and devoured a fallen opponent, his spiritual pressure rose further.
Rather than growing exhausted, Yekawa became stronger with every battle. He transformed into a merciless killing machine, harvesting Giant Hollows of the same rank with ruthless efficiency.
Each swing of the lightning whip meant the death of another Giant Hollow.
Just after Yekawa crushed an ape shaped Giant Hollow with a single whip strike, three more Giant Hollows suddenly appeared behind him, their claws reaching out in an attempt to tear him apart.
Unfortunately for them, the moment their attacks were about to land, Yekawa vanished.
In an instant, he had flashed a hundred zhang away using Sonido.
After calmly digesting the ape Hollow's spiritual pressure, Yekawa turned his head and looked back at the three Giant Hollows that had attempted the ambush. A cruel smile curled beneath his pale mask.
Don't rush. Take it slow. Your turn will come soon enough.
The Giant Hollows that had previously been fighting among themselves now shifted their focus, launching a collective siege against Yekawa. It made no difference. To Yekawa, killing Giant Hollows of the same rank had become as effortless as slaughtering livestock.
Before long, out of more than twenty Giant Hollows, only a single indigo blue lizard shaped Hollow remained.
Feeling the weak spiritual pressure emanating from it, Yekawa shook his head slightly. This Giant Lizard Hollow had clearly advanced not long ago. Its size and spiritual pressure were unimpressive, which was precisely why Yekawa had left it for last.
At this moment, the Lizard Hollow trembled uncontrollably. Despite its low intelligence, witnessing Yekawa slaughter more than a dozen beings of the same rank had awakened a fear that came from the deepest part of its soul.
Yekawa did not even bother to look closely. He simply swung his lightning whip.
Crack!
With a sharp sound, half of the Lizard Hollow's body was erased instantly by the strike.
Just as Yekawa prepared to activate Soul Eater and slowly absorb the remaining half, something unexpected occurred.
From the obliterated portion of the Lizard Hollow's body, countless flesh buds suddenly erupted. They grew at an astonishing speed, writhing and merging together as a new body rapidly reformed. However, once the regeneration completed, the Lizard Hollow was noticeably smaller, and its spiritual pressure had dropped significantly.
Seeing this, Yekawa's previously indifferent expression vanished. His eyes widened beneath the mask, and an uncontrollable joy surged through him.
This is Speed Regeneration!
Hahahaha!!!
I searched everywhere for it, only to find it without effort!
Yekawa burst into wild laughter.
Without hesitation, he coiled his massive centipede tail around the Lizard Hollow, binding it tightly, and activated Soul Eater. This time, however, he was not merely absorbing spiritual pressure. He triggered the one time function of the ability.
Steal.
The moment Steal activated, Yekawa's target was clear.
Speed Regeneration was a terrifying, near bug level ability unique to Hollows.
Yekawa had always believed that because of its rarity, and because only high level Hollows such as Adjuchas were known to possess it, acquiring Speed Regeneration would take a long time. He never imagined that shortly after entering the Great Hollow Forest, he would encounter a Giant Hollow that possessed it.
Great Hollow Forest, you truly are a treasure trove for me!
Yekawa tightened his tail around the Lizard Hollow and activated Flash Lightning, electrocuting it until its body was completely charred. The Lizard Hollow was forced to open its mouth in agony.
Yekawa seized the moment and thrust his tail straight into the Lizard Hollow's mouth, then activated Soul Eater once more.
This was not born of any strange inclination. It was a necessary condition for activating Steal through Soul Eater. A Giant Lizard Hollow was not something Yekawa had any interest in otherwise.
Ugh… ugh!
The Lizard Hollow's four claws spasmed violently as its body convulsed.
Then its face turned deathly pale, as if something vital had been stripped away. A flash of light passed over its body, and it rapidly shrank, collapsing down to only four or five meters in length.
This… it degenerated into a powerful Hollow?
Yekawa stared in brief astonishment.
Then, a faint golden arc of lightning flickered along his right index finger. Without hesitation, he sliced it across the pale, hardened layer of skin on his left wrist.
The flesh split open, and crimson blood flowed freely.
Yet in the very next instant, the torn flesh wriggled and fused back together. The wound healed completely, leaving no trace behind. If not for the blood still wet on his arm, Yekawa might have thought he imagined it.
Speed Regeneration. I can use Speed Regeneration!
Yekawa laughed loudly, staring at his restored arm.
The offensive power in the Shinigami world was terrifyingly high. Battles between experts could often be decided in a single exchange. Possessing Speed Regeneration meant that as long as an opponent could not completely destroy him, Yekawa could force them into a brutal war of attrition.
More importantly, when advancing to Adjuchas in the future, severe bodily damage during battle could cause him to lose the qualification for evolution. With Speed Regeneration, that fatal weakness was gone.
Thinking of this, Yekawa smiled in satisfaction.
His gaze then shifted to the small lizard that had lost Speed Regeneration and degenerated into a powerful Hollow.
Yekawa activated Soul Eater once again. This time, there was no stealing involved.
He devoured it completely.
It's not that I, Ye, wanted to eat you. You lost your ability and fell into the rank of a powerful Hollow. You would never survive in the Great Hollow Forest. Rather than wandering toward a meaningless death, it's better to become my nourishment and let me carry you toward eternity. Don't thank me. After all, you gave me Speed Regeneration. Consider this repayment.
Alas, I'm far too soft hearted. This won't do.
Thus, upon his first entry into the Great Hollow Forest, Yekawa slaughtered nineteen Giant Hollows of the same rank. No, eighteen would be more accurate, since the lizard had degenerated into a powerful Hollow and could no longer be counted.
After this battle, Yekawa not only obtained Speed Regeneration, but his own spiritual pressure increased by more than ten percent.
Eighteen Giant Hollows only raised my spiritual pressure by ten percent. I wonder how I compare now to that unique Gillian from back then.
Every time his strength increased, Yekawa could not help but compare himself to that singular Gillian. That existence had left an overwhelming impression on him when he first arrived in Hueco Mundo.
And it was precisely because he had witnessed that Gillian use both Cero and Sonido that Yekawa was able to master those two terrifying techniques so early.