Above the throne of Las Noches, the dark golden pillar of Reiatsu still soared into the sky.
Crack, crack!
At this critical moment of advancement, continuous sounds of bone shattering and reforming echoed from within the pillar as Yekawa reconstructed his body.
This process lasted for nearly an hour.
As time passed, the towering pillar gradually thinned, its brilliance fading, until it finally dissipated completely.
A burly figure slowly stepped out from the fading light.
He stood over two meters tall, broad-shouldered and powerfully built. His entire body was covered in black keratin, while pale centipede-like armor extended from his back across his chest.
The pale armor was etched with dark golden patterns, radiating an oppressive and domineering aura.
The mask that once wrapped around Yekawa's head like a helmet had changed. After this advancement, it no longer covered his face. Instead, his short black hair fluttered freely in the wind, and his pupils had returned to their deep, dark hue.
Yekawa casually clenched his fists and kicked the ground.
Boom!
Violent winds roared outward, stirring sand and stones into the air.
He felt his body had become more proportionate, his limbs lighter, stronger, and far more flexible than before.
When he had still been a Gillian, his true height had nearly reached one hundred meters.
The only reason he had maintained a human-sized form was through constant use of his shrinking ability.
Now, after advancing, he no longer needed that power.
His true height was just over two meters.
Although his body had shrunk dramatically, his Reiatsu had surged once again.
Before advancing, his Reiatsu had already reached the peak of Third-Class, even surpassing Komamura Sajin and Tōsen Kaname when they first appeared in the original timeline.
Now, after promotion, in terms of sheer spiritual pressure alone, he could almost rival veteran captains who had cultivated their strength for centuries, such as Kyōraku Shunsui and Jūshirō Ukitake.
It was genuine Second-Class Reiatsu.
And yet, he was only an Adjuchas.
Before even becoming a Vasto Lorde, before even becoming an Arrancar, he already possessed such monstrous power.
The future potential was terrifying.
After briefly adjusting to his new body, Yekawa immediately transformed into a bolt of dark golden lightning and vanished into the sky.
If his judgment was correct, Aizen and his companions were already approaching Las Noches.
He had no intention of meeting them head-on.
Sure enough, not long after Yekawa departed, three figures appeared above the ruined palace.
They were Aizen Sōsuke, Ichimaru Gin, and Tōsen Kaname.
Surveying the devastated ruins, Ichimaru Gin tilted his head slightly and smiled.
"The King of Hueco Mundo lives in a place like this?"
At almost the same time, Baraggan returned with a massive host of Adjuchas.
When he saw that his once-magnificent palace had been reduced to rubble, his fury exploded.
"You are Shinigami?"
"You despicable invaders! How dare you destroy my palace!"
"You deserve to die a thousand deaths!"
Ichimaru Gin squinted his eyes and chuckled.
"Oh my, Aizen."
"Looks like we're being blamed for someone else's mess."
Aizen calmly drew his Zanpakuto and walked forward step by step.
"Allow me to introduce myself."
"My name is Aizen Sōsuke."
"And you must be Baraggan, the King of Hueco Mundo."
"Please, take a look at my blade."
"Kyōka Suigetsu."
…
"That was close. Very close."
Far from Las Noches, Yekawa sensed three concealed Reiatsu erupt in the distance.
Despite their careful suppression, he detected them instantly.
They were unmistakably Shinigami.
"Did I just barely miss Aizen and the others?"
A trace of lingering fear rose in his heart.
…
Strange Grand Fisher and Red Mountain Goat Perke stared blankly at the gloomy sky of Hueco Mundo.
"The King said he'd be right back…"
"It's been three days already."
"Are we still waiting, Puck?"
Barnes swayed through space lazily as he complained.
"The King said wait."
"So I wait."
Perke replied dully.
"Tch. Talking to you is pointless."
Barnes sighed in frustration.
Suddenly, both Hollows froze.
A terrifying Reiatsu surged toward them from afar.
"This… this level of Reiatsu…"
Cold sweat poured down their bodies.
They felt that this pressure far exceeded even their King's previous presence.
A golden flash appeared.
A figure emerged before them.
He was entirely black, clad in bone armor shimmering with dark golden luster. His black hair and eyes were cold and deep. A long blade identical to their King's hung at his waist.
"King… is that you?"
Barnes asked hesitantly.
"It's me."
Perke stared in disbelief.
"Really… the King?"
"You two useless fools."
"Can't you recognize my Reiatsu?"
Snap!
Yekawa snapped his fingers.
Zzzzt!
The lightning spheres embedded within their bodies activated.
Electric arcs spread throughout their forms.
"Ah! This familiar lightning!"
"It's really the King!"
Only then did they fully relax.
Barnes immediately adopted a flattering expression.
"My King, congratulations on evolving again!"
Yekawa waved his hand impatiently.
"Enough flattery."
He found a secluded cave and entered it.
He needed time to fully grasp his new strength.
The two Adjuchas remained outside to guard him.
Inside the cave, Yekawa sat cross-legged, his Zanpakuto resting on his lap.
His consciousness sank into his inner world.
He began testing his abilities.
"Aside from overall strengthening, this evolution didn't grant any entirely new combat skills."
Flash Lightning, Camo, and all his previous techniques had improved.
His control over lightning had reached a new level.
But the greatest change lay in Camo.
Now, it could not only conceal Reiatsu.
It could conceal his physical form as well.
Invisibility.
True invisibility.
Reiatsu, body, aura, presence, all vanished completely.
During activation, even high-level spiritual perception could not detect him.
However, the ability had strict limitations.
It could only be used once every three hours.
Each use lasted no more than thirty minutes.
If he attacked, or if he was struck, invisibility would break instantly.
"This…"
"This is the ultimate assassination skill."
"If I activate this first, approach silently, and unleash Thunderclap Slash…"
"Who could defend against that first strike?"
And that was not all.
What truly shocked Yekawa most was…