Boom! Boom boom boom!!!
In the distance, Tōshirō Hitsugaya was still dodging Lilynette's Cero.
"Don't dodge, don't dodge!"
Lilynette looked angry, firing Cero after Cero, but Hitsugaya's agility let him dodge most, and block the rest.
An ice dragon flew from Hitsugaya's blade, instantly shattered by Cero, but Hitsugaya had already vanished.
"Do you Shinigami only know how to run?!" Lilynette shouted.
Her words actually made Hitsugaya stop.
"Oh?"
Seeing Hitsugaya appear before her, Lilynette was surprised.
"Not bad, are you finally going to duel me?"
"The time… is indeed almost right," Hitsugaya replied.
Lilynette didn't understand, but she looked excited.
Since gaining consciousness, she'd never had such an exhilarating battle—unleashing everything, bombarding Cero like a game!
But this time, only seven or eight Cero blasted toward Hitsugaya, who merely extended a hand:
"Bakudo Number 81: Dankū!"
A transparent barrier blocked the path of the Cero, which exploded in a huge blast!
Not only had the number of Cero decreased, but their strength had dropped.
After the explosion, though Dankū was cracked, it held, and Hitsugaya stood unharmed behind it.
What?!
Lilynette was startled—then realized:
Oh no! When did my spiritual pressure get so depleted?!
She'd enjoyed blasting too much earlier, draining her reserves. Now her spiritual pressure was less than a tenth!
Meanwhile, Hitsugaya's power was growing.
Hyōrinmaru, the strongest ice-type Zanpakuto, produces a weather phenomenon: extreme cold and accumulating water vapor.
Even when his ice is shattered, it strengthens his domain, increasing his combat power.
"Thousand Years of Ice Prison."
At that moment, Hitsugaya raised his blade, pointing it at Lilynette. The Dankū barrier shattered, and water vapor froze around her.
She was instantly encased in a giant ice crystal, her expression frozen in disbelief.
Hitsugaya watched silently. He didn't deliver a killing blow, only used Thousand Years of Ice Prison.
He could have used Hyōten Hyakkasō to end her—but held back, remembering Lilynette had once saved Rukia in the Death Tower, and that Ashido hadn't truly been killed by her.
This move was enough to freeze Lilynette until the war's end.
As for now…
He turned toward the distant giant and rushed over.
After he left, an Arrancar woman in green materialized beside the frozen Lilynette.
It was Roka Paramia!
She was '109' among the Three-Digit, but instead of confronting Shinigami or Quincy, she took out a small black box, placed it into the ice, and darkness swallowed both ice and Lilynette.
She caught the falling box, then vanished again.
…
Byakuya dodged Yammy's punch; the massive fist pulverized the ground, the aftershock stinging him.
As Byakuya evaded, Yammy took a deep breath, exhaling a storm!
The blast swept Byakuya away, shattering buildings in the distance.
Yammy squinted into the distance.
"Hmm? His spiritual pressure is too faint to sense. He's really not tough enough. Is he going to find Ulquiorra? Never mind, I'll just help Ulquiorra finish him off."
Yammy charged a Cero, aiming into Las Noches—at Kurosaki Ichigo, who was rushing for the core!
After the Shinigami Captains arrived, Ichigo had left Nnoitra to Kenpachi and pressed deeper into Las Noches.
But suddenly, he felt a chill—
What is this?
As if something was targeting him—Ichigo's heart trembled!
But the next moment, the feeling vanished.
In the distance, Yammy—about to fire—was completely frozen.
"Judging by the spiritual pressure, that should be Kurosaki over there. I can't let you stop him."
Hitsugaya, standing atop a ruined building, calmly stuck Hyōrinmaru into the debris.
"You'll be frozen here forever."
Bang!
But in that instant, Yammy broke free!
"Ha! You think a little ice and snow can trap me?!" Yammy laughed. "Kid, who do you think you are?!"
Yammy swung a massive fist—Hitsugaya frowned and dodged.
He hadn't held back. With so much cold and moisture here, his ice shouldn't have broken so easily!
"Ha!? What are you wondering about?!"
Yammy shouted,
"You should have seen my number—'9,' the largest single-digit! Which means… I am the biggest, strongest Espada! No one among the Arrancar is stronger than me!
You think your little abilities can do anything to me?!"
He reached for Hitsugaya—so fast!
Hitsugaya was surprised by his speed, but a mass of cherry blossoms blocked Yammy's hand.
Both Hitsugaya and Yammy were surprised. Byakuya had returned, scarred and disheveled.
Even after fighting Zommari, he hadn't looked so battered. Facing Yammy, just one punch and breath had brought him to his 'limit.'
"Captain Hitsugaya, a one-on-one might not be enough. I'll assist you."
Hitsugaya nodded solemnly.
"With such a height difference, even if it's two against one, it wouldn't be too despicable, would it?"
Byakuya glanced at him; Hitsugaya grumbled, but before he could reply, Yammy slammed down!
Before they could react, Yammy's arm was suddenly slashed open!
Both were surprised. Then, seeing the newcomer, it made sense.
Zaraki Kenpachi had arrived, his spiritual pressure immense, eyepatch removed from an earlier fight.
It was he who had cut Yammy's hand!
"What are you two doing? Couldn't even take care of this guy?" Kenpachi grumbled.
"The troublesome guy is here," Hitsugaya and Byakuya said together.
But… would it really be that simple?
"…It hurts…"
Yammy saw his severed hand and shouted, "Damn it, that last slash was something! I… I'm angry now!"
He clutched the stump, and a new hand instantly grew—!
Super High-Speed Regeneration?!
Normally, Arrancar lose this ability, but now…
"Ha!" Yammy glared at Kenpachi. "You little insects are in for it! I'm very angry! You three are finished!"
His body expanded, his hand pressing down on Kenpachi.
"Hmm? You're tough to cut! That just makes me more excited!"
Kenpachi rushed up Yammy's body, swinging his sword!
Despite his size, Yammy moved with surprising agility.
Kenpachi dodged, but Yammy's other hand grabbed him, crushing him in his grip!
Kenpachi struggled, biting Yammy's palm.
"Oh!!"
Yammy howled, flinging Kenpachi away—he crashed through a tall building.
"You damned little insect!"
Yammy roared, raising his foot to stomp Kenpachi—
But another layer of ice froze his leg!
"You again…!"
Yammy glared at Hitsugaya, roaring, "Damn it, I'll take you down first!"
He smashed the cherry blossoms, broke the ice, but Kenpachi had already rushed up again.
He swung his sword—!
Pfft!
A flash of golden light—Yammy, foot still raised, was split open from head to crotch.
His pupils dilated, and he fell—!
Boom!
Yammy's colossal body crashed down, shaking the earth.
"…Is it over?" Hitsugaya hadn't expected Kenpachi's slash to be so strong.
"Hey, you two, hurry and finish him!" Kenpachi called.
Byakuya and Hitsugaya remained silent.
"I don't understand what you mean," Byakuya finally said.
"Are you idiots?" Kenpachi stretched. His uniform was already half-shredded, leaving him bare-chested.
"You two haven't moved much, so you should still have energy, right?
Now that I've taken him down, the final blow's up to you. Don't you get it?"
"I see. You mean the work you can't finish, you want us to complete for you, right?"
"I'm just too lazy to deal the final blow to someone so pathetic," Kenpachi snorted.
"Instead of wasting time talking, you'd better hurry up and finish it."
"You two are really too much," Hitsugaya sighed.
"It's not that easy to take this guy down. Even if you can't see, you should feel his spiritual pressure getting stronger and stronger."
Hmm?!
Suddenly, the fallen Yammy stood up again, face bloodied, roaring,
"You three brats! I'll tear you to shreds!"
Boom!
His body erupted with terrifying spiritual pressure, the sky above swirling into a vortex!
Yammy, once eight or nine meters tall, now grew to over fifty meters!
His massive body exuded spiritual pressure so intense it seemed to twist the very sky!
"Rage is my power!"
Yammy bellowed,
"You've really pissed me off!"