"Ah…?"
Staring at Yammy, who had stood up once again, the three Captains couldn't help but freeze in shock.
Right now, Yammy was simply too massive. His body towered over fifty meters tall, and his face twisted into a more and more savage expression. His spiritual pressure pressed down like a mountain, making even Captain-class Shinigami feel suffocated.
In the distance, the rescue team broke out in a cold sweat. The Fourth Division Shinigami had never seen such a terrifying scene before.
…
"What are these guys doing?"
Deep inside Las Noches, Mayuri Kurotsuchi frowned as he gazed at the monstrous Yammy, a strange light flickering in his eyes.
He had originally taken advantage of the chaos—with Captains and Espada fighting, and Aizen's group heading to the Human World—to sneak to the core of Las Noches, hoping to find something valuable.
But he was stopped halfway.
What blocked his path wasn't an Espada, nor a Three-Digit Arrancar.
"Give up, you can't get in no matter what."
Countless white skeletons surged toward him like an ocean. Mayuri and Nemu could easily destroy them, but their numbers seemed endless.
The most critical issue: none of Mayuri's medicines worked on these things.
A strange voice echoed around them, trapping them in this sea of bones.
Troublesome. These puppets seemed lifeless—just empty shells. Unless he found their master, it would be hard to break through.
While entangled with the skeleton army, Yammy's titanic form burst into view, making Mayuri's eyes gleam with excitement.
A specimen like that—what a treasure for research! If he could capture that giant, his future discoveries would be groundbreaking!
"Nemu, I'll leave this to you." Mayuri handed the task of dealing with the skeletons and collecting materials to Nemu.
"Yes, Mayuri-sama."
Nemu cooperated to break through the rear. Retreating backward gave them less resistance, and soon a path was cleared for Mayuri.
He rushed ahead alone toward Yammy—but suddenly froze.
An arrow pierced the air, landing right in front of him.
!?
Mayuri's pupils contracted. That arrow had almost taken off his head!
"It's you again…"
Turning, Mayuri saw a Quincy standing atop a white building.
Ishida Uryū!
He had let Ishida escape last time in the Human World; he never thought the boy would dare face him now.
Hatred flickered in Ishida's eyes as he stared at Mayuri. "How fortunate. I didn't expect to meet you here."
"Move aside." Mayuri's voice was cold. "You're useless now. Something without a Schrift isn't even worth my research. I have more important things to do."
"I didn't come here to be your research material." Ishida's voice was steady, but full of resolve. "I'm here to kill you!"
…
Meanwhile, elsewhere…
Kurosaki Ichigo, on his way forward, halted.
"That spiritual pressure…"
He looked at the distant behemoth and sensed the presence of three Captains confronting it.
Three Captains… but even they might not be able to win!
But…
He could only trust them now.
Ichigo focused ahead. He could already sense Inoue Orihime's spiritual pressure—faint, but unmistakable. She was just up ahead!
Gritting his teeth, Ichigo thought of his friends fighting, creating this chance for him to rescue Orihime. He couldn't let their efforts go to waste.
If he tried to help them, their sacrifices would be for nothing!
So—
He charged forward, gripping his sword in both hands, rushing toward the white palace at the heart of Las Noches.
Compared to the surrounding buildings, it wasn't grand, but it was clearly the core—the city itself seemed to revolve around it.
"Inoue!"
As he reached the stairs, a figure appeared above.
"Inoue!"
Ichigo's face lit up in relief. "Are you alright?!"
But Orihime did not respond. She stood atop the stairs, staring down at Ichigo with empty, emotionless eyes.
This unfamiliar gaze stunned Ichigo. Then, he saw Orihime step aside for a man.
"Ulquiorra-sama."
Ulquiorra emerged from behind, standing at the top of the stairs, looking down at Ichigo.
"…It's you!"
Ichigo gritted his teeth. "What did you do to Inoue?!"
"As you see," Ulquiorra replied coldly, "Inoue Orihime is now our companion. Captain Aizen has given her to me. She is my subordinate."
"I don't believe it! Inoue would never—!"
He didn't need to believe. Just one look told him Orihime was being controlled. Her eyes were vacant. She was like a machine.
So—
He only needed to defeat Ulquiorra and rescue her!
With a roar, Ichigo charged at Ulquiorra.
BOOM!
In the distance, another deafening roar echoed!
At that instant, Ichigo and Ulquiorra clashed for the second time!
…
"This guy's skin is even tougher than before!"
Zaraki Kenpachi's sword slashed Yammy's arm, but instead of cutting, it clanged as if hitting steel. Yammy didn't even bleed. With a swing, he sent Kenpachi flying!
"Hyōten Hyakkasō!"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya seized the moment, unleashing his strongest move. Snowflakes fell from the darkened sky.
Normally, a hundred snowflakes would engulf a foe, and when the last one fell, that would be the end.
But Yammy's body was simply too colossal. The hundred ice blossoms couldn't even cover his head!
Instead, the flakes landed on different parts of Yammy, spreading their extreme cold and freezing his body.
The cold radiated outward, freezing buildings, as if all Las Noches was plunged into winter.
But—
"I told you it's useless!"
Yammy roared, shattering the ice in an instant!
CRASH!
Chunks of frozen snow fell like broken glass. Yammy's strength erupted outward.
"My power is rage! The fire of my anger burns hotter than any ice! Your ice cannot freeze my fury!"
"Monster…" Hitsugaya grimaced. Even Hyōten Hyakkasō couldn't stop him!
This guy was immune to control—Hitsugaya's main power!
"Retreat, Captain Hitsugaya. You've reached your limit," Kuchiki Byakuya said, watching from the side.
Hitsugaya's ice flowers—symbols of his Bankai—had all but withered. Only one remained, and even that was fading fast.
"No…"
Hitsugaya, panting, replied, "I never said it would end when the flowers wither."
He continued, "Only Yoshio knew about this. I wonder if he told the Espada… but maybe it's time to show the true form—the strongest ice-type Zanpakutō, Hyōrinmaru."
As the last ice flower faded, Hitsugaya's body changed!
He grew taller, from a child to an adult, indicating he now wielded Hyōrinmaru's full power.
Byakuya was stunned—he'd never seen Hitsugaya like this.
"I don't know if it's because my power's not mature, but when Daiguren Hyōrinmaru is complete, my body… becomes a bit older."
A freezing white aura radiated from him, turning the ground to solid ice. His uniform and haori billowed, revealing his chest. "I've never liked this form, so only Yoshio has seen it before."
"…You little bug, who are you?" Yammy rumbled, frowning at Hitsugaya.
"Seems Yoshio didn't mention me," Hitsugaya replied calmly. "Is he protecting me, or does he think I'm not worth mentioning? That's his secret. Now, don't block my way."
"Doesn't matter who you are," Yammy sneered. "You're still a bug. I'll squash you!"
He slammed down a massive hand. Hitsugaya leaped up, but Yammy's speed was too great—he caught Hitsugaya in his palm!
"Idiot, do you think you can touch me in this state and not get hurt?"
"What?!"
To Yammy's shock, his arm instantly froze solid—the contact with Hitsugaya had turned him into a source of ice!
"Idiot! Didn't I say, as long as my rage burns, your ice can't control me!"
Yammy tried to break free—but it was no use!
"Wh-…?"
Yammy's eyes widened. In the next moment, cherry blossom blades pierced his arm, severing it completely!
The extreme cold from Hitsugaya had made Yammy's arm fragile. Even Kenpachi's blade couldn't cut him before, but now Byakuya's Senbonzakura sliced through with ease.
Hitsugaya's voice was deep and cold. "Your rage makes you rampage, but you haven't met the current me. Now, my ice can even freeze your anger."
He raised his sword. "Shikai Hyōketsu."
In an instant, Yammy—shocked and armless—was sealed in a thick layer of ice!
CRACK!
This time, the ice was thicker than ever, entombing Yammy's entire body. His frozen face could still be seen within.
"Gokei: Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."
Byakuya raised his hand. Billions of cherry blossom blades converged, enveloping Yammy's head in a pink sphere—then contracted!
BOOM!
PFFT!
Billions of razor-sharp petals pierced the ice, crushing Yammy's head!
CRASH!
Ice shattered and fell like a collapsing building.
Byakuya and Hitsugaya exhaled in relief.
No matter how strong Yammy was, with no head, he had to be dead!
"Captain Hitsugaya…"
Byakuya rushed over, about to speak, when his eyes widened in horror.
What…?!
Yammy's shattered body—his head gone, his form ruined—suddenly began to reform!
"How is that possible?!"
They couldn't believe it, but it was happening before their eyes.
Not only did Yammy's body restore itself, even his head regenerated!
Black flames burst from his body, swirling with pure, materialized rage.
"Unforgivable! UNFORGIVABLE! You damn brats!"
Yammy was driven to his limit.
"Segunda Etapa: Three-Headed Enraged Beast!"
He roared, and black flames exploded from his body, sending Hitsugaya and Byakuya flying. His body grew even bigger!
From over fifty meters, he soared up to two hundred meters!
But most terrifyingly, his head split into three—a bull's head on the left, a human head in the center, and a ram's head on the right!
Yammy had become a three-headed giant!
Dozens of legs grew beneath him to support his monstrous body—a hundred-legged, three-headed colossus!
And he was still growing!
Black flames raged over his body. His spiritual pressure twisted the sky itself, opening cracks above!
His mere presence destroyed the heavens, exposing the true ruler of Hueco Mundo—the blood-red moon!
Yammy stood beneath the blood-red moon, three heads wreathed in darkness. He was a fallen titan—a giant of destruction!
"You really pissed me off!"
All three heads spoke as one. Three Cero blasts formed at their mouths!
"Watch out!" Hitsugaya shouted.
BOOM!
Three Cero beams shot out with terrifying speed!
Cero was usually slow, which is why Bala existed, but Yammy's Cero was as fast as Bala!
BOOM!
The beams exploded, turning everything around into a sea of fire!
Las Noches trembled, the world itself weeping under the onslaught.
The other two Cero continued, obliterating buildings, city walls, and even the distant sands of Hueco Mundo!
They exploded miles away, mushroom clouds rising in the distance—the aftershocks sweeping across the land.
"Shinigami!"
Even after releasing these Cero, Yammy was unsatisfied. Black flames raged higher, and he began blindly smashing everything beneath him.
With a body that massive, he couldn't even see what was below anymore. But it didn't matter—as long as he destroyed everything, the Shinigami would die!
The enraged Yammy now sought to destroy the entire world. Only then could his fury subside.
…