The flames converged at the peak, enveloping all the Menos within a burning dome.
'What is this fire...?' Ulquiorra flew to the top of the fiery dome and reached out a hand to touch it. The bright red flames instantly spread along his arm. Reacting quickly, he severed his own arm to stop the fire's progression.
Even with that brief contact, he could feel the flames stirring a certain power within him. That power didn't seem harmful; instead, it felt as though it could urge him to break through his limits.
'What exactly is that guy planning?' Ulquiorra looked at Makiya with a cold expression. There was no such thing as a free lunch. In Hueco Mundo, if a Hollow was unexpectedly kind to another, there was no doubt they were coveting their physical form. That logic held true everywhere.
In the distance, Urahara, surrounded by small gadgets, suddenly stood up and gazed toward the direction of Las Noches.
"Oh my, that's quite a commotion. I hope Makiya is doing all right." Urahara drew Benihime and slowly recited the release command, causing his spiritual pressure to erupt.
After the Shikai, Urahara's perception range expanded further.
Sensing that Makiya's spiritual pressure remained as monstrous as ever, Urahara breathed a sigh of relief. He turned back and lowered his head, focusing once again on the work at hand.
'I'm just worrying for nothing. How could a monster like Makiya have any trouble?'
He just needed two more hours, and the modifications to the positioning device would be complete.
"Attack together! Kill him!" Nnoitra roared, being the first to charge toward Makiya.
The other Menos followed suit. Terrifying fluctuations caused the wall of fire to tremble.
Grimmjow swung his claws, sending three translucent waves of wind pressure slicing through the earth. His roar was not that of a leopard, but more like a tiger descending a mountain, the sound waves vibrating against the eardrums.
Baraggan once again unleashed his Respira. An endless black mist spread from beneath him. Although he knew Makiya could devour his energy, he also knew that a person's focus had limits. Baraggan understood his role perfectly, proactively taking on the support position.
If Makiya dared to be distracted now, he would surely be hit directly by the attacks of the other Menos!
Nnoitra's eyes darted around as he quietly slowed his pace, gradually falling to the very back of the group.
Sinister and cunning had always been Nnoitra's defining traits, and he applied this personality to every word and action. While besieging Makiya was important, the one who preserved the most strength after his defeat would be the ultimate winner.
Makiya noticed Nnoitra's movements, and a flash of disdain crossed his eyes. Each of the Espada had their own characteristics and vivid personalities, but there were a few he found truly repulsive, and Nnoitra was one of them.
Makiya didn't even want a person like this as a subordinate.
Clang!
Parrying Grimmjow's claws with his blade, Makiya's left hand glowed with dense Kido energy. He flattened his palm like a blade and swung it toward Harribel.
At that moment, Harribel finished charging her power, and a golden flash erupted from the tip of her sword.
Cero!
The palm-blade wrapped in Kido faced the Menos's flash head-on. The golden light was split in two, like a river crashing against a mountain cliff, unable to move him even an inch.
"Now! Your life is mine!"
Ulquiorra, who had been searching for an opening, appeared behind Makiya. A shimmering green lance thrust forward, ruthlessly piercing through Makiya's chest.
'I've got him!' Grimmjow felt a surge of joy, wanting to end this 'fair' fight quickly. Although Makiya's strength far surpassed his own, a group beatdown was still a group beatdown. This dishonorable method made him feel quite uncomfortable.
'Hmph, finally dead.' Baraggan was equally pleased. The power of aging was the core ability he relied on for survival. He had never seen anyone who could devour 'aging.' Makiya's existence was like the Sword of Damocles hanging over his head. The feeling of his talent being countered was so unbearable that he had wanted to kill Makiya since the beginning.
'Wait... this sensation!' Ulquiorra's brow furrowed. The tactile feedback from the tip of his lance didn't feel like it had pierced a body at all. Every high-ranking Hollow was a battle-hardened warrior; his senses wouldn't lie to him.
Just as Ulquiorra suspected, Makiya's body faded into an afterimage and vanished, leaving behind only a pierced Captain's haori in his place.
"Ugh..."
A muffled groan of pain drew the attention of the group. They saw Makiya standing behind Nnoitra, his bright red blade having pierced through the back of Nnoitra's heart and emerged from his chest.
"When did he...?" Ulquiorra's eyes widened. Makiya's speed had nearly caused his jaw to drop.
His own speed was considered top-tier among the Menos, and after further releasing his power, it was so fast even he couldn't fully track it. How could Makiya, without him even noticing, not only escape the group's encirclement but also take down Nnoitra in a single strike? What kind of terrifying speed was this?
"Onmitsukido Third Step—Utsusemi."
Makiya pulled out Chisato, causing blood to splatter across the pristine white sand. "A high-level Shunpo technique taught to me by a certain woman who can turn into a cat."
"You bastard!" Nnoitra staggered a few steps, his bloodshot eyes bulging. His face was filled with disbelief and horror.
He was usually quite observant. Sensing that Makiya hadn't made any lethal moves since the start of the battle, he assumed the worst-case scenario would be being defeated and turned into a subordinate or slave. He never expected...
Why him?
Nnoitra's mind was full of questions. He didn't understand why Makiya had chosen him to kill.
"Do you have high-speed regeneration? Can your heart regenerate after being destroyed?" Makiya thrust his blade into Nnoitra's lung. The Hierro the Menos took such pride in was useless. The long blade drove through him like a hot knife through butter.
The fires of Chisato erupted inside Nnoitra's body. The Hollow energy symbolizing 'Despair' was continuously devoured by Chisato. Makiya didn't refine it immediately, keeping it temporarily within himself.
He channeled a portion of it into the Phoenix Fire Hogyoku, causing the latter's violet-red glow to shine even more brilliantly.
For a Hollow like this—one who could turn traitor at any moment and enjoyed assassinating his comrades—Makiya had absolutely no intention of taking him as a subordinate.
Nnoitra's legs began to give way, and his body trembled uncontrollably. A strange 'gurgling' sound came from his slender throat, as if he wanted to scream, but the sound was blocked by the blood welling up.
Opening his mouth, blood and fire poured out together. Even though the flame of his life was about to be extinguished, he remained defiant. He mustered every last ounce of strength, swinging his remaining powerful arms frantically at Makiya.
However, the attack was weak and listless. Makiya didn't even bother to dodge. The mantis-like arms struck his Shihakusho, leaving two tears in the fabric on his shoulder, but the skin beneath was completely unharmed. Upon closer inspection, one could only see two faint white marks.
The light in Nnoitra's eyes faded completely, and his body collapsed heavily, kicking up a cloud of white sand. The fires of Chisato burned fiercely on his corpse, seemingly accelerating time. In less than half a minute, Nnoitra's body was reduced to a pile of white bones.
Even the bones contained a special power, and the flames continued to burn, intent on decomposing every last fragment of his remains.
Nnoitra's death didn't affect the other five Menos emotionally. There had never been any affection between them, and Nnoitra's personality ensured he never made any friends.
After a brief pause, the five Menos struck again. From the strength and intensity of their attacks, it was clear everyone was starting to fight for their lives.
Boom!
A sharp crack echoed behind Makiya. Without hesitation, he spun and struck back.
This sound came from a unique high-speed movement technique used by Hollows called Sonido. It was similar to the Soul Reaper's Shunpo but much harder to master.
Clang!
His blade collided with a lance of lightning. The ground was repeatedly ravaged by the massive shockwave, sinking instantly. The already ruined Las Noches was further pulverized, its structures turning to dust in the afterglow of the battle.
Fire and lightning clashed against each other, the thunderous booms never ceasing. Simultaneously, the other Menos launched their attacks.
Harribel raised her massive, strange sword. Endless torrents of water swirled around her sensual form, with shield-like water vapor wrapping her securely in the center.
Surging waves were released from the tip of her sword, sweeping up the ruins of Las Noches and massive amounts of sediment, crashing down toward Makiya with the force of ten thousand tons.
"Respira! Wail within the grip of 'Aging'!" Baraggan attacked at the same time. The sky-filling black mist bypassed the moves of the other Menos, weaving through the gaps to coil around Makiya's feet.
Even though his ability was countered by Makiya, Baraggan refused to be outshone. He shouted his skill name loudly, as if this would highlight his prestige as the 'King of Hueco Mundo.'
The power of 'Aging' was still very intimidating to the other Menos. Seeing this, Grimmjow took a step back and raised a claw high. "Garra de la Pantera!"
His elbow bent, firing five emerald-green projectiles from his arm. These small hidden weapons were extremely fast, yet possessed immense power—a single one was enough to completely shatter the massive pillars of Las Noches.
Just then, a massive figure descended from the sky.
"If you want to attack the master, you'll have to get through me first!"
Yammy's burly form appeared behind Grimmjow. With a single palm strike, he smashed the 'little leopard' in front of him into the dirt.
"What's going on?" In the sand, Grimmjow, caught off guard, took a mouthful of dust. He was completely bewildered, unable to fathom what kind of madness had taken over Yammy to make him attack his own side.
Moreover, had he been devoured by that Soul Reaper's strange flames? Now even his clothes had changed, and he was calling the opponent 'Master'?
Evolution was one thing, but how had he evolved into a slave?