Layers of blooming ice flowers spread from the ground to the sky, forming a towering ice-flower spire that reflected a hazy, dreamlike glow.
Harribel was sealed inside it, as beautiful as a flawless work of art, no longer moving at all.
"I'm sorry..." The dark clouds scattered behind Tōshirō Hitsugaya. "I can't let you avenge your subordinates."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Marechiyo Ōmaeda ran for his life. "So that was Captain Hitsugaya's attack! You scared me half to death!"
When the dark clouds had rolled in earlier, he had thought Baraggan's Respira was swallowing the entire sky.
If its range had really been that huge, there would have been no point running. He might as well have just waited to die.
But then... Marechiyo Ōmaeda abruptly changed direction. A moment later, the Gran Caída landed exactly where he had just stepped, spilling an ominous purple-black aura that aged and crumbled everything around it.
After repeatedly dodging for his life, Marechiyo Ōmaeda, who had only survived because Suì-Fēng had saved him, also noticed a weakness in Baraggan's attack.
Respira could indeed rapidly age anything it touched, but it was also within the range of its own aging effect.
Once it left Baraggan, Respira decayed at an extremely fast rate.
That was why Baraggan used the chained Gran Caída to extend his attack range.
If he could take advantage of that, maybe Baraggan could be defeated...
"Waaaaah!" Marechiyo Ōmaeda watched his lieutenant's badge corrode into nothing and screamed as he sped up, putting more distance between them. "Impossible... impossible..."
There was absolutely no way he could beat him!
"Your Captain died to save you, and yet you won't even get a chance to face the enemy?" Baraggan murmured. "Dying to save a ridiculous lump of flesh like you was truly worthless."
"You bastard..." Marechiyo Ōmaeda swung his Zanpakutō. "Crush, Gegetsuburi!"
The massive flail whirled through the air, smashing the wall and sending broken stones flying.
Of course, Marechiyo Ōmaeda was not reckless enough to attack directly with his Zanpakutō. He kicked repeatedly in midair, launching the rubble at Baraggan.
Baraggan ignored it completely. The moment the stones approached him, they weathered away and vanished in front of him.
"I'll take you down with me!" Marechiyo Ōmaeda shouted in desperation. "I don't believe you can block Kidō too!"
Baraggan leisurely watched Marechiyo Ōmaeda's final struggle. "Aging will not change simply because you believe or refuse to believe."
"Bakudō #21, Sekienton!"
Marechiyo Ōmaeda pressed both hands to the ground.
Crimson smoke rose into the air. Under the cover of the smoke, Marechiyo Ōmaeda... turned and ran for his life.
Baraggan said, "...Die."
He had grown tired of playing around. He no longer wanted to watch this lump of flesh roll back and forth.
"Bankai."
Golden lightning descended from the sky with Suì-Fēng's clear voice. A violent Reiatsu surged, then suddenly drew inward.
Heavy footsteps rang out. Baraggan turned and saw Suì-Fēng standing on the roof of a distant building. "So you're still alive."
Steel bands used for armor were wrapped around Suì-Fēng's waist, while the other ends were bound layer upon layer around the high-rise behind her. A golden device covered her right shoulder, its raised shoulder armor marked with horizontal notches. A golden cylinder, sharp at both ends and more than twice Suì-Fēng's height, was fitted into the device on her right shoulder, gleaming with a dazzling metallic shine.
Suì-Fēng adjusted the angle of the cylinder and aimed it at Baraggan in the air.
"Jakuhō Raikōben."
"Hahahahahaha!" Marechiyo Ōmaeda laughed arrogantly. "Secret Footwork: Way of Onmitsu, 3rd of the Shihō, Utsusemi. The only thing your attack aged was the Captain's Haori. You fell for my acting, didn't you?"
"I was wondering," Baraggan said, raising the Gran Caída, "if you survived, why come rushing to your death? Don't tell me you actually think that Bankai can deal with me."
"If I had a choice, I would rather not use Bankai. This Bankai goes against everything Onmitsukidō stands for. It is too large to conceal, too heavy to move freely, and its attack..." The golden cylinder raised by Suì-Fēng opened nine tail fins, and a bright flare ignited. "Calling it assassination would be a little too flashy."
The device on Suì-Fēng's shoulder opened, and the golden cylinder blasted forward on a trail of flame. It struck Baraggan and exploded with a thunderous roar, like a savage bolt of lightning crashing down. The blinding firelight made the surroundings seem to darken.
It was a missile of terrifying power.
The recoil alone sent Suì-Fēng flying backward uncontrollably. The silver bands securing her body snapped taut in the opposite direction, tightening so violently that the high-rise shook as if it might collapse.
The shockwave from the explosion rolled outward. Rising firelight and smoke reflected in Starrk's eyes.
"Are all of your Bankai this powerful?" Starrk asked.
"Well..." Shunsui Kyōraku answered casually. "Bankai is the final trump card, after all. I suppose they're all about the same."
Starrk turned toward the ice-flower spire on the other side, which looked like a work of art. "That ice guy's Bankai. Compared to yours, which one is stronger?"
"How should I put it..." Shunsui Kyōraku smiled. "Captain Hitsugaya is a genius. Give him another hundred years, and I think he'll surpass me."
"So right now, you're still stronger." Starrk raised his gun. "Show me, then. Your Bankai."
Shunsui Kyōraku laughed it off. "If you're trying to force out my Bankai, Cero alone won't be enough no matter how many you fire."
"Cero Metralleta."
Starrk murmured, and blue light appeared at the muzzle of Lilynette in his hand.
In an instant, twenty dark-blue Cero flashes lit up the sky.
Shunsui Kyōraku dodged immediately, but the terrifying torrent of Reishi behind him continued without end. "Hey, hey... wait a second. Isn't this technique a little too much?"
"If all you do is dodge," Starrk said, shifting the muzzle, "then no matter how fast you are, it won't help."
The roaring stream of Reishi gathered into a wave and caught up to Shunsui Kyōraku in the blink of an eye.
"Sōgyo no Kotowari."
Jūshirō Ukitake appeared beside Shunsui Kyōraku and raised the twin blades in his hands.
Boom!
The Cero that had been aimed at Shunsui Kyōraku suddenly changed direction and shot toward Starrk instead.
Starrk dodged to the side. "Cero?"
"The other side seems to have two people as well, so even if I join in, it isn't unfair." Jūshirō Ukitake glanced at Shunsui Kyōraku. "Besides, from the look of things, you don't plan on using your Bankai."
"Not true... I was just about to use it."
"No, forget it. Your Bankai isn't suited for use where other people are present." Jūshirō Ukitake looked at Starrk. "And against an enemy like this, my ability is easier to use."
"White-haired Captain," Starrk asked bluntly. "How did you use Cero?"
"Well..." Jūshirō Ukitake wore the expression of someone teasing a child. "Fire again, and you might find out."
"It's a trap, Starrk," Lilynette warned. "He's definitely trying to lure you into attacking."
"Right."
Starrk raised his hand and fired.
The next instant, the Cero he fired vanished without a trace, and a dark-blue Cero rushed straight toward his face.
"Starrk, you idiot!" Lilynette shouted. "Stop shooting!"
Starrk raised his hand and fired again, then moved to the side to observe.
Jūshirō Ukitake lifted the blade in his left hand to meet the Cero. The violent torrent of Reishi rapidly contracted until it was completely swallowed by the blade.
The red cord connecting the hilts of the twin blades lit with a dark-blue glow. As the light flowed along it, the five cards on the cord shone one after another.
Jūshirō Ukitake raised his right hand, and a dark-blue Cero burst from the tip of his blade, flying toward Starrk.
"I understand. Your ability absorbs the enemy's attack and returns it exactly as it was." Starrk dodged with ease. "And there's more to it. The five cards on the cord between the two blades can adjust the speed and power of the attack, making it difficult for the opponent to time their dodge."
Starrk frowned slightly. "Your ability is a lot nastier than it looks."
"Impressive," Jūshirō Ukitake said calmly, as if Starrk were talking about someone else. "I didn't expect you to figure it out after only three tries."
"Thanks for the compliment. But now I'm relieved. If it absorbs and reflects, that means there has to be a limit to how much it can absorb." Light surged in the muzzle of Starrk's raised gun. "In that case, if I fire a thousand shots at the same spot in an instant, I should be able to reach your limit."
Starrk lowered his head to dodge, and a blade skimmed past his hair.
Shunsui Kyōraku's sneak attack failed again, and blue light flared before his eyes.
A Cero roared past. Starrk complained, "Why are you always like this?"
"Well, well..." Shunsui Kyōraku dodged with practiced ease. "Aren't you used to it by now?"
"Sickening..." Starrk clicked his tongue. "Why are you so much like me?"
The sky suddenly warped, and pitch-black patterns appeared.
…
"That's enough, Orihime." Muten Natsu moved his arm. "I'm fine now."
Orihime Inoue refused to put away Sōten Kisshun. "But your Reiatsu..."
"Your Sōten Kisshun isn't as good at replenishing Reiatsu as Kaidō," Rukia Kuchiki said, patting Orihime Inoue on the shoulder. "I'll handle the rest."
"Mm." Only then did Orihime Inoue withdraw her Shun Shun Rikka and let out a long, exhausted breath.
A soft green light glowed in Rukia Kuchiki's palm as she pressed it to Muten Natsu's chest. Feeling his strong heartbeat, Rukia Kuchiki relaxed a little. Thank goodness Orihime Inoue was here. Otherwise, Muten Natsu never would have recovered this much so quickly.
Nell leaned over. "Nell can heal too. Nell's saliva can heal wounds..."
"That won't be necessary." Muten Natsu pressed a hand to Nell's head. "Save it for when we need it."
Nell pouted. "Fine..."
"Actually, I can heal too," Ririn said, joining in. "Even if you die, my illusions can make you look perfectly alive."
"Thanks for that," Muten Natsu replied irritably. Then a sudden pain stabbed through his forehead, veins bulging as the Hell's Eye opened beyond his control. "Hiss!"
"Muten!" Rukia Kuchiki reached out anxiously. "What's wrong..."
"Don't touch me!" Muten Natsu grabbed Rukia Kuchiki's hand. "It opened on its own... Something's wrong..."
The crimson Hell's Eye rotated, fixing on the distance.
Muten Natsu forced down the growl in his throat. "It's the Gate of Hell!"
The scene at the center of Las Noches appeared before his eyes. The pitch-black Hōgyoku extended twisted tentacles that wrapped around the enormous gate, while an ominous aura rose from it. Compared to when Aizen had left Hueco Mundo, the Gate of Hell, which had once been only a vague outline, had become far more complete.
The power leaking from it resonated with Muten Natsu's own power, forcing his Hell's Eye to open uncontrollably.
Flesh grew inside the skull's eye sockets on the Gate of Hell, forming an eyeball that met Muten Natsu's gaze.
Its lower jaw shifted slightly. The skull on the Gate of Hell seemed to be saying something.
The skeleton had no lips, and Muten Natsu could not read them. All he could do was struggle to force the eye on his forehead shut.
"The Gate of Hell is opening..." Muten Natsu forcibly suppressed the Hell's Eye, breathing heavily. "The Hōgyoku is the key. We have to get there as soon as possible..."
Whoosh!
Muten Natsu vanished abruptly from in front of Rukia Kuchiki and Orihime Inoue.
A massive figure-eight-shaped Kama made of two crescent blades struck Muten Natsu's body, pinning him to the top of the tower.
"What took you so long?" The 5th Espada, Nnoitra Gilga, walked out of the shattered space, gripping the chain at the end of the Kama. He glanced at the Fracción beside him. "Tesra?"
"I'm very sorry, Nnoitra-sama." The male Arrancar with short golden-brown hair and delicate features, his right eye covered by a black eyepatch, answered respectfully. "It took some time to pinpoint his location."
"If you're this slow next time, I'll butcher you." Nnoitra turned toward Muten Natsu. "Just like I butchered him."
Myōki stood in front of Muten Natsu, blocking the Kama. Muten Natsu reached up and clawed the air before his face. A stark white mask covered his cheeks, and jet-black ink ignited into black flame.
"With just you?"
With one slash, Muten Natsu shattered the Kama and appeared in front of Nnoitra, spiritual ink spraying from the inner curve of his blade.
Nnoitra raised his hand and grabbed the blade, then swung his arm and hurled Muten Natsu away. Spiritual ink flowed across his palm, but he casually dispersed it with his Reiatsu.
"You think I'm that trash Grimmjow? I already told you. My Hierro is the hardest among the Espada!"
"Then let's give it a try..." Black claws appeared beside Muten Natsu, igniting with Hell Flames as they tore five pitch-black marks through the air from heaven to earth. "Desgarrón!"
White sand churned, and the ruins crumbled. The five pitch-black marks converged on Nnoitra, warping the space around him.
Nnoitra tugged on the chain, glanced at his broken weapon, and widened his single eye.
"Pray, Santa Teresa!"
A ferocious Reiatsu surged upward, whipping the white sand into a frenzy.
Amid the rolling dust, the outline of a crescent moon appeared, then suddenly split apart, shredding the five black marks!