Chapter 158 – 158 ⥤ The Local Gang Has No Manners

Under the dark sky, moonlight poured down.

When one of the careless Hollows spotted the figure standing above, the nature of their internal war changed completely.

To Hollows, Shinigami were undoubtedly premium food. In both taste and nutrition, they far surpassed their own kind.

The only drawback was their scarcity. Few Shinigami were foolish enough to enter Hueco Mundo, and those who dared were mostly the powerful ones among their kind.

Especially those wearing white robes. Their combat power surpassed even Gillian-class Menos, and some could tear apart Arrancar with their bare hands. Hollows generally kept their distance from such threats out of respect.

But this time was different — the Shinigami in the sky had weak Reiatsu and no characteristic white robe. They had found the softest of soft targets.

They could crush him!

One Hollow initiated by charging up a crimson Cero. As if responding to a signal, the others raised their heads and opened their mouths, launching their only long-range attack skyward.

In an instant, Ceros rained down like a crimson downpour, dyeing the black sky red.

Seeing this, Akira became furious.

The local gang really had no manners. He had merely been watching from the sidelines, completely suppressing his Reiatsu. Yet somehow they had dragged him into their war, making him the target of their concentrated fire.

Facing the storm of Cero beams, he didn’t even bother to dodge.

Meeting countless shocked gazes, under Aizen’s surprised watch, he slightly closed his eyes as a red light began to flash deep within them.

⤫ Hadō: Raien Shōgan ⥤ Thunderfire Heat Vision! ⤬

In the next instant, a crimson torrent interwoven with chaotic lightning burst forth, converging into a massive pillar of flames and thunder that swept across the entire battlefield.

Wherever it passed, the Hollow hordes shattered and perished. The affected Menos let out agonized cries as flames engulfed them, instantly reducing them to charred remains.

This Gillian was one of the few casualties in the Hollow war.

“A fusion of Byakurai and Shakkahō.” Aizen remarked in surprise, “Released as an eye attack? Though unusual in form, the power is quite impressive.”

Perhaps his vast knowledge had made him too rigid in his thinking.

Though far superior to Akira in strength, Aizen often lacked creative thinking. He would never have considered engaging Hollows with eye-based attacks.

The vast battlefield lay in ruins, with countless Hollows reduced to charred remains under Akira’s crimson lightning vision. Deep scars carved through the white desert sand, the air thick with the stench of burnt flesh.

Through a storm of fearful gazes, a lightning-wreathed figure plummeted from the sky like a falling star, crashing into the Hollow horde and sending clouds of black and white sand billowing upward.

The rhinoceros-like Hollow nearest to impact bore the full force of the collision. Its massive body exploded, limbs scattering in all directions as it burst into bloody pulp, painting the silvery-white desert crimson.

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Meanwhile, in a laboratory somewhere in Hueco Mundo.

Szayelaporro sat in his chair, his pink-gold hair gleaming as he leaned on the armrest, head propped up by his right hand. His eyes were fixed with intense interest on the massive screen before him.

Unlike the metallic laboratories of Soul Society, this place was built from modified living organisms. Writhing flesh covered the walls, and the entire laboratory seemed alive, with heartbeats echoing from its corners.

On the screen, Akira was wreaking havoc among the Hollow hordes.

“Is this kid some kind of monster?” Szayelaporro frowned, his confusion deepening, “How has his Reiatsu grown so dramatically since our last encounter? At this rate, will the vessel even contain him? We must capture him now — next time, we might not stand a chance.”

The sting of two consecutive failures had made Szayelaporro obsessed with this target.

He had scattered his Rokureichū (Spirit-Recording Bugs) throughout the Hollow hordes to track Akira’s random appearances in real-time.

Though he had observed countless Shinigami and studied Captain-level fighters, Akira was something entirely unprecedented.

Szayelaporro was convinced that capturing and studying this Shinigami would reveal the perfect form he sought.

As the battle raged on, the screen captured endless images, analyzing and calculating streams of data.

As a scientist, Szayelaporro excelled at gathering intelligence and analyzing his enemies’ patterns. From this, he could devise the simplest, most effective strategy to capture his targets.

The previous battles had been too hasty. This time, his prey would not escape.

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The churning white sand gradually settled as the surging lightning and flames dissipated.

An unscathed figure emerged slowly. Half of his Shihakushō was torn, revealing a muscular physique — his perfect lines highlighting tremendous power. His mere presence was overwhelming.

The previous Hollow horde hadn’t been able to scratch him. The current Akira was like a bulldozer, abandoning all defense to rampage across the battlefield with pure offense.

“Nothing special.” He dusted himself off as his Reiatsu surged, his tattered Shihakushō repairing itself visibly until it returned to pristine condition.

Aizen appeared before him with Shunpo, examining the uniform that appeared no different from an ordinary Shihakushō, surprise evident on his face.

“Jealous?” Akira boasted, “This is a limited edition from the Shutara Institute — even Yama-jii doesn’t have such high-end gear.”

Aizen nodded, “I’ve heard about this. The institute of Senjumaru Shutara, who’s about to join the Zero Division, recently experienced strong Reiatsu fluctuations. From the data alone, it must have been her Bankai activation. Given the rumors about her… don’t tell me you traded your body for this Shihakushō?”

Veins popped on Akira’s forehead as his eyes widened.

“How vulgar! I never thought you’d be this kind of person, Sōsuke! How dare you describe a simple transaction in such a lewd way?!”

He followed this with cryptic mutterings about “revenge being a dish best served cold” and “it’s not a loss if you can get revenge”.

The smoke-filled battlefield suddenly took on a lively atmosphere.

But as they conversed, a familiar and violent Reiatsu approached rapidly from the distance.

“It’s you again.”

Akira narrowed his eyes at the figure in the sky, his fighting spirit surging.

“Sink Borororro Corola!”

“It’s Pink Chinchor — I mean, Szayelaporro Granz!”

Szayelaporro, maintaining his elegant posture, nearly lost his composure at the nickname.

This bastard couldn’t even remember names properly?

“It’s all the same anyway.” Akira said with a dismissive wave.

Meeting Szayelaporro wasn’t surprising. He’d been fixated on Akira for ages, and if not for his fear of Genryūsai, he would have invaded Soul Society long ago.

Faced with such dismissal, Szayelaporro abandoned words and dove down like a meteor toward Akira’s position.

“Bring it on!” Akira ripped off his newly repaired Shihakushō and slammed his fist into his opponent’s face.

⤫ Tenrin Kōken ⥤ Celestial Steel Fist! ⤬

Their collision triggered a thunderous explosion. Silver-white dust erupted like a tidal wave, bridging heaven and earth in Hueco Mundo.

Akira watched as Szayelaporro blocked his attack with a fist, surprised. Though his own growth had been impressive, his opponent hadn’t fallen behind.

Even without drawing his sword, Szayelaporro could match him in hand-to-hand combat.

⤫ Jōshō Denkaen Henkō ⥤ Elevated Electric Flame Transformation! ⤬

A grin spread across Akira’s face as power erupted from his arms. Deep purple flames engulfed his limbs while white vapor escaped between his teeth. His fighting spirit soared.

⤫ Genshiki-ryū: Kūhaku Hakai ⥤ Origin Style: Single Empty Destruction! ⤬

⤫ Sonído ⥤ Reverberating Turn! ⤬

BOOM!

Szayelaporro vanished just as the attack struck. The earth-shattering force exploded across the desert, launching endless waves of sand skyward.

Staring at the massive crater, Szayelaporro’s eye twitched. While Akira was surprised, he was even more stunned.

Data analysis alone couldn’t reveal true strength. Now, experiencing it firsthand, he finally grasped its terror.

This opponent’s power had grown far more terrifying. Even his greatest weakness, Reiatsu, had improved to Rank 3 — truly Captain level.

Fortunately, he had come prepared.

Akira frowned and moved to pursue his escaped opponent, but when he attempted Shunpo, something felt wrong.

“Notice something?” Szayelaporro stood at a distance, smiling elegantly, “After two defeats, did you think I wouldn’t prepare for our next encounter?”

As he spoke, something stirred in the charred sand.

A hideous purple-black worm emerged, slithering onto Szayelaporro’s shoulder.

“This is a Rokureichū — a biological creation designed to collect battle data and transmit it to me. Your previous Hollow hunts and battles in Hueco Mundo? All recorded by these worms.”

He placed one hand on his chest and raised the other high, like a lecturer revealing the answer to a puzzle.

“For a Hakuda specialist like yourself, even a small dose of poison can strip away your fighting ability. You feel your Reiatsu draining away, don’t you?”

Akira furrowed his brows, assessing his condition.

Indeed, as Szayelaporro said, his Reiatsu was rapidly draining away, insufficient now for intense combat. Still, releasing his Shikai remained within reach.

Watching his motionless prey, Szayelaporro’s heart swelled with joy.

Though the setup had been complex, victory was at hand. He used Sonído to materialize beside Akira, his heavy Reiatsu cascading down to engulf his target.

A Shinigami stripped of Reiatsu was merely a lamb awaiting slaughter. He could hardly wait to dissect this youth.

But just as Szayelaporro moved to strike, black chains erupted with a metallic screech, instantly coiling around his right arm.

His expression twisted in shock as he attempted to escape via Sonído, only to discover another chain — this one glowing with light — had snaked around his waist.

Under his stunned gaze, the youth before him broke into a grin.

“Is Reiatsu really such an inconvenient thing?”

⤫ Tenrin Shipū ⥤ Celestial Four Winds Strike! ⤬

With those words, fists devoid of Reiatsu thundered down like a tempest, their speed leaving nothing but afterimages.

Pain instantly shattered Szayelaporro’s composure. His bone armor crumbled, and agony pierced through his nerves, bypassing even his Hierro.

Blood erupted as his chest cavity caved in, a grotesque kaleidoscope of red, white, black, and purple. The thick, metallic scent of violence filled the air.

Death’s shadow loomed immediate and absolute.

Driven by raw survival instinct, Szayelaporro unleashed power beyond his limits. Despite the Negación’s suppression, pink Reiatsu coalesced into a sphere.

⤫ Cero ⥤ Hollow Flash! ⤬

In the next instant, a pink beam erupted from their battleground, its colossal force piercing the heavens — the most brilliant display on the battlefield.

The impact detonated everything in sight. Plumes of smoke and dust soared skyward, gray-white debris bridging earth and sky while savage winds howled. Ripples of visible pink Reiatsu pulsed endlessly outward.

Two charred figures burst from the explosion’s center. Aizen used Shunpo to catch Akira, who had taken the full force of the Cero, and in the same motion—

⤫ Hadō #90: Kurohitsugi ⥤ Black Coffin! ⤬

With his opponents now separated, Aizen seized his chance to strike.

An otherworldly darkness rose from the ground as torrential Reiatsu poured from above. The darkness solidified into iron-like walls, completely encasing Szayelaporro’s body.

Pitch-black patterns materialized across the coffin’s surface. Inside, countless blades erupted, accompanied by the sickening sounds of flesh being torn apart.

When the dark coffin finally dissolved, what remained of Szayelaporro was barely recognizable.

After weathering their combined assault, the Hollow’s presence had diminished to near nothingness — he seemed moments from death.

Aizen frowned and stepped back warily. Something felt wrong — a Vasto Lorde-class Hollow shouldn’t fall this easily.

As he retreated, pink light suddenly blazed from the charred figure. Its blackened skin began peeling away layer by layer, revealing an even more terrifying Reiatsu dispersing from within…

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