Chapter 235 – 235 ⥤ This House Can’t Function Without Me

“Is this what they call a Hollow?”

Under the crescent moon, a towering, muscular figure seized a wolf-like Hollow with one hand. With a mere squeeze, he crushed it to nothing.

Following the Reiatsu trail in the air, Gerard had encountered various misshapen Hollows along his path.

After testing their strength, he found these Hollows pathetically weak. No need for Spirit Weapons or Spirit Arts (like Kidō) — his bare fists were enough to destroy them.

If all Hollows in Hueco Mundo were this weak, he, Gerard, would achieve unparalleled glory today. He could even claim the position of Grandmaster in the Sternritter!

As he savored this thought, a slim figure emerged from the horizon. Though its steps appeared leisurely, it crossed vast distances in instants.

“Golden medium-length hair, shirtless like the king. Target confirmed.” Ulquiorra tapped his earpiece, “I’ve located the intruder Gerard Valkyrie, requesting permission for Resurrección release.”

A calm voice responded through the earpiece, “Granted.”

“Understood.”

Watching the stranger’s peculiar behavior, Gerard frowned. An inexplicable dread crept into his heart — as if death itself loomed over him.

“Enclose…”

⤫ Resurrección: Murciélago ⥤ Returning Blade: Great Black-Winged Demon! ⤬

Ulquiorra wasted no time with battle banter. He had come for one purpose: to fulfill Lord Aizen’s command to eliminate any Quincy near Las Noches.

As he spoke the release command, emerald rain cascaded down, blanketing miles of desert. Black wings unfurled beneath the moonlight as Reiatsu storms howled skyward.

The demon-like figure stood silhouetted against the crescent moon, a thunder spear materializing in his palm, its crackling electricity warping the space around it.

The next moment, it tore through the void!

⤫ Lanza del Relámpago ⥤ Lance of Thunder and Lightning! ⤬

BOOM!!!

Endless waves of sand erupted skyward as the explosion’s aftermath spread, the massive crater expanding rapidly from the impact.

One strike created a spectacular scene — viewed from above, it resembled a stone cast into a lake, ripples spreading across the desert.

Caught unprepared, Gerard took the hit directly. His muscular frame shot from the rolling dust like a tattered ragdoll, carving deep trenches across the sandy surface as he skipped like a stone on water.

Lying in the deep crater, Gerard smiled despite his severe wounds from the full-power strike.

Converting negative situations into positive ones — this was “The Miracle”! Mere fatal wounds meant nothing!

It was time to unleash the power of The Schrift.

⤫ Schrift: M ⥤ Sacred Letter: The Miracle! ⤬

⤫ Vollständig: Aschtonig ⥤ Complete Holy Form: Authority of God! ⤬

Gerard absorbed the Reishi in the air, his eyes blazing with golden light. He would release The Miracle while activating Vollständig simultaneously — in this ultimate state, he would destroy this Arrancar Hollow mercilessly.

The ambusher would face divine judgment!

But when the light faded, the expected tremendous power never came. Gerard remained in the crater, helpless as a wounded animal.

“Impossible!” His eyes widened as he let out an anguished roar, panic crossing his face for the first time, “My power…”

“My, my, why didn’t the miracle occur?” A strange voice echoed across the desert.

Gerard turned toward the voice and saw a figure with striking black and white face paint.

“How curious indeed. Wouldn’t you agree, Gerard Valkyrie? Allow me to introduce myself — I am Mayuri Kurotsuchi. I’ve studied the Soul King’s power for many years and know quite a bit about your abilities. Though it pains me to say this, our Captain taught us humility…” Mayuri spread his hands with a villainous laugh.

Before Gerard could react, Mayuri plunged a syringe into him, emptying its contents into his body.

As weakness overcame him, his vision darkened until consciousness slipped away.

⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬

“So this is the Soul King’s Heart?” Kisuke marveled, “What an extraordinary creation. The Right Hand became Mimihagi, God of the Rukongai and guardian deity of the Eleventh Division. The Left Hand and Heart became Quincy. These larger fragments each gained independent consciousness — truly befitting the god who created the world, wouldn’t you say?”

Ulquiorra stood silently, watching Gerard’s motionless form in the container.

Though his power alone would have struggled against The Miracle’s embodiment, the Second King had taught them to fight with wisdom, not brute force. Such reckless aggression didn’t suit Ulquiorra’s refined nature.

After detecting Gerard’s entry into Hueco Mundo, Aizen’s research team immediately began their work.

They swiftly developed a drug targeting the Soul King’s heart, incorporating it into Ulquiorra’s thunder spear for the decisive strike against Gerard.

The drug’s purpose was elegantly simple: use Mimihagi’s power to temporarily suppress the Soul King’s abilities.

Mayuri’s expertise proved invaluable — his extensive research into the Soul King’s power allowed him to complete ninety percent of the project. The final steps were left in his capable hands.

“The work ahead is straightforward now.” Mayuri rapped his knuckles against the control panel with a metallic knock, “Time to summon the Captain.”

⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬

Gerard awoke submerged in an unknown liquid, its viscous nature making breathing impossible. The suffocating sensation tormented his mind, yet death remained eternally out of reach.

He attempted to draw in Reishi, but it felt as immovable as mountains. His Schrift, too, lay dormant and unreachable.

As weakness crept through his body, unprecedented terror gripped his heart.

Was this the true meaning of powerlessness?

A figure suddenly appeared in his field of vision, making his eyes widen in recognition.

Could it be Hashirama Senju? Had salvation arrived?!

Gerard’s eyes filled with tears at this glimpse of hope. He twisted desperately in the container, trying to catch the other’s attention. With such power, breaking free would be simple.

He could sense the strange liquid suppressing his abilities — if he could just escape…

But the next scene sent him plummeting from heaven to hell.

That needle-wielding freak was bowing respectfully to Hashirama!

Gerard’s heart seemed to shatter, his expression going blank, his eyes losing all life.

Akira studied the familiar figure in the container with curiosity.

He had cleverly planned to lure this person to Hueco Mundo for elimination. Yet Gerard had proved remarkably cooperative, sneaking in all by himself.

Good, very good indeed. If everyone were as accommodating, world peace would already be reality.

After a thoughtful sigh, Akira turned to Aizen beside him.

“Sōsuke, can we return him to his heart form? It would be more convenient when we take him to fill Hell later.”

Aizen regarded his foolish step-son calmly, “According to research, death is the only way. However, killing him would neutralize the drug and reactivate his Schrift ability.”

Akira’s eyes lit up as understanding dawned, “I see now! You were worried about losing control of the berserk Gerard, so you waited for my return to take charge! Indeed, this place can’t function without me. Even though you possess astonishing wisdom, Sōsuke, you must yield to me in this. Life is as lonely as snow…”

Looking at the delirious figure, Aizen narrowed his eyes.

What an ugly face. He suddenly wanted to revise his previous plans.

⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬

Choe Neng Poww traversed the soft ground, arriving at a desert far from Las Noches. He slowly opened his mouth.

His body expanded continuously under Reiryoku pressure until he towered dozens of meters high. Then he spat out the massive container holding Gerard.

As Las Noches’ natural holy transport vessel, Choe Neng Poww could easily carry cargo dozens of times his volume. All the high-tech research equipment had been transported from Soul Society through his multiple journeys.

For this reason, Aizen had specifically developed an Arrancar plan for him, maximizing this remarkable ability.

“We can begin now.” Aizen glanced at the still sleeping Gerard and nodded to the husky beside him.

Akira approached with a savage grin, smashed the container with one punch, yanked Gerard out, and shook him violently.

Gerard awoke from his coma to find a demon-like grinning face before his eyes. Without hesitation, he formed a Spirit Weapon sword and plunged it into his own chest.

A massive pillar of light shot skyward. The desert trembled as countless grains of white sand took flight. Heavy pressure swept across the dunes, reshaping the terrain at random.

When Gerard’s giant form materialized, the powerful pressure reached its peak.

In the distance, Choe Neng Poww felt an intense suffocation, as if the pressure might kill him at any moment.

“Too powerful — is this what a true Quincy warrior is like?”

Nearby, Aizen recorded the data changes. For a researcher, this subject’s abilities held great value.

Feeling mighty power surge through his body, confidence flooded back into Gerard’s heart as he looked down at the ant-like Akira.

Then without another word, he turned and fled. After experiencing the previous battle, only a fool would fight this monster.

Akira: “?”

After a moment of confusion, he erupted in fury.

“How could there be such a coward among my Knights?! Fleeing before battle — how could this be the way of a true man!”

“Gerard, you deserve death!”

In his rage, he directly activated 120 percent power.

⤫ Kūkyō Genso Henkō ⥤ Empty State, Elemental Transformation! ⤬

⤫ Kūkyō: Yami no Tsubasa ⥤ Empty State: Wings of Darkness! ⤬

⤫ Schrift: W ⥤ Sacred Letter: The World! ⤬

Watching the ground instantly collapse from the pressure, Kisuke felt his scalp tingle.

Was this even human? Surely even Captain-Commander Yamamoto at full power couldn’t match this?

Thinking about having to work under such a monster until death, an inexplicable sadness welled up in his heart.

Can’t win in a fight, can’t escape either. Life truly is desperate!

Akira revealed his stark white teeth in a cold smile, using Reiatsu to lock onto the fleeing Gerard from afar. Then…

⤫ Kūkyō: Sankyoku no Mai ⥤ Empty State: Dance of Three Speeds ⤬

{T/N: This is a fusion of Hirenkyaku, Sonído and Shunpo.}

A deep scorch mark appeared on the luminous white sand, as if carved by heaven-sent lightning.

Gerard swore he had never pushed his potential to such limits before.

Because of “The Miracle”, he had never feared death. But when true death stood before him — he wavered. It seemed strength was just a façade; his true self was weak.

Gerard glanced back and, seeing no monster pursuing, let out a slight sigh of relief.

Indeed, his decision had been correct. Though he couldn’t win in a fight, if he ran with all his might, he could still…

When his gaze returned forward, his pupils contracted and his expression turned ashen. A horrific demon had materialized before him, blocking his path. Terrible pressure swept across dozens of kilometers.

At that moment, Gerard’s expression became ghastly.

There was no escape now. It seemed he could only fight to the death. If he could just avoid that one move, there might still be a chance to turn things around.

Gerard gathered Reishi to form a weapon, attempting to strike first. But just as he raised his hand, a black blade pressure, burning with spirit black flames, came hurtling toward him.

In an instant, like a hot knife through butter, the blade pressure sliced through the giant’s body, splitting him in two.

Just before death, Gerard finally heard the name of the opponent’s technique.

⤫ Getsuga Reien ⥤ Spirit Moon Flame Pierce! ⤬

The massive body crashed down, then shattered into countless rays of light, gathering in the sky above and transforming into an even more terrifying figure.

⤫ Vollständig: Aschtonig ⥤ Complete Holy Form: Authority of God! ⤬

⤫ Second Form ⥤ Godly Scale! ⤬

Abundant power surged through his body like a river, but Gerard felt no joy — rather, his heart sank to the bottom.

The previous Godly Scale had already demonstrated the vast gap between them. This wasn’t something even his ultimate Final Form could close.

Perhaps only His Majesty, still in slumber, could stop this demon?

Just as Gerard thought this, his heart suddenly skipped a beat, and his eyes widened in sudden realization.

He looked at his opponent in shock and muttered, “So your real target was…”

Akira grinned, “Congratulations on getting it right, here’s your reward…!”

A figure no larger than an ant launched a straight punch at the Light Giant towering between heaven and earth.

⤫ Blutstil: Himmelshaku Hakai ⥤ Blood Style: Heaven’s Empty Destruction! ⤬

BOOM!!!

Gerard tried to resist, but as his arms met those fist bones wreathed in black flames, they shattered instantly into countless motes of light. His colossal body crumbled beneath the overwhelming power, erupting like a volcano and scattering brilliant light in all directions.

The Light Giant vanished in a flash, and Gerard Valkyrie plunged into total darkness…

⤫⤬⤫

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep