From the very beginning, Shimo had been fully aware of Aizen's gaze.
It lingered above the Arrancar Domain—watching, observing, measuring.
Perhaps Ulquiorra hadn't mentioned it.
Perhaps Aizen hadn't bothered to explain.
But the moment the Domain unfolded, Shimo felt a new presence settle upon him.
And so, from the start, he had never intended to exchange words with Mantikor.
Every word he spoke… was meant for Aizen.
Mantikor, at this point, was nothing more than a rabid beast.
Power had swollen beyond his ability to control it, eroding what little reason he had left.
Provocation had become his only means of proving his existence.
...
As Shimo's voice faded, black reiatsu spread from his hand, winding around the hilt of his Zanpakutō like blooming lotus petals, completely enveloping it.
A tangible pressure descended once more upon Mantikor.
His pupils shrank.
Only now did he truly grasp the chasm between them.
But his mind—already warped—could no longer process it rationally.
The moment the pressure struck, rage burned away what little reason remained.
Mantikor roared, the shockwave of his howl visibly distorting the air as it surged toward Shimo—
—and was instantly crushed before reaching even ten meters.
He opened his massive jaws wide, rows of jagged teeth writhing as if alive.
After releasing his Resurrección, his reiatsu surged to an absurd level.
Purple spiritual energy condensed wildly into his mouth.
As he raised his head, the black number "10" engraved on his throat became clearly visible.
Shimo raised an eyebrow.
"So… you really are only the Tenth Espada?"
He shook his head faintly.
"I thought you might be like Yammy—ranking up after release. Seems you're nothing more than a test subject."
His gaze cooled.
"Still… you have a trump card. And so do I."
The compressed reiatsu condensed into a purple-black sphere within Mantikor's mouth.
The air itself trembled.
BOOM!
A colossal Cero erupted forth, a beam tens of meters wide, tearing straight toward Shimo.
A fully charged attack.
Mantikor's strongest strike.
At the same moment, Shimo completed his own release.
With a flick of his wrist, the black reiatsu dissolved, revealing the crimson blade beneath.
He raised it calmly—and brought it down.
The instant the blade fell, the raging Cero slowed.
Then… stopped.
Its forward momentum collapsed, as if caught in invisible molasses.
Worse still, its energy began to drain away.
Mantikor stared in horror.
No matter how much power he poured into it, the attack would not advance.
Space itself rejected him.
His reiatsu flared again—stronger than before.
Yet the beam remained frozen.
The world around him felt wrong.
As if submerged in mercury.
Even moving his eyes required effort.
"Please," Shimo said calmly, "continue."
"If you really believe you can devour everything, then show me."
The pressure increased.
The very space around Mantikor solidified.
Every fluctuation of reiatsu fell under Shimo's control.
Then—
With a mere thought...
The massive Cero disintegrated into drifting particles of light.
Gone.
Mantikor froze.
His strongest attack… erased without effort.
His heart sank.
The realization struck him like a blade.
He was utterly outclassed.
Then something worse happened.
His body began to collapse inward.
Purple reiatsu poured from his flesh, streaked with blood-red veins.
His skin split open.
Fanged mouths burst from his body, gnawing desperately at the spatial bindings restraining him.
His power surged again.
Far beyond normal Espada limits.
A monstrous evolution it is.
—
Within Las Noches...
Aizen watched with interest.
"So it's begun," he murmured.
Gin's eyes widened.
"That power… I didn't know Mantikor had that in him."
Aizen smiled faintly.
"Devour can be divided into two meanings."
"Consumption… and frenzy."
"When both awaken together, his true form emerges."
His gaze returned to the screen.
"Now then, Shimo-kun… how will you respond?"
---
Back on the battlefield, Shimo exhaled softly.
"So the cards are finally on the table."
Mantikor had lost all reason.
All that remained was hunger.
With a violent roar, his wings tore through space itself as he lunged forward.
Shimo did not move.
The massive claw halted inches from his face.
Frozen.
Completely immobilized.
"You've lost control," Shimo said calmly.
"And without control, you understand nothing about power."
His reiatsu surged.
The air detonated.
Mantikor was suspended in place, unable to move even a finger.
"If this is your limit," Shimo continued coolly, "then you've already lost."
He extended his hand.
A black sphere formed in his palm.
Power rippled outward like a tidal wave.
"Seeping crest of turbidity. Arrogant vessel of lunacy. Boil forth and deny. Grow numb and flicker..."
"Disrupt sleep. Crawling queen of iron. Eternally self-destructing doll of mud. Unite. Repulse. Fill with soil and know your own powerlessness."
The sphere vanished—
—and reappeared above Mantikor.
Shimo's voice fell.
"Hadō #90: Kurohitsugi."
Black walls slammed shut.
Six towering barriers formed instantly, sealing all escape routes.
Screams echoed within.
Blades of darkness pierced through Mantikor's body from every angle.
His desperate attempts to devour the structure were meaningless.
The regeneration couldn't keep up.
Blood splattered.
Reiatsu scattered.
The sound of tearing flesh rang out.
And then—
Silence.
When the black coffin faded, Mantikor's body collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
His eyes were dull.
Empty.
From start to finish, Shimo's expression never changed.
To him, Mantikor had never been a worthy opponent.
Only Aizen was.
Shimo turned away.
"Devouring a spell and thinking yourself invincible…"
He shook his head.
"A stupid mistake."
From Hadō 90 onward, the difference in power was significant.
The battle was over.
...
Shimo turned his gaze to the battlefield.
Aside from Unohana, every captain was struggling.
Even the lieutenants were locked in brutal combat.
One figure, however, had nearly fallen.
Shimo sighed.
"…Mayuri."
"Curiosity really will get him killed one day."
He paused.
Then made his decision.
"Fine. I'll intervene."
And with that—
Shimo stepped forward once again.
------------------------------///
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