Baraggan raised his hand and clenched the air. Several clusters of black mist blocked all of Nanatsuki's possible retreat paths and rushed toward him at high speed.
"Turn to nothingness!"
Just then, a black shadow enveloped Nanatsuki.
The shadow was like a sharp black blade, piercing through the thick black mist and breaking out of the encirclement of Respira.
"What is this?!"
Baraggan's heart trembled—this black shadow was completely unaffected by Respira!
"Shadows aren't affected by time, Baraggan!"
From within the shadow, Nanatsuki's voice came through.
The reason he hadn't withdrawn farther while dodging Respira was precisely because his shadow ability was immune to it.
After all, shadow is not something bound by time!
More importantly, his shadow originated from the Shadow of the Soul King.
Baraggan's Respira could not erase the Soul King's Shadow.
"An ability to manipulate shadows!"
Baraggan suddenly recalled that the last time he faced this Shinigami, he too had blocked Respira using a shadow.
His ability was ineffective against Nanatsuki!
While dodging Respira, Nanatsuki had completed his charge-up. His blade, cloaked in a Getsuga Tenshō, slashed toward Baraggan.
Respira could dissolve a Getsuga Tenshō, but Nanatsuki could carry the Getsuga Tenshō through it.
In a flash, Nanatsuki tore through layers of black mist and arrived in front of Baraggan.
But Baraggan, wary of the Getsuga Tenshō, knowing this Shinigami could wound him, didn't dare take it head-on.
He swung his massive axe down hard toward the incoming shadow.
CLANG—!
The axe blocked Nanatsuki's strike.
"I didn't become King of Hueco Mundo relying only on Respira!"
Baraggan raised his left hand. A Royal Hollow Flash condensed at his fingertips.
In the next instant, a lithe shadow leapt from the black mass.
Lightning cloaked the shadow's limbs and body, resembling armor forged of thunder. Two cat-like ears adorned its head, and a lightning tail trailed behind it.
It was Yoruichi's shadow.
And it was in her Shunkō: Raijū Goka form!
Nanatsuki had seen her demonstrate that unstoppable power not long ago—and casually copied it.
Now he could summon Yoruichi's shadow in Shunkō: Raijū Goka form.
The Yoruichi-shadow moved with lightning speed. Before Baraggan could release his Royal Hollow Flash, the shadow had already swatted it away.
The Royal Hollow Flash shot straight into the sky, erupting with terrifying energy above the Forest of Menos.
A pillar of light blasted into the heavens from the sands of Hueco Mundo.
Every Hollow within its path was reduced to ash.
Even nearby Hollow creatures untouched by the pillar suddenly froze in place—lifeless.
They were literally scared to death by the spiritual pressure of the Royal Hollow Flash.
But the one who unleashed that terrifying light now found himself in peril.
"So fast!"
Baraggan had barely seen the flicker of shadow before his hand was slapped away.
This shadow was even faster than Katori Nanatsuki himself!
Before that thought could finish, he felt a powerful impact from behind.
The lightning-clad shadow had already darted behind him and unleashed a flying kick.
At the same time, another black shadow burst forth from the one in front.
With a pitch-black blade in hand, it plunged into Baraggan's skeletal frame.
"Begone!!!"
A massive surge of spiritual pressure exploded from within Baraggan, blasting back the two shadows and Nanatsuki alike.
At this point, Baraggan's heart had already begun to waver.
His most powerful technique, Respira, was useless against this Shinigami, and now he was up against three-on-one.
He no longer wanted to keep fighting.
But the dignity of a king wouldn't allow him to retreat in disgrace.
"Reiatsu! Reiatsu can push back his shadows!"
A realization struck Baraggan—he could use spiritual pressure to affect the shadows.
Nanatsuki silently summoned another black shadow.
The blade in its hand flashed, and together with the other two shadows, it launched another assault on Baraggan.
But Baraggan ignored the damage, raising his massive axe.
The surrounding black mist rapidly shrank, condensing into the axe.
His Reiatsu also surged madly into the weapon, which now radiated a terrifying aura of destruction.
By the time he finished charging, his body was covered in wounds, and his black robe was little more than tattered rags.
His skeletal frame was crisscrossed with blade marks and claw scratches.
Gripping the axe of destruction, Baraggan hurled it down upon Katori Nanatsuki.
But on the other side, Nanatsuki had long been preparing.
His blade was wrapped in tightly vibrating thunder and sharp wind threads.
The ultimate sharpness!
But Baraggan was just a bit faster—his axe struck the shadow, detonating in a flash of annihilating light.
The Royal Hollow Flash compressed within the axe obliterated the shadow instantly.
"Die, Shinigami!!!" Baraggan roared.
But the next second, he saw the shattered remains of the shadow fragment like broken glass.
The real Katori Nanatsuki appeared above Baraggan.
That had been a shadow clone.
"Goodbye."
Lightning and thread coiled around the descending blade.
Raikiri: Windchase Blade!
The blade sliced through skeletal bone in an instant.
Crack—
"To think I'd fall here…"
Baraggan was split in two. The destruction light within his axe spiraled out of control and devoured him completely.
Nanatsuki retreated a hundred meters back.
"Whooo~ It's over."
Sensing Baraggan's spiritual pressure fade into silence, Nanatsuki exhaled in relief.
Thankfully, his shadow ability countered Respira, or this battle would've been much harder.
The final shadow he summoned was Aizen Sōsuke's!
He used Kyōka Suigetsu to disrupt Baraggan's perception, making him mistake a shadow clone for the real body.
There's no way he would take on such a terrifying technique directly!
"Baraggan will probably go to Hell too..."
Nanatsuki frowned slightly.
This time, Baraggan had entered the battlefield and slaughtered many 6th Division Shinigami. Killing him was justifiable.
But for a Menos Grande of Baraggan's level, death didn't mean reincarnation. Like captain-level Shinigami, he would revive in Hell.
"That red-tentacled Hollow... he might revive in Hell too. His abilities were average, but his spiritual pressure reached captain-class. The other Hollow with the hammer didn't—so he probably won't revive."
Nanatsuki pondered silently.
Just then, his Denreishinki emitted a signal.
"Kidō Cannon charging complete. All squads, evacuate immediately. Stay clear of the Hollow swarm center!"
"Kidō Cannon charging complete. All squads, evacuate immediately. Stay clear of the Hollow swarm center!"
The Denreishinki repeated the same message several times—just to make sure no Shinigami missed it.