"Judgment!?"
"You… you…"
Szayelaporro gritted his teeth, the change in the situation causing his emotions to fluctuate uncharacteristically.
He was extremely displeased with the other party's tone, as if he were being regarded as an insignificant ant.
"Who do you think you are!?"
The raging hellfire around him reflected in his eyes. He stared fixedly at Tsugikuni Yoriichi with a voice as cold as frost:
"Kid."
"You think a mere Bankai can judge me?!"
"I am the strongest Vasto Lorde!"
"Hell? I'll tear it apart!"
He suddenly raised both hands, and the surrounding reishi seemed to be swallowed whole, held in his cupped palms.
Under the pressure of high-speed collapse, it instantly condensed into a blue cannonball.
With a flick of his finger, it immediately transformed into an unstoppable torrent of reishi, crushing the surrounding air as it surged towards a barrier on the right!
Even with the excruciating pain burning throughout his body, Szayelaporro did not lower his control over the reishi.
Although he could no longer absorb reishi to strengthen himself.
But he firmly believed that even a single Cero, under his immense first-class spiritual pressure, could never be resisted by a Bankai domain created with third-class spiritual pressure!
This was an eternal truth!
He observed his attack from the corner of his eye, while his gaze remained on Tsugikuni Yoriichi.
Szayelaporro slowed his breathing, trying his best to quell the anger in his heart.
His pale white claws clenched, murderous intent rising and then vanishing.
In the blink of an eye, he was ready to defeat and take Tsugikuni Yoriichi away the moment the domain shattered.
This damn kid… he actually dared to judge him. Even Baraggan wouldn't say such a thing.
He definitely had to teach him a profound lesson when they returned!
The moment Szayelaporro made up his mind, the Cero had already struck the barrier.
Amidst a deafening roar, Szayelaporro looked sideways, only to see dust rising everywhere, the scattered dust obscuring his vision.
Although he couldn't see what was behind the smoke, Szayelaporro knew his attack must have been successful.
He couldn't help but smile, then looked back at Yoriichi, his expression mocking.
Yoriichi showed no reaction to this, merely gazing quietly at the scene before him, the blade in his hand burning even more fiercely:
"You're celebrating too soon."
The whistling wind filled his ears, and Yoriichi's eyes were calm and unwavering, seemingly indifferent to that Cero.
Upon hearing this, the smile on Szayelaporro's face gradually faded.
Just then, the dust had already settled, and he stiffly turned his head to gaze.
Suddenly, his pupils contracted violently, completely unable to comprehend the current situation.
Not only was the domain's barrier not shattered, but there wasn't even a single crack!
The circulating chains spewed out his reishi, rapidly repairing the slightly damaged areas on the ground, as if absorbing all of the Cero from just now.
His confident attack earlier was now utterly useless.
—What is this thing!?
"…I already said it's Hell."
Yoriichi swung his blade, and an illusory blade mark trailed a black tail flame, blooming brilliantly in mid-air.
"A Hollow… cannot destroy Hell."
His tone was indifferent, and the coldness in his eyes was unmistakable:
"Do you have any other methods? If not, then it's my turn."
"You… you…" Szayelaporro's expression turned solemn, and he took half a step back, completely unprepared for how troublesome his opponent was.
One must know that the Gosuke Kenpachi from earlier couldn't even block one of his fingers.
Both of them had third-class spiritual pressure, so why was the difference so great?
Where did something go wrong?
Hell?
Thinking of this, his breathing gradually quickened.
Impossible! A mere Shinigami couldn't possibly control Hell!
That place was a forbidden zone for all things, and the end for all living beings! It was a place even the Soul King had never mastered!
Szayelaporro had researched in Hueco Mundo for many years, and because some Hollows were extremely evil in life, he had personally witnessed the Hell Gate capturing them.
That shocking, cruel scene remained fresh in his memory.
Even a Vasto Lorde was so tiny before it, as if Hell possessed a will.
He believed.
As long as he dared to make even the slightest attempt to obstruct the Hell Gate from capturing prisoners, he too would be captured, utterly powerless to resist.
Yet now, a Shinigami was telling him that the surrounding area was Hell. How could he believe it?
How could he dare to believe it!?
He took a deep breath:
"You must be lying to me, right?"
"I've studied your Zanpakuto; no matter how strong an ability is, it's limited by the user's spiritual pressure level…"
"Even if this truly is Hell, with your spiritual pressure being so much weaker than mine, how could you block my Cero?!"
"This must be an illusion!"
"…If you think so, then so be it." Seeing that Szayelaporro was unwilling to believe reality, Yoriichi couldn't be bothered to waste words with him.
He merely spoke softly, each word seemingly carrying immense weight:
"Judgment · First Sin."
"Pride."
As soon as his voice fell, the air instantly solidified.
In an instant, he vanished from his spot like a sudden gust of wind.
When he reappeared, he was like a phantom behind Szayelaporro.
His speed was astonishing.
Like a sharp blade cutting through the air, the moment Szayelaporro recovered, he suddenly felt his body being torn apart by a powerful force, and intense pain surged like a tide.
He managed to lower his head, and the sight before him filled him with dread:
His waist was a bloody mess, almost severed, and wisps of black substance were relentlessly corroding deeper into his flesh like venomous snakes.
His body's defences seemed so fragile and vulnerable at this moment.
With just this one glance, he felt his worldview completely shattered by this powerful force.
—This is impossible!!
Hollows are born with the ability of [Hierro]; under the same spiritual pressure, a Hollow's defence far surpasses a Shinigami's.
Only if a Shinigami's spiritual pressure exceeds a Hollow's by a notch can they break through its defence.
And he, with first-class spiritual pressure, theoretically no living being should be able to break through his defence!
Yet Tsugikuni Yoriichi could destroy it with ease… Why?!
Is it a Kido-type Zanpakuto?
Believing he had discovered the truth, Szayelaporro was overcome with excitement.
He suppressed the urge to vomit blood and shouted at Yoriichi:
"Kid! I've seen through your secret!"
If it were a Kido-type Zanpakuto, then he just needed to block his five senses.
As for which sense was being affected, he would need to experiment to find out.
Thus, Szayelaporro decisively blocked some of his senses, retaining only enough strength for a counterattack.
This scene struck Tsugikuni Yoriichi as inexplicably odd.
Secret? What secret?
The only reason he could break through the defence was that this place disregarded all defences…
That was all there was to it.
Yoriichi was speechless; he stared intently at his opponent.
As he adjusted his breathing, he prepared for a quick battle.
And at this moment, Szayelaporro suddenly opened his eyes, a crazed smile spreading across his face.
"I understand!"
He had thought of an excellent way to break the illusion.
No matter where he was.
Tsugikuni Yoriichi must be near him, so…
As long as he used Cero indiscriminately, he would definitely force him to reveal himself!