The reishi gradually climbed, and the air became increasingly viscous, as if even breathing became difficult.
The surging gale, carrying a reishi storm, rapidly gathered towards Tsugikuni Yoriichi, like an apocalyptic scene.
At the centre of the storm, a soft and sacred white holy light shone.
As Yoriichi waved his hand.
Boom—!
Instantly, it illuminated the entire world like the sun, dispelling all darkness.
Szayelaporro stared at this scene in astonishment, for a moment, even forgetting the pain in his body.
—Bankai, theoretically, isn't there only one ability?
Why did a second one appear?
This was something he had never expected, to the point where he was at a loss.
This is unscientific! he screamed wildly in his heart.
Everything he had once firmly believed in turned into a bubble through repeated reversals.
"Why… why do your changes repeatedly exceed my expectations?"
Szayelaporro gritted his teeth, his tone filled with unwillingness and resentment.
He had once held an absolute advantage.
However.
Because of one Bankai, the situation completely collapsed.
All his previous deductions about the domain were invalid, because if a second ability existed, before its ability acted upon him.
He couldn't know the true effect.
And once it acted.
Could he still live with the condition of his current body?
Even if he lived, how could he be sure that Tsugikuni Yoriichi didn't have a third or fourth ability?
The path ahead was an abyss of despair, he had no hope of turning the tables, as powerless as an ordinary Shinigami facing Yamamoto Genryusai.
Damn it!
He clenched his fists, faint blue veins visible on his charred arm.
A voice full of indignation followed:
"I refuse to accept this! Why can a mere Shinigami defeat me!"
"If you have the guts, wait until I complete my Shinigami-fication research, I will definitely be able to break your Bankai!"
Shinigami-fication meant that Hollows could also wield a Zanpakuto, both sides having special abilities, and Hollows would no longer be able to only use Cero to attack others as before.
This was historical research, but unfortunately, he was only halfway through when an unexpected enemy interrupted him.
Thinking of this, a deep regret grew in his heart.
Szayelaporro swayed.
Due to the suddenly viscous air and the substantial oppressive force emanating from Tsugikuni Yoriichi, he breathed heavily, unable to stand steadily.
Some double vision appeared before his eyes.
After the indignant voice sounded, there was no echo.
What responded to him was only the holy fist that suddenly entered his sight like a divine punishment, and finally,
The fleeting thought, like a spark.
—If only…
—I had acted earlier.
...
Outside the domain.
Tier Harribel was uneasy.
Desolate sand swirled around her.
She looked at the black space in front of her, which covered several kilometres.
She recalled the strange fluctuations in the air around Tsugikuni Yoriichi before he disappeared.
She lowered her gaze, standing in place, her mind in chaos.
She disliked both of them; no matter who it was, their ideas were opposite to her own.
Szayelaporro regarded life as nothing, often hunting his own kind.
Although Tsugikuni Yoriichi also slayed Hollows.
Compared to him.
Undoubtedly, he gave her a better impression.
Because he acted with reason and justification, not contempt for life.
It's just a pity… Shinigami and Hollows are irreconcilable.
"Damn it…"
She cursed softly:
"Why did it have to be Szayelaporro…"
She quietly lowered her head, and under her bone-armour mask, her sharp, shark-like teeth unnaturally bit her lip.
Tier Harribel found it difficult to explain her current state of mind.
She really wanted to continue competing with Tsugikuni Yoriichi to prove her theory correct.
Even if she died in battle, it wouldn't matter.
At the same time, she also wanted Tsugikuni Yoriichi to die at Szayelaporro's hands.
Because only then would the sacrifices of those Hollows have value.
However, ridiculously, this went against her own principles.
The weak need to unite to defeat the strong, but what if the strong bully the weak?
Szayelaporro was also her enemy.
Because he disregarded the lives of Hollows.
Some Hollows she had saved had died at his hands.
On a conceptual level.
As the weak, she and Tsugikuni Yoriichi should unite and defeat him.
—Contradictory.
Too contradictory.
Harribel felt herself caught in a logical vortex, unable to escape no matter what.
Exhaling a turbid breath, her gaze gradually deepened, and she touched the wounds on her body, before she could make up her mind.
Suddenly, the black space before her eyes gradually faded in colour, like clear water diluting a drop of ink.
The uppermost layer of space was opened first, like an egg peeled from its shell, and an endless white light poured out all at once.
This white light was abnormal, completely out of place with the surrounding environment.
The moment the white light entered Harribel's eyes, she felt a pressure like a mountain pressing down on her head.
Buzz!
She found it difficult to breathe, even when prostrating herself.
The surrounding space vibrated with obvious ripples due to the immense oppressive force.
At first, she thought this was Szayelaporro's reishi, but then she sensed it and found that it was actually the Shinigami's reishi.
Lowering her eyelids, her pupils suddenly contracted; she could hardly believe her perception.
How is that possible?
Only a few minutes had passed, but why did it suddenly increase from Third-Class Reiatsu to First-Class Reiatsu?
Did he take drugs?
No, even if he did, it wouldn't be this fast.
For an ordinary Shinigami or Hollow to advance from Third-Class to First-Class, it would take at least one to two hundred years.
This gap cannot be overcome by drugs.
If it could.
Hueco Mundo would have been cleansed by the Shinigami long ago; there weren't many Third-Class Captains, but there were plenty of Fifth-Class Seat Officers and Vice-Captains.
But if it wasn't drugs…
Then what could it be?
She struggled to raise her head and looked over.
Under the boundless eternal night.
Tsugikuni Yoriichi stood in front of Szayelaporro.
His appearance was exaggerated and full of oppressive power, unlike his previous look; his armguards and shoulders were erupting with majestic white flames.
Through perception, it could be seen that the flames were actually an aggregate of reishi.
They had no attributes.
The surrounding reishi was absorbed by him all at once through the burning flames.
Like purification…
Szayelaporro's head was lowered at this moment, and a huge hole was gaping open in his chest, mercilessly annihilating half of his body.
The dark red blood surging within him burst out of his mouth like an uncontrolled fountain, unstoppable.
Their final words, accompanied by the gradual dissipation of the Bankai domain, slowly drifted to Harribel's ears.
"reishi subordination… cough cough, damn it! You, I really wasn't mistaken, this is definitely Quincy's ability!"
"But you are different from them; you can actually remove the side effects of this ability, absorbing my reishi without any ill effects…"
"Ah… I really want to study this, damn it, why, why am I dying? You are simply the bane of Hollows!"
"I refuse to accept this! Tsugikuni Yoriichi!"
"I…"
At this point, Harribel could no longer hear clearly, yet those few short sentences shocked her greatly.
There was even some fear.
—Reishi Subordination?!