Kisuke Urahara's mouth opened with difficulty, a surge of despair welling up within him, as if his life had reached a dead end.
He had no time to defend himself and could only watch everything unfold.
However, at the critical moment…
Clang!
Yoriichi calmly raised his sword.
With incredible precision, he blocked Nnoitra's swinging scythe three inches away.
At this moment, the tip of the scythe was only a heart-stopping ten centimeters from Kisuke Urahara's eyeball.
Its shimmering, cold gleam reflected in his eyes like chilling ice and snow, sending shivers down his spine.
"Clang, clang, clang!"
The scythe trembled violently under immense pressure, emitting cold, piercing clanging sounds that echoed in the air.
Clearly, Nnoitra was putting all his strength into trying to break through Yoriichi Tsugikuni's impenetrable blockade.
But unfortunately…
Creak…!
His teeth grinding with an acidic friction, Nnoitra's pupils dilated, and his face contorted in a ferocious expression; he simply couldn't believe that his scythe had been so easily blocked by a Shinigami.
His muscle strength was quite immense!
But… why, then, was the muscle strength that could overwhelm a host of Vasto Lorde…
Unable to break through a mere Shinigami's easily executed defensive move at this moment?!
—This is impossible!
Gulp…
In front of him, Kisuke Urahara's throat bobbed twice with difficulty; his pupils had unconsciously shrunk to the size of pinpricks.
Thump, thump, thump!
His heart pounded like a drum, and cold sweat instantly drenched his clothes.
Ten centimeters, a mere half-palm's distance…
Yet, it was this half-palm's difference that almost cost him his life.
Bang!
He stomped the ground fiercely, his figure instantly disappearing.
After barely catching his breath, he looked at Nnoitra with lingering fear.
He wasn't aware of the true power of Nnoitra's attack; he had mistakenly thought it wasn't very lethal simply because he saw Yoriichi Tsugikuni's relaxed movements.
However, the next second, he realized he was terribly, incredibly wrong.
Nnoitra's teeth ground audibly, and veins bulged on his gaunt, ferocious face.
He forcefully swung the scythe aside, and with a roar, yellow spiritual pressure instantly transformed into a storm, abruptly splitting the desert!
The sprawling gully extended for countless meters, as if a giant had wreaked havoc.
The ground shook violently three times.
This kind of power…
"You fellow…"
Just as Kisuke Urahara was assessing the power of this attack, Nnoitra's furious voice suddenly rang out:
"You're just a mere Shinigami; how could you possibly suppress me in the realm of strength?!"
"I am the strongest Arrancar!"
With that, he stomped the ground fiercely and swung his scythe again, intent on slicing the Shinigami before him into pieces.
As he launched his second attack, the few people around him also reacted.
Nelliel suddenly yelled, "Stop!"
"You despicable fellow!"
Creak—!
She tensed her arm muscles, putting her whole body into it, preparing to throw the long spear in her hand towards him.
She detested nothing more than people bullying the weak in front of her, let alone cowardly sneak attacks.
Although the Shinigami before her wasn't weak, that single blow had indeed almost cost both their lives.
In her eyes, they were objects that needed protection.
Starrk watched everything silently, making no move.
Because he knew that Nnoitra would not pose any threat to Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
Despite his strong words, in reality… He shook his head lightly, lamenting that there were too many Menos Grande in the world who liked to kill at the slightest provocation.
No wonder the Shinigami wanted to supervise this place; he himself didn't like these Menos Grande, as they would affect his search for companions.
Of course, due to his personality, he also didn't want to take action.
At this moment, he could only pray that Nnoitra wouldn't die too miserably.
So as not to affect the innocent Lilynette.
…
Whoosh!
The whistling long spear, like a raging thunderbolt, shot straight towards Nnoitra with terrifying momentum.
The latter, with a calm expression, condensed his spiritual pressure, contracted his muscles, and then suddenly reached out and grasped it.
Bang!
A loud bang echoed in the air; Nelliel's full-strength attack was thus easily blocked by Nnoitra.
The quartz spear instantly shattered under the impact of the immense force, turning into countless tiny fragments that fell to the ground like falling raindrops.
This scene filled Nelliel's eyes with disbelief; just before this…
Nnoitra snorted coldly, a hint of disdain on his arrogant face.
The swinging scythe, like the sound of death, was about to strike Yoriichi Tsugikuni again.
Just then, his arrogant voice abruptly rang out:
"Nelliel, without Sonído, you are nothing."
However, despite saying so, his subsequent actions were completely contrary to his words.
Clang!
His full-strength swing once again touched Yoriichi Tsugikuni's Zanpakuto,
He had expected to shatter it, but it was still firmly caught, just like last time, unable to advance an inch.
"Damn it!"
Nnoitra's expression instantly plummeted; the composure he had shown when blocking Nelliel's attack vanished without a trace.
One failure could be attributed to not being in good condition or not using full strength due to a sneak attack.
But the second time, he had unleashed all his spiritual pressure and muscle strength, which was why he could easily catch Nelliel's thrown spear and crush it.
It could be said that his current swing could basically cut all Vasto Lorde in half.
But why was this guy in front of him completely unharmed? His Zanpakuto didn't even have a single crack!
Was this reasonable?!
A mere Shinigami actually overpowered him, a Menos Grande who specialized in burst strength…
His true form was a praying mantis, one of the creatures with the strongest explosive power in nature…
Who exactly was the Menos Grande?!
Nnoitra found it incomprehensible; his constricted pupils reflected Yoriichi Tsugikuni's cold expression.
Suddenly.
Whoosh!
A surging immense force suddenly struck, like a rolling flood, instantly deflecting his Double Moon Scythe and severing it with a single sword strike.
Crack!
Nnoitra stumbled backward, attempting to control his body, but the sudden appearance of the force made his movements uncontrollable.
He clearly caught the sight of his scythe splitting; his pupils instantly constricted, and he hadn't even had time to think about what had just happened.
The next second, Yoriichi's scorching slash followed swiftly, a powerful strike cutting into his chest, directly penetrating his Hierro, causing him to stagger and fly backward!
Bang!
With a loud crash, Nnoitra's body slammed heavily onto the ground, his condition visibly declining.
The desert was ploughed with long gullies, and large amounts of fresh blood, as his injuries appeared, splattered like a fountain across the barren desert, staining the surroundings red.
Nnoitra knelt on one knee, his eye patch gone at some point, revealing a dark Hollow hole, while his other eye was barely half-closed as he panted heavily.
Drip…
Dark red blood flowed through his fingers; he was ice cold all over, and pain pierced his soul, making his teeth tremble.
An extreme humiliation surged from his heart, transforming into a massive hammer weighing ten thousand tons, repeatedly pounding and crushing every nerve in his body.
He found it hard to breathe, even forgetting to breathe; even the pain couldn't bring him back to his senses, completely immersed in his emotions.
—Damn it!
—This is an utter disgrace!!
He, who possessed the strongest Hierro and the strongest power, was actually easily broken through and sent flying!?
If this had happened before, he would have absolutely not believed it; instead, he would have thought it the biggest joke in the world.
After all, in the realm of strength, he was Las Noches's number one, even Yammy couldn't compare to him.
But now…
"Pah!"
He spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, his angry eyes burning with a fierce flame, staring intently at Yoriichi Tsugikuni, his tone full of defiance:
"Don't get too cocky, kid!"
"I am the strongest!"
"Don't think that just because you wounded me, you can defeat me; I'm not like that useless Nelliel!"
He was already an Arrancar, possessing the Resurrección ability.
If he couldn't win in his human form, then he would fight using his Hollow appearance!
Nnoitra re-gripped his half-shattered Double Moon Scythe, veins bulging on the back of his hand.
He roared, "Pray, Santa Teresa!"
As his words fell, his appearance rapidly transformed.
Where his hands once were, two more pairs of arms grew, and his towering Double Moon Scythe transformed into a massive, horizontal double-bladed scythe, like an elongated giant axe.
His injuries rapidly healed, and blood no longer dripped; he had clearly gained the ability of High-Speed Regeneration.
Unfortunately, while his physical wounds healed, the wounds and fatigue of his soul remained unrecovered.
He loathed everything in front of him, his eyes burning with fury.
Feeling the abundant power within him, at this moment, he had only one thought.
—Kill that Shinigami to wash away today's humiliation!
In his Santa Teresa state, his power was three times his original, and the hardness of his Hierro was also three times.
He didn't believe he could still be broken through, still be pushed back!
Nnoitra was full of confidence, not to mention the increased number of weapons.
Six scythes, six times the attack speed; his attacks would be as fierce as a torrential downpour, while his opponent only had a single sword.
No matter how you looked at it…
—The advantage is all mine!
With this mindset, he suddenly stomped forward, a ferocious smile appearing on his face, completely disregarding the others around him.
He had expected that such a state would momentarily astonish the Shinigami opposite him.
However, to his surprise, Yoriichi Tsugikuni simply shook his head gently, letting out a low sigh:
"Is your mind clouded by anger? What a pathetic fellow."
"Indeed, even after becoming human, you are still as savage as a beast."
"Aizen's minion… Forget it, I'll send you on your way. A fellow like you existing in Hueco Mundo will only make the environment here worse."
"Since you've even mastered a technique similar to a Zanpakuto, then I can't let you live."
After speaking, under Nnoitra's fully concentrated attention, Yoriichi Tsugikuni suddenly vanished.
Nnoitra had no time to react before he saw Yoriichi Tsugikuni appear in front of him, a swift strike swinging towards him, like a blazing lightning bolt.
He tried to block, but even with six weapons swinging simultaneously, relying on three times his muscle strength, they instantly broke, like fragile wooden sticks, without making a single sound.
Immediately after.
Pfft!
His chest was struck.
It was completely pierced through, his organs vanished, leaving a large gaping hole.
A trickle of blood couldn't help but flow from the corner of his mouth.
Thump.
He fell to his knees.
His six scythes fell limply, and he looked down at his chest, looking at the scene behind him.
He wanted to say something.
But…
Pfft!
He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, his words abruptly cut off, and his aura instantly withered.
He tried to regenerate his organs.
But unfortunately.
His High-Speed Regeneration was ineffective.
He could only watch as his life force gradually faded…
In his pupils, the emotionless Yoriichi Tsugikuni slowly sheathing his sword was reflected.
—No, it shouldn't be like this.
Nnoitra reached out.
Grasping at air.
Then.
Thump.
He fell down powerlessly.
…
The changes were so swift, catching everyone off guard.
Among those present, only Starrk could maintain a calm demeanor.
And the one most shocked was Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck.
As an Adjuchas about to be promoted to Vasto Lorde, she knew how significant it was to instantly kill Nnoitra.
Furthermore, Nnoitra had undergone a second transformation before his defeat, and that aura had already surpassed that of an ordinary Vasto Lorde.
What exactly happened?
Her mind was full of questions, but at this moment, no one could answer her.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni sighed softly, and only after sending Nnoitra Gilga to hell did he turn his gaze to Nelliel,
indicating that everything that had just happened was just a minor interlude, not worth worrying about.
"…"
A minor interlude?
Nelliel's eyebrows twitched slightly.
This was anything but minor.
The appearance of every Arrancar was a major event, let alone this Shinigami who could easily defeat an Arrancar.
Her full-power attack was easily crushed.
This had never happened before…
Nelliel opened her mouth, many thoughts surging in her mind.
Just then, she suddenly remembered something and quickly introduced herself, showing respect:
"I am Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, Shinigami, welcome to our home."
"I have a question, why are there so many Vasto Lorde in your group?"
Nelliel's gaze fell upon Starrk, Lilynette, and Harribel, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly.
Three high-level Menos Grande, unseen for decades, had suddenly appeared today.
An uninformed person might even think that the Shinigami had specially come for a social gathering with the Menos Grande, running here for a picnic.
After some time, when did Soul Society become so open?
It was unbelievable.
Although Nelliel was not hostile to Shinigami like other Hollows, she wouldn't actively befriend them; she only stood on the side of justice.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni slaying Nnoitra Gilga, who wantonly hunted down lower- and middle-class Menos Grande, was justice in her heart.
She took a slight breath, waiting for their answer, while slowly shifting her gaze to Kisuke Urahara, who was accompanying Yoriichi Tsugikuni, as she stepped on the sand.
That look seemed to be asking: Are you as strong as him?
In response, Kisuke Urahara seemed to sense the meaning in that gaze and gave an awkward laugh.
He was just a researcher; his physical capabilities simply couldn't compare to these brutish strongmen.
But unfortunately, all the Hollows in Hueco Mundo were strongmen, and his intelligence simply couldn't find a place to be used.
Fortunately, he still had eloquence and could persuade Starrk, an important target.
Otherwise, he would even doubt what he was doing in Hueco Mundo in the first place.
"…"
Nelliel shook her head in disappointment, not because she thought Kisuke Urahara was too weak, as her normal state was on par with Kisuke Urahara, and she could only surpass him by using [Superspeed] to stack power.
She was just lamenting that her justice hadn't served a practical purpose, and that she had to rely on these Shinigami to resolve the trouble, which truly shamed her resolve.
After a while, Yoriichi Tsugikuni carefully examined the "Zanpakuto" Nnoitra had left on the ground, and after drawing a few conclusions, he slowly stood up and explained to Nelliel:
"They are all my friends."
"And you, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck… that name is too long, I'll just call you Nel."
"Do you know him?"
"Do you know what happened to him?"
Yoriichi held up the half-broken scythe.
He found no trace of a soul on this blade, only something similar to a Zanpakuto, but why did it exhibit Shikai effects?
Kisuke Urahara was also researching at this time, but unfortunately, there was too little data, information, and intelligence to explain anything.
Nelliel pondered for a moment before speaking:
"He was originally an Adjuchas-level Menos Grande from this area, and because his personality clashed with mine, we often fought."
"But unfortunately, he was never my match."
"I don't know what happened today, but he became an Arrancar. As for changes, he once left this vicinity and went to Las Noches."
"Las Noches?"
Hearing the words Las Noches, Yoriichi Tsugikuni and Kisuke Urahara immediately understood that this must be related to Aizen.
After some time, he was actually able to make a Menos Grande an Arrancar… This operation really came at the right time.
If they had overlooked these things and waited to discover them naturally, who knew how many years it would be.
And by then, Aizen would have at least dozens, or even hundreds, of Arrancar Menos Grande under his command.
If they were to invade Soul Society…
Thinking of this, Kisuke Urahara's expression became grave.
He then asked Nelliel if she was willing to contribute to the peace of Hueco Mundo.
Because the appearance of such a large number of Arrancar would inevitably disrupt the ecological balance of Hueco Mundo.
Her justice alone could not reverse these things.
Through their brief conversation, Kisuke Urahara understood that this Menos Grande, like Harribel, had a very righteous moral compass.
In other words, she could also be recruited.
Although she was not a Vasto Lorde, based on her aura, she was very close.
Kisuke Urahara could judge from his experience that she would break through in no more than two years at the latest.
And during this period, if some stimulation, such as combat, were appropriately added, it would accelerate this change.
Where would combat come from?
With so many people here, there was bound to be one suitable for her.
Upon hearing this, Nelliel fell silent, and after a long while, she slowly said, "Can I trust you?"
"I have seen Shinigami before, but they haven't left a good impression on me, but similarly, neither have those Menos Grande."
"I don't know which side I should stand on, so I just try my best to maintain peace here."
"Now your invitation makes me very hesitant, I must admit… is it no longer Baraggan who occupies Las Noches?"
She asked, wanting to find answers on the faces of these Shinigami, because they seemed to know a lot.
Kisuke Urahara glanced at Yoriichi Tsugikuni, then told her everything he knew.
When Nelliel learned that Las Noches was occupied by an evil Shinigami, her expression immediately became serious and dignified:
"Aizen, I understand. Since his goal will destroy the peace of Hueco Mundo, then I have no choice but to join you."
Nelliel extended her hand to the group, her attitude extremely decisive, "It's a pleasure to work with you, I hope this choice won't make me regret it."
Her gaze slowly swept over Starrk and Harribel, and at that moment, a firm resolve quietly rose in her chest.
Since two seemingly righteous Vasto Lorde had joined their ranks, then this faction must have a certain degree of credibility.
Vasto Lorde… Her heart was filled with longing, wishing she could reach this level as soon as possible.
After all, Adjuchas were simply too weak in comparison.