Chapter 9: Enclose, Murciélago!
Regeneration.
[Akarin's Note: In Bleach, this ability is called High-Speed Regeneration (Sokudo Saisei). Ulquiorra's regeneration is unique among the Arrancar, as he can regenerate any part of his body except his brain and internal organs, an ability most Arrancar discard in exchange for greater power.]
A skill possessed by some Hollows, which most Hollows discard for greater offensive power after becoming Arrancar. However, Ulquiorra retained it. Besides his internal organs and brain, any other part of his body can regenerate in a very short time after being destroyed. As long as Ren was using his Take Over on Ulquiorra, this level of injury was no different from being unharmed.
"What?!"
"How is that possible?!"
"It... it healed!!"
Inside the mansion, Elfman and Mayor Cost, who were watching from the window, were stunned. The magic world had all sorts of magic, from Wendy's Sky Magic to Porlyusica's potions, but no one had ever heard of magic that could instantly regenerate a grievous wound, good as new.
"You fellow..."
Camille was also deeply shocked. His mask hid his expression, but his voice had lost its confident, mocking tone. This kid's speed, strength, attack power, and magical destructive power were already terrifying, and on top of that, he was immortal? He had never encountered such a monster before.
"Your magic... it's not nullification. It's bending space. A 'Full Reflection' of vectors," Ren stated, his voice flat and analytical. Both attacks had been reflected, so Ren had a rough idea of his opponent's magic. "Impressive."
"Not bad! Kid, to guess my magic with just two attacks." Camille's confidence returned, latching onto the perceived infallibility of his power. "That's right! My magic is Full Reflection, which means no magic or attack can harm me, while my attacks can freely strike you all. It's not just magic, kid. It's physics. It's intent. Anything meant to harm me is turned away. You can't touch me."
"What?! How can there be such an unreasonable magic?!" Elfman couldn't help but be in disbelief. How could they defeat such an enemy? It wasn't 'manly' at all!
"Kid, now you know the gap between us, don't you?" Camille boasted. "You are very strong—your speed, strength, attack power, and that incredible regeneration ability are all formidable. But you can't do anything to me."
He laughed, a cold, metallic sound. "And you're using Take Over Magic, aren't you? This must be the power of the fellow you've taken over. That kind of power must drain your magic reserves at a phenomenal rate. Once your magic power runs out and you release your transformation... that will be your demise! Hahahaha!"
Camille was right. Ren could feel it. The 1.5-Star container of his was draining like a sieve. The battle had already been raging for over two minutes.
'He's right,' Ren thought, his mind a cold calculator. 'The drain is immense. Two minutes have passed. I have one minute left, maximum.'
Just then, Elfman rushed out from the mansion's broken doorway, planting himself in front of Ren. "You wish!"
Ren looked at Elfman, surprised by the interruption.
"Ren..." Elfman's voice was low and trembling, his back to his guildmate. "Run. A 'man' protects his friends."
Ren patted Elfman's shoulder. "Alright, don't worry so much. This guy is just boasting. Full Reflection Magic seems unsolvable, but that doesn't mean he's that powerful. If he were truly powerful, he wouldn't be standing there motionless; he would have rushed over and dealt with me already."
Ren's cold, green eyes stared at Camille. "Also, Full Reflection Magic is indeed formidable, but it doesn't mean it can truly reflect everything. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been reduced to a stray dog, hiding in the shadows."
Hearing this, Camille's tone turned cold: "Hmph! Kid, you're very calm. My reflection does have limits. If it exceeds a certain threshold, I can't reflect it either. But do you think you can break my limit? That last attack was already your strongest magic, wasn't it?"
He pointed a finger at Ren. "My attacks can't harm you right now, but how long can you last? Look at you. You're already fading. You have... what? A minute? Less?"
Elfman's expression became serious. He had to make a choice. He looked at Ren, then at the monstrous assassin. He saw Lisanna's face in his mind. He saw the rain. He saw the blood on his own hands.
Never again.
"Ren, run away immediately later," Elfman said, his voice a low growl. "Don't look back. I'll deal with him! A 'man' protects his family!"
He planned to use his most forbidden magic. Take Over: The Beast.
He knew that once he did, he might lose his sanity, just like that day. A year ago, he had forcibly used that Take Over due to insufficient power, which led to the death of his sister, Lisanna. He didn't want to kill Ren, his guildmate, again. But if it bought Ren time to escape... that was a 'man's' sacrifice.
Just then, Ren's voice calmly said:
"One minute is more than enough."
Camille looked at Ren: "What did you say?!"
Ren ignored Camille. He gently raised the Zanpakutō in his hand, pointed it at Camille, and softly chanted his Resurrección command.
"Enclose, Murciélago."
[Akarin's Note: The original chapter title, "Seal it away! black-winged great demon!" refers to Ulquiorra's Resurrección. The official Japanese command is Tozase, Murciélago (鎖せ, ムルシエラゴ). Tozase means "Enclose" or "Seal," and Murciélago is Spanish for "Bat." The kanji used for the name literally translates to "Black-Winged Great Demon."]
"Buzz—!!!"
The sky didn't just darken. It died.
The air became thick, heavy, and cold. A terrifying spiritual pressure, far greater than anything Ren had unleashed before, erupted from his body. It was not a "buzz"; it was a physical, crushing weight that slammed down on the entire town.
"Whoa!!"
Elfman, who was standing right in front of Ren, was blown backward by the sheer force of the spiritual pressure, tumbling end over end until he crashed into the rubble of the outer wall.
"This... pressure...!" Elfman gasped, his entire body pinned. He couldn't even move.
Black raindrops, heavy and oily, began to fall from the sky. Lluvia de Desesperación. The Rain of Despair.
Everyone involuntarily looked up at the sky.
"Black rain?" Camille frowned, his magic flaring as he tried to reflect the black raindrops. But his Full Reflection, which could turn back a Cero, did nothing. The rain passed through his barrier as if it wasn't there.
The raindrops fell on Camille's face, and he was startled to find that they didn't have the wet feeling of actual rain. They were cold, heavy... and they carried an emotion. An endless, crushing, nihilistic despair. It was a mental attack as much as a physical one.
"This isn't real rain," Camille whispered, his bravado gone. "These are... liquefied magic power raindrops!!"
Soon, the black rain phenomenon disappeared, its purpose served.
Ren's appearance also underwent a huge, terrifying change.
His high-collared white uniform didn't just transform; it shattered, dissolving into black and white particles. The particles swirled around him and reformed. His clothes were now a long, white, full-body robe, high-collared and form-fitting, like a burial shroud.
His helmet fragment cracked, then regrew, the single horn vanishing and being replaced by two long, curved horns on either side of his head. His black hair, once spiky, became longer and more flowing. The green tear marks on his face widened, deepened, and became more pronounced, as if he were weeping an ocean of despair.
And most strikingly, a violent explosion of black spiritual pressure erupted from his back. It tore through the air and unfurled into a pair of huge, black, leathery bat wings. They were demonic, vast, and they seemed to drink the moonlight, casting the entire courtyard into shadow.
This form was Ulquiorra Cifer's form after his first stage of Resurrección.
At this moment, a terrifying, suffocating power emanated from Ren's body.
Seeing Ren in this form, Camille instinctively felt an intense danger. This... this wasn't a Mage. This was a demon. This guy... he reminded him of the monsters among the Ten Wizard Saints.
"Don't waver. Hold your stance, tense your nerves, don't let up for a single instant."
Ren's voice was different now. It was deeper, hollower, and echoed with a second, ethereal tone. He looked at Camille with cold, dead eyes—a gaze as if looking at a dead man.
Camille was provoked by Ren's gaze and words. He was terrified, but his pride wouldn't let him show it. "Huh?! What nonsense are you spouting, you stinking brat!! You haven't even touched a hair on me yet! And you say I'm wavering?!"
He pointed a shaking finger at Ren, latching onto his only hope. "You... you're almost out of time! I can feel it! You only have less than a minute left! You're the one who should be wavering, aren't you?! Just wait to be tortured to death by me after that minute!"
Ren's new, demonic face remained impassive.
"One minute... is more than enough."
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