Defeating Tirutī

Tirutī let out a shrill, provocative laugh and turned to Dordoni. "Dordoni, go deal with the other Vasto Lorde over there. I don't have much strength left after dealing with this guy. That one's strong too."

She rarely set aside her pride to ask for help, even from a companion serving the same ruler.

But today, she made an exception. She believed this battle with Cangya would most likely be her last.

She was determined to fulfill her duty as an Espada and fight to the end, lest she meet the same fate as the other subordinates who had disappointed Baraggan.

Dordoni nodded at her request. "I'll do it, Tirutī."

"I'll concentrate my Reiatsu into a single attack."

Tirutī had no time to despair.

She still hoped to defeat Cangya—her menacing tail could finally use the Reiatsu she had previously used to control her wings.

A huge, pink, fan-shaped mass of Reiatsu appeared at the end of her raised tail.

It was a sharp fan of Reiatsu that could easily cut through solid matter.

"Then I won't hold back either."

Cangya closed his eyes and felt every strand of Reishi that made up his Hollow body.

He called upon his aspect of death, injecting strands of Reiatsu into the Reishi and letting it intertwine and merge with his body.

Over the past month, he had continually refined this technique, increasing the density of his muscles to gain greater explosive power and endurance at the cost of mobility.

Could he surpass an Adjuchas Arrancar in endurance? Probably not.

But he wanted to show Tirutī respect and face her head-on. This was a rare chance to fight a bloody battle with an Espada.

An angry and somewhat frustrated Espada, but an Espada nonetheless.

Tirutī grinned at his resolve. "Come on. I'll show you the despair of being a weak bug in Hueco Mundo, the despair of groveling at the feet of those stronger than you."

The two charged at each other.

Tirutī touched down, her tail reaching toward him as the enormous fan swung down at him.

Cangya kicked the fan aside and charged at Tirutī, his wings greatly aiding his movement.

Tirutī jumped back, narrowly avoiding Cangya's fist, then struck back at him with the flat of her fan.

Cangya barely managed to raise his arm and block the blow.

But he was still sent flying, his body temporarily numbed by the impact.

Tirutī wiped her sweat-soaked face with the back of her hand, breathing heavily. "Damn it. You think I'm going to talk to you about honor now? After what you did?"

When Cangya's fist had nearly touched her, she had felt the threat of death.

The defense of her Resurrección, which she had once thought indestructible, seemed so fragile before his overwhelming power of Pressure.

She saw the same fear in Cangya's eyes—he couldn't withstand multiple direct hits from her deadly tail either.

Whoever landed a clean hit on the other would win.

"Haha, karma's a bitch." Cangya chuckled and patted his shirt. "But not as big a bitch as you."

With those last words, the two warriors charged at each other again. They knew everything depended on this final clash, and that brought their speed and strength to another level.

The ground beneath their feet trembled as they collided, and dazzling Reiatsu erupted around them.

They entered close combat, the range at which Cangya excelled.

He had trained in combat techniques with Tier Harribel, who was also a close-combat fighter.

Even with his speed reduced, he could dodge her attacks on instinct.

Tirutī was already somewhat exhausted in her Resurrección state—a problem every naturally born Arrancar faced because their power was unstable.

The burden of permanently damaging her Zanpakuto made her even more tired.

With every exchange, she grew slower, the effects of the fight gradually showing.

Cangya sidestepped her fan, rushed into her attack range, and punched her in the abdomen.

His enhanced fist broke through her Resurrección defense in an instant, knocking her back several steps.

She fell to her knees, blood spewing from her mouth.

"Cough, cough, cough. You... you bastard." She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with her white clothing and glared at Cangya.

Though she was already in a sorry state, Cangya looked full of energy, as if he hadn't fought her at all. "You're disgusting."

"But I love you, darling."

Tirutī clenched her teeth and used the last of her Reiatsu to seal her wounds.

She sacrificed the advanced regeneration needed to heal her internal injuries, but at least she could seal her wounds and keep them from affecting her performance.

She forced herself to her feet, and her fan became a spear.

The weapon had a longer reach and was harder to dodge, but using it required greater precision than before.

"Give up, Tirutī. In your current state, you can't possibly use it to its full potential."

Judging by her current condition, it was hard to say whether she could still unleash the weapon's full power.

"Shut up!"

Tirutī roared like a cornered beast and charged at Cangya again.

Though her strength was nearly exhausted, her indomitable spirit refused to yield.

Spear in hand, she dragged her weary body forward, harboring a faint hope of breaking through Cangya's defense and landing a decisive blow.

Cangya precisely blocked her spear attacks, making each parry look effortless.

Although he appeared unscathed, he was struggling inside—strengthening his body with the power of Pressure had left him exhausted.

"Dordoni's watching me... I have to end this fight quickly."

Dordoni was an unpredictable variable, and Cangya didn't know his intentions.

Cangya dodged her flurry of spear attacks and used Sonído to flash behind Tirutī.

He clenched his fist and swung. The heavy blow struck the back of her head.

Tirutī had no time to react. She fell to her knees, then collapsed onto the white sand.

Blood seeped from her wounds, staining both her silver mane and the pristine sand a deep crimson.

"Goodbye forever... my first opponent. I won't miss you."

Cangya gazed at the fallen Tirutī, a trace of sadness passing through his heart.

Under different circumstances, she might have become a friend he cherished, or even a passionate lover.

"But not in this timeline."

For the proud Tirutī, it was an uneventful yet fitting end.

Dordoni had harbored some doubts about Cangya's abilities as a Menos Grande of Hueco Mundo (Vasto Lorde), until he witnessed firsthand the power that had rendered Tirutī's bladed wings useless.

At that moment, his interest turned to shock.

He couldn't tell where the energy wrapped around Cangya's arms came from. That energy alone had pushed Tirutī away and turned the tide of battle.

"I've never seen anything like it. His ability has reached the level of an Espada (Arrancar)."

In this young man fighting with all his might, Dordoni saw potential.

A genius capable of challenging the current First Espada, a person who posed a potential threat to the eternal rule of Baraggan, the king of Hueco Mundo.

As an Espada, he should have intervened in the fight and slain Cangya before he grew into a threat to his "master."

To nip the threat in the bud.

Yet Dordoni couldn't help imagining a world in which Las Noches was free of Baraggan's rule.

A beautiful world where Hollows wouldn't be oppressed by a ruthless tyrant.

Like all good things, this beautiful reality would require someone to make a sacrifice before it could come to pass.

To bring down Baraggan, Cangya first had to make himself into a devil.

Dordoni sighed. "I'm asking too much of Cangya. Should I kill his companion and make him hate Baraggan?"

Just as Dordoni was considering turning Cangya into a true enemy, Tirutī's battle ended in her defeat.

"Tirutī is still alive, Cangya. Why did you spare her?"

Dordoni shook his head and sighed in disappointment. "Cangya, you're not the devil Hueco Mundo needs. To give me hope, I must destroy you. Perhaps if I push you, you'll be able to show your true potential."