Battle against Nnoitra Gilga

When Sōsuke Aizen appeared near the battlefield between Liu Hao and Nnoitra carrying Kyōka Suigetsu, Liu Hao smiled.

That smile was calm and confident, as if everything was expected.

"It seems the team members saw that I teamed up with this Hollow to attack Captain Ichimaru." Liu Hao's voice echoed clearly in the vast Desert of Hueco Mundo.

These words caused Sōsuke Aizen to frown slightly.

He adjusted his glasses, his expression returning to that gentle yet mysterious smile, "Why would you think that? I only want to help you eliminate this Void."

"Heh, is that so?" Liu Hao's smile widened. "Then why do I sense your 'Kyōka Suigetsu' Shikai and your attempt to hypnotize me?"

A crack finally appeared in Aizen's smile.

He stared intently at Liu Hao, his eyes behind his glasses sharp as knives. "So you really know about my 'Kyōka Suigetsu' ability. I suppose you also know how to break it, don't you?"

"Break it? No need." Liu Hao shook his head, his tone relaxed. "I'm already immune to your hypnosis, so I don't need to know how to break it."

These words struck Aizen's deepest secret like a hammer blow.

Kyōka Suigetsu, Complete Hypnosis —this is his greatest trump card, the cornerstone of all his plans. From the Shikai until now, no one has been immune to it, and no one has ever been able to see through it.

But now, this medical Squad Lieutenant of the Fourth Division, this seemingly gentle and harmless young man, calmly declared that he was immune to Kyōka Suigetsu.

"Is that so?" Aizen's voice remained steady, but a barely perceptible chill had crept into it. "Lieutenant Liu Hao is indeed a special person. But since you are immune to Kyōka Suigetsu, can't you also make others immune?"

"If I could do that," Liu Hao looked directly into Aizen's eyes, "Captain Aizen, do you think you'd still be standing here talking to me?"

This question silenced Aizen.

Indeed, if Liu Hao truly has the ability to make others immune to the Kyōka Suigetsu, then all his plans will be exposed, and all his pretenses will be torn apart.

"So, are you confident you can leave without facing our Captains?" Aizen changed the subject, a hint of amusement in his voice, "Or... defeat us?"

"No," Liu Hao readily admitted, but his smile remained unchanged. "After all, I'm only the Fifth Seat. I'm aware of my limitations."

Just then, Nnoitra Gilga, who had been left standing aside, became impatient.

"Lord Aizen," he grinned, revealing a cruel smile, "Hand this guy over to me!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already moved.

The massive scythe sliced through the air with a deathly howl as it cleaved down towards Liu Hao. This strike was devoid of any fancy moves, relying solely on pure power and speed, as if it intended to cleave Liu Hao and the Desert beneath his feet in two.

Liu Hao did not take the hit head-on.

He turned to the side, his movements swift and precise, the blade of the scythe grazing his body, narrowly missing him. At the same time, his left hand shot out with lightning speed, grabbing the long handle of the scythe.

Then, he drew his sword with his right hand.

The moment the Imperial Sword was drawn, a dark golden light flashed.

The sword sliced across Nnoitra's arm, leaving a deep, bone-revealing wound. Blood spurted out, leaving a glaring red spot on the white sand.

Having landed a successful blow, Liu Hao immediately withdrew and retreated, using his Shunpo to appear dozens of meters away.

The whole process happened in the blink of an eye.

Aizen stood still, simply watching. Kaname Tōsen remained by his side, his hand on the Zanpakuto, but showed no sign of attacking.

On a distant sand dune, Gin Ichimaru stood with his hands tucked into his sleeves, his signature foxy smile on his face. He muttered to himself, "Let me see if you really have the strength to leave here. Use your strength to prove you can change the future you speak of."

On the battlefield, Nnoitra looked down at the wound on his arm, then looked up, his eyes flashing with an even more frenzied light.

"Haha, not bad, Soul Reaper!" He laughed, his voice echoing through the Hueco Mundo Desert. "This is more interesting!"

He raised the sickle in his hand, the tip pointing to the sky.

Pray, Santa Teresa!

The moment the release command was uttered, a violent Reiatsu erupted from Nnoitra's body. A whirlwind spread outwards from him, whipping up a cloud of white sand. When the sandstorm subsided, Nnoitra's figure had already changed.

Four arms.

Each arm gripped a massive scythe, its blade gleaming coldly in the pale light of Hueco Mundo. His body grew even more emaciated, fragments of a bone mask covering half his face, his eyes burning with pure lust for slaughter.

"Second Round, Begin!"

Nnoitra charged at Liu Hao again, this time more than twice as fast as before. Its four scythes swung simultaneously, forming an impenetrable net of death, blocking all possible escape routes for Liu Hao.

Liu Hao could only raise his sword to parry.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound of metal clashing was as dense as rain. Liu Hao's swordsmanship was exquisite, and each parry precisely deflected most of the force, but under the frenzied attack of the four scythes, he was completely forced into a passive defense and could no longer counterattack as easily as before.

The tide of battle has turned.

Nnoitra grew increasingly ferocious in battle, wielding his four scythes like windmills, each attack containing the power to tear mountains apart. Liu Hao was forced to retreat step by step, the white sand beneath his feet being plowed into deep furrows.

Finally, in a fierce clash, all four scythes pressed down simultaneously, crushing Liu Hao's Imperial Sword. The terrifying force caused Liu Hao's feet to sink into the sand, and the sword groaned under the weight.

Just then, something unexpected happened.

Suddenly, a fifth arm extended from Nnoitra's shoulder!

The arm shot out like a venomous snake, its five fingers forming claws, aiming straight for Liu Hao's abdomen. This attack came too suddenly and too stealthily, making it almost impossible to defend against.

But Liu Hao reacted even faster.

The instant the fifth arm appeared, his left hand shot out with lightning speed, precisely grabbing the incoming wrist.

Then, with a sudden burst of strength, taking advantage of Nnoitra's momentary shock, he deflected the four scythes pressing down on the sword and retreated backward.

The instant he withdrew, a sixth arm emerged from Nnoitra's other shoulder.

"Mantises have six legs," Liu Hao said calmly, steadying himself. "Since four have already appeared, two will naturally hide."

Nnoitra stuck out her tongue, licked her lips, and her eyes gleamed with excitement. "Oh, it seems you're quite clever. But four arms already kept you busy enough; now that there are two more, what are you going to do?"

Before he finished speaking, two newly appeared arms emerged from his sleeves—two enormous scythes, in turn.

Six arms, six sickles.

Nnoitra brandished six scythes and charged at Liu Hao once more. This attack was even more ferocious and chaotic, with the six weapons attacking simultaneously from six directions, almost completely blocking out all space.

Liu Hao could only continue retreating to create distance.

Then, he swung his sword.

Instead of attacking Nnoitra, he swung his sword into the air.

As the sword flashed, dozens of golden blades suddenly appeared in the void. These blades hovered in the air, their tips all pointing at Nnoitra, and then rained down like a storm.

"A trivial skill!"

Nnoitra scoffed disdainfully, his six scythes forming an impenetrable barrier that blocked and shattered all the incoming blades.

Just as he blocked the last wave of sword blades, Liu Hao's figure suddenly appeared in front of him.

A flash of sword light.

Nnoitra's two arms were severed at the shoulders, and his massive scythe fell with the severed arms, embedding itself in the sand.

"Varied...?!"

Nnoitra didn't even see how Liu Hao did it. He could only instinctively swing the remaining four scythes, trying to fight back.

But Liu Hao, having landed a successful blow, immediately withdrew and retreated, creating distance once again.

"Tch, you worm that just scurries around!" Nnoitra the Roar angrily. The flesh at the severed arm writhed, and a new arm grew at a visible speed. A few seconds later, two intact arms reappeared.

"Aren't you disappointed?" he scoffed. "Your arm that you went through all that trouble to cut off has grown back?"

"No," Liu Hao said expressionlessly, "I know that mantises can regenerate their arms. I was going to cut you just now, but you dodged it."

This remark infuriated Nnoitra.

Without another word, he raised all six sickles and charged at Liu Hao once more.

But this time, Liu Hao changed his tactics.

He neither attacked nor dodged; he simply stood there, his hands resting on the Imperial Sword, its tip pointing towards the ground.

Then, something strange happened.

From behind Liu Hao, all sorts of weapons began to emerge in the void—swords, spears, halberds, bows, crossbows... Each one radiated golden light, and each one contained immense power.

Dozens of items, hundreds of items, and eventually thousands of items.

The weapons were arranged like an army behind Liu Hao, and then, with a thought, they shot towards Nnoitra like arrows released from a bow.

It was an overwhelming attack, an inescapable barrage of bullets.

Nnoitra frantically swung his six scythes, trying to block all attacks. But his defenses had their limits; weapons always managed to pierce through his defenses, leaving wounds on his body.

The tide of battle has turned again.

A glint of madness flashed in Nnoitra's eyes. He suddenly opened his mouth, and crimson Reiatsu began to gather within— Cero!

Without charging or warning, the Cero instantly materialized, tearing through the air with a thick red beam that shot directly at Liu Hao.

Liu Hao remained motionless.

Just as the Cero air and blocked his way.

Boom--!

The Cero struck the wall, unleashing a deafening roar and blinding light. The shockwave from the explosion spread outwards, whipping up sand dunes tens of meters high.

At the very moment the explosion was at its brightest, Nnoitra used Sonído to instantly appear beside Liu Hao.

Six sickles swung down at the same time!

The attack was precisely calculated and perfectly timed. Under the cover of the explosion, and in the instant when Liu Hao's vision and perception were impaired, a fatal blow was launched.

But Liu Hao seemed to have anticipated this.

He raised his Imperial Sword, accurately blocking the simultaneous strikes of six scythes. The immense force caused his feet to sink into the sand once more, but he remained unmoved.

At the same time, he raised his left hand, pointing his index finger at Nnoitra.

"Hadō #4: Byakurai".

A pure white bolt of lightning shot out from the fingertip, moving faster than the eye could perceive.

Nnoitra's pupils contracted as he tried to dodge, but the six scythes were firmly held in place by the Imperial Sword and could not be withdrawn for the time being. In desperation, he could only forcefully twist his body, attempting to avoid vital points.

The Byakurai grazed his shoulder and blasted a deep crater in the sand in the distance.

Just as Liu Hao unleashed the Byakurai, Nnoitra suddenly released his scythe with his other hand, clenched his fist, and slammed it towards Liu Hao's chest.

This change came too quickly and too suddenly.

Liu Hao could only barely turn to the side, taking the punch with his shoulder.

Bang!

A dull thud resounded. Liu Hao was sent flying backward, tumbling several times in the air before barely landing, leaving two deep furrows in the white sand beneath his feet.

"Why."

Liu Hao steadied himself and sighed softly. He patted the dust off his shoulder, where a faint pain throbbed, but no serious injury had occurred.

"It seems we can't just stick to a defensive strategy anymore," he muttered to himself.

Then he looked up at Nnoitra.

A resolute glint flashed in his eyes.

Liu Hao raised the Imperial Sword in his hand, its tip pointing at Nnoitra. Golden light began to emanate from the sword, growing brighter and more intense.

"Imperial Flame, its flames are as sharp as blades."

As he spoke, dozens of golden blades reappeared in the void. But this time, each blade was covered in blazing flames—not ordinary flames, but golden, seemingly alive "Imperial Flames."

The sword shot out, faster than before, with a more unpredictable trajectory.

Nnoitra tried the same trick again, attempting to block with his scythe. But when the scythe touched the blade imbued with Imperial Flame, something strange happened—

Those seemingly sturdy scythes began to soften and deform under the scorching heat of the Imperial Flames, with cracks appearing on their surfaces.

"What?!" Nnoitra's expression changed drastically.

He tried to pull back his scythe, but it was too late. Several blades imbued with Imperial Flames pierced through his defenses, leaving deep, bone-revealing wounds. Even more terrifying, the Imperial Flames at the wounds did not extinguish; instead, they seemed to be alive, seeping inwards and scorching his flesh and Reiatsu.

"Ah--!"

Nnoitra let out a painful the Roar. He frantically pounded at the flames on his body, but the Imperial Flame was like a persistent, incurable disease, impossible to extinguish.

Liu Hao did not stop.

He plunged the Imperial Sword in his hand into the ground, gripped the hilt with both hands, and closed his eyes.

"Imperial Flame, the scorching Hell."

The moment the words fell, all the swords that had been deflected by Nnoitra or missed their targets suddenly melted away.

The golden liquid seeped into the white sand and then began to spread rapidly. Centered on Liu Hao, the Desert within a radius of several hundred meters began to change—the white sand turned dark red, bubbles began to rise from the surface, and the temperature rose sharply.

Magma.

The entire battlefield turned into a sea of lava!

The intense heat distorted the air, the ground began to crack, and golden magma gushed from the fissures, enveloping Nnoitra.

Nnoitra's pupils contracted. He could feel the terrifying power contained within the magma—it wasn't just high temperature, but an essential power capable of scorching the soul.

He wanted to escape, but he was surrounded by lava, and the only way out was...

Up!

Nnoitra leaped into the air, using all six arms to propel himself upwards like a cannonball.

He jumped very high, very high, trying to cross the lava field.

But Liu Hao raised his head.

His eyes were open, gleaming with golden light, like a supreme Emperor surveying his prey trying to escape.

"Imperial Flame, blazing flames that burn the heavens."

Five words: calm.

Then, the ocean of magma boiled.

Dozens, even hundreds, of golden pillars of fire shot into the sky from the lava, like cage bars, blocking all possible escape routes for Nnoitra.

Even more terrifying, those pillars of fire seemed to have a life of their own, twisting and turning in the air, all converging towards Nnoitra.

"No--!"

Nnoitra let out a desperate the Roar. He frantically swung his six scythes, trying to cleave the pillar of fire, but the scythes began to melt and disintegrate the moment they touched the Imperial Flames.

The pillar of fire completely engulfed him.

Beneath the pale sky of the Hueco Mundo, a golden pillar of fire shot into the sky, hundreds of meters high, illuminating the entire Desert. Within the pillar of fire, a twisted, struggling figure could be vaguely seen, emitting a shrill scream.

On the distant sand dunes, Sōsuke Aizen's expression finally changed.

He pushed up his glasses, his eyes becoming incredibly deep.

Kaname Tōsen gripped his Zanpakuto tightly, his voice low and menacing. "Lord Aizen, he..."

"No need to intervene." Aizen interrupted him, his voice calm, but tinged with seriousness. "Let's see... just how much strength this Lieutenant Liu Hao is still hiding."

The golden pillar of fire burned for a full ten seconds.

As the flames finally subsided, Nnoitra's figure plummeted from the sky, crashing heavily onto the cooled, crystallized ground.