Three-Digit Arrancar (3)

Just as Tiruti Sandavie was lost in these thoughts, footsteps suddenly came from the other end of the passage.

The footsteps were rhythmic and powerful, with a mechanical quality, like the marching of an army. Tiruti Sandavichi abruptly turned her head, looking in the direction the sound came from—

A group of figures dressed in black uniforms emerged from the darkness. They wore identical white masks, their expressions empty and cold, like soulless faces. They held identical weapons, which gleamed with a chilling Reiatsu.

The Exequias.

Their gazes fell on Tiruti Sandavichi, scrutinizing her from head to toe, assessing her condition, and determining whether she was worthy of being their prey.

Tiruti Sandavichi stood rooted to the spot, her body still trembling slightly, but she tried to straighten her back, making herself appear as composed as possible. Her Reiatsu surged within her, ready for battle at any moment.

The leader of the Exequias stared at her for a long time, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes that peeked out from behind the mask—disappointment, fear, and a hint of resentment.

Then they retreated.

Without a word, without any communication, just a gesture, the entire group turned around in unison, like a pack of well-trained hunting dogs, and disappeared into the darkness.

They could tell that while Tiruti Sandavichi was in poor condition, she was uninjured. An uninjured Arrancar was not an easy target for them to hunt down. Moreover, the man had just passed by, and the lingering Reiatsu still permeated the air, like an invisible warning: This is not a place for you.

Tiruti Sandavichi watched them leave as if fleeing a plague, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside her.

"That guy just said it too, the Exequias really did come." She murmured to herself, a thoughtful glint in her eyes. "Who exactly is he? How does he know so much?"

She remained silent for a long time, the scene from just now replaying in her mind repeatedly— Liu Ziyun's composure, his unfathomable Reiatsu, his complete knowledge of her identity, and his accurate prediction of the Exequias's actions.

This man is no ordinary person. She bit her lip, making up her mind.

She started walking, chasing after Liu Ziyun in the direction he had left. Not out of hatred, not out of revenge, but because she wanted to know—what was this man trying to do? What was his purpose in coming to Hueco Mundo? What exactly was this "Path of Destiny" he spoke of?

Her figure moved swiftly in the darkness, wings unfurling behind her as she nimbly weaved through the narrow passages. She was fast, but always maintained a certain distance, not daring to get too close—the man's Reiatsu was too powerful, and she didn't want to be enveloped by that oppressive feeling again.

Liu Ziyun continued walking forward, his pace still leisurely. He was unaware that Tiruti Sandavichi was following behind—or rather, he didn't care. Whether she followed or not made no difference to him.

The passageway began to widen, the walls on both sides gradually receded, and the dome overhead grew higher and higher. A strange smell began to fill the air—not the dryness of the desert, not the decay of rocks, but a nauseating stench mixed with chemicals and blood.

Then, he heard a sound.

Boom--Boom--Boom--

A series of loud explosions came from ahead, like thunder, like explosions, like the roar of some huge creature. Each explosion made the ground tremble slightly and caused dust to fall from the walls.

Liu Ziyun raised his head and looked ahead into the passage. At the end of his vision was a huge bend, the view beyond which was obscured by walls, so he couldn't see the specifics. But he could sense it—beyond that bend, a battle was taking place. Reiatsu were clashing, forces were clashing, and life was struggling.

He quickened his pace, but his steps remained unhurried. When he reached the bend, he didn't turn; instead, he stopped and raised his hand.

"Hadō #33, Sōkatsui."

Blue flames erupted from his palm, transforming into a blazing beam of light that slammed directly into the wall blocking his path. The wall, weakened by the power of the Sōkatsui, was instantly pierced through like paper. One after another—several walls were breached in succession, sending debris flying and dust billowing everywhere.

As the dust settled, Liu Ziyun saw the scene on the other side through the hole in the wall.

It was a massive, sealed chamber. The walls were covered with a dense network of pipes and containers, each filled with strange substances—remnants of the Void, fragments of Arrancar, and other things even Liu Ziyun couldn't immediately identify. In the center of the chamber was a spacious battle area, and within this battle area—

Renji Abarai is fighting.

His opponents were not one person, but a group—a group of clones who looked exactly like him. These clones had the same red hair, the same tattoos, the same Zanpakuto, and even the same fighting style. They surrounded him and attacked from all directions, with flashing swords and surging Reiatsu.

High up in the secret chamber, a figure stood watching the battle with the gaze of someone admiring a work of art.

He was a man with light purple hair and glasses. His face was delicate and effeminate, with a sickly smile on his lips and a mad light flashing in his eyes. He wore the white uniform that Arrancars were known for, but the uniform had many decorative elements, making it look particularly gorgeous and eerie.

Sárapolo Granz.

A cold glint flashed in Liu Ziyun's eyes. He knew this man—the most fanatical scientist in Hueco Mundo, who took pleasure in studying Hollows and Arrancars, and prided himself on dissection and experimentation. He didn't care about morality or ethics, only about data and results. In his laboratory, countless wronged souls of Hollows and Arrancars wailed.

Szayelaporro Granz had been watching Renji Abarai's battle with his replicas with a mocking gaze. He enjoyed this cat-and-mouse game—watching his prey struggle in despair, watching them helpless against their own replicas, watching them march step by step toward destruction. It was a pleasure, a perverse pleasure that only he could understand.

However, a loud bang interrupted his enjoyment.

He whirled around, looking in the direction the sound came from—several walls had been blasted through by some force, sending debris flying and dust billowing. Behind those shattered walls, a figure stood, watching him with a calm and indifferent gaze.

Sárapolo Granz frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes. He disliked being disturbed, especially when he was enjoying his "entertainment."

Then, he heard what the figure said.

"Renji, use Bankai and blow this place up!"

Szayelaporro Granz's pupils suddenly contracted.

Bankai?

He looked at the replicas in the battle area—replicas that not only copied Renji Abarai's appearance and fighting style, but also his abilities, including his Bankai. If Renji Abarai used Bankai, those replicas would simultaneously use Bankai as well.

The power of a Bankai is already astonishing enough, but if you add a group of --

"Not good!"

Szayelaporro Granz's face turned deathly pale. He wanted to stop it, to yell for it to stop, but it was too late.

Renji Abarai heard Liu Ziyun's voice. He didn't hesitate, didn't think, and didn't even confirm whether the voice was an illusion—he trusted Liu Ziyun, trusted him to the point that he didn't need any reason.

"Bankai-- "

His voice echoed in the secret chamber, and crimson Reiatsu erupted from his body like a volcanic eruption, forming a towering pillar of light around him.

"Baboon King Zabimaru!"

At the same time, the replicas also released their Bankai. Dozens of red beams of light erupted simultaneously, intertwining with Renji Abarai's beam of light to form a devastating Reiatsu storm.

Dozens of Bankai powers erupted simultaneously--

Boom!!

The sealed room was completely destroyed in an instant. The walls collapsed, the dome shattered, the ground cracked, and all the pipes, containers, and equipment were reduced to dust. The shockwave from the explosion spread in all directions, engulfing everything around it in a vortex of destruction.

Debris flew everywhere, dust filled the air, and the entire area was shrouded in chaos.

As the dust settled, Szayelaporro Granz stood amidst the ruins, covered in ash, his glasses askew, his hair disheveled. He watched as his painstakingly built laboratory was reduced to rubble, as his precious experimental materials were destroyed, as his carefully cultivated replicas vanished in the explosion—

His face turned ashen, and his eyes burned with a frenzied rage.

"I will definitely kill you all," his voice was low and hoarse, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, "And make you my collection... my eternal collection!"

Liu Ziyun stood at the other end of the ruins, looking at Szayelaporro Granz's face, which was twisted with anger, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"That depends," his voice was calm and composed, echoing through the ruins, "Whether you have the ability."

Their gazes clashed in mid-air, an invisible fighting spirit permeating the ruins. Between them, Renji Abarai, panting heavily, gripped the Baboon King Zabimaru in his hand, his eyes gleaming with the flames of battle.