Zero downed the blood-red liquid in his cup in one gulp, then turned to Maki, who was waiting beside him, and asked, "Szayelaporro said he only needs thirty minutes to collect samples. Maki, how many minutes do you need on your end?"
"Brother, it might take a little longer for me, but I don't expect it to be more than an hour."
Maki respectfully replied that he believed it was impossible to rely on Szayelaporro to break the 'Shadow Domain,' so they also needed to find a way to reach the Soul King Palace.
"Then let the former Espada buy us some more time. Before the Hōgyoku evolves into its perfect form, we don't need to engage in a life-or-death battle, and of course... there's no need to hold back either."
Zero was in no hurry to make a move against the Seireitei. Ever since he learned that the lifespan of a soul is determined by the higher the Reiryoku, the longer it can live, Zero felt that he could live for at least another two thousand years.
If we really can't beat Yama-jii, then we'll just be cowardly and outlast him... Zero knows that the others in Zero Division are also tough to deal with, but right now, the biggest enemy is still Yama-jii...
Ever since she was able to communicate with the Hōgyoku in a simple way, Zero has been obsessed with making it into its complete form; it's just that because the Hōgyoku is not in its complete form, sometimes it cannot fulfill her wishes.
For example, Baraggan and Ulquiorra, Espada have had their abilities enhanced again in recent years, have not met the expected standards.
According to the simplified answer Zero obtained from the Hōgyoku, Baraggan's own abilities were insufficient to complete his self-improvement within the specified time, and the Hōgyoku's abilities were also limited at this time, unable to extend the time significantly.
Ulquiorra's remarkable regenerative abilities have indeed improved, but they are far from the 'Complete Regeneration' that Zero had anticipated. He can only regenerate internal organs that were originally unable to regenerate; he will still die if his head is blown off.
Because Ulquiorra's improvement was limited, based on Zero's recent calculations of the Espada's Resurrección, Reiatsu, and combat power, Ulquiorra was not as good as Picaro improvement was rapid; therefore, he was demoted one level, falling back from third to fourth.
As for Picaro, it's less about him getting an upgrade and more about him regaining his original power.
As an individual formed from a group and eventually Natural Arrancar, his power at the time of the initial Arrancar was no weaker than that of Starrk or Lilynette.
Zero Sonído from the Control Room built inside the Sky Cover to the newly rebuilt Central Royal Palace, where the remaining Espada were already waiting.
"Starrk, Baraggan, and Picaro will guard the house this time. The rest of you are coming with me to Seireitei; there's some business to attend to."
"Haha, so they're finally going to wreak havoc? I thought they'd only send those few!"
No sooner had Zero finished speaking than Grimmjow lit up with excitement. After gaining an increase in combat power, his previously restrained belligerent nature was unleashed once more.
"Idiot, those three, Nelliel, were just there to hold off the Captain-level who were trying to rescue that brat. We're the main force."
Ulquiorra explained the purpose of Zero's arrangement to Grimmjow, but it was clear that Grimmjow took it as a reprimand.
He said irritably, "Are you saying I'm brainless? You're infuriating! How about we have a match?"
"Business comes first. Szayelaporro can act as he pleases. The three of you will prevent any Captain-level from approaching Maki until he completes his mission. Once we confirm that a Captain-level enemy has arrived, then we will make our move..."
When Zero spoke up, Grimmjow immediately turned his face away, ultimately not daring to continue his reckless antics.
In Soul Society, Byakuya silently Shikai his Shikai, trapping and killing Tain'geru on the spot as he approached...
"He doesn't even need to use his Shikai. Has Byakuya- sama already reached that level? He truly is a genius the Kuchiki Clan hasn't seen in a thousand years."
"And that concludes the matter..."
Boom!
The three Soul Reaper who had completed the evacuation and contact with headquarters were suddenly overwhelmed by a terrifying Reiatsu, making it impossible for them to straighten their backs.
"Is this... Reiatsu? It's even stronger than Captain-level spirit pressure?"
"Damn it, 2.2 cars! Byakuya- sama is only at 1.6 cars right now!"
They thought this was the end, but it turned out to be just the beginning. Shigure even detected that the opponent's Reiatsu was higher than that of Byakuya Kuchiki at this moment...
"Hehe, impressive, impressive! You easily killed an Adjuchas. As expected of the target. Lord Nangong said that if I kill you, I can return to the ranks of the Espada. How wonderful!"
Accompanied by a burst of heartfelt laughter, a boy with short black hair, a side-swept fringe, and light purple eyes appeared. It was Luppi Antenor, who had been removed from the Espada code.
At this point, he had completely Arrancar, his original form sealed into the shape of Zanpakuto; the remaining mask was worn on the left side of his head, which also revealed his identity to Byakuya —he was a powerful Arrancar.
Upon receiving the order, Luppi displayed Reiatsu that was enough to make him Adjuchas Blade-level Arrancar; however, Byakuya was not alarmed, and his sword simply returned to its Asauchi state, remaining sheathed until the Reiatsu erupted.
"As expected, there are still Arrancar appearing."
Byakuya was confident that from the moment Adjuchas said his target was him, he had guessed that Arrancar, as a high-level combatant in Hueco Mundo, would appear.
Nowadays, the existence of Arrancars is no longer a secret; they've even been incorporated into the curriculum of the Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy. The Shin'ō textbooks classify Adjuchas -class Arrancars as having the same combat power as Vasto Lordes...
The two faced each other, and after a hint of inquiry arose in Byakuya's eyes, he asked, "The 'Espada ranking' you just mentioned, do you mean the power ranking of you in Hueco Mundo?"
Luppi looked at Byakuya with disdain, tilted her head, and replied, "That's right, the ten strongest Arrancar are called the Espada Arrancar. The stronger they are, the smaller the number they represent..."
"But I didn't expect that killing such a useless piece of trash like you would regain my recognition. I should thank you properly! Haha..."
Ruby's words were full of contempt, as he always had. Even Luppi being kicked out of the Espada, he still looked down on the Arrancar of equal status around him, and even looked down on those ranked at the bottom of the Espada. That's why he kept challenging Dordoni before.
Upon hearing this, Byakuya's expression turned serious, and he asked, "You just mentioned the word 'return'? Does that mean you were one of them before, and were later kicked out, right?"
He noticed the information contained in Ruby's self-expressive words when she Luppi, and while asking her questions, he also subtly reopened Luppi's wounds with his words.
Upon hearing Byakuya's words, Luppi's face immediately darkened. This kid was really bringing up the very thing she shouldn't have. This matter had been bothering her for a long time, and to make matters worse, she couldn't even beat Dordoni in a one-on-one fight later on.
"Hehe, your analysis is correct, but you don't need to worry. After completing this easy task, I will still be Espada."
Luppi gave a cold laugh, but Byakuya had already killed her interest in talking. She raised her hand, which was covered by her long sleeve, and fired Bala at Byakuya.
Call out!
Byakuya displayed excellent Shunpo), dodging the Bala while already close to Luppi, and swung his sword at her; Luppi, however, neither dodged nor evaded, catching the blow bare-handed.
Because Luppi's Reiatsu was higher than Byakuya's, Byakuya's Zanpakuto failed to cut through his Hierro, making Luppi slightly smug. "Not bad strength, but trying to cut through mine..."
Luppi was about to make a teasing remark, the Zanpakuto she was holding suddenly disappeared, transforming into a blade too thin for the naked eye to see, and hurtled toward her right eye.
Boom!
Sonído sound rang out, Luppi created some distance. However, the sleeve of her right hand, which had been gripping the Zanpakuto, had disappeared, and blood oozed from various tiny wounds.
After his Shikai, Byakuya's Reiatsu was no weaker Luppi's... If Senbonzakura's attack power hadn't been slightly lower, Luppi's arm might have been completely severed.
Looking at her bloodied right hand, Luppi said coldly, "Very good, well done. I won't let you die a quick death."
"The battle has begun, yet you still talk so much. You were kicked out of the so-called Espada because you were too long-winded!" Byakuya said, Luppi's gaze with even more contempt.
After their brief encounter, Byakuya realized that the guy opposite him was arrogant and somewhat brainless, easily provoked by a few words.
If all the Espada Luppi are like this, Byakuya thinks he should have his grandfather Ginrei Kuchiki, suggest to Yama-jii: attack Hueco Mundo and eliminate the traitors...
Provoked once again, Luppi's rage was Ragged Hollows. He drew his Zanpakuto and said in a deep voice, "Since you want to die quickly, I'll grant your wish. I'll strangle him— Trepadora!"
Luppi's Reiryoku overflowed, turning into a cloud of smoke. In the already low-visibility night, Byakuya lost sight of him... Suddenly, a long white tentacle tore through the smoke and attacked Byakuya.
"The Bakudo #81: Dankū."
Unfortunately, Byakuya was prepared. He abandoned the incantation and used a high-level Bakudō spell, creating a transparent glass wall that blocked the attack.
But that wasn't all. As the smoke cleared, Ruby, who had stopped Luppi, was still surrounded by seven enormous tentacles... With a flick of his eye, the seven tentacles bypassed the Dankū and attacked Byakuya simultaneously.
Boom!
"Snort!"
Looking at Byakuya, who seemed to have been hit by the seven tentacles, Luppi snorted coldly. The tentacle that had attacked first had somehow returned and wrapped around Luppi, protecting her.
Just as the entanglement was completed, Byakuya appeared less than five meters behind Luppi, and a cluster of pink petals flew over, slashing at the tentacles of the Trepadora. Although the tentacles bled, they clearly did not harm Luppi inside.
The next second, the seven tentacles turned back, each ending in terrifyingly sharp iron spikes, and snaked towards Byakuya —this attack with spiked tentacles was called 'Iron Maiden'.
Byakuya first tried to block with the blade of Senbonzakura, but it was not very effective. Even with his Shunpo speed, he could not dodge the seven tentacles surrounding him, so he had no choice but to create distance.
However, just as Byakuya retreated a hundred meters away using Shunpo and stood still, a tentacle with sharp spikes burst out of the ground and pierced through his left calf.
While losing his balance, Byakuya reacted quickly, and the Senbonzakura, which had already reformed into a sword shape, swung it fiercely, severing the exposed half of the barbed tentacle.
This is the tentacle Luppi used for defense. The tentacles of the Trepadora can extend and retract very quickly and are quite tough. Even if they are cut off, they can regenerate by consuming some Reiryoku, which is quite troublesome.
"How about that? Now you'll have trouble even escaping, won't you? Hehehe..."
Ruby Luppi another cold laugh after the successful attack. If Byakuya had jumped out of the maximum attack range of his tentacles, the underground attack might not have succeeded.
Byakuya glanced at the wound on his left foot; it did hurt, but he wouldn't show his pain to his enemies.
"Escape? I need to escape? That's a strange idea of yours... How could the head of the Kuchiki Clan be defeated by an Arrancar?"
Words devoid of any emotion escaped Byakuya's lips as he held Senbonzakura in front of his chest, twisted his right hand so that the tip of the sword pointed downwards, and then released it.
"Bankai -- Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!"