On the battlefield, red lightning struck everywhere, and the sand in Hueco Mundo, which was originally unburnable, was melted by Yammy's Cero, turning into rolling lava that flowed to the low-lying areas.
The sandstorm continued to sweep in, blotting out the sky and obscuring the view of the spectators.
The apocalyptic scene terrified Abirama, who was watching from afar, so much so that he scrambled away, forgetting Sonído report back to His Majesty that there were monsters in the area.
The increase in Reiatsu from Zero's Bankai was not significant, perhaps because the Bankai subconscious was protecting him, not wanting him to overload and explode.
Another wide-range Cero came, and this time Zero didn't dodge at all, but instead charged towards the Cero!
The first ability of Bankai, 'Unrivaled Body', dispels the Reiatsu attacks of enemies around the body. Any Kidō-type abilities released with Reiryoku or Reiatsu are almost unable to harm Zero.
Unless the opponent's Reiatsu is far more concentrated and dense than zero in Bankai state, it cannot unleash any of the damage that Kidō-type technique should have.
With this ability, Zero was able to burst out of the Cero 'Yammy incredulous gaze, slashing his mouth with his sword, the splattering bright red blood painful to behold.
Yammy opened his mouth and bit, but Zero flew away before his teeth could close.
This sword strike caused irreversible damage, or rather, after Bankai, every sword strike from Zero is irreversible damage, which even Reiatsu cannot stop.
This is the second ability after Bankai, 'Bloodletting Pursuit'. The person being slashed will bleed continuously, and it cannot be stopped until Zero's Bankai is released.
There is also a third ability, 'Undying Peerlessness'. After Bankai, all the dense Reishi energy in the blood within the Reiatsu range is absorbed and stored by the wings, and used only to heal the user's injuries.
How large is the Reiatsu range after Zero Bankai? Conservatively estimated, it's enough to cover half of the Seireitei.
In other words, on a battlefield, whenever someone is injured and bleeds, it provides Zero with an opportunity to heal himself.
This is essentially an amplified version of his Shikai ability. After Bankai, the Blood Drink Greatsword's health bar becomes useless, and the ability is transferred to his wings, but the range reaches a terrifying level.
These three abilities completely force your opponent to fight you hand-to-hand with a sword, and they gain every advantage in the fight, making your chances of winning decrease as the battle progresses.
Yammy, having failed with his Cero, was left with only direct attacks using his fists and tail, which sealed his fate. His limbs clashed with Zero's Greatsword, causing him to be repeatedly cut and bleed.
Yammy roared repeatedly, and in less than two minutes of fighting again, he had already sustained more than a dozen sword wounds.
Each wound was at least ten meters long, but compared to Yammy enormous size, that was nothing.
The worst part was that these dozen or so scars were bleeding continuously and there was no way to stop it. If it weren't for his strong physique, he would probably be dead by now.
His anger was what kept him going, but both Soul Reaper and Hollows have their limits; Yammy couldn't keep getting stronger indefinitely, which sealed his fate...
Zero said he would defeat Yammy in ten minutes, but it actually took a full thirty minutes for Yammy to finally fall. His enormous body made the desert tremble, and his heavy and immense Reiatsu began to weaken.
Is it finally over?
"He'll never be able to stand up again this time, will he?"
Grimmjow and Dordoni were unsure if Yammy could still move; in just half an hour, this was the third time he had been cut down.
Whew! Whew! Whew...
After Zero released his Bankai state, he sat on the ground panting heavily. He was exhausted and looked as pale as a man suffering from kidney deficiency. Even though he had no injuries, his body seemed to have been drained of all its energy.
Based on his previous training, Zero could only maintain Bankai about forty minutes. This time, after about twenty minutes, Yammy, who had been knocked down for the second time, stood up again, and Zero could barely hold on.
Because he had fought for too long using his full-power Shikai, he was quite exhausted. In the end, it was Yanis who came out and forcibly shared a large part of the pressure, which allowed him to hold on until Yammy was defeated.
Zero knew that his basic Reiryoku was not strong enough or abundant enough, which resulted in insufficient endurance. Without the support of full-power Shikai, his Reiatsu could not reach the 'critical point' at all.
That's why Yama-jii and Aizen strong. Neither of their Zanpakuto has the ability to increase Reiatsu, yet they can still unleash such powerful Reiatsu in battle...
"Finally got rid of him? Hmph, well done, Nangong!"
Grimmjow stood tall and proud, glancing slightly at the behemoth. His eyes held no pity, only unwavering conviction.
I, Grimmjow, am definitely stronger than that big oaf Nangong! I'll wipe out everyone who dares to look down on me!
"Don't act like you're the boss. I'm not dead yet!" Zero, gradually recovering, asserted his dominance, slowly rising and continuing, "Let's go, devour him... Hmm!? Not quite dead yet? Why are you so persistent!"
"Tch, what a nuisance!"
"It can still move?"
The pupils of the two figures contracted instantly, and they went on high alert after creating some distance, just as Yammy's huge left hand reached out, as if to tear down the crescent moon in the sky.
"You idiot... where in this world is there even a sunset?!"
Yammy's raised hand fell limply back down in an instant, raising a cloud of dust; Yammy had not truly stood up.
"Tch, a final burst of energy before death? Yeah, with my only companion gone, there's no point in staying in this boring world anymore..."
After countless clashes of Reiatsu, Zero had long noticed that the anger and tyranny emanating from Yammy were decreasing, and he felt that Yammy was giving up on himself more.
Yammy's dog had been with him for a long time. Yammy scolded it and vented his anger on it, but he never killed it or abandoned it.
When the human soul is 'complete', filled with resentment or attachment, it eventually degenerates into 'emptiness'. Becoming emptiness means they have no bonds or companions until they regain self-awareness.
This dog, however, had always stayed by Yammy's side, gradually becoming a bond he himself was unaware of. But the dog died because of his own negligence.
Yammy fought to find a reason for its death, eventually discovered that even if he won, there would never be another Kukkapuro in the world.
His anger gradually faded unconsciously, ultimately succumbing to Zero's power...
Some might laugh, thinking, "It's just a dog. How could it make Yammy, who was No. 0 in the original timeline, give up the fight?" Well, let's talk about the importance of this dog!
The other Espada Fracción are either powerful individuals or possess special abilities. Only Yammy chose a small Hollow with no combat ability as his Fracción and even had Aizen it with the number No. 35. This speaks volumes.
A normal person probably wouldn't waste time stamping numbers on a useless dog. Aizen, who was skilled in political maneuvering, knew that Kukkapuro was Yammy's important partner.
In the original timeline, after the great battle with the Soul Reaper, Aizen's group was defeated, Yammy was killed, and a large number of mid-level Menos Grande occupied Las Noches; while Kukkapuro remained at the spot where Yammy fell, unwilling to leave...
The brutal feast began, which was equivalent to three Adjuchas sharing a monster far larger than Vasto Lorde; if Yammy were to be eaten whole, it would be enough to feed Zero and the others for a month.
However, they only chose to devour Yammy's giant mask. His body was burned into Reishi by Zero using Kidō, and perhaps it is already entangled with Kukkapuro's Reishi at this moment!
Seven days later, in a secluded cave in a Rock Mountain far from the previous battlefield, a place had been cleared out.
"Aaaaaah! This burning sensation... Haha, here it comes, it's really evolving!"
Yanis shouted excitedly. He had eaten the most masks, and his long-term feeding had accumulated enough Reiryoku. With Zero's help, he was fully capable of evolving.
"Tch, what's so smug about? I was almost there too..."
Grimmjow muttered under his breath, annoyed by the sight of others seemingly about to evolve, and glanced at Dordoni with a sweeping look.
Just then, Dordoni looked over as well. As their eyes met, cold sweat appeared on Dordoni's mask; he was panicked.
Fortunately Grimmjow only snorted and turned to look at Zero. Perhaps he understood that even if he swallowed Dordoni, it wouldn't be enough for his evolution, so he might as well keep him to do odd jobs.
Dordoni also benefited from the hunt for Yammy. After consuming part of the mask, the four hollow horns on his body that could unleash Tornado became eight, with the four extra hollow horns on his back.
"I need some time to evolve, whether you wait for me or not is up to you..."
Numerous Black Markings appeared on Zero's body surface. After giving his instructions, he left the area in a few Shunpo.
Yanis said not to evolve in front of Grimmjow and Dordoni, because Yanis was afraid that the evolution would cause Zero to become weak and be ambushed, since this was unpredictable.
Moreover, he is a parasite on Zero. If Grimmjow suddenly decides to launch a sneak attack, and Zero dies, he will also die.
"Who do you think you are? Humph, I knew Soul Reaper would never trust us!"
Seeing Zero disappear, Grimmjow swished his tail and left the cave on his own.
Grimmjow, where are you going?
Dordoni thought Grimmjow was going to disband the group, so he asked about it so he could explain it to Nangong later.
"Where are we going? To hunt, of course! Unlike you, I'm not willing to be bossed around by that bastard, and you still call him Lord Nangong? You're so spineless..."
"I will become the strongest Arrancar, rule Hueco Mundo, and conquer Soul Society and the World of the Living..."
Grimmjow looked on with anticipation, as if he could see himself becoming Arrancar, beating up Nangong Ling, and making him submit.
Watching Grimmjow's departing figure, Dordoni muttered to himself, "Arrancar? Could such a being really exist?"
Dordoni had heard Zero mention the Arrancar; they were beings beyond the Vasto Lorde, representing the evolved form of the Vasto Lorde...
Zero entered the Menos Grande Forest, dug a hole halfway up a giant Quartz Tree, disguised and covered it, and set up several Kidō to isolate Reiatsu.
Once he was sure he wouldn't be discovered, Zero hid inside and sat cross-legged.
The black markings belonging to Yanis were no longer confined to Zero's left hand, but instead slithered across his body like small black snakes.
Within Zero's inner world, Yanis, who had transformed into a normal human form, was originally exactly the same as Zero, except that he had pure black skin and pure white hair.
But now his appearance has changed. He wears a completely white mask with a black crescent-shaped pattern on his forehead, just like the crescent moon in the Hueco Mundo.
The mask features two black lines, one vertical and one horizontal, centered on the left eye, forming a cross. The vertical line runs from the left forehead to the left chin, while the horizontal line runs from the tip of the left eye to the corner of the right eye, encompassing the bridge of the nose and the eye socket.
From a general look, Ling saw that Yanis's mask seemed to have the word "fight" written on it. If the black moon pattern between his eyebrows were regarded as two dots of water, it would be the word "fight".
Zero was evolving, Grimmjow was hunting, Dordoni was waiting, and Abirama, who had witnessed the battle, finally met Baraggan on the seventh day.
"A Hollow Beast even stronger than Vasto Lorde? Haha, how could that be! Vasto Lorde was already the strongest in Hueco Mundo."
"That's right, Abirama, you didn't go to see a female Void and get Illusion by her, did you?"
"He must have been afraid of dying, so he didn't dare go far and just made up some excuse when he came back."
"Quiet!!"
Abirama's report was met with ridicule and sarcasm from the other Adjuchas under Baraggan's command Baraggan remained silent, but with a mere gesture, others spoke up for him.
"Abirama's report may not be entirely accurate, but seven days ago, two very strong Reiatsu did appear in the direction he went. The fact that they could travel such a distance must mean Vasto Lorde..."
Baraggan's word alone could determine the entire group's stance; if he agreed with Abirama, no one dared to object.
"Since we're bored anyway, Abirama, you lead the way, let's go over there and have some fun..."
"Yes, thank you for your trust, Your Great Emperor!"
Having gained Baraggan's approval, Abirama felt a little smug, looking down at the men who had mocked him.
When they set foot here again, Zero had already gone into seclusion to evolve, and Yammy's corpse was gone. All that remained was a huge sand pit with a diameter of more than ten kilometers, indicating that a fierce battle had taken place here.
"I remember that was the canyon where Wonderweiss used to be. Has it been buried? Looks like those two guys were pretty good fighters."
Baraggan used the Sonído to the heavens and observe the terrain. Although he didn't want to admit it, Baraggan knew he couldn't achieve that level of destructive power.
Baraggan judged the two combatants to be of similar strength to Vasto Lorde, perhaps coveting each other's power and wanting to devour one another, which led to this battle.
Baraggan brought over seventy Adjuchas this time and had them disperse to scout out or find the two Vasto Lorde.
For a certain leopard eager to evolve, these scattered Adjuchas were nothing short of a divine gift...