A Man with Two Brushes

The lower-level Great Void Gillian appears on various battlefields, characterized by its towering body and a mask with a long, pointed nose.

Having experienced hundreds of battles, large and small, it has never won a single one.

From the moment they first appeared, they've been subjected to all sorts of abuse—slashed, burned, stabbed, beaten, kicked to death, blasted by light cannons, and... dying from sheer stupidity.

Even when one of their kind became an Arrancar, it still died stupidly at the hands of Onion Head's one-point-five-meter Rukia Kuchiki.

On the "Soul Reaper" side, they're cannon fodder; over here, it's the same story—useless except for their size, only good as expendable pawns.

This particular Gillian was created by Ulquiorra, who had Shirou intensify the Great Void's aura, after visiting a few graveyards. To prevent the newborn Gillian from being discovered due to its size, Ulquiorra specifically used Gekū's ability to send it to the reverse side of the world—after all, that place is already full of all sorts of junk, so one more doesn't matter.

Given the Gillian's strength, if you're hoping for it to take down the White Winged Ancestor with a single Cero, you'd better go to bed early and dream on—since that guy can even withstand the Cero of a Vasto Lorde, which is several times stronger.

This blast wouldn't even scratch the White Winged Ancestor, but Shirou isn't relying on it for damage output.

Both the earlier fierce assault and this Cero were just feints; the real killing move is only beginning now.

After the Cero, Shirou used Sonido to appear behind the White Winged Ancestor, placing his hand on the latter's shoulder.

"Come on, Ortolocke, the real fight starts now!"

Space began to warp. The White Winged Ancestor only saw a flash of white light, and when it faded, the surroundings had undergone a complete transformation.

A silver-white moon hung high in the sky, and barren land stretched endlessly. Shirou stood on an unknown building that looked like a rooftop, spreading his arms and saying to the White Winged Ancestor, "Welcome to my world, White Winged Ancestor!"

"A Reality Marble?" Hearing Shirou say "my world," the White Winged Ancestor's first thought was a Reality Marble, but he'd seen those before, so he immediately noticed something off. "No, your Reality Marble's ability hasn't manifested yet—this Reality Marble is incomplete!"

"As expected of the White Winged Ancestor. That's right, this Reality Marble is far from complete," Shirou admitted openly. Without the replication of countless Noble Phantasms, Unlimited Blade Works couldn't form. But then again, if he had Unlimited Blade Works, why would he bother chatting with the White Winged Ancestor? He'd just spam Broken Phantasms right in his face!

"Right now, the essence of this technique is still Projection," Shirou said. "I project the world of my true inner self and drag you into it. My goal is already achieved—finding a battlefield to unleash my stronger form. Take a good look!"

Shirou held his Zanpakutō horizontally in front of his chest and slowly chanted the release command for Resurrección:

"Seal it, Black Winged Great Demon!"

At that moment, time itself seemed to freeze. Spiritual pressure, nearly solidified into substance, surged skyward, condensing into liquid raindrops that fell from the high air.

"This rain is so heavy? Something's off!"

The White Winged Ancestor thought to himself. When he looked back at Shirou, his eyes widened in shock.

Under the moonlight, Shirou reopened his eyes, and two tear-like streaks slowly emerged across his face. A pair of pitch-black demon wings, deep as the night, spread open—their full span would be at least four meters wide. Coupled with the bony, horn-like helmet mask on his head, his pure white body, and sharp limbs, Shirou now looked like a demon incarnate.

"This pressure... kid, you're definitely not human!" Feeling the pressure Shirou exuded, the White Winged Ancestor's expression turned grim.

"Think whatever you like about that." Shirou said expressionlessly. He no longer intended to explain—given his current appearance, more demonic than a demon, explanations were useless. As for why he was expressionless... he didn't know that when he released Resurrección, he'd go as blank-faced as Ulquiorra!

"Let me give you a friendly warning: in this form, my speed and power are nothing like before. You'd better hope your reserves of strength hold out!"

In an instant, Shirou was already behind the White Winged Ancestor, throwing a straight punch with no frills, only a blast of wind and a sonic boom hurtling toward him.

The latter immediately raised his sword to block but was sent flying. The spreading shockwave kicked up dust from the ground, and the White Winged Ancestor's expression grew even more serious and focused. Earlier, Shirou's speed and power had been on par with his own, or even inferior, let alone the vast gap in combat skill.

But now, Shirou's speed and power were several times greater than his own. At this rate, he'd lose!

Such a massive boost meant this technique couldn't last long, and it must have side effects!

The White Winged Ancestor analyzed inwardly, though he didn't yet know that Resurrección was merely a release of power. If Shirou wanted, he could maintain that state until his spiritual pressure ran out.

A flash of green light flickered in Shirou's palm, rapidly extending, taking shape, and solidifying into the form of a javelin. Though it looked like a javelin, its true name was the Moonlight Greatsword.

Gripping the Moonlight Greatsword, Shirou thrust it fiercely at the White Winged Ancestor.

With the experience from that earlier punch, the White Winged Ancestor dared not take it head-on. He flapped his pair of wings, and the entire True Ancestor—or rather, the being—retreated rapidly backward.

How could Shirou let him escape so easily? He swung forward, the Moonlight Greatsword grazing the White Winged Ancestor's collar, then used the momentum to hurl the blade at him, finishing with a kick to the end of the sword, accelerating it mid-flight.

Thud!

The Moonlight Greatsword pierced straight through the White Winged Ancestor's left shoulder, leaving a fist-sized penetrating wound, then exploded in the distance with a deafening blast.

"Ugh!" The White Winged Ancestor grunted coldly. It had been a long time since he'd last been injured. He wasn't a match for Shirou in his Resurrección state—that much he knew clearly.

To make matters worse, he now realized with horror that the wound wouldn't heal quickly, as if some force was preventing its recovery.

Damn it, why does this guy still have power like this? How long can this technique last?

"It's not over yet, White Winged Ancestor!" Shirou shouted, condensing two Moonlight Greatswords this time. "Since you've blocked my path, be prepared to be taken down by me!"

Shirou now had a few tricks up his sleeve—in every sense of the word.