Unique Traits, More Possibilities

Tenteikūra and the Department of Research and Development's alarm sounded throughout the Seireitei almost simultaneously.

The former notified Shinigami above the rank of Lieutenant, while the latter alerted the many rank-and-file soldiers.

"An Adjuchas has appeared in Nigoku District, Seventy-Sixth East Rukongai. Captain Tsunayashiro Su Feng of the Ninth Division is engaging it. Reinforcements, proceed at once!"

"One correction: this is an Adjuchas whose spiritual pressure is infinitely close to the Vasto Lorde level. Shinigami below Captain rank are strictly forbidden from going to Nigoku District."

The first announcement came from Rangiku Matsumoto through Tenteikūra, while the latter was Hiyosu's supplementary notice after the spiritual wave measuring devices captured the message.

Since Mayuri Kurotsuchi was still under evaluation, Squad 12 was temporarily jointly managed by several Seated Officers.

As the head of both the Spiritual Wave Measurement Research Division and the Communication Technology Research Division, Hiyosu naturally wielded considerable authority as well.

The alarm threw the Seireitei into an uproar.

Not much time had passed since the incident involving the missing Captain, yet another Adjuchas had appeared in Rukongai.

Such a major event was enough to draw the attention of the entire Seireitei.

As the alarm repeated its warning, many Shinigami Soldiers noticed the hurried figures of Aizen Sosuke, the current Captain of the Fifth Division, and his Lieutenant, Gin Ichimaru, near the Fifth Division Barracks.

The two were headed for East Rukongai.

As a support division, this was precisely the Fifth Division's duty.

The logistical Fourth Division followed close behind. Aside from Retsu Unohana, who was still gathering medicinal herbs in Rukongai, Lieutenant Seinosuke Yamada and several Seated Officers also headed to Nigoku District.

Though they could not take part in the battle, they could still provide aid to the wounded.

Meanwhile, in Nigoku District.

Su Feng's spiritual pressure surged and roiled. Tangible blue-white Wind Breath swirled around him, and aside from his calm expression, he still looked relaxed and at ease.

After the Adjuchas before him had its arm severed and half its body burned away, it had clearly entered a berserk state.

Not only had its body been completely renewed, but its spiritual pressure had multiplied as well.

Just as the Spiritual Wave Measurement Department had detected, this Adjuchas's spiritual pressure was already infinitely close to that of a Vasto Lorde.

Though it was only at the weakest tier, that was still enough for it to reign supreme among Adjuchas.

Unfortunately for it—

It was facing Su Feng.

A being who had already broken through to Second-Class Spiritual Might.

Fourth- to Fifth-Class Spiritual Might was the level of a Lieutenant. Third-Class was standard Captain-level spiritual pressure, and above that was enough to rival the stronger Captains.

Besides.

As a well-rounded fighter with nearly fully developed Zankensoki, Su Feng could bring out one hundred and twenty percent of the power of Second-Class Spiritual Might.

If not for the fact that the Adjuchas before him was Aizen's creation, Su Feng truly would not have thought much of it.

Rumble!

The ground began to tremble, and the vibrations only intensified.

The spikes on the lower half of its enormous inverted-cone body suddenly retracted, revealing countless circular holes as vast quantities of white gas erupted from them.

Propelled by the recoil, the mountain-sized creature shot into the sky, its shadow engulfing Su Feng.

"It can do that?"

Su Feng looked up in surprise as the shadow instantly expanded over him.

The white gas vanished. The Adjuchas fell from the heavens like a meteor, spikes suddenly thrusting out from its holes as the lower half of its inverted-cone body began spinning madly. The air filled with the scorching smell of friction.

Its high-speed rotation against the atmosphere generated terrifying heat around the Adjuchas. From afar, it truly looked like a falling meteor.

Su Feng had no habit of letting himself get smashed.

He used Shunpo, leaving an afterimage behind that was struck directly by the Adjuchas.

Boom! Boom!

Deafening explosions echoed across the wilderness. The parched earth surged like a stormy sea, wave after wave rolling into the distance.

Dust rose in all directions, shooting into the sky and forming billowing waves that joined with the clouds. The entire barren land was swallowed by a gray haze.

Fortunately, Su Feng had evaded in time with Shunpo and was not caught in the blast, sparing himself an embarrassing appearance.

Before he could even steady himself, a crimson light suddenly flared within the gray haze in the distance.

Bzz—

Reishi in the atmosphere gathered madly, pouring into the rolling dust.

In the blink of an eye, the crimson light erupted again, tearing through the dusty haze and charging toward Su Feng with unstoppable force.

Cero!

A powerful flash formed from the extreme compression of massive spiritual pressure, its might comparable even to a Hadō above number sixty.

Su Feng's gaze sharpened slightly. Facing the powerful Cero that arrived in an instant, his five fingers brushed across his Zanpakuto.

Blue-white Wind Breath wrapped around the blade as his spiritual pressure surged!

A terrifying gale erupted without warning, sweeping across heaven and earth as it thundered forward with overwhelming force!

The gale condensed, carrying sharpness to its utmost limit.

The Cero that contained all of the Adjuchas's power was instantly swallowed by the oncoming gale. In but a moment, everything was stripped away from it, turning it back into reishi that vanished into the atmosphere.

The wind had not weakened much, continuing straight toward the rolling dust.

Everything in its path was left in ruins.

Dense ravines formed across the ground, the clouds overhead were torn into countless fragments, and the dust joining the clouds was instantly reduced to nothingness.

The Adjuchas's countless eyeballs rolled wildly as they fixed upon the reversing gale. Its bloodied maw, filled with sharp teeth, opened once more, instantly gathering crimson light before unleashing another Cero.

It was so fast that it even surpassed the Arrancar in Su Feng's memories.

"Unique traits?"

Su Feng murmured to himself. "Adjuchas need time to gather power before they can fire a Cero."

Only after firing two Ceros in succession did it manage to disperse the gale.

The remaining wind circled through the air, slicing apart the lingering dust.

In the distance, the spectators could not help but voice their admiration.

"My, my, that really is terrifying," Gin Ichimaru said with narrowed eyes and a smile. "With just Shikai, it already completely outclasses the Bankai of certain Zanpakuto."

"Captain Su Feng truly lives up to his reputation as a genius."

Aizen still wore his gentle smile, though the scene before him was not enough to move him.

"Unlike what some people believe, Su Feng has already completely mastered his Zanpakuto's True Name."

"It is only natural that he can display such power."

An indescribable glint flashed over his flat lenses as Aizen's gaze settled on the distant battlefield.

"Actually, what surprises me more is this Adjuchas's performance."

"The fusion of a Shinigami soul and a Menos core, combined by chance with the so-called power of Mimihagi."

"It has already embarked on an entirely different path of evolution."

"Perhaps..."

"This can provide more possibilities for our plan..."