Chapter 11: Cero Of Fusion Power, A Peep From The Void Night Palace
Cero
The all-powerful Cero combines the magic of fire and the power of the dragon talisman.
The spirit seeds swarmed to Shendu's palm, forming a dazzling light.
The surrounding air also grew thinner, giving a suffocating sensation.
Ashido stared directly at the light not far away, once again acutely aware of the approach of death.
In Hueco Mundo's more than 100 years of fighting, he had witnessed and experienced death countless times.
But this time, it was the closest he had ever come to death.
At this moment.
The faces of his former teammates appeared in front of Ashido's eyes—the scenes of them fighting side by side in the Forest of Menos Grande, and the vivid memories of their camaraderie in Seireitei.
Boom--
A red beam of light erupted, surrounded by flowing magma, swirling in a spiral state.
The nearby space distorted under the terrifying high temperature.
In his final moments, Ashido did not surrender without a fight. He gripped the black rope with determination, draining the last trace of Reiatsu in his body.
Team Eleven never backs down!
With an unyielding fighting spirit, he faced the bursting Cero head-on.
Until even the spirit particles were incinerated, all traces of his existence were completely erased.
Szayelaporro watched the scene unfold, feeling a shiver run down his spine, as if he had unleashed an uncontrollable monster.
This man's potential far exceeded his expectations.
To hell with subordinates and everything else—Szayelaporro just hoped he wouldn't end up as this guy's subordinate!
After the battle, not only had Shendu survived, but Szayelaporro could tell that Shendu's injuries were intentional—a trap laid for his opponent.
Seemingly vulnerable and on the brink of victory? That was just the first step into an abyss.
Szayelaporro, who prided himself on being the strongest Menos Grande in Hueco Mundo, found himself unable to easily kill Ashido.
From a purely physical standpoint, Adjucha Shendu, not even yet an Arrancar, had already surpassed Szayelaporro in every way.
"What a dangerous and mysterious guy..."
Szayelaporro's golden pupils glimmered with fear and greed beneath the veil of his spider-silk spiritual tool.
A being like Shendu was undoubtedly the best specimen for experimentation.
If he could capture him, it would advance his research on life forms exponentially—a critical step toward achieving the realm of a perfect life!
Shendu glanced at the scorched remains on the ground and the jagged ravines left nearby.
Ashido's strength was commendable.
If it had been another Espada, Shendu might have truly fallen here.
The black rope Ashido wielded was a natural enemy of Menos Grande's defense.
In Shendu's estimation, not even Nnoitra, who had the strongest defense among the Espada, could withstand a direct attack from that weapon.
Perhaps someone like Ulquiorra, who had High-Speed Regeneration, could suppress Ashido in such a scenario.
"Szayelaporro..."
Shendu had no desire to pursue Szayelaporro further.
If Szayelaporro chose to hide, there was nothing Shendu's current detection capabilities could do about it.
But Shendu would not forget this grudge.
If Szayelaporro dared to appear before him again, Shendu would ensure he regretted his decision.
Boom!
With a low rumble, the ground sank slightly, and Shendu disappeared.
At the moment, evolving into a Vasto Lorde took priority.
Szayelaporro watched Shendu's vanishing figure, deep in thought.
"To capture such a specimen, I'll need external forces."
"Maybe Baraggan would be a good choice..."
The Upper Level of the Menos Grande Forest, Hueco Mundo
The strong winds swept white sand across the barren desert, whistling between the scattered gravel and boulders. Occasionally, the sounds of collisions echoed through the boundless expanse.
Deep within the Forest of Menos Grande, creatures fled through the sands, absorbing high-density spiritual particles from the air.
They were the lowest level in Hueco Mundo, surviving purely on the surrounding spirit particles, and they continued to thrive in this dangerous land.
Despite their weak forms, their numbers were steadily growing.
After all, souls in animal bodies had little value to stronger beings.
Such creatures clung to their existence, unwilling to venture into areas with even higher spiritual density.
Towering white stone pillars reached into the sky, with a sprawling complex standing on the barren desert like a vast city.
Inside the massive walls, countless columnar structures rose, their rough construction betraying the carelessness of their builders.
The entire structure appeared imperfect and unfinished.
At the highest point of Las Noches, a tall figure sat on a white throne in a palace open on all sides.
He gazed down at his Menos Grande subordinates with boredom flickering in his hollow eyes.
Until a violent wave of Reiatsu surged from the direction of the Forest of Menos Grande.
The heat radiating from it was so intense that it could be felt even thousands of kilometers away, causing the figure on the throne to pause.
"An unfamiliar presence..."
The skeletal figure slowly opened his mouth, black mist escaping from the white bones.
"A little reprieve from this dull existence?"
"Let's see if it can amuse me..."
The Forest of Menos Grande
Shendu, like a demon unleashed, paid no mind to whether his aura had been discovered.
At this moment, he had a single goal—to evolve into a Vasto Lorde.
"Almost there..."
Shendu devoured a spider-like Adjucha, his blood-red eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
"There are still plenty of Adjucha left in the Forest of Menos Grande."
"This is a natural training ground, and Aizen seems to ignore it."
"Or perhaps, with his arrogance, he simply doesn't care about the Adjucha here."
He speculated as he continued to evolve through devouring.
Shendu had begun mastering the unique ability of the Menos Grande—Sonído.
However, mastering it was as difficult as evolving from a Gillian to a Vasto Lorde.
It was no wonder that even Espada-level beings hadn't fully mastered this technique.
"Soon..."
Shendu's figure flickered and disappeared into the darkness, leaving only an afterimage.
Another Adjucha, this time resembling an orangutan, entered his Reiatsu perception range.
Compared to others, this Adjucha was surprisingly more refined in appearance.
"Still ugly, though."
With a sound like a melon splitting open, the orangutan-like Adjucha lost consciousness without even seeing its enemy.
Its massive head was crushed, and blood mixed with flames sizzled like burning fuel.
Shendu devoured it without hesitation.
When the last spiritual particle entered his body, the temperature beneath his dark green skin surged, and his powerful muscles writhed.
Evolution had begun...
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