Burabushi's eye gleamed as she watched.
"BOOM!"
Another clash.
Makoto's fist met the Vasto Lorde's bone blade.
His entire skeleton trembled. His spirit flickered.
But—
Not enough.
If strength failed, he'd compensate with spiritual pressure. If that wasn't enough, he'd refine his strikes further, maximizing every ounce of energy.
An opponent like this…
Yachiru Unohana would bisect it in one slash.
Old Man Yamamoto would pulp it with a single punch.
And the Monk's forbidden Kidō…
He was still far, far behind.
"Hadō #73: Sōren Sōkatsui!"
At point-blank range, Makoto roared the incantation. A high-level destruction spell erupted, engulfing the Vasto Lorde in white flames.
Still not enough!
Makoto leaped back, raising a finger. His voice shook the desert.
"Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle!"
"Hadō #90: Kurohitsugi!"
For the first time in battle, he unleashed a complete 90s-level Kidō.
But compared to Aizen's effortless execution against Komamura, his was far weaker.
A black coffin erupted from the ground, swallowing the Vasto Lorde whole.
[A male Hollow? Even males can be Iron Maidens! Stab him good!]
[Kidō +10]
[Kidō Bottleneck - Stage Two]
[Life-or-Death Battle - Kidō Breakthrough ↑]
[Kidō: 7th Tier ↑]
The moment the coffin formed, the sword's voice rang in his ears.
But the Vasto Lorde's spiritual pressure—higher than his own—exploded from within.
"Cero."
A Shinigami's battle was a battle of spiritual pressure.
So was a Hollow's.
The black coffin shattered instantly, revealing the Vasto Lorde—now with a few new scratches.
A crimson Cero lanced toward Makoto.
He dodged.
The blast tore past him, detonating in the distance.
A mushroom cloud rose over the dunes.
Tough…
Makoto eyed the Vasto Lorde's regenerating Hierro, wary.
A Vasto Lorde's skin was leagues beyond an Adjuchas'.
The Hollow studied him just as carefully. After their brief clash, it acknowledged this Shinigami as an equal—though it still held the advantage.
Calmly, it spoke:
"Shinigami."
"Why leave the Soul Society to trespass in Lord Barragan's domain?"
"The time for your judgment has not yet come."
"Do not rush your demise."
Its tone dripped with arrogance.
Makoto, however, smirked—unconsciously mirroring that arrogance, even surpassing it.
"Oh?"
"But the Soul Society's conquest of Hueco Mundo has already been decided."
"The Gotei 13 will see to it."
The Vasto Lorde's eyes widened.
Even if it looked down on individual Shinigami…
The Soul Society?
That was a behemoth even Barragan feared.
Rumors said that millennia ago, a mighty Hollow—one who had once been both Barragan's rival and ally—had invaded the Soul Society.
It had vanished without a trace.
Now, the Vasto Lorde knew—this information had to reach Las Noches.
Its gaze turned serious.
"Then let me introduce myself properly."
"I am 'Dragon Azrael,' one of Lord Barragan's 'Four Burial Bones.'"
"Pleasure to meet you."