The moment Kyōraku Shimo's words fell, a void-like force erupted outward from him in an instant!
A terrifying spiritual pressure engulfed everything around him.
That overwhelming, unanswerable force blanketed the entire battlefield.
Every Shinigami and Hollow froze in place, their bodies locked and expressions stiff.
Even the airborne dust, the scattered spiritual energy, and the flow of spirit particles all froze in their final positions—completely halted in time.
With a shunpo, Shimo instantly appeared before Nnoitra.
At that moment, Nnoitra still wore his twisted expression. Beneath the forced calm on his face was a deep, instinctive fear of death.
Even beasts have things they fear.
Limitless Sword: Infinity.
The long, crimson blade rested steadily in Shimo's hand. His slash fell.
There was no earth-shattering explosion—no quake or shockwave.
His sword, Akatsuki, slipped through Nnoitra's body as effortlessly as a hot knife through tofu, slashing him in two without the slightest resistance!
Blood gushed like a fountain from the cleaved wound, instantly dyeing the ground beneath Nnoitra's feet in crimson.
"Wha... what just happened...?"
Nnoitra's eyes glazed over as the light in them gradually faded.
"...So this is your full power?"
At the edge of death, a faint smile curved at the corners of Nnoitra's mouth.
"To die at the hands of someone truly powerful..."
Shimo's slash didn't stop there. It continued past Nnoitra, cutting deep into the distance.
The energy tearing through the Forest of Menos with unstoppable might.
Everything in its path—trees stretching for dozens of miles—was obliterated, reduced to rubble in an instant.
The Shinigami and Hollows had already stopped fighting, all frozen in shock as they witnessed the aftermath of that clash.
But the outcome had far surpassed anything they could've think of.
"What… what happened just now? How did Shimo-sama slay that monster with a single strike?!"
"That kind of sword technique... Holy shit!"
The cries came from the stunned Adjuchas.
Realizing that Nnoitra had fallen, they instantly knew what fate awaited them next.
"Retreat! Everyone retreat!!"
The shrill screams echoed throughout the entire Forest of Menos, snapping the stunned Hollows back to their senses.
The Gillians quickly followed the orders of the Adjuchas and began withdrawing into the deeper forest.
As for the remaining Adjuchas, they scattered in all directions, fleeing at their fastest possible speed.
Even the Fifth Espada had been sliced like a tofu by that Shinigami. There was no way any of them believed they could survive against these maniacs.
The first group of Shinigami had already fought like they didn't care about their lives—rushing into battle with no regard for their own injuries, seemingly determined to tear off a piece of flesh even if it meant dying.
But this second wave… they had taken madness to an entirely different level.
At times, the Hollows couldn't help but feel like they were the harmless souls, and these Shinigami were the real monsters.
Shimo did not seal away his Shikai.
He gripped Akatsuki tightly and charged directly into the ranks of the fleeing Adjuchas.
Those who realized he was chasing them nearly died from fear alone.
That one terrifying slash had carved a new canyon into the Forest of Menos…
…And a permanent scar into their hearts.
Shimo's form darted between the escaping Hollows.
Every time he appeared, an Adjuchas would burst into spirit particles and vanish midair.
This one-sided massacre continued until—
[Task Complete. Distributing Mission Rewards...]
[Congratulations, Host. You've achieved a Soul Breakthrough!]
The moment the system notification sounded, Shimo felt a deep tremor in his soul.
Then came a massive surge, battering at his consciousness.
The pain far exceeded that of a mere spiritual pressure amplification.
It flared up from his mind and spread to every corner of his body—relentless and burning.
Even the spirit particles within him seemed to writhe and fluctuate violently from the change.
Shimo reversed his grip and stabbed Akatsuki into the ground, using it to support his now-unstable body.
Nel came running from the distance in a panic, closely followed by Dondechakka and Pesche.
As for the combat worm Bawabawa—it had been reabsorbed into Dondechakka's body at the beginning of the fight.
Seeing Shimo clutching his blade, brows tightly furrowed, Nel's eyes were filled with deep worry.
"Shimo, are you... are you okay?"
Shimo forced a faint smile and replied:
"I'm fine. It's just a bit of backlash."
The pain came swiftly—and vanished just as quickly.
In less than a minute, the agony had completely faded.
If it weren't for the sweat beading in his palms, Shimo might've thought he imagined the entire thing.
He crouched down and gently pulled Nel into his arms to comfort her.
The moment she felt his warmth and realized he was back to normal, Nel broke into loud, hiccupping sobs.
"I-I thought... I thought you—!"
Shimo gave a helpless, wry smile and let her cry into his soaked uniform.
This little version of Nel was anything but easy to take care of...
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