Szayelaporro paid no heed to the Lieutenant’s retreat.
He had lived a very long time and seen countless Shinigami. For nearly a thousand years, almost every expedition team that ventured into Hueco Mundo had ultimately fallen into his hands. Among them, there had been no shortage of Lieutenant-level powerhouses. Yet to him, Shinigami of that caliber were nothing more than optional experimental materials.
In comparison, Kaelith was much more to his taste.
As Kaelith’s relentless attacks continued, Szayelaporro mentally recorded every detail. Before long, he constructed a complex mathematical model of Kaelith’s movements—punching force ranges, speed ranges, favored maneuvers, and potential reactions to various scenarios. With everything pre-calculated in his mind, his actions, initially somewhat constrained, soon became smooth and effortless.
Though pleased, Szayelaporro was also somewhat annoyed. That old Shinigami named Tsunayashiro was truly detestable. The intelligence he provided to Las Noches had been full of gaps and omissions, missing pieces here and there. If Szayelaporro had known all of Kaelith’s abilities in advance, he wouldn’t have had to go through this hassle.
Still, his dissatisfaction didn’t run too deep. If he were in Tsunayashiro’s position, he certainly wouldn’t spill every secret either. Otherwise, who could say if he’d even live to see the next day’s moonlight?
A slight smile curved Szayelaporro’s lips. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
At the moment that sound rang out, Kaelith felt his body stiffen slightly. Seeing his reaction, Szayelaporro chuckled softly.
“Feeling something off?” he asked. “I regret to inform you that my skin is coated with a specially crafted reishi toxin. Each time your fists struck me, the toxin invaded you soundlessly. Even though you’ve got a decent Reiatsu defense layer, against my special toxin, it just means it takes a bit more time.”
“Now, aren’t you starting to feel like your body isn’t listening to you?” Szayelaporro’s voice was calm, almost pleasant. “Don’t worry, this is just the beginning. Soon, you won’t be able to move a muscle.”
Crossing his arms, he displayed a mocking grin. Brute-force Shinigami were his specialty. He wasn’t in any rush to haul Kaelith away—just as he wasn’t eager to chase down the fleeing Lieutenants. Szayelaporro was no mindless killer. He derived more pleasure from toying with his prey than from simply killing them.
Under his gaze, Kaelith’s expression twisted with pain.
“Oh… I’m starting to lose control of myself!” Kaelith cried out, his movements growing more rigid. The fierce, storm-like barrage of strikes gradually slowed to a mere drizzle.
Szayelaporro seemed delighted by this spectacle. This Shinigami named Kaelith had such pleasing vocal reactions—far more agreeable than the stubborn ones he’d captured before.
Yes… when he dissected this one later, he’d try not to use anesthetics. What a pity it would be not to hear those lovely screams.
As he entertained these thoughts, Szayelaporro raised a hand. Liquid began to flow from his fingertips. He planned to inject Kaelith with a few more potent “medications,” then pack him up to bring back to Hueco Mundo.
But just as he stepped forward, about to make his move, he sensed an abnormal fluctuation in Reiatsu. Whirling around, he saw, just a few meters away, a figure shrouded in a black cloak tearing apart the concealment of what seemed like Kyokkō. A young Shinigami, about the same age as Kaelith, suddenly burst forth. His face was expressionless, his eyes cold. With his Zanpakutō raised high, he swung it down at Szayelaporro.
Szayelaporro instantly drew his blade, clashing with Aizen’s sword. Using his peripheral vision, he noticed a wooden badge on the man’s arm—an emblem of a Lieutenant. Szayelaporro’s eyes flickered with surprise. Since when had Lieutenants in the Soul Society become this formidable? For a mere Lieutenant to hide his presence from Szayelaporro’s senses and get this close, and to deliver such a heavy strike...
In the past, any Lieutenant-level Shinigami facing a Vasto Lorde like himself would have been blown away in an instant. So that old Shinigami named Tsunayashiro had claimed the Soul Society’s upper ranks were hollowed out by war? And yet they were fielding such capable Lieutenants. Hollowed out, indeed.
As Szayelaporro reflected on this, he opened his mouth, ready to unleash a Cero on Aizen for a bit of shock and awe. Ever cautious, he didn’t forget Kaelith behind him. Without even looking back, he raised his other hand and locked Kaelith down with a layer of Reiatsu shackles. First, he’d handle this Shinigami who’d ambushed him, and then he’d take care of Kaelith.
But in that moment, he saw a hint of mocking laughter in Aizen’s eyes.
To Szayelaporro’s astonishment, a blade wreathed in intense blue flames suddenly arced upward at his side. One of his arms went flying, and before it could even fall, the fierce blue flames reduced it to ash in midair.
“Wha—” Szayelaporro whirled, staring at Kaelith in shock.
Kaelith grinned, wielding twin blades engulfed in blue fire. “Sorry—I was just pretending.”
How was that possible?
Szayelaporro’s thoughts churned in confusion. Neither his paralyzing toxin nor the Reiatsu shackles should have been easily neutralized.
How had Kaelith managed it?
Before he could figure it out, Aizen’s second strike was already on its way, and Kaelith’s dual blades came crashing down as well.
Szayelaporro swiftly employed Sonído to put some distance between them. Narrowing his eyes, he studied the twin blades in Kaelith’s hands. Unsurprisingly, Kaelith’s sword abilities must have broken the deadlock. The mounting curiosity made Szayelaporro itch all over. Even missing an arm, his excitement only grew.
As Kaelith and Aizen closed in, Szayelaporro smiled and raised his Zanpakutō.
“Drink deep and dance madly,” he intoned,
Witnessing Szayelaporro’s action, Aizen’s eyes lit up. A release! A Hollow unleashing a sword release, a power unique to Shinigami, right before his eyes. It aligned perfectly with his research—erasing the boundary between Shinigami and Hollow.
He took a deep breath, suppressing a surge of excitement. “Kaelith, capture him alive. If we can take him, my experiments will enter a whole new phase!”