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Chapter 114 - Chapter 114: Mask Broken, Eight Tails GyūKi

"...Ugh…"

Outside the Four Beasts Gate, Rukia Kuchiki stood still, staring at the figure within the barrier with a complicated expression.

She knew the enemy was a Menos Grande — the Ninth Espada, Aaroniero Arruruerie — but his face… was that of her former captain, the kind and noble Shiba Kaien.

After a moment of silence, Rukia clenched her fist, took a deep breath, and stepped into the barrier.

"Rukia, it's been so long!"

Aaroniero, wearing Kaien's face, smiled warmly and called out to her like an old friend.

But Rukia's face turned cold. She gripped her Zanpakutō tightly and snapped, "Shut up! You don't get to speak with Captain Kaien's voice. That's an insult to his memory!"

"Now, now, don't be like that," Aaroniero replied, still smiling as he casually stepped toward her — though a flash of cruelty flickered in his eyes.

He glanced outside the barrier at Nanaya, who was dominating three Arrancar on his own. Clearly, that monster was out of his league.

But maybe... if he took Rukia hostage, he could still escape.

With that thought, his smile grew even wider as he continued to wear Kaien's face.

But before he could make a move—

"I said don't speak to me with Captain Kaien's face!!"

Rukia's eyes burned with fury as her spiritual pressure surged. She raised her Zanpakutō and shouted:

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"

Soul Society's most beautiful blade shimmered into view — snow white and glowing with cold light. With a clean slash, Rukia struck out, sending a blast of freezing air that made Aaroniero's face twist in surprise.

A deep cut opened on his arm, and blood began to spill out — but it froze almost instantly in the air.

Aaroniero's smile vanished. Glaring at her, he growled, "What, Rukia? Do you want to kill me ten more times!?"

The words struck a nerve. Rukia bit her lip, torn between anger and pain.

Years ago, her beloved captain Kaien had been possessed by a Hollow like this. In the end, he chose to die by her hand rather than endanger others. Even though he'd asked for it, Rukia had lived with the guilt ever since.

Even if she knew this creature wasn't Kaien… her heart still wavered.

Aaroniero didn't waste time. He knew Nanaya might finish up any second — and once that monster returned to his senses, he was as good as dead.

Without hesitation, he pulled out Kaien's Zanpakutō and activated its Shikai:

"Turn the tide, Nejibana!"

The sword transformed into a massive trident, nearly two meters long, its spiral tip generating powerful currents of spiritual water. As he swung it, waves surged around him, crashing across the battlefield.

He and Rukia rushed toward each other. Her snowy blade clashed against the spinning trident again and again. Sparks flew, metal rang out, and the sounds of their fight echoed within the barrier.

But it didn't take long to see that Rukia was falling behind. Her spiritual pressure and strength were no match for Aaroniero's overwhelming power.

And to make things worse, he kept talking — using Kaien's face to twist the knife.

"Rukia, remember how I helped teach your class? And then you killed me..."

"I've suffered ever since. This is your punishment."

"That guy outside — you like him, don't you? I don't want to kill you, Rukia. Please. Let me take you hostage. Let me go…"

The cruel voice wormed into her mind. Distracted, Rukia failed to block an attack. The trident slashed across her left shoulder, and blood splashed to the ground.

In pain, she staggered back, gritted her teeth, and suddenly slammed Sode no Shirayuki into the ground.

"First Dance — White Moon!"

A lavender glow lit the blade as it traced a line across the floor. Freezing air erupted from the cut, and the moment Aaroniero stepped into range, a massive pillar of ice shot up, trapping half of his body.

He looked down at the frozen ice and sneered.

"This little trick again?"

With one powerful swing of his trident, he unleashed a roaring surge of water that shattered the ice instantly.

Rukia was forced to retreat again.

Not wasting a second, she stabbed her blade into the ground several more times, each in a different spot.

Then she shouted:

"Next Dance — White Ripple!"

From every point she struck, blasts of freezing air burst out like avalanches, swallowing the battlefield in snow and frost.

But Aaroniero roared in frustration.

"Enough of this! I don't have time for games!"

He swung his trident through the cold waves, slicing the ice apart with bursts of violent water.

He couldn't afford to be slowed down — not with Nanaya still out there.

He'd already seen what happened to the Seventh Espada, Zommari — completely crushed by that terrifying human.

He refused to be next.

Panicked and desperate, Aaroniero's spiritual pressure exploded in a storm of power.

His face twisted and melted back into his true form — a glass container filled with floating, nightmarish Hollow masks. It was grotesque and unnatural.

He let out a furious roar:

"Consume everything — Glotonería!"

As he released his Resurrección, his form mutated.

His upper body stayed the same, but his lower half transformed into something horrifying — a massive, purple, octopus-like creature with writhing limbs and a monstrous presence.

"I am Aaroniero, Ninth Espada of the Menos Grande!" he screamed madly. "I've devoured 33,650 Hollows!"

"I have the power of more than thirty thousand soldiers!"

He stared down Rukia with bloodlust in his eyes — completely unhinged.

Then, Aaroniero once again took on the appearance of Shiba Kaien, smiling gently.

"Rukia… don't fight back. Take me out of this barrier. I'm your captain, right? Don't let me die at the hands of that monster."

Rukia was drenched in sweat, her breathing heavy. Even so, she aimed Sode no Shirayuki straight at him, hands trembling.

But Aaroniero's trident swung fiercely—

Bang!!

With a loud crash, the attack slammed into Rukia and sent her flying. She tumbled across the ground, rolling seven or eight times before she finally came to a painful stop.

"Rukia, no! You can't beat him!"

Unohana Retsu's voice called out from outside the barrier.

Ichigo Kurosaki, Sado Yasutora, and the others watched anxiously. They wanted to help, but the barrier around the Four Beasts Gate had been specially made by Nanaya — only Rukia could pass in or out.

"D-Damn it…"

Gritting her teeth, Rukia forced herself to stand. She used Shunpo and flashed toward the barrier's edge.

Aaroniero's expression shifted instantly. He lunged to stop her, but he was too late.

She stepped out of the barrier just in time.

"Rukia!! Come back! Please! I don't want to die by that monster's hand—come back and save me!!"

Aaroniero screamed in desperation.

But even though he had activated his Resurrección, he still couldn't break free from the seal Nanaya had left behind. He could only thrash and howl inside the invisible prison.

Unohana ignored his cries. She supported Rukia gently and asked, "Well? Are you ready to learn Bankai? You're only one step away."

Rukia hesitated. Her mind was a mess. She clenched her fists and asked through gritted teeth, "Why are you helping me? Shouldn't you be trying to get to Nanaya?"

Unohana looked toward Nanaya in the distance and smiled softly. "Because if you get seriously hurt, I think Nanaya would be very sad."

Rukia's heart sank.

Even now… this woman hasn't given up on him.

But... should she accept the offer?

Just as Rukia wavered—

In the distance, Nanaya, still locked in battle with three Arrancar Menos Grande, suddenly froze.

The white-and-red mask on his face shattered all at once.

In that instant, all the Arrancar — except Ulquiorra — felt a chill down their spines.

A terrifying pressure weighed down on them, as if the sky itself was collapsing.

They realized one thing:

If this monster regained his full consciousness… none of them would survive.

But what they didn't know was that this transformation was not a loss of control — it was something Nanaya had done deliberately, in order to master the tailed beasts inside him.

The Menos Grande were merely training dummies — tools to sharpen his strength.

As the form of the Seven Tails, Chōmei, faded, a new mask formed on Nanaya's face.

His Hollow Reiatsu surged even more violently than before.

Behind him, a long, writhing tail appeared — dark and strong, like an octopus tentacle.

Then another. And another.

Nanaya was devouring the spiritual energy of Hueco Mundo itself — and had now forged the eighth tailed beast within his body.

Eight Tails — Gyūki.

The battle erupted again.

This time, however, the three Menos Grande felt something different — the pressure was heavier than ever.

Nanaya had become even stronger.

Watching him from afar, Rukia finally made up her mind.

She looked straight at Unohana with determined eyes.

"Captain Unohana… I want to learn Bankai!"

Nanaya was pushing forward through brutal battles to get stronger.

So why couldn't she?

Besides — she'd made a promise.

Unless she could defeat Unohana, she wouldn't have the right to take Nanaya back.

(tln-if i was nanaya i would not go back )

For revenge… and for Nanaya—

She had to become stronger.

She had to master Bankai.

She had to rise to the level of a captain.

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