Bloodshot veins spread across Manticore's eyes as he stared fixedly at Shimo.
Purple spiritual pressure surged around him like a living creature.
"Destined enemy?"
Shimo's expression turned slightly strange. "Who gave you the courage to use a title like that?"
"A useless failure who couldn't even block Hadō #99?"
His words struck like blades, piercing straight through Manticore's heart.
Crimson rage flooded his eyes.
"The one who fought you outside Las Noches…"
Mantikor forced himself to suppress his instincts.
"That was only a fragment of my soul."
"This—this is my true body!"
"I'm at least ten times stronger than when I fought you before!"
By the end, his voice had become a roar, desperately refuting Shimo's contempt.
But Shimo showed no sign of taking him seriously.
"So what if it's ten times? The gap between us exists on an entirely different dimension."
His calm tone formed a sharp contrast to Mantikor's fury.
Mantikor immediately drew his Zanpakutō.
"In that case—I'll use your blood to prove my strength!"
"Devour them, Gluttonous Scorpion Lion!"
BOOM!
Violet spiritual pressure exploded skyward, blazing beneath the night sky as though it could reach the stars.
Remembering the fate of his soul fragment, Manticore held nothing back.
He swallowed his Zanpakutō whole.
At once, his body underwent a violent transformation.
His form swelled grotesquely, his face twisted into savagery. Black bone structures sprouted across his back, forming wings that blotted out the sky. A massive scorpion tail lashed behind him, splitting the air with each swing.
The difference this time—
He had entered Segunda Etapa directly.
The scorpion-lion body split open with countless cracks. Inside them, rows of teeth writhed hungrily, perfectly embodying the concept of gluttony.
Shimo studied him carefully, surprise flickering in his eyes.
From his perspective, Manticore's spiritual pressure now felt strikingly similar to his own.
Driven by curiosity, Shimo activated the Shared Soul Barrier.
His star-bright eyes instantly pierced through Mantikor's essence.
Purple spiritual pressure coursed through his body like dense circuitry, running through skin, flesh, and bone.
Yet at his core was a mass of black spiritual pressure.
It felt familiar.
It's the same nature as my spiritual pressure…
Under Shimo's gaze, Mantikor felt exposed, as if completely seen through.
"Kyoraku Shimo—accept the despair of death!"
He stopped hesitating.
"I don't need the reminder," Shimo replied coolly.
"I don't intend to waste too much time on the same enemy."
"Bakudō #63: Sajō Sabaku!"
Golden chains burst from his palm, shooting toward Mantikor.
Mantikor instinctively flapped his wings and leapt into the sky.
But in the next instant—
"Bakudō #75: Gochūtekkan!"
Space trembled above the night sky.
A deadly premonition seized Mantikor's heart.
He looked up—
Five colossal pillars descended from the heavens.
BOOM!!
The overwhelming force crushed his head and limbs. Before he could even take flight, the scorpion-lion was slammed back into the ground, forming a massive crater.
Cracks spread across the entire area like a spiderweb.
Under this pressure, he could barely move.
"So your power increased," Shimo said coldly.
"But it seems you traded away your intelligence to get it."
"Try using that pitiful brain of yours. Do you really think you're strong?"
Enraged, Mantikor glared at him, his eyes now completely blood-red.
"My power will devour you!"
Suddenly, the countless mouths across his body began gnawing wildly.
The iron pillars of Gochūtekkan were being eaten.
Shimo noticed the black spiritual pressure inside Mantikor swelling as he devoured the Kidō.
"So this is the 'Gluttonous Scorpion Lion'…"
As the black spiritual pressure grew, his devouring speed accelerated. Just as he was about to break free—
Shimo spoke calmly.
"So Aizen created you specifically to counter me… didn't he?"
Mantikor froze for a moment, then grinned viciously.
"You afraid?
Too late!"
Wild laughter echoed around the hall.
"Your spiritual pressure-based attacks are completely useless against me now!"
In his mind, he had already reached invincibility. Even if he couldn't kill Shimo, he could complete Aizen's mission.
"Oh?"
Shimo smiled faintly as he looked down at him.
"You seem very confident.
Try this before you keep talking."
He raised his right hand and extended a finger toward Mantikor.
Black spiritual pressure compressed and gathered at the fingertip, forming a small dark sphere.
Gulp.
Mantikor froze, swallowing instinctively.
Fear flooded his heart again.
As an Arrancar, he instantly recognized the technique.
"No… impossible…"
His voice trembled in disbelief.
"You're a Shinigami—how can you use this?!"
Shimo simply smiled without answering.
The black sphere grew denser, devouring the surrounding light.
Abyss-like spiritual pressure descended once more upon Las Noches.
Mantikor felt his own insignificance again.
Despair filled his eyes.
And then—
Cero fired.
---------------------------------///
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