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Ishikawa's gaze shifted.
He saw Zaraki already locked in battle with Nnoitra, while Yachiru in the distance, wielding her sword alone, had two massive phantom figures appear behind her. The phantoms and Yachiru formed a three-in-one stance, pinning down three of Baraggan's Seated Officers.
The arrival of Zaraki and Yachiru, holding back one Espada and three subordinates, allowed Ishikawa to breathe a huge sigh of relief.
But the situation remained grim.
Baraggan, Harribel, Grimmjow.
Excluding Tier Harribel, he still had to face three Arrancar alone…
No, that's wrong.
Ishikawa frowned, and a transparent barrier instantly appeared behind him.
"Bakudo #81: Danku."
Bang~
A muffled sound echoed.
Ishikawa glanced behind him from the corner of his eye; it should be four.
Looking over, he saw that Zommari Rureaux, NO.7, who had been severely wounded by Ishikawa's earlier attack, had completely transformed, and the injuries Ishikawa had inflicted on him had fully healed!
Had he entered his Release Form?
Unlike his previous, almost human-like appearance, Zommari Rureaux in his Release Form had black markings on his face and jaw, his lower body had transformed into a peach-colored, pumpkin-shaped sphere floating above the ground, and his body was covered in countless eyes.
Troublesome~!
Although it wasn't his first time fighting an Arrancar, this ability to instantly heal all pre-Release Form injuries upon entering Release Form felt inexplicably cheap, almost as if they had two lives.
Moreover, Zommari Rureaux's ability required careful precaution.
Ishikawa looked at the transparent barrier formed by Dankū, a sun-shaped pattern imprinted in the void.
Domination!
Or perhaps, Amor.
Any part of the body gazed upon by his eyes would develop a dark, sun-shaped pattern, and the patterned area would then be under his complete control.
If the sun-shaped pattern was even inscribed on the head, he could control the entire body!
Such rule-based abilities were often the most troublesome.
Fortunately, his ability wasn't purely rule-based, but rather something between Kido and a rule, which could be completely blocked by Dankū.
If one was unaware, it would be easy to suffer a loss against him, but as long as one was prepared, it wasn't difficult to block!
"Hey, where are you looking?"
A cold voice came from Ishikawa's side, and a white and blue figure shot through the air like a meteor, sharp claws glinting with a chilling light.
Seeing this, Ishikawa instinctively concentrated his Reiatsu into the acupoints of his hand, preparing to take the hit head-on.
But the moment he threw his punch, Ishikawa's brow suddenly furrowed, and then he shifted his feet, turning his body.
An intensely sharp aura grazed Ishikawa's face, then slammed heavily onto the ground.
Boom—
A deafening explosion erupted, and five massive claw marks instantly appeared on the ground!
Has his destructive power increased?
As Ishikawa dodged sideways, he tapped his toe on the ground and quickly retreated.
At the same time, Grimmjow furiously swung his claws, leaving a series of claw marks in the air.
However, all the attacks merely grazed Ishikawa.
"So that's it."
Ishikawa looked at Grimmjow, whose Reiatsu was becoming increasingly volatile: "You want to fight me on equal terms?"
Compared to his previous attack alongside Nnoitra, Grimmjow's Reiatsu, techniques, and even his combat instincts were completely different now. Each move was filled with a quality called 'destruction,' which greatly enhanced the destructive power of his attacks.
Equal terms?
Ishikawa met Grimmjow's increasingly intense battle intent, and the thunder around him began to roar wildly at that moment.
"Then what if I grant your wish!"
Boom—
As soon as the words fell, a sudden explosion erupted behind Ishikawa, and the black inner lining of his shoulder and back garments simultaneously burst open, a layer of thunderous light surging forth from his shoulder blades.
The next second, instead of retreating, he charged forward, directly at Grimmjow.
He was passionate about challenging powerful opponents on equal terms, purely enjoying the thrill of battle.
Ishikawa was the same.
So the moment he saw Grimmjow's eyes, Ishikawa already understood Grimmjow's thoughts.
He was perfectly willing to fight him to his heart's content.
Besides…
Grimmjow ignored the mission, abandoned his companions, and chose to fight him alone.
For Ishikawa, it was not necessarily a bad thing!
End the battle in the shortest possible time.
This was Ishikawa's current thought!
Can he still get stronger?
Grimmjow looked at Ishikawa charging towards him, his face devoid of any fear or apprehension. Instead, the corners of his mouth stretched into a wide grin, and he let out a roar to the sky.
"Awooooo—"
Amidst the roar, a violent sound pressure diffused, and Grimmjow's body glowed, instantly vanishing from his spot!
Very strong!
This young man named Ishikawa was unimaginably strong, and it wasn't just one ability that was strong, but rather…
All-around!
Since the start of the battle, his movement speed, defensive capabilities, offensive power, and even his Kido and techniques had all been so strong that Grimmjow felt shocked.
But…
More than that, it was excitement.
He wanted to fight such a strong opponent on equal terms.
And the other party had clearly seen this and responded, but the time they could fight fairly was not long.
Because both Harribel and Zommari prioritized that Shinigami's mission, and they would soon intervene in this battle.
So…
As he charged, Grimmjow concentrated all his Reiatsu into one point, and two incredibly large blue claw prints appeared on either side of his twin claws, spreading out like wings.
He was betting everything on this one attack!
Ten blue claw prints crossed in front of his body, and the next moment, Grimmjow collided with Ishikawa.
Boom—!
A shocking collision echoed throughout the surroundings.
Centered around the point where fist and claw met, a thunder-laden maelstrom raged, scorching the surrounding ground to ash.
In the center of the area…
The muscles on Ishikawa's right arm wriggled, the entire arm swelling by nearly a full circle. Combining unparalleled strength with formidable Reiatsu, his punch landed directly on the center of the crossed blue claw prints.
Grimmjow had put all his power into this one strike, and Ishikawa had done the same!
This punch was terrifying.
Almost at the moment of impact, Grimmjow's expression changed, and the crossed blue claw prints violently trembled under this punch.
Crack crack crack—
Faint cracking sounds continuously emanated.
The claw prints, which had gathered all of Grimmjow's power, actually began to shatter the instant they collided.
The gap…
The last person who made him feel such a huge gap, even to the point of not daring to fight him, was Aizen, who had already become the master of Hueco Mundo.
And the Ishikawa in front of him made him experience that feeling once again.
Faintly, the image of Ishikawa in front of him seemed to overlap with the impression of Aizen in his memory.
At this moment, Grimmjow finally understood.
Why he absolutely had to have a fair fight with him, because…
On Ishikawa, he saw Aizen's shadow!!
What a pity…
Snap—
A shattering sound echoed, and the ten claws, which had condensed all of Grimmjow's power, disintegrated in just one second, turning into scattered fragments.
And beyond the fragments, a rapidly approaching fist came into view.
Before it even reached his face, Grimmjow clearly realized…
He couldn't take this punch!
In fact, he might even die from this punch.
But at that very instant…
A withered hand suddenly grabbed Ishikawa's wrist.
This hand appeared so abruptly that neither Ishikawa nor Grimmjow noticed it.
And the formidable power of that swift punch, the moment it was grabbed by this hand, instantly vanished without a trace.
Ishikawa's expression darkened. The muscles on his power-infused right arm, the moment it was gripped by that hand, seemed to lose control, making his entire arm feel weak and heavy, and he even… couldn't break free from that withered hand gently holding him.
"What a boring trick."
An old voice came, and looking along the withered hand, one could see Baraggan had appeared beside Ishikawa at some point.
Has he finally entered the fray?
A hint of apprehension flashed in Ishikawa's eyes, then his left hand formed a blade, with Reiatsu surging onto it.
But just then…
Thump—
Invisible, as if something had struck his left arm.
"Hahahahaha—"
Zommari's excited laughter rang out: "Your left arm is mine!"
As he spoke, a dark, sun-shaped pattern appeared on Ishikawa's left shoulder, causing Ishikawa's expression to change drastically.
Restricted by Baraggan, he couldn't dodge Zommari's control. Almost as soon as the sun-shaped pattern appeared on his left arm, Ishikawa's left arm instantly lost all sensation.
This is bad!
A decaying aura emanated, causing panic to appear in Ishikawa's eyes for the first time.
In his vision…
His right arm, clutched by Baraggan, rapidly withered. The flesh of his hand vanished in the blink of an eye, revealing the clean white bones of his palm.
And the most terrifying thing was…
This decay did not stop with the disappearance of the hand's flesh, but continued to spread upwards.
He wants to kill me!?
Initially, when he was restrained, Ishikawa wasn't overly alarmed, because whether it was Nnoitra, Harribel, or Zommari… everyone fighting him wasn't trying to kill him, but to severely wound him.
But…
Baraggan was different.
He truly wanted to kill him, and in a way that would turn his blood and flesh into nothingness.
Does he not want Aizen to unseal the Hōgyoku?
Ishikawa instantly guessed his thoughts.
However…
It was already too late. The decaying aura had already invaded his body, making his internal Reiatsu incredibly sluggish and impossible to mobilize.
With his left arm restrained, he couldn't even sever it to save himself, only able to watch as his arm slowly turned into withered bone.
"Die!"
Just then, a sharp cry came from above Ishikawa.
Tier Harribel flapped her wings, and a massive blade appeared at her tail, striking directly down towards Ishikawa's position!
"Get lost!"
But just as the blade, which seemed capable of splitting Ishikawa in two, was about to descend, Baraggan, beside Ishikawa, suddenly roared in anger, without making any visible movement.
The descending blade actually disintegrated with just that single roar!
Baraggan didn't see anything, but rather…
He wanted Ishikawa to turn directly into ash, not allowing even a drop of blood to remain, so Baraggan would not allow anyone to interfere with his process of eliminating Ishikawa's existence!
Tier Harribel's expression darkened, and her eyes glinted, revealing astonishing killing intent.
Faintly, her pupils seemed to transform into swift-like shapes.
But just then…
Splurt—
Blood spurted, a brilliant blue light flashed, and Ishikawa's arm, held by Baraggan, was severed at the elbow.
Ishikawa's eyes lit up, feeling the sluggish power within him break free at that instant.
—Utsusemi!!
Without hesitation, Ishikawa immediately used Utsusemi, a technique for shedding one's skin like a cicada. His entire body vanished from the spot, leaving only his shattered black inner lining behind.
"Grimmjow…"
Baraggan did not pursue Ishikawa, but instead looked grimly at Grimmjow beside him: "Do you want to die?"
"Heh, I'm just completing Lord Aizen's mission."
Grimmjow met Baraggan's gaze without fear, and the brilliant blue blades on his hands dissipated.
Though he said that…
His eyes, however, revealed a strong sense of provocation, as if he was not so much acting for the mission as expressing his dissatisfaction with Baraggan's interference in his battle!
Killing intent flashed in Baraggan's eyes.
"That's enough!"
But just then, Harribel suddenly appeared beside Grimmjow and glanced at Baraggan: "Grimmjow is right, your method will only cause our mission to fail."
Baraggan looked at Harribel, and the killing intent in his eyes gradually receded.
Dozens of meters away, Ishikawa appeared in mid-air.
As soon as he appeared, his 'left arm' transformed from a palm into a blade, striking directly at Ishikawa's carotid artery.
Ishikawa's eyes flashed. The Raikōhō of his Shunko, which had been external, was instantly replaced by Sōren Sōkatsui. The fiery twin wings had barely appeared before he channeled them, along with his Reiatsu and internal lightning, into his left arm.
"It's useless. Under my benevolent gaze, you'll only make the body I control stronger!"
Zommari's excited laughter rang out, but the next second it abruptly stopped.
Thump~
A mist of blood permeated the air; Ishikawa's left arm actually exploded violently at that instant.
Intense pain made Ishikawa's face pale, but his gaze locked onto Zommari at that moment, revealing an unprecedentedly sinister killing intent.
The air around him dropped a few degrees at that instant.
A sinister aura spread out.
Just barely…
If Grimmjow hadn't intervened in time to sever his arm, he would have… died at Baraggan's hands just now!
The azure flames behind Ishikawa, like twin wings, violently exploded. Under the fierce impact, Ishikawa spat out blood, and his entire body, like a cannonball, plunged down towards Zommari's location!
"With both arms gone, what can you still do?"
Zommari saw this and did not panic. Instead, he sneered, and dozens of eyes on his body simultaneously fixed on Ishikawa.
However…
Buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz!
Six successive hums, six Dankū barriers, appeared in front, behind, left, right, above, and below Zommari, trapping him like a transparent coffin.
Bakudo #81: Danku!
—Dual Chant.
Bang bang bang~
Each sun-shaped black pattern was blocked by Dankū, turning the transparent coffin black.
And just then, Ishikawa's figure appeared outside the Kurohitsugi.
At such close proximity, Zommari finally felt the terror of the sinister aura around Ishikawa, as if he were a demon emerging from hell.
Despite having lost both arms, the moment he met Ishikawa's gaze, his spiritual world was shrouded in a shadow.
The instinctive fear emanating from the depths of his soul caused Zommari's body to tremble uncontrollably.
It's okay—
He has no way to attack me!
Zommari secretly comforted himself, but his body honestly surged with Reiatsu, choosing not to attack, but to fully defend under instinctive urge.
And just then…
Ishikawa moved!
He tilted his body, and his empty right shoulder swung, as if he were throwing a punch, or perhaps swinging a sword.
Has he gone mad with anger?
This scene startled Zommari, and a mocking expression involuntarily appeared on his face.
But…
Pffft—
A faint sound echoed, and Zommari only felt his vision undergo a world-shaking change.
In his vision, Ishikawa slowly turned around.
And on his bare upper body, both arms were now present.
In his right hand, he held a broken blade with a pure white hilt and a dark blade. As Zommari looked, the broken blade gradually disintegrated, turning into nothingness.
As his vision spun, Zommari saw a familiar headless body—it was his body!
Am I dead?
Ishikawa withdrew his gaze and turned to look at the others.
And behind him…
Zommari and the transparent coffin covered in dark patterns simultaneously turned into Reiatsu and dissipated!
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for advance chapters | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter | Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr