The Shinigami in Las Noches could hardly believe their eyes.
Kenpachi Chengdui could perform Hollowfication as well!
Before this, he had already mastered his Zanpakutō to a level not inferior to the Captain-Commander himself. His strength had practically reached the limits of Soul Society.
And now, they were witnessing his Hollowfied form.
Everyone present understood exactly how terrifying it was to break through the limits of the Shinigami realm and step into the domain of Hollows.
Even if that state lasted only a dozen seconds, the destructive power it granted was unimaginable.
"Just how strong... is he now?"
In an instant, he had landed three consecutive strikes on Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, shocking everyone and completely drawing their attention to the battle.
What would happen next?
How would the situation develop?
…
"Captain-Commander!!"
Within Soul Society, the Captains of the various divisions all changed expression. Unfortunately, they were tied down by their opponents and unable to break free.
"You're too old. Age represents experience. It represents the hard-earned strength gained through the tempering of countless years. But it also represents decay."
"Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni… Your era is over."
"From now on… It is this King's era!"
Kenpachi Chengdui's voice overlapped strangely, carrying a metallic resonance that sounded incomparably sinister.
Even the surrounding space trembled under its force.
Step by step, he advanced toward Yamamoto.
Slowly, he raised Hiramikurufū.
"It's time for you to die."
The blade swung down, its sharp tip cut through the air, and shot straight toward Yamamoto's throat.
Yamamoto's pupils contracted. He instinctively attempted to call upon the power of his Zanpakutō.
Yet no matter how he tried to activate it, the power of Zanka no Tachi refused to emerge.
"It has been sealed!"
Kenpachi Chengdui's Zanpakutō could actually seal even the power of a Bankai.
And this sealing effect seemed different from before. After being struck only once, Yamamoto found himself completely unable to use any of his Zanpakutō's abilities.
Pfft!
The blade sliced across his body again.
Blood splattered through the air, causing his aged body to stagger backward another step.
After receiving several consecutive wounds, every spectator's heart was clenched in tension.
"If I have no Zanpakutō… Does that mean I can no longer fight?" Yamamoto murmured.
Suddenly, an incomparably sharp light burst from his eyes.
His overwhelming aura exploded forth once again.
Bzzzz!
In the blink of an eye, the heavily wounded Yamamoto charged forward once more and appeared directly before Kenpachi Chengdui.
His right fist clenched tightly.
The very air exploded under his grip, as his expression became ferocious and terrifying.
"Ikkotsu!"
BOOM!
Kenpachi Chengdui blocked the punch.
Yet the immense force erupted through him, driving his body backward four or five meters.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Kenpachi Chengdui flicked his blade.
At that moment, the bone armor covering his face suddenly extended further, spreading down past his neck.
The terrifying fluctuations of power around him surged once again.
"He's turning into a beast!!" Hirako Shinji exclaimed in a trembling voice.
Qin Yi narrowed his eyes.
He did not agree.
Kenpachi Chengdui was already a madman by nature.
The invasion of negative emotions brought by Hollowfication was fundamentally no different from his own essence.
In some ways, he was the person most suited to Hollowfication.
Others had to resist the corrosive influence of those negative energies.
He merely had to follow them, and by doing so, he gained even greater power.
"What a troublesome opponent." Qin Yi sighed inwardly.
Kenpachi Chengdui's standing in his mind rose yet another level. The man might be insane, but his strength and courage had unquestionably reached a terrifying realm.
Back in Soul Society… Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni stepped forward once more.
Both fists tightened.
"Double Bone!"
BOOM!
Kenpachi Chengdui's body shuddered.
He was blasted backward once again, skidding dozens of meters and carving a deep trench across the ground.
"Stubborn old man!" After muttering softly, his voice suddenly became savage and crazed.
"Since that's the case… I'll send you to the Paradise right now!!"
He threw back his head and roared.
Crimson light burst forth.
Within it flickered countless purple specks. White points of light rapidly enveloped his body, forming a thin, elongated suit of bone armor.
Complete Hollowfication.
True Hollowfication.
Even more terrifying, two pitch-black spiral horns extended from the top of his head.
"This guy...!"
No one could imagine that Kenpachi Chengdui had mastered Hollowfication so quickly and pushed it to such an extent.
This was practically the limit of what Hollowfication could achieve.
At the same time, the pressure radiating from him changed. It was no longer merely the crushing force of Reiatsu. It had become something ominous.
Something that inspired instinctive submission. Something that made the soul itself tremble.
"Cero!"
Kenpachi Chengdui slowly raised his right hand.
His head tilted at an unnatural angle.
Even through the skeletal mask, one could sense it clearly… He was grinning.
This man was the embodiment of ultimate ferocity and madness.
A crimson-violet beam shot from his fingertips in an instant, streaking toward Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni.
Yamamoto's pupils contracted as his body flashed aside.
BOOM!
The Cero landed among the ranks of the Nie Kingdom's Shinigami behind him.
A sea of crimson flames exploded outward, engulfing countless soldiers.
Everyone watching shuddered.
Their understanding of Kenpachi Chengdui's insanity deepened once again.
He was merciless and cold-blooded.
Once battle began, he didn't care in the slightest whether those caught in the blast were friend or foe.
Then his fingers trembled repeatedly.
One beam after another fired forth.
Explosions shook the battlefield.
In moments, nearly one hundred thousand of his own troops had been erased.
Qingfeng stood nearby holding his sword. His entire body trembled, yet his face remained expressionless.
Only a quiet murmur escaped his lips. "To sacrifice oneself for Our King is an honor. To sacrifice oneself for the Ideal Nation is an honor."
Yes.
Everything was for glory.
No matter how many had to die, it was worth it.
No matter who killed them.
As long as victory was achieved.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Footsteps rang out.
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni sprinted forward once more, rapidly closing the distance.
"Gran Rey Cero!"
Seeing the old man only three meters away, black-violet light gathered in Kenpachi Chengdui's hand.
"Hadō 91: Senjū Kōten Taihō!"
"Hadō 92: Crimson Flame Heart-Killing Cannon!"
Without any incantation, Yamamoto suddenly unleashed two Kidō attacks from his palms.
The two spells shot forward.
Then they intertwined in midair, merging into an even more powerful wave of destructive energy.
Abandoning incantations.
Double casting.
At this moment, Yamamoto displayed a mastery of Kidō that had reached its absolute peak.
BOOOOM!!
The attacks collided.
Sparks erupted outward at incredible speed.
"I'm not only skilled with a Zanpakutō!"
With both hands thrust forward as he poured out immense power, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni roared.
At that moment, all of Soul Society was shaken.
Their blood boiled with excitement.
This was their Captain-Commander.
Even after being sealed by Kenpachi Chengdui, he could still unleash strength far beyond ordinary limits.
"I truly admire your power."
"Unfortunately… You must die."
Suddenly, the space ahead distorted as a sinister voice entered Yamamoto's ears.
His entire body trembled.
His pupils shrank as a sharp blade gleamed within his vision.
Then came the ominous aura.
The blood-red eyes.
The skull-like face.
A terrifying humanoid monster, with horns and a skeletal mask, had somehow broken through the bombardment and appeared directly before him.
At this moment… The distance between them was less than three centimeters.
The blade spun.
Then slashed downward.
Pffft!
A dull sound echoed.
Yamamoto's eyes trembled.
He lowered his gaze.
Both of the arms he had extended forward had been severed cleanly at the shoulders.
Then he looked up again.
What he saw was the purple glow gathering between Kenpachi Chengdui's fingertips.
"Without the power of your Zanpakutō… The gap between us is simply too great."
"How can an ant… fight a dragon?"
The purple light blossomed.
Expanded.
Then exploded.
The dazzling brilliance forced tears from the eyes of all who witnessed it.
"CAPTAIN-COMMANDER!!!"
Countless grief-stricken cries tore through the air and echoed throughout Soul Society.
(End of Chapter)
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