BOOM!
Grimmjow crashed to the ground as gravity suddenly intensified. An invisible force twisted his right hand — still gripping the Panther King's Claw — into a spiral.
Searing pain flooded his mind, but his pride kept him silent, true to his tough nature.
He was nothing like that certain division Captain.
His relentless assault had left Gremmy wounded too — flesh torn open at the shoulder, exposing bone beneath.
"Is that all?" Gremmy smiled, seemingly unfazed by his injuries, "You're not even worthy of knowing my name. Turn to dust, inferior being."
As he spoke, the wound on his shoulder visibly knitted itself closed.
Grimmjow rose, wincing as he straightened his twisted arm, then activated High-Speed Regeneration.
Though not as advanced as Ulquiorra's limb-restoring ultra-regeneration, his healing ability had grown much stronger through his frequent battles with Akira.
For injuries of this level, he only needed...
Splat!
Flesh tore at his shoulder as his arm flew upward, then shredded apart in midair by an unseen force.
It dissolved into Reishi, scattering into the air of Hueco Mundo.
"Why not die quietly?" Gremmy asked softly, as if discussing the weather, "Why resist?"
"What did you do?" Grimmjow demanded, bewildered.
"I imagined the air itself as razor-sharp blades." Gremmy spread his hands, radiating arrogance, "That's all."
The exchange made it clear to Grimmjow — he couldn't win this fight alone. His plan to gain merit had failed.
"Stupid cat!" Lilynette soared upward, placing her hand on Starrk's head without hesitation, "Did you forget everything the King taught us? Against guys like this, forget honor — we gang bang them!"
"Howl…"
⤫ Resurrección: Rey Lobo ⥤ Returning Blade: Wolf King! ⤬
"Destroy…"
⤫ Resurrección: Tiburón ⥤ Returning Blade: Supernal Shark Empress! ⤬
"Declare…"
⤫ Resurrección: Gamuza ⥤ Returning Blade: Antelope Knight! ⤬
"Enclose…"
⤫ Resurrección: Murciélago ⥤ Returning Blade: Great Black-Winged Demon! ⤬
Their words unleashed waves of terrifying Reiatsu that crashed toward Gremmy like a collapsing sky.
Faced with the surging power, Gremmy showed no fear — only anticipation.
Since gaining consciousness, he'd been imprisoned by Yhwach, cut off from the outside world. Now that freedom was his, he intended to savor every moment.
These Arrancar impressed him — their strength rivaled some Sternritter, and a few were even more fearsome.
Only worthy opponents like these could prove his status as the strongest Knight of the Sternritter!
Reiatsu crackling around her, Lilynette raised her cross-shaped sword and charged straight at Gremmy, bringing it down with crushing force.
BOOM!
An invisible barrier materialized from thin air, and in the next instant, molten streams of lava burst from the sand, surging like a tidal wave toward Lilynette.
Harribel struck with her shark-patterned great sword, unleashing torrential waters that crashed against the scorching magma.
⤫ Cascada ⥤ Cutting Waterfall! ⤬
The battlefield's temperature skyrocketed as the lava and water collided, transforming into a vast cloud of steam.
Slash—
Gremmy's imagined barrier shattered in an instant.
⤫ Lanza del Relámpago ⥤ Lance of Thunder and Lightning! ⤬
A crackling spear of lightning streaked from behind, arcs of electricity dancing around it as it hurtled toward Gremmy's slender frame.
BOOM!
The thunderous blast sent his battered body flying, carving a charred trench through the sand. A massive mushroom cloud billowed up from the desert.
Nelliel materialized at the explosion's edge using Sonído.
Brilliant Reiatsu gathered on her double-headed spear as she raised it high, immediately hurling it toward Gremmy's spiritual presence.
⤫ Lanzador Verde ⥤ Kingfisher-Green Javelin! ⤬
The spinning spear tore through space, reality warping around its heads as it carved deep fissures in the ground.
⤫ Cero Cortada ⥤ Hollow Flash Slash! ⤬
As another explosion rocked the battlefield, Lilynette appeared above the smoke cloud, her cross-shaped sword weaving a deadly dance of countless slashing attacks.
Dense Reishi flames erupted from the smoke as Gremmy emerged before the Hollows.
His elegant demeanor had vanished — his body now covered in vicious wounds.
Years of combat together in Las Noches had honed the Arrancar's teamwork to perfection. Their coordinated assault had caught Gremmy completely unprepared, leaving him barely clinging to life.
Had he not swiftly reinforced his body through imagination, the fight would have ended there.
Black blood trickled from Gremmy's mouth as his wounds knitted closed. His smile faded as he watched the Hollows prepare their next attack, his contempt giving way to gravity.
He had to retract his earlier dismissal — these beings were far from inferior. They posed a genuine threat.
Yet their hope of victory was still naive.
Gremmy spread his fingers wide.
The desert erupted with rivers of magma and rushing waters, while compressed Reishi flames rose from the ground.
Countless Heilig Bogen materialized in the sky like an army of Quincy bows, their strings drawn taut with waiting Heilig Pfeil.
Lilynette's face split into an eager grin.
Her time with a certain someone had rubbed off on her. Rather than fear, the spectacular display filled her with battle-lust.
She lifted her cross-shaped sword skyward as spiritual flames burst along its length:
"Eat this—"
⤫ Tenrin Ryūjin ⥤ Celestial Dragon God Blade!
Wielding Akira's stolen technique, she hurled herself back into the fray.
⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬
⤫ Kirchenlied: Sankt Zwinger ⥤ Holy Chant: Sanctuary Veneration! ⤬
A barrage of Heilig Pfeil transformed into relentless firepower, blasting Lilynette away with devastating force.
She carved a deep trench through the scorched desert before coming to rest at someone's feet.
"How unsightly, Lilynette." The figure wore a smug expression, making no effort to hide his contempt, "You're nothing but a small fry now. With such meager skills, you dare dream of overthrowing the God-King of Hueco Mundo? Know your place—you're better off serving as my rage fodder!"
Lilynette, frustrated, made excuses. She blamed their failure squarely on Starrk's lack of cooperation, insisting they could have defeated the blonde brat long ago if he had only tried.
Starrk, in his cross-shaped sword form, nearly retorted but held his tongue.
Why bother arguing? It was too troublesome. Besides, with this newcomer's arrival, they wouldn't be needed for what came next.
"Watch carefully, little Lilynette." With those words, Akira vanished.
A moment later, Lilynette's eyes widened at the spectacle before her.
In the dark night beneath the crescent moon, a dazzling figure wreathed in brilliant light plummeted like a meteor, trailing flames from atmospheric friction before landing in an invincible stance.
Justice from Above!
BOOM!!
The mightiest mushroom cloud yet bloomed skyward.
Explosive flames, kilometers wide and wrapped in dust, swept outward. Everything in their path — magma, ocean, spirit techniques, and Heilig Pfeil alike — crumbled to dust.
Through the swirling silver-white sand emerged a figure, eyes crackling with electric intensity. The newcomer's face split into a savage grin as he faced his opponent.
Gremmy's expression shifted to shock, stunned by the newcomer's overwhelming presence. Though ordinary in appearance, the man's stance radiated invincibility.
What incredible self-confidence!
More striking still — why did this person wear the Sternritter uniform? Could the Wandenreich harbor a traitor?!
"I never expected a Knight would betray His Majesty." Gremmy's expression darkened as weapons materialized behind him, filling the air with murderous intent.
Tension crackled. Heilig Bogen materialized like stars across the sky, countless Heilig Pfeil trained on Akira.
Without warning, an attack many times fiercer than before crashed down. The terrifying pressure engulfed him instantly.
Yet these impacts, so effective against Hollows like Grimmjow, barely scratched Akira. They merely tore his outer clothing, revealing his muscular form and partially unsealing his power.
Seeing his attacks fail, Gremmy's expression twisted into a grimace. His Schrift flared, conjuring two identical figures at his sides.
In an instant, the pitch-black night sky blazed with light. The Hollows near the battlefield gazed upward, their eyes reflecting an enormous meteorite.
Wreathed in flames from its high-speed descent, the meteorite's massive form resembled a fallen sun. Heat waves roared through the night as massive shadows blanketed the battlefield and temperatures soared.
The Hollows stood stunned. Though they had witnessed many manifestations of imagination's power, none had anticipated such a terrifying sight.
Throughout all of Hueco Mundo, who could possibly withstand an attack of this magnitude?
Gremmy's face contorted into a maniacal smile:
"Traitor, prepare yourself! Tremble before the power of imagination!"
Akira's lips curled into a disdainful smile, "Your imagination is truly quite barren."
At these words, Gremmy's expression froze. Before he could respond, he witnessed a scene he would never forget.
The muscular figure spread his arms with metallic grinding sounds. Ink-black flames roared to life as violent lightning intertwined above his shoulder blades, transforming into demonic wings that explosively unfurled.
⤫ Shunkō: Kokuen-shin Senkei ⥤ Flash War Cry: God of Black Flame Battle Form! ⤬
Alternating between Shunpo and Hirenkyaku, Akira shot skyward, leaving brilliant contrails of interwoven electricity and flames.
As he reached the massive meteorite, his lips curved into a fierce grin. He drew back his right arm while the flames at his shoulder blades transformed into rocket boosters, unleashing an all-consuming pillar of fire.
⤫ Genshiki-ryū: Kūhaku Hakai ⥤ Origin Style: Single Empty Destruction! ⤬
BOOM!!!
The collision unleashed an apocalyptic explosion at Hueco Mundo's dome. Blinding light erupted unrestrained, casting brilliant flares across the deep night sky like a massive rising sun that illuminated the entire realm.
Howling winds forced even the observing Hollows to shield themselves with Reiatsu. In that moment, they shared a single thought — truly, this was the might of their invincible God-King!
The meteorite shattered instantly, its remains vaporizing in the aftershock to fuel an explosion that let countless Hollows witness a sun they might never see again.
"Monster!" The inexperienced Gremmy cried out weakly, eyes wide at the incomprehensible scene.
As his opponent turned toward him, Gremmy's expression twisted while more copies of himself materialized beside him, multiplying his imagination's power several fold.
Yet to Akira's surprise, instead of restoring Hueco Mundo's moon, Gremmy used his imagination for some unknown alterations.
Under multiple gazes, a maniacal smile spread across the kid's face.
"Power, it's flowing endlessly! I can feel it... Unprecedented strength!"
Whether due to his first opponent being the pure brute Grimmjow, or perhaps influenced by some virus in the air, Gremmy enhanced his vessel countless times, imagining power to match the man before him.
His confidence swelled beyond measure. With such terrifying power, what in this world could stand against him?!
In a flash, he appeared before his enemy, launching his amplified fist forward with crushing force.
Seeing this, Akira's eyes lit up.
"Very good — trading blows is the essence of battle! Since you've so kindly invited me, I won't hold back!"
The two fought furiously, their clashes unleashing powerful shockwaves that collapsed the desert and swept up burning winds, transforming the battlefield into an apocalyptic scene.
Throughout their exchange, Gremmy continuously strengthened himself through imagination, increasing his Reiatsu while attempting to weaken Akira's power.
Yet the imagination that had easily twisted Grimmjow's arm had no effect on this opponent.
Their battle produced countless afterimages, their speed surpassing visual limits.
As time passed, Gremmy began showing signs of decline, while Akira's momentum kept rising — as if there were no upper limit.
Their figures crossed and clashed repeatedly in the night sky, erupting into terrifying storms of spiritual energy.
BOOM!!!
Akira's power erupted in full force, the horrifying impact instantly overwhelming Gremmy's body, his flesh disintegrating.
His form plummeted from the sky, creating a massive crater upon impact.
When Akira descended from the heavens to stand before the dying brute brain, the latter asked the question burning in his mind:
"Even though our powers were equal, why..."
Akira grinned, "That's obviously because... You lack the crucial world-shaking wisdom!"
⤫⤬⤫
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