Zommari considered himself to be quite smart, so when he saw how strong his opponent seemed to be getting, he did not want this fight to go on much longer than it was being dragged right now.
He wanted to end this quickly.
Zommari wasted no time. The moment he saw Lázaro's grotesque transformation, he attacked. His numerous eyes all locked onto his opponent.
"Amar."
Lázaro's right leg twitched. Then his left arm. Then his entire body froze as if bound by invisible chains.
"It's over. You cannot move. Your very body belongs to me now." He sounded quite cocky, arrogant even, convinced that he had won. There was no way he could lose. He had this in a tight lock.
Then—
CRACK.
Lázaro's body jerked, snapping violently as if breaking its own restraints. His joints contorted, twisting unnaturally before righting themselves with sickening ease. The man had just severed all of his tendons.
Ripped his hands off, ate them, and grew new ones in like four seconds... the fuck?
"Yeah, about that..." His voice slithered through the air, distorted and layered. "I don't stay bound."
With an ear-splitting—
BZZZT—BOOM!
Lázaro moved.
Zommari's eyes widened—he could barely track him.
A blur of black and emerald crashed into him.
Zommari blocked just in time, crossing his arms as Lázaro's clawed hand smashed into his Hierro. The impact sent tremors through the arena floor. They clashed again and again, exchanging blows at speeds that made the audience struggle to keep up. Every time Zommari attempted to outmaneuver him, Lázaro adapted, his movements shifting.
How do you fight someone whose regeneration was only bested by high-tier Sins?
Lázaro's healing was only outmatched by Gabriel and the high-tier Sins.
You see, Gabriel had found a way where, when a Hollow evolved, they could gain both power and healing simultaneously.
He even found a way to boost them, so most high-tier Sins—i.e., the top four—could heal limbs with ease. Even internal organs could be healed, though with some difficulty.
Harribel was the most proficient in it... of course she was. She wasn't just at the Sin tier of power—she had become far stronger than that.
Even Lázaro could tell that. Unlike most male Hollows—and partly because his ass couldn't be bothered to be sexist—like, come on, when you get your head cut off so often, caring about that shit was a non-factor.
He knew that Harribel, by herself, could beat all of the Sins combined... without going into her second release. If anyone deserved to go up, it would be her. But it seemed like Gabriel was planning to give her more achievements so that when she finally got admitted, no one could say it was favoritism.
Anyway, back to beating the Black man.
"You're keeping up with my Sonído Rapídissimo?" Zommari gritted his teeth, frustration creeping into his voice.
How... how was he keeping up?
Lázaro chuckled, his emerald etchings pulsating wildly. "Nah."
Then he blurred forward and placed his hand on Zommari's chest.
Zommari's heart sank.
He knew what this meant... fuck.
A sickening, slurping noise filled the air as black tendrils of energy surged from Lázaro's palm, sinking into Zommari's body like hungry leeches. A rush of spiritual pressure exploded outward as Lázaro's own form shifted, adapting, absorbing, consuming.
Zommari stumbled back, gasping, his movements suddenly sluggish—unnaturally so.
Lázaro rolled his shoulders.
Then—BZZZT—BOOM!
Zommari's eyes darted around, panic setting in. He couldn't track him.
Lázaro was moving at speeds he shouldn't be able to. His speed. His Sonído.
Stolen.
Lázaro reappeared behind him, whispering into his ear, "How's it feel... to lose the only thing you were good at?"
Before Zommari could react, a devastating blow sent him crashing into the ground. He bounced, rolling, before skidding to a halt in a cloud of dust and debris.
Lázaro exhaled, shaking his head. "Disappointing."
Zommari struggled to rise, his body refusing to obey. He reached out weakly—before Lázaro stomped on his back, pinning him down.
"Stay down."
With that, Lázaro turned away, leaving the battered Sin behind.
He approached the stands, stopping just before Gabriel's throne. Then, with a dramatic flourish, he bowed. "Your Majesty."
Gabriel, seated high, smirked slightly. He didn't speak—only gave a slow, approving nod.
With that, Lázaro exited the arena, leaving the crowd roaring in excitement.
Oh yeah, they were getting their money's worth... more like meals' worth. They were betting on the corpses of certain Hollows they had in stock. Whatever made them happy.
Next Match: Lilith vs. Gula Bestia
The coliseum fell into an eerie silence.
Then, a heavy thud.
The arena gates shattered as something massive pushed its way through.
The biggest of big backs could be seen walking in, each of his steps causing the arena to shake. His sheer presence felt crushing to anyone nearby.
A grotesque, hulking Arrancar emerged—a towering figure of muscle and raw hunger. His chest gaped open, revealing a massive, drooling maw lined with jagged teeth, pulsating as if it had a life of its own. His bulging muscles twitched unnaturally, thick black veins throbbing beneath his pallid skin. His eyes were sunken, wild, filled with nothing but endless hunger.
His voice was guttural, like a beast barely able to form words.
"HUNGRY."
He stomped forward, the ground quaking beneath him. "FIGHT. EAT. GROW STRONGER."
Gabriel sighed. He had tried, but this man seemed to be primal, as if this was his default setting. Oh well. He did manage to become a Lesser Sin, so let's see what he could do.
He was... Yammy's underling, after all.
Gabriel's hopes for Yammy were not the highest. They were still high—he brought destruction and all that stuff, and he had raw power in spades—but he was dumb and could be killed by weaker opponents.
Then—light laughter.
From the opposite end of the arena, the gates opened with far more grace.
Out stepped Lilith.
A true vision of temptation and destruction.
Her flawless white skin shimmered under the artificial sun, her golden eyes glowing with sultry amusement. Her long, flowing black hair cascaded behind her like living shadows. Her devil-like horns curved elegantly above her head, her bat-like wings folding neatly against her back. Her armor, dark and skin-tight, accentuated every lethal curve—it was made so that one look at it would get any healthy man an erection, yet it was still safe enough to wear.
She looked at Gula Bestia with a slow, predatory smile.
Yes... she was looking at this beast like he was a piece of meat.
To be fair, he probably was that to her.
"My, my~" she purred, her voice dripping with honeyed venom. "Such a big, strong man... yet all you think about is eating?"
Gula tilted his head. "HUNGRY."
Lilith chuckled, placing a delicate hand on her hip. "Tsk, tsk. A man of such brute strength should have... other appetites, don't you think?"
She licked her lips.
Gula's massive form tensed, his instincts warring against something primal. His hunger faltered for a fraction of a second.
This bitch scared him.
Lilith's smile widened.
"Let's see if you can stomach me, darling~"
Gula felt some fear. His mindless mind seemed to tell him one thing—scary woman.