"Die."
The giant star-charged fist of Mask De Masculine fell from the sky toward Zaraki Kenpachi.
However, just as the fist was about to strike Kenpachi, a long spear suddenly appeared and blocked the blow head-on. The spear then twisted sharply and counterattacked.
Boom.
Mask was blasted away by the force of the strike and flew backward, crashing heavily into a distant wall.
"Take him away."
A gentle voice sounded. Two figures instantly appeared beside Kenpachi, lifted his unconscious body, and retreated rapidly into the distance.
"…Are you pretending to be righteous?"
Kenpachi glanced weakly at the cloaked figure before him. He could clearly feel that their Reiatsu was somewhat unusual.
"That's right. We are subordinates of Lady Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck," Peixue replied.
Kenpachi asked faintly, "Then why save me?"
Dondechakka answered, "It's very simple. Master Kurotsuki Renya ordered us to rescue you."
"…Kurotsuki Renya…"
Kenpachi nodded slightly. His body relaxed, and he finally closed his eyes.
After Dondechakka and Peixue left with Kenpachi, Nelliel remained where she was. She had already stabilized herself after releasing and partially retracting her Resurrección, choosing a safer combat state.
At that moment, a figure suddenly descended from afar and struck at Nelliel with both feet.
"Star Kick."
Facing the attack, Nelliel dodged calmly. The spirit spear in her hand dropped instantly like falling judgment.
Boom.
Mask was smashed hard into the ground.
Nelliel pressed her limbs against the desert surface, then leapt high into the sky and hurled the spear downward from above.
The spear detonated upon impact.
Boom.
A massive explosion rang out as the surrounding ground trembled continuously.
However, after the smoke cleared, a figure slowly rose from the crater, completely uninjured. Mask stared at Nelliel in the sky and said with visible disappointment,
"Is this all? That won't make for a wonderful show for the audience."
Mask felt that the strength Nelliel displayed was almost on the same level as Kenpachi.
Kenpachi's current power was already greater than when he had previously defeated high-level opponents. Meanwhile, Nelliel had recovered her strength after releasing her Resurrección. Her combat level was now roughly half a tier stronger than that of a typical Espada.
Thus, the difference in strength between the two fighters was not very large.
Nelliel snorted coldly when she heard this.
"Really? Then defeat me first "
Before she could finish speaking, Mask suddenly appeared in front of her. His fists turned into afterimages as he threw more than a dozen punches in an instant.
Boom, boom, boom, boom.
"Star Killer Iron Fist."
At the first punch, Nelliel raised her spear to block.
At the second punch, the spear shattered instantly.
At the third punch, Nelliel crossed her arms to defend, but one of her arms broke under the impact.
All the punches that followed landed directly on her body.
Boom, boom, boom, boom.
Her figure trembled violently. With the final strike, she was blasted backward.
The moment she was sent flying, Mask appeared again, seized her, and hurled her fiercely.
"Star Tackle."
Also known as a one-mile throw a technique capable of launching an opponent an enormous distance through sheer physical power.
Boom.
Nelliel slammed heavily into the ground, blood spraying from her mouth as her Hierro-reinforced skin tore open.
"That's enough."
Mask let out a long breath, while James beside him cheered loudly.
…
"Kurotsuki Renya, one of your subordinates has already lost."
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto said with a gloomy expression.
Renya withdrew his long sword, still dripping with blood. In the distance, Yhwach who had been disguised as Royd Lloyd also reverted in appearance and collapsed.
Renya said angrily, "I already told her to use her full strength. In the end, she still underestimated the enemy."
"After suffering such damage… she must be dead," Yamamoto said softly.
Renya smiled faintly.
"Don't worry. Just keep watching."
As his words fell, a beam of light flashed in the distance. Nelliel's injuries began healing continuously as she slowly stood up from the ground.
After the recovery, the armor fragments on her body disappeared and her Hollow mask features faded. Her form became more antelope-like, returning closer to her original Resurrección appearance.
Her Reiatsu surged dramatically.
Seeing this, Yamamoto nodded secretly.
"You should return to the Seireitei," Renya said. "Prevent any possible assault there. Leave this battlefield to me."
"…Very well. I will leave matters here to you."
As Yamamoto spoke, he opened a Senkaimon and departed.
…
Seeing Nelliel recover, Mask was shocked.
"How is this possible? Even I wouldn't be able to endure that attack just now. Why didn't she die?"
"I was careless… Master Renya will definitely scold me when I return," Nelliel said in slight distress.
Mask immediately rushed forward and threw a powerful punch, but struck nothing.
Nelliel had already appeared above him. A spirit spear formed in her hand and pierced downward.
Puff.
The spear penetrated Mask's chest. His body trembled violently. Nelliel pulled out the weapon and said softly,
"You are dead."
But in the next instant, a huge fist struck her.
"Dead? As long as James doesn't die, I will never die," Mask said proudly.
Caught off guard, Nelliel was blasted away. She flipped mid-air and stabilized herself as another spear formed in her hand.
Whoosh.
This time, the spear did not target Mask but shot toward James.
Boom.
The explosion incinerated James.
"This time I can kill you," Nelliel said.
Mask only smiled.
"It's useless. As long as I exist, he will continue to be reborn."
Sure enough, several James figures slowly appeared in the distance not one or two, but four of them, each running in different directions.
"Then I will kill all of you."
Two spirit spears formed in Nelliel's hands. She threw one toward a James.
Boom.
One clone was destroyed.
Before she could throw the second spear, Mask suddenly shot upward and head-butted her.
Nelliel clenched her right fist and struck his head in return.
Boom.
Her right arm twisted at an unnatural angle.
"…His power increased?"
Although Nelliel was not known for brute strength, Mask's physical power had now multiplied several times.
"It's simple. The more James there are, the stronger I become," Mask explained.
He grabbed Nelliel and smashed her from the sky down into the desert.
"Star Toss."
Nelliel crashed heavily into the sand. Mask then stretched out his limbs, aiming directly at her.
A pentagonal Quincy star pattern appeared on the ground, with Nelliel standing at its center.
"Star Beam Supernova."
A massive pentagonal beam of light descended and engulfed her completely.
"Now… you will die."
Mask exhaled slowly.
However, the beam suddenly vanished. Nelliel still stood there, completely unharmed.
"…What?"
Mask could not understand why she had not been injured or where the energy had gone.
Whoosh.
Nelliel stepped forward and soared into the sky, stopping hundreds of meters above him before opening her mouth.
Reishi gathered violently.
With a thunderous blast, a gigantic Cero fired downward.
The beam swallowed Mask and all the James on the ground, forming a colossal pillar of light that covered an extremely wide area.
The desert shook violently. Sand and stone overturned as a heaven-shaking roar filled the battlefield, causing everyone present to feel their hearts tremble.
When the light finally faded, Mask and all manifestations of James had completely disappeared.
Nelliel wiped the corner of her mouth and said quietly,
"Your strength frightened me… but thank you for providing such powerful energy."
In the distance, Kurotsuki Renya watched with a faint smile.
"After reaching a deeper stage of Resurrección evolution, she can not only devour incoming Cero-class attacks but also absorb spirit-formed energy itself, fuse it with her own Cero, and release it together."