Holding on.
The battle between Hueco Mundo and the Soul Society did not last long. While Naraku Sora and Aizen were still chatting, Muguruma Kensei was the first to fall. His arm was crushed by Grimmjow, followed by a finishing Cero that completely stripped him of his combat capability.
Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō followed closely behind. After his Bankai's ability was unintentionally countered by Nnoitra, he lost his primary means of attack. Forced to rely on Kidō and his Shikai, he struggled through dozens of exchanges before being taken down by the frenzied Nnoitra.
Next were Aikawa Love and Hirako Shinji.
One was beaten into the ground by Szayelaporro, and the other was finished off by Harribel.
They were truly brothers in misery.
As for the other Lieutenants, they were completely powerless against the Espada. In just a few moves, they were all left lying on the ground.
Soon, only Kyōraku Shunsui was left on the battlefield, struggling to hold on. The scene was utterly tragic.
"Are you going to keep fighting, Soul Reaper Captain?"
Starrk scratched his head with the butt of his gun and pointed at the concluded battles in the distance, gesturing, "Your teammates have all fallen, you know."
"Although the Espada have taken some damage, it won't affect their ability to fight. From here on out, we'll be ganging up on you."
Kyōraku Shunsui glanced around, his expression instantly darkening.
He usually didn't feel it during their everyday interactions, but at a critical moment like this, he felt Yamamoto's pressure for the first time.
Leading such a group of dead weight into battle against formidable enemies was truly a form of torture.
If he had known, he would have acted alone from the start.
At the very least, he could have infiltrated Las Noches and gathered some intelligence.
Now look at this mess—he was going to die before even accomplishing his mission.
Dying himself was one thing, but dragging down his junior brother would make him feel incredibly guilty.
If only Old Man Yama were here.
Combined, these guys probably wouldn't even be enough for the old man to cut down on his own.
But soon, Kyōraku Shunsui shook his head, tossing that unrealistic thought aside.
Yamamoto still had to protect the Seireitei; he absolutely could not leave for a rescue mission.
If the Gates of Hell were to appear again while he was away, and Yamamoto wasn't there, it would truly be the end of everything.
"Actually, them falling is beneficial to me."
Kyōraku Shunsui held his twin swords. His captain's haori was covered in scorch marks from Ceros, making him look quite battered, but a closer look revealed no obvious injuries.
Because he had guessed a few things, he hadn't had much will to fight from the very beginning.
On the other hand, Lilynette had been constantly yelling about blasting all the enemies to pieces. In terms of fighting spirit, she was far superior to him.
Starrk raised an eyebrow, suddenly feeling the threat level of the man opposite him skyrocketing.
Kyōraku Shunsui flipped his wrists, his gaze suddenly turning sharp as he pointed his twin blades downward.
"Because this way, I can finally go all out."
Just as his Reiatsu began to boil, the shadows beneath his feet seemed to come alive, writhing like living creatures as a heavy, oppressive aura spread outward.
"Sora, it is time for your entrance," Aizen calmly reminded him. "Although almost no one knows about Captain Kyōraku's Bankai, I managed to find a little information in the Great Spirit Book Gallery."
"If he is allowed to release it, it will likely cause casualties."
"The goal of teaching the Captains a lesson has been achieved. Now, it is time to make the Espada face reality."
"It seems some people are no longer satisfied with the status quo."
Naraku Sora paused for a moment, then his mouth curled into a grin, revealing stark white teeth. He stretched his arms, producing a sound like a bowstring being pulled taut.
The next second, accompanied by a muffled boom, his figure vanished from the spot.
Just as Kyōraku Shunsui was about to activate his Bankai, an exhilarating voice suddenly echoed from the edge of the horizon:
"Senior Brother Kyōraku, I'm here to help!"
Before the words even faded, a figure trailing a long, burning tail of flames streaked across the sky like a falling meteor, crashing violently into the boundless desert.
A towering wave of sand shot into the sky!
The magnificent scene left everyone present momentarily dumbfounded.
Even Kyōraku Shunsui was shocked by this exaggerated entrance, unable to speak for a long time.
"?"
Looking at the certain someone radiating dazzling light, question marks popped up over Kyōraku Shunsui's head. *Weren't you captured by a Menos Grande?*
*Why did you suddenly appear here?*
*Could it be that the rumors spreading in the Soul Society are true, and he really has defected to Hueco Mundo's side?*
Just as he was about to ask, Szayelaporro, who had suddenly rushed over, put on a panicked expression and shouted loudly:
"Weren't you already taken down by my thousand-fold anesthetic? How did you suddenly appear here?"
Hearing this, Starrk looked at Szayelaporro in shock.
*When did that happen? Why didn't I know anything about it?*
*Just how brave are you to use anesthetics on that lord?*
"Heh, how could a mere anesthetic overcome my perfect body?" Naraku Sora scoffed. "Back in the Soul Society, I used to drink that stuff like water."
Kyōraku Shunsui fell silent.
He suddenly remembered that his junior brother would often visit the Department of Research and Development to assist with experiments, constantly using anesthetics.
In terms of resistance in that specific field, truly no one could surpass him.
Although the development seemed reasonable and the logic barely held up, he still felt something was off.
*Did the eyes of those Arrancars hold reverence in addition to fear?*
*It feels like I'm overlooking something.*
Just as Kyōraku Shunsui was trying to find the flaw, Szayelaporro's aura peaked. Terrifying Reiatsu poured out, transforming into a massive pillar of light that shot straight into the sky.
"I finally found such a perfect experimental subject; how could I let you escape so easily?"
"This time, I will definitely break your limbs and make you stay in Hueco Mundo forever!"
As the only Arrancar participating in this plan, Szayelaporro didn't give Kyōraku Shunsui any time to think, directly dragging Sora into battle.
"Senior Brother, you take care of getting those idiots out of here," Naraku Sora said, stretching his arms. The blazing flames of his Reiatsu burned away the upper half of his Shihakushō, and a terrifying heat instantly spread out.
"What about you?" Kyōraku Shunsui asked instinctively.
"Someone has to stay behind to cover the retreat. I can't exactly run away while carrying a bunch of people." Naraku Sora took a step forward, his broad back facing Kyōraku Shunsui, giving off a strong sense of security.
"..."
"Why are you acting as naggy as Old Man Yama at a critical moment like this?" Naraku Sora feigned extreme anger. "Without you guys dragging me down, it'll be much easier for me to escape!"
Hearing this, Kyōraku Shunsui gritted his teeth, turned, and used Flash Step to rush toward the nearest fallen comrade, Muguruma Kensei.
A sweeping slash temporarily forced Harribel back. Catching her off guard, he directly pulled the unconscious Kensei into the shadows.
This was a deep development of his Zanpakutō's abilities.
His shadows were no longer purely a means of attack; they were now tools he could flexibly manipulate.
Although it was still a bit inferior to the Quincies, it was enough.
If he hadn't spent so much time searching for traces of the Wandenreich within the shadows of the Seireitei, he wouldn't have honed this skill to such a degree.
Seeing the man leave, Starrk muttered softly:
"Your Majesty, you aren't really going to fight us, are you?"
"Fighting is just too troublesome."
"Besides, how could we possibly be your match?"
Although he rarely fought Naraku Sora, he was very self-aware.
The first time he met this guy, he had been beaten so badly he couldn't even fight back.
Now, a few years had passed, and his own strength hadn't grown much.
But Naraku Sora had clearly become much stronger. Now, there was even less hope of winning.
Hearing this, Naraku Sora's voice boomed:
"Bastard! As the Number One Espada, how can you act like such a lazy slacker? What exactly do you think my Las Noches is?"
Starrk scratched his head and asked tentatively, "A place to sleep peacefully?"
Naraku Sora: "..."
Sure enough, there was no point in talking to a slacker who was marinated this deeply in laziness. He just had to use forceful measures.
It was a good thing he found out early. Otherwise, given a little more time, this Starrk might have forgotten how to fight altogether.
In terms of fighting spirit alone, he was far inferior to Lilynette.
"Enough nonsense. Today, I will definitely correct your bad habits."
As his words fell, Naraku Sora immediately stretched his arms. Magma-like patterns surfaced on his body, and a terrifying, scorching wind rushed forward.
[Shunkō: Blazing Lightning Hell]!
A fierce grin curled the corners of his mouth. He stepped forward with his right foot, his sole like a red-hot branding iron, instantly scorching and melting the silver sand beneath it.
Boom!
The battlefield trembled!
As he pulled his right arm back, his Reiatsu swelled and surged, as if coming alive.
His ultimate technique was displayed to its fullest at this moment.
Seeing this, Starrk's expression changed drastically, and he didn't dare to continue joking around.
He knew his boss very well.
Once he truly entered combat mode, no amount of flattery would work.
If he really adopted a non-resistance policy, he would simply be punched to pieces.
Blood flowed from his palms, seeping into his flintlock pistols.
Dark blue electrical arcs gathered at the muzzles, and countless Reishi rioted, forming an even more intense Cero that distorted the very space around it.
The next second, the deep night sky was covered by an azure blue torrent. A flash like an apocalyptic tsunami drove away the darkness, causing the endless silver sand to disintegrate and melt, leaving a massive void in the ground ahead.
A Cero of such magnitude immediately attracted the attention of the other Arrancars.
Even Kyōraku Shunsui was shocked by it, but he quickly snapped back to reality. Taking advantage of the distraction, he rapidly gathered his fallen comrades into the shadows one by one.
When Naraku Sora threw his right punch forward, the scorching wind rose again. Like magma erupting from the earth's crust, a blistering heat permeated the desert.
[Single Bone]!
Then, the scalding wind let out a deafening shriek. Like a heavy hammer, it forcefully shattered Starrk's Gran Rey Cero, bringing the surging torrent to an abrupt halt.
Looking down from above, it was as if a vast ocean had been completely blocked by a single stone monument.
Despite having long known about Naraku Sora's strength, seeing this exaggerated scene still left Starrk shocked beyond measure.
*Can we really win this?*