"What the hell are you talking about!" Nnoitra roared, his mouth overflowing with blood as he screamed. The battle maniac didn't understand what Makiya meant. Since he had no tongue left, his cries were nothing more than unintelligible noises.
However, his actions spoke for him. The sharp, crescent-moon horns atop his head pierced through the air as Nnoitra charged at Makiya like a crazed bull.
Driven by pure rage, the energy within Nnoitra's body became completely active. His horns were the hardest and sharpest parts of his body; he rarely used them for direct attacks, but to buy time, he was going all out.
Clang!
The blade and horns collided, producing a bone-chilling screech. Makiya held back Nnoitra's headbutt with a single-handed grip on his sword. He then extended the index finger of his left hand, pointing it lightly at Nnoitra's back.
"Hado #33: Sokatsui!"
Blue-white flames erupted from his fingertip, striking Nnoitra's back like a falling meteor. Following a violent explosion, Nnoitra's body was sent tumbling backward, crashing through countless ruins before finally coming to a halt.
"Damn it..." Slurred sounds escaped Nnoitra's mouth as he spat out a mouthful of blood. He stood up in a wretched state, white steam rising from the wounds on his tongue and body as they began to rapidly regenerate.
"Hey now, Nnoitra, you're holding back way too much. If you don't show your real power, I think you're actually going to be killed," Grimmjow chuckled, his tone filled with schadenfreude.
"Now is not the time for infighting," Baraggan stepped forward, his ancient voice echoing across the battlefield. "The other Soul Reaper hasn't even made a move yet. As those who stand at the peak of Hueco Mundo, how can we allow a mere pair of Soul Reapers to run wild here?"
With that, he waved his hand, and boundless black energy surged behind him. "In the name of the King of Hueco Mundo, I order you all to attack together and kill the enemy before us!"
"What nonsense are you spewing? I never acknowledged you as my king," Harribel sighed, yet she took a step forward, assuming a combat stance. "But Baraggan is right. Hueco Mundo cannot allow Soul Reapers to cause such chaos."
Harribel raised her massive shark-fin-like blade, pointing its tip at Makiya. "Unknown Soul Reaper, I advise you to leave this place immediately, or today shall be the day you perish."
"To be honest, we just came here to do a little jungling," Makiya said with a shrug. "I didn't expect a few setbacks to push us straight into the enemy's base."
With that, Makiya turned and shouted toward the distant Kisuke Urahara, "Hey, Urahara! How's the modification on that tracking device coming along?"
"I'm halfway done!"
"That's good. Stay back; I can handle things here."
"Understood. I'll come get you as soon as it's ready." Kisuke adjusted his green hat and used Shunpo to move further away without a second thought.
"How cold-blooded. He just left his companion like that?" Grimmjow sneered. He despised people like Kisuke.
"It's not cold-blooded," Makiya smiled at Grimmjow. "Kisuke simply trusts my strength. He believes that even if you all attack together, you still won't be a match for me."
"Arrogant brat!" Grimmjow's expression instantly darkened. Having originally intended to stay out of it, he was now provoked. He dropped to all fours, tensing his muscles in an aggressive stance.
Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, whose aspect of death was 'Destruction.' He was hot-tempered, easily angered, and naturally cruel. He believed in the law of the jungle and that all creatures weaker than him should be eliminated.
"You bastard! You dare to look away while fighting me?"
A roar erupted from Nnoitra. His six bone blades grew even sharper with his rage, their intensity rising. He moved with incredible fluidity for his size, each strike heavy and wide, as if he intended to cleave Makiya in two.
Yet, his movements were still slow in Makiya's eyes, and his body was riddled with openings. Without even needing to use special techniques, Makiya was able to parry every one of Nnoitra's attacks using only his superior speed and strength.
Makiya's footwork was light as he pivoted to avoid three heavy slashes, then swung his own blade to block the other three. His wrist snapped with sudden force, and his spiritual pressure, compressed to the extreme, made his blade even sharper, instantly severing three of Nnoitra's arms.
High-Speed Regeneration!
Before the severed arms could even hit the ground, a thick white liquid surged from the stumps on Nnoitra's body. Three brand-new arms sprouted instantly and immediately rejoined the fray.
A Menos's skin was as hard as steel, and Nnoitra's body could become even harder with each regeneration. His Hierro was constantly strengthening; every time it collided with Makiya's blade, sparks flew.
"Hahahaha! Look! No matter how many times you cut them off, I'll recover instantly! How about it? Do you feel despair yet, stranger?" Nnoitra's face was twisted in excitement, as if he had the upper hand.
Makiya ignored the taunt, pushing Nnoitra back with a heavy overhead strike. He then flicked a tiny spark from his fingertip—a bright red flame that landed on the arms still lying on the ground.
As if the spark had landed in a pile of dry hay, the bright red flames roared to life instantly, engulfing Nnoitra's severed arms. The hardened Hierro was completely unable to withstand the heat and began to melt within the fire.
The unique power of a Hollow once again poured into his body. Makiya felt a surge of refreshment, and the way he looked at Nnoitra became even more intense.
"That guy..." Harribel and the others were shocked. They had initially thought Makiya's ability to devour Baraggan's 'Aging' was due to some natural elemental counter, but it seemed it wasn't that simple. This strange Soul Reaper was actually devouring Nnoitra's energy as well—something completely unheard of.
"Heh, it's actually quite similar to how we Hollows evolve," Grimmjow muttered with a low laugh. Hollows needed to devour their own kind to ascend, and Makiya's actions were remarkably similar.
"We can't let this drag on. Everyone, attack together!" Harribel decided. She lifted her greatsword and charged into the battlefield in an instant.
"Hey! Who said you could interfere in my fight?" Nnoitra acted indignant, waving his six arms toward Harribel as if to strike her, but at the last second, he pivoted mid-air. He swung his blades in a wide arc, aiming for Makiya's legs.
Harribel's greatsword came down from above, delivering a blow of immense weight.
Nnoitra was exceptionally cunning and had vast experience in ganging up on foes. He even tried to use a feint to deceive Makiya.
But Makiya didn't fall for it. As a master of the blade, he could determine which strikes were feints and which were real simply by observing Nnoitra's lower body movements and muscle tension.
His blade moved like an impenetrable wall. Even facing the combined assault of two powerful enemies, Makiya showed no panic. He even used the razor-sharp edge of his sword to occasionally lop off another of Nnoitra's arms, igniting them with his flames right in front of the Hollow to devour their energy.
"That man's ability..." Baraggan felt a deep sense of dread. He was wary of the power itself, but he was more unsettled by Makiya's attitude.
Logically, anyone with such a defying ability would hide it, afraid of drawing too much attention or hostility.
Makiya, however, was different. He was flaunting it without the slightest bit of concealment. This could only mean one thing: he had no intention of letting any of them leave alive, and he was confident he could crush them all.
"Although my pride as a king makes me disdain such a group effort..." Baraggan found a justification for himself. "For the future peace of Hueco Mundo, as king, I must take up this responsibility."
With that, Baraggan lunged forward, his massive broad-axe letting out a heavy whistle.
"Hey, hey, hey! So many people against one? That's not very fair, is it?" Grimmjow couldn't hold back any longer. His pride in fair combat clashed with his innate battle-hungry genes.
Ultimately, his battle-lust won. A crazed fighting spirit flashed in Grimmjow's eyes, and he joined the fray with a roar.
Ulquiorra, the most composed among them, remained standing in the void with his hands in his pockets, choosing not to join the chaos just yet.
He was one of the calmest Menos. His dark green pupils were focused entirely on Makiya's figure. 'His ability is indeed strong, but his skill is also rare—no, it's not just rare. That guy is a supreme master of the path of the sword!'
Even under the siege of so many opponents, Makiya remained composed. The flames burned fiercely around him, and invisible energy continuously flowed from the various Hollows into his body.
'I have a bad feeling about this,' Ulquiorra whispered to himself. He shared Baraggan's intuition. An ability that could devour foreign energy to strengthen oneself was heaven-defying. The fact that Makiya displayed it so openly meant he had no plans of letting them escape.
"It seems I have no choice but to act!"
Having made his decision, the wings on Ulquiorra's back vibrated, and he dived into the battlefield like a shooting star.
The moment he joined the fight, everyone felt an invisible force wrap around their bodies. Their forms became uncontrollable, suspended in mid-air. Even Yammy, who was just watching, was lifted off the ground.
"What's happening? Why can't I move?"
"What kind of technique is this?"
"So many swords... Does his Zanpakuto have this many abilities?"
The group of Hollows expressed their shock. This unfamiliar technique left them completely bewildered.
"Ultimate Sword Art: Storm of Blades!"
The first awakening finisher of the Blade Master from DNF finally bloomed in the world of Soul Reapers.