CHAPTER 8: Oppression

So about the criticism with Kazuya's race-switching ability. He wont be staying Hollow only. The whole idea of the story was for a chaotic protagonist to mess around with every faction. He will also invade Wandenreich at some point.

But rest assured he will stay Hollow a majority of the time since it will be his most powerful form.

***

How would anyone imagine the ability of oppression? The power to overwhelm someone to the point they have no chance to fight back. The power to crush someone under sheer pressure like a bug.

The manifestation of Kazuya's Aspect of Death worked similarly, yet worlds apart from those concepts.

It was truly a breathtaking ability.

He went out in search of a foe to test its effectiveness. Lo-and-behold, he found four massive Hollows hibernating in an underground cave. They were Menos Grande.

Unlike Adjuchas and Vasto Lorde, a Menos Grande surpassed the height of an average house in Japan. Each cloaked in black' wearing a mask with an extending nose bearing three holes. Despite their giant size, they were considered foot soldiers in Las Noches, as they were below Adjuchas in strength and raw power, and were more commonly known as Gillian.

All the Gillians screeched as they sensed the intruders.

Apacci nudged him with her horn. "There is no point in fighting her. Let's go!"

She could take on three or four Gillians on her own but their combined Cero would absolutely wreck her. She was also afraid of attracting some stronger Hollow by the fight.

Kazuya merely smiled and stretched his hand towards the Gillians. "Oppress atmospheric air."

A blue Reiatsu surrounded the intimidating giant Hollows, and the wind howled like a wolf.

Atmospheric air was everywhere, just like Reishi in Hueco Mundo. In a wide open world, the air alone weighed over hundred of thousands of pounds. Typically, the internal body pressure canceled the atmospheric air while body tissues absorbed the rest of the net force. The Oppression overturned that perfect balance in favor of pure destruction. A Gillian's body structure was incomparably more resilient than human, but could it survive nearly a ton of pressure from all sides?

The answer revealed itself in the form of cracking bones. Flesh ruptured and blood spurted. In an expected turn of events, the four Gillians, towering over four stories, crumbled in balls of grotesque flesh.

"Amazing…"

The sheer force of his innate ability left him astonished.

[Aspect of Death (Oppression): Oppression crushes all by infallible authority. With the power of oppression, you can heighten any aspect of a physical body, be it your surroundings or a part of your enemy's body.

Reiryoku's consumption will be increased depending on the resistance faced and your comprehension of the aspect.]

A fitting ability for the man who always lived under the constant oppression of his grandfather, albeit a mental one. He could amplify one aspect of his surroundings as long as it existed physically.

He could technically raise anyone's heartbeat and destroy their heart. An instant death that would require immense Reiryoku varying from individual to individual.

The ability, however, wasn't perfect: its energy consumption was its biggest drawback, followed by its conditions. Just one use against Gillians drained his Reiryoku by nearly a quarter. The efficiency would be even worse if he tried to control stronger Hollows. The ability wouldn't work if his opponent repelled his Reiatsu with a greater concentration of Reiryoku.

'I need to expand my knowledge if I want to fully harness this ability.'

He regretted skipping physics classes and having some juicy time with his math professor, who happened to be his girlfriend.

Apacci stared at Gillians in horror, an icy shiver clinging to her spine. The incomprehensible power left her in awe and terror. The random Hollow she found was a terrifying slaughter machine.

"What did you do…?" Apacci whispered, shock refusing to leave her face. "Is this the true ability of a Vasto Lorde?

"Hmm?" He tilted his head and smiled innocently. "You wouldn't understand even if I told you. And no, not every Vasto Lorde should have something so terrifying."

"You little rascal." Apacci never wanted to skewer someone with her horns until now. His innocent ridicule truly pissed her off. "I will—" She paused, her eyes darting toward the distant hills, a primal terror overtaking her.

Kazuya chuckled. "You sensed it too?"

Apacci slowly nodded at his question. "My senses are vastly superior to other Adjuchas."

Her senses may have developed from her cowardly way of life, but she took pride in her achievement. Survival in Hueco Mundo depended on several things. Faster, stronger, and smarter — she had two things better than her counterparts.

"Commendable." The youth, who only thought about his self interests, grinned ear to ear. "They came at the right time. Apacci, why don't you hide in some corner and let me deal with them?"

The newcomers didn't bother hiding their Reiatsu, which surpassed Apacci's Reiatsu by a small margin.

Apacci didn't obey his order, standing rooted to her position. "The hell do you think you're talking to? I'm not some weenie coward. Watch my Cero rip them to shreds!"

Her Reiryoku fully recovered after eating the Hollow; she could destroy weaker Hollows with her Cero rays, even if she was no match for a male Adjuchas.

"You are finally showing some backbone," Kazuya whispered and gently rubbed her Hollow mask. "I love it when you show such determination."

"Grrrrr. Don't treat me like a pet."

The enemies showed up soon. A humanoid lizard-like Hollow standing over two meters, a gargantuan monkey-like Hollow with a white mask, and another one in the form of a giant crow towering over his companions.

Three Adjuchas with hostile intentions appeared before him. It was only natural for him to treat them like dolls in a dollhouse.

"A white puny goat and a deer," the monkey said in a sharp voice. "They match the image of two Hollows killing my subordinates around this place."

"Let's crush them and go back to Lord Baraggan."

The crow nodded at the words of his fellow indirect subordinates of the undisputed king of Hueco Mundo. They had let out their Hollows subordinates to evolve in the wild, only to be killed by newcomers.

Appaci's response — a crispy beam of Cero Ray that scorched the monkey's fur around his chest, leaving a bloody mess. "You pathetic monkey, I am a reindeer. Kazuya also has wings. He is no goat. Open your damn eyes before spitting bullshit."

"Goddamn." Kazuya beamed a smile at the furious Hollows while patting Apacci's head. "That's not a friendly way to approach our guests, now is that? Hey you three, why don't we sit down in my cave and chat about your life troubles? I'm an A-grade listener. A professional therapist."

"The heck are you saying?" Apacci retorted. "They are mad now!"

"You dare to mock me, a retainer of Lord Barragan's court?"

"You will pay for this."

"Death to the sinner!!!"

The Hollows roared with rage and charged at him. He vanished in a blink of an eye, leaving a sonic boom. He reappeared moments later several meters away with his Sonído technique. He left the Hollows in the dust with his speed.

"No need to be so mad. Geez." He raised his hand from Apacci's head and released the full pressure of his Vasto Lorde-Class Reiatsu. "You guys should die but that's not what I want. You'll be part of something great. Be happy that you died for a great cause~."

The Hollows felt as if the sky collapsed as their very souls shivered in terror. His Reiatsu was ripping their souls.

"A V-Vasto Lorde?!"

"Curse our luck. What is a Vasto Lorde doing here?"

"Fuck!!!"

The realization came far too late; their deaths were written in stone the moment they approached him with malicious intent.

Apacci, who was behind Kazuya, merely felt a fraction of his oppressive Reiatsu. Even that left her shaken to her core.

'Vasto Lorde are crazy strong.'

How great would it be to have such power? She could say goodbye to her run and hide life and live the way Kazuya mentioned without fearing the inevitable "end." A desire not so different from envy flooded her chest.

Alas, she was one of those Adjuchas-Class who barely received any strength increase even after consuming an Adjuchas-Class Hollow — to put it simply; she lacked the potential to become a Vasto Lorde.

Backing down on a promise irked her. She gritted her teeth. "Screw Vasto Lorde. I'm becoming the strongest Arrancar."

Her quest to reach new heights had just started.

***

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