Chapter 95 - One Down

"No matter how powerful you become, do not try to shoulder everything alone." — Itachi Uchiha.

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Strength. What exactly was it?

What did it symbolize that anyone could tell it if they saw it?

What form did it take?

Was it a concept that one could take over and use for their own benefit and command unscrupulously, without regards?

Or was it a concept that blessed all who sought it out, giving to every man its gift in equal proportions to their worth?

… What sort of strength did Baraggan Louisenbairn, King of all Hollows, wield?

…..

"How quaint." A miasma of dark red Reiatsu pulsated over the white sands outside Las Noches, its intensity unmatched, all of which was being emitted from one being, who was currently walking towards the Itachi and the others.

With the appearance of a skeleton, the God-king of Hueco Mundo, in a display of his noble status, had a gold crown on his head as well as golden bracelets fastened over his wrists. He had a dark robe lined with black furs draped over his body – a very fearful image on its own, which was further multiplied over numerous folds with the spiritual pressure oozing out of him.

"The little one seeks death. At least she is wise enough to know what fate's final hand dealt her. Though I can't say the same for the both of you. Especially you." His Reiatsu settled to a degree, but it was nothing reassuring. He raised his bony finger and pointed at Starrk.

"Serve me, and I'll let them live." When last had he seen a Hollow like this, with as much spiritual pressure as the one in front of him. A genuine Vasto Lorde, one at such a high level, just like him.

"Killing a powerful Vasto Lorde like you will be a waste. I demand an answer from you right this moment."

It wasn't an offer, that much was clear from a mile away, but instead an order. One Baraggan ensured in a way that would leave Starrk without any choice.

Five figures appeared behind Itachi's group and blocked off any viable path of retreat for them. Five small hills behind and an insurmountable mountain in front of them.

"Capture the Shinigami and the girl. Kill them if they resist." Baraggan's orders were swift and decisive as he ordered their deaths to force Starrk's hands.

"Is there any reason for us to fight? You are the king of Hollows, aren't you? Las Noches, and technically Hueco Mundo, is under your role. What more do you want to gain from this?" Starrk asked.

He just couldn't fathom what went inside people's minds at most times. What use would it serve if he gained a Vasto Lorde in his ranks?

"The thoughts of a king are not for his servants to decipher. Decide now, for the next few seconds will bring to light the fate of your companions." Baraggan slowly turned his head, now facing Itachi and staring at him with those dark empty sockets that reflected no light. "As for the Shinigami, I will have a word with you when I'm done with this one. It seems your kind are growing too arrogant for you to barge into this king's realm. Perhaps a warning should be sent."

"Itachi, can you trust you to take care of those behind?" Starrk's eyes never left Baraggan, knowing instinctively how dangerous the Hollow in front of him was. And despite that, he still felt a little reluctant to fight.

Itachi's eyes surveyed the five Adjuchas behind them. Five very strong Adjuchas, stronger than any other Adjuchas he'd killed, but he understood why.

They were the direct subordinates of the Hollow king who was one of, if not the strongest Hollow in existence, which meant that they were a clear cut above other Hollows of the same rank.

"I'll try." He replied curtly. Protecting Lilynette and fighting off five extremely strong Adjuchas at the same time was a sufficiently hard task to carry.

"Burn and Reveal, Honshin." He wasted no time in activating his Shikai, knowing he would need it from the get-go if he ever hoped for them to leave here as fast as they could.

"Lilynette," He called out to the frightened girl between him and Starrk, "I'll draw them all to myself. Make yourself scarce on this battlefield, as far as you can."

She glanced at Starrk and saw him give a subtle nod.

"Impudent and ignorant. I'll rectify that."

Baraggan's scowl was followed by a black miasma that was blasted from his hands, curving towards Lilynette in the middle but Starrk intercepted it with a casual Cero blast from his hands.

"For your arrogance against our king, I'll take immense pleasure in flaying your skin from your bones, Shinigami." A buffed up Hollow who looked like a green furred elephant with a helmet mask around his head stepped forward with a manic grin plastered deeply on his lower face.

"Be careful, Nirrge. He is not a simple Shinigami." A rather large Hollow, Choe Neng Poww, larger than the elephant Nirrge, advised calmly. "It won't do for his majesty's fraccion to be bested by a Shinigami."

"Get ready, Lilynette."

The mammoth galloped towards them with great momentum, confirming Itachi's thoughts not to clash with him head on.

"Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws!!"

"Hadō #33: Sōkatsui."

Following the full Kidō incantation, a tremendous wave of blue flames sparked from Itachi's hands and engulfed the charging mammoth.

"Go now!" His shout jolted Lilynette who had been in a dazed state back to focus and spurred her into breaking a run towards where the other four Hollows were.

Another of Baraggan's fraccion, Abirama Redder – a humanoid red bird covered in red Reiatsu –, moved to intercept Lilynette but Itachi was one step ahead, clashing his sword against the bird's talons.

"Don't stop." He said before blowing up in a blaze of black and yellow flames.

'I need to create a safe distance between me and those two.' Itachi thought as he flipped midair and slashed down at the shoulder of Nirrge, the elephant Hollow who had gotten up without any prominent damage.

'Incredibly tough skin and robust Reiatsu. Simple illusions will have nothing on them. Tsukuyomi. Amaterasu. I'll be pushing you guys from now on, bear with me.'

'It's about damn time! Let's go loose on these bugs, Itachi!' Amaterasu was all too happy at the prospect of letting loose that it reflected in the black robes of flames Itachi wore, losing their clear form and started flickering errantly.

'We are always here, Itachi. And yes, this is no time for restraints.'

With the agreements from both of his sword spirits, Itachi's Sharingan opened and his blade shortened to a tanto.

Lilynette was already less than a second away from being cleaved in two from the giant pincers of one of Baraggan's fraccion – a blonde haired Hollow with crab pincers, one of which was a giant one, for hands – who was in the middle of cackling as he imagined the spray of blood from the little girl.

"Eh?"

His eyes blinked in confusion as his pincers clamped shut a moment too late as the little girl suddenly disappeared.

"Findorr, look out!" One of his comrades called all but he was too confused trying to understand why everything was happening so fast.

His Hollow instincts kicked in at the last moment and he retreated in a burst of speed.

"Hmm?"

"Findorr!"

His Hollow instincts kicked in at the last moment and he—

His thoughts ground to a slow halt as the world around him started making sense but when it did, he still failed to understand how it came about.

Both of his hands were gone and there was a long thin cut in his Hollow mask, but thankfully it didn't break.

"RARGHH!" Nirgge roared fired off a barrage of Ceros at Itachi who had his sword drawn mid swing to decapitate Findorr, except Itachi just flickered between them and retreated like a mirage.

The last Hollow jumped in and pulled Findorr out to check the damage he received and know why he just stood like a fool even after the Shinigami cut off both of his hands.

"Findorr, what the hel—"

"GET AWAY!" The handicapped Hollow screamed in a horrified manner but that let Ggio Vega, an average humanoid Hollow with a sabretooth Hollow mask, tiger stripes over his entire body and long blades that extended from the back of his hands, to notice the slight fluctuation of Reiatsu in Findorr's body and retreated at the last second before Findorr's stump and cracked mask exploded with black flames.

A second where he had been too focused on the girl – that was all it took for Itachi to orchestrate his death.

A split moment of distraction, a split moment of looking away from the main threat and one of Las Noches' most elite Hollows died without even showing a percentage of what he was worth.

The four Hollows who had thought this would be an easy win stared dumbly at Itachi, a stare that quickly changed to a vengeful glare, only to be on the receiving end of a pair of cursed red eyes reading every tiny movement they made.

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