Chapter 342: Own Powerlessness

"Shinji!!"

The faces of Kensei Muguruma, Rose Otoribashi, and Love Aikawa changed drastically. The speed at which Shinji Hiraki was defeated was too fast—they hadn't expected that H'el would completely nullify Hiyori's shikai *Sakanade* with just one exchange.

"Tekken Tachikaze?" Kensei Muguruma's eyes were wide with shock and disbelief. The pale green threads entwined around Shinji were just like the blades released by his own Shikai.

When Tekaze is swung, its trajectory forms threads of pale green blades that dismember any enemy they touch, causing them to explode.

H'el had observed Kensei use this ability once and then modified it, transforming the barely perceptible green blades into fine, invisible threads. With each clash of swords between him and Shinji, these threads had entwined themselves around his body.

These threads, as gentle as a breeze, had silently coiled around Shinji's body, cutting through his blood vessels and making his blood spray out like a mist, marking his end in the sky.

This delicate manipulation of spiritual particles to create an attack as fine as thread could be considered the next stage of Kensei's shikai ability, but Kensei himself was unable to achieve it. He simply didn't have H'el's control over spiritual particles.

Kensei, Rose, and Love watched with grim faces as Shinji fell from the sky.

From the ground, Retsu Unohana instantly flashed towards the falling Shinji to catch her.

Jushiro Ukitake's handsome face was severe, his pupils constantly contracting as key moments of the battle flashed through his mind.

Kenpachi Kiganjo and now Shinji Hirako had been defeated too quickly.

An overwhelming flood of thoughts rushed through Ukitake's mind, as if a bolt of insight struck him, suddenly recalling Kyoraku Shunsui's words when they first arrived at the battlefield.

"Spiritual pressure..."

Ukitake muttered softly to himself.

He thought about how H'el had used some unknown technique to defeat Kyoraku Shunsui and Shunsui's subsequent warning. Then he recalled how Shinji had released a tentative Hadō #31, Shakkahō"l, only for it to be absorbed into the black sphere and transformed into a giant fireball that struck down Kenpachi Kiganjo's.

Then, he remembered how Kensei's shikai had been utilized only once before H'el observed it, adapted it, and created even finer, more concealed threads that ultimately defeated Shinji. All of these incidents demonstrated H'el's extraordinary ability to manipulate and adapt spiritual particles into various forms.

He glanced at the vast spheres behind H'el, which were endlessly absorbing spiritual energy, and suddenly realized something.

H'el was using the three thousand dark spheres to absorb a massive amount of spiritual energy, manipulating it within them to form different techniques.

Using spiritual energy-based techniques against him was futile because he was continuously absorbing, analyzing, and improving upon them.

"Don't use pure Kidō or spirit particle techniques! Attack him with pure spiritual pressure! Only attacks infused with strong spiritual pressure will work against him!"

Ukitake shouted urgently to Kensei, Rose, and Love. His voice echoed through the sky as he, himself, began to flash-step towards H'el from behind.

"Sougyo no Kotowari!" Ukitake muttered as he released a powerful spiritual pressure slash with his dual swords, aiming to cleave through one of the dark spheres. The sphere split open, revealing the dense spiritual particles within, resembling the interior of a candy shell.

As soon as the sphere was cut open, its spiritual particles quickly flowed back into its walls, transferring the energy to other intact spheres. Ultimately, the sliced sphere was reduced to an empty black shell, which Ukitake then crushed with his spiritual pressure.

Ukitake's eyes widened as he realized how to defeat H'el.

They needed to destroy all three thousand dark spheres.

Hearing Ukitake's warning, Kensei, Rose, and Love exchanged a glance and began to unleash the full intensity of their spiritual pressure, preparing their Bankai.

"Bankai: Tekken Tachikaze." Kensei roared, releasing the vast captain-level spiritual pressure that sent the surrounding spiritual particles scattering.

Instantly, Kensei's arms were armed with two serrated blades, his arms wrapped in chains connected to his back armor. The immense spiritual pressure he released made the very air around them feel heavy.

"Bankai: Kinshara Butōdan!" Rose elegantly swung his golden whip as rows of golden, flower-headed dancers appeared in formation, emanating captain-level spiritual pressure.

"Bankai…" Love followed suit, releasing his own Bankai, his spiritual pressure bursting forth wildly and chaotically.

The release of three captain-level Bankai spiritual pressures was like a galaxy pouring down, the heavy pressure descending upon the Seireitei. Deep within the Seireitei, numerous shinigami felt an oppressive weight in their hearts, their hands and feet trembling, instinctive fear gripping them.

"Three captains are using their Bankai? Is the enemy that strong?"

"Captain Kyoraku Shunsui, Captain Shinji Hirako, Captain Kenpachi Kiganjo have all been defeated."

"Who is this enemy? How can they be so powerful that even a group of captains can't defeat him?"

"What kind of monster is this?"

"Even the gates of Hell might open for him."

From a distance, shinigami watching the captains unleash their Bankai were stunned, feeling the crushing pressure of the captain-level spiritual energy and trembling with fear.

In the noble district, Ginrei Kuchiki of Squad Six, sitting in a high place, stared at the sky with his aged and stern face. His eyes narrowed, and his brow furrowed as he muttered to himself, "Is it coming towards the Tsunayashiro clan…?"

H'el expressionlessly turned his head to glance at Ukitake, who had just destroyed one of the dark spheres, then turned his gaze back to the three captains charging towards him with their Bankai.

The spiritual pressure from the three captains' Bankai surged towards him.

As they approached, H'el's expression shifted into one of condescension, his lips curving into a smile as he raised his Zanpakutō and chanted:

"From the faint traces of a tainted emblem, the arrogant talent emerges; tides rise and negate, paralyze in an instant, hindering eternal slumber. The crawling princess of steel, the ever-wounding clay doll, unite, rebound, and extend to the ground. Realize your own powerlessness——Hadō #90: Kurohitsugi!"

°°°

Hungry for more chaps? Then check out our pătreon!

Link: Påtreon.com/BaphometFiction

I post 20 advanced chapters of this fanfic there.