Makoto Ito watched as the massive claws strained to crawl out of the black fissure. With a swift motion, he raised his hand, unleashing a burst of energy that sent the monstrous hands recoiling back into the void.
On the other side, the return interface shimmered before collapsing into a final stream of light, disappearing into nothingness.
"Finally, they're gone."
Exhaling deeply, Ito rolled his shoulders, loosening his muscles as he prepared for the coming fight.
A sudden crackling sound echoed through the battlefield. The massive, charred hands reemerged from the darkness, still bearing the scorched wounds from his earlier attack. This time, an overwhelming surge of chaotic spiritual pressure roared through the black cavity, pressing against him like a tidal wave.
Ito snorted. "So, you're finally showing yourself."
As he ceased his resistance, the monstrous entity fully emerged from the black void. Towering over ten meters tall, its body was draped in blackened blue fur, its grotesque form resembling a twisted, nightmarish ape.
"An incomplete Arrancar at the Adjuchas level," Ito muttered, analyzing its presence. "Not fully evolved... just like the flesh-ball Hollow from earlier."
A smirk tugged at his lips. "Seems like Aizen still hasn't perfected his Hōgyoku's power."
Although this creature stood at the pinnacle of Adjuchas-class Hollows, it lacked the overwhelming force of a Vasto Lorde. That was a relief. If a fully realized Arrancar had emerged, even a lower-ranked Espada or their direct subordinates would have been beyond his current strength.
In that case, he would've fled without hesitation, leaving the Soul Reaper recruits to their fate.
But this opponent? This was a perfect opportunity.
He hadn't stayed behind out of selflessness. No, this was his chance to truly test the limits of his strength.
His previous fight with Ikkaku had been thrilling, but it was still a controlled battle—a measured exchange. A true test could only come in the form of a life-or-death struggle.
And this incomplete Adjuchas Arrancar was the perfect proving ground.
"Come on, beast. Let's see what you've got."
Ito gripped his weapon, the God of Annihilation, his golden eyes filled with ruthless anticipation.
The Hollow snarled, as if sensing his mockery. With a deafening roar, it opened its massive maw, gathering a swirling sphere of black-and-blue spiritual energy.
A Cero!
But Ito wasn't about to give it a chance.
With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the God of Annihilation forward, gripping the chain attached to its hilt. The moment before it left his grasp, the chain extended, stretching over ten meters in an instant.
Ito whipped the blade through the air, the curved edge slicing through space like a reaper's scythe. The weapon buried itself directly into the Hollow's forehead, disrupting its attack before the Cero could fully form.
The beast let out a howl of pain, staggering backward.
Ito didn't stop. He yanked the chain, retrieving his weapon in a blur, then immediately set it spinning. The God of Annihilation whirled through the air like a razor-edged cyclone, the blade carving a perfect arc as he wielded it like a deadly whip.
The rapidly rotating blade tore into the Hollow's flesh, leaving deep lacerations across its body. The air crackled with energy as the relentless assault continued, each strike slicing through its thick hide like a butcher's knife through meat.
"ROOOOAR!"
The Hollow screamed, thrashing wildly as blood sprayed in all directions.
Ito's attack bore an uncanny resemblance to the fighting style of a certain warrior from the original Gotei 13—a relentless, whirling storm of destruction.
He smiled.
"God of Annihilation—Shockwave!"
With one final command, the blade emitted a pulse of dark golden energy, sending a tremor through the Hollow's very core. The creature's insides twisted under the unnatural force, causing it to howl in agony. In a desperate attempt to resist, it unleashed its full spiritual pressure, trying to stave off the crushing force threatening to tear it apart from within.
With the release of spiritual pressure, the black-green monkey felt the shock force within its body significantly weaken.
"What a pity... If I had my original body's full spiritual pressure, that impact alone would have shattered this beast's internal organs!" Makoto Ito thought to himself.
Ren's original spiritual pressure was already at the captain level. As a clone, Makoto Ito lacked the unique ability of a Ghoul Soul to devour others of his kind. Instead, he had to rely solely on training and combat to strengthen his spiritual pressure, making his growth much slower than the original. Even so, through relentless battle and practice, he had managed to advance from fifth-level spiritual power to fourth-level. Yet, he still had a long way to go before reaching the level of a captain.
The black-green monkey, though injured by the God of Annihilation, roared in fury and charged at Makoto Ito with reckless abandon.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
The beast's movements were swift and relentless, its grotesque form darting toward Makoto Ito in a desperate bid to close the distance. Despite Ito's blade slicing through the air, the beast pressed forward, unfazed. The black-green monkey knew that its only chance at victory was to engage in close combat—any other strategy would only lead to exhaustion and defeat.
A smirk played at the corner of Ito's lips as he watched the beast's frenzied desperation. "Oh? You want to fight in close quarters? Then I'll indulge you."
With a wicked grin, he retracted the iron chain of the God of Annihilation and took a defensive stance, withdrawing his blade slightly.
"I... want to eat you!" the black-green monkey growled, its broken and rotting mouth barely forming the words. Thick, dark-yellow saliva dripped from the gaps between its jagged teeth, the stench unbearable.
"Oh? So you can talk?" Makoto Ito raised an eyebrow. Until now, he had assumed the beast was too dull to speak.
"ROAR!"
The black-green monkey threw its head back and bellowed before hammering its massive fists against its chest.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A foul-smelling wind gusted around its arms as it prepared its next attack.
"Is this... a low-end version of Iron Fist Broken Wind?" Makoto Ito mused, his interest piqued. He ran a hand along his blade, causing the sword to hum with energy. The air around him vibrated as he prepared to strike.
With a flick of his wrist, he slashed at the black-green monkey.
"Schlik!"
The beast's iron-like hide offered no resistance. The annihilation sword sliced through it like paper, carving a deep, bone-revealing wound across its chest. The black-green monkey grimaced in pain, but its fury only grew.
"Ahhh! I want to... eat you!" it roared, its rage overtaking reason. Despite its grievous wound, it lunged forward once more, fists crashing down toward Makoto Ito, each strike carrying the force of a raging storm.
Ito met each attack head-on, his blade imbued with shock power. With every clash, another wound appeared on the beast's body. It was now covered in deep gashes, its flesh torn open, yet it showed no signs of stopping.
Meanwhile, Makoto Ito's expression twisted—not from pain, but from the overwhelming stench.
"Ugh... This thing stinks!"
Finally reaching his limit, he tightened his grip on his sword, channeling his spiritual pressure. Pure white lightning crackled around the blade as he prepared his ultimate attack.
"Boom!"
With both hands gripping the hilt, he unleashed a powerful Thunder Slash—one infused with the force of shock.
A blinding white arc of energy cleaved through the black-green monkey, splitting its massive body in two. The shock force that followed obliterated the remains, scattering them into the wind.
As the battle ended, the God of Annihilation withdrew from its active state. Makoto Ito glanced at his sword, now tainted with the beast's foul-smelling blood, and grimaced in disgust.
"Ugh... Absolutely vile." He hesitated for a moment before pinching his nose and sliding the sword back into its sheath.
"Good thing this is just a temporary blade assigned by Shino Spiritual Art Academy..." he muttered, relieved that he wouldn't have to carry the stench with him for long.