Yamahiko was sent flying, crashing heavily into the mountainside, sending rubble and dust into the air.
Boom!
In the next moment, a figure emerged from the mountainside, surrounded by a series of blue light and an invisible ripple.
A protective force field, formed using the principles of electrodynamics, generated to resist any external harm.
However, it required the conversion of spiritual power into electrical energy, then retransformation into a force field, and because it provided all-around protection, it consumed a relatively high amount of spiritual power.
Nevertheless, compared to a simple Thunder Shield, this protective effect was far superior, and was an ability carefully selected by Yamahiko.
Yamahiko flapped his wings and looked at the assailant, or rather, the Hollow.
The Hollow wasn't very tall, about three meters in size, which is considered a medium-sized Hollow, smaller than the giant ones.
This Hollow looks like an ape, with powerful arms and wings on its back that skim the ground. This is why Yamahiko only heard a faint sound earlier.
"Jējējē, what a powerful reishi." The medium-sized Hollow looked at Yamahiko and grinned, revealing its mouth full of teeth.
"It can talk?" Yamahiko raised an eyebrow. Talking Hollows have a certain level of intelligence. So far, he had only seen Metastacia, a Hollow that could talk.
Moreover, this was Mt. Koifushi in western Rukongai, quite close to the Seireitei. The fact that it could approach him without him sensing its reiatsu showed that it had the skill to hide its spiritual energy.
'Better resolve this quickly,' Yamahiko thought. He felt things might not be as simple as they seemed.
Swoosh!
Yamahiko's wings flapped, and he disappeared in an instant, reappearing behind the Hollow and thrusting his spear. But at that moment, Yamahiko's wings vanished suddenly, the electric arcs on his body dissipated, and although his spear struck the Hollow, its tough skin blocked the attack.
Bang!
The Hollow turned and landed a punch on Yamahiko, sending him flying, crashing into a tree, snapping it in half. Yamahiko rolled and lay on the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
"What's going on? Why did my lightning energy disappear? And my Zanpakuto..." Yamahiko looked at his Zanpakuto, which had reverted to its sealed state, showing no response no matter how he called out to it.
The medium-sized Hollow looked at Yamahiko and chuckled, "Lamierez's ability can make the first lightning-based Zanpakuto that attacks him each day lose its powers."
"Make lightning-based Zanpakuto lose their powers?" Yamahiko squinted at the Hollow. This ability was similar to the one of Metastacia, which could make the first Zanpakuto that made contact with his arm lose its powers.
However, Lamierez's ability was somewhat similar to Wandenreich's power, which could seal the Shinigami's abilities.
Lamierez's ability falls somewhere in between, as it can seal lightning-based Zanpakuto, but only the first lightning-based Zanpakuto that attacks him each day will lose its powers.
And the only one capable of doing this is Aizen.
This ability to seal lightning-based Zanpakuto powers seems to be specifically designed for himself. Was Aizen targeting him?
Why would he want to attack him? Did he somehow reveal his intention to deal with Aizen? That couldn't be possible because Yamahiko had never investigated Aizen or made any direct contact with him. He had been extremely cautious not to draw Aizen's attention.
So why was Aizen hostile toward him?
Yamahiko couldn't find the answer, but for now, he had to focus on the current situation with Lamierez.
Even though his Zanpakuto was sealed, losing his main source of power, he still had Shunko and other abilities to rely on.
At this moment, there were two more figures in the sky: Gin Ichimaru and Sosuke Aizen.
"This little guy is quite a surprise," Gin Ichimaru said with a smile.
Aizen replied, "After he destroyed Metastacia the last time, I had a new idea, so I developed the ability to seal specific attributes of Zanpakuto."
Gin Ichimaru continued, "But even without his Zanpakuto, this kid is still quite powerful. At least without my Zanpakuto, I'm not his match."
Aizen asked, ""So you mean that using a Zanpakuto would make it possible you to defeat him?"
Gin Ichimaru chuckled and said, "Captain Aizen, you don't need to expose me. This kid is too strong; I'm not confident I can defeat him."
Gin turned away and said, "Lamierez's ability seems weaker than Metastacia's in some aspects."
Aizen said, "Metastacia had two abilities, How could Lamierez be that simple?"
...
As Aizen finished speaking, Yamahiko activated Shunko: Raijin and reappeared behind Lamierez. But at that moment, a purple smoke enveloped the area, and as soon as Yamahiko appeared, he was surrounded by the purple smoke. In the next moment, all the lightning energy around his body disappeared.
What's happening? Even the lightning energy he generated by kido vanished?
Boom.
Yamahiko was struck by Lamierez's fist. He managed to block it with his arms, but the impact sent him crashing into the ground.
Aizen smiled and explained, "This is Lamierez's second ability. The purple smoke can neutralize electric fields, causing lightning energy to disappear. That's why his lightning-based powers are also rendered useless."
Gin curiously asked, "Have you been focusing on dealing with Yamahiko for the past few years? Are these two abilities specifically designed to counter him?"
Aizen smiled and replied, "Of course not. He's just an experiment. The person I truly want to deal with is someone else. I must find a way to counter his abilities; otherwise, my plan can never be completed."
Gin raised an eyebrow and asked, "You mean Captain-Commander Yamamoto?"
Aizen nodded and said, "In the entire Seireitei, apart from him, who else could pose a threat to me? Of course, it's always good to be prepared."
Yamahiko, lying on the ground, was unaware that he had become an experiment. He felt excruciating pain in his arms, making them nearly impossible to move; he suspected they were at least fractured.
Without the use of his Zanpakuto and Shunko, along with the additional injuries, his combat strength was greatly diminished. Meanwhile, his opponent's close combat abilities seemed to rival that of a vice-captain's. While lacking Metastacia's hair, this enemy was faster and stronger.
Yamahiko realized he couldn't take him on and decided to retreat. But before he could act on this idea, a figure descended from the sky, landing next to him.
As Yamahiko tried to evade the newcomer, Lamierez quickly descended and struck the ground, creating a large cloud of dust.
Yamahiko attempted to rise to his feet and escape, but before he could react, a fist landed on his back.
The speed was astonishing, almost comparable to his Shunpo.
Boom.
Yamahiko was sent flying and slammed into the opposite wall, slowly sliding down it.
The unknown attacker laughed menacingly.
Lamierez let out a strange laugh and slowly walked over. But at that moment, a ring of fire erupted.
Fushibi, Kyokkō, and Shakkaho – the three forms of Kido combined, engulfing Lamierez in the explosion.
"Oh?" Aizen raised an eyebrow from the sky, clearly not expecting this. Gin smiled and remarked, "This kid continues to surprise us. His talent for Kido is exceptional."
The combined Kido's power was immense, far greater than the Shakkaho alone. But it didn't kill Lamierez. He walked out of the massive explosion, his body a bit charred but not significantly injured, with only a few minor wounds.
Keep in mind that even a giant Hollow could withstand a Shakkaho without significant harm. Lamierez, enhanced by Aizen, had skin as tough as that of a giant Hollow.
However, when Lamierez emerged from the explosion, he found no one in sight; Yamahiko had disappeared.
Where had he gone?
~End of the chapter~
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