"Not good! This blood doesn't just burn—it's also toxic!"
Vritra felt his spiritual energy stall abruptly within his body. As his attacks weakened, the chameleon Hollow, which had been pinned down under his relentless assault, regained its ability to move. Realizing the danger, Vritra tried to retreat, but it was already too late!
"Schlk!"
The chameleon Hollow plunged its bony spikes, clutched tightly in its foreclaws, straight through Vritra's back!
"Agh! This damn thing knows how to use weapons?!"
Somehow, the chameleon had acquired these bone spikes and wielded them as deadly armaments.
The twin spikes effortlessly pierced through the hardened carapace on Vritra's back, stabbing deep into his flesh. He let out a sharp cry of pain.
Ever since arriving in this world over two months ago, Vritra had evolved rapidly into a powerful Hollow, relying not only on strength but also on his human intellect. He hunted strategically, gathering resources carefully. However, in direct one-on-one combat, his experience was still lacking. A single moment of carelessness had allowed this toxic blood to interfere with his movements.
And worse—his opponent was a giant Hollow, a full rank above him.
Even as pain wracked his body, Vritra fought to keep his mind sharp, desperately searching for a way out. He knew that if he let himself fall into the enemy's rhythm, death was all but certain.
"Shunrai!"
With a roar, arcs of dark-gold lightning exploded across Vritra's body. Right now, he couldn't launch Shunrai as a ranged attack, but it just so happened that the chameleon had driven its spikes deep into his back—giving him the perfect conduit to strike back.
"Zzzzt!"
A massive electric current surged through the spikes, straight into the chameleon's claws. Instinctively, it tried to release its weapons, but Vritra wasn't about to let it go. He twisted his arms backward, locking onto the chameleon's forelimbs, while his centipede-like tail coiled tightly around its body, pinning it down. Enduring the agony of the spikes still lodged in his back, he intensified the flow of lightning.
"Die!"
"AAAGHHH!"
The chameleon Hollow had barely gained the upper hand before Vritra flipped the situation on its head. Its entire body blackened under the relentless electricity, and soon, it could do nothing but whimper in agony.
"Mercy! Please! I was wrong! I swear—I'll never abuse dogs again!"
"Abuse dogs?" Vritra sneered, eyes gleaming with amusement. "You think I'm killing you because you hurt some mutts? No, no, no. I just want to eat you."
He leaned in closer, voice dripping with mockery. "And besides… you're not sorry. You're just afraid to die."
The chameleon Hollow trembled, pleading for its life, but Vritra showed no mercy. He continued unleashing his full power, knowing that if he hesitated, his enemy would counterattack.
"You can speak, which means you, like me, remember your past life as a human! We're the same! We can hunt together! You and I—if we join forces, even a Gillian-class Hollow wouldn't stand a chance!"
The chameleon kept babbling, desperately trying to convince him.
Vritra's masked face curled into a smirk of pure disdain.
"If you choose to be a predator, you must also accept becoming prey. Now shut up and die."
A crimson-black glow swirled in front of his mouth.
A Cero!
Vritra had always fired Ceros from his fingers, but with both hands occupied restraining his foe, he had no choice but to launch it directly from his mouth. It was noticeably slower to charge this way, but still—it was ready.
The chameleon Hollow, known in its human life, felt true terror. If this Cero detonated at such close range, he was doomed. In desperation, he tried to lash out with his long tongue—his final weapon.
But he had forgotten.
Vritra had obliterated his tongue with the very first Cero.
"You lunatic! You'll get caught in the blast too!"
Vritra ignored his enemy's hysterical screams. The Cero finished charging.
"BOOM!"
A thunderous explosion tore through the battlefield, kicking up a storm of dust and debris.
In life, Anbei Jinshi had been a violent criminal in Karakura Town, infamous for torturing and killing stray animals. He was despised by his classmates, teachers—even his own parents. As an adult, he descended deeper into depravity, committing robbery and murder. His reign of terror ended when a shotgun blast from the police ended his life.
Yet his resentment lingered. Upon becoming a Hollow, he was shocked to find that he retained his human mind. Unlike most, who devolved into mindless beasts, he thrived, swiftly rising through the ranks. In just a few short years, he had evolved into a giant Hollow—one step away from becoming a Gillian.
And today, after setting his sights on tormenting a dog-like Hollow, he had crossed paths with Vritra.
"Kh… Khh…!"
As the dust settled, Vritra coughed violently, his body battered and torn.
The battlefield was littered with shredded flesh and broken fragments of a Hollow mask. The chameleon was gone—completely annihilated.
With a grimace, Vritra reached back and yanked out the bone spikes still embedded in his flesh.
"Shhk!"
Bright red blood gushed from the twin wounds on his back.
"Tch—!"
He bared his teeth in pain but couldn't help the smirk that formed as he gazed upon his fallen prey. He had single-handedly taken down a Hollow stronger than himself—and not just any giant Hollow, but an intelligent one.
"Woof! Woof!"
A small figure scurried toward him.
The dog-like Hollow he had unknowingly saved had returned, clutching a fragment of the chameleon's shattered mask in its mouth.
Vritra understood immediately. With a scoff, he reached out, took the fragment, and tossed it into his mouth.
As the dense spirit energy spread through his body, warmth flooded his limbs. His wounds began to close, and the poison blocking his spiritual energy started to dissipate.
Meanwhile, the dog Hollow wagged its tail eagerly—though, unfortunately, most of it had been burned away by Vritra's Cero. The end result was a ridiculous sight: the poor thing wriggling its backside in an attempt to wag a tail that was no longer there.
Vritra clicked his tongue in irritation. "I saved you by accident. Now scram before I decide to eat you too."
Despite his threat, he turned his attention back to his prize, feasting on the remains of his fallen opponent. But after a moment, he glanced at the dog Hollow, still staring at him with pleading eyes. With an exasperated sigh, he picked up a small chunk of meat and tossed it toward the creature.
"Eat and get lost."
The piece was tiny to Vritra, but to the dog Hollow, it was massive—bigger than its entire body. It struggled to drag it away before eagerly devouring its share.
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