At this moment, only Halibel, standing off to the side, hadn't grasped the situation. She looked in astonishment at Szayelaporro, who was facing them, and then at Fujimiya Makoto.
What was going on?
An ambush?
Why was there only one person on the other side?
Why had Fujimiya Makoto said that earlier?
Did he see through it all along?
Should I escape?
Complex thoughts flashed through Halibel's mind.
But before she could make a decision, she saw a faint spiritual light envelop Fujimiya Makoto's body.
Almost simultaneously, Fujimiya Makoto and Szayelaporro shot from their positions.
So fast!
The two collided with a deafening roar.
"That's right! That's right! Just like that, Szayel!"
Fujimiya Makoto's blade clashed against Szayelaporro's bone sword, creating a series of grating sounds. Yet, even at this moment, Szayelaporro was still speaking with Ilfort's voice, shouting arrogantly.
"Our power is the strongest!"
"If you want to capture this Soul Reaper, just cut off his limbs and take him away!"
"Don't worry so much, my stupid little brother!"
Whoosh—
As if to prove his words were true, at the instant the blades clashed, Ilfort abruptly took control of a portion of the body, enduring a blow to his side to close the distance with Fujimiya Makoto, disregarding the sword's blade.
Thunk!
The bone sword immediately left a deep gash on Fujimiya Makoto's arm, drawing a streak of bright red blood.
As the two crossed paths, the scar on Szayelaporro's side healed rapidly.
"See!"
Ilfort exclaimed triumphantly, "He's a Soul Reaper; he doesn't have high-speed regeneration!"
"Shut up!"
Szayelaporro clutched his head, roaring in annoyance, "Ilfort, I told you, don't interrupt me during battle—unless you have my permission."
"Szayel, you're just too cautious."
"I said, shut up."
Ilfort completely disregarded him.
As twins who shared a womb, Ilfort had an incredibly clear understanding of his younger brother, even after they died and became Hollows.
In comparison, Szayelaporro, with his better brain, considered far more.
That look on his face just now...
Did he see through my trap all along?
Then why did he come here alone?
If he were someone like that Soul Reaper over there, someone who could discover the secrets of Hollow evolution, he certainly wouldn't have put himself in such a dangerous situation.
So, he must have his own reasons for doing this.
What could that reason be?
Despite thinking this, Szayelaporro already vaguely had an answer in his mind.
His gaze swept to the sword at Fujimiya Makoto's waist.
However, just as he was lost in thought, Ilfort keenly noticed something was wrong and immediately said, "Szayel! Behind you."
The moment the words left his mouth, the figure that had crossed paths with them vanished like an illusion.
Fujimiya Makoto reappeared on the other side.
[Binding Spell Number Twenty-Six: Curving Light]
Szayelaporro turned and blocked his blade with a clang.
However, from the shadows below, a brutal rising kick slammed into his abdomen, causing a heavy thud and sending him flying dozens of meters.
But even as he flew, the bone sword on Szayelaporro's arm suddenly shot out like a crossbow bolt.
Fujimiya Makoto's pupils contracted, and he narrowly dodged the attack.
Boom—
The seemingly short bone sword slammed into a gigantic sand dune, utterly destroying it with a violent explosion.
The mountain of pale sand surged down, swallowing a large area of ground.
Halibel stood dumbfounded not far from them.
With her current strength, she simply couldn't participate in this battle.
"Hey, Soul Reaper."
Szayelaporro stood his ground.
A new bone sword grew from the opening on his arm where the previous one had been launched. His slender form stood erect, and he spoke with a smile, "I realized it as soon as I came into contact with you Soul Reapers."
"You guys have fragile bodies, maintain a human form, and your only weapon is a zanpakuto that hasn't even grown or adapted to be suitable for battle."
"I've been thinking since then, why can you guys become so strong even without preying on each other."
He paused slightly, smiling, "It's because of something internal, right?"
"Of course... I'm not talking about spiritual pressure, but something deeper."
"For example, the essence of the soul."
"A perfect body can only be matched by a perfect soul."
"That is the path to 'The End'."
Szayelaporro spoke to himself, his voice excited. He seemed slightly disorganized because of being overly excited, but the look in his eyes when he looked at Fujimiya Makoto was like he was seeing a kindred spirit, making him subtly strange.
"You're also searching for the path to the ultimate, aren't you?"
"..."
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
However, Fujimiya Makoto shattered all of Szayelaporro's fantasies with just a few words, sounding surprisingly cold.
Szayelaporro seemed to freeze for a moment.
Fujimiya Makoto smiled, "I just wanted to judge whether you had the ability to help me with 'special training'."
"But sadly, your combat skills seem rather limited."
Hearing this, Szayelaporro's face darkened completely.
His gaze towards Fujimiya Makoto became increasingly hostile.
However, Fujimiya Makoto raised the blade in his hand a step before him.
[First, let's make a promise!]
[The one whose vitals are pierced first shall be considered dead.]
Almost the instant the voice sounded, Szayelaporro immediately became more vigilant.
He keenly noticed that the voice was resounding directly in his mind!
The next moment, he suddenly saw a pink, heart-shaped light flashing in Fujimiya Makoto's eyes.
This is...bad!
However, before Szayelaporro could avoid his gaze, the surrounding environment plunged into complete darkness.
By the time he awoke from the darkness, everything around him had transformed into a different scene.
Szayelaporro frowned and looked up.
Appearing before him was a giant wall that seemed to be made entirely of steel.
Bright silver covered his entire field of vision, and various square machines were placed on the surrounding tables, with things resembling screens glowing softly.