Chapter 700 The Breakup Battle

"Sing, Benihime."

With Kisuke's low, clear release command, a crimson light burst from deep within the ruins. The shattered stones were sent flying by the berserk Reiatsu.

Kisuke slowly rose from the rubble. He had several bleeding scrapes, and his left sleeve was mostly torn, but his hand gripping his sword remained steady.

Clearly, Yoruichi's punch in her Hollowfied state hadn't been enough to completely take him down.

With his Shikai released, Kisuke now faced off in mid-air against Yoruichi, whose face was completely covered by a white cat mask, fully Hollowfied.

Recalling the sight of Makoto and Yoruichi kissing passionately in front of both armies, and now looking at the white bone mask radiating Hollow Reiatsu on Yoruichi's face,

Kisuke blocked Yoruichi's lightning-fast flurry of attacks with his blade, while asking with a hint of unbearable pain, "You too... were seduced by that power?"

Hearing this, Yoruichi's movements in her Hollowfied state paused slightly.

She took a deep breath and replied, "In the world to come, the three worlds will no longer be separated but united. Between humans, Shinigami, and Hollows, there won't be as many barriers as there are now. Shinigami can settle in Hueco Mundo, and Arrancars can replace Shinigami in purifying Rogue Hollows."

She had lived in Las Noches for nearly a hundred years and had witnessed firsthand how Makoto had transformed that chaotic place into the state it was today.

'If it was that man, he might actually be able to do such a thing.'

Kisuke frowned deeply. "Is that Nishikawa Makoto's goal?"

But Yoruichi didn't answer him.

She suddenly accelerated, her speed in Hollowfied state rising another level. Her limbs, wreathed in golden lightning, rained down on Kisuke like a storm.

The two engaged in fierce combat once more. Benihime's slashes and Shunko's lightning clashed repeatedly in mid-air, each exchange erupting in blinding sparks and deafening roars.

After a prolonged battle, Kisuke had to admit... in terms of pure combat ability alone, he was indeed no match for Yoruichi in her Hollowfied state.

Yoruichi already possessed the highest level of Hakuda and Shunpo skill in the entire Soul Society. Now, with the strength and speed amplification from Hollowfication, her close-combat prowess was likely on par with the former Captain of the 1st Division.

In contrast, he was better suited to strategy and mid-to-long-range Kido Coordination, and was at a disadvantage in a direct frontal clash.

Left with no choice, Kisuke had to resort to his rarely used trump card.

"Bankai... Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame."

With his low chant, Benihime's blade abruptly transformed. Countless fine Reishi Threads extended from the blade, weaving a massive feminine Reishi Statue behind him.

The statue's face and silhouette bore a striking resemblance to Unohana in the distance, but its temperament was colder, with a faint, corpse-like quality.

Kisuke rarely used this Bankai, because its principle was to use Reishi Threads to touch the enemy and perform instantaneous 'reconstruction and modification' on their body.

In simple terms, it treated the opponent's flesh, bones, and even Reiatsu pathways as fabric that could be taken apart and re-sewn at will.

Once this ability caused damage, it was very difficult to heal through conventional methods.

He really didn't want to use this technique unless absolutely necessary, especially against Yoruichi.

Yoruichi was naturally well aware of Kisuke's Bankai ability.

Seeing him finally bring out Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame, she knew he was determined to defeat her.

Left with no choice, Yoruichi let out a long sigh. "You've finally made up your mind, Kisuke? Then... I'll show you my real strength too."

With that, an even more violent Hollow Reiatsu exploded from Yoruichi's body.

The nature of this Reiatsu was completely different from the release of a Shinigami's Zanpakuto.

Seeing this, all the Shinigami and Hollows fighting nearby turned their gazes toward the woman who had been lingering at the edge of the battlefield.

"THAT'S..."

Sui-Feng in the distance widened her eyes.

Then, Yoruichi slightly tilted her head back, her lips beneath the cat mask parting slightly, and called out, word by word:

"Roar, Raijineko."

The moment the words left her mouth, a Hollow's Reiatsu exploded from Yoruichi's body like a breached dam.

It was incomparable to the Reiatsu she had shown in her earlier Hollowfied state.

Pure white bone armor spread like a living thing from the center of her collarbone across her entire body, covering her black bodysuit, already torn in many places from the battle, with a new layer of armor.

Golden lightning danced across the surface of her entire body, arcs crackling in the air around her.

The golden lightning, condensed from her Reiatsu atop her head, formed a pair of cat-eared lightning bolts, quivering slightly above her.

Behind her, six magatama-shaped lightning drums were arranged in a fan shape, each one radiating a blinding golden light.

This form was quite reminiscent of the [Flash God Black Cat Warrior Princess] form she had developed in the original Thousand-Year Blood War arc.

Clearly, this wasn't a Zanpakuto release, but an Arrancar's Resurrección.

It was the first time she, as a female Vasto Lorde-class Hollow under the King of Hueco Mundo, had truly revealed her full Resurrección form on the battlefield.

In her Resurrección state, Yoruichi unleashed even more power and speed than in her earlier Hollowfied state.

Her figure became nearly a golden lightning bolt, impossible to track with the naked eye.

Each movement left crackling arc afterimages in the air, as she launched a storm of attacks on Kisuke.

Although Kisuke's Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame possessed the terrifying ability to trigger modification upon touch, against Yoruichi in this form, he couldn't even get a chance to touch the hem of her clothes.

Every time Benihime's threads extended, Yoruichi evaded them with speed far exceeding the threads' extension, then counterattacked with a lightning-flashing roundhouse kick.

On the other side of the battlefield, the veteran Captains Kyoraku and Ukitake's pincer attack on Aizen continued fiercely.

After a lengthy battle of wits and tactics, Kyoraku, at the cost of a slash across his left shoulder, finally completely saw through the true ability of Aizen's Zanpakuto... Complete Hypnosis.

A flawless illusion that permanently imprinted anyone who saw Kyoka Suigetsu's release under Aizen's control.

"As expected of Captain Kyoraku, praised as having the keenest observational skills in the Gotei 13, even earning the Captain-Commander's compliments."

Aizen remarked with genuine admiration.

Then he calmly explained the true ability of Kyoka Suigetsu to the two Captains.

Who knew why Aizen loved explaining his abilities to his enemies so much.

After learning the terrifying true ability of Aizen's Zanpakuto, the usually carefree expression on Kyoraku's face finally turned completely grim.

"Bankai... Katen Kyokotsu: Karamatsu Shinju!"

Kyoraku Shunsui brought out his ultimate technique.

Then, Katen Kyokotsu in its Bankai state began to release a dark, viscous, strange Reiatsu.

That Reiatsu flowed slowly along the ground like a conscious undercurrent, enveloping both Kyoraku Shunsui and his opponent Aizen within its range.

Aizen felt that strange Reiatsu beneath his feet slowly draining his power, irresistibly pulling his Reiatsu away from his soles.

He raised an eyebrow slightly, a flicker of genuine interest in his eyes. "This is?"

Even someone as learned as Aizen was seeing Katen Kyokotsu's Bankai form for the first time.

"Third Act: The Severing Abyss."

Kyoraku announced the name of this technique, word by word.

As if returning the favor for Aizen's earlier explanation of Kyoka Suigetsu's ability, he explained to Aizen, "This technique swallows both the user and the enemy into an abyss made of Reiatsu. Then, both parties will have their Reiatsu continuously drained within this sealed space until one side is completely exhausted. Only then will the technique automatically dispel. What do you think? Does it meet your standards, Mr. Aizen?"

Without a doubt, this was a mutual destruction trump card.

Kyoraku had never intended to survive this battle.

At the very least, he had to take Aizen down to hell with him.

However, after hearing this explanation, Aizen simply smiled. "Sorry, Captain Kyoraku... I have no interest in dying with you."