"Can't even defeat a human."
This was an extremely insulting statement to any Hollow.
To Hollows, humans were originally just food, and to the Menos Grande in particular, the souls of weak humans tasted so bad that they generally weren't even worth hunting.
The targets hunted by Menos Grande were no longer ordinary humans, but rather Shinigami with high Reiryoku or fellow Hollows.
Especially among Hollows, in Hueco Mundo, if a Menos wanted to evolve—to ascend—there was only one path: devour their own kind, the stronger the better.
The souls of weak humans, unless born with incredibly high spiritual power, were only coveted by lesser Hollows—not even Menos. Only mindless Gillians would devour them out of instinct.
In other words, to Menos Grande, humans were unquestionably trash.
Even the more gentle Menos didn't treat humans as trash—nor would they wish to fall to a state where they couldn't even defeat one.
Yet now, someone had just told them that if they didn't defeat him, they'd end up unable to even beat a human…
How could they tolerate that?
At the very least, Zommari, Szayelaporro, and Aaroniero could not.
Thus, these three Espada drew their Zanpakutō without hesitation.
"Pacify, Brujería!"
"Drink deep, Fornicarás!"
"Devour him, Glotonería!"
All three activated Resurrección at once, releasing their Zanpakutō and unleashing terrible Reiatsu from their bodies.
However…
"Divide!"
The ripple of dragonic power stirred once more. The halving ability of the Divine Dividing wings activated again.
Zommari, Szayelaporro, and Aaroniero all revealed looks of horror as they discovered their power had suddenly dropped by half—just like Nnoitra before them.
"W-why?!"
"Didn't it only activate on those he touched?!"
"He didn't even touch us!"
The three shouted in panicked disbelief.
"No, he touched you."
Among the three remaining top-ranked Espada who hadn't yet moved, the sole woman, Harribel, spoke.
"When he attacked Nnoitra just now, he already made contact with you."
The speed of that immaculate figure was simply too fast—so fast that no one had been able to react.
But even if they hadn't reacted, that didn't stop the more perceptive from figuring out what had happened.
Since his ability had activated, it proved he had already touched Zommari and the others.
And the only chance for him to have done so was that very moment when he flew in and tore off Nnoitra's arm.
In that flash, when none could respond, he had already touched all three—it was just that they didn't realize it.
"Impossible…"
The three clearly didn't want to accept it.
But as the Divine Dividing wings activated several more times, their power was halved again and again—until they were reduced to the same level as Nnoitra, weaker than even a human.
Their Resurrección was canceled mid-transformation, forcing them to believe they'd already become lambs on the chopping block.
In contrast, the figure soaring once again through the skies released a terrifyingly strong presence—growing stronger by the second.
"How boring."
Kaiser's distorted voice echoed again.
"I thought we could have a bit more fun."
"In the end, the so-called Espada are only this level."
"Then… let's end it."
As his words fell, the immaculate figure in the sky streaked forward with a longer, brighter trail of light than before.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
With three explosive sounds, the three powerless Espada were instantly reduced to pieces of flesh.
They were punched to death by Kaiser's fists.
In less than a tenth of a second, Kaiser shot forward in light form and appeared before each of the three—one punch per person, blasting them apart.
As Kaiser finished off the Séptima, Octava, and Novena Espada, the top three Espada—Primera, Segunda, and Tercera—finally made their move.
"Cero!"
The three Vasto Lorde-class Arrancar seized the perfect moment and released Cero the instant Kaiser reappeared.
"Boom!"
Three differently colored beams of light simultaneously blasted toward Kaiser, engulfing the immaculate figure.
"Divide!" "Divide!" "Divide!"…
In the next second, the blue jewels embedded across Kaiser's body echoed the command again, and the Cero that had struck him were weakened as if absorbed—visibly shrinking in power.
"He can even weaken enemy attacks on contact…?!"
Starrk, Baraggan, and Harribel all grew grim.
"No more holding back!"
Baraggan shouted in a booming voice.
"If we hesitate any longer, we'll all be wiped out!"
He pulled out a massive battle axe.
That was his Zanpakutō.
"Lord Aizen."
Harribel unsheathed her sword as she turned to look at Aizen.
Beside her, Starrk did the same, placing his hand on the head of the little girl always by his side as he glanced at Sōsuke Aizen.
They were seeking permission from Aizen.
Because all Espada ranked four and above were Vasto Lorde before becoming Arrancar, stronger than Captain-level Shinigami, their Reiatsu was too great—so different from the lower Espada they were practically a separate category.
Thus, the Resurrección of the top four Espada, like the forbidden Gran Rey Cero, was banned within Las Noches to prevent massive destruction.
That order had naturally come from Aizen, ruler of Hueco Mundo.
So, if they wanted to go all out here, they had to get Aizen's permission.
"You may."
Aizen gave a small nod, showing no concern for the deaths of the lower-ranked Espada—his attention still on the immaculate figure.
With permission granted, the three top Espada activated their Resurrección without hesitation.
"Hunt him down, Los Lobos!"
Starrk uttered his release chant, and the little girl at his side vanished into spiritual energy, merging with him.
"Rot, Arrogante!"
Baraggan raised his axe high as black energy erupted from him.
"Strike him down, Tiburón!"
Harribel wielded her wide-bladed short sword, and as she released her Resurrección, it triggered a massive wave of water.
"You think I'm just going to stand here and watch?"
Watching this unfold, Kaiser's wings pulsed and he prepared to launch himself like before.
"Shoot to kill, Kamishini no Yari!"
Just then, a voice like a lurking serpent whispered.
"Zing!"
A gleam of silvery-white light burst forth at what seemed to be the speed of light—even faster than Kaiser in this state.
"Clang!"
The light crashed into Kaiser, striking his immaculate armor and sending him flying as sparks scattered brilliantly.
Gin Ichimaru had made his move—and he used his Bankai right from the start, activating Kamishini no Yari.
"Final Form: Enma Korogi!"
Tōsen reacted reflexively, immediately activating his Bankai, releasing a pitch-black barrier that engulfed all of Las Noches's uppermost level.
"Divide!" "Divide!" "Divide!"…
But a moment later, that spell-like voice echoed within the darkness, and the expanding dome seemed to shrink—rapidly collapsing in size.
Kaiser, now airborne, burst from the shrinking dome as a beam of white light, shooting straight toward Kaname Tōsen.
"If you're so eager to die, then I'll deal with you first."
A devastating punch landed squarely on Tōsen's chest, exploding with tremendous force.
"Boom!"
The blow blasted apart his chest, leaving a mangled, bloody ruin.
"Gah!"
Tōsen spat blood violently, his body hurtling like a cannonball as it smashed through the walls of Las Noches, sent flying outside, his life or death unknown.
"Kamishi—"
Gin's eyes, normally narrowed, snapped wide open as he pointed his Zanpakutō toward the approaching white figure.
But before he could activate Kamishini no Yari again, the immaculate figure blurred like teleportation, appearing right in front of him.
"That blade's ability really isn't bad. Even in this state, if I'm not careful, I'd be hit."
The white-armored hand pressed down on the dagger-length Kamishini no Yari. Gin's widened pupils shrank to pinpoints.
"It belongs to me now."
The distorted voice entered Gin's ears.
"In return, I'll overlook that little sneak attack earlier."
Golden patterns extended from Kaiser's hand onto the Zanpakutō.
Gin clearly felt his sword tremble violently, then—as if submitting—break its connection with him.
"Swish!"
Kamishini no Yari disappeared from Gin's hand.
"Boom!"
Kaiser threw a punch, blasting Gin away and slamming him into Aizen's throne—shattering it to pieces.
The rubble buried Gin's body, rendering him completely out of sight.
Two Captains who had followed Aizen in betraying Soul Society had now fallen.
"Wmmm…"
At the same time, three terrifying Reiatsu erupted and flooded all of Las Noches.
The three Espada who had completed their Resurrección now revealed their new forms in a surge of overwhelming power—