"It's you!"
Szayelaporro finally recognized the boy standing before him. It was the same Shinigami who had defeated Yammy, Grimmjow, and even Ruby in succession not long ago. The intruder standing in his laboratory now was none other than that very figure. No wonder the report had claimed the four intruders always maintained distance from the three Hollow guides—because they were never truly part of the same group. Those three—Nilu, Pesche, and Dondochakka—had merely been leading the way for this Shinigami. And this teenage Shinigami was the true invader to watch.
Surprise flickered in Szayelaporro's eyes, though in truth it was only because he had yet to read the latest guard report. Had he known, there would have been no surprise at all. But even so, his expression quickly calmed. To him, it mattered little who arrived here. Intruders were intruders, and his task remained the same: kill them.
The lingering glow of his violet Cero faded into the stale laboratory air as Szayelaporro's lips curled into a cold smile. "What a surprise… I didn't expect to meet you again. However, your journey ends here. I have yet to make a specimen of a Captain-class Shinigami, and since you've walked into my den, I won't be polite."
His words struck like thunder. Nilu, Pesche, and Dondochakka froze. They never expected Su Li to be a captain-level Shinigami. Their knowledge of Shinigami was limited, knowing only that they were divided into two levels: the ordinary soldiers and the captain-class. Ordinary Shinigami were nothing more than disposable fodder. But a captain—those few who stood at the peak—were beings equivalent to the Espada themselves.
Pesche and Dondochakka's gazes snapped toward Su Li, their eyes wide. Until now, they had always believed him to be nothing more than a slightly stronger ordinary Shinigami. To learn that he stood on the same level as the Espada shook them to their core. Fear rose in them, but so did a glimmer of desperate hope.
"Doesn't that mean, Su Li-san, you can use the King's wrist?" Pesche stammered, his voice trembling yet bright with expectation. "Doesn't that mean you could actually defeat Szayelaporro?" His words carried a light that had been extinguished long ago.
Dondochakka's eyes too flared with sudden heat. The thought struck both of them with equal force—this Shinigami might actually help them avenge what had been taken from them. The irony twisted inside their chests. To lean on a Shinigami for vengeance was a bitter pill, yet when hatred burned as fiercely as theirs, the taste hardly mattered.
Nilu, however, thought nothing of vengeance. Her mind was too pure. She simply huddled closer behind Su Li, clutching his robes, her eyes wide with worry. "Su Li-chan… can you beat him?" she whispered, her small voice trembling. Though her memories were gone, she still remembered one thing—Espada meant overwhelming destruction. And that knowledge filled her with fear.
Su Li reached out, his expression calm, and patted her head gently. "I'll win however I want," he said lightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Pesche and Dondochakka felt their blood surge wildly at those words. Their hearts hammered against their ribs. That calm, almost dismissive confidence—how could it not ignite hope? Nilu herself felt her tension ease ever so slightly, warmth spreading through her chest as she felt the reassurance in his touch. Perhaps his words were true, or perhaps they were not—but such composure made her believe.
"Che… arrogant fool." The cruel smile on Szayelaporro's face iced over, his voice carrying venom. Slowly, he drew his Zanpakutō from his waist, the steel gleaming under the dim laboratory light. "Don't delude yourself. Beating those brainless brutes means nothing. I am nothing like them. When you meet me, your death will arrive. I'll kill you, make you into a perfect specimen, and then display your remains for those same fools to admire. Can you imagine their expressions? Hahaha!"
His laughter echoed, cruel and unrestrained.
Nilu and her companions swallowed hard, their faces pale with tension. Yet Su Li only chuckled lightly. "Nilu, step back a little." His voice was soft but firm. Nilu bit her lip, unwilling to leave him, but obedience won over her fear. She stepped back slowly.
And in the same instant, Su Li vanished.
The mad laughter cut off.
A thunderous crash erupted as Szayelaporro's body flew across the lab like a ragdoll, smashing through table after table, glass vials bursting, colorful liquids splattering across the floor in a grotesque rainbow. Finally his body slammed into the far wall with a deep, bone-crunching thud, sinking into the stone and leaving a gaping crater.
The boy's voice rang out faintly over the dust. "You say you're different from them? What difference? Don't you bleed the same when I hit you?"
Blood sprayed from Szayelaporro's mouth. His ribcage had caved in entirely. He lifted his head with effort, his eyes wild with disbelief. One punch. Just one, and he had been broken beyond recognition. He hadn't even seen the blow. He hadn't even reacted. This boy's strength—no, this monster's strength—was something far beyond comprehension.
Nilu, Pesche, and Dondochakka stood frozen. They had known Su Li was strong. They had felt the weight of his presence. But never had they expected this—a single punch that shattered an Espada. Espada were supposed to stand above captains. Yet this boy, with effortless disdain, had crushed one beneath his fist.
Coughing violently, Szayelaporro clawed his way out of the wall. His once pristine form was ruined, blood soaking his robes, his chest grotesquely sunken. His handsome veneer had shattered, leaving only rage and humiliation. "Damn it… this guy…" He glared at Su Li, his face twisted. For so long he had sneered at Ulquiorra's warnings, dismissing the reports as exaggeration. Now, having tasted the boy's strength himself, he realized with icy clarity—holding back meant death.
"Sip… Desire!"
His shout rang like a curse. A tidal wave of spiritual pressure surged outward, filling the lab like a suffocating storm. Pesche and Dondochakka gasped, their bodies nearly collapsing under the weight. Even Nilu turned pale, her small frame trembling.
In an instant, Szayelaporro's form began to warp. His lower body melted into writhing tentacles, his back split to reveal grotesque wings unfurling wide, and his upper body twisted yet retained its human shape. The air thickened with the stench of madness.
Looking down at Su Li from above, Szayelaporro no longer smirked with arrogance. Shame and fury burned in his eyes. Forcing him to reveal his Resurrección with just a single punch—such humiliation could not be borne. But that humiliation ended here. With his true power unleashed, he was something far beyond the shell Su Li had struck. His abilities, his genius, his true weapons—they could only be wielded in this form.
"Now… please die!" he sneered, and from the wings on his back spewed a rain of black liquid, splattering through the lab like ink dripping from a nightmare.
"Tsk, tsk…" Su Li's voice came again, calm and mocking, a hint of playful contempt threading his words. "I remember when I drew an A, it usually meant the other guy was about to use some big flashy move. You're still exploding already?"
{ Enjoying the chapters? Please Support me on Patreon and unlock 100+ advanced chapters, with 3 new chapters released every two days!
The fanfic is also available for one-time purchase on Patreon – unlock lifetime access to the full collection, no membership needed! Don't miss out –support and own it forever!
patreon.com/Oreski}