Chapter 569

The saying "searching high and low for something only to find it effortlessly" perfectly described Barragan's current mood. Finding the person he was looking for so easily was truly a delightful surprise.

Hearing this, Ichigo was taken aback. 

His heart leaped into his throat, and an awkward expression spread across his face. He hadn't expected this powerful Hollow to be searching for Hui, and he had led him straight to him! If something happened to Hui...

"So," Hui began, a hint of curiosity in his voice, "what exactly is your purpose in finding me?"

"Didn't I just say so? The purpose of finding you is to twist your head off and bring it back to Hueco Mundo, to avenge my subordinate, Nnoitra Gilga, for his untimely death." Barragan's tone was calm, but the moment he finished speaking, he moved.

He launched an attack at Hui with a speed Ichigo couldn't even register. 

This time, Barragan was significantly faster than when he had attacked Yoruichi. It dawned on Ichigo just how laughable his earlier escape had been.

Facing Barragan's assault, Hui didn't dodge like Yoruichi had. He stood his ground, simply raising a hand. 

With a pinch between his thumb and forefinger, he stopped the massive double-bladed axe in its tracks.

Barragan's eyes widened, his pupils contracting. He instinctively tried to yank the axe free from Hui's grip, but to no avail. 

The weapon remained firmly held between Hui's fingers, unmoving despite his efforts.

"Many have tried to take my head," Hui stated, "but no one has ever succeeded. On the contrary, those who have attempted to claim my head often end up losing their own. What do you think your fate will be?"

As Hui spoke, he flicked his fingers. 

A tremendous force surged through the giant axe, sending Barragan flying backward.

Boom!!!

His body slammed hard against the wall, sending a jolt of pain through Barragan's back.

He winced and glanced at the wall behind him, his heart sinking. With that force, the wall should have crumbled. Yet, it remained unscathed, without a single trace of damage.

"Such tremendous power. No wonder Nnoitra fell to you. Your speed and reflexes are also quite impressive." Barragan addressed Hui, setting aside his bewilderment about the wall for the moment. 

Despite the evident gravity of the situation, his tone remained calm and condescending, as if he hadn't taken Hui's power seriously at all.

Yoruichi found his tone ridiculous. 

After learning that Barragan was the former King of Hueco Mundo, defeated by Aizen, she had a general understanding of his power level. 

To Hui, Barragan was no different from an ant, not even a particularly large one. Even Aizen, after his initial fusion with the Hogyoku, was only strong enough to make Hui take him seriously, not enough to force him to go all out. 

She couldn't fathom where Barragan got his confidence.

"However," Barragan continued, "strength isn't solely determined by physical might, speed, and reflexes. Remember this, human boy: true power lies in the potency of one's abilities. Decay, Arrogante."

Barragan spoke, chanting the incantation for his Resurrección.

Then, under the watchful gazes of Hui, Yoruichi, and Ichigo, Barragan underwent a transformation.

A multi-tiered crown adorned his head, his face and body taking on a skeletal appearance. 

He wore heeled boots, and his entire form was enveloped in black flames. A silver chain dangled from a corner of his crown.

In this form, Barragan looked almost identical to the Grim Reaper from Western mythology.

Yoruichi stared for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Her laughter caught Barragan's attention. 

He turned to her, his empty, black eyes sending a shiver down one's spine.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself," Yoruichi said, shrugging. Then, in a playful tone, she continued, "You're a Hollow, yet you look more like a Shinigami than I do. How amusing."

Her words struck a nerve with Barragan.

The scene from that day flashed through his mind, Aizen's words to him: "You are still a Hollow, but that giant black shadow wielding a weapon looks just like a Shinigami."

Fury surged within Barragan. 

He glared icily at Yoruichi and declared, "Foolish Shinigami, You will pay with your life for those words!"

With that, Barragan attacked again. 

He moved with incredible speed, appearing beside Yoruichi in an instant. He launched the same attack as before, swinging his massive axe down upon her.

Yoruichi was speechless.

 The same attack hadn't worked the first time; did he really think it would work the second?

Boom!!!

The giant axe slammed into the ground. Barragan looked at Yoruichi, who was now standing some distance away with a serious expression, and sneered. "Only capable of dodging like a little kitten? Oh, I almost forgot, you are a little kitten."

Yoruichi was rendered speechless by his taunt, but her mind raced, trying to understand what had just happened.

Just now, when Barragan attacked her, it felt different from the first time. She realized that her own speed had decreased. It wasn't that Barragan had become faster; she had become slower.

"That ability just now… No wonder you were the former King of Hueco Mundo. You do have some skills," Yoruichi admitted.

The word "former" in "former King of Hueco Mundo" grated on Barragan's nerves.

However, after the previous attack, Barragan realized that close-range combat wouldn't easily defeat Yoruichi. 

She was too fast. Even after slowing her down, he still struggled to land a blow.

So, Barragan spoke again.

"The warm-up ends here. Now, I will get serious. Consider yourselves fortunate to witness this magnificent ability." Barragan finished his sentence with a long, drawn-out sigh.

It was Respira, the death sigh.

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