Chapter 48: Valdez, that’s it?

Suì-Fēng and Valdez froze in disbelief, their eyes locked on the inferno before them.

From within the raging flames, a voice rang out—calm, mocking.

Uehara Shiroha stood amidst the fire, completely unscathed.

His posture was relaxed, as if the searing flames around him were nothing more than a gentle breeze.

Suì-Fēng's eyes widened in shock.

Even from a distance, she could feel the oppressive heat rolling off the flames. Her own body, trained and hardened through countless battles, would have struggled to withstand such intensity.

Yet this man—this monster—stood within the fire completely unfazed.

How?

Every time she thought she had grasped the extent of Uehara Shiroha's abilities, he shattered her expectations.

Even the three Adjuchas, who had moments ago cheered at Valdez' attack, had gone silent.

Fear crept into their eyes.

This wasn't normal. This wasn't something a mere Shinigami should be capable of.

"This is impossible…" Valdez muttered, his shock evident.

He had seen it with his own eyes—his flames had engulfed Uehara Shiroha completely, and yet…

Even with Hierro and super-speed regeneration, Valdez knew he wouldn't have walked out of those flames unharmed.

And yet, the Shinigami stood there—unburned, unscathed, and completely unimpressed.

The corner of Uehara Shiroha's lips curled upward in amusement.

"Five Dragons of Annihilation, huh?" he mused. "A name like that makes it sound impressive, but in the end, it's just a degraded replica."

Valdez' expression darkened.

Uehara continued, his voice carrying a hint of mockery, "This trap… it was left behind by Szayelaporro, wasn't it?"

He had recognized it immediately.

The so-called Five Dragons Transmigration was nothing more than a fabricated construct—an imitation created using Anti-Membrane Silk.

Szayelaporro's twisted scientific genius had birthed this black technology, allowing it to record and replicate spiritual pressure-based abilities from Shinigami, Hollows, and even Quincy.

Uehara Shiroha couldn't help but find the concept intriguing.

"How do you even know this?" Valdez hissed, his voice laced with disbelief.

This Shinigami saw through everything.

But Valdez had no time to dwell on it. He gritted his teeth and activated the Anti-Membrane Silk once more, channeling an even stronger flame.

The air quivered as the fire surged, the sky igniting in a violent inferno.

Simultaneously, Valdez raised a Cero Oscuras in one of his remaining arms, its sinister black glow pulsing with destructive energy.

If flames alone couldn't take this Shinigami down, then he would annihilate him with overwhelming force.

Suì-Fēng instinctively stepped back, putting more distance between herself and the battlefield.

She knew that, in her current state, she would only be a hindrance.

Her gaze locked onto the inferno before her.

"The power of these flames…" she muttered, eyes narrowing.

Even though it was a hollow's replication, it carried the structure of Hado #99—Goryūtenmetsu.

She immediately spotted the danger hidden behind the firestorm.

"Uehara Shiroha! Watch out!" she shouted. "That Vasto Lorde's Cero Oscuras and his ability—he's trying to overwhelm you with both at once!"

As the five blazing dragons surged toward him, Uehara Shiroha exhaled softly.

Without hesitation, he activated two abilities—White Album and Universal Boundary—in unison.

Instantly, the oppressive power of the flames diminished.

The once-mighty dragons twisted and contorted, shrinking until they became nothing more than flickering fire snakes.

Uehara Shiroha reached out.

The flames, no longer wild and uncontrollable, wrapped around his arm like living creatures—only to be crushed effortlessly in his grasp.

In the next instant, his sword was already in motion.

With a single precise slash, the deadly Cero Oscuras—the trump card of a Vasto Lorde—was cut apart, dispersing harmlessly into the night.

The battlefield fell silent.

Valdez' eyes widened in sheer terror.

"You…" he whispered, taking a cautious step back.

Uehara Shiroha's golden eyes sharpened.

"It's my turn now."

The moment those words left his mouth, Uehara Shiroha vanished.

Snap!

The sound rang out like thunder as Valdez instinctively leaped back, expanding his sensory field to the absolute limit.

He wasn't taking any chances.

At the same time, the three Adjuchas surrounding him raised their own Cero and fired simultaneously.

But it was useless.

Uehara Shiroha's defenses were absolute.

Between his condensed spiritual pressure, his nigh-indestructible barrier, and his sheer mastery of movement, these intermediate-level Cero weren't even strong enough to scratch him.

With two quick Shunpo, Uehara Shiroha appeared directly in front of Valdez.

For a brief moment, Valdez' expression twisted into a sinister grin.

Yes—come closer.

This close, the power of the barrier would maximize his ability.

If Uehara Shiroha stepped just a little further… his spiritual pressure would be completely sealed.

In his mind, Valdez had already won.

But just before Uehara stepped into the trap—

He stopped.

His golden eyes glinted with amusement.

Did you really think I wouldn't see through something so obvious?

Without a word, Uehara Shiroha raised his blade.

Sun Breathing: Twelfth Form.

The sword cut through the air—

A brilliant wave of flames erupted forward, engulfing Valdez entirely.

This time, the Vasto Lorde didn't dare to take the attack lightly.

He activated every defensive ability at his disposal, his spiritual pressure-sealing field expanding outward in full force.

The invisible force pushed back the flames—

But it wasn't enough.

The fire pressed forward, consuming everything in its path.

And then—slash!

Uehara Shiroha had already disappeared from his previous position.

Before Valdez could react, the three Adjuchas lunged toward Uehara Shiroha.

They moved in perfect synchronization—years of survival in Hueco Mundo had honed their instincts.

But against Uehara Shiroha, their tactics meant nothing.

His spiritual perception flared.

Shing!

A single slash—

And the flames of Sun Breathing engulfed the first Adjuchas entirely.

Before the second could react—

"Hado #4: Byakurai!"

A piercing white lightning bolt shot through its mask, killing it instantly.

The third Adjuchas, in desperation, swung a bladed arm at Uehara's chest.

But Uehara didn't move.

He simply raised his right hand—and stopped the attack barehanded.

A crushing force exploded from his palm, sending a shockwave through the air.

The final Adjuchas' body shattered, its core obliterated in an instant.

All three were dead within mere breaths.

Valdez, witnessing the massacre, turned and ran without hesitation.

He had no intention of dying here.

But behind him, Uehara Shiroha sighed.

"…A Vasto Lorde, the so-called pinnacle of all Hollows… and this is the best you can do?"

His tone was filled with disappointment.

Now he understood.

There was a reason this Hollow never appeared as an Arrancar during Aizen's reign.

Aizen probably thought he wasn't even worth recruiting.

Shaking his head, Uehara Shiroha took a step forward—and vanished in a Shunpō.

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