Chapter 147: High-Speed Regeneration

"Bakudō 62: Hyapporankan!"

With a loud shout, Masatsuki Aozaki summoned a massive pillar of light in front of him. It split into countless smaller pillars that shot forward at high speed.

More than ten Hollows had no time to react before the splitting light pillars bound them firmly to the ground and walls.

"Amazing!!" Kūgo Ginjō stared in shock at the scene before him, unable to hold back his exclamation.

He had instinctively sensed that these Hollows weren't a match for Masatsuki Aozaki, but he never expected them to be subdued so easily. From the moment he heard that strange incantation to the instant the Hollows were immobilized, not even a second had passed.

To him, each of these creatures would be a formidable enemy. Yet, in front of this man, they were like mere playthings.

Masatsuki Aozaki said indifferently, "Don't make such a fuss. This is nothing."

Kūgo Ginjō looked up and saw the white peaks of the distant black mountains suddenly split open.

"Sephiroth-sama, is that... a mouth?"

"Of course. What else would it be?" Masatsuki Aozaki grinned. "Looks like their master has noticed something is wrong."

Kūgo Ginjō's expression changed, and he quickly shouted, "Sephiroth-sama, they're gathering their Reiatsu!"

Masatsuki Aozaki chuckled and said calmly, "Don't be afraid. That's a Cero—a special technique only Menos can use. Pay attention and remember it."

Zzt!

A sharp sound of condensed Reiatsu filled the air, making it feel thick and heavy. The mouths of the four Gillians glowed crimson as they gathered their energy, then fired beams of light like laser cannons!

A flash of panic crossed Kūgo Ginjō's eyes. There was no way he could block these four crimson Reiatsu blasts!

Am I going to die? Was I just bait for this guy?

"Eh…?"

Before he could react further, a transparent Reiatsu barrier appeared in front of him. The four crimson beams struck the barrier, but it didn't waver in the slightest.

—Bakudō 81: Dankū!

Kūgo Ginjō shouted excitedly, "Sephiroth-sama!"

Masatsuki Aozaki shook his head slightly and murmured, "Bakudō 61: Rikujōkōrō."

Golden light blades materialized in the air around the Gillians. Every six blades interlocked, sealing the movements of all four Gillians in an instant.

He still remembered how the textbooks at Shin'ō Academy described Menos as monsters that surpassed even captain-class Shinigami. Back then, he found it hard to accept.

After all, in his original timeline, Gillians never seemed that strong.

It wasn't until he asked Yamamoto that he learned the truth—the textbooks exaggerated their strength to prevent students from underestimating low-level Menos.

…

What the hell?

Domilo, surrounded by the Gillians, froze for a moment.

A cold bead of sweat dripped down his forehead. As an Adjuchas-class Menos, he had survived countless battles and had vast combat experience.

The Shinigami brat in the distance didn't have this kind of power. Someone was hiding in the shadows—a true powerhouse.

Instinctively, Domilo took a step back.

But suddenly, an icy sensation struck him.

A large splash of blood burst into the air. His arm had been severed—sent flying before crashing onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Adjuchas… Not bad. Seems like coming to the World of the Living wasn't a mistake after all."

A perfectly smooth male voice echoed, sending an icy chill through Domilo's entire body. It felt as if he had fallen into a frozen abyss, every particle of Reishi in him screaming for him to flee immediately.

There was no detectable Reiatsu, but that single slash alone was enough to prove that this newcomer was far from weak.

Masatsuki Aozaki wore a faint smile, clearly in high spirits.

He had long known this city was a Jūreichi, but even in such a spiritually dense place, the appearance of Gillians and Adjuchas was uncommon.

Adjuchas, in particular, almost never appeared in the World of the Living unless under special circumstances. To evolve, they had to devour Menos of their own level, and Hueco Mundo was the true battlefield for that. The so-called high-Reiryoku souls in the World of the Living were no longer even qualified to be their food.

For an Adjuchas to appear here, leading a horde of Hollows, was an extremely rare occurrence—unless it had a special purpose.

"Look at you, acting like you've never seen the world before. Don't go around saying you're my underling—it's embarrassing."

Masatsuki Aozaki teased as he glanced at the young man standing beside him.

Kūgo Ginjō's body trembled slightly, and every so often, he swallowed hard.

In just two days, his understanding of the world had been shattered and rebuilt countless times.

"This Adjuchas has power on par with a Lieutenant. You've got a long way to go before you can take on an enemy like this."

Masatsuki Aozaki offered a casual explanation.

Kūgo Ginjō's brown eyes flickered—he caught the hidden meaning in those words. The man acknowledged his potential, implying that one day, he too would be able to stand against such creatures.

"Damn bastards… One after another… Those damn brats! Those damn Shinigami! How dare you treat me like this?!"

With a deep, guttural growl, blood-red flesh tendrils twisted together like writhing tentacles, rapidly forming a brand-new arm.

Domilo flexed his fingers, confirming that the freshly regenerated limb was fully functional. His expression darkened, the markings on his white mask distorting with rage.

In the next instant, he vanished from sight—then came crashing down toward the two men still conversing.

"Die!"

"Sephiroth-sama, look out!"

Kūgo Ginjō's pupils shrank as he instinctively raised his blade to block the attack, but before he could act, Masatsuki Aozaki stepped in front of him.

Then—

A deafening explosion!

The ground caved in violently under the sheer force of the impact, collapsing in waves like an earthquake had struck.

"Hahaha! That's it! You're dead, you damn brat! What's the point of speed? I specialize in raw power! HAHAHAHA!"

Domilo roared with laughter.

The sensation of his strike connecting reassured him, and in his final glimpse of the scene, he saw no signs of them escaping.

Even if he lost two promising test subjects, it didn't matter. Survival was all that mattered!

Now, he just needed to continue searching for more souls that could serve as experimental material.

A cruel smile spread across his face—just as he prepared to retract his fist, his expression suddenly twisted.

Pain.

A sharp, searing pain surged through his arm!

His eyes widened in disbelief as he looked down.

From his fist to his shoulder, a thin, straight line of blood stretched across his thick limb. Then—his arm split apart. The severed piece tumbled to the ground with a dull thud.

"AARGH!!"

"Hey, hey, don't leave so soon."

Masatsuki Aozaki's voice drifted up from below.

"I was planning to cut off all your limbs to incapacitate you, but I almost forgot about your kind's 'High-Speed Regeneration.'"

His tone was calm, almost amused.

"But if I recall correctly… High-Speed Regeneration has its limits, doesn't it? So where's yours?"

The moment he finished speaking, Masatsuki Aozaki swung his Zanpakutō.

With a sharp whoosh, four arcs of light streaked through the air—Domilo's remaining limbs were severed instantly.

"This… This is impossible!"

A flicker of sheer terror flashed through Domilo's eyes.

As an Adjuchas-class Menos, he prided himself on his physical strength, his hardened body built for brutal combat. Yet against this man's blade, his supposedly unyielding form was as fragile as paper.

"Oh? Looks like your regeneration is slowing down," Masatsuki Aozaki remarked with a grin.

Then, without hesitation, he swung his blade once more, slicing Domilo cleanly in half.

As Domilo's upper body hit the ground, Masatsuki Aozaki used Shunpo to step on him, extending a hand toward his chest.

"Tch… Having to hold back so I don't kill you outright is such a hassle."

...

Regarding Menos and Reiatsu levels, this story follows a structured classification based on the narrative:

Gillian: Generally classified as sixth-level Reiatsu.

Adjuchas: Ranges from fifth to third-level Reiatsu.

Vasto Lorde: Ranked between second and first-level Reiatsu.

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

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