Naruto: Zanka No Tachi

Chapter 287: NZNT: Chapter 287

With Ulquiorra’s sword pressed against his throat, the defeated Grimmjow, far from displaying anger or frustration, instead erupted into boi

With Ulquiorra’s sword pressed against his throat, the defeated Grimmjow, far from displaying anger or frustration, instead erupted into boisterous laughter.

”What a thrilling fight! Ulquiorra, you truly are not an opponent to be taken lightly.

Although I suspected I wasn’t your match, I never imagined I wouldn’t even force you to use your Resurrección. A true failure, wouldn’t you say?”

His Resurrección slowly faded. Grimmjow pressed further, ”That attack you used to defeat me wasn’t a Cero, was it? A Cero couldn’t possibly be that fast.”

Ulquiorra replied calmly, ”It’s the Bala, an attack formed from a stable spiritual pressure, resulting in a speed far exceeding that of a Cero. While its power is less than a Cero, its speed is more than twenty times greater.”

The Bala is Ulquiorra’s unique technique. As he explained, it is a high-speed shockwave similar in nature to a Cero.

Its superior speed and the ability to launch multiple attacks often make the Bala more effective in combat than a standard Cero.

However, when it comes to Cero abilities, the strongest among the Espada remains Starrk, the Primera. His ”Blue Cero” and ”Cero Metralleta” are both Cero techniques that perfectly balance speed and power.

Following the conclusion of Ulquiorra and Grimmjow’s battle, the entire audience erupted in a frenzy of excitement. This had been the most intense and high-level spiritual pressure battle of the day.

Kenpachi Zaraki, observing from the audience, was particularly enthralled, his blood boiling to the point that he almost felt compelled to grab his Zanpakutō and challenge Ulquiorra to an immediate duel.

This battle revealed the terrifying power of Ulquiorra, the Espada in charge of punishment, to everyone in Las Noches. Those who had previously harbored resentment towards Ulquiorra’s punishments now dared not express any further dissatisfaction.

The individual most profoundly impacted, however, was Kensei Muguruma, who considered Ulquiorra his lifelong nemesis. He realized, with a heavy heart, that he would never be able to defeat such a formidable adversary.

After Grimmjow’s challenge to Ulquiorra, no further challenges were issued among the Espada, bringing the first ”Las Noches Kenjutsu Tournament” to a successful, albeit somewhat surprising, conclusion.

As a result of this tournament, Luppi replaced Yammy as the new Decima Espada, while Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck exchanged positions with Nnoitra Gilga, the Quinta Espada. All other rankings remained unchanged.

Before the final dispersal of the audience, Yusuke personally announced the Espada rankings and revealed a piece of crucial information.

Because Yammy, the guardian of Las Noches, had been defeated by Luppi, his duties would be transferred to Luppi. This handover, however, would be delayed until after Yammy’s full recovery from his injuries.

The implication of Yusuke’s announcement was that Luppi would not immediately assume Yammy’s responsibilities guarding Las Noches during Yammy’s convalescence. There would be a temporary lapse in the usual security protocols.

Upon hearing this news, Gonaldo, who was plotting to steal the Hōgyoku, practically leaped for joy, inadvertently attracting the attention of other Las Noches members nearby.

Realizing he had become too excited and obvious, Gonaldo quickly composed himself.

Suppressing his elation, Gonaldo summoned his accomplices to his quarters. After a period of intense scheming, they decided to act without delay, planning to infiltrate Las Noches that very night, taking advantage of the temporary security lapse to steal the Hōgyoku.

Although Hueco Mundo is perpetually shrouded in darkness, the Hollows still maintain their own routines and schedules.

When there was virtually no movement in or out of Las Noches, five figures, moving with furtive stealth, arrived at the palace gates—Gonaldo and his four accomplices. To avoid detection by the moon, which resembled the watchful eye of the Las Noches ruler, they had chosen to infiltrate via a meticulously dug tunnel.

”I never imagined Las Noches’ defenses would be so lax. We infiltrated so easily. That Shinigami was incredibly careless,” Gonaldo, the leader of the group, remarked.

One of his shorter accomplices whispered, ”We’re incredibly fortunate. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have had this chance to even attempt to obtain the Hōgyoku.”

Devicca, known for her cautious nature, offered a word of warning, ”Let’s locate the Hōgyoku and leave immediately. If we’re discovered by the guards, all our efforts will have been in vain.”

Heeding Devicca’s warning, Gonaldo nodded, saying nothing more. After surveying his surroundings, he pointed towards a specific location and said to his companions, ”Look there. Isn’t that the Hōgyoku in the box marked ’Hōgyoku Within’?”

Following Gonaldo’s direction, they indeed saw an exquisitely crafted stone box bearing the inscription ”Hōgyoku Within.”

The group approached the box, engaging in a heated discussion. Some considered it a divine opportunity, urging immediate departure with the box.

Others, however, suspected a trap, believing the box contained some kind of mechanism, suggesting they leave the box behind and retreat, formulating a more cautious plan later.

After considerable debate, Gonaldo, as the leader, made the final decision: ”It’s too late to hesitate now. This is an unparalleled opportunity, and we cannot afford to miss it. Rest assured, nobody understands traps better than I do. I’m certain this box presents no danger.”

With that, Gonaldo carefully opened the box. A brilliant azure light erupted forth, accompanied by an intensely alluring spiritual pressure.

Upon witnessing the contents of the box, all five individuals were overcome with astonishment, their eyes wide with excitement as they exchanged awestruck glances.

The box did indeed contain the Hōgyoku, but to their utter disbelief, it held not one, but five of them!

”Now nothing can stop our rise to power!” Gonaldo growled, his voice thick with excitement.

Devicca, ever cautious, reminded them, ”Let’s leave Hueco Mundo immediately. If we’re caught, all our efforts will have been wasted.”

Gonaldo, recognizing the urgency of their situation and the inherent danger of lingering in Las Noches, led his group back through the tunnel. They then utilized a Garganta to secretly escape Hueco Mundo and arrive in Soul Society.

Unknown to them, however, their every move had been meticulously observed by Yusuke and Mayuri Kurotsuchi. The Hōgyoku they had so painstakingly acquired were, in fact, not genuine; they were weakened versions, meticulously engineered by Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

Yusuke named these modified Hōgyoku ”Dōgyoku,” crucial for enabling multiple Resurrección stages for the Arrancar!

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