c9 – Promotion! With Tirus Sundaviki
In the depths of the cavern beneath the sands of Hueco Mundo, Ye Chuan had just devoured a crocodile-like Adjucha that dared to challenge him. Now, his towering Hollow form stretched magnificently, coiled around a massive stalagmite like a centipede. His obsidian-gold spiritual pressure surged outward like a wildfire, shaking the surrounding sandstone structures.
Reiryoku in the atmosphere churned violently, drawn to him like a tide responding to the moon. His tail tightened around the pillar, his core pulsing with power. A dark golden pillar of Reiatsu erupted skyward, piercing the desert ceiling and causing the sands above to ripple and split. The sudden emergence of this spiritual energy wave sent shock through Hueco Mundo's skies.
"ROARRR!"
The blast of dark-golden light echoed like a call to war. Nearby Hollows some Adjuchas, others mere Menos-class felt the crushing weight of this power. To them, it was no less than the presence of a Vasto Lorde. In fear and instinctual reverence, they scattered in all directions.
From a distant dune, a large creature stirred. Over five meters tall with four massive wings resembling a fusion between moth and hawk, it cast a vast shadow as it took flight. Her wings shimmered with iron-like feathers, and her emerald eyes locked on the source of the explosion. A tremble of excitement coursed through her.
"A Gillian… no, it's an Adjucha undergoing evolution? In the New World? Ha! The heavens favor me today. If I devour it during its weakest state, I'll ascend beyond my current limits!"
This creature was Tirus Sundaviki, a rare female Adjucha who had survived the brutal Hollow food chain by cunning and ferocity. She shot through the sky with blistering speed, hoping to ambush Ye Chuan during his fragile transformation phase. But she misjudged him—she assumed he was ascending from Gillian to Adjucha.
At the epicenter, Ye Chuan's transformation neared its climax. His power condensed rapidly, the golden Reiatsu shrinking into his form as if sealing his growth. Near the perimeter, his loyal companion a small yellow dog-shaped Hollow with ragged fur began barking anxiously. He sensed the immense killing intent approaching.
"CHILARION!"
The sands darkened as Tirus arrived overhead. Her massive wings eclipsed the desert sun. The yellow dog barked desperately, warning Ye Chuan.
With a screeching cry, Tirus unleashed her signature technique: Tetsuyane Yasha, or "Iron Flame Feathers." Twin feathers launched from her wings like honed blades, aiming to impale the small Hollow below. The dog reacted just in time, dodging with a frantic roll.
"WOOF!"
Despite the near-death encounter, it remained defiant and barked louder toward Ye Chuan.
Tirus, annoyed by the evasive pup, ignored it. Her eyes gleamed as she fixated on the retreating spiritual light column. She dove like a falcon, intending to devour the newly evolved Hollow.
"Perish, foolish Gillian!"
With a flap of her wings, dozens of metallic feathers rained down in a deadly barrage, aiming for the figure within the light. She had defeated many Adjuchas with this move, especially during their disoriented evolutions. Most Gillians lacked intelligence during evolution mere fodder.
But the result stunned her.
The feathers collided, yet instead of the expected explosion of flesh, they clanged like metal upon stone. The dust cleared, revealing a colossal centipede-like Hollow with a humanoid torso over twenty meters tall. His arms shimmered with golden plates. A deep, steady breath echoed from him.
Tirus's eyes widened.
"That… that's not a Gillian… he's an Adjucha like me! But… that Reiatsu… it's stronger than most Adjuchas it's approaching the level of Vasto Lorde!"
She panicked and unleashed another wave of Iron Feathers, this time targeting Ye Chuan's exposed face.
But Ye Chuan stood still.
With a swift, effortless movement, his right arm deflected the incoming feathers. They shattered harmlessly upon impact. Tirus watched in horror as her strongest attack left not even a scratch.
"Can we… perhaps negotiate?"
Her voice trembled as she spoke, attempting diplomacy.
"You attacked my companion. You tried to devour me during my evolution. And now, you want peace?" Ye Chuan's voice was cold, his tone devoid of mercy. "Are you joking?"
"We could join forces. Hunt other Adjuchas. Even Gillians. Together, we'd be unstoppable!"
Tirus offered the desperate plea of a Hollow who feared death more than pride.
Ye Chuan scoffed.
"How typical. The smarter a Hollow gets, the more afraid they become."
With a flick of his segmented tail, now charged with enhanced Raiton-Kōra, or Flash Thunder, he whipped a bolt of electrical energy through the air. The whip cracked like thunder and struck Tirus squarely, hurling her into the sands below.
BOOM!
Sand exploded on impact. Before the dust settled, Ye Chuan vanished—his mastery of Sonído now evident. He appeared above her fallen form, grabbed her head, and slammed it into the ground with force.
BANG!
A crater bloomed beneath her, her mask now cracked and leaking spirit particles. She tried to rise, flapping frantically to escape. But Ye Chuan was faster.
"How… how do you know Sonído? You can't even be a newly evolved Adjucha… You're more than that!" she wailed.
"Even mastered Cero. Want to see?"
A golden charge flared in his hand, but she shrieked again, interrupting.
"Tirus Sundaviki is willing to submit! I surrender! I'll serve you! Just don't kill me!"
Ye Chuan paused. "Tirus Sundaviki?"
"Yes! I offer my loyalty, my strength—my wings are yours, my future master!"
At the name, something clicked. Ye Chuan's golden eyes narrowed with recognition.
Tirus Sundaviki… That name existed in the original Bleach canon. She was one of the Arrancar later turned into a zombie by Giselle Gewelle during the Thousand-Year Blood War arc. Defeated by Uryu Ishida in the past, she had potential—potential Ye Chuan could now consume.
His smile turned grim.
He raised his tail again and lashed it out. Tirus's wings, the source of her agility, were torn away in a flash of lightning. She screamed, having sacrificed her organs in a last-ditch burst of evasive speed.
"A bold move… self-amputation. Admirable."
But it wasn't enough.
Ye Chuan struck again. Tirus countered with her tail, trying to parry the next lightning whip. It failed. The whip severed her tail with a clean arc.
In a flash, Ye Chuan seized her skull with both hands—and twisted.
CRACK.
Her head was torn free, and the rest of her collapsed limply.
He examined her corpse, nodding. Her form and mask fragments confirmed her identity. She truly was that Tirus. But her journey had ended early in this timeline.
Ye Chuan didn't care. Canon meant nothing if it threatened his survival.
He plunged the stinger-like mouthpart of his centipede tail into her corpse. Ghoul Soul his newly awakened ability activated. Her spiritual body dissolved into golden mist and was drawn into him.
Unlike devouring raw bodies, this method conserved the opponent's Reishi without waste. Moreover, Ghoul Soul granted Ye Chuan the power to absorb one ability from the target permanently though the choice could only be made once per kill.
He stored it for later consideration.
Another new ability emerged: Clone a high-cost skill that allowed him to split part of his soul into a puppet with shared thought and intent. Risky, for sure, especially so soon after his promotion. He shelved its use for now.
His older skills, Breath Suppression and Flash Thunder, had also evolved. The latter could now form a thunder whip for mid-range attacks, and his speed had multiplied with access to Sonído.
In short, Ye Chuan's promotion to Adjucha had made him a predator among predators.
Even a Gillian or standard Adjucha was no longer a threat. In fact… he might just be ready to hunt them.
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