Bleach: Starting as a Vasto Lorde

Chapter 4: Annihilation

Apacci could feel the confidence seeping from his voice like a warm, invigorating elixir, expelling the fear and doubts that had been ricocheting in her mind. She found herself unable to question the source of his conviction, as though she had faith in him.

'A Hollow, having faith.'

She scoffed, a touch of incredulity coloring her thoughts.

"Trust me."

Then, like a gentle breeze, his pleasant whisper caressed her ears, washing away her skepticism. She was akin to a desperate moth, drawn irresistibly towards a blazing inferno. Apacci groaned at the ludicrous predicament she found herself in. Her choices had been whittled down to two — perishing inside a Hollow's stomach or placing trust in the man who exuded unwavering confidence in his abilities.

"Don't let me die!"

Channeling her Reiryoku into her legs, a thunderous boom reverberated behind her. Though her Sonído skills were unremarkable, the sudden acceleration caught Kazuya off-guard. The wind slapped against his face, a sensation that would have sent his old body careening through the air. In his current state, however, the wind felt invigorating, reminiscent of riding his Suzuki.

'I love this world.'

Seizing the opportunity, he closed his eyes and immersed himself in the energy coursing within him. Controlling Reiryoku was an innate instinct for every Hollow, and he deftly guided the flow of energy with his thoughts.

'Easier than I thought.'

Suddenly, Apacci's knees buckled as she was subjected to his bone-chilling Reiatsu. Her stumble sent them crashing down, and Kazuya's clothes became even more tattered after tumbling across the ghostly white sand.

Picking himself up and dusting off his clothes, he appeared unscathed after the devastating crash. His Hollow holes posed no hindrance to his movements, serving solely as ornamental symbols. The sand in Hueco Mundo was peculiar, its grains bonded more tightly than those on a beach, as if an invisible energy held them together.

'Fuuh. I'm not a cripple.'

Meanwhile, awestruck and petrified, Apacci gaped at the brilliant blue Reiatsu emanating from Kazuya, her body rendered immobile. The concentration of his Reiatsu surpassed that of an Adjuchas-Class, hinting at a power beyond.

As if...

"Haha, I didn't think there would be another one with you," laughed the colossal Adjuchas, oblivious to Kazuya's Reiatsu as if his senses had been severely dulled. In truth, the snake-like Hollow was teetering on the brink of regression. "I'll eat you, first, then savor the female there."

Kazuya pivoted toward the ravenous Adjuchas and focused his Reiryoku into his hand. A dense sphere of azure energy materialized, its very existence warping the air around it.

"What can—" Suddenly, an icy shiver raced down the Adjuchas's spine, electrifying his nerves. His heart hammered wildly as he swiveled around, his eyes wide with panic and dread, desperately seeking an escape from the spine-chilling presence lurking behind him.

"Cero..."

At Kazuya's command, the sphere of energy launched forward, expanding into a thick beam of light. The Cero Ray obliterated the Hollow's mask and head before tearing a gaping hole through the mountain in the distance.

Kazuya's first kill left him reeling, but for entirely different reasons.

'Holy cow, I'm strong.'

[Racial ability: Cero learned.]

[Current Master Level: Basic.]

The sheer destruction caused by his rudimentary Cero mastery left him in awe. He could barely fathom the might of a fully mastered Cero. Shaking his head, he approached Apacci, who remained in a state of shock – understandably so. The Adjuchas that had nearly ended her life — he eradicated him with a single Cero attack.