DxD: Chapter 279/280

Chapter 279: The Trace

The Resurrección form of Szayelaporro Granz unfolded above Las Noches, emitting a nauseating stench as four wings spread behind him. The writhing tentacles and multicolored eye sockets made Nelliel frown in visible disgust.

"What a repulsive form," she said coldly, as the spear in her hand glowed with a dangerous emerald green light.

Staring at the eerie glow of the weapon, Szayelaporro paused.

Even though he had already released his Resurrección, he still trembled under the pressure of Nelliel's aura.

But...

There was still a chance!

Szayelaporro clenched his fists, a glint flashing in his eyes.

As long as he could make full use of his abilities in this form, he could still win!

He took a few deep breaths and quickly began calculating his next move.

However, Nelliel had no intention of giving him time to think.

Her figure shot forward like lightning, her spear slicing through the air with a high-pitched whistle.

A thunderous sound exploded in Szayelaporro's ears.

Caught off guard by the sudden charge, he panicked for a moment, then reacted—

"Cero!"

His four wings flared open at once, launching several dark purple beams.

But Nelliel didn't flinch. She swung her spear with force, slicing through all the beams with a single sweep.

Without slowing down at all, she appeared directly in front of him in an instant.

"H-How is this possible?!"

Szayelaporro was horrified and flailed his tentacles in a desperate attempt to block.

The spear thrust forward, emerald light bursting out in a violent torrent.

The moment the light touched Szayelaporro's tentacles, they melted like ice exposed to fire.

Pfft—

The spear pierced straight through Szayelaporro's body without hesitation.

His eyes were dazed, as if about to follow in Nnoitra Gilga's footsteps.

But...

Nelliel suddenly pulled the spear back and swung it sideways.

Slash—

Several tentacles were severed instantly!

However, the Szayelaporro standing in front of her collapsed like a pile of sludge.

To her right, the real Szayelaporro reappeared.

His face turned pale. "How did you know?"

Nelliel remained silent.

It was all experience earned through countless battles. She could tell by the sensation that it wasn't the real body.

But...

The corrosive fluid dripping from his clone made her visibly frown.

Disgusting...

After a moment of thought, Nelliel decided not to dirty her hands further.

She raised one hand, and an emerald magic glow flickered from her palm.

"Tear the sky with antelope horns, pierce the triple barrier of spirit particles!"

"Trails of Emerald!!"

Buzz—

As soon as the chant ended, three spears formed from pure magical energy appeared beside her.

Nelliel finally remembered her long-range skills.

With a wave of her hand—

Whoosh—

Three emerald green spears sliced through the air and shot toward Szayelaporro like streaks of lightning!

Only three dazzling trails remained behind them.

Szayelaporro's pupils shrank. He instantly activated the ring and teleported to another location.

Far away.

His figure reappeared. "You think a little trick like that can defeat me?"

He sneered. "I may not be the strongest, but don't underestimate me."

But...

The moment he finished speaking, a strange tearing sound echoed from behind him.

A sudden wave of danger engulfed him.

Szayelaporro turned sharply.

Three emerald spears were already upon him!

Pfft—

Without fail, all three spears pierced through different parts of his body!

Szayelaporro's eyes widened as blood trickled from the corners of his mouth.

"Why… Why…"

Nelliel walked up to him, spear resting on her shoulder, and said expressionlessly, "I forgot to mention... they home in on their target."

His gaze turned dull. His body swayed in midair, as if about to plummet into the sea below, the one released earlier by Ingvild Leviathan.

But…

Suddenly.

Szayelaporro's eyes flashed red, and his mouth curled into a deranged grin.

His face twisted with madness as he shouted loudly.

"Teatro de Titere!!"

His voice was sharp and crazed, and a special tentacle shot toward Nelliel's lower abdomen at high speed.

This was his last gamble!

But...

Nelliel's eyes narrowed. The magic-infused spiritual pressure around her body surged violently.

As the tentacle neared, it was instantly disintegrated by the overwhelming energy.

The smug expression on Szayelaporro's face froze. His eyes lost focus.

"I really liked what Aizen once said…"

Nelliel looked down at him from above, her voice cold. "In battles between Soul Reapers, it all comes down to the strength of your spiritual pressure."

"The same applies to Arrancars."

As her words fell.

She flicked her finger, and a small emerald bullet shot into Szayelaporro's body.

In the next second.

His body rapidly expanded.

"Aaaaaaahhh—!!"

Szayelaporro screamed in agony before violently exploding into nothingness.

Szayelaporro Granz, dead!

Gulp.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez instinctively took a step back, staring at Nelliel in shock.

In such a short time, two Espadas had been slaughtered by her!

He swallowed hard, mind flashing back to the time they had once fought side by side.

He… hadn't done anything to offend her… right?

The others also quickly scanned their memories, terrified that they might have unknowingly provoked her.

Elsewhere.

Coyote Starrk and Tier Harribel narrowed their eyes slightly, focusing on Nelliel's spiritual pressure, their expressions thoughtful.

Within it...

There was something else mixed in.

Something that felt eerily familiar.

It was the same as Katerea Leviathan's power.

And...

It was incredibly potent!

(To be continued.)

Chapter 280: A Separate Opponent

Above Las Noches, emerald spiritual pressure and sapphire seawater clashed violently in the sky. Nelliel retracted her spear, her amber eyes sweeping across the remaining Espada, finally settling on Coyote Starrk.

"Although I appreciate that you didn't interfere..."

"I'm sorry. Our objective this time is all of Las Noches."

Her voice was calm, yet the words landed like a sledgehammer in everyone's chest.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez instinctively took half a step back, the pride of the Sixth Espada completely gone.

He glanced at Barragan Luisenbarn, who was about to be engulfed by the rising tide, then looked at the blood dripping from the tip of Nelliel's spear. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed nervously.

"Hey, this has nothing to do with us!"

Grimmjow raised his hands. "I had nothing to do with what those two idiots, Nnoitra and Szayelaporro, did!"

Tier Harribel cast him a cold glance, her wheat-toned skin gleaming with a metallic sheen beneath the pressure of spiritual energy.

She said nothing, but her eyes said everything—pleading for mercy at this point was a disgrace to an Espada.

Starrk scratched his head, his lazy expression finally disappearing.

He looked at Katerea Leviathan hovering in the sky, then at Nelliel, and finally at the struggling Barragan Luisenbarn. A helpless sigh escaped his lips.

"What a pain…"

Lilynette leaned against his shoulder and asked softly, "Are we fighting?"

"Yeah, looks like we don't have a choice."

Starrk patted her head, and then…

His gaze sharpened instantly.

He didn't care about the others.

But Barragan Luisenbarn could not die.

At least…

Not in front of him!

With that thought, Starrk acted immediately.

Buzz—

A small, pale blue orb of energy formed at his fingertip.

Cero.

A basic yet powerful technique used by Arrancar and Hollows.

But…

The one in Starrk's hand was clearly different.

Unlike others who released a large beam of energy, Starrk's Cero remained compressed in the shape of a small bullet.

Yet anyone who paid attention would sense the terrifying power packed into it.

As if an overwhelming amount of destructive energy had been compressed into a tiny point.

Starrk aimed at Ingvild Leviathan and fired.

Whoosh—

A sharp whistling cut through the air like a blade.

But—

"Do I look invisible to you?"

Suddenly.

Katerea Leviathan's voice rang out as she instantly appeared in the Cero's path.

Buzz—

A thick stream of seawater gushed out from her body.

Sizzle—

The bullet collided with the water, releasing a harsh frictional sound, then—

Boom!

It exploded in an instant!

A brilliant flash of blue engulfed the entire sky.

But…

The seawater surrounding Katerea continued to surge and churn, fully absorbing the impact.

In the end, Starrk's Cero had done nothing but make noise.

Seeing this, Starrk narrowed his eyes slightly.

That one exchange told him everything he needed to know—Katerea Leviathan wasn't simple.

A few seconds later.

As the shockwave dissipated, Katerea dispersed the water shield and looked at Starrk with cold eyes.

"Who gave you permission to attack Ingvild?"

Starrk: "…"

"You really sound like someone in charge…"

Even though his Cero had been neutralized, Starrk didn't show any change in expression.

He just glanced at Barragan and sighed.

"Looks like…"

"You'll have to hold out a little longer."

"Tch."

Barragan Luisenbarn clicked his tongue in annoyance. "I don't need your help yet."

Of course…

Though his words sounded tough, his situation was grim.

Within his skull, the flickering pupils danced like flames, locked onto the illusion surrounding Ingvild Leviathan.

Before it—

His prized Aging Flame had proven completely ineffective!

Wear her down with spiritual pressure?

A war of attrition?

After analyzing the situation, Barragan realized that the illusion stemmed directly from Ingvild Leviathan.

As long as the non-spiritual energy within her ran out, that cursed illusion would collapse.

No more protective shell!

But…

He had already spent considerable effort doing just that.

So why…

Why hadn't she run out of energy yet?

A trace of anxiety flickered in Barragan's mind.

Just then—

Boom!!!

Ingvild clapped her hands together, and a massive wave came crashing toward him!

Barragan's pupils shrank. The next moment, his body was submerged beneath the sea.

As Tier Harribel was about to move, Midoriko, clad in a shrine maiden outfit, stepped in to block her path.

Tier paused, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Midoriko.

Suddenly, an inexplicable sense of dread filled her chest.

It felt like...

Facing a natural enemy?

Why was she feeling this way?

Tier temporarily suppressed the strange sensation and turned to glance toward Barragan's position.

She couldn't see him anymore.

But…

He shouldn't die that easily, right?

After all, he was once the King of Hueco Mundo.

With a faint sigh, Tier redirected her attention to Midoriko.

She unsheathed her blade, pointed it at Midoriko, and said calmly, "Are you my opponent?"

"Midoriko, pleased to receive your guidance."

Midoriko smiled gently, her demeanor like that of an elegant housewife—polite and soft-spoken.

But…

Tier instinctively took a step back.

In the next instant.

A talisman marked with obscure runes appeared right in front of her.

"Ah~"

Midoriko blinked in surprise. "You noticed?"

"No. I just instinctively sensed danger."

Tier answered honestly, watching her opponent warily.

So soft-spoken, but…

Her actions were swift and decisive...

Midoriko: "…"

Hmm…

It was the first time someone answered her question so seriously during a battle.

She seemed…

Not bad?

Midoriko glanced at the Evil Piece embedded in her body. When she saw it flickering faintly, her gaze flickered as well.

She began to consider another possibility.

Maybe…

She could recruit her?

After all…

If even Katerea Leviathan could join the Peerage, then Tier Harribel shouldn't be a problem either, right?

But…

Judging by the atmosphere, this would have to wait.

(To be continued.)