Throwing this in for today!
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I told that arrogant bitch I’d give her a miserable death, but I’m still not quite sure what kind of end would be most pathetic for her. More importantly, I can't afford to waste time. The "death" I've inflicted on the movements of the others will wear off in ten minutes. I need to slaughter this woman and those twenty-nine curs within that timeframe.
Even if I am the manifestation of Death itself, "killing" the laws of the world is a heavy burden. If I still suffered from the previous penalties, this would have likely shaved off a massive portion of my lifespan. Thankfully, those restrictions are gone, allowing me to use my power freely. However, when targeting such a large crowd, the duration of the effect significantly decreases.
Conversely, I’m still unsure if I can "kill" the movements of this specific bitch. The primary condition for killing a law is that the target must be weaker than me. If she were an average Espada, it might work, but unfortunately, this insolent woman possesses her own Aspect of Death.
“What are you daydreaming about right in front of me? How vulgar!”
Tak!
“I was just thinking about how I should kill you.”
“Ohohohoho! Don’t worry about that, because it will never happen. You’re the one I’ll make crawl beneath my feet.”
The Aspect of Death possessed by this woman, Hilda, was Tyranny. It was sickening; she was an Espada, a Vasto Lorde who had been turned into an Arrancar while harboring a concept of death. True to her Aspect, her temperament was ferocious, her gaze and tone constantly looking down on others. As expected, a personality shaped by such an Aspect was incredibly violent.
Whish! Whish! Whish!
Hilda dodged my three light swings with far too much ease. To evade so casually meant she was either reading my movements or simply seeing them clearly. From what I could tell, it was the latter. No matter how powerful an Arrancar is, reading every single movement of a Vasto Lorde is impossible. Furthermore, reading the movements of a being like me should be out of the question.
“Ohohoho! What is this? Such pathetic scythe work. I don't even feel the need to dodge. Hohohoho!”
Thud.
After those initial three strikes, she caught my fourth swing with terrifying ease. She then let go of my scythe, her laughter thick with mockery.
“Annoying skin you've got there.”
I adjusted my grip on the scythe she had released and immediately moved to intercept the whip Hilda lashed out with. However, the whip moved like a snake with a mind of its own, twisting fluidly to avoid my scythe while lunging toward my body.
“That won’t work.”
Using the power of death, I slowly began to "kill" the speed of the whip. While I couldn't do it to Hilda herself, killing the speed of a projectile like this was well within my reach. As I lightly dodged the decelerated whip, Hilda’s voice rang out again.
“Dodging it like that... it seems you don’t have Hierro? Hohohoho! Then I suppose you don't have this either, do you?”
Swoosh!
Boom!
Hilda vanished instantly, reappearing in front of me before I could react. She grabbed my head and slammed it directly into the ground. The sudden impact shocked me for a moment, but I quickly realized what she had done.
“It’s called Sonído.”
That was it. Hilda had simply used Sonído to close the gap and overwhelm me with raw physical strength. Damn it, the difference between a Vasto Lorde and an Arrancar is too clear. Regrettably, in both technique and power, an Arrancar holds the upper hand—especially one at the Espada level.
“Ohohohohohohohoho! Truly pathetic. To think you dared to reject Lord Aizen’s offer with such meager power. Ridiculous.”
Crunch!
Hilda stomped on my downed body, mocking me with her laughter. Those two exchanges clearly showed me the gap between our states of being. However, since her attacks weren't infused with Reiatsu but were merely physical, the actual damage was minimal.
“Don’t get cocky, bitch. I told you. You. Will. Die. Here!”
Whish!
Unlike before, I swung my scythe while infusing it with the power of death. Sensing something dangerous, Hilda immediately used Sonído to widen the distance between us. No matter how strong an Arrancar’s Hierro is, no one could claim they'd walk away unscathed after being cleaved by a scythe saturated with true death.
“What's the matter? Why not try blocking it again?”
“Ohohohoho! I’m not stupid. I won't fall for such obvious provocation.”
“Heh, amusing. An empty-headed bitch with nothing in her skull is actually trying to think? I wasn't even sure you possessed the concept of common sense.”
“Ohohohoho! Such cheap insults are merely laughable!”
Hilda claimed my provocation was laughable, but I didn't miss the slight twitch in her smile. Arrancars are consumed by their own pride and ego. That makes them incredibly easy to manipulate.
“Provocation? Don’t flatter yourself. Why would I need to provoke a brainless girl like you? Hahaha! How much more do you intend to make me laugh? Hahahaha! This is exactly why you won't last another year. You're nothing more than a disposable pawn to be used and discarded. Hahahaha!”
Gritting teeth.
“Truly... an unbearable insult. Out of respect for Lord Aizen’s wishes, I was going to let you live if possible, but I can no longer tolerate this! I will tear that body into so many pieces that no one will recognize you!”
“That’s my line. I’m going to tear you apart!”
I have five minutes left before the Espadas whose movements I killed start moving again. I’ll kill this bitch within that time.
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Throwing it in! Throwing it in!
First off, regarding the protagonist "killing movement." That’s essentially the domain of a god. Normally, if there were penalties, it would consume a massive amount of his lifespan, but since there are no constraints, I’ve balanced it by setting a time limit. Also, it’s a technique that drains significant mental stamina. Even if his Reiatsu is bottomless, his mental endurance certainly has its limits.
Originally, this technique was supposed to debut during a battle with the Gotei 13, showing how he understood death better after becoming an Arrancar. However, since this is a story about Hollows, it's unavoidable that the scope is smaller compared to stories about Soul Reapers or Quincies. So, I added a battle against an Arrancar to include it here.
I described it as "killing the laws of movement," but you can think of it in other ways. Killing movement, killing speed. I got the hint for this from Baraggan’s technique. Just as Baraggan used Senescence to slow down Soi-Fon’s kick, the protagonist kills the speed itself. Baraggan slows things down gradually, but the protagonist can kill movement instantly.
Anyway, just to say one more thing—I hope you understand even if the chapters are a bit short. I started this novel without a set ending in mind, just something to write comfortably while working my part-time job, so there’s a high chance it will reach a conclusion soon. Unlike my other work, Sasin-jeongi, where the ending was planned from the start, House of Death and this one are a bit trickier to manage. I'll talk more about the House of Death details over there. Regardless, I'm grateful that you're enjoying it.
I feel a bit of pressure now? I started this to write casually, but seeing everyone enjoy it so much makes me a bit flustered. I feel like you guys might kill me if it ends too abruptly. Well, that won't happen, right? Kehehehe.
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