Chapter 8: Oppression

Chapter 8: Oppression

How would anyone imagine the ability of oppression? The power to overwhelm someone to the point they have no chance to fight back. The power to crush someone under sheer pressure like a bug.

The manifestation of Kazuya’s Aspect of Death worked similarly, yet worlds apart from those concepts.

It was truly a breathtaking ability.

He went out in search of a foe to test its effectiveness. Lo-and-behold, he found four massive Hollows hibernating in an underground cave. They were Menos Grande.

Unlike Adjuchas and Vasto Lorde, a Menos Grande surpassed the height of an average house in Japan. Each cloaked in black’ wearing a mask with an extending nose bearing three holes. Despite their giant size, they were considered foot soldiers in Las Noches, as they were below Adjuchas in strength and raw power, and were more commonly known as Gillian.

All the Gillians screeched as they sensed the intruders.

Apacci shivered. “They will chew us alive! Let’s run!”

She was terrified of four Gillians blasting her with their Cero.

Kazuya merely smiled and stretched his hand towards the Gillians. “Oppress atmospheric air.”

A blue Reiatsu surrounded the intimidating giant Hollows, and the wind howled like a wolf.

Atmospheric air was everywhere, just like Reishi in Hueco Mundo. In a wide open world, the air alone weighed over hundred of thousands of pounds. Typically, the internal body pressure canceled the atmospheric air while body tissues absorbed the rest of the net force. The Oppression overturned that perfect balance in favor of pure destruction. A Gillian's body structure was incomparably more resilient than human, but could it survive nearly a ton of pressure from all sides?

The answer revealed itself in the form of cracking bones. Flesh ruptured and blood spurted. In an expected turn of events, the four Gillians, towering over four stories, crumbled in balls of grotesque flesh.

“Amazing...”

The sheer force of his innate ability left him astonished.

[Aspect of Death (Oppression): Oppression crushes all by infallible authority. With the power of oppression, you can heighten any aspect of a physical body, be it your surroundings or a part of your enemy’s body.

Reiryoku’s consumption will be increased depending on the resistance faced and your comprehension of the aspect.]

A fitting ability for the man who always lived under the constant oppression of his grandfather, albeit a mental one. He could amplify one aspect of his surroundings as long as it existed physically.

He could technically raise anyone’s heartbeat and destroy their heart. An instant death that would require immense Reiryoku varying from individual to individual.

The ability, however, wasn’t perfect: its energy consumption was its biggest drawback, followed by its conditions. Just one use against Gillians drained his Reiryoku by nearly a quarter. The efficiency would be even worse if he tried to control stronger Hollows. The ability wouldn’t work if his opponent repelled his Reiatsu with a greater concentration of Reiryoku.

The crow nodded at the words of his fellow indirect subordinates of the undisputed king of Hueco Mundo. They had let out their Hollows subordinates to evolve in the wild, only to be killed by newcomers.

Appaci’s response — a crispy beam of Cero Ray that scorched the monkey’s fur around his chest, leaving a bloody mess. “You pathetic monkey, I am a reindeer. Kazuya also has wings. He is no goat. Open your damn eyes before spitting bullshit.”

“Goddamn.” Kazuya beamed a smile at the furious Hollows while patting Apacci’s head. “That’s not a friendly way to approach our guests, now is that? Hey you three, why don’t we sit down in my cave and chat about your life troubles? I’m an A-grade listener. A professional therapist.”

“The heck are you saying?” Apacci retorted. “They are mad now!”

“You dare to mock me, a retainer of Lord Barragan’s court?”

“You will pay for this.”

“Death to the sinner!!!”

The Hollows roared with rage and charged at him. He vanished in a blink of an eye, leaving a sonic boom. He reappeared moments later several meters away with his Sonído technique. He left the Hollows in the dust with his speed.

“No need to be so mad. Geez.” He raised his hand from Apacci’s head and released the full pressure of his Vasto Lorde-Class Reiatsu. “You guys should die but that’s not what I want. You’ll be part of something great. Be happy that you died for a great cause~.”

The Hollows felt as if the sky collapsed as their very souls shivered in terror. His Reiatsu was ripping their souls.

“A V-Vasto Lorde?!”

“Curse our luck. What is a Vasto Lorde doing here?”

“Fuck!!!”

The realization came far too late; their deaths were written in stone the moment they approached him with malicious intent.

Apacci, who was behind Kazuya, merely felt a fraction of his oppressive Reiatsu. Even that left her shaken to her core.

‘Vasto Lorde are crazy strong.’

How great would it be to have such power? She could say goodbye to her run and hide life and live the way Kazuya mentioned without fearing the inevitable “end.” A desire not so different from envy flooded her chest.

Alas, she was one of those Adjuchas-Class who barely received any strength increase even after consuming an Adjuchas-Class Hollow — to put it simply; she lacked the potential to become a Vasto Lorde.

Backing down on a promise irked her. She gritted her teeth. “Screw Vasto Lorde. I’m becoming the strongest Arrancar.”