Chapter 137: The God of Thunder

“…”

In a two-against-one battle, Chojiro had never imagined that Kyoraku and Ukitake would actually be defeated, especially after the plot had already been altered.

“So it’s you this time?”

After being prevented from fighting Ichigo so many times in succession, Ulquiorra had long since grown deeply irritated. He had never expected that this Shinigami—the very same one who had once recklessly intercepted and defeated the rampaging Ichigo—would dare appear so openly before him again, especially with the First Espada, Starrk, at his side.

He was courting death.

Ulquiorra had already sentenced Chojiro to death in his heart.

“Do you have some objection to it being me?”

Chojiro had never before approached Ulquiorra so closely. Only after experiencing it firsthand did he understand that the pressure released by Ulquiorra in his second stage of release was unquestionably far stronger than Starrk’s.

At the very least, dealing with him would not be as simple as dealing with Barragan.

“…”

Ulquiorra did not answer Chojiro. Instead, he chose a more direct method: without the slightest hesitation, he hurled a lightning spear straight at him.

“Whoosh!”

The lightning spear shot past the side of Chojiro’s head as he tilted away, ruffling his short white hair.

“Boom!”

A moment later, a tremendous bolt of lightning descended without warning from the dark clouds overhead, enveloping the lightning spear before exploding in midair.

“!”

Ulquiorra had not expected his immensely powerful lightning spear to be forced into mutual destruction by a single, seemingly unimpressive bolt of lightning from the Shinigami before him. After a brief moment of surprise, he condensed another lightning spear and threw it at Chojiro.

At the same time, the black firearm in Starrk’s hand rose. An oppressive and formidable spiritual pressure surged from its muzzle.

“Cero Metralleta!”

“Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!”

An incalculable number of Ceros erupted from the muzzle of the gun in Starrk’s right hand, sealing off every possible route of escape available to Chojiro. Despite the sheer number and overwhelming power of the blasts, not a single one struck Ulquiorra’s lightning spear. The subtle precision of the distance between them was enough to reveal the extraordinary nature of Starrk’s strength.

With the lightning spear serving as the central assault and the Cero Metralleta providing cover from the side while sealing off every avenue of escape, the two attacks formed what could only be described as a killing blow.

Unfortunately, their opponent this time was Chojiro.

“Rumble, rumble, rumble…”

Chojiro’s figure retreated at tremendous speed. Once again, rolling thunder echoed from within the clouds—louder and more terrifying than any of the previous thunderclaps.

“Boom!”

Under the astonished gazes of Ulquiorra and Starrk, one enormous bolt of lightning after another descended from the sky. Like a row of walls, they crashed down before Chojiro, blocking both the lightning spear and the Cero Metralleta completely.

Chojiro did not suffer so much as a scratch.

“…Is the power of the Cero insufficient?”

Starrk narrowed his eyes slightly and lowered the firearm in his hand.

Although the Cero was the most basic attack available to Hollows, it was also one of their most powerful offensive techniques. Starrk had never once doubted its might. Ulquiorra’s black Cero had made him keenly aware of just how formidable the technique could be.

Yet the man before them had shaken all of that certainty.

Starrk’s Cero Metralleta was powerful enough to deal with ordinary captain-level opponents, and perhaps even stronger enemies. Ulquiorra’s lightning spear was stronger still. Yet these two devastating attacks had been completely neutralized by one bolt of lightning after another, leaving not even a trace behind.

“Now it’s my turn.”

After giving them so many opportunities to attack, Chojiro had no intention of remaining passive. He raised a hand, and a colossal bolt of lightning, nearly twenty meters thick, descended soundlessly from above.

Ulquiorra, whose attention had remained fixed on Chojiro, was caught off guard. Unable to evade in time, he hurriedly endured the full force of the attack with his body.

“Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble!”

Only then did the thunderous explosion of the lightning arrive from within the clouds.

Having sensed the danger a moment earlier and withdrawn, Starrk stood at a distance from Chojiro and once again fired the Cero Metralleta.

“Don’t think that being so far away means you’ll be safe.”

Using Flash Step to evade the barrage, Chojiro crooked a finger. Several more bolts of lightning descended, forcing Starrk back step by step.

“The entire sky is my domain of attack.”

“Is that so?”

“Awoooo!”

“!”

Just as Chojiro thought he had driven Starrk back, a wolf’s howl suddenly rang out from within the dense pillars of lightning. At the same time, several wolves made of bluish flames sprang through the gaps between the lightning columns and charged straight toward him.

“Wolves…?”

Starrk’s true ability—and his final trump card—the pack of wolves.

Chojiro had always been very fond of that ability.

Whether in a one-on-one battle or against multiple opponents, it possessed the power to reverse the situation almost entirely. It was a division of the soul, and no one knew the exact number of wolf-shaped bullets—not even Starrk himself. Without a definite limit, his attack seemed capable of being used indefinitely. There was no possibility of him ever running out of ammunition.

“What a pity. This is where it ends.”

“Boom… crackle…”

The lightning surrounding Starrk suddenly dispersed. At the same time, several bolts appeared beside Chojiro, blocking the wolves.

“…What are you doing?”

With dozens of wolves following him, Starrk could not understand why Chojiro had dispersed the lightning. If Chojiro had struck him directly as he had before, Starrk feared that he would have been unable to escape severe injury.

“What a pity. I actually admire you, Espada.”

“Is that so? Then it seems we should get along rather well.”

“Indeed. If we were not enemies…”

Chojiro glanced at Starrk, who stood alone in the distance yet was, in truth, surrounded by companions. Slowly, he closed his eyes.

“We might have become very good friends.”

“That really is a shame.”

It was obvious that Starrk also wished to end the battle quickly. The instant his voice fell, dozens of wolves roared and lunged at Chojiro.

“Guh…”

Meanwhile, Ulquiorra was still resisting stubbornly beneath the pressure of the colossal lightning bolt, his body gradually being forced toward the ground. His arm had already been scorched black by the lightning’s high voltage, thin wisps of smoke rising from it, yet the attack still had not managed to crush him completely.

“Grrr… urrrraaaaaah!”

Chojiro’s attention, however, was focused entirely on Starrk. Ulquiorra had been relying solely on his overwhelming power to resist the lightning. Though he struggled, he ultimately drew upon the tremendous strength of his second stage of release and dispersed the massive bolt.

By then, he had already expended a considerable amount of spiritual pressure and physical strength.

“Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble!”

“!”

He had thought that, now he had escaped the danger, he would immediately kill the Shinigami. But the sight before him genuinely startled even this normally unflappable Espada.

“What… is this…”