Naruto: Copy System#747+748: Captain-Commander Yamamoto Makes His Move, Vasto Lorde Slain

“That level of Reiatsu… it must be a Vasto Lorde.”

As Shin and Retsu Unohana emerged, they were met with a wave of power that took them by surprise. It was the second Vasto Lorde they had encountered.

Its spiritual pressure was on par with the one Shin had already dispatched, perhaps even a bit stronger.

“What a shame. Another of Hueco Mundo's rare Vasto Lorde is about to die,” Shin remarked, shaking his head.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

A terrifying beam of spiritual energy shot toward them—a Cero, but not just any Cero. This was a Gran Rey Cero, the King's Hollow Flash.

“It has been a long time since I’ve seen a Hollow with such audacity.”

Captain-Commander Yamamoto blocked the Gran Rey Cero, his expression turning to ice as he stared down the Vasto Lorde in the distance.

It was alone, with no other Hollows in sight.

That was to be expected. Vasto Lorde rarely traveled in packs. Their spiritual pressure was so immense it could crush weaker Hollows just by being near them. And in a world defined by a cycle of devouring and being devoured, companions were a liability. Kind-hearted Hollows like Nelliel were the exception, not the rule.

Most Vasto Lorde were solitary creatures.

‘I wonder if Baraggan and Coyote Starrk are already Vasto Lorde by now,’ Shin mused.

He thought of the future 2nd and 1st Espada—especially Starrk, the Hollow who had managed to split his own soul to escape loneliness.

"Does Shin know Hollows from Hueco Mundo?" Unohana overheard Shin's quiet reflection.

"I know a few, but I might not recognize them now."

The Espada as he knew them hadn't been formed yet. Even if they stood before him, he might not recognize them.

"I'd advise you to keep that to yourself. Otherwise, you might find yourself in trouble. Soul Society isn't as pure as it seems on the surface," Unohana warned him.

Shin just smiled. Every organization had its dark side. They might project an image of justice, but who knew what rot festered beneath the surface.

Take Central 46, for example—a council of corrupt old fools.

They had little strength but wielded immense power. Even a man like Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto sometimes had to defer to them.

Of course, that was the Yamamoto of today. The Yamamoto of centuries past answered to no one. He had once been a man who would use any means necessary to win, treating even his own subordinates as nothing more than dust.

He was the man Yhwach had called the "Demon of the Sword." But now, with more to care about, he had lost that ruthless edge.

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"Old man, you're in my way."

The Vasto Lorde's eyes glinted with savagery as it scanned the surrounding Soul Reapers, a greedy look on its face.

It had just been passing through, but the sight of so many souls was too tempting to ignore.

Hollows didn't just devour each other; they could also consume Soul Reapers, a process that granted them even greater power.

"You have successfully enraged me."

The top half of Yamamoto's shihakushō was instantly shredded by his flaring Reiatsu, revealing an incredibly well-defined physique. He might be an old man, but the muscles he hid were terrifying.

"Nadegiri!" (Killing Stroke)

An immense wave of sword pressure tore through the earth, heading straight for the Vasto Lorde. The slash connected, carving a horrific wound into its body.

The Vasto Lorde was sent flying like a ragdoll.

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"Shit... is the Captain-Commander always this much of a beast?"

Shunsui Kyōraku couldn't help but curse. He had never truly understood the depths of Yamamoto's power until now. He knew the Captain-Commander was strong, but he had never imagined this. He had always thought the title of "Strongest Soul Reaper" was just an exaggeration. Now, Yamamoto was proving it with raw power.

"He is indeed powerful,"

Shin said to Unohana, who stood beside him.

"He's nothing compared to you..." Unohana replied, glancing at Shin.

Having witnessed Shin's true power, she wasn't the least bit surprised by Yamamoto's display.

"Yamamoto was once called the 'Demon of the Sword,' right? If you two competed purely on swordsmanship technique, who would be stronger?" Shin asked her.

"I would, of course."

Unohana's confidence was absolute. However, superior technique didn't translate to superior strength. Even in a pure sword duel, Unohana knew she would ultimately lose to Yamamoto.

Technique wasn't everything. A real battle involved speed, power, experience, and a dozen other factors. A baby with perfect technique still couldn't beat an adult.

——————————

"All Things In The Universe, Turn To Ash, Ryūjin Jakka!"

Seeing the Vasto Lorde already regenerating, Yamamoto activated his Shikai, preparing to end the fight quickly.

This Vasto Lorde's high-speed regeneration was formidable. Without his Shikai, even Yamamoto would have a hard time defeating it. As long as it wasn't destroyed in an instant, it could recover from any wound. Regeneration was a powerful ability.

Soul Reapers had their Zanpakutō, but the various abilities of the Hollows were just as impressive. The Arrancar created by Aizen using the Hōgyoku, the Espada, were mostly capable of defeating Captain-level opponents.

“Jōkaku Enjō!” (Fortress Blaze)

Flames erupted from the blade, forming a massive hand that trapped the Vasto Lorde inside. To break free, it would have to endure the pursuing fire. With temperatures reaching six thousand degrees, even a Vasto Lorde couldn't escape easily.

'Trying to trap a Hollow probably won't work,' Shin thought, watching Yamamoto's technique. Hollows could use Sonído, a spatial movement technique. It could simply exit from within, no need to break through.

"Die, old man!"

The Vasto Lorde suddenly appeared behind Yamamoto, its sharp claws swiping viciously at him. Its eyes were filled with a cruel light, as if it could already see the old Soul Reaper torn to shreds.

But as its claws descended, it felt nothing but empty air. The figure in front of it slowly faded away—it was just an afterimage.

Yamamoto was now behind the Hollow, his cold gaze fixed on the Vasto Lorde. His flame-wreathed Ryūjin Jakka swung down in a sudden, brutal arc.

The terrifying heat was a stark warning of the approaching crisis. The danger from behind was so intense, the Vasto Lorde felt death looming—the first time it had felt such a threat since becoming a Vasto Lorde.

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"Damn it! How could I die at the hands of some old man?!"

The Vasto Lorde roared, a burst of latent power allowing it to use Sonído to dodge Yamamoto's explosive flaming sword.

Even so, one of its arms was sliced clean off.

For a Vasto Lorde, such a wound was trivial. With its high-speed regeneration, the injury would heal in moments.

In the blink of an eye, the Vasto Lorde's arm had fully regenerated. It stared at Yamamoto with venomous hatred.

"Insolent creature. To have survived that strike is something you can be proud of."

Yamamoto's tone was dismissive. Given his immense power, the fact that the Vasto Lorde was still standing was indeed a feat.

It wasn't that the Vasto Lorde was weak—it was a being whose power surpassed that of a captain. But its opponent was Yamamoto, a monster in his own right. If he were to use his Bankai, he could undoubtedly kill a Vasto Lorde in a single strike.

The old Yamamoto would have unleashed his Bankai without a second thought, but the current Yamamoto would not.

There were Soul Reapers all around. If he activated his Bankai, the first to suffer would not be the Vasto Lorde, but his own men. He wouldn't even use his strongest Shikai technique, Ennetsu Jigoku (Flames of Hell).

“Nadegiri!”

A crimson wave of sword pressure shot toward the Vasto Lorde, carrying a destructive force that seemed to tear the very fabric of the world.

"As expected of the Captain-Commander. His strength is just ridiculous."

The other Soul Reapers had become spectators. They were of no help here, so they could only stand back and watch the show. Their non-interference was probably a good thing for Yamamoto; if they had joined the fight, he would have had to worry about protecting them.

The Vasto Lorde's body was nearly obliterated, but it was still regenerating at an incredible rate. Though weakened, it wasn't dead yet.

"His durability is impressive," Shin remarked, watching the Vasto Lorde's regeneration. It was a powerful survival ability.

"If I can't deal with you, I'll just kill these Soul Reapers. Let's see you stop me then."

The Vasto Lorde wasn't a fool. Realizing it couldn't beat Yamamoto, it switched its target to the other Soul Reapers.

"..." Yamamoto's eyes turned to ice.

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"He didn't run when he had the chance..."

Shin spoke calmly, then spun around and kicked.

The Vasto Lorde, which had just appeared behind Shin, was sent flying by the unexpected blow.

It had actually targeted Shin, going after the toughest opponent here. Shin's power far surpassed even Yamamoto's, yet the creature, in its ignorance, had chosen him as its target.

Yamamoto turned, his pupils contracting as he glanced at Shin before refocusing on the Vasto Lorde.

"Damn it! Just a Soul Reaper!" the Vasto Lorde stared at Shin with hatred.

"I just kicked you once. Why the grudge? Did you think I was an easy target?" Shin asked, looking at the Vasto Lorde with a detached expression.

"I'm going to kill you!"

The Vasto Lorde charged at Shin, its spiritual pressure bearing down on him.

"It is not your place to be presumptuous—Taimatsu! (Torch)"

Yamamoto swung his blade, unleashing a vortex of fire that instantly engulfed the Vasto Lorde, its flames continuously burning its body.

Gradually, the Vasto Lorde could no longer hold on.

"Die."

Using Shunpo, Yamamoto instantly appeared before the creature and pierced it with his Zanpakutō.

With a final howl, the Vasto Lorde was reduced to ashes.

——————————

"The Vasto Lorde has been dealt with." Yamamoto deactivated his Shikai and sheathed his sword.

"It seems I underestimated you. Your hand-to-hand combat skills are impressive," Yamamoto said, specifically addressing Shin.

He had known Shin's Kido was powerful, but he hadn't expected his physical prowess to be so formidable, sending a Vasto Lorde flying with a single kick. Even if the creature was caught off guard, that was no easy feat.

However, since it was just a single kick, Yamamoto still didn't know the full extent of Shin's abilities.

"You flatter me, Captain-Commander. I feel I still have a long way to go," Shin said modestly.

Yamamoto said nothing more, but he felt he needed to learn more about Shin. Before, he had thought of him as just a genius Unohana had discovered in the Rukon District. Now, it seemed he was much more than that.

"Sasakibe, I'll leave things here to you."

With the Vasto Lorde defeated, Yamamoto prepared to return to the Soul Society. Though nothing usually happened there, his presence was still required.

“Captain-Commander, the Vasto Lorde you just killed was not the one we previously encountered.”

Chōjirō Sasakibe quickly reported to Yamamoto.

While lesser Hollows might look similar, by the time they reached the level of a Vasto Lorde, the differences were obvious.

Yamamoto frowned.

“The Seireitei still requires my presence. That is my duty. If you encounter the other Vasto Lorde, contact me again.”

It was the only solution. But with Sasakibe, Unohana, and Shin—whose true strength he still didn't know—even if they couldn't defeat the Vasto Lorde, they should be able to hold it off. That would give him enough time to arrive.

"Yes, sir. We will notify you as soon as we encounter the Vasto Lorde," Sasakibe immediately replied with a nod.

Yamamoto then left, taking some of the severely injured Soul Reapers back to the Seireitei with him. They would only be liabilities if they stayed.

After Yamamoto's departure, Sasakibe was left in charge, though in reality, any decisions would have to be discussed. The captains of the other squads wouldn't simply obey his orders.

Though Sasakibe was incredibly strong, one of the top fighters here, he didn't have the Captain-Commander's authority.

"Everyone, our next destination is the Forest of Menos. We will continue to clear out the Hollows there," Sasakibe announced.

They still had to go to the Forest of Menos. That was their main objective for coming to Hueco Mundo. They had to deal with the Great Hollows there to ensure the safety of the World of the Living.

The other captains didn't object. Though they were worried about the other Vasto Lorde, they couldn't just abandon their mission out of fear.