17 CHAPTER 17: Pain

The stark reality of Kazuya's injury hit him like a tidal wave; his left arm had been cleanly severed from the shoulder when he grabbed Harribel. An excruciating pain coursed through him, igniting every nerve and searing his consciousness. Though he was a soul — a Hollow — his pain was as vivid and overwhelming as the most acute sensations in his life.

"Agh." Kazuya bit down on his tongue, suppressing the scream that threatened to escape his lips. His rigorous training with Harribel had instilled in him the importance of restraint and self-control. He had already possessed a strong sense of discipline before entering this world, but now it was being put to the ultimate test. "Fuck."

Harribel showed a horrified look. "Kazuya, this…"

"Kazuya!"

Harribel wasn't the only one terrified as three anxious voices called out from behind Kazuya. Apacci, Sung-Sun, and even Mila Rose raced towards him, their faces etched with worry. Apacci's eyes shimmered with unshed tears, on the verge of breaking, while Sung-Sun maintained her composure despite the gravity of the situation. Each of them felt the weight of Kazuya's injury and the potential consequences that lay ahead.

"She is too powerful. Let's make a run for it." Apacci, unwilling to lose anyone, suggested the best strategy she could think of — running away from the threat. "We can't win against her."

"It will be hard…" Cyan Sung-Sun shook her head, her expression grave. "She is faster than us. Way too fast. Kazuya, remember what I told you… You can accomplish anything as long as you're alive. You can do nothing if you're dead."

Sung-Sun could discern that the Arrancar, Cirucci, initially wanted Kazuya alive, but his relentless provocation had altered the dynamic. Now, the stakes were higher, and their survival hung in the balance.

"Does it hurt, Niño?" Dordoni asked with a grin. "Does it hurt enough to make you give up? Just know that your friends will be slaughtered if you throw the towel."

Dordoni could see the terror in Sung-Sun's and Apacci's eyes, but their determination to stand by their friend was unwavering. They were willing to face their trembling hearts to support those they cared about.

'The kind of friends who make sacrifices for others. Niño is fortunate.'

He had once been like them, until the war had claimed the lives of everyone he cared about. Now, he had no one worth sacrificing his life for. The memories of his past life, filled with camaraderie and selflessness, seemed like a distant dream as he stood there, detached from the bonds that once held him together.

Forged in flames of war, Dordoni was reborn as a demon.

"No way, geez." Kazuya closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath as he felt the agonizing pain running through his body. Despite it all, he opened his eyes again and forced a smile. "Girls, 'Tis but a scratch. I can regen it easily."

"Scratch? Your arm's off!" Apacci was losing her mind over their safety. "You make me mad!"

Harribel glared at the Espadas. Despite frantically rummaging through her mind, she could find no way out of the dire situation she was in.

She closed her eyes before opening them again with renewed determination.

'There is one way they can escape safely.'

Her most despised act — Sacrifice.

"Don't even think about that, Harribel." Kazuya shut down her idea as if he could read her mind. His eyes blazed with defiance and rage. "This is my fight. Stay out of it."

Harribel stood there, shocked out of her mind. He turned his back on her and walked to his previous spot, even as the pain was killing him from inside.

Cirucci hovered above him, a condescending smirk etched across her face as she reveled in his pain. She cast a fleeting glance at the severed arm twitching on the ground between them, daring him to make a move.

"Can't take the pain now, Big Boy? I'll do you a favor then. Take your arm and heal yourself."

Her intentions were clear: she sought to thoroughly humiliate him and crush his resilient spirit. Her haughty demeanor and mocking tone were yet another demonstration of her arrogance, a reflection of her belief in her own superiority.

Kazuya picked up his severed arm and brought it close to his shoulder. The residual Reiryoku within the limb sought him instinctively. As the two sources of power connected, the detached limb was yanked into its rightful position, seamlessly reattaching itself.

His regeneration skill could heal small wounds within seconds and technically recreate limbs from scratch, even if the arm had been lost. The process could have taken days or even weeks - he was unsure about the regeneration time of an entire arm.

As the sensation returned to his left arm and fingers, Kazuya allowed himself a moment of relief. "Phew. I thought I lost an arm."

[Ability: Pain Resistance acquired.]

[Current Master Level: Basic.]

His experience crystallized into a great skill for prolonged battles.

"Ready to fight now?"

He flexed his left arm and covered his knuckles with his Aspect of Death. "Let's continue our dance."

"I'll wipe that cheekiness from your mug."

Cirucci flapped both pairs of wings and charged at Kazuya. The blade wings approached from both sides, poised to slice him into pieces. Kazuya proved to be one step ahead again, outsmarting her with his Sonído. In the blink of an eye, he teleported above her, evading the deadly bladed wings that whistled through the air where he had just stood moments before.

"I am only using two wings. It's unfair of you to use four."

He reached out and traced the middle of her bladed wings, his hands meeting in the center. His Reiatsu left a hazy blue glow on her wings.

"Get off my back," she growled, attempting to grab him with her long tail.

But once again, he evaded her grasp with his quick reflexes. She turned and glared at him, only to feel her wings grow heavier and heavier with each breath until she couldn't control them. Her smaller feathery wings couldn't keep her afloat, either.

Cirucci descended, struggling to maintain her balance and grace. In a hurry, she solidified Reiatsu beneath her feet to keep herself in the air. "What did you do?!"

"Oh, come on now. You can't honestly be that oblivious," he chuckled. "Alright, I'll break it down for you in terms a toddler could comprehend. I increased the weight of your metallic wings."

Since her wings weren't directly protected by her Reiatsu, he could easily increase their weight with a little amount of Reiryoku, taking away one of her strongest offensive weapons with ease. The simple structure of the wings made it even easier to manipulate.

Cirucci attempted to infuse her wings with Reiryoku, hoping to eradicate his Aspect of Death, but to no avail. He had irreversibly altered their properties. "I really liked them, but I have no choice now... Alright then."

She gave a nonchalant shrug, and the once formidable bladed wings plummeted to the ground, their metallic clangs echoing in the air. The colossal white claws slipped from her grasp. What remained were two elongated bones, a skeletal reminder of her former wings, a pair of lighter wings, and a dangerous, whip-like tail that seemed to harbor a life of its own.

***

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