Las Noches.
A fierce battle was underway between Katerea Leviathan and Coyote Starrk.
Katerea Leviathan stood at the center of twelve raging waterspouts. Laughing with open arms, she taunted, "What's wrong, First Seat? Is this all your pack of wolves can do?"
Coyote Starrk wore a serious expression as he fired relentlessly from both guns. Each spiritual pressure bullet hit the core of the water tornado with pinpoint precision.
Lilynette lay on his shoulder, continuously replenishing his spiritual power.
"Judgment of the Deep Sea!" Katerea suddenly raised her hand and launched a glowing blue orb into the sky. In an instant, dark clouds gathered, and a torrential downpour began.
Each raindrop weighed as much as a thousand pounds, leaving deep craters where they landed.
Starrk returned to his sword form. "Infinite Recharge Flash!" he muttered, unleashing countless blue bullets toward the curtain of rain. They exploded into dazzling fireworks in midair.
The shockwaves triggered massive waves on the ocean beneath their feet.
"Interesting."
Katerea's eyes lit up with excitement. She suddenly stowed away her trident and clapped her hands. "Let me show you the true power of Leviathan!"
As she spoke, a wide, sea-blue magic circle surged up from the ocean, summoned by Ingvild Leviathan's power.
Boom!!
Tens of thousands of tons of seawater erupted into the sky.
A massive hand of water quickly formed and stretched toward Coyote Starrk.
Starrk narrowed his eyes slightly. "Control over the sea…"
Is she the same as that woman, Ingvild Leviathan?
He wondered silently.
But…
Katerea truly possessed control over the sea. It was an ability inherited from deep within the Leviathan bloodline.
Still…
This massive manipulation was clearly borrowing from Ingvild Leviathan's power.
The thought made her purse her lips in mild frustration.
She was a Maou, yet she still had to rely on the power of an ultimate-class devil?
Still, Ingvild Leviathan's Sacred Gear really was far more practical…
She couldn't help feeling a little envious.
On the other side.
Starrk continuously used Ring Spin to avoid the sea's giant hand.
Lilynette leaned against his shoulder and said bluntly, "This won't work, right?"
Starrk remained calm. "Yeah…"
"If this continues, it's not impossible."
Just like this, without doing anything unnecessary, he could keep stalling Katerea Leviathan.
Besides…
Even from a distance, he had heard Ulquiorra's words just now.
Aizen…
As long as they held the line until he arrived, there should be no issue, right?
Once again, Starrk's laziness reared its head.
Please… let it stay like this…
But…
Just as he thought that, several more giant hands rose from the sea.
Starrk: "…"
He sighed helplessly. "Ah, geez…"
"No rest after all…"
Lilynette said seriously, "Starrk, use that move!"
Starrk paused, falling silent.
Seeing this, Lilynette patted his head with a smile. "Don't worry. As long as you control it, I won't disappear."
Hearing that, Starrk sighed again. His eyes sharpened. "Looks like we've got no choice."
"But…"
He suddenly relaxed again and shrugged. "If it doesn't work, I'll just surrender."
Lilynette: "…"
"As expected of you."
Right after saying that, Lilynette vanished.
In the next moment…
Blue flames surrounded Coyote Starrk.
Then, they condensed into giant wolves engulfed in azure flames!
"Scatter…"
Starrk, with both hands in his pockets, stared through the watery hand toward Katerea Leviathan. "Go wild."
"Roar—!!"
The wolves howled and charged toward the enormous hand of ocean water.
"?"
Katerea was slightly puzzled at first.
But…
The wolves didn't collide with the hand as expected. Instead, they passed through it, completely ignoring its form, and headed straight for her!
"Interesting…"
Her eyes narrowed slightly, curiosity glimmering.
She waved her hand, launching several high-pressure water bombs.
But—
Even though the wolves were made of blue flames, they moved as if they had minds of their own. They dodged the attacks with surprising agility.
Roar!!
The lead wolf let out a soul-shaking roar. Its massive fanged mouth opened wide as it lunged straight at Katerea.
In response—
A shield formed from ocean magic instantly materialized in front of her!
Boom!
The lead wolf crashed into the shield with a dull thud.
But it didn't end there.
Whoosh—
The blue flames on its body grew more violent and expanded rapidly!
Boom!!
The wolf exploded on impact.
The deafening blast shook the battlefield.
The sheer force of the explosion sent Katerea flying backward, despite her shield.
Crack—
Suddenly—
A crisp sound echoed!
Katerea stared at her shield in shock.
Visible cracks spread across its surface, expanding rapidly like shattered glass.
It looked like it would collapse at any second.
But…
She poured more magic into the barrier. However, the impact from the wolf's explosion shattered it completely.
Katerea stopped midair, rubbed her sore wrist, then calmly glanced at the pack of wolves still surrounding her.
"Self-destruction…"
She chuckled. "Quite the amusing ability."
"But…"
Her tone shifted as she locked eyes with Starrk. "Where did that little girl go?"
"!"
Starrk's expression froze. His hands clenched slightly in his pockets.
Floating calmly in midair, Katerea continued, "I noticed it earlier."
"You…"
"You really care about that little girl, don't you?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Even during battle, you were distracted."
In a fight with her, even a slight distraction could be fatal.
Yet Starrk couldn't help but check on Lilynette.
How could she not notice?
Besides…
"This pack of wolves really is a bit troublesome."
Katerea clapped her hands and smiled.
Coyote Starrk was undeniably on the level of a Maou.
Even if he'd just stepped into that realm.
Still…
He couldn't be underestimated.
But…
Katerea glanced at the wolves circling him and suddenly smirked. "Aren't they all attacking?"
(To be continued.)