A massive roar shook the riverbed.
Bambietta Basterbine had played her final card.
From the depths of her stolen power, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō emerged—a towering, armored samurai, its massive blade gleaming under the moonlight. At nearly a hundred meters tall, it was a living colossus of destruction, mirroring every movement she made. It was a Bankai of overwhelming power, meant to crush anything in its path.
And yet… she had never truly mastered it.
"Thanks to you, I never even got the chance to figure this thing out," she spat, her voice hoarse with exhaustion. Her breaths came in ragged gasps, her legs unsteady beneath her.
But she had no choice.
This has to be enough.
With a fierce glare, she swung her sword. The giant mimicked her, its enormous blade cleaving through the air in a devastating downward strike.
Mercer barely managed to leap away as the blade crashed down, turning entire buildings into rubble.
"Whoaaa! Is this giant for real?" He let out an amused chuckle, wiping dust off his coat.
Bambietta grinned despite her exhaustion. "Oi, smirky bastard, why don't you stop running and fight like a man? Or are you too in awe of this Bankai to come any closer?"
Mercer smirked. "Ha! It's not even yours to begin with. And from where I'm standing, you're the one cowering behind that walking scrap heap."
"Tch." She clicked her tongue, gripping her sword tighter. "Keep running your mouth. I'll shut it soon enough."
But deep down, doubt gnawed at her. She was running on fumes. Using her Vollständig was out of the question, and if Mercer so much as scratched the medallion, she was finished.
Meanwhile, Mercer was barely fazed. He watched the giant's movements carefully, analyzing the way it responded to her commands.
It's big, but it doesn't complement her.
His mind flickered to the past—to another fight, to another giant.
Elizabeth Greene.
The memories surged back. The moment he freed her from Gentek, thinking she held the key to his past. The way she transformed, towering over him like a nightmare incarnate. The chaos she wrought across New York.
This one's no different.
His gaze snapped back to Bambietta. She was trying to wield something she didn't understand. A weapon too massive for her to fully control.
He had seen it before. And he knew exactly how to exploit it.
With a sudden burst of motion, Mercer sprinted toward a pile of rubble.
"Where the hell are you going?" Bambietta sneered. "Running scared?"
She raised the giant's blade, preparing to strike him down.
"It doesn't matter. I'm the one with the big armor, so I get to squash you like the bug you are!"
Mercer ignored her. Instead, he grabbed a massive chunk of debris and hurled it straight at her.
Bambietta barely blinked.
"Seriously? "
She swatted the rubble away with ease, the impact reducing it to dust.
Then another came.
And another.
And another.
One by one, she destroyed them, concrete dust filling the air like a storm.
"HEY! CUT IT OUT, YOU PRICK!" she snarled, coughing as the dust thickened around her.
Her lungs burned with every breath.
Her vision blurred.
Something clicked in her mind.
Wait… dust?
Realization struck like lightning.
Her heart pounded as she suddenly understood—
He's trying to blind me.
Panicked, she swung her sword through the air, trying to clear the suffocating haze—
But it was too late.
A column of jagged, black spikes erupted from the ground, slicing through the dust and converging on a single point— her.
She barely managed to leap back, avoiding a fatal blow by mere inches.
Where is he?!
Her eyes darted through the fog, searching—
"HEADS UP."
Her blood ran cold.
Before she could react, Mercer came crashing down from above, his massive Hammerfists aimed straight for her.
Oh no.
Desperation surged through her veins.
She braced herself for impact—
But it was a feint.
Instead of crushing her, Mercer slammed his left fist into the ground, sending a shockwave that ripped through the battlefield. The force nearly knocked her off her feet.
"CHECKMATE."
Before she could recover, he was already in front of her. His right Hammerfist slammed into her chest.
Pain. Unimaginable pain.
Her Blut Vene barely softened the impact. It felt like her ribs had shattered, her lungs compressed into nothing.
The world spun violently as she was sent flying backward, her body slamming into a crumbling wall. A sickening crack echoed as blood spurted from her lips.
Something else shattered.
Her medallion.
A burst of Reishi erupted into the sky, vanishing into the gray sky.
She barely clung to consciousness. Every breath was agony. Her vision wavered, the edges darkening.
What just… happened?
Blood dripped from her chin.
Have I… lost?
Her chest burned.
No. I don't want to die.
But then—
A hand grabbed her by the front of her tattered uniform and yanked her up.
She barely registered Mercer's face, his golden eyes glinting with cruel amusement.
"You really gave me a hard time," he mused, pressing her against the cracked wall. His voice was cold, emotionless. "How much worse would it have been if your little posse was here?"
His right arm morphed into a grotesque set of claws.
"Don't worry. You'll make a fine addition to my army."
Terror flooded her.
Someone… please…
A surge of heat.
A blinding flash.
A searing beam of fire shot through Mercer's arm, severing it at the elbow.
With a snarl of pain, he dropped Bambietta, his expression twisting in rage.
"What—?!"
A shadow stood in the distance, red wings glowing in the dark. Smoke curled from his fingertips.
A familiar, cocky voice rang through the air.
"Burner Finger 1. "
Bazz-B had arrived.
His fingers burned with lingering embers as he unleashed a barrage of fiery beams, forcing Mercer to retreat from Bambietta. The relentless assault cut through the dust and rubble, each shot exploding against the ground with violent bursts of heat.
Taking the chance, Bazz-B sprinted toward his injured comrade.
Bambietta was barely staying on her feet, her breathing ragged, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. She looked up at him with tired, half-lidded eyes.
"You're late … Bazz-B…" she muttered, her voice weak but laced with irritation. "What the hell took you so long?"
Bazz-B clicked his tongue, offering a lopsided grin. "Tch. Sorry , your bestie Liltotto was practically begging me in tears. Wouldn't stop whining till I got here."
Bambi let out a dry, painful laugh. "Heh… I'd pay to see that."
His smirk faded slightly as he took in the full extent of her injuries—her shredded uniform, her unsteady posture, the bruises forming across her exposed skin.
"Damn… You actually managed to hold your own against that thing ." His voice carried a rare note of admiration.
Bambietta shook her head, her expression darkening. "That shit took everything I had, and he's still standing like it was nothing. " She clenched her trembling fists, glaring at Mercer from a distance. "And he smashed my medallion."
Bazz-B frowned. "Well, no use crying over it now. That guy's gotta be as strong as one of those War Potentials." His tone grew firm. "Giselle's right behind me. Get patched up now. You've done enough."
Bambietta hesitated. Her pride wanted her to stay, to finish what she started. But the sharp pain in her ribs reminded her that she wouldn't last another round.
"Tch. Fine." She shot Mercer one last glare before staggering away, her movements slow but determined.
Bazz-B cracked his neck and turned to face Mercer, who had already regenerated his severed arm.
"Alright, sorry for the wait." He smirked, flames flickering between his fingertips. "Let's wrap this up."
Mercer flexed his claws, rolling his shoulders as he grinned. "Heh. Thought you'd run after that little stunt. But if you think you can take me on alone —"
Bazz-B cut him off with a chuckle. "Hah. Alone? What makes you think I'd be dumb enough to fight you one-on-one?"
Before Mercer could react, two more figures emerged from the shadows.
To his left, Meninas McAllon, her body glowing with immense spiritual energy, her muscles tensed with monstrous strength.
To his right, Liltotto Lamperd, her usually lazy expression replaced with cold focus, her mouth curled into a slight smirk.
All three had activated their Vollständig, their glowing wings illuminating the battlefield in a harsh, eerie light.
Mercer's grin widened. He wasn't afraid. He was thrilled .
"This isn't a battle," Bazz-B said, his voice carrying a sharp, cutting edge. "This is an extermination . "
Mercer let out a low chuckle. Then a full-blown laugh.
Instead of backing down, he spread his arms wide, his claws gleaming under the moonlight. His muscles tensed, veins pulsing with the viral power surging through him.
"Three against one? " He tilted his head, golden eyes gleaming with predatory excitement.
"That's fine by me."
He crouched slightly, his stance predatory, his grin widening into something inhuman.
"BRING IT."