Brain matter and blood splattered everywhere like rain. The Adjuchas collapsed lifelessly, its mangled limbs creating a metallic clash against the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.
Akira wiped his brain-covered fist on the creature's hard steel skin, breathing heavily.
"If I hadn't taken off my clothes, I wouldn't have beaten it." His appearance was ghastly — ceremonial clothes in tatters, wounds of various sizes still bleeding, making him look as if he'd bathed in blood or crawled from a mass grave.
Despite his comprehensive ritual enhancements, there remained a significant gap between him and this Menos Grande.
When their life-or-death battle began, the Adjuchas's survival instinct peaked, unleashing unprecedented potential. It forced Akira to use every trick in his arsenal, even managing to knock away his Asauchi.
Left with no choice but to fight bare-chested, he threw punch after punch until he finally broke through the Menos's steel skin, extinguishing its last spark of life.
Akira hadn't emerged unscathed — he'd sustained significant injuries during the battle. Against an Adjuchas-class Hollow, he'd needed every technique at his disposal.
Sacrificial power, abnormal Spiritual Body, Byakurai effects, Traits, Aizen's support — he'd employed everything he could.
For his current Reiatsu level, this victory was remarkable. Typically, even a mere Gillian required a Lieutenant-level Shinigami or at least someone who had achieved Shikai. The Shin'ō Academy textbooks even claimed that Hollows required the Royal Guard — the Zero Division — to handle them.
Yet here he was, less than half a year into his schooling, without even knowing his Zanpakutō's name, let alone achieving Shikai. Through his various enhancements, he'd managed to defeat this Adjuchas through sheer force.
Standing atop its skull, Akira watched the approaching Reiatsu. Upon seeing the leader's attire, he curled his lip in disdain.
The victim — no, the perpetrator — has already reported to Mimihagi, and you show up now? Here for cleanup duty?
{T/N: He's talking about the little fellow below his foot who had to take a chat with God.}
The approaching leader wore a white captain's haori over a black Shinigami uniform, his flowing yellow hair creating what would have been a killer silhouette — if only he weren't a man.
Shinji Hirako stood opposite, observing the scene with unprecedented shock.
After receiving Mayuri's communication through Tenteikūra (Bakudō #77), he'd rushed here immediately, worried he'd arrive too late for anything but corpse collection.
Despite his haste, that's exactly what had happened — though not quite as expected. The Hollow lay dead, and the youth lived.
Most terrifying was the figure atop the Hollow's head: covered in blood, with wounds of various sizes exposing raw flesh, presenting a truly gruesome sight.
But that gaze... As their eyes met, Shinji's heart inexplicably tightened.
The killing intent still hung heavy in the air—like a blade pressed against his heart!
The 5th Division members behind him grew increasingly tense. Even without releasing any Reiatsu, the youth standing atop the corpse radiated an overwhelming psychological pressure. They had witnessed countless Hollow-slayings before, but never had they seen — or even heard of — a Shinigami killing a Hollow with bare hands!
The Shinigami huddled behind their captain, eyes wide with fear, as if the youth might turn his fists on them next. When his gaze fell upon them, they shuddered in unison — every pore in their bodies seeming to open at once, as if an icy chill was seeping into their very flesh. Their fear deepened with each passing moment.
Akira, showing no interest in the group, confirmed the Adjuchas was truly dead before leaping down from its towering corpse. Then… he began searching through the battlefield debris.
Curious gazes followed his movements, with even Shinji's face showing bewilderment.
Just as he was about to offer help, the youth shouted.
"Sōsuke, help me find my Zanpakutō!" After searching fruitlessly, Akira had to abandon his hopes of making a cool exit — sheathing his sword and walking away dramatically.
Watching him rummage through the corpses, Aizen sighed helplessly. Though he'd become a formidable warrior, his unreliability hadn't diminished — if anything, it had grown worse.
Despite all the battle accounts in textbooks and countless library volumes, no record existed of a Shinigami abandoning their Zanpakutō during battle. Even the most reckless 11th Division members wouldn't dare.
Where the sword is, there the Shinigami shall be — this was their lifelong creed.
The teacher's exact words in the first Jinzen (Sword Meditation) class.
Ah, right — this guy never attended theory classes. That explained it. Still, abandoning one's Zanpakutō was unthinkable!
"Hey, found it!"
With help from several Shinigami, Akira cheerfully retrieved his Zanpakutō from among the broken limbs, wiped it clean, and smoothly sheathed it.
Just as Shinji stepped forward to inquire about the details, the barrier behind them suddenly collapsed.
A massive swarm of Hollows poured through, surging toward them like a flood. The countless interweaving limbs produced an endless clicking sound that sent chills down their spines.
For a moment, everyone instinctively looked at Akira.
"Why are you looking at me? You're not expecting me to keep fighting, are you?" He angrily raised his blood-covered right arm, "I'm wounded!"
Shinji glanced at the fist that had killed a Adjuchas and heaved a heavy sigh. His instincts told him this kid wasn't ordinary trouble.
If possible, he'd rather not deal with him.
"Defensive formation, protect the two academy students." He ordered, his expression turning serious as he faced the Hollow swarm, "I'll handle these dregs who've invaded the Soul Society."
With those words, he used Shunpo to charge alone into the flood-like Hollow swarm.
In an instant, the white silhouette was swallowed by the torrent.
The next moment, thick, heavy Reiatsu exploded from within the flood, a massive pillar of light shooting straight into the sky!
Akira watched the spectacular scene, his eyes full of envy.
"Sōsuke, if I had this level of Reiatsu... How many cleanup crew members could I take on?"
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