Under the dark night sky stretched an endless white desert. Hideous giant cracks crisscrossed through the swirling sand, painting a hellish landscape.
In one corner of this canvas, in an area not even worth a drop of ink, space silently tore apart. A shattering sound broke the desert's silence — like corrupted data streams with broken code — as deep darkness stood stark against the silvery-white sand.
Then, a figure shot out of the darkness like a cannonball, crashing head-first into the desert and plowing a furrow dozens of meters long.
Before the figure could steady themselves, another figure flew out of the darkness, colliding squarely with the first one's back.
"Sōsuke, I seriously suspect you're settling a personal grudge." Akira spat out sand, shaking the silver dust from his head.
Compared to his disheveled state, Aizen appeared perfectly composed:
"It was merely the logical response given the urgent situation. If I hadn't kicked you, you would have tried to fight the Kōtotsu."
{T/N: Kōtotsu (Wresting-Surge) is a cleansing entity in the Dangai that appears weekly to eliminate intruders and prevent abuse of the time distortion.}
Hearing this, Akira stared suspiciously at the unfazed young man before him.
Between Soul Society and Hueco Mundo lay the Dangai, a dimensional layer where Garganta created pathways. Their journey had been smooth sailing until now.
When they spotted the Kōtotsu, it appeared as a train with bright headlights rushing through the darkness. Its speed far exceeded what the documents had recorded.
Left with no choice, Aizen kicked him toward the exit to prevent him from trying to fight the Kōtotsu.
Though Akira's current power matched his own, the Kōtotsu wasn't something they could challenge. Being devoured by it meant either a tragic end or Reishi dissolution at best.
"So this should be Hueco Mundo, right?" Akira changed the subject, gazing at the endless white desert.
The landscape matched his expectations of Hueco Mundo, except for the mountain ranges and ravines rising high at the horizon. Abyss-like canyons divided the mountains in a chaotic crisscross pattern, creating an unsettling scene.
It defied all geological logic. Even Aizen had been stunned when he first witnessed this sight.
Yet in Hueco Mundo's endless expanse, where forests lay buried under desert sands, such impossible formations seemed less strange.
Akira didn't dwell on this long, focusing instead on sensing the presence of Menos Grande. He hadn't forgotten their purpose here.
Meanwhile, Aizen surveyed the surroundings, seeking a safe location to establish a temporary base and fix the Garganta's coordinates. This would save time locating Hueco Mundo on future visits.
However, as he worked, Akira suddenly froze, his expression stiffening.
〈 Location Check-in: Menos Nest of Hueco Mundo! 〉
〈 Obtained Reiatsu Level +3! 〉
〈 Reiatsu Level increased! Currently at Level 86! 〉
〈 Obtained Hakuda Level +3! 〉
〈 Hakuda Level increased! Currently at Level 65! 〉
〈 Obtained Hohō Level +5! 〉
〈 Hohō Level increased! Currently at Level 55! 〉
〈 Obtained Exclusive Trait: Reiryoku Surge! 〉
〈 Reiryoku Surge: Reiryoku shortage will no longer limit your combat ability! Reiatsu recovery rate increased by 100%! 〉
The long-absent notification sound left Akira stunned.
He vaguely recalled his last location check-in from before. Since obtaining the Absolute Justice Trait in the old man's tea room, he had attempted check-ins at various significant locations.
Places like the Senzaikyū, Sōkyoku Hill, Underground Assembly Hall, and Yoruichi's bedroom...
Unfortunately, none had triggered the check-in conditions. His only consolation was that daily check-ins occasionally yielded rare ingredients he could trade with Aizen for glowing cuisine.
Noticing his unusual behavior, Aizen looked over curiously.
Just as he was about to ask, violent waves of chaotic Reiatsu caught his attention from afar. A massive horde surged forward like madmen, kicking up rolling clouds of dust that swept skyward, creating an overwhelming, suffocating presence.
"What the hell?!" Akira snapped back to reality, staring in disbelief at the rising dust clouds.
A disorderly formation of grotesque Hollows charged toward them like ravenous predators drawn to fresh prey.
"The Garganta's fluctuations might have caught the Hollows' attention." Aizen analyzed, "Or it could be that our Reiatsu is incompatible with Hueco Mundo."
The Reiatsu of Hollows and Shinigami were fundamentally different — complete opposites in nature.
If Shinigami were lawful good or lawful neutral, then Hollows would be chaotic good or chaotic evil. Natural opposites.
Before Aizen could elaborate further, the Hollow horde reached them. Their bizarre appearances defied Akira's understanding of what could exist.
So apparently, even creatures this hideous dared show their faces in public.
Reiatsu exploded as a figure charged into their midst, beginning a one-sided massacre.
Aizen didn't interfere — there wasn't even a single Gillian among them. For his friend, this level of Hollow horde posed no danger. Of course, they held no research value either.
However, he soon noticed something unusual.
"Wait, this guy's Reiatsu..." Aizen narrowed his eyes, observing the figure cutting through the Hollow horde, checking several times.
Just recently he had been at the 5th Rank of the Spirit Class — how had he jumped to 4th Rank in the blink of an eye?
He couldn't comprehend Akira's rate of progress.
Aizen was well aware of his own talent. In the field of Reiatsu cultivation, throughout Soul Society's history, few could match him — except for Akira himself.
But now it seemed this guy's growth rate might be even more extraordinary.
His powerful Reiatsu plunged into the Hollow horde like fierce waves crashing against solid reef. Crimson, gray-white, and pitch-black colors burst forth as an overwhelmingly nauseating bloody smell filled the air.
Due to Hueco Mundo's dense Reishi far exceeding Soul Society's, Hollows who died here didn't immediately dissolve and disperse. Their corpses maintained their form much longer than in Soul Society.
Akira thoroughly experienced the effects of his new Trait, Reiryoku Surge.
His area-of-effect capabilities had improved dramatically, allowing him to unleash his full power without holding back.
With a single punch, he reduced the zebra-like Hollow to pulp. Its body exploded from the center as if struck by a dump truck, its four legs scattering in different directions. The head, still dangling from half a neck, soared through the air like a hammer throw, painting a crimson trail across the silver-white desert.
It slammed into a rising dune, becoming nothing more than a bloody mess.
The other Hollows met similar fates. After all, they shared the same destiny — what right did any of them have to be stronger than the rest?
⤫ Hadō #31: Shakkahō ⥤ Red Fire Cannon! ⤬
⤫ Hadō #33: Sōkatsui ⥤ Blue Fire, Crash Down! ⤬
⤫ Hadō #54: Haien ⥤ Abolishing Flames! ⤬
⤫ Hadō #?: Raienken ⥤ Thunder Fire Sword! ⤬
When his fists tired, he transformed into a living Kidō artillery piece, unleashing an endless barrage that painted Hueco Mundo's sky in brilliant, dazzling colors.
Seeing Akira had everything under control, Aizen returned his attention to fixing the Garganta coordinates.
Despite its dangers, this area's high concentration of Hollows would make collecting experimental materials much easier.
⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬
While the two were busy with their respective tasks, a figure lurked in a ravine north of the Menos' Nest.
A being with dual-toned gold and pink hair was methodically dissecting a wailing test subject.
His specimen was a rare find — a Gillian with independent consciousness.
Unlike typical Gillians, which evolved from hundreds of ordinary Hollows devouring each other and possessed only confused consciousness due to their fused Reiatsu, this one maintained its individual awareness — making it an extraordinary research subject.
Just as the experiment reached its critical phase, intense red lights flashed across the wall, followed by piercing alarms.
Szayelaporro's hands froze mid-dissection as his eyes caught the blood-red dots pulsing on his instrument screen.
"Is that...Sōsuke Aizen?!"
⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬
BOOM!!!
An explosion erupted in the silver desert, sending Akira flying backward with a bam into a sand dune, burying him deep beneath the surface.
An agonized howl pierced the air like an air raid siren.
Aizen watched helplessly as the bull-shaped Hollow that had crashed into Akira staggered back. What an unfortunate choice it had made.
The massive Hollow, covered in white bone armor, let out a miserable roar as it reeled backward in pain.
Its two thick, sturdy horns had completely snapped off at the base — just from one collision with that thick-skinned priest.
"What an idiot!" Akira emerged from the sand dune unscathed, brushing himself off.
His Shihakushō was ruined again, but his skin didn't bear even the slightest mark.
With his increasingly powerful Spiritual Body, these lesser Hollows — not even Menos — couldn't penetrate his defenses anymore.
Aizen's eye twitched at the sight.
Despite his vast knowledge — having read every book in the Shin'ō Academy, the 12th Division, and even the few pitiful scrolls in the 11th Division — he'd never encountered such an extraordinary Shinigami. He knew Seireitei's thousand-year history like the back of his hand, yet Akira was different. Compared to normal Shinigami, he was more like a Hollow wearing a Shinigami's skin.
With casual grace, Akira fired off a brilliant Shakkahō, ending the bull Hollow's suffering. This honored, handsome, and just priest was too kind-hearted to let Hollows wail before him.
As he prepared to finish off the remaining horde, Aizen's expression suddenly changed. He stared northward, where massive dust clouds approached.
Like a hurricane, the clouds connected heaven and earth. Dust billowed everywhere as countless mountain-sized figures with long, straight legs thundered toward them.
A group of Gillians alone wouldn't have startled Aizen so much. What caught his attention was the familiar figure flying above them.
In Hueco Mundo's dense Reishi atmosphere, achieving flight through manipulation was simple — especially for a Vasto Lorde.
"I was planning to look for you in Soul Society, but you've delivered yourself to my doorstep."
The savage laughter echoed across the desert as the figure approached, materializing before them while his army unleashed earth-shattering roars that made the silver sand tremble.
"This time I'll definitely write that name on the container that will hold you! Sōsuke Aizen!"
Aizen: "..."
Akira grinned, recognizing the opponent, "Pink Chinchorro Granola, right? I remember you."
Szayelaporro: "?"
Just as he displayed his confusion, a sword wreathed in flames and lightning struck directly at his face. The Reiatsu violently erupted, its terrifying impact rippling outward across the desert.
"Hmph, as underhanded as ever!" After their previous battle in Rukongai, Szayelaporro had come prepared.
Though this young Shinigami was rare experimental material, he fought with dirty tricks and showed no moral restraint.
Szayelaporro released his Reiatsu — a massive pillar of light shot skyward, dispelling the darkness of the Menos' Nest and illuminating the battlefield like daybreak.
An impenetrable Reiatsu defense materialized before him, perfectly blocking the incoming Raienken. The explosion spread wildly, spider-webbing cracks across the defense layer.
Seeing this, Akira and Szayelaporro both drew sharp breaths. The former was shocked at another failure of his most prized technique, while the latter marveled at Akira's increased power.
Both Shinigami and Hollow had grown significantly stronger during their time apart, leaving them once again evenly matched.
Akira was now convinced that Szayelaporro must be cheating — he had improved so much, yet still couldn't break through this pink dog's Reiatsu defense.
He must be cheating! Why didn't compete fair and square with luck?!
Row your dices, Pink Granola!
⤫ Sonído ⥤ Reverberating Turn! ⤬
As he pondered this, his Danger Instinct screamed a warning. Szayelaporro flash-stepped in for a surprise attack, using what seemed like an advanced spatial movement technique to instantly appear before Akira.
His blade gleamed cold under the moonlight as it slashed downward.
A thunderous explosion erupted, a meteor streaked across the sky, and the ground shook violently. The soft silver sand hardened like steel under the tremendous force.
As the dust settled, ripples of energy burst skyward under the moonlight!
Akira struggled to his feet from the massive sand crater, spitting out sand.
"Sōsuke, help me out here—"
No need to worry about combat power, because everyone must be cheating!
⤫⤬⤫
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