Saving Rukia

Liu Ziyun's speed was as fast as lightning traversing space.

His Shunpo had surpassed the limits of ordinary Soul Reaper; with each step, his figure would appear hundreds of meters away. The white wasteland of Hueco Mundo receded rapidly beneath his feet, and the strangely shaped Stone Pillars, the dried-up riverbeds, and the scattered Hollow skeletons all turned into blurry patches of color that swept past the edge of his vision.

He had only one thought in his mind— Rukia Kuchiki.

The rate at which that Reiatsu was decreasing was abnormally fast. It wasn't the Reiatsu decay caused by the exhaustion of battle; it was—it was a sign that life was slipping away. It was a fatal wound.

When he finally arrived, the scene before him confirmed his worst fears.

Rukia Kuchiki lay on the ground, her white Shihakusho soaked in blood. The bloodstains stood out starkly against the white fabric, like blooming red flowers.

Her face was as pale as paper, her lips devoid of color, and her breathing so faint it was almost imperceptible. Her Zanpakuto, Sode no Shirayuki, lay nearby, its blade covered in dust and blood, having lost its former luster.

Standing before her was a repulsive figure.

It was a monster with two heads—no, rather than two heads, it was more like two heads floating side by side in a huge, transparent, cylinder-shaped container.

One head was a hollow mask, a pale bone mask with hideous patterns, and eerie blue flames burning in its empty eye sockets. The other head—it was the face of Soul Reaper, a face that Liu Ziyun was not unfamiliar with.

The Ninth Espada – Aaroniero Erurueri.

A cold glint flashed in Liu Ziyun's eyes, but he ignored the monster. He walked straight to Rukia Kuchiki, squatted down, and stretched out his hands.

The light of the Kaidō Barrier condensed in his palm, transforming into a warm protective shield that enveloped Rukia Kuchiki. Within the Barrier, her Reiatsu began to slowly recover, her wounds began to heal, and her life, which was slipping away, was gradually brought back.

The path of fate has changed. Liu Ziyun thought silently to himself. From the moment he saved Kaien Shiba, the river of fate had already veered off course.

In their original destiny, Kaien Shiba was to die at the hands of Aaroniero, his face devoured by the monster and used as a weapon to harm Rukia Kuchiki. But now, Kaien Shiba is alive, and Aaroniero has lost his cruelest weapon, using the face he most admired to harm an innocent girl.

But this doesn't mean everything is better. Rukia is still seriously injured and teetering on the brink of death. Some wounds, even if fate changes, will still occur.

"Are you just going to ignore me like this?" Aaroniero's voice came from above, sharp and piercing, carrying a kind of anger at being slighted. Both of its heads were staring at Liu Ziyun, its four eyes burning with rage. It was not used to being ignored, especially by a Soul Reaper looked so ordinary.

Liu Ziyun didn't turn his head.

He simply raised his hand, palm up, as if supporting something invisible. His lips parted slightly, and he uttered the name: "Hadō #90, Black Coffin."

A black cube appeared out of thin air, enveloping Aaroniero entirely. It was a cube made of pure Reiatsu, each face a deep, all-consuming black, like a black hole compressed to its limit. Strange patterns appeared on the surface of the cube, writhing like living things and radiating a suffocating sense of oppression.

Aaroniero didn't even have time to let out a scream.

Inside the Black Coffin, countless black Reiatsu blades pierced its body from all directions, penetrating its carapace, tearing its flesh, and shattering its bones. The jar-shaped container holding the two heads shattered instantly under the impact of the Reiatsu, transparent fragments and the liquid inside splashing everywhere. The two heads were reduced to dust by the strangulation of the black light.

When the Black Coffin dissipated, Aaroniero Eluruyeri was no longer there at all.

Its body fragments scattered on the ground, blown away by the winds of Hueco Mundo, turning into dust and merging into this eternal white wasteland. The Ninth Espada, a monster that had devoured countless Hollows and Soul Reaper, vanished without a trace.

Liu Ziyun still didn't turn around. His hand was still maintaining the Kaidō Barrier, and warm light continued to flow into Rukia Kuchiki's body. Her face began to regain some color, and her breathing became more steady. Although she was still unconscious, at least her life was saved.

Just then, another Reiatsu appeared in his perception.

The Reiatsu was powerful and eerie, carrying an uncomfortable, sticky feeling, like walking in a swamp, where every step was dragged by an invisible force. Liu Ziyun's brows furrowed slightly, but he still didn't turn around, simply continuing to maintain the Kaidō Barrier, as if nothing had happened.

"Oh, there's another reinforcement."

A deep, slow voice came from behind, each word drawn out with a deliberate, performative languor. There was an eerie rhythm in the voice, like chanting an ancient ballad or reciting some kind of evil incantation.

"So, you're the one who killed Aaroniero Elurueri?" the voice continued, with a nonchalant arrogance. "Then let me finish you off here. Anyway..."

Footsteps sounded, unhurriedly approaching Liu Ziyun step by step.

"... I'm just idling around anyway."

The Seventh Espada – Zomary Lulu.

His figure appeared particularly eerie in the light of the Hueco Mundo. His skin was covered with black and white patterns, which snaked and flowed across his body like some kind of mysterious totem. His eyes were golden, with vertical pupils, like the eyes of a snake, cold and ruthless. A smile played on his lips, a smile that was gentle and composed, yet chilling.

He drew his Zanpakuto, the blade arcing through the air before slashing straight at Liu Ziyun's neck.

Liu Ziyun raised one hand, without turning around or even changing his posture. He simply raised his hand casually, and two fingers accurately pinched the blade of the Zanpakuto. The moment the metal touched his skin, a crisp metallic hum rang out. The blade trembled slightly between Liu Ziyun's two fingers, but could not advance an inch.

Zomalia Lulu's smile froze for a moment.

Liu Ziyun gently pushed the blade away with his fingers, then while maintaining the Kaidō Barrier with his other hand, he raised his free hand, palm facing Zomali Luru.

"Hadō #90... Black Coffin"

A second Black Coffin rose beside Zomally Lulu, enveloping him in a black cube. Blades of Reiatsu pierced through from all directions, tearing through the air with a sharp whistling sound—