The Bala came from three directions, and even the shield that Ashido used to make a mask couldn't stop them; blood was already spilling from the corner of his mouth beneath the mask.
That wasn't the end of it. Taking advantage of Ashido's momentary lapse in concentration, an Adjuchas with massive fists Sonído and delivered a powerful punch that sent Asido flying. The blow was so solid that Ashido would either die or break several bones.
Sure enough, when the dust settled, Ashido could barely stand with his Zanpakuto supporting him, panting heavily, but he didn't seem to have lost all his fighting power.
"Hahaha, you got hit, you wretched Grim Soul Reaper."
"Being able to kill Mero proves you're very powerful! But you'll soon be ours."
"Hmph, same old rules, his fattest ass is mine."
"I like to eat brains..."
Four large Adjuchas surrounded them, already discussing who would eat which part; Ashido was already theirs.
"Ha, it's not even certain who will eat whom yet."
"Even though he's injured, he still has some fighting ability and might not necessarily lose," Bear Ashido Hueco Mundo.
In a one-on-one fight, Ashido was confident he could easily defeat any of the four, and even hold his own against two... but the opponent was also prone to surprise attacks, and Asido was caught off guard.
Just as the Adjuchas were about to swarm forward, a heavy Reiatsu descended, oppressing the Adjuchas, including Ashido, making it difficult for them to move.
"What?! So there's Soul Reaper here too!"
A disdainful voice rang out, followed by a sharp Sword Aura that suddenly slashed down. Ashido's pupils contracted sharply as the four Adjuchas in front of him were sliced in half at the waist.
'Who is this? He killed four mid-level Menos Grande with a single sword strike? Is he also Soul Reaper...?'
The splashing blood of the Adjuchas interrupted Ashido's conjecture, and the man had already walked up to him.
Even with half of its power sealed, Zero's Reiatsu is still 3.1 times that of many Captains after their Bankai.
When Zero stopped, Ashido, seeing the white haori he was wearing from the front, paused for a moment, 'Captain-level figure? No wonder he's so powerful.'
"What's your name? Squad are you in? When did you leave the team?"
Zero was also sizing up Ashido. He pretended not to know Ashido's name and asked him.
"11th Division, Ashido, may I ask which division Captain you are?"
Ashido removed his mask, revealing red hair, and nodded slightly in homage. He didn't mention his previous seat, because he knew he had most likely been relieved of it.
"Oh? A member of our team? I think I heard about you from Kuruyashiki. To be able to fight Menos Grande, your fighting ability is quite good."
After giving Ashido a slight compliment, Zero turned and pointed to the numbers on his haori with his thumb, continuing, "I am Nangong Kenpachi, the current Captain of the 11th Division. Ashido, there's no point in staying here. Come back with me!"
After gleaning some information from Zero's words, Ashido, who had seen many great things in Hueco Mundo over the years, was still so shocked that he didn't know what to say for a moment.
"It's really surprising that Captain Kuruyashiki was defeated."
After a long silence, Ashido finally spoke. Although he was unwilling to believe it, the two sharp, razor-sharp numbers behind Zero said it all.
"He was careless and lost to the Eighth Kenpachi. My abilities were just right to counter the Eighth, so I eventually became the Ninth Kenpachi... Anyway, what are you doing here...?"
Zero abruptly changed the subject and began to explain to Ashido their respective purposes for coming to Hueco Mundo.
Ashido and his crew accidentally wandered into this place while chasing Menos Grande, and all his teammates were killed, leaving him all alone.
He had already discovered the way to leave: he could secretly follow some Hollows who went to the World of the Living to hunt souls. However, Ashido felt that if he killed more Hollows here, there would be fewer Hollows in the Soul Society and the World of the Living, so he did not choose to leave.
This was considered fulfilling his duty, but Zero's words dealt him a heavy blow, stating bluntly that one person's strength is limited, and no matter how hard one tries, it is impossible to effectively reduce the number of Hollows...
Zero explained why he had come here. Upon hearing that Zero had killed Vasto Lorde, Ashido of admiration. Moreover, he had just witnessed Zero's power, killing four Adjuchas with a single sword strike, which was indeed terrifyingly strong.
Ashido agreed to leave, and Zero opened the Garganta with Kidō, a move that shocked Ashido once again: Has Soul Society already been able to develop this kind of Kidō?
"Our location of the Garganta is not accurate enough; we will emerge from an uncertain location."
Zero explained briefly that everything in Hueco Mundo had been arranged, and that Yanis was controlling his own Homogeneous Body to guard the area. As long as there was no intense battle, the Homogeneous Body remain intact for a long time.
Once the time for the Homogeneous Body is up, Yanis will return to his original body regardless of spatial distance. At that time, he can create Homogeneous Body for Yanis to return to Hueco Mundo to guard it.
This can be considered Zero's reward to Yanis. Last time, he imitated Yannis quite well and completely fooled Baraggan and Szayelaporro. This time, he can go out and have some fun.
In the months since Zero left, the Seireitei has undergone another change in the Gotei 13. The former Second Division Captain, Kiyoki Shihoin, retired due to injury, and the Vice-Captain Senjumaru Shutara, also retired.
The new Captain is Yoruichi Shihōin, formerly the Third Seat, and the Vice-Captain is Marechiyo Ōmaeda the Fourth Seat, making it a seamless transition.
With no one available to take over the Seventh Division, Vice-Captain Love Aikawa became the acting Captain, handling all affairs.
Bankai Hirako, remained calm and collected, showing no intention of vying for these things. His Bankai was not revealed, and he was too lazy to bother with it. On the other hand, Kiganjō appeared extremely loyal and unwilling to leave the 11th Division.
When Zero returned to Ashido with Seireitei, the higher-ups who received the news were stunned. Everyone assumed that this resigned Seated Officer was dead, but they never expected him to come back to life.
This time, we've arrived 199 years before Aizen was sealed away; after all, Zero had only been in Hueco Mundo for a few months...
"Captain Nangong, don't you have anything you want to say?"
Yama-jii sat in his special chair, flanked by Captain-level on both sides. Through his words, everyone's eyes were drawn to Zero.
Zero smiled faintly and replied, "What's there to say? I think I did a great job! I killed Vasto Lorde, quelled the war in Hueco Mundo, and now the Soul Society and the World of the Living are at peace!"
"Madness!"
With a tap of his cane, Yama-jii's narrowed eyes snapped open, and he stared directly at Zero, bursting out, "You abandoned your post! If the Seireitei suffers any mishap, how will you explain it? This kind of willful behavior is not the kind of decision a Captain should make."
Faced with Yama-jii's questioning, all the Captains fell silent. Their current thinking was almost the same: protecting the Seireitei was the priority, and only then could they go to Rukongai. The two combined constituted Soul Society.
"I've slain one Vasto Lorde, and countless other Menos Grande... Isn't what I've been doing simply protecting them? And what we're protecting isn't just those old men in the Seireitei anymore, is it?"
After Zero's power grew, she no longer wanted to follow Yama-jii's lead in everything. This kind of accountability was indeed a bit strange; she had clearly made a contribution, but it was made to seem like she had done something wrong.
When asked the question, Yama-jii didn't know how to answer. Perhaps in his heart, failing to protect the One King and Five Nobles was the mistake he made...
Zero's question was too tricky; a poor answer would offend some of the Captain.
"Although the details are unknown, Captain Nangong definitely deserves credit. He went to Hueco Mundo alone, and subsequently, the invasion of Menos Grande from World of the Living and Hueco Mundo ceased..."
Kyōraku in to smooth things over between the two, immediately recognizing the problem: Zero and Yama-jii's philosophies had begun to diverge slightly.
Kyōraku shared Zero's view: the Gotei 13 were no longer simply guarding the Seireitei; they had more and more to protect, and could no longer turn a blind eye.
In the end, Zero was not punished at all, and Central 46 did not summon Zero. Instead, they summoned Ashido, who had just returned. He had been away from the team for many years without permission, and it would be unreasonable not to investigate him.
After all the problems were resolved, the 11th Division's strength was further enhanced by the arrival of Ashido.
In the challenge between the Seated Officer, Maki lost to Ashido and was relegated to Fourth Seat, while Ashido regained the Seated Officer he had once held.
The 11th Division is currently Bankai, boasting Captain Nangong Kenpachi, who is said to be the strongest besides the Captain-Commander; a vice -Vice-Captain who can use Bankai; Third Seat member whose strength is enough to easily kill Adjuchas; Maki, who already possesses the strength of an ordinary vice-captain.
Ten years passed in the blink of an eye. Aizen had long since graduated with good grades and chose to join the Fifth Division because the team had become very team-oriented under the guidance of the Vice-Captain Shusuke Ihana.
However, Aizen still couldn't find his kind here; all he saw were a bunch of complacent individuals.
In just ten years, Aizen's terrifying talent was revealed. His Reiatsu and "Slaying Fist and Slaying Demon" had reached the Captain-level, but he never fully revealed it in front of others.
On the surface, Aizen appears approachable, but once he gets to know someone, he deliberately keeps his distance, simply because that person is not a like-minded person.
Aizen had witnessed all sorts of events, big and small, that occurred in the Seireitei. Some ordinary Squad Members complained a few Central 46 and were immediately taken to the 'Nest of Maggots' as a potential threat.
Moreover, many of those who applied to leave the team were also arrested. Aizen, who had already written his resignation application, burned the paper on the spot.
The outdated system is designed to enslave others. Aizen has seen through this and has even considered reform, but he has held back because he is still just a tiny Soul Reaper.
Aizen is aware that he is currently in his infancy, with far too many Captain-level above him. He cannot risk his fragile infancy to challenge those at their peak...
He must find a way to become stronger, stronger than anyone else... The commoner hero Aizen has awakened.