"..."
Genryūsai and Araki stood facing each other beneath the black night sky of Hueco Mundo.
Though neither spoke, their confrontation had long since begun.
In a place ordinary Soul Reapers could neither see nor sense, two immense Spiritual Pressures and presences continuously swelled, dividing the night sky evenly into two colors.
Just as Genryūsai and Araki faced off, some shortsighted Hollow seemed to have discovered them. With a wicked grin, it approached the two of them.
"Ha ha ha..."
"What luck! To find such delicious Soul Reapers here..."
It was an Adjuchas unwilling to submit to Barragan, the Hollow King, yet equally unwilling to trail after Ikkomikidō and live off his scraps. Thus, it had withdrawn from Hueco Mundo's core and come to this godforsaken wasteland to scrape by. Today, its luck was clearly good—it had encountered two delectable Soul Reapers.
"ROAR!!"
The Adjuchas charged straight at Genryūsai and Araki. Upon reaching them, it did not immediately attack. Instead, it let out repeated roars and released its cold, evil Spiritual Pressure, trying to frighten them. Nothing pleased it more than seeing the despair and pain on Soul Reapers' faces.
Unfortunately, the scene the Adjuchas had imagined never came to pass. Araki and Genryūsai remained where they were, silently facing each other.
"Did you two even see me?"
"You're merely two Soul Reapers. How dare you look down on me?"
"Why? Why?! Why are you all ignoring me?!"
The Adjuchas was instantly overcome with rage. That fury at being ignored reminded it of several decades ago, when it and its companions had joined forces to challenge Barragan, the king of Hueco Mundo. Back then, Barragan had likewise sat quietly upon his throne without even sparing them a glance. Any creature that came within fifteen meters of Barragan, whether Gillian or