"Roar!!"
In the pitch-black Forest of Menos, one towering lower Menos after another, each as large as a building and clad in black robes with long-nosed masks, let out instinctive roars at the Soul Reapers who had ambushed them.
Even though Gillians were merely mindless beasts, they would instinctively retaliate against anything dangerous...
When the Gillians discovered that a formidable enemy like Araki had joined the Soul Reaper ranks, they opened their mouths one after another and began gathering the Reishi within their bodies.
"Not good! Ceros! Everyone, defend yourselves!"
Facing the Gillians opening their bloody maws and gathering crimson flashes, the 11th Division members immediately broke out in fine beads of sweat...
A Menos's Cero was tremendously powerful, comparable to high-level Kidō used by top Seated Officers skilled in Kidō or vice-captain-level Soul Reapers. Even captain-level Soul Reapers could be injured by one if they let their guard down.
In fact, the reason the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force had failed during their first campaign into the Forest of Menos was precisely because they had all underestimated the power of Ceros.
"Intimidate them! Ruriko!"
Araki naturally noticed the nervousness among the surrounding Division members. With a wave of his hand, he released his Zanpakuto.
In an instant, Lapis Lazuli light illuminated heaven and earth, while one Reishi-forged sword of light after another formed a barrier before the Division members.
"Whoosh!"
At the same time, the Ceros gathered by the Gillians fired.
"Boom!"
When Araki's rain of light collided with the Ceros from the Gillians' mouths, a blast wave scattered in every direction, and the energies of both attacks were miraculously neutralized.
If there had been a Kidō master present, they would surely have cried out in shock. Araki had actually applied the technique of Anti-Kidō Counter to the extent that