Instinctive Slash

As the man stood there in shock, the Menos Grande that had burst out of the ground noticed him too.

Hollows were souls that had fallen into corruption.

When a human died, the chains of fate on their body broke, and their soul left their physical form. At first, the chains of fate remained, and the soul could still retain the state it had been in while alive. However, some souls, because of their obsessions or the things they had experienced in life, would give rise to all kinds of negative emotions. These emotions hastened the chains of fate's decay. Once the chains had completely vanished, a huge hole would form in the soul's chest, and it would fall into corruption, becoming a Hollow.

Because Hollows felt empty inside, they instinctively devoured souls, hoping to fill the void within them. If they devoured enough souls, a quantitative change would bring about a qualitative one, and they would evolve from ordinary Hollows into Menos Grande.

Menos Grande also had different ranks. The way they advanced was much like the way ordinary Hollows evolved into Menos Grande: both relied on devouring.

Devouring their own kind, devouring souls.

As long as this desire remained, they were monsters without reason, guided only by instinct.

Without a doubt, to this Menos Grande, the man in black with a long blade in hand was the most delicious prey. He had a feeling that if he could devour the man, he would evolve.

And so, as soon as the Menos Grande appeared, it immediately attacked the man.

The man had also noticed the Menos Grande's intentions. His expression changed, but he did not try to dodge. Instead, he faced it head-on.

He did not know why the Menos Grande wasn't staying in the Forest of Menos and had appeared on the outskirts of Hueco Mundo instead. But this was Hueco Mundo, the world of Hollows, where many things simply didn't make sense.

Since they had crossed paths, he had no choice but to fight.

His figure flickered.

In an instant, he appeared at the Menos Grande's side.

Thanks to the Reishi in Hueco Mundo, which was even denser than in the Soul Society, a Shinigami's Shunpo and Ghost Way were both more powerful here than in the Soul Society.

Of course, a world like this was dangerous too. After all, it was the world of Hollows.

Shinigami were souls as well. In fact, because they possessed spiritual power, they were more alluring to Hollows than ordinary souls. One Shinigami was practically equivalent to several ordinary souls in a Hollow's eyes.

He swung his blade, and it cut through the air.

A crescent-shaped slash flashed into view, leaving a deep wound across the Menos Grande's body. Scarlet blood gushed out like a fountain.

The Menos Grande cried out in pain, an enraged roar escaping its mouth. Terrifying Reiatsu radiated from its body, and an indescribable pressure swept over them, as if a mountain had suddenly crashed down on his shoulders.

"What?"

The man in black felt the immense pressure too.

This kind of oppression... This Menos Grande must be on the verge of evolving.

The man was horrified.

If it were just an ordinary Gillian, he might have been able to fight it. Gillian were huge and had powerful Reiatsu, but as the lowest rank of Menos Grande, they were clumsy and simple-minded. With agile attacks, it was possible to slay one.

But a Gillian on the verge of evolving into an Adjuchas was another matter. Though it wasn't as powerful as a true Adjuchas, its Reiatsu far surpassed that of an ordinary Gillian. As this oppressive force washed over him, the man felt his body stiffen.

He gritted his teeth and struggled to hold on.

Then, he released his Zanpakuto and continued attacking the Menos Grande.

In response to the man's attack, the Menos Grande parted its jaws slightly. Reishi from the surrounding area gathered in an instant, then suddenly burst forth.

Red light filled the desert. Natsuki sat dumbly atop a hill, his eyes stinging as well. Before long, he lost his vision.

When the terrifying rumble faded and the storm died down,

Natsuki's vision gradually returned.

He looked toward the distance again. The enormous figure wearing a white mask still towered between heaven and earth.

But the figure in black who had been holding a long blade was nowhere to be seen.

Dead?

No way!

I don't even know your name yet, benefactor. How could you be dead?

Natsuki's heart sank to the very bottom.

The man in black was nowhere in sight, and given the terrifying blast from before, it was safe to assume he might have been killed in battle.

What made Natsuki feel even more like the unluckiest person alive was that the enormous figure had fixed its gaze on him.

He had barely escaped one brush with death, and now an even bigger threat had come along.

Natsuki suddenly felt that dying hadn't been such a good thing after all.

The world after death seemed even more dangerous.

If he hadn't once known what it felt like to be free of the illness that had tormented him, he might not have minded. But because he had experienced that freedom, Natsuki didn't want to lose it.

Run!

I have to get out of here.

He steadied himself and ran as fast as he could.

But with his short, skinny legs, how could he possibly outrun the monster ahead?

A single stride from the creature covered the distance Natsuki had to run over a long stretch. In just a few steps, it was almost upon him.

Natsuki realized he probably couldn't get away. But dying miserably like this all over again was too awful to bear.

Just then, his foot seemed to strike something, tripping him up.

He stumbled and fell into the desert, delaying his escape for a little longer.

Naturally, his mood sank even further.

Then, when he looked down, he saw a severed arm. A strip of black sleeve still clung to it. It seemed to belong to the man from before. What caught Natsuki's attention even more was the blade still grasped in the hand.

The man's sword.

As Natsuki stared at it all, the enormous figure had already drawn close.

Perhaps because he didn't want to die so miserably, Natsuki reached out as if possessed, picked up the blade, and gripped it in his hand.

The moment the long blade entered his grasp, he felt his soul shudder.

Faintly, it seemed that a voice was calling to him.

The Menos Grande reached out to grab Natsuki. At the critical moment, Natsuki called out to that figure, and then terrifying power burst from his body. He swung the blade, drawing upon that power and turning it into a mighty slash that struck the Menos Grande's mask.

The Menos Grande's outstretched arm stopped dead.

After its mask shattered, its towering body quickly collapsed. Natsuki didn't notice that after the Menos Grande died, a force was rising from its immense body and being devoured by the blade in his hand.

I'm tired. So tired!

Natsuki dropped onto the ground.

At that moment, he felt nothing but exhaustion. He couldn't tell whether it came from his body or his soul. It filled his entire being, seeming to be everywhere at once, as if he had been drained completely.

He had no energy to think about anything else. All he wanted now was to get some undisturbed sleep.