You Are Strong, Sir, but My Art Style Is Above Yours!

"Those Gillians were just a bit troublesome. The Captain-General planned to wait a little longer and see whether there were any Adjuchas lurking behind them, fishing for an opportunity."

Tenkai explained, "Our mission is to—"

Bang!

A Gillian's massive body slammed into the barrier. A hemispherical curtain of light flashed through the air. Though the impact was loud, it failed to shake the camp.

But soon, the gathered Menos opened their mouths and condensed deep black-red spheres of light!

"Hmm?!"

Everyone looked up, their expressions turning grave. Tenkai issued a warning, "It's Cero. It's starting!"

In truth, no warning was needed. Everyone knew what was about to happen. Those black spheres, compressed with enormous amounts of spiritual pressure, were energy cannons that only Menos could unleash. Their power was astonishing—even Vice-Captain-level fighters could not take them head-on. And once such a costly attack was used, it meant the full assault had begun!

Boom!!!

Several Ceros became pillars of light and exploded against the barrier, making the spherical curtain of light flicker wildly.

The next moment, combat squads surged out from all over the camp. The experienced veterans needed no commands to assemble into fixed formations. To them, this was merely a cruel yet familiar part of everyday life.

But today's Hollow group assault seemed somewhat different:

Besides the Gillians, an astonishing number of Lesser Hollows had gathered around the perimeter. Their spiritual pressure was weak, but the sight of them was still imposing.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Amid strange sounds, three Menos with both animal and human traits suddenly appeared in the sky. They were far smaller than Gillians, but the intensity of the spiritual pressure they emitted—

"Three Adjuchas?!"

Tenkai was stunned, and Iori beside him also revealed a serious expression.

"What's going on... Why are the Adjuchas acting together?"

"There's no need to investigate Hollow matters. No matter what happened, what we need to do has never changed!"

The usually frivolous, lazy voice now carried wild arrogance and madness. Saitō Fuyōfushi appeared before everyone in a Shunpo. Raising her head to look at the three Adjuchas, she grinned in the face of the immense pressure.

"Three, huh... Even I'd have a hard time stopping all of them. This camp might just be breached."

"Hng!" The squad members stiffened, concern appearing in their eyes.

But Saito quickly continued, "But protecting the camp is simple—just kill them all!

Listen up, brats. The camp can be rebuilt. No matter how much we lose, don't let it distract you. Focus every ounce of your attention on your Zanpakuto and the enemy's neck!"

"Roar!!!"

The veterans were fired up. Frenzied fighting spirit immediately drove away their fear. In such desperate circumstances, worry was useless. They might as well risk everything and carve out a path to survival!

"Leave the Adjuchas to me. I'll try to hold them all back. If any slip through, you're on your own."

Saito said bluntly, "As for the Gillians... where the hell are my Four Heavenly Kings? It's time for you to show your faces!"

"Yes!"

The three Lieutenant Captains, including Tenkai, answered in unison. But Saito paused, then turned her one eye toward someone who had remained silent. "Iori Aizen, you too. Starting today, you're one of the Four Heavenly Kings!"

"Oh?" Iori did not seem surprised. "Understood."

He touched the Asauchi at his waist—something he had acquired after arriving in Hueco Mundo. He had never infused it with spiritual pressure. It was just for show.

His real Zanpakuto was always wrapped in black cloth on his back. Everyone merely assumed it was some antenna-like device for calibrating machines.

It seemed that after today, he could throw away the Asauchi and openly use the Heavenly Cloud Sword.

But there was one problem to settle first:

For his Shikai's debut, should he put on a show of fighting Gillians bloodily, or unleash his Cosmo and counterkill an Adjuchas?

Four Heavenly Kings of Quenching Void: Black Death God

"Hah... huff..."

The disheveled man knelt on one knee upon blood-soaked sand, gasping for breath. Yet his strength was draining even faster, and from excessive blood loss, his vision was beginning to blur and clear intermittently.

Looking around, Hollow corpses lay everywhere. Due to Hueco Mundo's unique environment, they had not immediately dissipated, turning the area into a bloody Shura Field of flesh and gore.

Even after killing so many enemies, at least two Gillians remained nearby, along with countless low-level Hollows. They had tightly surrounded Tenkai and his companions, clearly with no intention of letting them leave...

I'm probably not long for this world. A terrible premonition surfaced in Tenkai Shūsuke's heart, followed by a bitter, self-mocking smile.

Ever since joining the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Army, shouldn't he have prepared himself for this day?

Whether as the duty of a Bleach or the honor of the family he bore, neither allowed him any other choice at this moment!

"I'm sorry, Iori... We may not make it out." Filled with guilt, Tenkai spoke to Iori Aizen, his back pressed against his companion's. "This time, I dragged you down with me!"

At the height of the battle, the outermost barrier had been breached. The squad where Tenkai and Iori were stationed was heavily besieged by Menos. In order to allow more people to retreat safely into the camp's second barrier and regroup, Tenkai had chosen to stay behind and cover their retreat.

He had already prepared himself to die, but he had never expected Iori to leave the main force to save him. The two of them had then become trapped here together.

"You never had to do this." Tenkai closed his eyes in pain. "I..."

I just didn't want to disgrace my father. No matter what, Tenkai Shūsuke could not bring himself to say it.

His family was not some prestigious noble house, but his father had been one of Captain-General Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's personal disciples. He had trained alongside Shunsui and Jushiro. Though low-key by nature, he had earned the Captain-General's trust.

Tenkai had always admired his father. Yet for some reason, his father never set goals for him or made any demands of him. This led Tenkai to believe that he lacked talent, and that was why his father held no expectations for him...

Thus, he had always been strict with himself. He had even voluntarily joined the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Army to win military achievements and bring glory to his family!

Deep down, he vaguely understood that perhaps his father had merely respected his personal wishes rather than truly thinking little of him. But there was no turning back now. If he died here, then at least he would have remained true to his original resolve.

—But Iori's rescue made him realize how laughable his petty thoughts were!

While he was still agonizing over insignificant things like his father-son relationship and family honor, his comrade had risked his life without hesitation to save him!

Never in his life had Tenkai Shūsuke felt such shame!

"Talk less. Save your strength. Can you still stand?"

"Iori..."

Hearing that calm tone, Tenkai turned and stared at Iori in disbelief. He could not understand how he could remain so composed at a time like this.

Iori faced forward as usual. He was also covered in blood and grime. He had spent much spiritual pressure covering Tenkai's retreat, and his stamina should have been exhausted. In Tenkai's eyes, Iori's condition ought to have been even worse than his own.

Yet the difference between their bearing was like heaven and earth. The youth's rock-solid, unshakable will stirred something deep within Tenkai's soul.

"You... if you acted alone, you should be able to break out, right?"

Tenkai gripped his Zanpakuto tightly. He too was a swordsman, and he did not want to become anyone's burden.

But Iori remained silent at the suggestion hidden within those words.

Tenkai understood immediately. Iori would not abandon a comrade. As long as he was still alive, Iori would remain and cover him.

Damn it!

"I'm really pathetic..."

Watching the increasingly restless Hollow group, Tenkai made his decision. He could not drag Iori down!

"Rather than be torn apart and devoured by these monsters, I should show a warrior's dignity and perform seppuku with style—"

"Don't say stupid things."

Iori's voice was decisive. "Get up!"

The youth rose while gripping his sword hilt, his bloodstained Shinigami uniform whipping in the fierce wind.

"Are you going to waste your time thinking about how to die with dignity, or draw your sword and live gloriously with me until the very end?!"

"..."

Tenkai took a deep breath. His light brown eyes narrowed sharply, then burst forth with brilliant light.

His rusted body moved once more. Tenkai raised his Shikai Zanpakuto. Its blade formed a sickle shape at the tip, and flames would rise whenever it was swung. His spiritual pressure had been too depleted to ignite it, but now it was once again coated in crimson lotus light.

"Yes, you're right... Even if I've made countless mistakes, I can still choose my own ending—we have to survive!"

"Don't just talk big and then turn out to be all bark and no bite." Iori snorted. "Let's make this clear first: I'm poor. If you get yourself killed, don't blame me for showing up to your funeral empty-handed."

"Haha..."

Tenkai grinned. "I'm going in, Iori!"

"Leave this side to me!"

Roar—!!!

A huge number of Lesser Hollows surged forward. In the face of death, Tenkai erupted with astonishing combat strength. His Zanpakuto, Raikō, lived up to its name, spewing flames of terrifying heat that swallowed his enemies and reduced grotesque monsters to charred corpses.

But in the end, it was only a final burst of strength. Soon he began to falter, about to be drowned beneath wave after wave of attacks. Worse still, a Gillian ignored the surrounding "allies," opened its mouth, and condensed a dark red Cero to annihilate Tenkai completely!

"It looks like this is the end for me... But you have to survive, Iori!"

With a heroic roar, Tenkai raised his Zanpakuto and launched a hopeless attack at the Gillian—

"Ryūga Tenshō!"

A pure white crescent-shaped sword pressure shot into the sky, slicing upward through the Menos's body and even splitting its pallid mask in two!

"Gah..."

The Gillian screamed and collapsed, crushing an unknown number of Lesser Hollows beneath it. Tenkai, who had thought himself certain to die, stood frozen in place.

But he quickly recovered, then turned toward Iori in shock and delight. The youth's expression was solemn, and in his hand was a jade-colored longsword, utterly unlike an Asauchi and resembling an ancient artifact.

"Your Zanpakuto... Iori, you've achieved Shikai!"

"Don't let your guard down. There's still one Gillian left!"

Iori opened his eyes and met Tenkai's gaze. The two nodded, then plunged back into the fierce slaughter...

CG Acquired

Four Heavenly Kings of Quenching Void: Black Death God

Type: Bond

Rank: A

Quality: Rare

Rewards:

Stamina · Small Increase

Toughness · Medium Increase

Spirit · Medium Increase

...

Huh? So many attributes dropped... Was it because the bond rank was "A"?

As expected, bonds with men were much easier to farm than bonds with women!

—Tenkai would probably never know what the brother-in-arms who had seemingly fought beside him in blood and struggled desperately to survive was really thinking at this moment.

Type-Moon? Saving the Little Brother Is What Matters Most

"So this is my Mirror Water. It should count as a Water-type Zanpakuto. Aside from being exceptionally sharp, it can gather spiritual particles from water vapor to restore stamina. It can also release sword pressure called 'Ryūga Tenshō'..."

"Alright, alright, I only asked you to briefly explain the situation. I didn't ask you to introduce your Zanpakuto's abilities!"

Seated at the head of the captain's command tent, Saitō Fuyōfushi—wearing loose pants, bare-chested, and with bandages wrapped around both her wounds and private areas—hurriedly stopped Iori, her expression strange.

"Personal information is extremely important in battle. For a Bleach, a Zanpakuto's abilities are their greatest secret. Usually, even friends and family are not told so easily. How can you say it out loud in public?"

The other three Lieutenant Captains in the tent nodded in deep agreement, clearly feeling that Iori was being overly straightforward.

But Iori, having revealed his "trump card," argued confidently, "We are in Hueco Mundo, surrounded by powerful enemies. We have just gone through a major battle, suffered severe casualties, and everyone is wounded. This is exactly when we should unite and overcome this crisis together!

Revealing my Zanpakuto's true name and abilities may not conform to the rules, but since everyone knows my abilities, we will surely coordinate better on the battlefield in the future. This will greatly improve combat efficiency and reduce our comrades' casualties.

In my humble opinion, such information is not worth mentioning when compared to the lives of brothers-in-arms!

Please do not doubt me. At this critical time, as a newly promoted Lieutenant Captain, I have neither seniority nor connections. But I possess the same passionate heart as all of you!"

"Magnificent!"