Soul Society, West Rukon District, District 60.
The sky suddenly twisted, then tore open, and five black voids appeared out of thin air.
They were called Gargantas, pathways Hollows used to travel from Hueco Mundo to the Human World or Soul Society.
At that moment, the colossal forms of Lower-level Menos Grande, Gillian, were visible inside each Garganta.
A huge number of ordinary Hollows had appeared alongside them.
The residents of Rukongai saw the scene and fled in panic, shouting as they ran.
As a district with such a high number, this part of Rukongai suffered Hollow attacks far more often than the lower-numbered districts closer to Seireitei.
After all, Hollows could evolve into Menos Grande by devouring one another, but most preferred to prey on Pluses.
Pluses were whole souls, the opposite of Hollows.
However, the districts with even higher numbers, closer to District 80, were actually safer.
That was because the most unstable elements in Rukongai gathered in the places farthest from Seireitei. The villains who lived there were strong enough to fight Gillian head-on.
It was places like District 60, neither here nor there, that suffered the greatest losses when Menos Grande attacked.
But that was also why, when Aizen and the others used this attack as cover to return to Soul Society, no one from the monitoring agencies noticed them.
Aizen wasn't particularly happy to be back in Soul Society.
He hadn't accomplished what he'd set out to do.
Although he had, in the end, received the greatest possible assistance from Hueco Mundo—and the conditions laid out by the King of Hueco Mundo were beyond anything he'd ever imagined—Aizen still wasn't happy.
After all, failing to become the one in charge left far more room for things to go wrong.
But then again, Hueco Mundo had enough power to contend with the Gotei 13 head-on. That made it an even greater asset to Aizen than he'd expected.
"Kaname," Aizen said to Tosen Kaname with a sigh, "I searched all of Soul Society and couldn't find justice, yet I never expected to hear of it from the King of Hueco Mundo. How ironic."
Tosen didn't answer, but his expression showed that he found it ironic, too.
Thinking of the Central 46's lofty airs in Seireitei, and the way the nobles—led by the Five Great Noble Families—looked down on ordinary residents, Aizen felt even more strongly that he needed to act quickly.
He'd start with the Five Great Noble Families.
All he needed to do was give Central 46 an excuse. They wouldn't pass up a chance to dismantle the Five Great Noble Families.
After all, the rules stipulated that if the Soul King gave the word, the nobles' council of the Five Great Noble Families could overrule Central 46 and become Soul Society's highest governing body.
The Soul King had long been unable to speak, but Central 46 didn't know that!
Those so-called sages in Central 46, already caught in the whirlpool of power, had long been scheming to find a chance to frame the Five Great Noble Families.
It was a pity that the last accusation against the Shihoin Clan hadn't held up. Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to keep wracking his brain!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
While Aizen and the others were still lost in thought, the Menos Grande had begun their rampage.
Unlike in the past, when they might have had to wait ages for Soul Reapers from the Gotei 13 to arrive, more than a dozen figures in Shihakusho rushed over at once. They wiped out several Hollows before they could harm the residents of Rukongai!
"Why are there suddenly so many Hollows?"
"And there's even a Menos Grande!"
The Soul Reapers who had rushed to the scene belonged to the Gotei 13's 11th Division. They prized martial prowess and never wasted time talking when they ran into an enemy—they attacked at once.
But these were all ordinary squad members. Not one had mastered Shikai with their Zanpakuto. They could just about handle ordinary Hollows, powerful Hollows, and even giant Hollows, but they were no match for Lower-level Menos Grande, Gillian!
Even if they loved fighting, they still needed to know their limits.
The squad members began contacting the Seated Officers who had mastered Shikai, and even the captain.
But at that moment, a figure flew over their heads, leaving behind only the words, "I'll take care of the Gillian. Anyone who dares contact the captain will answer to me!"
When the squad members recognized the figure's uniform, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's 4th Seat Hyakume!"
"Thank goodness!"
"Then do we still need to call the captain?"
At that, all the squad members turned to look at the one who had spoken last.
"New here?"
"Just transferred over from the 9th Division!"
"That explains it!" A veteran patted the young squad member on the shoulder. "Listen up, kid! The 11th Division isn't like the 9th. Unless the fighters themselves ask for reinforcements, don't stick your nose in."
Most members of the 11th Division were battle fanatics. They genuinely enjoyed fighting.
"Take this situation, for example. Those Gillian might not be enough for 4th Seat Hyakume to cut down on his own. If you called Third Seat Madarame or Fifth Seat Ayasegawa over, 4th Seat Hyakume probably wouldn't take it out on them, but he'd definitely punish the squad member who called them."
"Remember! In the 11th Division, if you offend Third Seat Madarame, you'll just get beaten up. If you offend 4th Seat Hyakume, you'll wish you were dead!"
The young squad member trembled. "Why?"
Did this Fourth Seat have a taste for torturing people?
He looked perfectly normal! He wasn't bald or effeminate! He was even handsome!
"Why, you ask?" The veteran drew out the words. "Because 4th Seat Hyakume also manages the 11th Division barracks, the mess hall, and the funds!"
"Gah ha ha! Get on his bad side and you won't sleep well, eat well, or get paid!"
The young squad member turned pale at that. That really was worse than getting beaten up on the training field.
Up in the sky, Hyakume-ki Seikyo, whose ears were exceptionally sharp, had already heard the squad members talking below. He decided to hold off on paying that veteran for a few days.
They had time to chat at a moment like this? If he didn't punish him, he wouldn't be able to settle down.
He took out his bad mood on the Gillian in front of him.
His Zanpakuto left its sheath, and two Gillian were instantly cut in half.
The remaining three Gillian seemed fairly intelligent. When they saw Hyakume-ki Seikyo, a formidable enemy, they began charging up Ceros at the same time!
Cero was a technique that only Menos Grande and stronger Hollows could use.
It was a beam of light formed by concentrating spiritual energy to its utmost.
The three Menos Grande opened their mouths and fired orange-red Ceros at Hyakume-ki Seikyo from three different directions.
"Not bad! But not good enough!"
Facing the Ceros hurtling toward him, Hyakume-ki Seikyo called out coolly, "Devour, Hungry Ghost!"
The Zanpakuto in his hand suddenly swelled, transforming into a spiked club even larger than Hyakume-ki Seikyo himself!
All three Ceros struck the club, but they had no effect on him.
Then the distinct sound of chewing rang out, and the club devoured all three Ceros!
Every squad member who witnessed the sight cheered.
The stronger their captain and Seated Officers were, the higher the squad members' morale. The Hollows weaker than Menos Grande had gradually been wiped out, leaving only a few ordinary little Hollows!
Not a single squad member had suffered a serious injury. It could be called a great victory!
Hyakume-ki Seikyo wasn't about to fall behind the ordinary squad members.
The next moment, he used Flash Step and appeared beside a Gillian. He swung his spiked club without even making direct contact, yet a chunk had still been gnawed out of the creature.
After three swings, the Gillian's head had disappeared!
Only its lower half remained, beginning to crumble away.
"Roasted Hollow leg for dinner!"
As Hyakume-ki Seikyo laughed, the spiked club in his hand devoured the remaining two Gillian as well.
Feeling the club's satisfaction, Hyakume-ki Seikyo laughed and released his Shikai before dropping back to the ground.
As he descended, however, he glanced toward the woods nearby, seemingly without meaning to.
Aizen and the others had been there just moments earlier, but they'd already left.
Hyakume-ki Seikyo breathed a small sigh of relief.
He couldn't make sense of it...
If his original self planned to help Aizen overthrow Soul Society, what was the point of sending this clone to Soul Society?
And why make him live like a monk, unable to enjoy anything?
He wasn't even allowed to contact Aizen. Wasn't there a risk Aizen would take an interest in him because he stood out too much?
After all, the secret of his Zanpakuto was no secret to Soul Society's upper ranks.
Aizen couldn't possibly be unaware of it.