Each Other's Bonds (1)

The Hueco Mundo remains desolate; the dim world is devoid of any color other than black and white.

Suddenly, the gray sky seemed to be torn open by a pair of invisible hands, and then a black figure as sharp as a javelin emerged from it. The wind blew against his face, and even the air seemed to carry a hint of blood. The man felt the familiar Reiatsu from the intense battle, and a smile appeared on his handsome, angular face.

"Oh! Byakuya and Kenpachi are fighting again. Looks like the battle here is over!"

The man casually swung the Zanpakutō at his waist with one hand, a slight grin spreading across his face. "Forget it, let's get rid of these troublesome guys as soon as possible! After all, time is running out!"

As the man murmured softly, the black figure darted off in the direction from which the Reiatsu emanated.

In that very direction, two figures were engaged in a fierce battle, the sound of blades clashing ringing out intermittently.

"Haha! That's right, that's how you make it fun to chop!"

With his bare upper body revealing the crisscrossing scars on his chest, Kenpachi Zaraki laughed excitedly as he mercilessly slashed down with his nicked longsword.

"Snort!"

By blocking the oncoming longsword with a single strike, the immense impact caused Byakuya Kuchiki to duck, his hand gripping the sword tremble, and a trickle of blood flowed from his hand.

"He's injured, he's injured, haha..."

Kenpachi Zaraki licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with a fierce light, as if he too were infected by the blood.

"Byakuya Kuchiki, you'd better just call me 'senior brother' obediently!"

"We'll talk after you defeat me!"

Byakuya Kuchiki's voice was filled with coldness. He withdrew his Zanpakutō, took a step back, turned the blade, let out a low shout, and launched Kenpachi Zaraki.

"You guys are such a nuisance, you too, and that guy Yin too. Fine, if you don't yell, I'll beat you until you do!"

With a roar, Kenpachi Zaraki not only didn't retreat a single step, but instead took a huge step forward without hesitation. The long sword in his hand, radiating a dazzling golden Reiatsu, instantly cleaved through the blade's edge and continued its momentum towards Byakuya Kuchiki.

"Clang! Clang!!!"

"Boom!"

The blade's edge, cleaving through the air, struck the ground with a deafening roar, sending dust billowing up.

"Oh! The fight is still so intense!"

Mayuri Kurotsuchi, accompanied by her adjutant Nemu Kurotsuchi, strolled over slowly from the side. Her face, which was eerily unsettling, was full of smiles, clearly indicating that she had encountered something or found something of interest.

"Captain Kurotsuchi!"

Standing on the sand dunes not far away, the group watching the battle heard the voices and turned around to greet him. Although they didn't particularly like Mayuri Kurotsuchi, he was, after all, their captain, and they had to show him the proper courtesy.

"Honestly, there's sand everywhere!" Mayuri Kurotsuchi stood next to Retsu Unohana and said in his usual strange tone, "Haven't you had enough fighting all day in the Seireitei? You're still not quiet even in Hueco Mundo!"

"Isn't this great! Captain Kurotsuchi!" Retsu Unohana still had a gentle smile on her face.

"Fine, it has nothing to do with me anyway!" Mayuri Kurotsuchi snorted and turned her head away.

"The sand is flying everywhere, we can't see anything inside!" Renji Abarai, sitting on the ground and resting his chin on his hand.

"Anyway, it's going to be a draw!" Rukia Kuchiki sighed softly, looking at Yachiru Kusajishi, who was cheering in front of everyone.

"Huh! Do Byakuya and Kenpachi fight often?" Ichigo Kurosaki, his body wrapped in bandages, turned around in surprise and asked.

"Yes!" Rukia Kuchiki nodded, her lips twitching slightly; "We have to fight at least once a day!"

"Why!" Ichigo Kurosaki was even more confused.

"Because Captain Zaraki always acts like the senior brother, and you know how that is with Captain Kuchiki's temper, how could he possibly agree to that!" Renji Abarai said helplessly; "Lord Shadow said to ignore them, and the two of them started fighting over who was the senior brother!"

"·····"

In an instant, Ichigo Kurosaki twitched, his face full of black lines, while Uryu Ishida, Yasutora Sado, and Orihime Inoue beside him were also somewhat taken aback.

That reason is really... pretty brilliant.

"Clang! Clang!!!"

The sounds of blades clashing, Kenpachi Zaraki's increasingly excited roar, and Byakuya Kuchiki's cold snort echoed through the rising dust.

Suddenly, a burst of golden, violent Reiatsu shot into the sky, instantly dispersing the swirling dust and revealing the figures of two men wielding swords.

"Haha! Come on, let's deliver the final blow! Byakuya Kuchiki, whoever wins will be the senior brother!"

Roaring with surging battle intent, Kenpachi Zaraki's ferocious scarred face was filled with the joy of slaughter.

"Come on! That's exactly what I was thinking!"

A massive pink Reiatsu also erupted from Byakuya Kuchiki's body, soaring into the sky, his cold face filled with seriousness and an indomitable fighting spirit.

"Let's have a contest! Your Fang Path and my Swordsmanship, which one is stronger!"

Golden yellow, like the fangs of a fearless beast capable of tearing everything apart—savage, bloody, and insane...

Pink, like the cold, indifferent blade of a swordsman, capable of obliterating any enemy—sharp, resolute, fearless...

"The Fang Path..."

"Swordsmanship..."

Beasts roared, swordsmen uttered low shouts, carrying with them an indomitable spirit and Reiatsu...

"Boom!!!!!!"

The deafening roar instantly cleared the air within a hundred meters radius, and the ground trembled incessantly, as if it too were trembling in fear.

"Wow... that's amazing!"

Renji Abarai swallowed hard, his face filled with shock. This power... he really couldn't compare! Captain Kuchiki, Captain Zaraki.

"Who will win!"

Although his chest still throbbed slightly under the bandages, Ichigo Kurosaki clearly couldn't care less. He stared wide-eyed in shock, his biggest concern right now being this problem, which was also the biggest concern for everyone around him, including Uryu Ishida, Yasutora Sado, Rukia Kuchiki Renji Abarai Nanao Ise, and Nanao Ise.

"It's not what you think!" Mayuri Kurotsuchi a strange smile, and his pointed tone stunned everyone.

There's no winner or loser!

Retsu Unohana smiled gently, but her words only whetted everyone's appetite even more.

Seeing that neither of the two captains intended to explain, Renji Abarai, Rukia Kuchiki, Ichigo Kurosaki couldn't help but twitch their lips, their faces full of black lines. They turned to look at the battlefield, their eyes wide open, as if afraid they had missed something.

Soon, the sandstorm gradually dissipated, revealing the figures within.

"Aaaaaaah!!!"

The voices were filled with shock. Renji Abarai, Ichigo Kurosaki, and the others jumped up as if their butts were on fire, pointing at the black figure in the center of the battlefield, their mouths agape and their faces twitching.

"Lord Shadow!!!"

"Mr. Shadow!!!"

Seemingly anticipating everyone's reaction, Retsu Unohana and Mayuri Kurotsuchi wore expressions of... ruthlessness.

In the center of the battlefield, where everyone's eyes were focused, two figures wielding Kenpachi Zaraki, Byakuya Kuchiki, were indeed clashing. However, one Zanpakutō, while the other struck the equally black scabbard. The man holding a sword in one hand and a scabbard in the other was none other than Shadow.

"Master!"

"Master!"

Kenpachi Zaraki and Byakuya Kuchiki sheathed their swords and shouted in unison. However, Kenpachi Zaraki's voice was one of annoyance at being interrupted, while Byakuya Kuchiki's voice returned to its usual cold and respectful tone.

"Hey you guys!" Shadow raised his head and snorted; "I don't care if you fight, and I don't care who becomes the senior brother, but now that Hueco Mundo is under my control, you'd better behave yourselves, you brats!"

"Cut!"

Kenpachi Zaraki curled his lip; he knew that with the Shadow involved, a fight was impossible to break out today.

"Requisition!" Byakuya Kuchiki was slightly taken aback, and asked in confusion, "Master..."

"Little Master!"

Yachiru Kusajishi strode over, her big eyes blinking as she happily greeted Shadow.

"Ah! Yachiru!" The Shadow smirked. "Next time I go back to Soul Society, I'll bring you konpeito!"

"Yay!" Yachiru Kusajishi cheered immediately.

"Lord Shadow!"

A crowd gathered around.

"Shadow, are you from the World of the Living?! Has the battle begun?! How is the situation?!" Retsu Unohana asked repeatedly.

"How would I know!" Shadow shook his head dismissively, scoffing, "I'm too busy to pay attention to this!"

"Then what are you doing in Hueco Mundo!"

Seeing that she couldn't get any information, Retsu Unohana changed her question. In fact, she could guess a little bit about it. Hueco Mundo's strength was not weak, but there were also many powerful people in the World of the Living. Moreover, Yoruichi Shihōin and Kisuke Urahara would not sit idly by. If something really happened, given the Shadow's stubbornness, he would never appear here. Since the Shadow had appeared in Hueco Mundo, it meant that the situation in the World of the Living was not yet at its worst.

"I've finished what I needed to do before!" Shadow grinned. "So I've come to Hueco Mundo to train my Bankai!"

"Practice Bankai!"

"Ah!" Shadow responded, and with a backhand slash, Garganta tens of meters in diameter was formed.

"Master!"

"Lord Shadow!"

"Didn't I already tell you? Hueco Mundo is now under my control. You all need to go back to where you came from!"

Shadow slammed his longsword into the ground with a backhand motion.

"If you stay here any longer, you'll die!"

He grinned, revealing a few sharp teeth at the corners of his mouth, which gleamed with a chilling light, just like his eyes, which were dark yet tinged with an eerie red glow—bloody, brutal, and carrying a shadow that seemed to have been dormant for millennia.

"Understood!" Retsu Unohana nodded.

"Yes!"