Bonds Between Them (4)

"Hey! What's going on!" Shunsui Kyōraku frowned, his hand gripping the sword so tightly it turned white.

"Garganta!" Jūshirō Ukitake exclaimed in confusion, "Is it reinforcements? Or have the other Espada arrived?"

"Impossible!" Byakuya Kuchiki said coldly; "The Espada of Hueco Mundo have all been dealt with. Could it be that it was Master..."

"It doesn't seem like that at all!" Retsu Unohana said.

"Is that Aizen's backup plan?!"

Toshiro Hitsugaya spoke, he accidentally aggravated his wound, his body trembled, and a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

"Captain!" Rangiku Matsumoto exclaimed in alarm.

"It's nothing!" Toshiro Hitsugaya shook his head, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Are there any other powerful characters who could reinforce the top Espada?" Shunsui Kyōraku sighed softly; "I really don't want to face that!"

"I'm quite interested!"

Mayuri Kurotsuchi smiled strangely, his eyes gleaming as if he had spotted something interesting. He carried his Zanpakutō toward the gradually opening Garganta. "I'm curious. Oh well, whatever it is, I'll just cut it down. Perfect for using as experimental material!"

"Hey! Nie, don't steal my prey..."

Kenpachi Zaraki's displeased voice had even completely faded, suddenly, the gradually opening Garganta reached its maximum size in an instant. To the astonishment of the captains, a somewhat thin and short Arrancar darted out from the Big Black cavity with a diameter of 100 meters. No, it looked more like he had been chased by something and was sent flying.

"What's going on? Who is that guy?!" Jūshirō Ukitake exclaimed in surprise.

"An unidentified individual has appeared!"

Shunsui Kyōraku's voice was solemn. Although the Arrancar looked weak and frail, it had come to reinforce them, so its strength was naturally not weak. Moreover, no one should be underestimated; this was an ironclad rule for survival in a world where the strong prey on the weak.

"It's that guy!"

Toshiro Hitsugaya and Rangiku Matsumoto both exclaimed. They had seen this Arrancar before, back when he was stationed in the World of the Living. This guy is strong!

"You recognize it!" Soi Fon asked.

"Ah! I saw him once in the World of the Living before, he's very strong!" Toshiro Hitsugaya replied; "At least he held his Kisuke Urahara!"

"Wanda... Wise!"

This was Starrk's increasingly serious voice. Before he finished speaking, he, along with Harribel Baraggan, flashed to Wonderweiss's side. What was going on? This guy was not easy to deal with. What could have made him so disheveled?

"Aaaaaaah!!!"

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Wonderweiss let out a series of urgent cries.

"Waaaaah!!!"

With the cry, a mournful sound came from within the Garganta. Menos Grande, hundreds of meters long and resembling a worm, poked its head out from the Hueco Mundo. However, to everyone's shock, this seemingly invincible Menos Grande was covered in blood, with wisps of black energy spreading across its body.

That wisp of black mist gave off a very oppressive feeling, a very ominous aura.

"Aaaaaaah!!!"

Seemingly able to sense the worm's pain, Wonderweiss made a series of inexplicable cries and was about to rush over when Starrk pulled him back tightly, leaving him only able to shout.

The next second, almost in an instant, the black energy seemed to have entered his body, and the giant worm didn't even have time to scream before it shattered with a crash.

Without the worm-like void's Garganta, it immediately disappeared, but even in the instant it vanished, a bloody and violent Reiatsu still emanated from it.

The captains stared wide-eyed in disbelief. It was the Shadow's Reiatsu, something they were very familiar with. They knew that Shadow Shadow's Reiatsu Reiatsu as strong as a monster, but they never imagined that it could penetrate the Garganta to reach the World of the Living, injure Wonderweiss, and shatter such a huge Hollow. Just how strong was the Shadow?

"Bang!"

Seemingly sensing the Reiatsu of the fleeting Shadow, or perhaps noticing Wonderweiss's odd behavior, or perhaps no longer wanting to wait, a massive Reiatsu erupted from the swirling flames, dispersing the Heat heat, and three figures emerged from it.

Sōsuke Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, Tōsen Kaname.

"Hateful!"

A cold sweat broke out on the faces of all the team captains; the man had finally come out.

"Aaaaaaah!!!"

Wonderweiss screamed angrily, his figure vanishing in an instant, so fast that even Starrk, Harribel, Baraggan didn't have time to react.

From disappearing to reappearing, in the blink of an eye, Wonderweiss's hand had already pierced through Jūshirō Ukitake's chest, and blood splattered everywhere.

"What······"

Jūshirō Ukitake coughed up a mouthful of blood, his eyes wide with disbelief and horror.

Shunsui Kyōraku's eyes turned sinister and terrifying in an instant. This was the first time he had ever shown such an expression, a stark contrast to his usual lazy demeanor. He moved with incredible speed, appearing behind Wonderweiss in a flash, and his knife slashed down mercilessly.

He and Jūshirō Ukitake grew up together and trained under the Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. For a hundred years, they were inseparable. The bond between them was like that between Yoruichi Shihōin and Kūkaku Shiba, Kaien Shiba, Kensei Muguruma, Hiyori Sarugaki —a bond where they could give up their lives for each other.

Shunsui Kyōraku was fast, but Starrk's reaction was just as quick, his Los Lobos Pack spears, Resurrección, pointed directly at Shunsui Kyōraku's back.

Cero!!!

"Hateful······"

"Boom!!!"

The figures of Jūshirō Ukitake and Shunsui Kyōraku fell from the sky.

"Team leader!"

"Team leader!"

These events seem numerous, but they all happened in an instant. When the two figures fell, Rukia Kuchiki and Nanao Ise reacted, their expressions changing drastically as they rushed forward to catch their captain. Retsu Unohana and Isane Kotetsu, the Lieutenant of the Fourth Division, also immediately stepped forward to begin treatment.

"Shunsui, Fourteenth Brother!"

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto also spoke up somewhat nervously, still worried about his disciple.

However, neither Retsu Unohana nor Isane Kotetsu had time to answer; both of them were too badly injured, and they could really die if they weren't careful.

"Captain Kyōraku, Captain Ukitake!!!"

Renji Abarai roared angrily and Bankai towards Starrk with his Bankai, but before he could get close, he was hit by a Cero.

"Renji!!!"

The falling figure was caught by Uryu Ishida and Yasutora Sado on the ground, and Orihime Inoue immediately began treatment.

Seeing his lieutenant severely injured before his eyes, Byakuya Kuchiki frowned and turned to look at Starrk. But before he could make a move, Kenpachi Zaraki shifted his stance and immediately blocked his way.

"Get out of the way!"

"Why should I listen to you? Don't be so arrogant, kid!"

"······"

His friend's serious injury seemed to trigger Ichigo Kurosaki's nerves, and he the Roar as he immediately Bankai, sending a Getsuga Tenshō towards Starrk.

"Ichigo!"

"One after another, it's so annoying!"

With an impatient sigh, Starrk neither dodged nor evaded, but raised the gun in his hand.

Cero!!!

"Ichigo, get out of the way!"

Rukia Kuchiki roared in disbelief. She wanted to rush forward, but she couldn't move because she was holding Jūshirō Ukitake was being resuscitated.

Despite hearing Rukia Kuchiki's roar, Ichigo Kurosaki was already unable to dodge. Her attack was easily extinguished, and the deep green Cero was already upon him.

"Ichigo..."

Suddenly, three figures appeared in front of Ichigo Kurosaki.

"Miss Yoruichi Urahara, Mr. Urahara, Dad... Dad!"

Yoruichi Shihōin, Kisuke Urahara, Isshin Shiba, join the battle...