The True Vasto Lorde

Slowly sheathing his blade, Shadow abruptly froze mid-step as he turned back. His pitch-black pupils contracted, and in the next instant, he appeared before Yoruichi Shihōin, staring gravely into the distance.

A moment later, Shinji Hirako seemed to sense something as well. He turned and looked in the same direction.

Two figures appeared not far away. One was a burly man with short fiery-red hair, while the other had long sea-blue hair and a refined appearance. Both had human faces, but the fragments of masks still covering their faces and the Hollow holes in their bodies clearly revealed their identities—the highest-ranked Menos Grande, Vasto Lordes.

Besides them, there were ten Adjuchas and over a hundred Gillians.

Fate seemed to have played a cruel joke on them, dragging them from despair to hope, then from hope back into despair.

"Yo, kid!" The red-haired Vasto Lorde spoke. "What an astonishing sensation! You were actually the first to notice our presence!"

"But then again," the sea-blue-haired Vasto Lorde sneered, "you've got some nerve! Tens of thousands of Hollows, and you nearly killed them all by yourself!"

"..." Shadow remained silent, as though he had heard nothing.

"Oh my, this is bad."

Shinji Hirako's gaze was grave, yet his words were as flippant as ever.

"Two Vasto Lordes, ten Adjuchas, and nearly a hundred Gillians. Now that's an even more extravagant lineup." Kitagawa Guobu frowned deeply.

"Hey! When will the reinforcements from the Boundary Gate arrive?" Wangyuan Baoren asked the messenger Bleach beside him.

"Yes, but the Boundary Gate has also been attacked by the Hollow horde. The Second Division, Eighth Division, and Thirteenth Division have all suffered heavy casualties, so we don't know when reinforcements will arrive!"

"Damn it!"

"All right, Captain Wangyuan, now isn't the time to talk about that!" Shinji Hirako turned around and scanned the area, his eyes flickering. "I'll hold off one of the two Vasto Lordes. As for the other one, Shadow, I'll leave that to you!"

Shadow tilted his head toward Yoruichi Shihōin. Only after seeing her nod did he speak coldly. "Yes, Lady Yoruichi. Understood. Leave it to me."

Shinji Hirako curled his lips. "Then Captain Kiganjō, you'll hold back two Adjuchas. Captain Wangyuan, Captain Kitagawa, Captain Nanma, you can each hold off one Adjuchas, right?"

"No problem!"

"Good. Then the rest of you—Vice-Captain Kazehashi, Vice-Captain Muguruma, Vice-Captain Shiba, and Shihōin Third Seat—you four will each hold off one Adjuchas..."

Before Shinji Hirako could finish, he felt a chilling, murderous gaze lock onto him. The words at his lips were swallowed back down.

"Shadow!"

Yoruichi Shihōin placed a hand on Shadow's shoulder, interrupting the suffocating chill.

"Lady Yoruichi!" Shadow turned back. Meeting those amber-like eyes, he paused, then sighed. "My apologies, Lady Yoruichi."

"Ah, right! If there are no objections, then you four will handle four Adjuchas!" Shinji Hirako let out a breath of relief. "As for the last Adjuchas..."

"Leave it to the three of us!"

Ichiro Odagiri, commander of the Expeditionary Force's First Legion, pointed at himself, then at the two people beside him as he spoke in a deep voice.

After a moment of silence, Shinji Hirako considered it. There was no better option, so he could only nod. "Then I'll leave it to you."

"Hey, hey! Are you done talking yet?" the impatient red-haired Vasto Lorde shouted.

"Once you're done, die!" the sea-blue-haired Vasto Lorde coldly cut in.

"All right, everyone, don't hold back! Shadow, Captain Kiganjō, take down your opponents as quickly as possible and provide support!" Shinji Hirako instructed.

"Got it!"

Kenpachi Kiganjō answered. As for Shadow, it would have been strange if he had answered.

"Everyone, move!" Shinji Hirako roared. "I don't want to repeat any unnecessary words. I only want to tell you this: you are Soul Society's finest Bleach, Seireitei's finest warriors. So even if you die, make them understand that victory belongs to us—to the finest among us! Fight to the death! Never retreat!"

"Fight to the death! Never retreat!"

Thunderous roars burst from every mouth, rumbling like war drums across this barren land.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Another clash between the Bleach and the Hollows began once more.

Meanwhile, outside the Boundary Gate in Soul Society, a force of several hundred people was racing forward at full speed. At the very front were three figures wearing pure white captain's haori.

Second Division Captain Shihōin Shanqing, Eighth Division Captain Shunsui Kyōraku, and Twelfth Division Captain Kirio Hikifune led the reinforcements.

Hueco Mundo, battlefield.

Drawn-Sword Slash!!!

With his shoulder slightly lowered, Shadow used the friction between blade and scabbard to draw his longsword, carving a sweeping arc through the air.

Without the slightest warning, the red-haired Vasto Lorde instinctively drew the fiery-red Zanpakutō at his waist with his right hand and blocked with a backhand swing.

Clang!

Shadow landed after a flip, while the red-haired Vasto Lorde slid several meters away.

Fast! Such a fast attack! Even though I blocked the blade, the force still wounded me!

The Vasto Lorde pressed a hand to the thin cut on his face, wiping away the blood. The disdain in his eyes had turned solemn.

"You're strong, kid. So you're qualified to know my name. Remember it—I am..."

"Kexikara!!!"

The instant he finished speaking, the red-haired Vasto Lorde, Kexikara, used Sonído and appeared behind Shadow. The fiery-red Zanpakutō in his hand slashed down savagely with a fierce gust of wind.

Clang!

The red and black Zanpakutō collided again. The immense force sent both Shadow and Kexikara sliding far apart.

"Kid, you're the strongest Bleach I've encountered since becoming an Arrancar!" Kexikara laughed wildly.

"An Arrancar? A Hollow like you possessing a Bleach's Zanpakutō?" Shadow said coldly.

"Well, if you can defeat me, I'll tell you!"

"Is that so? Then I'll tell you something too..." Shadow raised his sword and vanished with Flash Step.

"I'm not a Bleach."

Clang!

Clang!

The sounds of collision rang out without pause as one black and one red figure, both swift beyond measure, continuously crossed paths in midair.

Elsewhere, Shinji Hirako was also fighting the other Vasto Lorde. Having already released his Shikai, Shinji Hirako's face was grave and pale. In contrast, the Vasto Lorde wore a cold smile. It was obvious that he had not even gone all out, and that ease only made Shinji Hirako feel more stifled.

Kenpachi Kiganjō, the current Kenpachi, was now holding his own against two Adjuchas without falling behind. However, defeating them would not be easy.

Not far away, Kitagawa Guobu, Wangyuan Baoren, and Juji Nanma—the three captains who had already been among the weaker ones—were fighting in a miserable state. Juji Nanma, in particular, had lost an arm. If not for the other two covering him, he would probably have already died at the hands of the Adjuchas. Even so, Juji Nanma's chances of survival were slim.