Chōjirō Sasakibe and Hachisato both froze. What were they missing?
"A means of transportation! Were you really planning to cross the entirety of Hueco Mundo on foot? That's way too unrealistic, isn't it?" Yamabuki Chidori smiled. "Don't you think this giant lizard would make a perfect ride for us?"
Wouldn't using a Hollow as transportation be a little too dangerous? After all, the Menos Grande had taken the two of them working together to subdue.
Yamabuki Chidori walked over and viciously kicked the Lizard Menos Grande. It had already been unconscious, but Yamabuki Chidori's kick woke it up.
The Lizard Menos Grande's instinctive reaction upon waking was to open its massive jaws and bite Yamabuki Chidori. Instead, Yamabuki Chidori slapped it flying. Its huge body spun more than ten times through the air before crashing into the sand. Chōjirō Sasakibe's mouth fell open. The Hollow he and Hachisato had worked so hard to subdue had been sent flying by Brother Yamabuki with a single slap. That was terrifying!
Most Hollows had no intelligence and acted on biological instinct. If they could win, they fought. If they could not, they ran. If they were hungry, they ate.
Seeing that it could not defeat Yamabuki Chidori, the Lizard Menos Grande turned and ran. But Yamabuki Chidori seized its tail tightly. I can't beat all those Captains, but can't I beat you?
After a thorough beating, the Lizard Menos Grande was quickly tamed by Yamabuki Chidori.
Yamabuki Chidori sat atop the Lizard Menos Grande's head with his two underlings, taking in the scenery around them. It was utterly relaxing.
Then he punched the Lizard Menos Grande's left side, and it obediently turned left. He punched its right side, and it turned right.
Two punches in the middle meant stop. One punch meant move forward. Continuous punches meant run faster!
"It's decided. Your name is Lizard Maru. From now on, whenever I come to Hueco Mundo, you'll come when called. Understand?" Yamabuki Chidori sat cross-legged like some rich old landlord, pointing grandly at the world.
Lizard Maru felt like crying. How did my carefree life just disappear with one smack? I never should've been greedy for that bite of food!
Still, Lizard Maru moved incredibly fast, leaving everything in the dust. Chōjirō Sasakibe felt like he had not come to conquer Hueco Mundo at all. He had come sightseeing. This was far too comfortable! Sure enough, following Brother Yamabuki was never wrong.
"But after running for so long, why haven't we seen anyone stronger? Going back like this would be so boring!" Yamabuki Chidori recklessly planted a flag.
Chōjirō Sasakibe said excitedly, "Brother Yamabuki, I never thought Hueco Mundo wasn't as scary as the legends said!"
"No, it's not that Hueco Mundo isn't dangerous. I'm just too strong. The Hollows nearby probably sensed my powerful Reiatsu and fled in panic." Yamabuki Chidori had a very healthy opinion of himself.
Suddenly, Lizard Maru slammed on the brakes before a hill, nearly throwing the three people from its head!
Furious, Yamabuki Chidori punched Lizard Maru's head hard. "I didn't tell you to stop, so why did you stop? Are you asking for a beating?"
Lizard Maru looked pitifully at Yamabuki Chidori, indicating that it was not its fault. Look at what was happening ahead!
Yamabuki Chidori used Flash Step to reach the top of the dune and looked down. He immediately sucked in a sharp breath. Below, two groups of bizarre Hollows were confronting each other, with more than a thousand in each group.
Yamabuki Chidori hastily pulled his head back. Every one of those Hollows radiated tremendously powerful Reiatsu. Even the weakest was a Menos Grande. There were quite a few Greater Menos, and even several Adjuchas mixed among them.
Yamabuki Chidori finally understood why they had not seen any Hollows after traveling so long. All the powerful Hollows in the area had gathered here.
Chōjirō Sasakibe cautiously edged closer. "Brother Yamabuki, why are there so many Hollows down there? What are they doing?"
Yamabuki Chidori explained quietly, "Probably playing Landlord?"
"Playing Landlord?"
"Or maybe mahjong! It can't be that they gathered here for a meeting." Yamabuki Chidori lowered his voice. "Don't alert them. Back away carefully."
Even though Yamabuki Chidori was hailed as the strongest Lieutenant in history, there was no way he could face so many Hollows at once, especially with so many Adjuchas among them.
He did not need many. Two Adjuchas would be enough to give him hell.
But before Yamabuki Chidori could retreat, the two groups of Hollows began slaughtering each other. The Hollows on both sides charged forward like madmen. The first ranks were smashed to pieces on impact, their flesh trampled into pulp by their charging companions behind them. Then came the grand clash of Hollows.
Low-level Hollows fought with claws and teeth, while higher-level Hollows directly fired Ceros. There were Ceros in every color, making the battlefield look like a dance club.
Except dancing here meant death.
"Brother Yamabuki, why are they fighting?" Chōjirō Sasakibe asked everything like a curious child.
"How would I know? Run!" Yamabuki Chidori grabbed Chōjirō Sasakibe and returned to Lizard Maru's head, preparing to have Lizard Maru carry them away.
Just then, a stray Cero landed directly on the dune. The entire dune exploded, sending dust and smoke everywhere.
"Hm? Why are there people over there? Are they your ambush force?" a talking Adjuchas demanded.
"Are your eyes blind? Those are clearly humans! How could they be our ambush force?" the opposing Adjuchas shouted.
"Why would humans appear here?"
"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"
"Everybody stop fighting! Outsiders have infiltrated! Kill these humans first, then we can continue!"
In an instant, the remaining thousand-plus elite Hollows all focused their gazes on Yamabuki Chidori.
Even with Yamabuki Chidori's immense skill and courage, his scalp went numb. He could only force out an extremely awkward smile. "Hello, everyone! We're just passing through. We don't know anything. See you later. Go, go!"
Yamabuki Chidori punched Lizard Maru twice, hard.
Suddenly, a Menos Grande roared, "He's not human! Look at the Zanpakuto in his hand! He's a Soul Reaper, our mortal enemy! He came here to kill us!"
Brother, would it kill you to say one less word?
Yamabuki Chidori wanted nothing more than to rush over and kill it right now.
"A Soul Reaper!" Several Adjuchas at the scene immediately cast hostile looks his way. "I hear Soul Reapers are incredibly nourishing. Nobody compete with me! Those three Soul Reapers are mine!"
"Dream on! Everyone relies on their own abilities! Charge!!!"
In an instant, more than a thousand Hollows surged toward them like a tide.
Not Hiding It Anymore, I'm the Legendary Mobile Turret
More than a thousand Hollows rushed forward in a sea that blotted out the sky. The sight was truly spectacular. Chōjirō Sasakibe had intended to draw his sword and fight, but Yamabuki Chidori grabbed the back of his collar and ran for his life!
Fight my ass!
The two of you together might not even beat the weakest among these thousand Hollows.
"Lizard Maru, life or death, wealth or ruin—it all comes down to today! Run! Start up that little engine of yours! Run for your life!" Yamabuki Chidori shouted.
Lizard Maru seemed to understand Yamabuki Chidori's words and immediately turned around and ran desperately. However, its running speed was not the fastest. Quite a few Menos Grande among them could fly, diving down from the sky toward the three Soul Reapers below!
"A Menos Grande dares to show off in front of me? Six Rods Prison of Light!" Yamabuki Chidori casually waved his hand, and six blades of light directly pinned the Menos Grande in the sky.
But just as one was restrained, several more swooped down!
"You two keep running forward. Don't worry about me," Yamabuki Chidori barked. Then he turned, drew his sword, and used a Flash Blossom to stab a Hollow straight through the heart.
"Hadō #63, Roaring Cannon!"
Yamabuki Chidori lightly pointed with his fingertip, and a golden flash swallowed several Hollows in the sky.
Those Adjuchas did not make a move. They were simply watching the tigers fight from the mountain.
"Looks like that Soul Reaper has some skill!"
"Good. The stronger he is, the more Reiatsu we'll gain by eating him!"
A row of Greater Menos in the distance opened their mouths and gathered Ceros.
Then dozens of Ceros shot out at once.
"Bakudo #81, Splitting Void!"
The Ceros of ordinary Greater Menos had limited power. Even dozens fired at once could not break through his Splitting Void.
Instead, they raised enormous clouds of dust and smoke across the sand, creating an opportunity for Yamabuki Chidori to escape.
"There's an opening!" A winged Menos Grande launched a sneak attack from behind Yamabuki Chidori. But before its claws could touch him, a Reishi Arrow more than half a meter in diameter descended from the sky and blasted the Menos Grande into scraps.
As the smoke cleared, Yamabuki Chidori stood alone in the desert, sword in one hand and Kidō prepared in the other. Above his head floated five enormous Spirit Bows arranged in the shape of a pentagram.
"I'm done pretending! Time to lay my cards on the table!" Yamabuki Chidori moved his left hand, and all five Spirit Bows in midair fired at once. He discovered that controlling Reishi also consumed Reiatsu, but the expenditure was minimal. And his Reiatsu was far greater than that Martin had possessed. How were those five things in the sky merely Spirit Bows? They were practically laser cannons!
They unleashed indiscriminate bombardment upon the densely packed Hollows!
Any Hollow struck by a Spirit Bow lost even its chance at reincarnation and was completely erased. Meanwhile, Yamabuki Chidori grew increasingly adept at controlling Reishi.
"That doesn't look like a Soul Reaper's ability!" an Adjuchas said.
"Who knows! But those scraps probably aren't his match!"
Yamabuki Chidori realized that these Adjuchas were not attacking directly. They were using their Menos Grande underlings to wear down his Reiatsu.
"Wear me down? You want an attrition battle with me? You're courting death!" Yamabuki Chidori's body began wildly absorbing the surrounding Reishi to replenish what he had expended. On top of that, controlling Reishi did not consume much Reiatsu in the first place. When all was said and done, he replenished it faster than he used it!
"So what the hell am I scared of? Hadō #88, Dragon of Thunder!"
Golden-blue light erupted across the desert, blasting a huge number of Hollows to death.
Yamabuki Chidori finally discovered his talent. He had been wrong all along to pursue the path of swordsmanship. He was clearly a mage and an archer, yet he had insisted on fighting people in close combat. How could he not get beaten senseless?
With every restriction removed, Yamabuki Chidori had become a mobile turret. At range, he used Spirit Bows and Kidō. If anyone got close, he cut them down with a single stroke!
For a time, the sea of Hollows crashing forward like mountains and waves was actually halted by him alone!
"As expected, these ordinary scraps can't hurt him at all. We should make a move ourselves!" an Adjuchas with four arms shouted. The sound of space vibrating instantly came from beside him, and at the same time, the Adjuchas vanished from where he stood and appeared behind Yamabuki Chidori.
"Sound Steps!" Yamabuki Chidori's heart jolted.
Of the three high-speed movement techniques, Sound Steps was the strangest. Flash Step and Hirenkyaku were fundamentally just rapid movement, but Sound Steps was fundamentally spatial displacement.
Put more plainly, it was the difference between sprinting and blinking.
Yamabuki Chidori instantly turned around. All four of the Adjuchas's arms smashed down at once with enormous force. Yamabuki Chidori rapidly retreated, while the five Spirit Bows in the sky fired directly. The Adjuchas used Sound Steps again and appeared behind Yamabuki Chidori.
"Soul Reaper, you're still too slow. The Sound Steps used by us Hollows are far faster than your Flash Step!" As he spoke, he slammed his two huge hands together, directly trapping Yamabuki Chidori in his palms. But he quickly realized that something was wrong with the feel of it. When he opened his hands, he found that he had only caught a piece of clothing.
At that moment, a blade flashed from behind him, cleanly severing the two arms on the Adjuchas's left side. Then the Spirit Bows in the sky erupted, blowing off his remaining two arms.
"Hmph! You talk a big game!" Yamabuki Chidori sneered.
I used a little trick and stomped you beneath my feet, yet you dared act so arrogant and wild!
Then twisted lumps of flesh grew from the Adjuchas's wounds. In just two or three seconds, all four severed arms rapidly regenerated.
"Damn it! I forgot that all Greater Menos before becoming Arrancar have Super-Speed Regeneration!" By the time Yamabuki Chidori tried to finish him off, it was already too late. The Adjuchas directly knocked him back.
"What exactly are you? What are those things floating in the sky? You shouldn't be a Soul Reaper!" the Adjuchas asked coldly.
At this point, the other four Adjuchas had already surrounded him.
With Yamabuki Chidori's current strength, he could slaughter an Adjuchas one-on-one with ease. Two-on-one put him under pressure, but escaping unscathed was not a problem. Fighting three Adjuchas at once was dangerous!
All five attacking together...
Time to run!
"At a time like this, I can only bring out my trump card! Bakudō #21, Sekienton!"
Yamabuki Chidori pressed his hand against the ground, and a huge amount of crimson smoke rose around him.
By the time the smoke dispersed, Yamabuki Chidori had vanished.
"Bastard! He actually ran! Go after him! That Soul Reaper can't have gotten far!" All five Adjuchas gave orders to their underlings.
The remaining Hollows quickly gave chase in every direction.
After every Hollow had left, a hand suddenly appeared in midair and gave a light tear. Yamabuki Chidori's body appeared once more.
"Bakudō #26, Light-Bending Light. This thing is practically essential for a sneak attacker. I really am a clever little genius!" Yamabuki Chidori said happily.
P.S. There'll be more this afternoon. Please subscribe, and please send monthly tickets and recommendations.
The Mask... Won't Come Off!
Having finally shaken off the pursuing Hollows, Yamabuki Chidori raced in the direction Chōjirō Sasakibe and the others had gone.
He had not gone far when he saw Chōjirō Sasakibe and the others surrounded by four Menos Grande. With the strength of Chōjirō Sasakibe and Hachisato, dealing with four Menos Grande at once was already extremely taxing.
That was only because Yamabuki Chidori had transformed into a mobile turret and held back the Hollow tide for so long.
If those Hollows had been allowed to chase after them, his two underlings would have long since been chewed into bone fragments!
"Kidō #62: Hundred Steps Binding!"
A pillar of light appeared in Yamabuki Chidori's hand and flew toward the four Hollows. In an instant, it split into dozens of pillars, firmly pinning the four Menos Grande to the ground.
"Brother Yamabuki! You're all right!" Chōjirō Sasakibe said with a happy smile.
"What could possibly happen to me?" Yamabuki Chidori looked smug as he instantly returned to Lizard Maru's head. See? Having a mount is useful. Without Lizard Maru, how could we have run this far on two legs?
But the crisis was not over. Soul Reaper Reiatsu and Hollow Reiatsu were different. In this vast desert, the three Soul Reapers were like bright lamps in the darkness. Those Hollows would find them sooner or later!
"Contact the Soul Society immediately. Have them open a Soul Gate at a designated location so we can return as quickly as possible. We've killed so many Hollows already, so we can consider the mission complete," Yamabuki Chidori said.
Before he could finish speaking, their whereabouts had already been exposed. More and more Hollows appeared around them.
Before you continue