Soul Reaper and Hollow power could not be fused. That was common knowledge. Yet something that defied it had appeared before Hirako, leaving him stunned.
But he had no time to dwell on it. Those indescribable monsters were already charging at him with swords in hand.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
Light bulbs burst in rapid succession. The entire space plunged into darkness.
Hirako knew at once that someone had set him up. He hurriedly drew his Zanpakuto to fight.
"This place puts us at too much of a disadvantage. Let's get out first." Kyōraku Tōshirō swung Kinshara, driving back the Visored attackers.
But neither of them knew the place well, and now that darkness surrounded them, they could not find the way out.
"Get down!" Hirako shouted, then raised his hand. "Hadō Number Thirty-Two: Kihōsen!"
Yellow flames instantly lit up the space and forced the charging Visored monsters back.
After Hollowfication, each of these Soul Reapers had strength approaching that of a Seated Officer. Combined with the pressure of fighting in the dark, they sent a chill down even Shinji Hirako's spine. But he and Kyōraku Tōshirō were both seasoned fighters. In the instant Kihōsen lit the space, they spotted the way they had come.
"You go first! I'll cover you!" Shinji Hirako shouted. With a backhand slash, he cut one Visored attacker in two.
Then something even more terrifying happened. What flowed from its wounds was not blood but a cloudy white substance.
Its wounds were healing at astonishing speed, too.
As the flames went out, the Visored attackers surged forward again. Hirako felt attacks coming from every direction in the dark and could only fight as he retreated.
In these conditions, his Shikai was nearly useless. Sakanade worked through an opponent's vision, but the place was pitch-black. No