"Roar!"
The Menos Grande roared, and the Soul Reapers kept fleeing.
"Are the reinforcements still not here?"
Countless Soul Reapers watched the Menos Grande slowly approaching them, their eyes filled with exhaustion and despair.
Hueco Mundo, a place filled with despair, bestowed equal despair upon every being that came here, whether Hollow or Soul Reaper.
Whoosh!
Boom!
A crimson Cero tore through the sky and exploded in the desert, claiming countless more Soul Reaper lives.
"Damn it, damn it..."
"Why aren't the reinforcements here yet?"
Haruko was one of the Soul Reapers dispatched to Hueco Mundo by Soul Society. What set her apart was that she had little combat ability; she belonged to the medical squad. When countless Menos Grande suddenly appeared and attacked their base, she lost all the work she had to do. Only then did she realize that medicine could not save Soul Reapers.
After that crimson flash came howling toward them, there was nowhere for her to put her medical skills to use. All that remained for her were corpses that smelled of burning and enormous craters.
Run!
After witnessing that terrifying scene, this was the only thought left in her mind. She had to escape this place. She had to wait for reinforcements to rescue her. She wanted to return to Soul Society.
"Heeheeheehee..."
"Look what I found! A little Soul Reaper all alone!"
Yet reality always went against her wishes. A pitch-black figure slammed down in front of Haruko, whipping up a gale as terrifying Spiritual Pressure washed over her.
"A Menos Grande... and not an ordinary one!"
Haruko stared at the terrifying life-form before her, beads of sweat covering her forehead.
"Heeheeheehee... a female Soul Reaper... she must taste delicious!"
The Adjuchas-class Menos Grande before her already possessed extremely high intelligence. He laughed wildly as he watched Haruko, imagining the sensation of swallowing her in one bite.
"Help..."
Haruko's eyes went wide. Fear grew wildly within her, and her body trembled without stopping.
"Huh?"
"What did you say?"
The Adjuchas before Haruko did not kill her right away. His eyes were full of amusement, like a cat preparing to stretch its limbs before eating a little mouse. It was the look of someone toying with his prey at will.
"Help... someone help me!"
Under the Adjuchas's immense oppressive presence, Haruko fell to her knees. Tears slowly spilled from her eyes as she screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Hahahaha..."
"She shouted it! She really shouted it!"
"Too bad, little girl. This is Hueco Mundo, the territory of us Hollows. No one will come to save you!"
"Ahahahaha..."
The Adjuchas laughed loudly. He was satisfied now. After seeing such weakness in his prey's eyes, he was satisfied enough. Next came the time to enjoy his meal.
"Farewell, Soul Reaper."
The Adjuchas opened his enormous mouth and lunged to bite down on the prey before him.
Yet the instant the Adjuchas was about to eat the Soul Reaper, a bright silver blade flashed, followed by a clean cut that split him in two.
"Huh?!"
Confusion filled the Adjuchas's eyes. He felt as though someone had cut him. How strange...
Before the Adjuchas could figure it out, he dissolved beneath the cold night sky into countless particles of Reishi that drifted upward.
"Hey! Little girl! Are you all right?"
Haruko held her head and sobbed, waiting for death to arrive. Yet several seconds passed, and the pain she had imagined never came. What answered her was a gentle, resonant male voice. A miracle was born at that moment!
"..." Haruko raised her head slightly, revealing her little face, streaked with tears like a tabby cat's. Looking at the figure before her, as powerfully built as a mountain and giving her a tremendous sense of security, she nodded lightly. "Yes!"
"Hmph!" The mountain-like man gently stroked Haruko's little head, then roared, "Boys! Tell the Menos Grande of Hueco Mundo who the true kings of this world are! Don't let these scum look down on us Soul Reapers!"
"Yeah!!"
The man's roar was followed by the sound of countless Soul Reapers raising their Zanpakuto and roaring in response.
"Seireitei's Gotei 11th Division has arrived!"
As the man spoke, he walked toward the Menos Grande with his Zanpakuto still in its most basic form, without even releasing its Shikai. Whether Gillian or Adjuchas, they were like fruit and vegetables before him, one falling with every slash.
The man simply kept swinging the Zanpakuto in his hand. His blade rose and fell, blood sprayed, and he did not so much as blink.
This was Kuruyashiki Kenpachi, the man hailed as the strongest Soul Reaper in Seireitei's Gotei 13 aside from Captain-Commander Yamamoto.
At that moment, the tide of battle had completely reversed.
Before the overwhelming strength of the 11th Division, the Menos Grande could only keep scurrying away with their heads covered.
One month later.
"My lord! Two more Adjuchas died at the hands of those Soul Reapers today. The other Menos Grande have all been frightened by the fighting. None of them dare venture out anymore."
A spider-like Adjuchas delivered his report to the Vasto Lorde seated in the highest seat, a general serving under Baraggan, the emperor of Hueco Mundo.
"Damn it! My invincible Menos Grande army was actually cut down by a mere 11th Division?"
"How am I supposed to answer to the great King Baraggan when you act like such cowards?!"
The Vasto Lorde-class Menos Grande, supreme commander of Hueco Mundo's army, roared in fury.
"Fine. I never intended to leave this to you small fry in the first place. I'll take action myself!"
"It's time the Soul Reapers learned the strength of a Vasto Lorde-class Menos Grande!"
As the humanoid Menos Grande spoke, he rose from his lofty seat. From this moment onward, he would personally lead his forces and deliver the deepest despair to the Soul Reapers.
Half a month later.
"Foolish Soul Reapers!"
"Experience endless despair!"
The humanoid Menos Grande stood before countless Menos Grande, commanding innumerable Adjuchas- and Gillian-class Menos Grande as he roared at the Soul Reapers opposite him.
"That fellow is a type I've never seen before... could he be one of those legendary Vasto Lorde-class Menos Grande?"
Kuruyashiki Kenpachi studied the Vasto Lorde a short distance away, lightly rubbing his chin. With his disheveled long hair and eyes radiating killing intent, he resembled a wild beast.
"Boys! Get them!"
The Vasto Lorde-class Menos Grande waved his great hand and shouted to the Menos Grande behind him.
"Roar!!"
The Menos Grande roared as they charged toward Kuruyashiki Kenpachi and the 11th Division behind him.
"Hahaha! Interesting!"
"Leave the strongest one to me. Divide the rest among yourselves!"
Without waiting for his underlings after he finished speaking, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi charged ahead first.
Both were generals commanding their respective sides, yet one chose to send his underlings in first, while the other chose to lead the charge himself. Who was stronger and who was weaker was clear at a glance.
(End of chapter)