So exciting… just out for a casual trip, and I get to witness monsters this powerful. Honestly, these Menos Grandes might be even more terrifying than the Tailed Beasts. A single Cero could obliterate half a city, and they even have the power to tear open space itself… utterly terrifying.
"But with Captain-class Shinigami around, I doubt they'll need rookies who haven't even graduated to step in. Or maybe… this is all one of Captain Aizen's little performances? A carefully staged play to test his 'subjects'? If that's the case, I'd better just sit back and watch. Getting noticed by Aizen, the Big Boss? That's a one-way ticket to the grave."
"This world of Shinigami is full of monsters. Just releasing spiritual pressure shakes space apart, and a casual swing of a sword can unleash city-destroying power. Then there's the ability to release a Zanpakutō and unlock unimaginable abilities… tch. Even if I dragged every ninja from the Shinobi World here, they wouldn't last against a single Captain in Bankai."
"Unless…"
Qingshan drew his Zanpakutō, tilting his head back toward the sky. He counted the rips, splitting open one after another—already more than twenty. That meant thirty or so Menos Grandes could pour through at any moment.
And one tear in space didn't only allow a single Hollow to pass. Others could slip through the same rift. If the source was directly within the Menos Forest itself, then the issue wasn't how many Menos would appear… but rather how many Captains would have to be dispatched here.
The Menos Forest—the stuff of legend. Said to be home to countless Menos, its numbers unknown. Soul Society regularly launched expeditions into Hueco Mundo to cull Hollows, but none, not even Captains, dared set foot into the Menos Forest.
Thankfully, this didn't look like the Menos Forest.
Letting out a small sigh of relief, Qingshan twirled his Zanpakutō in his hand and eyed a cluster of lesser Hollows that had slipped through the chaos. He muttered:
"The big ones might be part of Aizen's scheme—bait for some unlucky test subject. If I rush over there, I'll just attract his attention. Better to carve up some small fry instead. They're weaker, perfect to team up against."
Without sparing a thought for the twenty-some ungraduated Shinigami students behind him, he twisted his body and dashed toward the Hollows. His clumsy Shunpo looked more like a ninja's Body Flicker, but it was enough to cover ground fast.
The lesser Hollows were bizarre. One had three heads, each dragging eight eyeballs, with a bull-like frame. Another resembled a giant octopus, though with strange mushrooms sprouting from its head.
They howled as they spotted Qingshan, thrilled by the scent of his soul.
"A deliciously pure Shinigami spirit!"
"Yes, yes! I feel it too! His soul is so tempting—it could push me to the level of a Menos Grande!"
"Hah! Don't even think about it! I'm a flying-type Hollow. That meal's mine!"
Hollows and Shinigami alike needed control over their reiatsu to stand on air. Without it, they had to run along the ground, like ninja leaping from rooftops for leverage.
The small fry lunged eagerly, their excitement bizarre enough to make Qingshan pause. Hollows were supposed to fear Shinigami… yet these seemed delighted. Was this some twisted society? A collapse of morality itself?
Qingshan's grin turned feral. He slipped in front of the airborne Hollow and swung down. His blade sliced through the mask cleanly, splitting the creature in half.
Shock!
The Zanpakutō felt so natural in his hands—sharp, deadly, almost divine.
But of course. Shinigami were born to hunt Hollows. Their blades were made to cut masks cleanly.
The fallen Hollow didn't dampen the excitement of the others. They roared, charging him from all sides, drooling over the chance to devour his soul.
Qingshan glanced around. At least a dozen more Hollows, some fat and grotesque, each the size of a bus, blocked his vision. And who knew how many lingered further out?
He chuckled darkly.
"Plenty of targets. Perfect. That's how it should be—slashing them down one after another. Seriously… these things are so easy to kill, and yet my so-called fellow students want to cower and retreat?"
"Forget it. Time to cut loose. Ah—look at that one! You even look like Pleasant Goat! You'll be my first kill! Hah! Slash!"
Clang!
His blade bounced off with a spray of sparks. The Hollow roared, unleashing a sonic blast that struck Qingshan like a physical wave.
Snarling, Qingshan steadied himself. He gripped his blade like a spear and spun, unleashing a wide sweep. The slash scattered sonic waves and drove back every claw reaching for him.
"HAHAHA! That's it! This is the rush I wanted! After getting my ass kicked by Guy, now it's my turn to enjoy myself!"
Shouting nonsense, he leapt like a butcher gone mad. Vaulting off a Hollow's tentacle, he landed on another's head. A wicked grin spread across his face as he plunged his blade—not into the mask, but into the creature's eye.
The Hollow shrieked. Its body convulsed as the blade sank deep. Qingshan twisted the hilt, ignoring the claws stabbing toward his back. His only thought was to shred the eyeball beneath his feet.
A deadly claw gleamed inches from his spine—when suddenly, Qingshan crouched low, pressing both hands to his sword hilt. A strange book appeared before his mind's eye. He roared:
"Release! Come forth—Titan Beast, Kongō!"
"ROOOOAR!"
Kongō's massive body materialized from thin air, dropping onto the Hollow like a boulder. The monster screamed as it was flattened under his weight. Kongō wriggled uncomfortably, as if annoyed by his seat, and with a squirm crushed the Hollow into paste.
Here, in the Shinigami world, Kongō's form had grown to over four meters. A hulking beast wielding an equally enormous axe, he looked every bit the monster. His mere arrival crushed one Hollow beneath him.
The rest froze in horror. Their hunger flipped instantly to terror as they scrambled to flee.
But with Kongō summoned… escape was impossible.
Qingshan's grin widened. He swung his Zanpakutō, unleashing a wave of sword pressure that whistled through the air. One Hollow turned in panic—just in time to be torn apart.
BOOM!
The beast exploded into four pieces.
Kongō leapt high, seized another Hollow, and slammed it into the ground. With a vicious snarl, he planted a massive foot on its back and brought his axe down, smashing its skull into pulp.