Overhead, the sky was completely swallowed by the black Garganta, and no sunlight could reach the mountain range. In the darkness, the Shinigami of Hirutsuki Squad who were participating in this assessment huddled tightly together.
"Oi, Ise Nanao, is this also part of the assessment?"
Madarame Ikkaku rested his Zanpakutō on his shoulder and looked over at Ise Nanao as he spoke.
"I'm not sure, but it shouldn't be. Captain Shuuichi never mentioned anything like this to me beforehand."
Ise Nanao pushed her glasses up, doing her best to answer calmly.
"So then this is a Hollow raid on Soul Society? And we just had bad luck and ran right into it?"
Watching the variously-shaped Hollows dropping one after another out of the Garganta, Ayasegawa Yumichika quietly cast Bakudō #26: Kyokkō (Curved Light) to hide everyone's presence as he spoke.
At the same time, he secretly felt relieved. Fortunately, the Garganta had opened early enough; if it had appeared later, after they'd all split up, then under a Hollow assault of this scale, there'd be practically no way for Shinigami like them—none of whom even possessed captain-level strength—to survive.
"Nanao, you're sure this isn't part of Shuuichi's assessment?"
Shiba Kaien turned to confirm with Ise Nanao.
As a lieutenant who regularly handled matters in the World of the Living and had been through all sorts of incidents, Shiba Kaien displayed a very composed attitude.
Once he heard Ise Nanao's firm reply, Shiba Kaien immediately summoned a Hell Butterfly and sent out a distress message to both the Head Captain and Higashino Shuuichi.
Normally, Hell Butterflies were so scarce that only captains were issued them. But because Shiba Kaien himself was head of the Shiba clan, he was allowed to possess one even as a lieutenant.
And as a special lifeform that transcended the three worlds and wasn't bound by most of Soul Society's rules, the Hell Butterfly easily carried Shiba Kaien's message out of this isolated pocket of space.
"I've already sent a distress signal to Soul Society. As long as we hold out here for a while, I'm sure Soul Society will send a rescue squad as soon as they can!"
Even after finishing all that, Shiba Kaien still took the time to reassure the other Shinigami present.
Because he knew that the more dangerous the situation, the less they could afford to panic.
However, standing on the outermost edge, Iba Tetsuzaemon promptly poured a bucket of cold water over everyone's heads.
"Maybe so, but… I think that might be a bit difficult."
It wasn't that Iba Tetsuzaemon wanted to be negative. It was simply that, in this short span of time, they had already been completely surrounded by a ring of towering, beast-type Hollows—each of them as tall as dozens of stories. And among these giant Hollows, from the depths of the shadows, a special humanoid Hollow about the same size as a Shinigami slowly walked out, a specially-made mask still half-covering its face.
None of them were the green rookies they once had been. They all identified this Hollow's nature at a glance—Arrancar.
Even though, after the war seven years ago, Soul Society had revised its evaluation of the Arrancar and lowered their strength rating from "at least upper captain-class" to "at least lieutenant-class," that did not mean Arrancar had become easy opponents.
Especially this one in front of them, whose entire body was wrapped in a white cloak. The reiatsu rolling off him alone had already reached captain level.
And that was a realm none of the Shinigami present had reached.
Even so, there was a common understanding among Shinigami: because Hollows and Shinigami were different, and their ways of utilizing reiatsu were different, Shinigami were better at drawing out greater power from lower reiatsu. In other words, when facing Hollows, Shinigami were fully capable of fighting across reiatsu "tiers."
But for these Shinigami of Higashino Shuuichi's Hirutsuki Squad, the majority of them had never actually fought an Arrancar whose reiatsu was at captain level. To say they weren't feeling the pressure would be a lie.
Especially since it wasn't just this Arrancar. All around them, that circle of beast-type giant Hollows stared them down like predators sizing up their prey.
"Heh heh… tasty little Shinigami, you've got about ten minutes left to say your last words. If there's anything you want to leave behind, I'll graciously allow you to say it now."
The instant he appeared in front of Shiba Kaien and the others, the Arrancar unilaterally declared their fate. As far as he was concerned, the outcome was beyond doubt.
From any angle, this battle should be one-sided. The advantage was all his. He couldn't even imagine how he could lose.
"Don't get cocky too fast. I've lost count of how many times I've heard that kind of line. But you know what? Every single one of those Hollows ended up the same way."
As the most battle-hardened Shinigami present, and the one with the richest experience handling crises like this, Shiba Kaien naturally took up the role of their leader.
And as he was trading barbs with the Arrancar, the Zanpakutō in his hand had already finished releasing.
This was one of the most useful techniques Shiba Kaien had learned from Higashino Shuuichi—silent incantation.
As head of the Shiba clan and one of the most gifted Shinigami Soul Society had seen in centuries, Shiba Kaien, if not for the fact that the 13th Division's captain, Ukitake Jūshirō, was chronically ill and unsuited to handling administrative work—forcing Kaien to pour enormous energy into running the division—would have already possessed captain-level power by now, and might even have attained Bankai.
In truth, Shiba Kaien had no need to attend Higashino Shuuichi's Hirutsuki Squad, which had been created to help Shinigami improve.
But for personal reasons, Shiba Kaien greatly admired Higashino Shuuichi's fighting style—especially the way Higashino Shuuichi, whose natural talent was inferior to his, had stepped forward one step at a time until he now practically stood atop all of Soul Society.
Shiba Kaien was certain there were many things about Higashino Shuuichi that were worth learning.
That was why, after receiving Higashino Shuuichi's invitation, he'd gladly accepted.
And facts had proven that, while Higashino Shuuichi hadn't helped him that much in terms of pure power—certainly not as dramatically as he'd helped other Shinigami—when it came to technique, Kaien was far inferior to this Shinigami who had clearly fought his way out of countless mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
In a battle with the enemy, if you can avoid wasting words, then don't speak. Even if you do want to respond to a provocation, you absolutely cannot waste the opportunity.
Words can be a tool for communication—and also a way to draw the enemy's attention.
So, just as the Arrancar was curious to hear what Kaien's "last words" would be, the ground beneath his feet had already, at some unknown point, turned into a pool of water.
Shiba Kaien thrust forward with the trident-like spear in his hand.
"Suiten Tatsumaki (Water Heaven Tornado)!"
At his shout, the water beneath the Arrancar's feet spiraled upward like a tornado, rising in a twisting column until it connected sky and earth, like a pillar propping up the heavens.
"That's amazing!"
As the "battlefield hype squad," Kotetsu Isane, who had a clear understanding of her own limits, let out a cheer.
She knew her combat strength lagged far behind that of her comrades. As the textbook example of a "lopsided specialist" whom Higashino Shuuichi often called out by name in criticism, she had been assigned a special solo route for this assessment. That was why, during the earlier strategy discussion, she had kept quiet and chosen not to speak up.
In any battle, you need people standing at the front to shield their comrades from the storm—and you also need people at the rear, providing support and logistics.
Deeply influenced by Higashino Shuuichi's philosophy, Kotetsu Isane had long since found her core role.
However, her cheer was clearly premature.
In terms from another world, Kotetsu Isane's behavior right now was the classic "popping the champagne at halftime"—and if things suddenly went south, she'd be nailed to the pillar of shame.
From within the water tornado, the Arrancar's wild laughter rang out.
Kotetsu Isane then saw a purple tentacle, slick with some unknown liquid, stretch out from the water tornado. A ring of reishi, like a string of prayer beads, appeared and spun around the tentacle, before sinking into the water tornado itself.
In the blink of an eye, that pillar-like water tornado connecting heaven and earth collapsed with a thunderous crash, like a skyscraper toppling over.
"Pointless~ Shiba Kaien, your ability's been in my materials archive for ages already~"
As the waters fell away, the Arrancar's body—previously hidden under the white cloak—was revealed.
You could barely call his form humanoid, but his limbs were not hands and feet in any normal sense, instead made up of tentacle-like appendages—ugly and nauseating.
And what served as his "head" was nothing like a normal head at all, but a huge cylindrical glass tank, filled with some kind of transparent unknown liquid.
Swimming in the middle of that liquid were two small, exposed skulls.
On each side of those skulls, one had the number "1" inscribed, the other, the number "0."
Shiba Kaien was not unfamiliar with numbers like these.
After that war seven years ago, thanks to the efforts of the captains, Soul Society had long since figured out the present structure of Hueco Mundo.
Even during Baraggan's reign, a governing system had already taken shape—the Arrancar Espada, with Baraggan at their head, ruled Hueco Mundo together.
Even after Baraggan was killed in Soul Society by Higashino Shuuichi and Hueco Mundo entered its "post-Baraggan" era, the Espada system remained in place, because Coyote Starrk—the one who had invaded Soul Society alongside Baraggan and later led a group of Arrancar in the World of the Living to draw fire for him—was still alive.
According to Soul Society's current assessment, after Baraggan's death, the ruler of Hueco Mundo should now be Starrk.
And naturally, what he inherited included the Espada system itself.
In other words, the Arrancar standing before them was not some ordinary Arrancar, but the current Espada No. 10 of Hueco Mundo.
Which meant that, in that world of harsh survival-of-the-fittest, where the weak are devoured by the strong, this Arrancar's strength ranked tenth.
There was no way a group of Shinigami whose strongest members were only at lieutenant level could possibly handle him.
"Nanao, take Isane and Yumichika and get out of here. As far as you can."
Realizing this, Shiba Kaien didn't hesitate for a second. With the authority of the Shiba clan's head, he issued a direct order to Ise Nanao.
"What are you talking about? It's just one stinking Arrancar and a bunch of Hollows. I'm not scared of them at all!"
But as soon as he heard Kaien telling them to run away like cowards, Madarame Ikkaku immediately protested.
What kind of joke was this? When had the great Madarame Ikkaku ever been afraid of anyone?
He hadn't flinched even in front of Higashino Shuuichi, okay?
Once the fight started, if Madarame Ikkaku so much as yelled "That hurts!", he might as well admit he was a spineless wimp.
Fortunately, Madarame Ikkaku had a level-headed best friend who was always by his side—Ayasegawa Yumichika.
As an ordinary seated officer who had never been to Hueco Mundo, Yumichika didn't know what the number ten meant, nor what the Espada represented—but he could read expressions.
And the unusually grave look on Shiba Kaien's face could only mean one thing.
"Kaien-fukutaichō, we'll definitely meet again out there."
Even though he knew his words sounded exactly like a flag waiting to be tripped, Ayasegawa Yumichika still said it as he stared at Kaien's back.
Never waste the opportunity your comrades carve out for you. On the battlefield, mercy is cruelty—to yourself.
That was also one of the lessons Higashino Shuuichi had taught them in class as members of Hirutsuki Squad.
As one of Hirutsuki Squad's top students, Ayasegawa Yumichika agreed with it wholeheartedly.
So he grabbed Madarame Ikkaku—who was itching to rush over and help Kaien—and led him in a breakout in the opposite direction.
Over there were only some big, intimidating-looking Hollows. If all of them worked together, breaking through shouldn't be too difficult.
When he saw Yumichika and Ikkaku immediately act, Iba Tetsuzaemon—who had just blocked a Cero (Hollow Flash) fired by one of the surrounding Hollows for everyone's sake—also took a deep, long look at Shiba Kaien, as if he wanted to carve Kaien's figure into his memory.
In that instant, it was as if he finally understood the true reason for his mother's death.
Too bad that, this time, it was Shiba Kaien who stole the spotlight.
If there was a next time, Iba Tetsuzaemon hoped he would be the one to say those words. That way, the justice he'd always upheld would be fully realized.
Right behind them came Ise Nanao, and the one she was pulling along was Kotetsu Isane.
Everyone knew what Shiba Kaien was choosing to face by staying behind—but as Shinigami who had received Higashino Shuuichi's education, they all made the right decision.
Because reality wasn't a novel, and running away was not a sign of cowardice.
Meaningless sacrifice—that was what was shameful.
Since Shiba Kaien had judged that even all of them together couldn't handle that bizarre-looking Arrancar, then staying here and squandering the chance he was buying them would be the greatest disrespect to his efforts.
And for these Shinigami present, wasn't this another form of mutual trust?
They probably didn't even realize that, in this moment, a chain called "bonds" had quietly linked them all together.
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