"BOOOOM—!"
Under the crushing pressure of Tōshirō Hitsugaya's spiritual power, the moisture hanging over the Soul Society froze relentlessly into ice. Massive chunks formed in the sky, only to collapse under their own weight moments later, crashing down with thunderous roars that echoed like rolling storms.
The heavens howled with frigid winds, sweeping torrents of snow and ice through the air. It looked as though winter itself had descended overnight, the temperature plummeting at a terrifying rate.
This phenomenon was one of the passive abilities of Daiguren Hyōrinmaru—a technique known as Tenso Zūrin (Weather Subjugation). It was said that everything beneath the sky fell under its control.
But clearly, Hitsugaya hadn't fully mastered it yet. The frozen masses above were unstable, breaking apart and crashing down uncontrollably.
"Fūjin! Here I come!"
Having successfully activated Bankai, Hitsugaya's confidence surged. Gripping Hyōrinmaru tightly, he unleashed Ryūsenka (Hail Flower Dragon). With a single beat of his ice wings, he shot forward, instantly closing the distance with Fūjin Taichi, thrusting his blade straight ahead—
"Clang!"
Fūjin Taichi reacted on instinct, raising his zanpakutō to block. Steel collided with steel, sparks bursting outward. It had to be said—after achieving Bankai, Hitsugaya's strength and spiritual pressure had increased exponentially.
"BOOM!"
It seemed like that was the end of the attack—but in the very next instant, everything changed.
From the tip of Hyōrinmaru, a massive surge of ice erupted, forming a cross-shaped torrent that instantly engulfed Fūjin Taichi!
"Well done, Captain Hitsugaya!"
Chōjirō Sasakibe rushed forward, eyes wide with amazement as he saw Fūjin Taichi frozen solid.
"As expected of a once-in-a-century genius! One move was all it took to bring him down!"
"Is that so?"
"Wh-What?! Since when!" Sasakibe's expression twisted in shock as Fūjin Taichi's voice suddenly rang out beside him. He tried to Shunpo away—but it was already too late.
Thwack!
A sharp hand strike came from the side, slamming hard into the back of his neck. Pain exploded through his entire body in an instant—
Before he could even cry out, a massive hand seized his face. Like a turtle snatched mid-flight by an eagle, he was hurled downward at terrifying speed—
"BOOOOM!"
His body crashed straight into the wall of the Senzaikyū, embedding deep within it.
"Crash—!"
Dust billowed into the air, debris scattering everywhere. A human-shaped crater appeared in the pristine white wall. Moments later, Sasakibe staggered out, drenched in blood. He let out a faint groan before collapsing to the ground.
"Vice-Captain Sasakibe!"
"He... he killed the Vice-Captain!"
"One strike… and he took him out instantly. That strength is monstrous!"
"Quick! Go to the First Division barracks—get Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto!!"
Several division members, barely able to withstand Fūjin Taichi's overwhelming spiritual pressure, struggled to their feet and staggered toward headquarters.
"Fūjin Taichi!"
Seeing Sasakibe's state, Hitsugaya's spiritual pressure exploded once more. Blue energy surged violently, wrapped in freezing winds that shot straight into the sky.
Crack—!
Crack—crack—!
Under the force of that pressure, the dark clouds above split open—revealing a pitch-black rift that widened with every passing second.
"What… is that…?!"
Fūjin Taichi's pupils shrank sharply.
Because within that abyssal rift, he saw them—
Hundreds of towering figures with elongated black bodies, grotesque white masks, and long, clown-like noses…
Gillians.
"Experience the burial of the snowy heavens—Sennen Hyōryō (Thousand-Year Ice Prison)!"
This was Hyōrinmaru's second most powerful technique. By drawing moisture from the atmosphere, it created countless massive ice pillars, sealing and freezing the target completely.
But with all his focus locked onto Fūjin Taichi, Hitsugaya failed to notice—
The Gillians tearing open the sky above, pouring out of the Garganta one after another.
"AAAAAAAHHHH?! What is that?!"
"Those are... Hollows! They're Menos Grande! Aaaaaaggghhh!!"
"Run! Everyone run!!"
The surrounding division members were utterly horrified. Never before had they witnessed such a massive invasion of Gillians breaching Soul Society through a Garganta.
Could it be… that Hueco Mundo had launched a full-scale assault?!
Howl—
Howl—
Five or six Gillians had already crawled out. Though slow and dim-witted, they were immediately drawn to the overwhelming spiritual pressure radiating from Hitsugaya.
In an instant—
Crimson spheres began forming at their mouths.
Cero.
Spiritual particles gathered rapidly, condensing into blazing red beams that grew larger… brighter… more destructive with every passing second.
"AAAAAAAHHHH—!"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya roared, raising Hyōrinmaru high above his head. Riding atop a towering pillar of ice, he shot straight toward Fūjin Taichi. Everywhere he passed, a frozen trail lingered in the air, radiating biting cold.
"That's far enough, Tōshirō."
Fūjin Taichi appeared before him in an instant.
With his left hand, he grabbed Hitsugaya by the forehead—stopping the ferocious charge dead in midair as if it meant nothing.
Then, gripping the boy's head, he tilted it slightly upward and said in a low voice:
"The real enemy… has already arrived."
"W-What?! That is—?!"
Hitsugaya's eyes widened as he stared into the sky. His mouth fell open in disbelief.
"Gillians…?! Why… are they here?!"
Howl—
Howl—
More and more Gillians poured out of the Garganta. Their massive black bodies blotted out the rising sun over the Soul Society, crowding the heavens until the sky itself seemed to collapse under their weight.
The sheer density of them—layer upon layer—created an overwhelming sense of dread that pressed down on everyone below.
And within that sea of black—
Countless humanoid Arrancar were mixed in.
Among them, three smaller figures immediately caught Fūjin Taichi's attention.
At the forefront stood a woman with bronze skin, emerald eyes, and long golden hair braided into three thick strands. Her figure was striking, her presence commanding. A bold "3" was marked beneath her right chest, and her Hollow hole lay lower on her body.
A fragment of her white mask and uniform covered from her lower face down to the upper part of her chest, leaving the rest exposed—an exotic, almost regal appearance.
She was the 3rd Espada—
Tier Harribel.
To her left stood a dark-skinned Arrancar with a muscular build, golden eyes, and skull-shaped earrings. A sharp, spiked adornment crowned his head. The number "7" marked his rank.
The 7th Espada—
Zommari Rureaux.
To her right loomed a massive figure, easily over two meters tall. His dark skin and thick black hair gave him a brutish presence. Four strange protrusions jutted from his head, and symmetrical red markings lined his cheeks. The remnants of his mask clung to his jaw like a skeletal mandible.
A bold "10" was carved into his left shoulder.
The 10th Espada—
Yammy Llargo.
Surrounding Harribel were three more Arrancar—her Fracción:
Apacci,
Mila Rose,
and Sung-Sun.
"Th-That's impossible…"
Hitsugaya's emerald eyes locked onto the sky, his expression frozen in shock.
"How could they… be here…?!"
"We got too comfortable," Fūjin Taichi said coldly, his gaze fixed on the deepest part of the Garganta. "We thought Sōsuke Aizen would wait longer before launching a full assault on the Soul Society. But it seems…"
He narrowed his eyes.
For some reason, he could feel it—
Something far more terrifying lurking within that darkness. A true predator, waiting to emerge.
"Damn it! What do we do now, Fūjin?! Should we report to the Captain-Commander first?!" Hitsugaya asked, clearly shaken. His time as a captain was still short, and a sudden crisis like this left him momentarily at a loss.
"No need."
A deep, thunderous voice cut through the air.
"I am already here."
A wave of scorching heat rolled across the battlefield as a figure appeared behind them out of nowhere.
White hair. White beard. A presence like a blazing inferno.
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto had arrived.
His captain's haori fluttered despite the still air, his expression stern and immovable.
And he was not alone.
At his side stood
Shunsui Kyōraku,
Jūshirō Ukitake,
Sajin Komamura,
along with several vice-captains—
and a vast force of Soul Reapers, gathering like a rising tide.