Masatsuki Aozaki left the World of the Living and stepped into the 11th Division headquarters in Soul Society.
Without the slightest attempt to hide it, he openly declared in front of Gin Ichimaru and the other division members that he was going to slack off.
Then, he summoned Gin Ichimaru into his office alone.
Once inside, Masatsuki Aozaki lounged in the chair behind the captain's desk, his tone casual as he said,
"For the time being, don't come looking for me, Gin. You'll handle the squad's affairs, and I'll let you know when I return."
Gin Ichimaru stiffened at the words.
It was the first time he had ever heard Masatsuki Aozaki request to be completely out of contact.
He straightened his back, his expression turning unusually serious.
"Where are you going? Is it dangerous?"
"Hueco Mundo," Masatsuki Aozaki replied indifferently.
"…Are you insane!?"
Gin Ichimaru couldn't help but shout.
The moment the words left his mouth, a bone-chilling cold surged up from the soles of his feet, climbing his spine and burrowing into his mind like an icy current.
This cold wasn't from any change in temperature but from the fear and unease welling up deep inside him.
The reason was simple—Gin Ichimaru knew Masatsuki Aozaki all too well.
Once he made up his mind, nothing and no one could change it.
"Why are you going to Hueco Mundo? It's too dangerous—it's the Hollows' territory."
Gin Ichimaru took a step closer, lowering his voice anxiously.
"You might run into a Menos, or worse, a Vasto Lorde. Just ten of them could destroy the entire Seireitei."
It was clear his understanding of Menos still came from the textbooks of Shin'ō Academy.
After all, the farthest he had ever traveled was the World of the Living—and that was only for his assigned patrol duties.
Forget Vasto Lordes—he had never even seen a Gillian, the lowest-class Menos.
"Well, you make a fair point, but I have my reasons for going."
Masatsuki Aozaki grinned.
Gin Ichimaru's body went rigid at those words, shock flashing across his face. But he quickly composed himself and said firmly,
"I'm going with you."
Masatsuki Aozaki, however, shook his head without hesitation.
"Absolutely not. With your current strength, you're nowhere near ready to handle the dangers of Hueco Mundo. Even I would struggle to protect you."
He clapped Gin Ichimaru on the shoulder, his tone carrying a rare note of seriousness.
"Stay here and take care of the squad's affairs in my absence. That alone is the greatest support you can give me."
Gin Ichimaru clenched his fists, his lips trembling slightly as if he wanted to argue—but in the end, he stayed silent.
Because he knew Masatsuki Aozaki was right.
As a Captain-class fighter with Second-Class Spiritual Power, if there was a threat even he couldn't handle, then as a Lieutenant with only Fifth-Class Spiritual Power, Gin Ichimaru would be nothing more than dead weight.
Masatsuki Aozaki sensed the turmoil and hesitation in him. He patted his shoulder again, smiling reassuringly.
"Don't stress yourself too much."
Then, after a brief pause, a glimmer of confidence and pride flickered across his face.
"Don't forget—I'm the Captain-Commander's prized disciple. Compared to you, I know far more about Menos."
Finally, he met Gin Ichimaru's gaze, his voice steady and resolute.
"With my current strength, keeping myself safe won't be a problem. There's no need to worry."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Gin Ichimaru watched his figure disappear into the distance, his brows furrowed in deep concern.
…
Three days later...
Night shrouded the land, and a bright moon hung in the sky, though its glow was hazy, veiled by a layer of gray mist.
This eerie and desolate realm was the dwelling place of the Hollows—Hueco Mundo.
Everywhere one looked, shades of gray and white stretched endlessly, resembling an infinite desert of pale sand. The ground beneath was dry and rigid, devoid of any signs of life. Scattered across the barren terrain were lifeless, quartz-like trees, adding to the bleakness and deathly stillness of the scene.
The wind howled intermittently, sweeping up gusts of sand, instilling an ominous sense of unease.
Suddenly, several streaks of dazzling light shot across the night sky like meteors, leaving behind long crimson trails as they raced toward four masked figures fleeing at high speed.
Judging by their Reiatsu, the four were all powerful Menos.
Their pursuers—three Adjuchas-class Menos—took on the forms of a stag, a python, and a lion.
Leading the charge at the front, however, was a Menos wielding a massive bone sword. Its humanoid form bore an uncanny resemblance to that of a human.
Though its entire body was encased in dense, white bone armor, leaving only its eyes and long golden hair exposed, the enormous, heart-like organs on its chest made one thing clear—this was a female Vasto Lorde-class Menos.
A deafening series of explosions erupted—
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Fine, snow-white sand blasted into the air around the four fleeing female Menos, surging into the sky like a raging sandstorm.
In the next instant, fireballs of deep crimson ignited above, bursting into violent plumes of smoke that billowed like mushroom clouds, staining the sky a furious shade of red.
"Harribel! Stop running! I swear I'll catch you today!"
Not far behind, a dozen Menos gave chase. One among them, also humanoid, roared furiously, swinging its massive arms like a windmill as it hurled boulders with reckless force.
"Oswell again?! Does this bastard ever stop? He's been after us for three days and nights! Why won't these idiots just leave Harribel-sama alone? Don't they ever get tired?!"
The frustrated voice came from the deer-like Adjuchas running beside the humanoid Menos—Harribel.
"I'm sorry, Apacci. I've dragged you all into this," came a cool yet faintly apologetic voice from behind Harribel's mask.
At those words, the deer-like Adjuchas, Emilou Apacci, visibly tensed, her expression shifting into one of alarm.
Her eyes flickered with panic, as if she had just spoken out of turn.
"N-no, Harribel-sama! That's not what I meant!" Apacci hurriedly tried to explain.
"I wasn't blaming you! It's just—those damn subordinates of Baraggan are completely out of line!"
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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