Amid the watchful gazes of Senju Makoto and the numerous Tenth Division members, a figure slowly emerged from the house.
Yet, compared to the alluring figure from before, the widow now appeared grotesque, her body seemingly swelling unnaturally. Strange, bulbous white growths protruded all over her body, and atop her head, white, horn-like structures jutted out.
With every step she took, various odd objects spilled noisily from some unseen cavity, hitting the ground with unsettling clatters. The scene was as horrifying as it was nauseating.
"What is this? A Hollow?"
"What terrifying spiritual pressure… Could it be a Menos Grande?"
"Everyone, be cautious!"
"That damn creature! How dare it deceive Lord Kujo Taimei! Now that its true colors are showing, watch how I take it down—"
A voice, sharp with anger and frustration, suddenly cut through the tense atmosphere, leaving even Senju Makoto momentarily stunned.
At the same time, the bloated, grotesque figure emitted a furious, hollowed-out, composite voice.
"You infuriating Shinigami! This body was the perfect vessel I found, and you've ruined my plans…"
As the words fell, the swollen mass seemed to implode, bursting outward from within. In its place stood a massive, white figure, its size rivaling that of the entire house.
Its form was void-like white, resembling a grotesque hybrid of spider and crab. A long tail extended from its back, and its head, inverted with sharp horns, was shrouded by a pale mask. As it unleashed an overwhelmingly terrifying spiritual pressure, the Shinigami present felt as though they were suffocating.
"Today, all of you Shinigami will pay the price!!!"
The resonant voice, a roar and a howl, echoed endlessly.
---
Meanwhile, deep within the Twelfth Division headquarters, inside the underground labs of the Department of Research and Development, numerous alarms blared in unison. White-coated team members worked frantically at devices resembling computers, their fingers flying across the keyboards.
"Confirmed! The source of the Hollow spiritual pressure is located near District 79 of Rukongai's western region. The spiritual pressure level is…"
"Adjuchas!"
At this declaration, the expressions of the Twelfth Division members froze.
Akane, her forehead adorned with three small protruding horns and her brows furrowed tightly, exclaimed in disbelief, "How is that possible? There were no spatial disturbances or detection of a Garganta opening. Could it be a mistake?"
At that moment, a sinister and mocking voice cut through the tense room.
"Akane, have you grown so naive after spending just a few days with Urahara Kisuke? Don't rely on so-called common sense. Trust only the data and results in your hands."
The voice's owner appeared: Mayuri Kurotsuchi, a figure whose grotesque appearance could only be described as monstrous. With an air of absolute authority, he issued a command.
"In the name of the Department of Research and Development, alert the Gotei 13. A Hollow of Adjuchas level has appeared near District 79 of Rukongai's western region."
As the directive left the Department of Research and Development, the warning has been issued.
The announcement came from the police: several captains, leisurely making their way toward Squad One to attend the emergency captain meeting, paused in their tracks.
An Adjuchas-class Menos had appeared in Rukongai.
This was no trivial matter.
If left unchecked, such a creature could devour thousands of souls in a short span of time.
Among them, Shinji Hirako, the Captain of Squad Five, instantly turned to glance over his shoulder at "Sōsuke Aizen," a figure with distinct composure and mysterious aura.
Yet Aizen's expression mirrored the gravity of the situation, his face painted with a rare mix of solemnity and surprise, as if he hadn't anticipated this turn of events.
The next moment, a Hell Butterfly landed lightly on Shinji's head, and a flow of information rushed into his mind.
"Support Squad: Captain Kensei Muguruma of Squad Nine and Captain Shinji Hirako of Squad Five, deploy immediately; Medical Squad: Squad Four to dispatch two rescue teams…"
Receiving the direct order from Squad One, Shinji dared not delay. Fearing Aizen might not keep pace, he left him with instructions to catch up and disappeared in a flash step toward District 79 of West Rukongai.
---
Meanwhile, in District 79 of West Rukongai, more than thirty Shinigami stood locked in a tense standoff against an Adjuchas emanating a suffocating spiritual pressure.
No, it wasn't just a standoff.
Under the sheer weight of the Adjuchas' spiritual pressure, most of the Shinigami were utterly immobilized.
The difference in power was insurmountable.
"This… this is not an enemy we can handle…"
A young member of Squad Ten, trembling, was the first to break. His face crumbled, and he staggered backward in despair.
"No… If we don't run… we'll die…"
It wasn't just him. Even Senju Makoto, a seasoned member, felt a sinking heaviness in his chest.
An Adjuchas?!
This was a foe far beyond the capabilities of ordinary squad members or seated officers. Even most lieutenants would stand no chance.
This was a threat only a captain could face.
How could such a powerful Menos appear? And how did it go undetected by the Seireitei?
Makoto's thoughts raced. The captains, including Retsu Unohana and Isshin Shiba, had swept the area earlier—how could they have missed this?
At that moment, a chilling realization struck him: this was no accident. It reeked of a conspiracy.
Worse still, Unohana-sensei was nowhere to be found.
If she were nearby, she would have intervened the moment the Adjuchas appeared.
This is bad… really bad.
Makoto drew a deep breath, locking eyes with the monstrous Adjuchas ahead. He knew he was in grave danger.
Then, without warning, the massive creature, as large as a house, vanished.
For a brief moment, the Squad Ten members froze in stunned silence, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
It was Makoto's voice that shattered the stillness.
"Behind you! Watch out!"
Two Squad Ten members at the rear felt a shadow loom over them. Before they could react, they were sent flying like ragdolls, landing with a thud and rolling several times on the ground. Their chests were grotesquely crushed.
But just as despair began to set in, the barren earth around them erupted in lush greenery.
Thick grass surged upward, wrapping around the fallen Shinigami, while tiny flowers blossomed and began to draw in spirit particles from the air, providing urgent treatment to their injuries.
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The terrain transformed into a vast grassland, momentarily stunning the Adjuchas. However, the remaining Shinigami seized the opportunity to regroup.
"Disperse! All non-seated officers, fall back immediately! Use Kido to contain the Hollow as much as possible, but don't recklessly approach and waste your lives! Seated officers, release your Zanpakuto at once! No matter what, hold off this Adjuchas—reinforcements from the Seireitei will arrive shortly!"
The commanding roar of the 10th Division's Third Seat galvanized the squad into action. The members of the 10th Division demonstrated the skill and discipline expected of the Gotei 13. Ordinary squad members swiftly distanced themselves from the Adjuchas, beginning their incantations for various Kido spells.
Meanwhile, the Third Seat, Seventh Seat, and the Nineteenth Seat, Kujo Taimei, who were stationed in the western 79th district of Rukongai, simultaneously released their Zanpakuto and charged at the Adjuchas from different directions.
"Pierce through everything, Kazekiba!"
"Charge for love, Tsuyumaru!"
"Shatter, Aramatsu!"
In an instant, the Third Seat's Zanpakuto transformed into a Western-style lance enveloped in a swirling gale. The Seventh Seat's weapon morphed into a pair of peculiar shoes, dramatically boosting his speed as he delivered a ferocious kick to the Adjuchas' side. As for Kujo Taimei, his Zanpakuto was an uncommon creature-type, summoning a yellow loach-like entity to assist him in relentless attacks.
Simultaneously, the other squad members completed their incantations, unleashing an array of destructive Kido spells. The battlefield lit up with a cascade of brilliant flashes, engulfing the Adjuchas in a barrage of energy blasts.
"Boom!"
A massive explosion erupted, and thick smoke blanketed the battlefield, swallowing both the Adjuchas and the three seated officers in its depths.
From a distance, Sōsuke Aizen calmly adjusted his glasses, his tone indifferent as he observed the scene.
"It seems Shiba Isshin has managed the 10th Division quite well. Even in the absence of a captain, the squad demonstrates admirable combat capability."
Standing nearby, Kaname Tōsen, though blind, used his heightened spiritual pressure senses to assess the battlefield.
"The spiritual pressure of an Adjuchas far exceeds that of ordinary seated officers. This resistance is ultimately futile."
Aizen chuckled softly, not disputing Tōsen's remark.
Moments later, Tōsen tilted his head slightly, as though perceiving something unusual. Pointing in a specific direction, he commented,
"However, Aizen-sama, there seems to be a Shinigami with notably high spiritual pressure hiding at the rear of the battlefield. It appears the 10th Division also harbors cowards who fear death."
"Oh?"
Aizen followed Tōsen's gesture, his gaze landing on a figure who had inconspicuously retreated to the outermost edge of the battlefield—Senju Makoto.
As he carefully analyzed the spiritual pressures mingling within the chaos of the battlefield, Aizen's interest was piqued. Senju Makoto's spiritual pressure was noticeably higher than that of the 10th Division's Third Seat.
Observing Makoto's cautious stance from afar, Aizen couldn't help but chuckle dryly, a hint of amusement in his tone.
"That's not a Tenth Division member. Ah, you mean him—that guy named Senju Makoto. He's a cautious one. Even though he was the first to identify that Adjuchas, the moment the fight started, he quietly slipped to the rear of the battlefield."
Tōsen Kaname frowned slightly, as if recalling something. He asked,
"Senju Makoto? Are you talking about Captain Unohana's disciple? The same Senju Makoto that Captain Zaraki proposed transferring to the Eleventh Division during the captain's meeting?"
Unbeknownst to him, Senju Makoto was being observed from a hidden vantage point by Sōsuke Aizen and Tōsen Kaname. As for retreating to the edge of the battlefield, Makoto felt no shame in his actions.
After all, he was a healer—a member of the Fourth Division, dedicated to treatment and support.
Was it reasonable to expect a typical Fourth Division member to charge into battle with an Adjuchas?
As a professional healer, Makoto had long mastered the art of retreating to the periphery without drawing enemy attention—a skill honed through years of working alongside Madarame Ikkaku and Ayasegawa Yumichika during their academy days.
For a healer to fight directly on the front lines before the critical moment arrived would be an insult to the combat-ready Shinigami.
Makoto respected the Tenth Division and naturally deferred to their expertise in battle. He left the fighting to the seasoned warriors of the Tenth division.
Meanwhile, the ominous cloud of dust and smoke stirred growing unease among the Tenth Division members as no signs of life emerged from within.
"Did… did we get it?"
"Don't be ridiculous! That's an Adjuchas we're talking about!"
"Then why hasn't there been any movement?"
Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream pierced through the smoky haze.
"Ahhh!"
The next moment, the heavy, deliberate thuds of footsteps echoed as the Adjuchas emerged unscathed from the smoke.
The Shinigami of the Tenth Division looked on in horror and disbelief as their Third Seat officer's lance was shattered. The officer himself was impaled by the Adjuchas' tail, the sharp appendage piercing clean through his chest. Dragged across the ground, he left a trail of blood in the grass, his face contorted in agony as he cried out in pain.
Behind the Adjuchas, the Seventh Seat and Nineteenth Seat of the Tenth Division—Kujo Taimei and another officer—had collapsed to their knees, pale and trembling. Blood oozed from their visible wounds, pooling on the ground.
"What?!"
"How… how is this possible? The officers were defeated in an instant?"
"It's… it's on a completely different level from us!"
As the Adjuchas twisted its head unnaturally to survey its prey, the fear on the faces of the remaining Shinigami became palpable. The Adjuchas, sensing their terror, seemed to grow even more exhilarated.
"Yes… this delicious scent. Souls steeped in intense emotions… absolutely appetizing."
Suddenly, one of the Adjuchas' spider-like legs lashed forward, impaling a nearby Tenth Division member through the chest. The unfortunate Shinigami was dragged toward the creature's waiting maw.
In the horrified gazes of the others, the Adjuchas opened its mouth wide, and thin streams of the Shinigami's soul were drawn out, consumed directly by the monster.
The Shinigami's expression shifted from one of fear to a blank, numb calm, its body growing increasingly lifeless.
After discarding the now-limp body like a ragdoll, the Adjuchas seemed to savor the moment. Its strange, multifaceted voice resonated once more:
"Hoo-ha~ As I thought, the souls of true Shinigami are far more exquisite than those from Rukongai. Such rich emotions… ah, it fills me. I can feel the emptiness within me being overwhelmed by this powerful, vivid flavor…"
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