Normally, they only saw such terrifying power—like a curtain being ripped open—when a Gillian appeared.
But now, Shinigami could do it too.
Ganryū turned back to Yamamoto, suddenly shouting:
"Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force—!"
"Move out!"
"YES—!"
The warriors behind him roared in response.
One by one, the soldiers stepped into the darkness, striding into the now-stable Dangai passage.
"Makoto! Let's go!"
Kifune Tokinada grabbed Fujimiya by the collar, dragging him into the abyss.
Kamui Unohana also turned back, her usual timid demeanor unchanged, offering a slight bow to the Gotei 13 before following.
A moment later, the black Senkaimon slowly closed.
All figures vanished into the darkness.
Yamamoto Genryūsai watched them go, a faint sigh escaping him.
He and those he led seemed destined, from the moment of their birth, to march from one war straight into the next.
Without end.
May as many as possible return alive.
However...
The other side wasn't as troubled as the old man imagined.
---
The massive Senkaimon passage opened in the heart of an endless desert.
A black sky stretched overhead, the pale world below dotted with jagged, stone-like branches jutting from the ground like giant tombstones.
In this era, the "dome" of Hueco Mundo had yet to be altered by Aizen's eternal daylight barrier.
Everything was cloaked in night.
Squads of elite Shinigami emerged from the passage, scanning their unfamiliar surroundings warily.
Even Ganryū had to remain hyper-vigilant in such an environment.
Because in Hueco Mundo—a place with no "absolute center"—you could never predict where you might encounter a Vasto Lorde that had lived for tens of thousands of years.
It all came down to luck.
Yet, as the last of the Shinigami stepped out of the Dangai, an odd silence fell over the group.
For a brief moment, Fujimiya Makoto seemed to share their unspoken sentiment—he really wanted to go back.
But the next second, that fleeting thought was shattered by a thunderous roar.
"Slaughter Hollows! Claim heads! Seize glory!"
The synchronized battle cry merged into a single, deafening chant.
Every Shinigami's eyes burned with fervor.
Fujimiya stared at them in disbelief.
Are you people insane?!
After centuries of fighting each other in the Seireitei, you still haven't had enough?!
Just as Fujimiya was about to cement his impression that "the original Gotei 13 wasn't just full of battle-crazed captains—their subordinates were just as bloodthirsty,"—
[I WANNA BANG A HOT FEMALE VASTO LORDE!!!]
[AN ADJUCAS WILL DO TOO!!!]
The shrill, almost hysterical scream from his Zanpakutō blended into the chaotic shouting, instantly turning the entire scene absurd.
"Vice-Captain Fujimiya, let's... maybe not do that."
"Yeah, Kiyo, I've heard some Vasto Lordes have masks... down there. That could get messy."
"Vice-Captain, we all know you might be pent up in Hueco Mundo, but please, think this through—"
The previously bloodthirsty Shinigami all froze, then immediately switched to trying to talk him down.
Even Ganryū adjusted his glasses, offering solemn advice:
"Makoto-kun, if it's truly unbearable... just find a secluded spot to handle it yourself."
"You've got Kifune's tabi on your sword, right?"
"If not, you could always... ask her privately."
Fujimiya's face twisted in horror.
"Captain Ganryū! Don't slander me like this!"
"This is defamation!"
"I don't use her tabi for that!"
He shook his sword sheath violently, as if to prove his innocence.
Kifune, meanwhile, didn't seem to understand the conversation at all—but not wanting to appear out of the loop, she laughed boisterously and slapped Fujimiya on the back.
"Yeah, yeah!"
"If it's you, maybe I'd consider it if you begged enough!"
The moment those words left her mouth, the atmosphere shifted. Nearly everyone present stared at Kifune in shock.
Only Ganryū silently retreated from the battlefield.
Idiot!
Kifune has no idea what she's talking about!
Fujimiya immediately grabbed her shoulders, hissing under his breath:
"Don't just agree to things like that!"
"Hah?!"
Kifune, who had been about to ask for clarification, was cut off mid-sentence. She raised her voice indignantly.
"You lookin' down on me, brat?!"
"I understood everything!!"
"It's not like it's hard to figure out—"
But halfway through her sentence, both Fujimiya and Kifune's expressions changed.
In an instant, the two vanished from the dune, leaving behind only afterimages.
When they reappeared, they were on opposite sides of the sandhill.
"BOOM—"
A massive root erupted from beneath the dune where they'd just been standing.
An Adjuchas, flanked by several subordinates, cackled madly as it appeared atop the dune.
"Kehahahaha—!"
"Shinigami! It's Shinigami!"
"It's been so long since I've tasted that flavor—since I left the living world!"
"How long has it been?"
"A few hundred years? A thousand?"
"But no matter what, today you won't escape my—"
Just as the cannon-fodder monologue reached its climax, the Adjuchas finally looked down.
One, two, three...
Dozens—no, hundreds of black-clad figures stood before it, every single one armed with a Zanpakutō.
The fluctuating spiritual pressure radiating from their bodies, the killing intent simmering in their eyes—everything confirmed their identities.
The Adjuchas' throat bobbed grotesquely.
Its masked eyes locked onto this sudden, unfair horde of battle-hardened Shinigami.
This is an entire army.
Hundreds of them.
Wait—
If that's the case, then their leaders must be...
It slowly turned its head toward the two it had just attacked.
Kifune Tokinada stood motionless, her single violet eye fixed on the Adjuchas. A trademark smirk played on her lips as her tongue flicked out briefly, her spiritual pressure surging uncontrollably—itching for a fight.
The purple-haired girl chuckled darkly.
"Oh?"
"You're feeling pretty cocky, aren't you?"