Chapter 277: Makoto, Wait for Your Return...

Chapter 277: Makoto, Wait for Your Return... (Third Update)

Unohana Retsu still held that gentle and elegant demeanor, merely standing there, she was a breathtaking sight...

Compared to her, Aoki Risa appeared youthful and inexperienced; compared to her, Kotetsu Isane lacked her peerless grace.

Under Makoto's gaze, Unohana Retsu's lips moved slightly, forming a few shapes...

Makoto paused slightly, a smile appearing on his face almost involuntarily.

[Makoto, wait for your return.]

Despite the considerable distance between them, the unspoken understanding and familiarity allowed Makoto to instantly grasp Unohana Retsu's intended meaning.

Then, Makoto waved towards Unohana Retsu, returning a few lip movements.

[Wait for me~]

Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the captain of the Twelfth Division, who was providing technical support on the side of the Garganta, turned his head almost ninety degrees, mercilessly reminding him.

"Vice-Captain Senju, don't waste a scientist's valuable research time. Get in there."

Makoto's expression stiffened slightly, and his other foot instinctively stepped into the Garganta, the surrounding environment undergoing a dramatic change.

The surroundings were pitch black, without a single ray of light...

The thousand-strong expeditionary force walked on a path of spiritual particles laid by the three captains at the front, serving as their foothold.

The vice-captains at the rear of the formation were constantly on guard, ready to rescue any Shinigami who fell when the spiritual particle path collapsed, preventing unnecessary sacrifices and losses.

The spiritual particle paths created by the three captains also showed distinct differences.

Aizen Sōsuke's spiritual particle path was the most stable, followed by Ichimaru Gin's and Tōsen Kaname's, where Shinigami at the rear occasionally experienced collapses.

However, with five vice-captains preventing unexpected situations, the entire process was safely completed, crossing the Dangai and entering Hueco Mundo.

...

Hueco Mundo.

As a massive Garganta opened, three figures emitting extremely powerful spiritual pressure emerged, followed by Shinigami wearing shihakushō appearing one after another.

As Makoto, who was at the rear of the formation, stepped out, his gaze instinctively swept across the surroundings.

The sky was pitch black, with only a crescent moon providing a sliver of light. The surrounding environment was a barren wasteland, resembling a white desert, with only a few quartz-like dead trees protruding from the sand, adding a slight variation to the desolation.

"Is this Hueco Mundo?"

Makoto said, and after taking a breath, spiritual particles, far denser than in the Soul Society, rushed into his nostrils.

In Makoto's microscopic view of the spiritual particles, the surrounding area was almost entirely filled with spiritual particles, and the sand grains composing the desert beneath his feet seemed to be formed by the compression and sedimentation of highly concentrated spiritual particles.

The vice-captains standing beside Makoto also spoke up.

"It's indeed a place completely different from the Soul Society..."

"It feels so desolate. Is this the world where Hollows live?"

"Don't let your guard down. Menos Grande are common in Hueco Mundo."

...

Under the command of Aizen Sōsuke, the commander of the expeditionary force, they quickly purified the nearby Hollows, and then Isane Kotetsu led the Kidō Corps and some Kidō experts to construct various Kidō barriers.

This was the established strategy of previous expeditionary forces: establishing a relatively secure rear base and then gradually purifying Hollows outward from there.

Compared to the self-reliant Adjuchas and mindless Gillian in Hueco Mundo, the expeditionary force's advantage lay in cooperation and teamwork.

Therefore, past expeditionary forces had not faced significant danger unless they encountered Vast Lord-level Menos Grande leading a large number of Adjuchas.

Aizen Sōsuke, the commander of this expeditionary force, maintained his usual composed demeanor from the Soul Society, showing no signs of recklessness, and instead methodically established a solid base camp.

After the expeditionary force had initially established a foothold in Hueco Mundo, Aizen Sōsuke, who had been constantly busy, convened a meeting, ordering the captains and vice-captains to discuss their strategy.

"Thank you for your hard work..."

As all the meeting attendees arrived, Aizen Sōsuke spoke gently and humbly. "First of all, thank you for your cooperation in successfully establishing the initial camp."

After a pause, Aizen Sōsuke pushed up his glasses and continued.

"However, as you all know, this expeditionary force has two goals: one is to eliminate as many Adjuchas as possible to maintain the balance of souls; the other is to determine the cause of the abnormal number of Adjuchas in Hueco Mundo..."

Hearing this, Makoto remained outwardly calm, but inwardly became extremely vigilant.

In Makoto's view, the abnormal number of Adjuchas in Hueco Mundo was definitely related to Aizen, and his current arrangements under this pretext indicated that he was about to make his move.

"Therefore, our task is quite arduous, and we must complete it before we provoke a joint attack by Vast Lord-level Menos Grande..."

Aizen Sōsuke paused here and said, "Therefore, I would like to hear your thoughts on how to complete this task."

For a moment, the expressions of the captains and vice-captains in the somewhat crude meeting tent were silent.

Although the Soul Society had some information about Hueco Mundo, being two different worlds meant that much of the information was unequal.

After waiting for a moment, Aizen Sōsuke's gaze fell on Makoto, who was sitting next to Isane Kotetsu, looking gentle and somewhat weak, and asked, "Makoto-kun, what do you think?"

Makoto suppressed the urge to retort, "I want to go back to the Soul Society and lie in Unohana-sensei's arms," and stood up with a serious expression, answering.

"Captain Aizen, I believe we should prioritize stability. On one hand, we should ensure the camp's safety with sufficient combat power, and on the other hand, we should gradually purify Hollows outward from the camp, and try to capture intelligent Adjuchas for questioning to understand the anomaly."

Upon hearing this, some of the vice-captains nodded subconsciously.

This approach would undoubtedly ensure that the expeditionary force wouldn't face annihilation. As long as the camp remained, the expeditionary force could always have the Soul Society open a Garganta for retreat.

"Cowardly!!"

However, Tōsen Kaname, who was blindfolded, suddenly spoke up, rebuking.

"Vice-Captain Senju, is the justice you uphold something that cowers behind the preservation of life?"

"If the expeditionary force fails to purify and eliminate a large number of Adjuchas, the balance of souls will be disrupted. Do you take responsibility for the serious consequences that will result?"

PS: Writer's block, the third update is a little late~

(End of this chapter)