Hollow

"Saikyō-kun... please wait a moment!"

Just as the students started their tasks, Hiyori purposefully called out to Saikyō.

"Hiyori-sensei, what's the matter?" Saikyō turned around curiously. "Are you going to keep me here again and talk about your life ideals?"

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Hiyori's cheeks flushed, and she found herself speechless.

"Lisa-chan and Mashiro-san did the same back then, so I just thought it was the same." Noticing her reaction, Saikyō teased her by provoking her.

"What?! Those two traitors actually snuck around?! I'll definitely settle things with them when I get back to Seireitei!" Hiyori snapped, her whole body exploding with emotion like ignited dynamite.

She puffed out her cheeks angrily, like someone who had just lost their favorite toy. Even in her anger, she looked cute.

It was obvious to anyone watching—Hiyori was jealous!

"Hiyori-sensei, I was just joking; why are you getting angry all of a sudden?" Saikyō teased with a chuckle.

"Saikyō-kun... you... you..." Hiyori couldn't even form a coherent response. The blush on her cheeks grew deeper, as if they were glowing red apples.

"Hmph! I won't talk to you anymore." After struggling for a while, Hiyori changed the subject forcefully. "By the way, how is your Asauchi progressing?"

"Asauchi?" Saikyō immediately shifted his focus. Anything related to his Zanpakutō deserved his utmost attention.

"You've been working at it for several months now. How close are you to the awakening of your Zanpakutō?" Hiyori asked with genuine concern.

"Hiyori-sensei, to be honest, all I need is the right opportunity," Saikyō replied confidently.

With Reiatsu comprising six different attributes, his Zanpakutō was destined to be extraordinary. However, during the Reiatsu infusion process, Saikyō felt it wasn't yet the perfect moment. There were still more attributes yet to be discovered—Light, Dark, Freeze, and possibly others.

The awakening of his Zanpakutō would only be true perfection once all his talents had fully awakened.

For that reason, Saikyō wasn't in any hurry and was waiting patiently.

After all, the talent of "attribute affinity" was only available through skill upgrades or random missions.

To put it bluntly, it all came down to luck!

"I understand. Just remember not to rush it—keep calm. The awakening of a Zanpakutō isn't something that happens overnight." Hiyori comforted him patiently.

"I'll do my best." Saikyō remained optimistic. Even now, with only his Asauchi, he was capable of delivering powerful slashes. The combined force of six different types of Reiatsu was no joke!

---

Later, Southeast District 80, West Rukongai - Endless Desert

"This place is huge. I can't see any end at all!" said a student.

Alongside Saikyō, fifty students from the special training class trekked across the desert in groups.

The surroundings were eerily quiet, cloaked in a suffocating atmosphere. Everyone, except Saikyō, moved forward cautiously, their nerves on edge.

They all possessed greater-than-average Reiatsu, which, when gathered, created a special aura that seemed out of place in the heavy presence of resentment.

Time passed slowly.

Eventually, they reached the center of the desert—the most barren part of the area.

The oppressive atmosphere here reached an extreme level, even making it difficult to breathe.

This was truly one of the most dangerous places in Soul Society!

"I... I can't move forward anymore," said a timid student, almost in tears. Had it not been for his peers, he wouldn't have dared come this far, even with a hundred times the courage.

"We can't turn back now; we haven't even encountered any Hollows yet!" another student argued.

"I agree!"

"So do I!"

"I agree too!"

One after another, the students spoke up. Despite the unsettling atmosphere, most gritted their teeth and chose to push on to complete the mission.

"But..." The timid student trembled, "Something feels really off here. What if there are too many Hollows? Or worse, what if a Menos Grande shows up?"

"A Menos Grande? That type of Hollow only exists in Hueco Mundo; why would it be here?!"

"Yeah, you're probably overthinking things!"

The others mocked him. Menos Grande—a legendary creature—seemed too far-fetched for them to imagine.

"Menos Grande..." Saikyō, however, remained silent.

He observed the surroundings carefully, feeling a growing sense of unease.

Menos Grande had the ability to tear through dimensions, and even a basic Gillian was something the students couldn't handle. But after thinking it over, Saikyō decided not to worry too much.

The likelihood of a Menos Grande appearing was extremely slim. Surely they couldn't be that unlucky, right?

"Alright, let's move on. We need to be back before dark," Saikyō said, stepping up to restore order.

With Saikyō's words, the group soon calmed down and resumed their journey deeper into the desert.

But this peaceful atmosphere did not last for long.

Boom!!!

Suddenly, a deafening sound echoed from up ahead.

It spread quickly across the entire desert like a shockwave, and chaos erupted.

"No way... Was I actually right about this?" The timid student looked on in shock.

Saikyō also turned toward the source of the sound.

At the far end of his sight, the already dark sky was torn open—a pitch-black crack appeared, indicating a Garganta.

"This is... the Garganta opening! Is a Menos Grande really coming?"

...

Expressions of disbelief appeared on every student's face.

After an eerie howl filled the air, an even more terrifying scene emerged.

Dozens of enormous Gillians, each with long pointed noses and distinctive masks, began pouring through the crack, darkening the sky.

"The Menos Grande has truly descended!" The students cried out, terror evident on their faces.

Faced with the inexplicable scene above them, everyone's scalp tingled with fear.

"No, there's something else! Beyond the Gillians, I can sense even more powerful Reiatsu!" Saikyō stared at the Garganta.

He could clearly feel two powerful presences emerging.

It seemed the Menos Grande of Hueco Mundo had really arrived!