Why are you here
"Shit!"
"In addition to the ordinary Gillians, there are other spiritual pressures in the Garganta!"
Saikyō stared at the black cavity, a feeling of unease rising spontaneously. Even from a distance, the violent spiritual pressure of a Menos Grande brought an oppressive weight.
And this was just the beginning of their emergence. It was clear these Menos Grande were no ordinary opponents!
"Saikyō-kun, what should we do now? We have no way out!" A desperate voice called out from behind Saikyō.
The other students of the special training class trembled with fear upon seeing a large group of Gillians. Some were just in shock, while others were on the verge of losing consciousness.
It was their first time leaving the academy, and faced with such a sudden and dangerous situation, almost none of them could remain calm!
"Everyone, don't panic, stay calm!" Saikyō tried to soothe their emotions. However, he had underestimated the fear that gripped them. Apart from a few, most of the students had already lost hope and were plunging into despair.
Under such circumstances, organizing a retreat was nearly impossible.
"This is really tough... I wish Mashiro-sensei was here," Saikyō muttered, looking at the scattered students.
He knew he could handle the Gillians, but with so many people relying on him, their safety was a heavy burden.
At that moment, the spiritual pressures in the Garganta became stronger and clearer.
As expected, when the powerful spiritual pressures reached their peak, two figures of drastically different sizes emerged from the dark tunnel side by side.
The figure on the left resembled a humanoid griffin, covered in red feathers, with an obvious hollow hole in its abdomen and a cockscomb-shaped helmet on its head. Most striking was its massive pair of wings, which, under the dim light, looked as if they were aflame.
The figure on the right was a saber-toothed tiger with fearsome fangs. It was larger than most Shinigami, its body covered in black patterns, and it also had an obvious hollow hole in its abdomen.
Despite being smaller than the griffin, the saber-toothed tiger exuded no less menace.
One was powerful, the other swift.
As the two emerged from the dark tunnel, their mere presence filled the air with wailing, and the oppressive atmosphere in the desert grew even heavier.
"It's really them!" Saikyō recognized the figures immediately.
Yes!
Whether it was the saber-toothed tiger or the griffin-like Hollow, they both had a familiar feel to Saikyō.
And that was because they were subordinates of the Skeleton Emperor!
"Geo Weig!"
"Abirama Redder!"
Saikyō muttered their names, his face serious. In the original storyline, these two had left quite an impression during the battle of Karakura Town. Though they eventually met their end, their opponents were captains of the Gotei 13, after all.
But now...
Saikyō knew that if he was to cover his companions' retreat, he had to take on these two enemies alone!
"Geo, it seems like we've got some good luck today. The souls of these people look delicious," Abirama said, flapping his wings as he eyed the students below.
His blood-red eyes were filled with greed, with an obvious hint of killing intent.
Hollows and Shinigami had been enemies since ancient times. Over the centuries, Menos Grande invasions had led to countless Shinigami deaths in Soul Society.
And more importantly, both Hollows and Shinigami had long lifespans—decades, even centuries—which only deepened the hatred between them.
"Abirama... do you think Lord Baraggan ordered us through the Garganta just to deal with this trash?" Geo roared dismissively.
"Any souls we come across should be eliminated, and it won't even take any effort," Abirama responded coldly.
"Alright, let's get rid of this trash, and then we can hunt the Shinigami of the Gotei 13! Ever since Hueco Mundo was united, Lord Baraggan's boredom has only grown. He even had us divide into factions to kill each other just to pass the time," Geo said mockingly.
Indeed.
The Skeleton Emperor Baraggan was the current ruler of Hueco Mundo and the master of Las Noches. He commanded a powerful army of Menos Grande, and with his near-invincible power of "aging" and a massive army, he had nearly conquered all of Hueco Mundo, establishing himself as the Hollow King.
However, this led to boredom, and so he devised a plan—attack Soul Society!
And the presence of these two subordinates—Geo and Abirama—meant that the attack had begun!
"Wait... there's another soul there that seems different..."
Geo's gaze shifted slightly, locking onto Saikyō's spiritual pressure.
"Eh... pretty strong Reiatsu. He must be a Shinigami?"
Geo soon realized this as well.
With curious gazes, the two looked down cautiously, their eyes landing precisely on Saikyō.
A Reiatsu of a seated officer's level attracted the attention of both subordinates.
At that moment, Saikyō felt it too.
He raised his head calmly, stared at the Garganta, and locked eyes with the two subordinate officers.
Their gazes intersected in mid-air, and hatred immediately filled the space between them!
"As expected, I've been targeted!"
"Both of them must be held at bay, otherwise the others will be in danger." Saikyō's combat instincts were clear, and he knew the opponent would not easily let anyone in this area go.
Facing Geo and Abirama, he had to fight against two formidable foes at once.
Saikyō decided to act first!
"Hadō #54, Haien!"
As Saikyō chanted, his combined Reiatsu burst forth, forming a fiery, disc-shaped projectile.
After leveling up his "Haien" technique, the power and form had significantly evolved, and the range of the attack had greatly expanded.
Bang!
With the sudden eruption of the flame disc, it was as if the very air was ignited, making crackling sounds and reaching a boiling point in an instant.
Whether it was the retreating students of the special training class or the two subordinates in mid-air, all felt an unbearable heat, as though the blood in their veins was about to ignite!
The enhanced power of the Hadō was fully unleashed in that moment!