Chapter 44: Shock

Uehara Shiroha was unaware of the discussions taking place at the expeditionary headquarters.

However, even if he knew, he wouldn't have cared.

Right now, aside from completing his daily tasks, he spent all his time hunting Hollows, constantly pushing his limits in pursuit of strength.

Opportunities to train against suitable opponents were rare, but in the Forest of Menos, he had an endless supply of prey.

The feeling of rapidly becoming stronger with every moment was almost intoxicating.

And so, for the past few days, he had relentlessly pushed forward, carving his way toward the center of the Great Hollow Forest.

For any ordinary captain, such prolonged combat would have been impossible.

Even if their combat ability allowed them to keep fighting, their spiritual pressure, physical endurance, and mental state would never be able to keep up.

But Uehara Shiroha was different.

While he didn't possess a natural monstrous physique like Kenpachi Zaraki, he had something just as absurd—

A Stand.

A Stand was the manifestation of one's vitality and mental strength. The stronger one's life force, the stronger the Stand.

And the reverse was also true.

For a Stand User, severe bleeding injuries were nothing more than superficial wounds.

Every time White Album's proficiency increased, Uehara Shiroha's vitality and recovery speed improved drastically.

This was why Kyoraku Shunsui had always looked at him with such envy—

Because Uehara Shiroha had an "unbreakable endurance".

Now, having reached high proficiency in White Album, his physique had grown stronger than ever, closing the gap between himself and monsters like Kenpachi Zaraki.

Furthermore, with spatial clones and shadow clones, he could rest at will, allowing him to recover whenever necessary.

This ridiculous endurance meant that, even after days of continuous battle, Uehara Shiroha was still full of energy.

And so, once again, he reduced a swarm of Gillians to ash, flames devouring their massive forms.

Just as he was about to continue, his keen spiritual sense detected an unfamiliar presence approaching at high speed.

Uehara Shiroha looked up.

A lone figure was rapidly closing in from the distance.

The man had short, reddish-brown hair, dressed in a Shinigami's shihakushō, but what stood out the most was the Hollow mask covering his face—

A mask resembling an antelope skull.

The strange attire instantly gave away his identity.

Asido Kanō.

A ruthless Shinigami who had spent hundreds of years in the Forest of Menos, dedicating himself to the slaughter of Hollows.

In the blink of an eye, Asido landed in front of Uehara Shiroha.

His gaze swept across the burning wasteland, where the remains of countless Gillians lay smoldering in a sea of spiritual fire.

His expression visibly shifted in shock.

"...Did you do all this?" Asido finally asked, his voice carrying disbelief. "Which division captain are you?"

For a man who had spent centuries in the Forest of Menos, Asido had long forgotten the feeling of holding a normal conversation.

And yet, as soon as he laid eyes on this scene, the questions slipped out naturally.

He couldn't comprehend what he was seeing.

In his memory, only one man had ever displayed such destructive power—his old friend, Kenpachi Kuruyashiki.

And even then, Kuruyashiki had needed to activate Bankai to achieve such results.

For this young Shinigami to accomplish the same feat, Asido was convinced that he had to be a captain-level fighter.

"I'm Uehara Shiroha, Seventh Seat of the First Division," Uehara replied casually, watching Asido with interest.

"...Not a captain?"

Asido blinked in pure disbelief.

"The Seventh Seat of the First Division is this strong?"

Had the Gotei 13 become so strong that a Shinigamis of this caliber can only join into lower-ranking positions?

If he returned to Soul Society now, would he only be an ordinary Shinigami?

The thought unsettled him.

After a long pause, Asido removed his Hollow mask, revealing his sharp features.

"My name is Asido. I am also a Shinigami."

His short, straight eyebrows furrowed as he continued.

"A long time ago, my comrades and I chased Hollows into Hueco Mundo, seeking revenge for the lives they had taken in Rukongai."

His voice was calm, yet there was deep pain beneath his words.

"All of my companions were slaughtered before my eyes. I remained, dedicating my life to exterminating the Hollows."

"This is their nest. Nearly every Hollow that invades the human world originates from this place."

And so, he had spent centuries here, fighting alone, ensuring that fewer and fewer Hollows would ever make it to Soul Society.

"...Have there been fewer Hollow attacks on the human world in recent years?"

His voice was not proud—there was no boasting in his tone.

He simply wanted to know.

Had his efforts been worth it?

Had he changed anything?

Uehara Shiroha sighed.

"I'm sorry, but no."

Some people did not want the Hollows to disappear.

There were those who viewed balance and control as more important than true peace.

To those who claimed to "put the greater good first," Asido's efforts were meaningless, perhaps even an inconvenience.

That was why Uehara Shiroha needed to keep growing stronger.

So that one day, he could stand before those same people and say—

"I am the one who decides the future."

Asido's expression darkened.

But as he gazed at the sea of flames around him, his resolve hardened once more.

"...With a Shinigami like you here," he said with a faint smile, "maybe my failure doesn't matter."

Uehara Shiroha then explained the Hueco Mundo Expedition to him, sharing details of the current conflict between Soul Society and the Hollows.

Asido listened carefully.

"So... There is now the Eleventh Kenpachi, My friend would like to fight this Kenpachi Zaraki"

A flicker of nostalgia crossed his face before he looked back at Uehara.

"Do you want to come back to my base and recover?" he offered.

In his mind, this Shinigami had surely expended immense energy after such an overwhelming battle.

His base was safe, and Uehara could rest there.

Uehara Shiroha did not refuse.

Half a Day Later...

Within a hidden cave, shrouded by a barrier that concealed spiritual pressure and sound, the two Shinigamis sat before a small fire.

Asido carefully roasted mushrooms over the flames, applying a dark green moss to them as seasoning.

Finally, he handed Uehara Shiroha a skewer of food that looked... questionable.

Uehara studied the blackened mushrooms with faint skepticism before taking a bite.

To his surprise, his eyes lit up.

"...Not bad!"

He picked up his wine cup, took a sip, and then continued eating.

Asido, too, took a long drink, his expression turning nostalgic.

"...It's been a long time since I've shared a drink with another Shinigami," he murmured.

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