Chapter 43: Forest of Menos, Unparalleled Mowing

In the depths of the Forest of Menos, Shiroha Uehara stood amidst a sea of towering Gillians. Their massive forms loomed around him like a dense forest of grotesque giants, each one a walking mountain of spiritual energy. Yet, in Uehara's eyes, they were nothing more than piles of "experience points" waiting to be harvested.

A Gillian, or Menos Grande, is formed when a hundred or more Hollows devour and fuse together. However, most Gillians lack self-awareness, reduced to nothing more than instinct-driven creatures that wander aimlessly through the vast underground domain of Hueco Mundo.

To Uehara, these mindless Great Hollows were nothing but sitting ducks.

That said, as Menos Grande, they possessed durable Hierro—iron-hard skin—and an incredible regenerative ability. Unless their heads or vital internal structures were utterly destroyed, they simply would not die.

Previously, Uehara had relied on an S-rank ability, consuming a vast amount of spiritual pressure to freeze the entire swarm of Gillians in one move. But this time, he had no intention of wasting that much energy.

Instead, his gaze fell upon one of his more specialized abilities, one that was particularly effective against Hollows.

[Sun Breathing]

Level: B-rank

Proficiency: Proficient

Ability: Embodying the essence of the sun, this technique is the original breathing style from which all other fundamental breathing methods—Water, Flame, Stone, Wind, and Thunder—are derived.

Sword Forms: Twelve variations, including Sun Crimson Mirror, Phantom Sun Rainbow, Train, Burning Bone Flame Sun, Yang Hua Tu, Flying Wheel Kagerou, Setting Sun Turn, Brilliant Enlight, Halo Dragon: Head Dance, and Flame Dance. These forms can be seamlessly chained together, culminating in the ultimate thirteenth form—[Reincarnation], an endless cycle of strikes.

Introduction:

The peak of swordsmanship from Demon Slayer, created by Yoriichi Tsugikuni, an existence so terrifying that even Muzan Kibutsuji suffered "Sun Breathing PTSD."

Unlocked upon completing [Special Mission 6 - Legendary First Division Commander].

"I wanted to walk among you as an ordinary man, yet I could not. Let me reveal my true self—I am a genius in the art of the sword!"

In a world of limited magic, Yoriichi Tsugikuni's mastery of [Reincarnation] allowed him to unleash over a thousand strikes in a single second, nearly rewriting the fate of his world in one battle.

Now, wielded by Uehara Shiroha—empowered by immense spiritual pressure—[Sun Breathing] and [Reincarnation] would evolve into something even greater.

With a casual swing of his Sky-Breaking Blade, invisible flames danced across the space before him, their scorching heat warping the very air. The sacred fire within the blade emanated an aura that seemed to suppress all evil.

As the horde of Gillians closed in, Uehara moved.

In the blink of an eye, the Twelve Sword Forms of Sun Breathing erupted in full display.

Unlike rigidly structured attacks, Uehara seamlessly transitioned between forms, embodying the essence of Sun Breathing with each fluid motion.

Blazing arcs of his blade carved through the air, and wherever he struck, flames ignited. Every slash landed precisely on a Gillian, and with each flash of his sword, another massive Hollow was set ablaze.

The fire that erupted from the wounds did not merely burn—it consumed. The spiritual flames burrowed deep into the bodies of the Gillians, igniting their very souls.

Wherever Uehara passed, the Forest of Menos was left in chaos—massive pillars of fire surged skyward, illuminating the dark expanse with an eerie brilliance.

This was the power of the Sun Breathing, a technique that directly countered the high-speed regeneration of Hollows!

Then, as he reached the heart of the swarm, Uehara exhaled deeply and whispered:

"Reincarnation!"

In an instant, the twelve sword forms connected seamlessly, chaining together in an infinite loop. An endless, spiraling onslaught of fiery slashes consumed everything before him.

Dozens of Gillians fell in an instant, their bodies split apart and engulfed in sacred flames.

As the inferno spread across the battlefield, Uehara lowered his sword and surveyed his handiwork. The once-shadowy expanse of the Forest of Menos was now a blazing sea of destruction.

A satisfied smile formed on his lips.

Despite being only a B-rank ability, Sun Breathing was proving to be a devastating weapon against the Hollows. Not only did it provide a natural counter to their regenerative abilities, but its relentless offensive nature also honed his swordsmanship further. If mastered to its peak, it could serve as a trump card in future battles.

In this world, it was rare to rely on a single technique to counter everything.

Even the so-called strongest fighters had limitations.

Ichigo Kurosaki, when facing "Little Aizen" Yhwach's subordinate Askin Nakk Le Vaar, found himself utterly overwhelmed—his abilities rendered ineffective in an instant.

Captain-Commander Yamamoto, the wielder of the most fearsome flame-based Zanpakutō, Ryūjin Jakka, held the power to incinerate entire realms upon activating his Bankai. Yet, despite his overwhelming strength, he was constantly targeted and manipulated, unable to unleash his full potential in battle. When the time came, even his ultimate power was made meaningless, leaving him to perish in regret.

Even Hyōsube Ichibē, a being who had lived for countless millennia, was ultimately powerless before Yhwach's Almighty, an ability that made even the strongest Shinigamis seem insignificant.

Uehara Shiroha knew this reality well.

No matter how powerful an ability seemed, in this world of gods and monsters, only continuous growth and adaptation could guarantee survival.

A thousand years ago, a lone monk had once used the Soul King's right hand to counter the overwhelming might of The Almighty, blocking the [Eye of Omniscience and Omnipotence] directly. After a millennium of brutal warfare, Yhwach finally regained his vision and absorbed the power of the Soul King, believing himself untouchable. Yet, in the end, his overwhelming ability was neutralized by a single silver arrow, and he was reduced to nothing more than a new Soul King, bound in place.

This was the nature of power in the world of death—no matter how strong one became, there was always the looming threat of being countered.

For that very reason, Uehara Shiroha had no intention of relying on a single technique. Instead, he was determined to accumulate as many trump cards as possible, ensuring that even the likes of Hyōsube Ichibē could never erase all traces of his abilities with Ichimonji.

As he gazed upon the burning remnants of the Forest of Menos, his fighting spirit only grew stronger.

The Gillian-infested wasteland, which once made ordinary Shinigami tremble at the mere mention of its name, had now become nothing more than a training ground for him—an endless sea of experience and power to claim.

Three Days Later

Time passed in the blink of an eye. Over the course of three relentless days, Uehara Shiroha's proficiency in Zanpakutō, Sun Breathing, and Universal Barrier had improved tremendously. His strength was increasing at a visible rate, sharpening like a blade with each passing moment.

Throughout the entire process, he had only relied on the most basic applications of Zanpakutō and Sun Breathing.

And yet, because Sun Breathing possessed a natural advantage against Hollows, his efficiency in exterminating them had reached terrifying levels.

Soon, the Technology Development Bureau took notice.

At that moment, within the Expeditionary Headquarters, three captains—Suì-Fēng, Kenpachi Zaraki, and Shunsui Kyōraku—were gathered, discussing their next strategic move.

Beside them stood Ise Nanao, her spiritual pressure noticeably stronger than before.

After surviving the previous battles and receiving direct guidance from Uehara Shiroha, Ise Nanao had transformed. She no longer carried the aura of a mere Vice-Captain—there was now a genuine presence of strength in her demeanor.

However, the usual harmony of the meeting was quickly disrupted by Kenpachi Zaraki.

"Oi, ain't there any stronger prey around?" Zaraki grumbled, his tone filled with frustration. "These weaklings ain't even worth sharpening my sword on anymore."

His golden eye gleamed with irritation as he crossed his arms. "More importantly—where the hell is that Shiroha? When's he gonna show up and fight me?"

At first, Zaraki had been thrilled. Hueco Mundo had provided an endless battlefield of enemies to cut down.

But after days of fighting, the thrill had worn off.

Even the Great Hollow-class Adjuchas, which should have been formidable enemies, could barely withstand a single strike from him.

And after witnessing Uehara Shiroha's power firsthand, his hunger for battle had only grown stronger.

Suì-Fēng, on the other hand, was not pleased.

"That guy may have made great contributions in establishing the expeditionary force," she admitted, "but as the Vice Commander, he should not be acting on his own."

Her sharp eyes narrowed. "His reckless actions only disrupt the operation and slow down our overall progress."

Standing nearby, Ise Nanao visibly tensed, wanting to refute Suì-Fēng's words but unable to do so due to the difference in their ranks.

However, her expression left no room for doubt—she strongly disagreed.

Though Nanao had always been someone who valued rules and discipline, she trusted Uehara Shiroha.

If he was acting alone, there had to be a reason for it.

Seeing the rising tension, Shunsui Kyōraku chuckled, pulling a document from his sleeve.

"This just came in from the Technology Development Bureau," he said lazily, a knowing smile hidden beneath the shadow of his bamboo hat. "You might want to take a look."

Suì-Fēng frowned at his too-casual attitude, but took the document regardless.

The moment she opened it, her usually cold and impassive expression cracked—her eyes widened in disbelief.

"...He actually wiped out thousands of Gillian Hollows by himself?"

She reread the report twice, her sharp mind struggling to comprehend what she was seeing.

"Is this report accurate? It's impossible!"

Her disbelief was justified.

Everyone knew that Uehara Shiroha was incredibly powerful—possibly even on the level of a captain.

But for one person to annihilate thousands of Gillian Hollows in just a few days?

That level of destruction was borderline absurd.

In Hueco Mundo, Hollows were stronger than usual. The harsh environment amplified their physical abilities, making them much harder to kill in large numbers.

Shinigami, on the other hand, needed time to recover spiritual pressure and physical strength between battles.

So for one individual to continuously fight—without rest—and produce results this unbelievable...

Suì-Fēng herself knew she could not achieve such a feat.

Across the room, Zaraki Kenpachi's lone golden eye glowed with excitement.

"Heh..." His mouth curled into a feral grin.

"I knew he was strong."

The bloodthirsty edge in his voice was unmistakable.

"Dammit... I should've fight him when I had the chance!"

Meanwhile, Kyōraku Shunsui simply smiled, his usual carefree attitude not shifting in the slightest.

"I have to admit, I also find it a little hard to believe," he said, shrugging. "But this is the truth."

He folded his arms and leaned back slightly.

"Brother Shiroha single-handedly exceeded the expedition's original goal."

His lazy voice carried an undeniable weight.

"If we're being honest, his efficiency alone is greater than all of ours combined."

Shunsui turned slightly, smirking at his Vice-Captain.

"And as much as my dear Nanao and I miss him and want him to return..."

His smile widened slightly, clearly teasing.

"It's hard to argue against results."

Ise Nanao, who had been listening silently, suddenly blushed.

Her sharp glare landed on Kyōraku immediately.

"Captain!" she snapped, clearly embarrassed.

She huffed, crossing her arms, but the proud glint in her eyes was unmistakable.

Suì-Fēng fell into silence.

What could she even say?

The reality was simple.

Uehara Shiroha had not only completed the mission—he had exceeded expectations.

Her previous criticism now felt hollow in comparison.

She had accused him of slowing down the expeditionary force, yet in reality...

He had been the one moving faster than anyone else.

In the end, there was nothing left to argue.

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