The moment the Adjuchas finished speaking, one figure after another peeled away from their invisible barriers, grinning as they appeared before Fujimiya Makoto and Shiba Yozuru.
As they had expected.
Most Adjuchas—the second stage of Menos Grande—tended to move in groups.
Seeing this, Fujimiya Makoto's heart sank.
They had been targeted from the start.
"Don't hog all the fun, Kyu."
A smaller, monkey-like Adjuchas with a sinister grin stepped forward, its eyes gleaming as it surveyed the two surrounded men.
Seven…?
Fujimiya Makoto quickly assessed the situation.
But before he could act—
His gaze suddenly froze.
As if sensing something amiss, the monkey-like Adjuchas instantly tensed, curling its body into a spiky ball.
That split-second reaction saved its life.
A flash of golden light erupted like true lightning, streaking past.
The explosive surge of spiritual pressure allowed Chōjirō to pierce through the masks of two Adjuchas in an instant—only the third narrowly dodged.
The remaining Adjuchas scattered in alarm, instinctively hissing as they put distance between themselves and the threat.
Chōjirō Tōsen, his shihakushō in tatters, stood protectively before the two once more.
He reached up, tearing off the ruined black robes and tossing them aside, revealing the lean, battle-hardened muscles beneath. His bronze skin was smeared with ash and blood, a deep wound visible along his flank.
"Captain Chōjirō!"
Shiba Yozuru cried out in relief.
But Fujimiya Makoto's expression remained grim.
He knew that compared to the "Hierro"-reinforced bodies of Menos, most Shinigami were fragile.
Even if Chōjirō was strong, how much of his combat ability remained after taking that hit?
"Makoto."
"The rest is up to you."
Chōjirō's voice was calm, his gaze never leaving the Adjuchas before him.
Even the most careful could slip.
And now, the "careless young man" Chōjirō had to shoulder the responsibility he had neglected.
Fujimiya Makoto pressed his lips together but said nothing.
By now, he had long abandoned thoughts of "following the original story."
A single mistake meant death.
That had been proven time and again in countless battles.
All he could do now was minimize the damage to the Genji Academy.
"Understood."
"W-Wait… Makoto?" Shiba Yozuru stammered.
Fujimiya Makoto's cold eyes swept over him. "Chōjirō will survive."
"Let's go!"
Sensing his resolve, Shiba Yozuru stared at him in shock—but before he could react, Fujimiya Makoto was already dragging him away.
"Cero!"
Several black-red beams of energy flashed past.
Yet from behind them came a quiet murmur.
"Bakudō 81: Dankū."
Even without incantation, this high-level Kidō barrier could block most half-baked Ceros with ease.
A translucent wall materialized, intercepting the blasts and the ensuing explosions.
Chōjirō merely stood there, watching them coldly.
"How fortunate… to meet a noble."
"Shinigami…"
Only the monkey-like Adjuchas, having lived long enough to know of the Soul Society, regarded Chōjirō with growing wariness.
"Haa—"
Feeling his dwindling spiritual pressure and the growing pain in his side, Chōjirō exhaled sharply.
He needed to end this quickly.
He turned to the Adjuchas.
"Let me show you something."
"Bankai—"
The moment those two syllables left his lips, the monkey-like Adjuchas' eyes widened in shock.
The next instant, the sky darkened as thunderclouds gathered, golden lightning descending like a divine canopy. The young man's spiritual pressure surged violently, intertwining with the storm above.
Accumulated lightning formed a radiant curtain before the Hollows.
Chōjirō, bare-chested, stood before them like a thunder god.
He raised his rapier and pointed.
"Gonryōmaru: Raikōhou!"
"..."
Every Adjuchas realized one thing.
They had kicked an iron wall.
A storm of thunder and lightning erupted beyond the mountains, shaking the heavens.
——
"Fujimiya… is that…?"
Feeling the overwhelming spiritual pressure behind them, Shiba Yozuru turned in shock.
Fujimiya Makoto grinned. "Chōjirō's Reiatsu."
"Don't let his looks fool you."
"He's a man personally acknowledged by Genryūsai-sama."
"...I see."
Shiba Yozuru's expression brightened slightly.
But Fujimiya Makoto wasn't as optimistic.
Chōjirō was strong, yes.
But his Bankai—while immensely powerful—drained his spiritual pressure rapidly.
He wouldn't last long.
The thought weighed heavily on Fujimiya Makoto's mind.
Still, there was one silver lining.
After breaking through the encirclement, their path had been eerily clear.
Not a single Hollow in sight.
It should have been a relief.
Yet the longer this strange peace lasted, the more uneasy Fujimiya Makoto grew.
Then, as they passed a village, Shiba Yozuru's expression darkened.
"Makoto!"
"We need to change routes."
Fujimiya Makoto frowned.
Shiba Yozuru pointed to the tattered clothes scattered at the village's edge—no blood, no bodies.
"No blood, no remains… just clothes."
"Their spiritual bodies were crushed by an overwhelming Reiatsu source."
"The reason we've been safe so far… is because something far stronger is ahead."
Fujimiya Makoto's heart skipped a beat.
An Adjuchas couldn't crush spiritual bodies with Reiatsu alone.
As for Shinigami, only the strongest instructors could—but their control was far more refined.
Which meant…
The moment the realization struck, Fujimiya Makoto's gaze snapped forward.
Even from miles away, he could feel it—a presence so intense it burned like fire against his skin.
Merely existing was enough to annihilate others.
Not restrained, not indulgent.
Just there.
A Vasto Lorde.
The highest class of Menos Grande.
The Vasto Lorde in the distance seemed to sense his gaze, turning slowly.
Her hooves tapped lightly against the soft earth, leaving clear imprints.
A feminine figure—human above the waist, antelope below.
Her head was mostly encased in a pure white bone mask, her upper body adorned with elegant, armor-like bone plating. Only her chest and abdomen, covered in steel-like skin, remained exposed, accentuating her graceful form.
In her right hand, she held an enormous double-headed lance.
Just meeting her gaze sent a chill down Fujimiya Makoto's spine, as if needles were piercing his eyes.
Then, a mocking voice whispered beside him:
"It's been so long since I've had a stroll."
"I won't let you ruin His Majesty's mood."
Fujimiya Makoto's body tensed. He shoved Shiba Yozuru aside and flash-stepped away just as—
BOOM!
The ground where they had stood exploded.
A massive, stone-covered humanoid Hollow burst from below, its two-meter-wide hands slamming together with crushing force.
The shockwave whipped Fujimiya Makoto's hair back violently.
Yet his eyes remained locked on the distant Vasto Lorde, trembling.
"Lord Shiba."
His voice was deadly serious.
"From here on out…"
"You're on your own."