You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

boom! boom! boom!

At this moment, streaks of lightning fell into the surging multitude of voids. Amidst the explosive spiritual pressure fluctuations, hundreds of miscellaneous voids were shattered, blown away, and turned to ashes in this round of attacks!

“This is…” Saito looked at the scene in astonishment.

"Ghostly Path? Who is that?!"

Are they calling us?

Two figures suddenly appeared among the many powerful figures. The two, dressed in ordinary Shinigami uniforms, calmly and fearlessly confronted four or five Adjuchas.

Saito recognized the boy's face and exclaimed in surprise, "Iori!"

The appearance of these two was like a signal; more of the spiritual pressure belonging to Shinigami (death gods) appeared within the perception range. However, unlike them, they didn't casually intrude into a high-level battlefield. Instead, they emerged from the camp and charged into the Hollows like tigers among sheep.

The Four Heavenly Kings Who Dispel the Void!

"Captain! You're hiding here eating all by yourself, that's so disloyal!"

Chapter 168: Was it really defeated by this kind of trash? (4.5K)

"A bunch of idiots!"

Unexpectedly, Saito was not moved at all; instead, he cursed loudly, "Who told you to come back! How dare you disobey my orders? Don't you want to live?!"

"Now is not the time to talk about this!"

Iori and Yuuki raised their hands at the same time, and the powerful spiritual pressure fluctuations overlapped, causing Saito to glance at them. The Adjuchas on the opposite side also clearly felt a pressure, and they opened their mouths to gather various kinds of spiritual pressure.

"Hado 88 - Flying Dragon Strikes the Thief with Thunderous Cannon!"

The siblings shouted at the same time, and a blinding flash appeared in their hands. Two destructive torrents transformed into straight beams of light that collided head-on with the Cero, causing a series of violent explosions.

Taking this opportunity, Yuuki turned around and picked up Saito around the waist, saying, "Excuse me."

"Hey! What are you doing? I'm not injured to the point of being unable to move!"

However, the next moment the two had already broken free of Adjuchas's encirclement and appeared with Iori in the clearing area cleared by the Four Heavenly Kings and others.

A hint of surprise flashed in Saito's single eye: It was one thing for Iori to teach him Shunpo, but how could Aizen Sōyūhime be so skilled as well?

She herself was a master of the Instant Step technique, and could accurately judge Yuuki's actual skill level from that brief moment of physical sensation... That's why she was so surprised!

This is a level of skill that no officer or deputy captain could achieve!

If I remember correctly, Yuuki is Iori's older sister, but only a few years older. Like her brother, she is a student at the Shinigami Academy, promoted during a special period.

Seriously? Are students these days really this obsessed?

No wonder the former vice-captain of the 13th Division insisted on training Aizen Sōyūhime... he must have seen something extraordinary about this girl.

Normally, Saito would have carefully examined the siblings, but now was not the time to dwell on that.

"What's wrong with you guys? We finally managed to retreat, and I went through so much trouble to protect you. Now that you're back, all that effort has been wasted?!"

Saito glanced around and found that in addition to Aizen and his siblings and the other three "Four Heavenly Kings", there were also a few elite-level members, making a total of only ten people.

"Don't say that, Your Excellency."

A Grim Reaper nervously watched the movements of the surrounding Hollows, forcing a smile as he said, "The main force has indeed successfully moved. We all volunteered to stay behind to cover the retreat after completing our mission."

With so much credit and such great achievements, Captain Saito can't keep it all to himself!

"That's it! Please don't say anything more!"

Tenbei Shusuke appeared much more composed. This time, he had no ulterior motives, no connection to his family name or his father, and was purely there to save his companions, prepared to die here.

Meeting Aizen and his brother, who were also on their way back, was an unexpected surprise for him. In his opinion, Iori was also roughly equivalent to a captain-level fighter, and there were many skilled fighters in the expeditionary force. As long as everyone cooperated well, it was not impossible for them to break through Hueco Mundo, even if the other side had the legendary Vasto Lorde.

Even if we are destined to perish... being buried in the wilderness with our comrades-in-arms is not necessarily an undesirable end.

"...Tsk, I can't stand it!"

I don't know where they learned that, all they do is show off. You all better take care of yourselves later, or I won't have time to worry about you if anything happens!

Looking at the subordinates he had personally trained, how could Saito not know what kind of people they were? A few complaints were enough; he still had to use the rest of his energy to deal with the Great Menos.

Barragán, who had been watching the show from the sidelines, asked with amusement, "Are you done? Although you're called 'Death,' you surprisingly can't see through matters of life and death."

A powerful spiritual pressure enveloped his entire body, and the luxurious black fur robe rippled like flames. At the same time, all living beings on the battlefield, regardless of race, felt a suffocating sense of oppression!

"How--"

A bead of cold sweat appeared on Tenbei Shusuke's forehead, his hand gripping the sword trembling almost imperceptibly: "What immense spiritual pressure... Even Captain Saito..."

At this moment, he finally understood why even the battle-hardened, immortal captain Saito had to sacrifice himself to cover the retreat—[Vastod] far surpasses ordinary Adjuchas!

The difference between these two is like that between a vice-captain and a captain. It may seem like they are only one level higher, but their combat power is actually several times or even ten times greater!

In terms of spiritual pressure alone, the only one in Seireitei who could possibly overpower this Hollow King was probably the Captain-Commander...

"There is nothing to fear!"

Tenbei took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and let out a loud roar that woke up the many terrified team members.

"If we were alone, it would be hard to muster the courage to face such an enemy, but at this moment we stand together, entrusting our backs to each other for protection... In that case, nothing can defeat us!"

I, Tenbei Shusuke, will never abandon any of my comrades today, regardless of life or death!

"it is good!"

"That's how it should be!"

After all, they were all veterans. Although they were intimidated by Barragan's momentum, they quickly regained their fighting spirit and even became more passionate.

Saito laughed, stood up again, gripped his nodachi with both hands, and gave the King of the Hollows a defiant and arrogant look.

Upon seeing this, Barragán chuckled in a low voice, which echoed in his empty chest, sounding solemn and awe-inspiring.

"Boring! Courage is meaningless to ants, because the result is the same."

Barragán raised his terrifying black battle axe high, his white teeth bared, issuing a death sentence.

"Then let's begin... the execution!"

hold head high! ! !

Dozens of Kylian emerged from the desert like towering trees, letting out powerful roars under the crescent moon hanging high in Hueco Mundo.

It was like the sound of war drums, with countless chaotic voids gathering together, an army surrounding the Grim Reapers, launching a fearless charge!

"Sever it, Thunder and Fire!"

"Run, Furoumaru!"

"Grit your teeth, you demon!"

Led by Amagai Shusuke, the Shinigami unleashed their Zanpakuto, their spiritual pressure resonating with each other, forming a tangible wind pressure that spread outwards. This was followed by scorching flames and powerful slashes. The elite warriors, seasoned by countless battles, slashed down the invading monsters one by one!

The weakest one here is equivalent to a seated officer in the thirteen teams. He can kill a group of mixed Void units without taking any damage. If the team works well together, he can even face thousands of Void units without any problem.

But this is Hueco Mundo, and they are facing Vastod, who has the title of "King"!

One hundred, two hundred, three hundred, one thousand... the number is endless. No matter how many are killed, new ones will keep coming, plunging people into a spiral of despair.

Zheng!

The sharpened blade easily sliced ​​through the Gillian's body, and the slash extended along its trajectory, cleaving the Hollow in two at the waist with a single, angled strike!

In the next instant, the boy's figure flashed through the space one after another, and Killian's mask was cut off like dominoes!

Six Hollows were killed by Iori in the blink of an eye!

—Hado Chapter 78: Slaying the Flower Wheel!

This is a Kido technique that requires the combination of Shunpo (instant step) and swordsmanship to unleash its full power. Very few people in the entire expeditionary force have mastered it. And the speed and destructive power of Iori's attack just now were far beyond what the Four Heavenly Kings, including Tenbei, could achieve.

Such an amazing record greatly boosted the morale of the beleaguered Death Gods, but it also attracted the attention of the higher-ranking Hollows. The two Adjuchas asked Barragan for permission with their eyes, and after seeing that the "King" did not object, they joined the battle with a savage grin.

Clang!

Clang!

boom!

At his peak, Adjuchas easily defeated the exhausted Death Knights and broke through the expeditionary force's defensive perimeter.

At this critical moment, Aizen and his sister stepped forward and used their powerful Kido to clear away the surrounding Hollows, and "laboriously" forced back two Hollows, buying everyone time to regroup.

"No! The number of Voids hasn't decreased at all. If this continues, we'll be overwhelmed and killed by the mixed Voids!"

"Yes."

"Iori?" Amagai seemed to sense something. "You don't mean...?"

"The situation is urgent, and we can't worry about anything else right now."

Iori said with a serious expression, "Unfortunately, I've already used Orochi's Raging Wave once, and I'm afraid I don't have enough spiritual pressure left to unleash a full Bankai... I'll have to take a gamble!"

"Amagai, if you have the chance, please take Captain Saito with you and leave."

"What are you saying!" Tenbei shouted angrily. "I would never abandon my companions, especially not you—"

"Fool! If everyone dies here, then our deaths will have been meaningless!"

Iori gazed sadly at Amagai and said earnestly, "At the very least, we must let Soul Society know about the existence of Vasto Lorde and the King of Hueco Mundo... That's precious information we obtained with our lives!"

"Well!"

Tenbei swung his sword and killed a mixed-elemental monster. His body was already stained with blood of various colors. He turned around anxiously and said, "You should have led the captain away. You have the highest chance of surviving!"

"……Ah!"

Iori gazed deeply at Amagai, as if wanting to remember his face forever, then turned her back to face the Hollows. That lonely and upright figure made Amagai's heart tighten.

However, what offered a small consolation was that another tall and beautiful figure stepped forward and walked alongside Iori.

hum!

hum!

Two spiritual pressures covered the entire area. Although they were not as strong as Barragan's, they were stronger than Adjuchas's. Moreover, they were superimposed on each other without any loss. They were even stronger. Even in such a chaotic situation, every Shinigami and Hollow subconsciously looked over.

"Those two are..."

Everyone's attention was drawn to the siblings, including Barragán and Saito, and they all realized what the two siblings were up to.

Yuuki smiled faintly, her hand holding the asparagus spear hanging to the ground. Suddenly, she glanced sideways at Iori and said, "Close your eyes."

"……Um?"

"Didn't you not want to see my Shikai?"

Despite it being such a crucial moment, Yuuki acted like an ordinary girl, deliberately sulking and saying, "If that's the case, then I'll just not let you see it!"

Iori smiled helplessly, readily agreed, closed her eyes, and pointed the Ama-no-Kurokumo sword diagonally at the ground.

"Pretend to be a ghost!"

An Adjuchas, a lizard-like creature skilled in stealth, saw the two so unguarded and eagerly flew out of the shadows, unleashing a Cero with its mouth wide open.

"Iori!"

Tenbei was extremely anxious, but this Cero was much faster than others of its kind, with almost no time to charge up. Tenbei had no time to block it, and by the time she saw it, the intense spiritual pressure was already about to engulf the two of them—

"Shatter, you illusion, you mirage!"

"Unite, like a clear mirror and still water!"

—Click!

For a moment, the world seemed to stand still. When time resumed its flow as if by illusion, the Hollow Flash burst forth with dazzling fire!

But in the next instant, the surging water compressed into a crescent-shaped sword pressure, slicing through the heat wave and passing just across Adjuchas's neck—

laugh!

A large amount of blood spurted out, and the lizard immediately let out a shrill scream. Its cervical vertebrae had been severed by a single cut, and its head was only held together by a little bit of skin and flesh.

If it hadn't specialized in "ultra-fast regeneration" during its advancement, quickly reconnecting to vital arteries and nerves, this strike would have been enough to kill it!

As the flames subsided, Iori and Yuuki stood on opposite sides, each holding their Zanpakuto, before charging towards the opposing Adjuchas.

"it is good!"

Tenbei's spirits lifted, and Saito also smiled. The expeditionary force continued to fight under the leadership of several strong men.