Chapter 8: Szayelaporro's Attack
So that was it.
At this point in time, Szayelaporro was still a Vasto Lorde.
He'd discovered a Hollow with an unusual talent and, in the name of "research," force-fed it until it evolved into an Adjuchas.
That explained the strange contradiction before him —
Ainicht's reiatsu was strong,
but her fighting ability barely matched a fledgling Hollow's.
For Hollows, being able to open a more flexible Garganta was certainly valuable.
But since Ainicht had never once appeared in the main story, that value was obviously limited.
Her fate was easy to imagine: abandoned in some forgotten corner of Hueco Mundo,
or simply used up and disposed of by Szayelaporro himself.
Neither ending was good.
[Quest 2: Uncover the Truth Behind the Garganta — Completed]
[Reward Distributed]
The familiar blue prompt shimmered faintly before fading away.
So the information was accurate after all.
For Mizuma, the main purpose of this Hueco Mundo expedition was already fulfilled.
All that remained was to exterminate a few more Hollows on his way back,
complete the side quest,
and head home with full rewards.
A tidy mission, a hefty bonus, and no risk of demotion.
A perfect day.
The rest was simple:
Urahara's division would verify the data,
collect Ainicht's reiatsu samples,
or maybe just take her back alive to the R&D Bureau.
Let the scientists figure out a way to prevent another Garganta outbreak.
Of course… there was also the more direct option.
He could kill her here.
After all, countless Rukongai souls had died because of the portal she opened.
A single strike would be fair justice.
The communicator in his ear buzzed faintly as the R&D members debated on the other end.
Mizuma ignored them.
He leaned against the cracked doorway, spinning his Zanpakutō idly.
Ryugetsu glimmered with a cold blue sheen.
He lowered the blade until it hovered just above Ainicht's neck.
Before leaving, there was one more thing to confirm.
"Answer me."
His eyes narrowed, voice calm but cold.
"You said this whole incident was orchestrated by Szayelaporro.
Is that true?"
"Y–Yes! It's true!"
"This question decides your life or death. Don't lie to me."
His tone sank lower, heavy as stone.
"You weren't doing this willingly, were you?"
Ainicht froze, shaking so hard she could barely breathe.
Then she nodded again and again, voice trembling through tears.
"I never meant to offend the Shinigami… but if I disobeyed him, he'd kill me… I didn't have a choice… I'm sorry…"
She looked completely broken —
a soldier dragged into a war she didn't believe in.
Unbelievable.
A Hollow… begging for mercy?
The race whose entire existence revolved around killing and devouring —
and here she was, crying like a frightened intern at her first job.
Truly, the world was full of surprises.
Still, she didn't seem to be lying.
Mizuma sighed softly, his expression loosening.
She didn't notice; she just kept apologizing over and over,
like a broken record stuck in guilt.
She's an Adjuchas.
Try not to die from fear, at least.
Just then, Urahara's voice came sharply through the communicator.
"Maintain control of the Hollow. The communicator's recording function should still work — capture as much of the facility as possible. There may be critical— Wait! Watanabe Fifth Seat! I'm reading a massive reiatsu spike heading straight for your position!"
The tone turned urgent.
But Mizuma didn't need the warning.
He could feel it himself.
A suffocating pressure flooded the air,
so dense it was almost physical —
like being submerged beneath an icy ocean.
Captain-class, easily.
Then came the flash.
"Captain Urahara! Fifth Seat Watanabe's signal— it's gone!"
"Relax," Urahara said evenly.
"The one dispatched was only his clone. He won't die from this."
He scanned the last readings on the monitor and frowned deeply.
"The attack… it's a Cero."
The moment the reiatsu pressure struck, a crimson beam of destruction blasted through the walls.
In an instant, Watanabe Mizuma's body was torn apart —
obliterated in a surge of annihilating light.
The shockwave flattened everything around him.
Dust. Silence.
Then — a whisper, echoing faintly through the settling air.
"Sever, Ryugetsu."
Reality flickered.
It was as though the world itself had skipped a single frame —
and when it resumed,
Mizuma stood there once more, completely unharmed.
The communicator was gone.
His Zanpakutō glimmered in his hand,
and beneath his feet, reishi condensed into a solid platform.
High above the ruins,
he looked down at his attacker.
A man with pink hair and a demon mask,
twisted, branch-like structures sprouting from his back,
each bearing bulbous, fruit-like growths pulsing with energy.
There was no mistaking him.
Szayelaporro Granz.
A genuine Vasto Lorde —
one whose clones could someday duel Kenpachi Zaraki to a draw.
A living embodiment of Hueco Mundo's madness.
"A sneak attack?" Mizuma lifted his blade, voice dripping with mockery.
"Not very polite of you."
Szayelaporro's lips curled into a smile behind his mask.
"Polite? How amusing. I've no intention of discussing manners
with a Shinigami who breaks into my laboratory uninvited."
He spread his arms wide, his tone theatrical, almost joyous.
"Ah, but what luck — a live test subject delivered straight to my door!"
The twisted branches on his back lit up again,
gathering energy, humming with lethal brilliance.
Another Cero bloomed from his hands —
brighter, heavier,
and this time,
it consumed the sky.