"Something isn't right."
Mirai spoke low, quiet enough that only Ashido beside him and Shiba Kaien, who had just stepped in, could hear.
"That Garganta… it doesn't intend to close."
Ashido and Shiba Kaien's faces hardened at once.
They followed Mirai's line of sight. He was right. The Garganta in the sky stayed wide open.
Even if Captain Kuruyashiki could erase a Gillian with one strike, how many more would follow if the Garganta stayed open? Ten? A hundred?
A Captain's Spiritual Pressure wasn't endless, and the other squad members couldn't endure forever.
This was no longer a battle.
It was a war of attrition.
Kuruyashiki Kenpachi gave a small "Hm?" and looked up again.
Almost at the same moment, a chaotic Spiritual Pressure surged from the depths of the Garganta again.
Down below, Shinigami watched with stiff eyes and forced smiles.
Then another pale Gillian, just as massive as the first, hooked its hands around the Garganta's edge and dragged itself into the living world.
"Oh?" Kuruyashiki Kenpachi looked surprised this time. A thick eyebrow rose.
"What's this? Hueco Mundo overstocked? Running a clearance sale?"
He sounded almost bored, full of casual mockery. Reishi detonated beneath his feet and his figure vanished. A moment later, he was already in the air, meeting the new Gillian head-on.
He swung once.
Purple blade-light flashed.
The second Gillian followed the first. It managed half a short shriek before it disintegrated into drifting Reishi dust.
"So strong…! He's invincible!"
Cheers erupted again.
But this time, the sound wasn't pure joy. It was full of trembling and unease.
Some smiles turned forced. Their eyes kept returning to the black Garganta in the sky.
Mirai's brow tightened. Something was off.
Then, at the edge of the battlefield, space rippled without warning.
A plain wooden sliding door formed out of thin air.
Clack.
"Whoa!"
Shinji Hirako, Captain of Squad 5, was the first to lean out of the Senkaimon. Hot wind pushed his blonde hair as he looked across the field.
He looked up, saw the hideous black Garganta, and his mouth twisted downward.
"What is going on? A Garganta this big in the sky. Where is the repair crew? Who are they trying to scare?"
He stepped out fully, his haori draped loosely over his shoulders.
Then he noticed the massive pale figure near the Garganta.
"Huh? Gillians are still showing up?" Shinji scratched at his hair, his voice flat. "I haven't seen one in over a hundred years. Still the same. Not exactly eco-friendly, are they?"
"Captain Hirako."
A gentle voice sounded beside him.
Kirio Hikifune, Captain of Squad 12, stood there. It was unclear when she arrived. She wore a kind smile, but her gaze was fixed on the Garganta.
"I will leave combat support to Squad 5. As for that 'big trouble'…" She tilted her head, her smile deepening.
"Leave it to Squad 12 to research. No, handle."
"Yeah, yeah. I get it," Shinji said, picking his ear with a "what a pain" expression.
At that moment, another figure walked to Shinji's side.
Tall posture. Black-rimmed glasses. Calm presence. The insignia on his armband and the character for "Five" marked him as the 5th Seat of Squad 5.
He spoke in a warm, measured tone.
"Captain Hirako, the situation is urgent. Our colleagues from Squad 13 and Squad 11 are still fighting hard. Since we have arrived, we should share the burden quickly to reduce unnecessary sacrifices."
Shinji glanced sideways at Sōsuke Aizen. He gave a silent Ha in his mind.
"Yeah, yeah. Fifth Seat Aizen is right," Shinji drawled, drawing his zanpakutō. "Time to work. Let's finish up early so we can go grab a drink."
His Spiritual Pressure flickered beneath his feet as he appeared mid-air.
But when he saw Kuruyashiki Kenpachi nearby, swinging his zanpakutō with ease and turning a third emerging Gillian into a sky full of light, Shinji immediately lost interest in interfering.
"Whatever. It's not like they need help," he muttered.
He dropped back to the ground and joined the ranks clearing out the remaining normal Hollows.
Almost at the same time, another Senkaimon opened. The medical teams from Squad 4 poured into the battlefield. The pale green light of Kaidō began to glow among the wounded.
The arrival of reinforcements allowed Ashido and Shiba Kaien, who had been under constant tension, to finally let out a sigh of relief.
Seeing this, Mirai landed back on the ground.
He stopped participating in direct attacks on Hollows. Instead, he flickered across the battlefield, appearing beside Shinigami who were exhausted but still forcing themselves forward.
"The reinforcements are here. You have done enough. Step back and rest," he said.
"Yes! Fifth Seat Mirai!" The exhausted squad member answered, let out a sigh of relief, and stumbled back.
"Admirable willpower, but let the others handle it now." He supported another swaying Shinigami.
"Thank you!" The other person nearly burst into tears.
In just a few minutes, he had persuaded over a dozen squad members near their limits to leave the front lines.
Not far away, Shinji Hirako, who was smashing Hollows with the back of his blade, kept watching Mirai.
His eyes narrowed beneath his blonde bangs.
This kid… when did he change his nature to become a helpful comrade?
Moving around the battlefield to pull the exhausted back. What was he trying to do?
Shinji Hirako considered himself a good judge of character, especially when it came to "his own kind."
From the first time he met Mirai in a tavern, he knew the man was wearing a mask.
His words mixed truth and lies. His emotions stayed hidden. He always dealt with people using the most logical surface facts.
That was why Shinji had kept an eye on him, though he had not caught him doing anything significant yet.
And now, this 5th Seat Aizen standing beside him… his mask was even tighter than Mirai's.
As for why Shinji could detect the wrongness in these two at a glance?
Simple. People of the same kind are always sensitive to one another.
Soon, Shinji's attention shifted from Mirai to Aizen, who was also moving through the battlefield.
Chaos and crisis were the perfect cover for someone with an agenda.
Aizen's performance was exemplary.
He traversed the battlefield, rescuing colleagues in danger or at their limits. His movements were swift and effective. After helping a teammate up, he offered a few warm words of comfort, his face showing concern.
Shinji clicked his tongue.
These two… it's like they were taught by the same master.
Everything they do is correct. You cannot find a flaw, yet it makes your whole body uncomfortable. Neither of them is easy to deal with.
With the efforts of two Captains and numerous reinforcement Shinigami, the Hollows on the battlefield were being cleared at a visible rate.
Since the Gillians had started lining up to die, no more normal Hollows had emerged from the Garganta. Cleanup became efficient.
Shinji Hirako sheathed his zanpakutō and brushed off dust from his hands.
As his gaze swept across the battlefield, he happened to see Aizen nearby. Aizen had just finished another rescue and was walking in another direction.
At the end of that path, Mirai had just handed an injured Squad 13 member to the Squad 4 medics. He was standing alone on slightly elevated scorched earth, observing the Garganta in the sky.
Shinji's eyebrow twitched.
"Oh? Is it starting?"
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