"Shunshi!"
Satori Akira's Zanpakutō was knocked from his hand. Now missing his left arm, he collapsed to the ground, utterly unable to retaliate.
Reflecting on the skirmish that had lasted less than five minutes, he realized with despair that whether it was Kidō, Hakuda, Shunpo, or Zanjutsu, he was outclassed in every discipline.
Especially the sheer spiritual pressure—far beyond any Captain he could recall. And yet this Shinigami could only attain the rank of Third Seat in Soul Society?
"I wish... I could've gone back."
That sudden, impossible longing to return to Soul Society bloomed in Satori's heart.
But he knew it was a fantasy. For some unknown reason, the man before him had been assigned to kill their Expeditionary Captain. As his Lieutenant, Satori believed he'd done everything he could.
"I just hope the Captain has realized what's happening..."
Helpless, he stared up at Higashi Shūichi as the man approached, Zanpakutō in hand. Then the blade fell.
"Command, Hyōsha: Dominate."
Those were the last words Satori Akira ever heard.
His body disintegrated into motes of pale light, which condensed into thirteen faceless, white Reishi constructs.
Higashi stared at the fading particles. There was no emotion in his gaze. This hadn't been a battle of equals. Unless he had deliberately held back, the outcome had always been inevitable.
The only thing that warranted respect was Satori's loyalty to Captain Senjō Ryū. A faithful lieutenant. Pity loyalty rarely kept anyone alive.
With a wave of his hand, twelve of the constructs scattered, each vanishing using stealth-type Kidō. The last one exploded into raw spirit energy, flooding back into Higashi and completely replenishing his reserves—with plenty to spare.
"The other front should be underway by now."
He didn't rush to leave. Instead, he had the twelve remaining Reishi constructs head for the other battlefield, concealed by Kidō.
Originally, Higashi's plan was for Baraggan and Starrk to stage a mock battle before the assembled Hollows, faking mutual injury, then intentionally letting the Hollows escape to be 'captured' by the Expeditionary Force. The goal: give them the illusion that Hueco Mundo was depleted, that Baraggan posed no threat.
Next came wave after wave of mindless Hollows charging at the Expeditionary squads—a ruse to imply that Baraggan and Starrk feared a counterattack and were trying to delay with sacrificial pawns.
The aim was to draw elite units of the Expeditionary Force deeper into Hueco Mundo, creating isolated battle zones with enough time and space to kill their Captains.
So far, the plan was working perfectly.
By now, Higashi should be on his way to rendezvous with Starrk, who was likely already engaging Captain Senjō Ryū.
But plans were for fools.
Senjō Ryū was still a Captain. He might never have appeared in the original storyline, might be weaker than someone like Muguruma Kensei—but Higashi wasn't going to gamble with that.
Why risk it when he could let Starrk soften the man up first?
Starrk, unlike Higashi, wasn't interested in elaborate schemes. Once he confirmed Senjō Ryū was isolated (with Lilynette circling to check), he immediately opened with a barrage of Bala.
"A Hollow?"
Captain Senjō Ryū, true to his rank, reacted instantly. Even under ambush, he drew his Zanpakutō and blocked the attack.
But Starrk, perhaps still weighed down by the loneliness from before he joined Aizen, didn't speak much. Outside Higashi and Lilynette, he had no patience for conversation.
A Cero of cobalt blue followed, its oppressive spiritual pressure pinning Senjō Ryū in place, forcing him to defend head-on.
"Child of Heaven, iron-clad wall! Dragon's flight, lion's roar, tiger's growl, wolf's hunt—sever Heaven and Earth before collapse! Bakudō #81: Dankū!"
Not all Shinigami could skip incantations. Senjō was among the ordinary. Thankfully, Dankū's chant was short, and he had sufficient proficiency. The massive Reishi barrier rose just in time.
A black flower of eight petals bloomed. The Cero struck, detonating with apocalyptic force.
Dust and sand erupted across the battlefield.
Through the swirling haze, Starrk emerged, twin blades drawn from his pistols, closing the distance.
Blades clashed in rapid succession.
One of Higashi's constructs arrived just then, standing at the edge of the dust storm, watching the silhouettes clash. It hesitated, then pressed its hands together as Reishi gathered.
"Hadō #58: Tenran!"
A spiraling tempest launched forward, a wide-reaching, indiscriminate blast.
Higashi had no qualms using such attacks. He doubted it would even scratch Starrk.
Taking advantage of the cleared air, Senjō Ryū released his Zanpakutō.
"Cleave, Raika! Kurensharyūga!"
The ground trembled. Everywhere Starrk tried to step, pillars of flame burst forth.
Hesitate even a second, and the Espada would be scorched.
Another of Higashi's constructs arrived, providing a better view.
The released Zanpakutō had a crescent-shaped guard. Its edge curved like a scythe, and the blade itself burned crimson.
On closer inspection, something unfamiliar was coiled around the hand holding the hilt.
Higashi squinted.
"Wait a second... I've seen that blade before."