On the distant island, the battle was nearing its end.
Chu Yang had entered the Mark state, with Source Breathing at full throttle.
Shanks also felt immense pressure and instinctively used the power of Haoshoku.
He didn't even realize it…
He had wrapped Haoshoku around the blade of Gryphon, just like Armament Haki!
The two blades clashed fiercely.
The black lightning bursting from Gryphon and the light bands generated by Chu Yang's Source Breathing slammed together.
Brilliant light instantly engulfed the two.
On the Red Force, countless people watched this scene, holding their breath.
After the light receded.
The wooden sword in Chu Yang's hand was already broken in two.
"Oh no!!!"
"How could he lose?!!!"
"My entire month's living expenses were bet on this!"
"Could it be that kid Chu Yang threw the match?!"
Beckman and Yasopp were wilted like eggplants hit by frost, looking completely dejected, while Degou, who had bet on Shanks to win, was grinning so wide his mouth almost reached the back of his head.
Lucky Roux patted Yasopp's shoulder, showing a sympathetic, mournful expression.
On the island, Shanks stared blankly down at Gryphon.
Kaido's Conqueror's Haki enhanced meant that Shanks's strength had officially entered the Emperor tier.
Chu Yang also had an epiphany, closing his eyes to carefully recall the scene from just now.
If he could also comprehend Kaido's Conqueror's Haki enhanced, his strength would definitely increase by a large margin.
Shanks raised Gryphon again and chopped down with force, black lightning bursting from the blade.
"Hahaha!!!"
Shanks laughed up at the sky, a surge of heroic ambition welling up in his heart.
He clearly felt his Conqueror's Haki growing stronger.
Chu Yang suddenly opened his eyes, clenching his fists, and black lightning also wrapped around them.
Shanks's laughter abruptly stopped!
He stared, dumbfounded, at the Conqueror's Haki wrapped around Chu Yang's fists.
…
Soul Society.
Recently, a spiritual medium named Don Kanonji appeared on TV, and he was gaining immense popularity; classmates in their class were all imitating his signature moves.
It was almost like a cult preaching.
Even Chadu, that broad-faced guy, was having a blast playing along.
Tonight, Don Kanonji was going to live stream an exorcism at an abandoned hospital, and Chadu even asked Chu Yang if he wanted to go watch, but Chu Yang decisively refused.
He wasn't interested in that half-baked guy.
Chu Yang wanted to go to Urahara Shop to ask Kisuke Urahara about some things concerning Shinigami, but no matter how he asked Rukia, she adamantly refused to tell him the shop's location.
Kisuke Urahara seemed to be avoiding him.
But it didn't matter; according to the plot's progression, Kisuke Urahara would soon have nowhere to hide.
Thinking of this, Chu Yang's gaze turned to his classmate named Uryu Ishida.
This Quincy, one of the few remaining in the living world, would soon cause a very big stir in Karakura Town.
Quincy refers to a group of individuals who possess the ability to absorb spirit particles from the environment and construct them into weapons to eliminate Hollows.
Quincy are different from Shinigami; the former completely destroy Hollows, erasing them from the world, while the latter purify the Hollows' sins.
Completely annihilated Hollows have their spirit particles completely disappear, not entering the cycle between Soul Society and the living world, thus affecting the balance of souls.
Therefore, 200 years ago, Shinigami launched a massacre against the Quincy.
Ultimately, only a handful survived to this day.
Uryu Ishida is the last remaining Quincy in the living world.
The above statement comes from the Shinigami.
But in fact, the truthfulness of this statement remains to be verified.
Because the founder of the Quincy, Yhwach, once led the Quincy to conquer Soul Society a thousand years ago, causing a great disturbance.
However, Yhwach's ambition was not fulfilled; he fell under the Zanpakuto of the Gotei 13's founder and Captain Commander, Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni.
Otherwise, the current Soul Society might be under the dominion of the Quincy.
Perhaps because the existence of Quincy would be a hidden danger, Shinigami decided to ruthlessly exterminate them.
What the true reason is, perhaps only the one who gave the order knows.
As the last remaining Quincy, Uryu Ishida is an extremely important character.
Chu Yang had been silently observing him.
The next day.
Ichigo and the others' ruckus at the abandoned hospital last night was on TV, and they were called to the principal's office and given a severe lecture.
All day today, Uryu Ishida's gaze was focused on Kurosaki Ichigo.
A few more days passed.
After school, Chu Yang sat in the classroom, quietly waiting.
Chadu saw him alone and asked, "Chu Yang, it's not your day for duty today, aren't you leaving?"
Chu Yang shook his head and said, "I'll sit for a bit longer."
Chadu looked a bit puzzled, nodded, and turned to walk out of the classroom.
At this time, Orihime Inoue tilted her head to look at Chu Yang; half the semester had passed, and she still hadn't spoken to Chu Yang.
"Hime, what are you still looking at? Let's go."
Hearing her friend's call, Orihime Inoue hesitated for a moment, gave up the idea of greeting Chu Yang, and walked out of the classroom.
However, not long after she left, Chu Yang sensed an unusual spiritual pressure appearing at the school.
But he didn't move; he simply circulated his Breathing Style, keeping himself in a state of Total Concentration: Constant.
This Hollow that appeared at the school would eventually be dealt with by Orihime Inoue, who would awaken her Fullbring; he didn't need to intervene.
More importantly, he wasn't interested.
This Hollow, like the one that was a transformed murderer a while ago, couldn't withstand him testing the power of Source Breathing.
After a while.
A crack suddenly appeared in the sky.
The crack continuously expanded and extended, like a shattered mirror.
A large number of Hollows fell from the crack, descending upon Karakura Town.
Chu Yang's lips curved slightly upward, revealing an excited smile.
"Finally, they've arrived."
…
To prove that Quincy were stronger than Shinigami, and that this world didn't need Shinigami, Uryu Ishida attracted countless Hollows.
But the increasing number of Hollows began to overwhelm him.
Uryu Ishida realized the inadequacy of his own strength.
Kurosaki Ichigo urged him to set aside his prejudices and work together to eliminate these Hollows.
Otherwise, all of Karakura Town would be in danger.
Ultimately, Uryu Ishida chose to cooperate with Kurosaki Ichigo.
Both of them were very strong, and their first collaboration showed great synergy; the Hollows that had descended upon the living world were being eliminated at a visible rate.
If things went smoothly, it wouldn't be long before everything returned to normal.
Unfortunately…
Things didn't go as planned.
The crack in the void suddenly opened wide, and a pair of large hands reached out from within, grasping the edges of the crack and pulling with force.
The sky was like a piece of paper torn in the middle, revealing a massive void.
From deep within the void, a several-hundred-meter-tall Hollow poked its head out, staring intently at Kurosaki Ichigo and the others before it.
Although its face was obscured by a mask, Kurosaki Ichigo somehow felt that the Menos Grande was smiling, laughing wildly and rampantly.
Uryū was trembling.
Having been a Quincy for so many years, he had eliminated a considerable number of Hollows.
But he had never seen a Hollow of such immense size.
Let alone him.
Rukia, who had been a Shinigami for several decades, had never seen one either; she had only briefly seen them in textbooks when she was studying at the Shin'ō Reijutsuin.
Menos Grande!
If a Hollow continuously devours other Hollows and reaches a certain number, it will evolve into a Menos Grande.
Menos Grande typically exist within Hueco Mundo and are divided into three stages.