(T/N: And this is the third chapter!! Thanks for the support Everyone!!)
Katori Nanatsuki discovered some research notes inside the mountain facility regarding Blanks and Shinenjūs.
He was particularly intrigued by the Shinenjū, as it reminded him of the Hōgyoku.
Shinenjūs are formed from the condensed memories of Blanks, and can also absorb them. In contrast, the Hōgyoku is created from souls with the potential to become Shinigami—or even fragments of the Soul King.
In essence, both are soul aggregates.
Nanatsuki carefully gathered the Shinenjū and the related research material for further study.
Hirako Shinji and Kuchiki Sōjun also recovered their supply packs.
After a short break, the group of eight departed from the Valley of Scream and continued their journey to Hueco Mundo.
This time, they encountered no Reishi turbulence and passed through the Dangai without incident.
They arrived in a barren desert. The crescent moon in the sky, like the desert itself, remained eternally unchanged—frozen in time.
A gentle breeze stirred up occasional clouds of dust. This desert was not just sand—there were tree stumps poking out of the dunes, made of a quartz-like material.
Everyone was fascinated by the unfamiliar landscape of Hueco Mundo. For all of them except Saitō Akane, it was their first time here.
"It's all just sand," Azashiro Kana said, stepping up a dune. She felt something soft shifting beneath her feet and dug around with her scabbard. "Feels like something's underneath."
Soon, she unearthed a small rodent-like creature.
This creature was unlike the animals of the Soul Society or the World of the Living—it had a tiny white mask on its forehead.
"Even the little animals here are Hollows…?" Kobane Jin'emon leaned in, curious, trying to grab the rodent Hollow for a closer look.
The rodent Hollow bared its teeth, putting on a bluff to scare him off.
Unfazed, Jin'emon grabbed it by the tail and lifted it up. The creature flailed its tiny limbs frantically, completely unable to break free.
"How does something this weak even survive here?" he said, placing it gently back into the sand. It immediately burrowed back underground.
"These creatures are at the bottom of Hueco Mundo's food chain," Nanatsuki explained. "They survive by absorbing ambient Reishi."
All spiritual lifeforms in Hueco Mundo are Hollows—including its animals. Some of these creatures are naturally born here through Reishi reproduction, while others were once ordinary animal spirits from the World of the Living or Soul Society who transformed into Hollows.
The balance of souls across the three realms includes even these minor beings.
"The Reishi density isn't any lower than Soul Society… manipulating it feels normal. My power output won't be hindered," Kuchiki Sōjun commented as he tested the ambient flow.
"Just like the books described… no greenery anywhere in sight," said Hirako Shinji, shielding his eyes to scan the horizon.
"If we do see green, it's probably a Hollow in disguise," Muguruma Kensei joked, snapping off a piece of a nearby quartz-like branch. "These things are solid all the way through… Can you even call this a plant?"
"Hueco Mundo isn't safe," Nanatsuki warned. "There's always the risk of an attack. Stay alert."
He pulled out a map marked with Reishi beacons—it showed the Expeditionary Force's current position.
"They've already advanced some distance. We need to deliver supplies. They should be stationed underground, in the Forest of Menos. If we approach from above, it'll be safer."
Without lingering, the group headed in the direction indicated by the map.
The desert terrain quickly became repetitive. The novelty of Hueco Mundo faded fast, and they soon focused entirely on reaching their objective.
Fortunately, their landing point wasn't far. Within two or three hours, they neared the Expeditionary Force's location.
Saitō Akane pulled out a long white tube and inserted it into the sand.
The sand began swirling into a vortex, drawing the group down into the depths.
They passed through the sand layer and landed inside the Forest of Menos.
The forest was eerily silent and dimly lit.
Though called a forest, it was more like a stone labyrinth—its towering "trees" were all made from the same quartz-like material seen on the surface.
The stumps aboveground were merely the exposed tips of these massive subterranean trees.
Hueco Mundo's structure was bizarre: a white desert on the surface, and beneath it, the expansive stone jungle of the Forest of Menos.
The group moved quickly, leaping from one massive branch to another.
"Be careful," Saitō Akane warned. "The Forest of Menos is filled with powerful Hollows. Even though the Expeditionary Force is nearby, these creatures tend to avoid strongholds. But don't drop your guard."
Just as she finished speaking, Nanatsuki sensed a disturbance ahead. "Get down!"
A red beam of energy tore through the air.
BOOM—a thunderous explosion rocked the forest.
Nanatsuki and Akane landed on the same massive branch. He stopped her from rushing forward.
"It's only one Menos Grande. Let the students handle it."
Akane hesitated. "Are you sure? Letting students fight a Menos?"
Nanatsuki smiled. "Don't worry. It's just a Gillian. They can handle it."
Though unconvinced, she drew her Zanpakutō and stood by, ready to intervene. Deep down, she still believed it was madness to expect students to face a Gillian-class Menos.
The Gillian's enormous form loomed closer, exuding crushing pressure.
Hirako Shinji stepped into its path, twirling his Zanpakutō in his hand.
The Gillian locked onto him immediately. Its mask-mouth opened wide, gathering a massive red Cero.
At the same time, a dazzling swarm of butterflies burst through the smoke, transforming mid-air into sharp blades and spiraling toward the Gillian.
Sensing danger, the Gillian altered the angle of its Cero.
But it miscalculated—the attack was redirected, and it fired backwards.
The butterfly blade swarm sliced directly into its torso, tearing through its dark skin and erupting in a mist of blood.
ROAR! The pain made the Gillian cry out in a deafening howl. Though the wounds weren't life-threatening for a creature of its size, they had definitely struck home.