(T/N: Hey guys! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to drop a Power Stone! Thanks for the support!! it really helps a lot!)
Yadōmaru Lisa swung her long spear, weaving like a dragon through the swarm of Hollows—but her position had drifted away from the others.
"Die, Shinigami!"
More than a dozen Hollows pounced toward her.
With a flick of her spear, the charging Hollows were all knocked back.
Lisa's figure flashed, and the stunned Hollows were instantly sliced into several pieces midair.
Hollow blood splattered in the air, yet not a single drop landed on her pristine academy uniform.
A Gillian-class Menos Grande opened its giant maw, red light condensing within.
Lisa landed atop the Menos's head and stomped hard, forcing it to turn its face. The Cero within its mouth was redirected toward the other Hollows.
Boom!
A crimson Cero exploded among the Hollow swarm, instantly disintegrating two or three dozen who failed to dodge in time.
"Lisa, don't go too deep!"
Isane shouted a warning.
Their mission wasn't particularly difficult—though the number of Hollows was high, their task was only to lure the Hollow army to the designated area, where the expedition corps would annihilate them using Kidō artillery. It wasn't to fight the Hollows head-on.
Lisa charging into the Hollow swarm would only disrupt the plan.
"Got it!"
Lisa glanced back and noticed the distance between herself and her comrades, then quickly moved to rejoin them.
While Nanatsuki was engaged with a Red-Tentacle Menos, Isshin and Komamura had already fallen into a tough battle.
A Menos with an oval skull possessed overwhelming strength, suppressing both of them even together.
Whoosh!
Tenken's giant blade slashed down toward the Menos, but its speed exceeded the slash—it flashed forward and stepped atop the giant sword.
Swish!
Shiba Isshin appeared behind the Menos, Zanpakutō blazing with flames. He swung down, launching a fiery crescent toward it.
"Getsuga Tenshō!"
Boom!
The Menos used Sonído to dodge to Isshin's right side, evading the flaming slash.
It grabbed Isshin's arm in reverse and flung him straight into the oncoming Tenken.
Komamura Sajin frowned and had to halt his attack to avoid hitting his ally.
"He's too fast! My Getsuga Tenshō can't land!"
Isshin twisted midair and returned to Komamura's side.
"We need to restrict his movement somehow!"
"Wait."
Komamura said just one word—but it reminded Isshin of something from before the battle began.
Isshin subtly glanced around at the stone forest.
That's right!
One of the Kido their teacher had set up was Bakudō #75: Gochūtekkan, and it was in the stone forest. The Menos was currently within its range.
If they could just stall long enough for the spell to activate, they'd have a chance to kill it!
But the Menos didn't intend to give them breathing room. It reappeared behind Isshin, swinging a massive bone mace toward the back of his head.
Isshin spun and raised his Zanpakutō to block.
Boom!
An unstoppable force surged through his blade and sent him flying, smashing through several stone trees.
"Rahhh!!"
Komamura's eyes widened in fury, flames roaring from his Zanpakutō as he slashed toward the Menos.
But the Menos easily evaded the flames, spun, and landed a powerful side-kick to Komamura's chest.
Thunk!
The Menos underestimated Komamura's toughness—he wasn't sent flying.
Komamura tanked the blow and grabbed its leg in return.
"Got you!"
He swung his blade again at the oval-skulled Menos.
"Tough bastard! Then try this!"
A Cero formed at the Menos's fingertip, making Komamura abandon the follow-up. He knew that even if his slash didn't kill the Menos, he couldn't afford to take a Cero at such close range.
Reluctantly, Komamura let go and dodged.
At that moment—
The stone forest lit up with the faint glow of Kidō.
On the other side of the battlefield, Nanatsuki activated Bakudō #75: Gochūtekkan!
Dozens of Reishi light pillars materialized in the air. The Menos sensed danger and instantly attempted to teleport away.
But there were too many pillars.
Even with its speed, it was struck by over a dozen light beams.
The oval-skulled Menos was pinned to the ground, immobilized.
"Now!!!"
Isshin leapt from a rubble pile, flames raging around him, distorting the air.
Reiatsu surged into his Zanpakutō, the fire intensifying at the blade's edge.
The air within the stone forest felt sucked dry by the inferno.
Reiatsu and flames fused into a crimson slash that erupted from the blade.
A red crescent wave flew toward the bound Menos.
"Crimson Tide: Getsuga Tenshō!"
The Menos stared in horror, Reiatsu surging violently as it struggled to break free.
But before the light pillars could even crack, the crimson crescent had already passed through it.
A perfect cut split the Menos from top to bottom, the wound charred black from the heat, bloodless.
The corpse, now halved, collapsed to the ground.
"Hahh—haahh... Thank goodness... for Teacher's Kidō..."
Isshin gasped for breath.
This Hollow specialized in speed and strength—it was too fast for either of them to handle.
Only thanks to the Gochūtekkan trap could Isshin land a fatal blow.
"Looks like Teacher finished off the other one too,"
Komamura noted the disappearance of the Red-Tentacle Menos's Reiatsu.
Swish!
Nanatsuki appeared before them.
"Not bad. You took that one down."
He smiled.
He had already achieved Bankai, and with the others not far from him, he'd been watching through shadows. If necessary, he could have interfered using a shadow clone.
But they had held out until his Kidō trap activated—and seized the opportunity to finish the fight.
"All thanks to your Kidō. We couldn't have stopped its speed otherwise," Komamura said.
"Yeah, I couldn't hit it with Getsuga at all," Isshin added, having caught his breath.
"In cases like this, Kidō is surprisingly useful. Maybe I should start learning it more seriously..."
Isshin looked frustrated—he hadn't invested much in Kidō and only knew a few low-level spells.
"Having more tools helps you deal with more problems," Nanatsuki nodded.
He sensed Lisa and the others—their side was progressing well, skillfully luring the Hollow army to the predetermined zone.
"Let's regroup. If the Hollow forces from the other entrances haven't arrived yet, we may need to hold out a bit longer. The main camp won't fire the Kidō cannon until all three fronts converge," Nanatsuki explained.
Just then, Nanatsuki's senses flared—he detected a familiar but altered Reiatsu rushing toward him.
A bolt of lightning cut through the stone forest and stopped before him in a blink.
"Teacher!!!"
The figure crackling with lightning jumped onto him.
"Yoruichi?!"
Nanatsuki instinctively caught her.
Her long legs wrapped around his waist, and the lightning enveloping her passed directly into him.
Zzzzzzzttt!!
Nanatsuki felt numb all over—but his Raikiri was already mastered, giving him high resistance to lightning. He could just barely handle it.
Anyone else would've been fried to a crisp.
Yoruichi clung to him like a clingy cat, nuzzling his face affectionately.
"Teacher, we're gonna go help now!"
Isshin and Komamura tactfully withdrew.
"What's with this form?!"
"This is my Bankai—meow~"
"You've mastered it?!"
Nanatsuki was shocked. He could tell this was Shunkō form, but it had to be the future Blood War Yoruichi's evolved version.
Yet here she was, using her Bankai powers to activate a Shunkō variant only her future self should know.
Still, her base stats hadn't reached their peak—this was far from her full potential.
"Amazing form! Faster than me. Deserves the title 'Flash Goddess'!"
Nanatsuki could feel the overwhelming power within her.
"'Flash Goddess Yoruichi,' huh? I love it! Meow~"
Nanatsuki pried her face away and blocked her approaching tongue.
Cats mark affection with their tongues.
"You seem... oddly affectionate right now."
Yoruichi was naturally expressive—but this was excessive.
"I'm perfectly normal! I just really like you, Sensei~!"
She had no awareness of her state.
"Wait—this is a battlefield! Focus!"
Just then, the lightning battle suit vanished.
She had only just learned Bankai and couldn't maintain it for long.
Her face froze in place mid-nuzzle.
With her whole body pressed against Nanatsuki, he immediately noticed the changes.
Her body tensed and stiffened.
Her leg grip tightened.
"Te... Teacher..."
Her voice was barely audible, and her tanned skin turned bright red.
"You do know how to be embarrassed!"
Nanatsuki pried off the tightening thighs.
"S-Sorry! I lost control!"
Yoruichi didn't dare lift her head. Her ears flushed.
"Looks like this form enhances your feline instincts."
Nanatsuki casually helped her recover.
"Yeah... it does," Yoruichi admitted.
"Let's get you dressed first."
Nanatsuki retrieved a full-body cloak from his Reishi Pocket.
The lightning battle suit had destroyed her Onmitsukidō uniform.
When she had the lightning suit, it still covered key areas. But now, her toned and full figure was exposed.
Yoruichi quickly put on the cloak.
"You must've been pushed hard to awaken your Bankai like that."
Nanatsuki knew her progress—she should've needed more time to bond with her Zanpakutō.
Only real combat could have forced her growth.
"I ran into a Menos that could make Cero bombs... Oh right! My team's still unconscious in Hueco Mundo's desert!"
Yoruichi suddenly remembered and rushed off.
"I'll go rescue them!"
Flash! She was gone.
"A Menos that creates Cero bombs?"
Nanatsuki recalled the ambush they encountered in the Forest of Menos.
"Must be the same one."
He located Isshin and Komamura—they had already regrouped with Lisa and the others.
By the time Nanatsuki reached them, they'd lured the Hollow army to the designated spot.
"Others arrived early?"
He noticed that Lieutenant Yūtarō's expedition team had brought the southern Hollow forces here already.
"Lieutenant Yūtarō, you guys are fast!"
Nanatsuki approached.
"This route was the closest, and we had help from Commander Ashido," Yūtarō explained.
"We ran into two strong Hollows, but Commander Ashido took care of it."
"Strong Hollows at the southern gate? Should I contact Ashido?"
Nanatsuki took out his Denreishinki, but before he could call, a voice came through—it was Kuchiki Sōjun:
"Baraggan has appeared—he's at the northern entrance! We need support!"
"Baraggan appeared on Vice-Captain Kuchiki's side?!"
Yūtarō paled.
"Nanatsuki-sensei, please assist him!"
"Baraggan..."
Nanatsuki agreed. Sōjun and Squad 6 couldn't handle him alone.
"Then I'll leave things here to you. Please watch over the students."
"Understood! Be careful, Nanatsuki-sensei. We'll hold things down here!"
Yūtarō nodded firmly.
Flash! Nanatsuki dashed toward the northern gate with Shunpo.
Baraggan—one of the strongest Menos in Hueco Mundo—was not to be underestimated.