The northern entrance was handled by Kuchiki Sōjun and the Sixth Division.
Hundreds of Gillian and thousands of lesser Hollow posed little threat to Kuchiki Sōjun or the seated officers of the Sixth Division.
Everything had been going smoothly—until Baraggan appeared.
"Seated Officer Matsushita, that Hollow looks really strong!"
Some Shinigami's attention shifted to the massive Hollow that had suddenly appeared in the sky, seated atop a throne of bones.
"So arrogant! Watch me shoot him down!" The young seated officer didn't recognize that it was Baraggan and immediately raised his hand.
"Hadō #63: Raikōhō!"
Lightning gathered in his palm as a thunderous beam surged toward the skeletal emperor in the air.
Baraggan extended a bony finger at a leisurely pace and pointed forward—dissipating the lightning beam before it even reached him.
"Brave," Baraggan said slowly. "But perhaps simply ignorant."
"Everyone be careful! That's Baraggan!" Kuchiki Sōjun shouted in warning.
Though this was his first time seeing the Hollow who proclaimed himself the King of Hueco Mundo, Baraggan was known from ancient times, and records of him were preserved in the Kuchiki Clan archives.
"Baraggan?" Matsushita blinked—only to realize that the skeletal Hollow had vanished.
"Seated Officer Matsushita!"
He heard the shout behind him and turned quickly—but felt a strange crack in his neck.
Crack—
Matsushita's spine twisted unnaturally, snapping.
His eyes turned sideways, just in time to see the skeletal Hollow standing beside him.
And then he collapsed to the ground, descending into eternal slumber.
"What kind of ability is this?!"
The other Shinigami were horrified.
The skeletal Hollow had simply touched Matsushita's neck—and it broke!
That was a seated officer-level combatant, yet he died in an instant!
"Watch out for his ability! Baraggan can cause decay!" Kuchiki Sōjun warned, immediately taking out his Denreishinki to call for reinforcements.
"You're quite knowledgeable about my powers," Baraggan said with measured calm. "Indeed, a mere touch is enough to age instantly."
Almost theatrically, Baraggan demonstrated again—resting a hand on another Shinigami who had frozen in place.
That chosen Shinigami finally reacted, trying to Shunpo away—but it was too late.
Crack crack— After a few steps, his bones shattered from within, and his body collapsed like a heap of sludge.
"Fall back! Use Kidō to restrain him! I've already called for help from Katori-sensei!" Kuchiki Sōjun raised his hand.
"Bakudō #62: Hyapporankan!"
Several glowing rods of Reishi speared into Baraggan's skeletal form.
The other Shinigami responded too, retreating to distance while casting binding spells.
"Bakudō #9: Geki!"
"Bakudō #30: Shitotsu Sansen!"
"Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō!"
"Bakudō #63: Sajō Sabaku!"
Dozens of Kidō struck Baraggan all at once.
"They all hit!"
The Shinigami were overjoyed—if the binding spells worked, they could keep him contained until help arrived.
Though the northern entrance was the longest path, with Katori Nanatsuki'sShunpo speed, it would only take two or three minutes for him to arrive!
But Baraggan remained unfazed by the restraints.
From beneath his black cloak, a cloud of violet-black mist began to spread.
All the Kidō spells—Reishi rods, chains, glowing seals—collapsed and dissolved the moment they touched the mist.
"The… the binding spells… all vanished!"
The Shinigami were in utter shock.
So many Bakudō, even someone like the captain of the Kuchiki Clan would take time to break free.
But Baraggan shattered them in an instant!
"Your power even affects Kidō…"
Kuchiki Sōjun's face darkened—this wasn't recorded in the clan archives.
"Hard to grasp?" Baraggan said slowly. "All things have a lifespan. Even the Kidō you cast cannot resist the erosion of time."
Baraggan's Respira rapidly aged whatever it touched.
Even Kidō spells had a finite duration. Accelerated by Respira, they dissipated instantly.
"You appear to be their commander."
Baraggan appeared behind Kuchiki Sōjun and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"In that case, eliminating you should bring this war to a close."
Kuchiki Sōjun's expression twisted as he leapt away.
His left arm dropped limply. The bones had already aged and cracked—no longer usable.
Baraggan's power vastly exceeded his own—he hadn't even reacted before Baraggan had reached him!
Uncertain whether the effect would spread further even after breaking contact, he decisively severed his left arm with his Zanpakutō.
"Quick-thinking. Had you hesitated even a breath longer, your entire skeleton would've decayed."
Baraggan spread his skeletal arms. "But… it ends here."
Violet-black mist surged from beneath his cloak, rapidly expanding outward.
He had already sensed the loss of several rebellious Hollow spiritual pressures. The war had served its purpose.
He had purged the insubordinate.
Now, killing the Shinigami commander would further bolster his rule in Hueco Mundo.
Respira spread faster than the retreating Shinigami could move. Soon, over a dozen were caught.
"AaaaaaaAAAAHHH!!!"
Their screams were chilling.
Within seconds, they turned to skeletons—and even those skeletal remains crumbled to dust and dispersed into ambient Reishi, returning to the land.
"Pathetic. To fear death, when you are Shinigami? Let me put you out of your misery first."
Baraggan raised a finger, and Respira swept toward the fleeing Shinigami.
On the other side, Kuchiki Sōjun also raised his hand. A flurry of glowing butterflies flew to intercept the mist.
But the butterflies were like moths to a flame—unable to withstand the Respira.
They fell like rain.
Even those that landed on the ground were swiftly corroded.
"Even a Zanpakutō can be corroded…"
Kuchiki Sōjun's heart sank. If neither Kidō nor Zanpakutō could block this, he had no way of stopping the mist.
His butterfly blade formation wouldn't hold much longer—but it bought enough time for some Shinigami to retreat.
Baraggan was displeased. He pointed at Kuchiki Sōjun and fired a stream of Respira.
Kuchiki Sōjun was focused on controlling the Chiecho formation, covering the retreat of his squad—he had no time to dodge.
Respira tore through his right side instantly.
His body staggered, but gritting his teeth, he redirected part of the butterflies to scrape away the misted flesh.
This might kill him—but if he didn't, he would certainly die!
His internal organs damaged, strength rapidly drained from his body.
"Vice-Captain!"
Two seated officers rushed forward and carried Kuchiki Sōjun away.
These two were nobles affiliated with the Kuchiki Clan, and even as others retreated, they chose to stay behind.
"Such loyalty… I almost regret killing you."
Baraggan thought of his own treacherous subordinates and hesitated, letting the two carry Sōjun out of Respira's path.
"Reinforcements already?"
Baraggan looked up—lightning shot toward him at high speed.
The Shinigami reinforcements had arrived faster than expected. He hadn't managed to finish them off in time.
The lightning veered mid-flight, dodging his Respira with perfect precision.
In the next instant—it vanished from his view.
"Behind me!"
Baraggan swung his black axe backward.
"A fake?!"
The axe passed through an afterimage of lightning—there was no impact.
Baraggan's heart sank. This person was faster than he was!
But Reiatsu perception worked faster than reflexes—he finally caught the enemy's position.
Above—lightning descended in a blue crescent slash.
Raikiri: Getsuga Tenshō!
BOOM—!!!
The thunderclap echoed across the Forest of Menos.
Even the Shinigami back at the base camp felt like a sledgehammer had struck their chests.
They all turned to stare at the radiant lightning far away.
"Katori-sensei… is here…" murmured Kuchiki Sōjun, consciousness fading.
Katori Nanatsuki had arrived. The Sixth Division was saved!
He had feared his own weakness would doom them all.
Sōjun couldn't accept that.
It had been his own proposal to lead the Sixth Division into Hueco Mundo.
He had underestimated the strength of the so-called King of Las Noches.
But he would rather give his life than let his squad be lost here.
"Vice-Captain! Hold on! We're bringing you back to the camp now!"
The two seated officers carried him while using Kaidō to keep him alive.
Once he relaxed, Sōjun quickly lost consciousness.
Baraggan now had Katori Nanatsuki to contend with—but the Hollow army was still pressing against the rest of the Sixth Division.
With Sōjun unconscious and several seated officers dead, morale plummeted—their formation was in shambles.
They could no longer hold back the Hollow tide.
But that had never been their true goal.
Their retreat had led them toward the designated convergence point.
The Hollow army's pursuit helped complete the Shinigami's luring mission.
From the east, south, and north, the three Hollow armies gradually converged.
Back at the expedition base, the Shinigami detected this convergence.
"Luring mission complete! Kidō cannon—ready!"
The camp's Kidō cannon charged rapidly, drawing upon the Reiatsu of hundreds of Shinigami.
Terrifying pressure gathered within.
As the lightning dispersed, Baraggan had already fallen back several dozen meters.
He could no longer maintain his regal image.
The crown that had sat atop his skull for thousands of years had melted away under that thunderous strike.
A massive crack had formed across his skull.
"Shinigami! You deserve a thousand deaths!" he roared, pressing a hand to the fissure.
"Baraggan, you're the one who deserves death—for attacking a Shinigami expedition!" Nanatsuki said coldly.
He wasn't satisfied with that last strike.
He had aimed to sever Baraggan's head—but the Hollow had dodged at the last second.
"It's you…" Baraggan finally remembered. "Since becoming king of Hueco Mundo, you're the first Shinigami to ever wound me."
"And the first to enrage me this much!" Baraggan spread his arms wide, pouring more violet-black mist from his cloak.
He retreated into the shroud of Respira.
He now saw Nanatsuki as a genuine threat—he was taking no chances, shielding himself from all sides.
The shroud rapidly expanded into a 200–300 meter sphere.
Nanatsuki had no choice but to fall back.
"You should feel honored. It's been a long time since I used Respira at full power."
A sinister voice echoed from the mist.
Nanatsuki gripped his blade between two fingers.
A moment later, the blade flashed—sending a beam of Flowlight into the fog.
But after flying a few meters, it disintegrated.
"A troublesome ability…" Nanatsuki frowned.
Baraggan's power was terrifying.
That mist could even erode a concentrated Reiatsu Blade!
"Under my power, time itself is meaningless," Baraggan said, raising his hand.
The black fog surged like a tide toward Nanatsuki.
Reiatsu surged around Nanatsuki once more, lightning arcing behind him.
He instantly entered his Raikiri: Shunkō form and retreated at high speed.
To ordinary Shinigami, Respira spread rapidly—but to Nanatsuki, it was still manageable.
It couldn't catch him.
Still, Baraggan kept releasing it.
Multiple streams of black mist chased and cornered Nanatsuki, forcing him into tighter movement paths.
If this continued, he would be boxed in completely.
"Shinigami, how long do you think you can run?"
Baraggan waved, sending several more clouds his way.
"Decay, Shinigami!!!"