On the way back.
"This internship was so easy, all thanks to being grouped with Suō-kun this time."
Takahashi Kenta's face was full of relaxed smiles as he spoke.
"That's right, thanks to Suō-kun."
Kawata Taichi echoed, his gaze falling upon Suō Tsukasa, who was positioned at the rear of the group.
Their words were not entirely flattery; Suō Tsukasa had been responsible for all the vigilance along the way.
With Suō Tsukasa anchoring their side, they could confidently concentrate entirely on the Soul Burial ritual without having to divert their attention to guarding against potential dangers lurking around.
Not to mention those difficult-to-handle adolescent Pluses (Whole Souls), who were either rebellious and uncooperative, or too deeply attached to their obsessions, crying and fussing emotionally.
Suō Tsukasa had proactively performed the Soul Burial for all these adolescent Pluses.
"No need to be polite, I..."
"A Hollow is coming, stay alert."
The light-hearted atmosphere of the return journey was shattered by Suō Tsukasa's warning.
Suō Tsukasa's voice pulled their minds out of the joy of their successful Soul Burial internship.
His figure flashed, stopping first at an empty lot, turning to look below the position they had just passed.
The smiles instantly faded from the faces of the two behind him. Without hesitation, they followed his footsteps, positioning themselves to his left and right flanks, drawing their Asauchi (Shallow Hit) and watching the direction he was facing with vigilance.
Using the faint, dim light of the streetlamp, they followed Suō Tsukasa's line of sight and saw a pitch-black cavity tear open at the end of the street corner.
A massive figure, roughly three people high, slowly glided out of the cavity at the end of the street, making an uncomfortable rasping sound as it dragged across the cement road.
A thick, serpentine long tail dragged on the ground, a black hollow was in its waist, and its head was covered with a ghastly white bone mask. In the empty eye sockets, a raw, bloodthirsty light flickered.
Behind it, four smaller Hollows of varying shapes and sizes streamed out of the cavity.
Although the Hollows had different appearances, they all possessed a black hollow in the waist similar to the snake-tailed Hollow, and all fixed their gaze on the three Shinigami with the same bloodthirsty cruelty.
The leading snake-tailed Hollow slowly approached with its subordinates, its slender tongue licking the lower edge of its mask, letting out a hoarse whisper.
"Heh, my luck's good today. Three of them..."
"You look like you'd taste very good!"
The deep voice betrayed an uncontrollable hunger. Its spiritual pressure firmly locked onto Suō Tsukasa and the two others, attempting to break the prey's will to resist through words.
Ordinary Hollows have little interest in common humans or Pluses; only souls with high Reishi (Spiritual Particle) density are their targets.
During the Soul Burial, the Reiryoku fluctuations generated when Suō Tsukasa and the others concentrated on performing the ritual were like bright lighthouses in the quiet, long night, ensuring they were spotted.
Although Hollows appear to be mindless monsters, their basic intelligence is the same as when they were alive. When not hunting, they typically lurk in the rift between the Human World and Hueco Mundo, and do not appear actively.
Even the monitoring methods of the Soul Society struggle to locate them before they make a move.
This group of cunning predators not only patiently waited for them to expend some of their Reiryoku and stamina, but also precisely chose the moment when the trio was most mentally relaxed on their way back to show themselves.
"The large Hollow leading them has very strong Reiryoku. Suō-kun, should we fight or retreat?"
Feeling the pressure from the opposite side, Takahashi Kenta's voice trembled slightly, but his overall stance did not collapse.
Kawata Taichi also held his breath, waiting for Suō Tsukasa's instruction, his Asauchi held horizontally in front of him in a ready stance, his gaze locked on the continuously approaching small Hollows.
"Engage!"
"Don't be afraid. I'm here."
Suō Tsukasa's voice was calm, without the slightest ripple.
"Yes."
The two responded in unison with loud voices, without hesitation. The fear on Takahashi Kenta's face quickly subsided.
"Tch, attack!"
Facing the situation, the snake-tailed Hollow opposite them let out a displeased growl. At its command, the small Hollows immediately rushed toward the trio.
Kawata Taichi's eyes were burning with fighting spirit. His figure flashed as he met the charge of the small Hollow rushing at the very front.
"So hungry!"
The Hollow wore a mask covered in sharp spikes. Seeing Kawata Taichi charging, it let out a sharp shriek, opening its mouth full of fangs and lunging forward.
Before evolving into a Menos Grande, Hollows usually only rely on their claws and fangs for physical attacks. Only a small portion of large Hollows possess some tricky special abilities.
Even though small Hollows lack offensive variety, the destructive power they exhibit is still significant.
Setting aside Reiryoku, their superior physique often allows them to gain an advantage in combat.
Kawata Taichi's blade steadily pressed against the sharp fangs. The force of the impact made his legs slightly bend. He grunted, then released his Reiryoku to stabilize his stance, but was still pushed backward by the opponent's assault.
On the other side, Takahashi Kenta also confronted a small Hollow with a single-eyed mask. His situation was similar to Kawata Taichi's; the opponent's sharp claws slashed down quickly, and he could only manage to raise his blade to block.
As the snake-tailed Hollow issued its command, Suō Tsukasa, who had been on guard, immediately took action. Aiming with his left hand, he began a high-speed incantation.
"Severance! The mask of flesh and bone, the myriad, the fluttering wings, the name of man! Truth and temperance, the sea of commotion, surge to the south and advance!"
"Hadō #31: Shakkahō (Red Flame Cannon)!"
The incantation was completed extremely quickly. The next moment, a crimson fireball flew out at high speed, striking the mask of a small Hollow trying to ambush the rear of the group with perfect precision.
The explosion was crisp. The small Hollow's mask instantly shattered, and half its head turned into charred fragments. Its body swayed, fell to the ground, and dissipated into Reishi.
With the successful strike, Suō Tsukasa's expression remained unchanged. His figure drew his sword and appeared in front of another Hollow circling from the flank.
The snake-tailed Hollow took in everything on the field, not showing the slightest anger at the sudden reduction in numbers.
A cruel arc curled up at the corner of its mouth, and its giant figure silently vanished from its original position in that instant.
"A little capability."
A cold voice, tinged with jest, suddenly sounded behind Suō Tsukasa.
"But, that's all, hehe."
The snake-tailed Hollow reappeared abruptly behind Suō Tsukasa. Its tongue once again licked its mask, dripping saliva, and it let out a gleeful laugh as its prey was within reach.
Its menacing right claw tore through the air and swung out horizontally, intending to slice Suō Tsukasa's body into several pieces in one go.
The snake-tailed Hollow considered itself a cautious and excellent hunter.
Since it was discovered, its attention had been focused on Suō Tsukasa, who was the leader of the trio.
Even though they had a numerical advantage, it still chose the safest strategy: sending the small Hollows forward to test their abilities before launching its surprise attack from the side.
In this moment of crisis, Suō Tsukasa's previously restrained Reiryoku suddenly erupted. Using his left foot as an axis, he violently twisted his waist.
The blade that was blocking an attack instantly split the mask of the small Hollow in front of him in two, like a hot knife slicing through wax.
The momentum of the sword stroke was not yet spent. The blade's edge traced a cold, beautiful arc, rushing at extreme speed towards the massive claw attacking from behind!