Bai Guxu twisted his massive body and stretched his slender arms toward the narrow alley.
"Really, won't you just let yourself be eaten? Why bother running back and forth like this? What a mess."
Faced with the looming threat, Rukia chose not to stand idle. She raised her arms high, her eyes filled with unwavering resolve.
"Ye Lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon the south seas, rise and walk!"
Her voice was calm, yet sharp.
"Hadō #31: Shakkahō!"
A crimson burst of Kidō surged from her palm and blasted directly toward Bai Guxu's face.
Her defiance sparked the fighting spirit of her two teammates, who followed with their own Shakkahō blasts, aiming to force back Bai Guxu's approaching arm. Flames engulfed the Hollow's bone-white surface, roaring across his gigantic body.
"Got him!" Rukia's face lit up with a flicker of hope.
But before she could act again, a crushing surge of spiritual pressure burst from Bai Guxu. His immense Reiatsu rolled out like a tidal wave, extinguishing the flames instantly.
His body, completely unscathed, reappeared before them.
Despair began to smother their courage.
"Humble insects." The scarlet glow behind Bai Guxu's Hollow mask pulsed with contempt.
"Your only purpose is to be my nourishment. Food should not resist."
Zzrrkkk—
The very spirit particles in the air spiked. As Bai Guxu raised his arm for a second strike, a beam of searing light entwined with crackling lightning fell from the sky like divine judgment.
BOOM!
A thunderous roar erupted as the beam exploded upon impact, its radius engulfing Bai Guxu's hulking form. Buildings vaporized under the pressure. Within the light, Bai Guxu's frame shrank rapidly, his resistance crumbling.
He struggled, but could not escape the disintegration. Within seconds, his massive body dissolved into spirit particles and vanished.
What remained was devastation.
Rukia and her companions stared, breathless, as the light faded and revealed a figure floating above.
A familiar silhouette stood amidst the clouds.
Loose black hair veiled part of his face, but Rukia recognized him instantly.
"Brother Moyu!"
Seeing him unharmed stirred visible relief in her eyes. Moyu hovered in the air, right hand pressed against a gleaming mirror, thunder still dancing across his fingertips.
In his grip was one of the Shihouin family's secret artifacts—the Spirit Amplifier. Using its mirrored surface, it magnified Kidō spells below level seventy with formidable precision.
Clearly, this tool surpassed the old Zhuomu Ritual in both control and power.
"Only 30% power... and still such a result." Moyu mused, eyes flickering with interest. "These artifacts have promise. They're worth deeper study."
Descending from the sky, Moyu landed beside Rukia.
"Be ready," he said, locking eyes with her. His tone was stern but warm. "Rukia, never forget—what your brother says is always right."
Looking into those calm, deep eyes, Rukia's heart wavered slightly—especially after just being rescued. A warm flush rose to her cheeks and she quickly lowered her head.
"...Mm," she murmured softly.
But the battle wasn't over.
The number of Menos Grandes across the Soul Burial District was rising fast.
Together, Moyu, Rukia, and the others moved through the shattered cityscape, doing their best to protect any surviving students. Following fluctuating spiritual pressure, they arrived at a vast, open area.
"This… this is—"
"Why are there so many Gillians?!"
The teammates froze at the sight ahead. They, who had never faced true Hollows, now beheld a nightmare.
Colossal silhouettes towered over the buildings, their oppressive Reiatsu thick as tar, smothering the air itself. Breathing became laborious under its weight.
In the midst of it, Hisagi Shūhei stood firm, shielding several younger students. Blood flowed from his injured right eye.
Abarai Renji and others had not retreated either. They fought head-on, refusing to flee.
But their efforts were futile. Even their strongest attacks could not pierce the Menos Grandes' hierro. The difference in power was overwhelming.
Death loomed.
"Hadō #4: Byakurai."
A sharp whisper, soft as the wind, brushed past Rukia's ears.
Startled, she turned toward Moyu. She meant to speak, but in that moment—
CRACK!
The night sky split apart.
A brilliant streak of lightning, like a blade from the heavens, burst from Moyu's fingertip.
BOOM!
The shockwave thundered outward, cracking the ground beneath and blasting toward the Menos Grandes. In a breath, searing white lightning swallowed the towering figures.
And suddenly—
The battlefield blazed like day.