Sowhere above the vast ocean of the World of the Living, on another naless island, the Shinigami executed a synchronized assault without a word exchanged.
All attacks converged on the mysterious entity at the center.
"We did it!"
"Daiki, I avenged you!"
A wave of relief rippled through the ranks—except for Higashi Shuuichi. His expression remained frozen, eyes sharp.
"Was it really that easy?"
Despite the layered detonations, thick with smoke and fla, Shuuichi couldn't sense any spiritual pressure from the entity. It looked like they had obliterated it—but he wasn't letting his guard down.
Because he rembered what this thing was called.
Dragon.
Not from Hueco Mundo. Not from Soul Society—at least, not the Eastern Branch of it.
No, "Dragon" was the designation used by the Western Branch of Soul Society for their own class of dangerous creatures. And technically, both the East and West ford the complete Soul Society.
But in practice?
Even the Great Spirit Book Gallery, said to chronicle all of Soul Society's history, contained only fragnted ntions of the West.
And no matter how hard Shuuichi searched his mory—of the Bleach ani, the manga, even the novels—he couldn't recall a single reference to the Western Branch.
Not even Yhwach, that self-proclaid omniscient Quincy King, had ever acknowledged its existence.
He'd only stumbled on the ntion of "Dragons" while helping Aizen aimlessly browse the Great Spirit Book Gallery, where one sentence stuck with him:
"Dragons are similar to Hollows, yet fundantally different."
One sentence. But less is more—when sothing's barely ntioned, it tends to be the most dangerous.
And now, it was relevant.
The smoke cleared. Nothing remained at the impact zone—only a transparent, prism-shaped gem floated in the air, catching sunlight and scattering it into rainbows.
Shuuichi rembered it. That gem had once been embedded in the center of the creature's tuning fork-shaped skull.
The surrounding Shinigami burst into cheers.
One bold Seated Officer leapt into the air, reaching for the floating crystal—
Shlick!
A shadow fell from above. No sound, no warning.
"Tarou!"
The others shouted, but it was too late. The one who reached out didn't even have ti to react.
"Advance, Strategist! Zen Heisha—Lightning!"
A bolt of green lightning tore across the sky. Shuuichi threw himself between the officer and the descending creature.
"Bakudō #73: Ice Formation—Inverted Mountain Crystal!"
An inverted pyramid of translucent ice burst into formation around them, its crystalline surface slowing everything caught within.
He'd prepared for this. Reacted instantly. Executed flawlessly.
But even then, it wasn't fast enough.
His power was still sealed—80% of it locked away, as per Soul Society's restriction on Captains and Vice-Captains entering the World of the Living.
Two flat, paddle-like arms crashed down on the icy barrier, locking it in place before it could fully seal. Then that split-pronged skull slid forward, unraveling like a hundred black ribbons, stabbing inward to devour Shuuichi and the injured officer inside.
"I won't let you! Assassinate—Suzubachi!"
Soifon's Zanpakutō morphed into a stinger-shaped gauntlet on her right hand. And then—she was gone. Reappearing in an instant on top of the ice crystal.
Everything slowed.
"Shuuichi-sama's ability slows everything down... including ?" she thought, surprised. This was her first ti fighting at his side.
But no matter—she stabbed.
A black butterfly crest blood on the creature's flesh. The first strike of Nigeki Kessatsu.
A second blow to that mark ant instant death—unless the enemy's spiritual pressure vastly outclassed hers.
And this Dragon didn't. Not even close.
But it was smart.
Smarter than Hollows. Smarter than Gillians.
It felt the threat. In a flash of instinct, it severed its own limb—cutting off the part of its body bearing the death mark.
Purple-black blood sprayed like rain.
"Shuuichi-sama, are you—ah!"
The Ice Crystal dispersed, and Soifon tumbled—straight into Shuuichi's arms.
The other wounded Shinigami was caught midair by Bakudō #37: Suspending Star.
"I'm fine, Soifon," Shuuichi murmured, eyes never leaving the Dragon. Its pained screeches echoed as it writhed in agony, minus a limb and bleeding profusely.
Even though its spiritual pressure hadn't reached even an Adjuchas-class, its performance had been... disturbing.
"A perfect test subject," Shuuichi mused.
Whether he handed it to Mayuri Kurotsuchi to gain favor, or to Aizen as a bargaining chip, it was a prize either way.
"Wall of iron sand, tower of the monk, glowing iron... determined and silent—Bakudō #75: Fire—Five Pillars of Iron!"
With its regeneration ability lacking that of a Vasto Lorde, the creature was vulnerable. Shuuichi didn't bother unlocking his limiter. He ordered the others to stall while he completed the incantation.
Five glowing-red iron stakes fell from the sky like divine punishnt.
The Dragon, too maid to dodge, flailed hopelessly.
And Gin had been waiting.
"Shoot to kill—Shinsō!"
The familiar silver blade launched forth again.
This ti, the Dragon had no options left.
It could only watch the spear pierce its body.
But the ending they'd anticipated... never ca.
A blinding beam shot from across the ocean horizon, parting the waves with a thunderous roar.
It shattered Shuuichi's Five Pillars in an instant.
"Tch... figures it wouldn't be that easy."
Shuuichi sighed, turning his gaze toward the source of the light.
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