In an instant, the Shinigami who had been fleeing like beaten dogs suddenly rallied with overwhelming morale.
The deaths of their comrades and the terror of being hunted had pushed them beyond their limits. Fueled by hatred and fury, they turned and launched a suicidal charge at the Adjuchas.
Just as higher-tier Menos in Hueco Mundo could dominate their lesser kin, the Soul Society had its own unspoken hierarchy.
In this world where a single individual could decide battles, a single powerhouse could provide immeasurable psychological support to an entire group.
Like Yamamoto Genryūsai for the Gotei 13.
Or Fujimiya Makoto for these retreating Shinigami.
The wolf-like Adjuchas that had been toying with its prey froze the moment it sensed the two overwhelming spiritual pressures. It immediately turned to flee in the opposite direction.
But Fujimiya was far faster.
BOOM—
The air split as a vacuum tunnel tore through the sky.
The pale desert exploded under the force, a sandstorm erupting as a deep trench was carved into the dunes.
"Ikkyaku!"
Fujimiya's foot slammed into the Adjuchas' midsection with devastating force.
The massive body—relative to a Shinigami—was sent flying, steel-like skin dented by the sheer impact. The sound of shattering bones echoed as its torso folded unnaturally.
Before it could react, Fujimiya followed up with a crushing Ikkotsu, his fist smashing into its mask with enough force to crater the wolf-like skull.
The surrounding Shinigami could only watch in stunned silence.
Though they'd known Vice-Captain Fujimiya's strength bordered on "captain-level," seeing the Adjuchas that had slaughtered half their squad get obliterated in seconds was a sobering reminder of the gap between the strong and the weak.
Fujimiya, however, paid no attention to their reactions. He casually lifted the massive corpse and tossed it aside.
Harribel burst from the sand below, her claws effortlessly tearing the wolf Adjuchas in half, ending its brief existence.
As Harribel began her meal, Fujimiya cracked his neck slightly.
Ever since forcibly using Hakotsu Shin last time, he'd noticed his ability to overlay "will" over "body" had improved significantly.
Fists, elbows, knees, feet—all flowed more naturally now.
In a way, he'd made it his own.
Meanwhile, Saitō was questioning the surviving Shinigami about their squad number, assigned zone, and names.
But halfway through, her voice suddenly sharpened:
"...More than one?"
"Yes, Captain Saitō!" the lead Shinigami replied hastily. "Originally, three squads were assigned to eliminate a Gillian together."
"But after we killed it, over a dozen Adjuchas appeared out of nowhere!"
"And—and they deliberately split us up, herding us toward Zones 2, 19, and 30!"
"By the end, only this one was chasing us. The others... we don't know where they went."
Hearing this, both Saitō and Fujimiya's pupils constricted simultaneously.
These three zones were the farthest from their base, each in entirely different directions.
They knew exactly what this meant—their forces were being stretched thin.
Multiple zones would be left vulnerable as teams scrambled to deal with the sudden Adjuchas assaults.
And with so many Adjuchas mobilized at once... there had to be a Vasto Lorde orchestrating this.
Combined with the recent spike in Adjuchas alerts, the pieces suddenly clicked in Fujimiya's mind.
They've been using Adjuchas to probe our patrol routes and response patterns!
Was this Las Noches' doing?
What are they planning?
Normally, after seeing the Expeditionary Force's strength, these self-preserving creatures wouldn't act recklessly...
"Makoto!"
Just as Fujimiya was lost in thought, Saitō suddenly called out to him.
At the same time, his Automated Processing Device began updating.
The previously sparse screen now displayed over a dozen new red dots scattered across the map.
One in Zone 19 was particularly large and vivid.
A Vasto Lorde marker.
They were masking their spiritual pressure earlier!
And in that area... there were still many low-ranking Expeditionary Force members.
...This is an open trap.
Fujimiya's mind raced as he glanced at Saitō, waiting for his decision.
But then he abruptly changed his approach.
"Split up!"
He made the call instantly. "Saitō, can you handle the Vasto Lorde?"
"Quit yapping," Saitō scoffed, entirely unbothered. "You don't die to some random Adjuchas."
"Yeah, yeah."
Having grown accustomed to following Fujimiya's judgment, Saitō immediately accepted and shot off toward Zone 19 without hesitation.
Only after she left did Fujimiya turn in the opposite direction, his expression darkening.
Is this the only trap?
Or are both sides rigged?
Harribel glanced between the two before quickly choosing to follow Fujimiya.
After living together this long, she could tell who genuinely cared for her—even if his tastes were a bit... unusual.
---
But when they arrived at the spiritual pressure signal's location, there was no Adjuchas in sight.
Only an expanse of pale sand.
And at its center—a cluster of white bone pillars.
Harribel's masked eyes narrowed as she sensed the spiritual pressure emanating from the pillars.
Fujimiya, however, looked almost relieved, as if he'd expected this.
Then he turned toward another direction.
Rustle—
Szayelaporro Granz emerged from the sands, standing beside the bone pillars with his signature twisted grin.
"As I thought."
"That alchemical device of yours tracks us via spiritual pressure, doesn't it?"
"How careless of you."
He spread his arms theatrically, oozing arrogance as if he'd already won, enunciating each word:
"You..."
"Have taken the bait!"
Yet when he looked up, Fujimiya wore an expression of mild distress.
Szayelaporro's smile faltered slightly.
"True." Fujimiya nodded gravely, as if facing some dilemma. "But you're male... This is my first time encountering such a troublesome situation."
"Such poor compatibility."
"Huh?"
Szayelaporro blinked, confused.
But before he could process the words, Fujimiya slowly raised his head.
What reflected in Szayelaporro's pupils was a distinctly unhinged grin.
What's with that expression...?
Does he have some hidden card to play?
And what did he mean by that?
Before Szayelaporro could ponder further, Fujimiya's cheerful voice reached his ears, brimming with manic delight:
"But... oh well!"
"The meaning of life lies in constant experimentation."
"Right, Mr. Szayelaporro?"
The moment those words registered, Szayelaporro felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine.
Something terrible is about to happen.