BLEACH: UNOHANA RETSU IS MY WIFE

When Araki returned to the Hueco Mundo subjugation team's camp, he was greeted by the sight of Hollow remains scattered across the battlefield, and a ragged group of 11th Division shinigami, battered and bruised.

"Captain, you're back!"

A few shinigami instinctively nodded in respect upon seeing him, but most were gathered outside the hot springs, silently staring at the floating data before them, seemingly lost in thought. Even high-ranking figures like Kadori Taketsuna, Zenjoji Arihime, and Saito Furobushi stood in solemn silence. Each of them looked withdrawn, brooding over what had transpired.

"This ranking is... pretty much what I expected," Araki muttered, eyeing the floating report. His own name remained at the top with 320 points, followed by Unohana's 280. Behind them were Taketsuna and the other captains, all scoring over 100. As for the regular 11th Division shinigami—they had earned zero points.

It was within Araki's expectations that ordinary shinigami couldn't take down Gillians. But the relatively low scores of the other captains caught his attention.

"What's wrong with them?" Araki asked Unohana Retsu, who stood nearby.

"Ah~ Araki, you're back~ Looks like you've wrapped up your part," Unohana said softly, then turned her gaze toward the brooding shinigami of the 11th Division and shook her head slightly. "As for them... they're in shock. After watching you slay over thirty Gillians with ease, they assumed these lower-tier Hollows were weaklings. But in truth, these Gillians were much tougher than expected."

"Zenjoji Arihime, for example—after cutting down eleven Gillians with his Zanpakutō, he foolishly put it away and tried to crush the next Killian's head with his bare hands. That got him seriously injured by a barrage of Ceros."

"Ah, seriously..." Araki facepalmed. Did he really think he was some old hermit master trying to one-punch Hollows with his fists?!

"And then, Executor Taketsuna tried to retrieve his body, only to get caught in the blast and wounded herself. She had already taken down twenty Gillians but had to retreat early due to her injuries."

"The idiot Immortal blew all his spiritual pressure at once by immediately releasing his Bankai upon entering the forest. He managed to kill fourteen Gillians before collapsing from exhaustion. I had to retrieve him myself..."

"As for Captain Shijima and Captain Nigu—one's been opportunistically hanging back, while the other's been busy dissecting Killian corpses for research. And the remaining 11th Division shinigami... they may be tough, but fighting Hollows of this caliber is beyond them."

Unohana's field report on the "Heroic Mundo Expeditionary Force's" first assault on the Forest of Hollows was... sobering.

As she finished, Taketsuna, Zenjoji, and the others could only lower their heads in shame. It was humiliating. If they'd fallen to a Vasto Lorde or even a dozen Adjuchas, that would have been understandable. But to be outplayed by a bunch of Gillians due to carelessness?

Pathetic.

If the old man guarding the Seireitei heard this, he'd think the founding captains had become completely useless in Hueco Mundo. If this were written down and passed on to future generations, they'd be mocked—"Hah! The original Gotei 13? Taken out by Gillians? They're barely on Kensei Muguruma's level!"

As for Unohana, the reason she only had a modest kill count wasn't because she lacked the strength—it was because she never actively hunted Gillians. She watched the battlefield, stepping in only to save comrades in danger.

"What a mess..." Araki muttered, his eye twitching slightly. The original Gotei 13 hadn't adapted to their enemies. It was clear they lacked experience fighting inhuman opponents. Techniques designed for battling Shinigami or Quincies simply didn't apply here. The first campaign into the Forest of Hollows had ended in disappointment.

Still, Araki didn't panic. They had time. Time to familiarize themselves with the nature of the Hollows and adjust.

"What they need now is a victory to rally behind," Unohana said, glancing sideways with a faint smile.

"I know." Araki nodded.

"Damn it! Why are these Hollows so strong?!"

"Do we even stand a chance against monsters like that?!"

"This place… this Hueco Mundo... it's not for people like us…"

Inside the hot springs, the 11th Division shinigami sat with glazed eyes as their wounds slowly healed. Ironically, the restorative fluid they bathed in was made from the corpses of the Hollows their captains had slain. They had become burdens.

"Everyone... look up!"

Araki's voice suddenly echoed from the sky.

"Eh?!"

The shinigami looked up in confusion—just in time to see something massive descending.

It was the severed head of a colossal Hollow.

A clone of... Jijiba.

Even though it was merely a clone of Jijiba, the Reiatsu emanating from its head far surpassed that of an average Hollow. Even the ordinary Shinigami shinigami felt a chill run down their spines, paralyzed by fear just from looking at it.

"Everyone," Araki asked the shinigami of the 11th Division, "do you think he's strong?"

"..."

The shinigami looked at one another, unable to say a single word. It was as if something was lodged in their throats, blocking any response. But deep in their hearts, they all knew—the Hollow was undoubtedly powerful, far beyond anything they could handle.

"This Hollow is incredibly strong! Far stronger than you ordinary shinigami... even stronger than some captain-class Shinigami!"

Before they could respond, Araki had already answered for them.

"Yes! Against such a powerful Hollow, you're completely useless..."

The shinigami bit their lips, faces stiffening. But when they heard Araki's blunt assessment, it was as if a veil had been torn from their minds. Their teeth clenched. Their pride burned. They admitted their weakness.

"But so what?! That powerful Hollow is dead now! I killed him! And you—you're still alive!"

Araki's voice sliced through their shame like a blade, fierce and clear.

"Hmm? That... that makes sense!"

The shinigami blinked, stunned by Araki's words.

They turned to look at the 'dead' Jijiba. Yes—he had been terrifying. But hadn't he still fallen? What's the point of being strong... if you can't survive? In the end, survival is strength.

"Don't fear the Hollows! No matter how powerful they are, none are stronger than me! And don't look down on yourselves! Since I brought you here, you have a place—each and every one of you!"

"So charge forward! You never need to worry about the enemy's strength—I will slay any foe beyond you. You—you need only grip your swords tightly... and swing them for your beliefs!"

Araki's voice thundered across the battlefield, burning into their hearts.

"Ohhhh!!!"

The shinigami of the 11th Division were speechless for a moment—then, as one, they rose to their feet, unsheathing their Zanpakutō and roaring into the sky.

Just as Araki had said—they didn't need to be like him. Araki was this generation's Kenpachi, the most powerful warrior in the Seireitei, second only to Captain-Commander Yamamoto. Comparing themselves to him was meaningless.

They were the blades at his side—the 11th Division's swords!

"Now, let us wash away the haze in our hearts with the blood of the Great Hollows! Let our resounding victory mark the first step of the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force in this brutal land!"

"Remember—there are no rivals ahead of us!"

Araki raised his Zanpakutō, pointing it at the dark, endless expanse of the Great Hollow Forest.

"Kill!!"

"As long as Captain Araki stands with us... the 11th Division is invincible!"

With their captain's will surging through them, the shinigami roared in unison, blades gleaming, as they charged once more into the deadly depths of the Great Hollow Forest.

Just as Araki had declared—there were no challengers left for the 11th Division.

Later chronicles would record this day as the awakening of the original Demonic 11th Division.

From that moment on, the strength of the 11th's shinigami surged, and they became a force that could not be stopped.

Legend holds that when the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force returned to Soul Society after a hundred-year campaign, every single soldier of the original Demonic 11th Division possessed the overwhelming combat power of a Killian-class Hollow.

They were known as the strongest unit in the history of the Seireitei...

On the other side, watching his shinigami' blood ignite, Araki let a smile curl across his lips.

"Let me see it—your limits... Don't let me down~"

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