BLEACH: UNOHANA RETSU IS MY WIFE

"Roar!"

Within the pitch-black Forest of Hollows, towering figures clad in black robes with elongated-nose masks—Gillians, each as tall as a building—let out primal roars at the incoming Shinigami.

Though mindless beasts devoid of higher thought, the Gillians instinctively retaliated against threats.

Upon sensing Araki—a formidable enemy—infiltrating the Shinigami ranks, they opened their cavernous jaws, gathering spirit particles into orbs of crimson light.

"Oh no! It's a Cero! Everyone, take cover!"

Beads of sweat formed on the foreheads of the 11th Division shinigami as they watched the Gillians charge their attacks.

The Cero blasts unleashed by these Hollows were devastating—comparable to Kidō spells wielded by vice-captains, even capable of injuring captains if caught off guard.

In fact, the first expedition to the Great Hollow Forest had failed precisely because they had underestimated the Hollows' might.

"Intimidate them—Lapis Lazuli Light!"

Aware of his comrades' fear, Araki swept his Zanpakutō outward. With a dazzling flash, a cerulean light illuminated the battlefield. Countless swords of spirit particles emerged, forming a radiant wall between the shinigami and the incoming blast.

"Swish!"

At that moment, the Gillians released their Ceros.

"Boom!"

The rain of spirit swords collided with the crimson beams in mid-air. The shockwave of energy quaked the forest—but miraculously, the two attacks canceled each other out.

Any master of Hadō or Bakudō would have been left speechless by Araki's feat. Neutralizing a Gillian's Cero with pure spiritual technique was an impossibility for most—unless, of course, one had the ability to glimpse into the future and control spirit particles with absolute precision.

"What... was that?!"

The shinigami froze, staring at the dissipating light. They had never imagined that a Hollow's Cero could be blocked so cleanly.

"Don't stand there! Attack the Hollows now!"

Araki didn't pursue the Gillians further—this was a training mission, not a contest for kill counts.

"Yes, sir!"

The 11th Division troops responded immediately, unsheathing their Zanpakutō and charging the weakened Gillians.

"Swish!"

With a flash of steel, the beasts fell. Once thought invincible, the Gillians dropped to the sand like felled trees.

"We… we killed them?"

Stunned, the shinigami stared at their bloodstained blades. They had slain Gillians—something they believed only captains could do. Now, even they could cut down monsters.

"Swish!"

Just as realization struck, another wave of Ceros came screaming toward them.

The Hollows had no interest in epiphanies. While the Shinigami hesitated, another barrage lit up the forest.

"Run!"

One observant soldier shouted a warning—but it was too late.

"What?!"

The Ceros fired.

Their faces paled as death approached—until a white haori suddenly stepped into view.

It was Araki.

"Captain! Get out of there!"

Panic overtook the shinigami. They would rather die than see their commander harmed.

"Danger?"

Araki extended a single hand toward the incoming attacks.

Then—the world froze.

The Ceros stopped mid-air, as if time itself had halted. Araki caught each one with his bare hands, molding them into a single sphere of crimson energy.

With a casual flick, he hurled it back at the Gillians like a bowling ball.

"BOOM!"

The explosion was colossal. The very Hollows that had attacked were vaporized by their own power, sent soaring skyward in a mushroom cloud of destruction.

"Waaaah!"

Crimson rain fell from the sky.

Araki, standing calmly beneath a spirit particle umbrella, raised his voice.

"The word 'danger'—that's for you... and the Hollows who dare lay eyes upon me."

The shinigami stared, speechless. A moment ago, they had tried to warn him. Now, they felt both awe and shame. Yet, above all, they were proud—proud to serve under this man.

"Don't stop. Don't release your swords."

"Move forward! Slash down all who block your path!"

With one outstretched finger, Araki pointed forward.

"Understood!"

The 11th Division shinigami responded with determination, following his lead.

"Recover—Ruriko."

Sensing their spirit, Araki smiled and changed his release command.

A gentle rain began to fall—his Shikai's healing rain. It washed over the shinigami, soothing their fatigue and restoring them to full strength.

"Now, let's continue."

Araki's voice was soft, but his presence filled the battlefield.

"Yeah!"

The shinigami, now revitalized, charged again.

Rest? Araki scoffed. In his previous life, he hated the '996' work culture. But now that he was a true leader with overwhelming power, even that felt like a joke.

To serve under Araki meant being battle-ready 24/7. If someone fought for a hundred years and was still mediocre, they had no place in the 11th Division.

The battle raged on.

The Shinigami of Squad 11, fearless and unrelenting, mastered a cycle of battle: slash, recover, return—true instruments of war.

"Three Gillian footprints—300 meters northwest!"

The scouts reported quickly.

"Alright, just as planned."

"Team One, bait ready!"

"Team Two, standby to evacuate the wounded!"

"Team Three—strike after the Cero is released. Weaken and finish it!"

A Chief Officer stood behind the shinigami, commanding them continuously.

"Team One, in position!"

"Team Two, in position!"

"Team Three, in position!"

"Okay, battle begins..."

As the Chief Officer spoke, the shinigami instantly began their mission.

"Look here, beast!"

Several highly mobile and defensive shinigami appeared directly in Gillian's sight as he wandered around, waving at him.

"Roar!"

The Gillian roared, and began to gather his Hollows.

"Ready..."

The decoy group, watching the Hollows from the Gillian's mouth, prepared to flee at any moment.

"Boom!"

As the crimson light converged, the Shinigami shinigami immediately used Flash Step to escape.

Finally, the Gillian's Hollows struck the forest, causing a violent explosion.

"Now!"

Just as the Gillian released his Hollows, the Shinigami shinigami who had circled behind him drew their Zanpakutō and slashed at the three Hollows.

"Swish!"

With a splash of blood, the three Hollows suddenly fell to the ground.

"Success! We succeeded! This time, we defeated the Hollows without Captain Araki's involvement..."

Although there were only three Gillians, and this was the result of the entire 11th Division, the shinigami were still excited. This was a start from scratch...

"Not bad!"

Araki nodded slightly, acknowledging the tactical success of the Shinigami shinigami.

This was a victory of 'intelligence'...

After the 11th Division shinigami discovered the Gillians' low intelligence, they spontaneously divided the entire division into three groups...

The first group consisted of shinigami skilled in either Flash Step or Defense. They had two main tasks: first, to find the Gillians, and second, to lure them into attacking them.

The second group's mission was to quickly extract any shinigami who failed to dodge the Gillians' attacks and hand them off to Araki for treatment...

As for the final third group, all members were powerful officers, and they were the ones who would personally deliver the fatal blows to the Gillians!

The 11th Division's shinigami exploited the Gillian's simple-minded nature, using his instincts to direct his lower-level Hollows to their specific locations, where they could then deliver the ultimate blow.

In fact, initially, the 11th Division's lack of experience led to frequent mistakes...

For example, the first "bait team" often encountered situations where members failed to dodge the Gillians' Hollows or underestimated their power, allowing the Gillian to pierce their defenses.

The same was true for the second and third groups. The second group often failed to provide timely rescue, while the third group often failed to kill their enemies and was ultimately killed.

Araki was forced to rescue these shinigami, but after about thirty or forty rounds of annihilation, the situation changed dramatically.

The 11th Division's shinigami seemed to have mastered the Gillian's movements and began methodically eliminating the Gillians in the forest.

"We've won!"

For a moment, the members of the 11th Division cheered. It was as if they had already defeated the Hollows, conquered the entire Hollow Forest, and the Hueco Mundo expedition had been successfully completed...

But how could this be possible?! If victory were so easy, why would Araki have gone to all the trouble of building that damned "Resurrection Fountain" for both sides?! The game had only just begun...

The members of the 11th Division had barely passed the novice protection period; it was time to get tough!

"Pa, pa, pa..."

Araki, who had been applauding his fellow shinigami, suddenly wavered in faith and called out to Baraggan in the distance.

This was Araki's modified version of Tenteikura, usable even by Hollows.

"Baraggan, send out the Adjuchas you think have potential!"

Araki's voice slowly rose in Baraggan's heart.

"I will obey Lord Araki's orders!"

Baraggan, drowsy on his throne in 'Kyakuya Palace', suddenly woke up. A strange red light seemed to flicker in his dark eyes.

"Very good..."

"The 'hot springs' are built, and our shinigami are trained. Next, we need to deploy our hero units."

Araki looked at the delighted shinigami of the 11th Division, his lips curled slightly.

The battle that followed would no longer be a battle between ordinary shinigami and the "Gillians." Captain-level Shinigami, along with a host of mid-level and higher Hollows, would also enter the fray...

"Huh~"

As each Adjuchas, emanating a strange spiritual pressure, entered the "Forest of Hollows," the Gillians suddenly fell eerily silent.

Elsewhere, with countless flashes of cold light, Gillians were hacked to pieces by the likes of "The Immortal," "Executioner Taketsuna," and "Zenjoji Arihime"!

Once these first-generation captains were no longer on their guard, the Gillians posed little threat to them, mere moving targets, breathing, small fry...

"Who else? Not a single one capable of fighting!"

Saito, her blood-stained Zanpakutō hefted, stepped on the long snout of a Gillian corpse, her delicate pink tongue gently licking the corner of her mouth. Saito stood up again.

"I ask, are you the King's enemy?"

Just as Saito relaxed, a massive shadow suddenly descended upon her head.

"Huh?!"

Saito immediately distanced herself and looked up, only to see a spider-like Hollow glaring at her coldly, speaking in human language.

Meanwhile,

one or more Hollows, each with spiritual pressure far exceeding that of a Gillian, appeared before Unohana Retsu, Kono Taketsuna, Zenjoji Arihime, Shijima Chigiri, and Nigushi Saizo.

"Adjuchas!"

The moment the captains laid eyes on these Hollows, who differed from Gillians in appearance, either enormous or even smaller, their answers came to mind.

"Just in time!"

The next moment, endless fighting spirit emanated from the first-generation captains of Squad 13; they were the "killer embryos."

"The show is about to begin!"

Elsewhere, Araki, the chief director of Hueco Mundo, found a vantage point and quietly admired the annual drama between the Shinigami and the Hollows.

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