Silence.
Total silence.
Even though the monstrous roars echoed from below, the five people in the room stood frozen, locked in awkward stillness.
Ichigo's eyes were practically popping out of his head. Sure, he knew Nanaya was brave... but this was insane.
The Shinigami girl standing in front of him — small as she was — had a sword on her waist.
Meanwhile, Rukia herself blinked in disbelief, staring at the... "salted pig hand" casually resting on her chest. For a moment, her brain completely stalled.
And Nanaya?
Nanaya was still looking down in deep confusion, even squeezing the left side of Rukia's chest a little.
Squish.
He frowned slightly."No... not this one," he muttered.
Without hesitation, he switched hands.
Squish, squish.
"...Not that either."
Finally, under Rukia's increasingly horrified gaze, Nanaya seemed to realize something. He placed his palm horizontally across her chest — almost covering the whole thing because of her petite size — and his eyes lit up:
"Aha! This is it!"
A wave of warmth pulsed through his hand, flowing from Rukia's body straight into his mind, like a mysterious current.
Then—
"WAIT... WAIT!!! What are you doing, you BASTARD!!!"
Rukia finally exploded.
Face burning red, she yanked out her Zanpakutō in a flash, her hands trembling from shame and rage.
"TAKE! YOUR! HAND! AWAY!!" she screamed, voice cracking slightly with the urge to cry.
Since childhood, even when she was still living in Rukongai, Rukia had always been agile and tough, never allowing anyone to take advantage of her. After being adopted into the noble Kuchiki family, her pride only grew stronger.
Never — never — had she experienced anything so humiliating.
"Huh?"
Nanaya blinked, then looked down at his hand.
Realizing what he had done, his face turned crimson, and he pulled his hand back quickly:
"Sorry, sorry! I didn't even realize it was your chest! I just wanted to, uh, feel around!"
WHAT IS HE EVEN SAYING!? Rukia roared inside her mind.
Teeth grinding together, she raised her sword and declared:
"Prepare to die, you little pervert!"
Meanwhile, Ichigo was watching everything, absolutely dead inside.
"Nanaya," Ichigo muttered, "you said there was a ghost outside... but isn't the real ghost YOU, you damn pervert!?"
He snorted. "Also, didn't expect you to be into that kind of body type."
Nanaya muttered defensively, "I didn't even notice her chest!"
Bang!
Without warning, Rukia kicked Ichigo across the room with a straight shot to the face.
"You shut up too!!" she yelled, pointing her sword at him, face black with rage.
"Huh!? Why me!?" Ichigo howled, stunned.
On the sidelines, Kurosaki Karin and Yuzu were almost crying in frustration.
"Nanaya-nii! Ichigo! And that strange girl! Stop fighting!" Karin pointed frantically toward the hallway."The monster's getting closer!!"
Yuzu wiped her tears, sobbing, "The wall's already broken... we have to run..."
"What!?"
Rukia's expression instantly changed.
At that moment, a deafening roar came from outside the bedroom.
The Menos Grande — tall, monstrous, its pale white mask gleaming — had made it to the second floor.
Its massive body slammed against the doorframe, cracking the walls and raining gravel everywhere.
"Hollow!!" Rukia gasped, her pupils shrinking in fear.
She turned and glared at Nanaya, gritting her teeth:
"WHY didn't you say anything earlier!?"
Nanaya simply shrugged.
"I did say we needed Ultraman," he said casually.
Without wasting another second, Nanaya scooped up Yuzu and Karin, dashed to the window — and jumped.
"This damn pervert... when this is over, he's dead!" Rukia growled, leaping after him.
Even Ichigo, still tied up by Bakudō, managed to awkwardly stumble after them and hurl himself through the window.
As the four of them landed outside, the Menos Grande smashed through the wall with a deafening BOOM, collapsing the window frame completely.
The monster fell heavily to the ground, leaving two giant craters where its feet landed.
Without hesitation, Rukia drew her Zanpakutō, stepping protectively in front of the others.
"Stay behind me!" she ordered sharply. "This is not an enemy you can handle!"
"Y-Yeah..." Ichigo stammered, nodding blankly. His worldview was shattering by the second.
Sword in hand, Rukia charged.
Though small, she was fast and ruthless — with a few swift slashes, she severed the Menos Grande's limbs.
As the beast stumbled backward, she raised her right hand and began chanting:
"O Lord, mask of blood and flesh, all creation, fluttering wings...Name bearer of humanity! Scorch the land and sea with crimson, turn all to ash!Hadō #31: Shakkahō!"
BOOM!
A fiery blast erupted from Rukia's hand, slamming directly into the Menos Grande's mask.
The monster wailed in agony as its head shattered into fragments.
Its body dissolved into black spiritual particles and vanished into the night.
"It's over," Rukia exhaled, sheathing her sword.
Meanwhile, on the roof of Kurosaki Hospital...
Two middle-aged men stood in the shadows, silently watching the scene below.
"Captain Kurosaki — he's down!"
"No way! Catch two more!"
"..."
"Shinigami, behind you!"
Ichigo's voice suddenly cracked through the chaos as he pointed frantically behind Rukia.
"Huh?"
Rukia whirled around — just in time to see a black crack tear open the air.
From it flew a Menos Grande — but this one was even more grotesque, its green skin stretched tight over its frame, huge bat-like wings flapping against the night.
Before Rukia could react, the creature lunged.
Chomp!
Its fangs sank deep into her shoulder.
"Ugh!"
Blood gushed from the wound, staining her white uniform a deep, ugly red.
Grinding her teeth through the searing pain, Rukia swung her Zanpakutō with all her strength, slicing a wound into the Hollow's face.
The monster recoiled, screeching, and Rukia stumbled backward, collapsing in front of Nanaya and the others.
She hit the ground hard, kneeling, her vision swimming.
"How... how could I miss a second Hollow's reiatsu?" she gasped, her mind spinning.
But before she could even catch her breath, another black rift tore open.
From it, yet another Menos Grande emerged, eyes gleaming with savage hunger.
Now — two Menos Grande stood before them, looming like titans, their gaping mouths slavering at the sight of their prey.
Rukia's heart clenched in disbelief.
"A third one...?"
"This is getting out of hand," Nanaya muttered grimly.
He threw a glance toward Kurosaki Hospital, then tightened his grip on the metal baseball bat.
Yuzu and Karin clutched at his sleeves in terror. Without hesitation, Nanaya shifted his stance to shield them with his own body.
He wasn't sure what fate Ichigo would choose — but he sure as hell wouldn't let these two girls get hurt.
The Menos Grande roared in unison.
Their cries split the night sky as they barreled forward, their massive bodies trembling the earth with every step.
"Not good!" Rukia gasped.
She tried to stand, but a fresh wave of pain exploded from her shoulder. She collapsed again, clutching the bleeding wound.
"It's too serious... I can't move!"
"Then I'll do it!!"
Ichigo roared, his face twisted with determination.
With a grunt of effort, he broke the Kidō binding that had been holding him back. Sparks crackled around him as the spell shattered.
Without a moment's hesitation, Ichigo charged one of the Menos Grande head-on, fist raised.
"Idiot!" Rukia cried out, reaching a hand toward him. "You're no match for them!"
But before she could finish, Nanaya was already moving.
Dragging the metal bat along the ground with a metallic screech, he stepped forward — and swung.
CRACK!
The bat smashed directly into the Menos Grande's face.
The hollow mask — supposedly impervious to ordinary attacks — fractured with a sharp crack.
Rukia's jaw dropped.
"Wh-what!?"
Still kneeling, hand pressed to her wound, she stared in disbelief.
How!?
He hadn't used any spiritual pressure — no Shinigami powers, no Kidō — just raw, brutal strength.
That's impossible! she thought, stunned. No normal human could do that...!
Blood dripping down his arm, Nanaya stood tall, bat in hand, facing the monstrous Hollow without a hint of fear.
His messy hair whipped in the night wind, his calm gaze locked on the enemy.
Rukia's heart pounded wildly.
"Just... what kind of guy is he...?"
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