The moment Bailergang's words fell.
Without needing any instructions or commands, all the Adjuchas following behind him charged toward Genryusai Shigekuni as if they couldn't wait any longer.
A cacophony of piercing roars merged into a wave, forming a deafening howl.
"Roar——"
Genryusai Shigekuni remained silent, standing still.
With a cold expression, Taketsuru Baien's figure stirred slightly, and she lunged forward with her spear.
"Kurikara·Yūhina."
In the next moment, her slender figure suddenly accelerated, vanishing from her original spot like a phantom.
When she reappeared, in front of every Adjuchas leading the charge, it was as if Taketsuru Baien's shadow had multiplied. Her naginata swept through the air, slicing through the blazing white waves with a deafening sound, effortlessly piercing through the masks of all the Adjuchas.
Only the crisp, dense sound of shattering bone masks remained in the air.
The roars of the Adjuchas horde turned into piercing wails.
Yet, neither Bailergang nor Genryusai Shigekuni spared them a second glance.
Almost the moment their eyes met, both had already assessed each other's strength.
With just a brief pause, Genryusai Shigekuni's figure flickered suddenly.
"Clang——"
The shallow blade and the pitch-black axe collided, exploding into golden sparks in midair.
Immense forces clashed.
Whether it was a captain-class or a Vasto Lorde, the gap between their levels and the Adjuchas was already clear.
"Terrifying, terrifying..."
Genryusai Shigekuni steadily increased the force in his hand, his voice sounding almost flippant: "Is this the strength of a Hollow King?"
"Or... is this merely your self-proclaimed title?"
"Foolish."
Bailergang's voice was cold.
The moment his words fell, their blades crossed, grinding against each other with a deafening metallic screech, pulling and sliding, emitting a series of sharp clacks.
Genryusai Shigekuni's blade reversed, and in the instant their weapons separated, he ducked low, twisting his blade as he advanced along the handle of Bailergang's massive axe, slicing directly toward Bailergang's pure white bone fingers.
The speed was astonishing.
However, Bailergang suddenly released his grip.
Genryusai Shigekuni's gaze faltered slightly.
In the moment Bailergang let go, he noticed the pitch-black chains extending from Bailergang's sleeves.
The chains wrapped around the axe handle, and in the instant he released it, they pulled the massive axe into a swing, carrying a piercing wind.
"Clang——"
The axe blade struck the back of Genryusai's blade, emitting a dull thud.
Genryusai Shigekuni's body was sent flying by the impact, rolling away into the distance.
Bailergang stood tall, extending a pale bone finger.
"Cero! Trece consecutive shots!"
The moment he spoke, over a dozen dark red Ceros formed behind him, rippling like an infinite sword wall.
They then shot toward Genryusai Shigekuni in unison.
"Oh dear, oh dear... this is quite something."
Genryusai Shigekuni barely steadied himself, his blade reversing.
His gaze grew solemn.
"Fubakugen·Mount Sumeru."
A pitch-black void opened before him.
The dozen or so Ceros rained down like a storm, but only the ones that veered off course struck the ground, kicking up a startling dust cloud.
The rest were silently swallowed by the deep, condensed void.
The faint fire in Bailergang's black eye sockets dimmed slightly.
"A space-attribute ability, huh..."
"Quite rare, indeed."
Genryusai Shigekuni's tone was calm: "I once thought the same."
"If it weren't for being shattered by Urahara Kisuke in one strike, I might have continued to boast of being 'unbreakable.'"
"After seeing so much, I no longer feel I'm anything special."
Bailergang chuckled softly: "Someone like you should serve under me instead."
"If you're willing, I'll forgive your previous insolence."
"That won't do, Lord Bailergang." Genryusai Shigekuni's smile grew more sincere, "With your level of strength, you can't stop that guy Urahara Kisuke's blade."
"Oh?"
Bailergang's interest was piqued: "Come to think of it, to convince someone as strong as you to join his side, this 'Urahara Kisuke' must be quite a figure."
"Is he strong?"
Having ruled Hueco Mundo for over ten thousand years, Bailergang Ruyesunbang's perspective was undeniably broad.
In this long span of time, he had seen countless so-called strong individuals.
Yet, in all these years, he had never encountered anyone who could defeat him.
In a sense, he was the 'Urahara Kisuke' of Hueco Mundo.
Though their strengths were not on the same level.
Hearing this naive question, Genryusai Shigekuni's expression first paused, then the corners of his mouth curled up, emitting a low, soft chuckle.
Bailergang wasn't in a hurry, simply waiting quietly.
Finally, Genryusai Shigekuni extended a finger toward him, his tone kind:
"One strike."
The faint fire in Bailergang's black eye sockets flickered as if insulted.
But Genryusai Shigekuni, still smiling, emphasized:
"He only needs one strike to kill you."
"Someone like you isn't fit to compare with Urahara Kisuke."
"I'm enough."
His calm tone carried unparalleled pride and arrogance.
That guy, Urahara Kisuke, was just that kind of person.
As an enemy, he made you both angry and fearful.
But as an ally, he was always the most reassuring trump card.
Genryusai Shigekuni had known for a long time.
He had already been defeated by him.
"...Is that so?"
Bailergang's voice sank, as if suppressing the fire in his heart.
Accompanied by his heavy breathing, black mist slowly rose from his body, spreading endlessly in all directions.
"How arrogant, Shinigami."
The moment he sensed the black mist, Genryusai Shigekuni's eyes narrowed slightly, as if he had realized something.
As Bailergang's voice stopped, the pitch-black axe in his hand suddenly pointed forward.
"Breath of Death!"
The black mist spread relentlessly forward.
At first, Genryusai Shigekuni didn't take it seriously.
Until large swaths of the pale desert suddenly decayed, the small Hollows lurking in the sand, acting as decomposers, shrieked as they turned to ashes.
The eyes behind his glasses suddenly grew serious.
He drew a horizontal line in front of him.
"Fubakugen·Betsutenjin."
An empty line rose abruptly, transforming into a spatial wall that divided the world.
The black mist, like a tide, spread endlessly, and the moment it collided with the spatial line, it stirred up massive ripples.
The clash of their spiritual pressures created turbulent waves, turning the entire desert into black and white.
Only the desert caught in the middle, as if trapped in the cracks of space and time, continuously eroded, decomposed, and shattered, ultimately turning into nothingness.
A Shinigami's battle is a battle of spiritual pressure.
But it must be said, when facing someone like Bailergang with rule-based abilities, only rule-based abilities can counter them head-on.
"Our compatibility is quite good, isn't it?" Genryusai Shigekuni's tone was calm, "But this is about it."
"Moreover..."
"I'm not alone."
The moment his words fell, the faint fire in Bailergang's black eye sockets flickered.
The dozens of Adjuchas that had been surrounding him had already been completely wiped out.
Taketsuru Baien, covered in blood, pushed up her reddened glasses with her pale fingertips.
"Why waste words with him? Let's just finish him off together."
Saito's immortal figure also appeared nearby, leaning on his Zanpakutō, growing slightly impatient.
The three of them formed a triangle, subtly surrounding Bailergang in the center.
Seeing this formation, even Bailergang couldn't help but grow more alert, his heart trembling in shock.
Had the Shinigami's strength already reached this level?
Though unwilling to believe it, Bailergang had to admit that among these three, any one of them could hold their own against him.
Even the oldest one was only slightly inferior to him.
One against three...?
If this was the case now, what about the thirteen 'Gotei' in Soul Society?
The concept of Soul Society, in Bailergang's mind, became even more unfathomable.
But...
"Hmph."
"To kill so many of my subordinates, you'd better leave something behind before you go."
As his words fell, Bailergang's pure white bone hand violently yanked the pitch-black chains.
The long chains, unbeknownst to anyone, had already extended deep into the desert's underground, pulling up a large swath of sand.
Genryusai Shigekuni's pupils contracted, and he suddenly turned to look in Taketsuru's direction.
"Taketsuru! Beneath your feet!"
As he issued the warning, behind him, Fujimiya Makoto abruptly spoke in unison:
"Your axe will hit its target."
The moment these words left his mouth, they seemed to form a prophecy that shaped 'reality.'
Almost at the same instant the voice fell, a massive black axe suddenly shot out from beneath the desert, as if hitting something, spinning horizontally and veering off course, crashing into a tall sand dune with a loud boom.
Bailergang seemed to sense something, abruptly turning to look in the direction behind them.
That spiritual pressure just now...
Was it the one who killed Saruapuro?
Following his gaze, Fujimiya Makoto, leaning on his broken sword, seemed to struggle to stand, offering him a faint smile.
"Bundling Truth and Falsehood."
His definition of the world's truth and falsehood had completely broken free from the constraints of 'Playful Life and Dreamlike Death.'
Taketsuru Baien also smiled at him.
Though, that axe hadn't posed much threat to her anyway.
This guy?!
Bailergang's inner fire burned fiercer.
But the excessive rationality unique to the elderly quietly stirred a hint of fear deep within him.
At this moment, he already knew.
He couldn't win.
Genryusai Shigekuni naturally saw through this, calmly saying:
"What do you think, Lord Bailergang?"
"Why not stop here?"
"After all... you don't really care how many Hollows we kill in Hueco Mundo, do you?"
Bailergang's gaze grew heavier: "You Shinigami... what exactly are you trying to do?"
Genryusai Shigekuni pushed up his glasses:
"For..."
"The balance of the Three Realms."
"Lord Bailergang..." His voice grew increasingly threatening, "You wouldn't want the Hueco Mundo you rule to suddenly collapse one day due to the imbalance of the Three Realms, would you?"
At that moment, Bailergang suddenly fell silent.