The wild, raging spiritual pressure swept in like a storm, stripping the surroundings of all color. Everything became a dull, lifeless gray, as if it were a black-and-white funeral portrait.
This was Asano Kiyoshi's first true encounter with a Hollow.
Though he had seen Hollows in the original work in his past life, these low-tier ones had never made much of an impression. After all, in the manga, they were usually cut down like weeds — effortless and unimpressive.
But seeing one in person was a completely different experience.
A massive body, a grotesque appearance, a vicious aura — everything about this creature screamed death incarnate. It was born for slaughter.
In his mind, a scroll unfolded, and lines of black ink appeared on the ancient parchment, displaying the Hollow's specific stats:
Name: Ordinary HollowAttack: 55 (Its massive frame gives it overwhelming strength)Speed: 20 (Its bloated body limits agility)Endurance: 35 (Overdeveloped muscles impair its recovery and stamina)Spiritual Pressure: 35 (Its body converts devoured souls into reishi soaked in bloodlust, but due to its lack of intelligence or skills, it cannot effectively harness them)Overall Rating: 145 (Comparable to a 15th Seat Shinigami, but diminished by low intelligence)
Note: Unlike Shinigami, Hollows cannot be measured by fixed spiritual pressure values. A new metric system is used. The total score still parallels that of Shinigami.
Asano's tension eased slightly after seeing the stats — 145 points. That was still a fair bit weaker than Ban'i Daigo, the 12th seat of Squad 13 accompanying them, who had a solid 180. As long as nothing unexpected happened, Daigo should be able to deal with it.
And Daigo didn't disappoint.
He glanced at the approaching Hollow, sensed its pressure, then let out a cold snort. The spirit particle platform under his feet shattered as he launched himself like a cannonball, his zanpakutō gleaming with pale blue smoke as he slashed down at the beast's skull-like boar mask.
Steel rang out. The sword flashed crimson as it sliced through flesh — blood splattered from the Hollow's arm with a thick, wet splurt.
One blow. Just one — and Daigo had severed the Hollow's arm. Yet, he frowned slightly, dissatisfied.
"Hmph. So it blocked a fatal hit at the last moment? Miracles don't happen twice. This ends now."
With those words, he vanished again, reappearing behind the Hollow in a flicker of movement. His arms bulged with tension, blood still dripping from his sword as he aimed directly for the mask.
But the result wasn't what anyone expected.
Crunch! A sickening sound of flesh and bone — Daigo was smashed aside. His body flew through the air, his face frozen in disbelief. A gurgled "Eh?" escaped his throat moments before he died.
Half of Daigo's mutilated corpse sailed past Asano, splattering hot blood and chunks of entrails across his clothes.
Asano froze.
He stared blankly at what was left of Ban'i Daigo — shattered bones, torn muscle, fatty tissue, pale skin... The gruesome sight turned his face deathly pale.
Even though Asano had grown up in Rukongai, District 37 was relatively peaceful. He had seen dead bodies before — but nothing this graphic, this grotesque. Neither in this life nor the last.
Even the Hollow paused for a moment, as if surprised by its own power. But then it let out a guttural, inhuman howl and charged straight for the remaining three.
As the monstrous figure charged forward, covered in Daigo's gore, Asano's mind went blank — then suddenly, a wild, uncontrollable rage surged from within.
Without hesitation, he raised his hand and began to chant with rapid precision:
"O Lord who rules,Mask of flesh and bone, fluttering wings,That which is named by man!Scorched lands and tumult,Surge forth and strike from the southern seas —Step forth!"
"Hado #31 — Shakkahō!"
With the incantation complete, a searing red flame ignited the air, warping the very space around it. A glowing ball of fire formed, radiating blistering heat, then shot forward like a crimson comet.
The boar-masked Hollow responded with a deep red glow pulsing across its body. Its muscles swelled grotesquely, and the reishi surrounding it thickened with the stench of rot and blood — it was now a true demon from hell.
Roaring defiantly, the Hollow charged the fireball, slamming its remaining arm into it with brute force.
BOOM! The fireball exploded in a fiery shockwave, raining embers and ash in every direction. The air temperature spiked violently.
From the smoke emerged the massive figure — its arm now charred black, tendons and muscle fused together, dripping burnt flesh. Yet instead of retreating, it became even more feral. It opened its mouth, saliva dripping with stench, and swung a mighty blow at Asano.
Just then, Ikkaku and Yumichika recovered and leapt into action.
With muscles tensed and zanpakutō drawn, they charged the Hollow. Yumichika's voice rang out behind Ikkaku:
"Crush yourself, black hound of Rondanini!Leap once and burn completely!Sever your own throat!Bakudō #9 — Geki!"
As the incantation completed, a red light wrapped around the Hollow, temporarily slowing its movements.
And in that crucial second, Ikkaku reached it. With a roar, he brought his sword crashing down on the Hollow's mask.
CRACK! A hideous scream erupted as the blade dug a deep gash across the mask. The creature bellowed with rage and pain, its massive hand lashing out like a battering ram.
The strike flung Ikkaku away, his body twisting into an unnatural U-shape in the air before crashing into the distance.
At the same time, the Hollow's spiritual pressure exploded, shattering Yumichika's bakudō and blasting him with pure force. Blood burst from Yumichika's mouth, eyes, nose, and ears as he collapsed unconscious to the ground.
All of this... happened in less than five seconds.
High above, Aizen hovered in the sky, a faint smile on his lips, eyes half-closed — the serene expression of a god pitying mortals.