BLEACH: SURVIVAL SYSTEM

The battle had taken a dire turn. The situation was overwhelmingly unfavorable, and Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck's body was covered in deep wounds. Her spiritual pressure was rapidly declining, leaving her barely able to stand.

"She's at her limit! Let's finish her off together!"

Charlotte Cuuhlhourne shouted excitedly, rallying the five other Adjuchas-class Menos. They immediately began charging their most powerful attacks, eager to end the fight.

"Damn… I won't be able to block this one."

Nelliel's thoughts raced, but her body refused to move. She had no strength left to evade.

"Is this really how it ends…?"

As a former Espada, she had witnessed countless deaths, yet she never expected her own to come so soon.

"What a shame. I just made a good friend… and now I have to say goodbye."

She closed her eyes, a sense of regret filling her heart—but at least she had done her best to protect Pesche and Dondochakka. If she had to die, at least it meant something.

Then—

"BOOM—!"

A massive, overwhelming Reiatsu exploded in the distance.

"What!?"

Charlotte and the other Menos flinched violently. Their bodies trembled under the sheer weight of the spiritual pressure, and their attacks—once aimed at Nelliel—scattered as their focus shattered.

"This… this Reiatsu…! It's impossible!"

It was unlike anything they had felt before. Terrifying. Oppressive. Something far beyond their comprehension.

"H-How?! Who in Hueco Mundo possesses such an insane level of Reiatsu?!"

"Could it be… a newly evolved Vasto Lorde?"

"No! Even a Vasto Lorde wouldn't be this powerful!"

While Vasto Lordes were said to surpass the average captain-level Shinigami, there were certain beings whose spiritual power went far beyond that—monsters like Genryūsai Yamamoto, Sōsuke Aizen… and now, this presence.

"Wait! That Reiatsu—it's coming this way!"

The Adjuchas turned their horrified eyes toward the source of the pressure. In that instant, the injured Nelliel was forgotten. She no longer mattered—because something far more terrifying was approaching.

"Who…? Who is that…?"

Even Nelliel, barely conscious, could feel it. The intensity of the Reiatsu was staggering, so much so that she could no longer recognize its owner.

"Is… is it him…? Could that really be… Akira…?"

She was filled with confusion and fear. The sheer scale of the power surge was unlike anything she had ever known.

"We must complete our mission and retreat—immediately!" Charlotte ordered, her face pale.

They all knew it now—whoever this was, they weren't someone the likes of them could fight. Perhaps only their king, Baraggan Louisenbairn, could stand against such a being.

"Understood!"

The remaining Adjuchas quickly gathered their strength, determined to land the final blow on Nelliel before escaping.

"BOOM!"

A rushed attack was launched. Smoke and debris filled the air.

But then—silence.

None of them moved.

None of them could move.

It was as if an invisible force had completely frozen them in place.

A chilling realization set in.

"S-So strong…!"

Charlotte's voice trembled as she and the others stood paralyzed.

The terrifying Reiatsu had arrived.

And when the smoke finally cleared—

Akira stood there, completely unscathed.

Although there were no intricate techniques involved, simply by crushing Charlotte with raw power and overwhelming Reiatsu surges, they could directly neutralize his hasty attacks.

Such reckless combat methods—just by observing Zaraki Kenpachi's battles—one could immediately recognize their effectiveness.

"It's you! Are you the Shinigami His Majesty ordered us to eliminate?!"

The moment Abirama laid eyes on Akira, realization struck her like a bolt of lightning, and she let out a startled cry.

Only a Shinigami of this caliber could traverse Hueco Mundo alone and hold their own against its fearsome denizens.

"Though I don't know who you originally intended to kill, I do know that your own death is imminent."

Akira turned his gaze toward Neliel, assessing her injuries before shifting his eyes to Charlotte, who was awaiting reinforcements from other Menos Grande. A dangerous glint flickered in his expression.

Neliel herself was utterly stunned, as if caught in a waking dream.

"You… Are you Akira? It's really you, isn't it?"

Why had Akira become so overwhelmingly powerful in such a short time?

With this level of Reiatsu alone, Grimmjow wouldn't have needed her help at all. Akira could have single-handedly pinned Grimmjow to the ground with ease!

"It's me. Sorry for concealing my Reiatsu earlier," Akira remarked nonchalantly before tightening his grip on the Sword of Vowed Victory.

The Menos Grande, including Charlotte and Abirama, instantly felt a chilling dread crawl over them.

"We have to fight back! If we don't resist, we're done for!"

Charlotte's voice rang out, snapping his comrades from their stupor. They were still Adjuchas-class Menos, and they swiftly broke free of their hesitation.

"This man is His Majesty's formidable adversary! The Shinigami whom His Majesty personally ordered us to eliminate! How can we—Hueco Mundo's strongest warriors—allow ourselves to be humiliated like this?!"

Roused by Charlotte's rallying cry, the remaining Menos Grande poured every ounce of their energy into gathering Cero at their mouths.

In an instant, six devastating Cero beams ignited before Akira, their ominous glow flooding the battlefield.

"Wind…"

Akira whispered, and in response, the barrier of the Wind King dissipated entirely, revealing the radiant golden blade beneath.

An immense concentration of photons had already gathered within the sword, infused with a staggering amount of Akira's spiritual power.

"Cero—!"

"Excalibur—!"

Both attacks erupted simultaneously. One side unleashed six black-and-red Cero beams, while the other unleashed a torrent of golden light, sweeping across the battlefield with blinding intensity.

The next moment—impact!

"Boom!!!"

A cataclysmic explosion engulfed Hueco Mundo. Golden brilliance and crimson-black energy clashed, consuming each other in a blinding display.

But there was no stalemate.

Not even for a second.

Excalibur's golden radiance completely overpowered the Cero, surging forward and barreling toward Charlotte and his comrades!

"Bang!!!"

The residual shockwave detonated upon impact, engulfing Charlotte and the six Menos Grande, their agonized screams ringing out in unison!