BLEACH: SURVIVAL SYSTEM

T/N: In a good mood now, also update will be 14 chapters a week 😎

In Hueco Mundo, Grimmjow and his comrades, Naqim and the others, were resting.

"That bastard Shinigami! Next time we see him, we kill him!"

Grimmjow clenched his fists, seething at the memory of his humiliation.

"Grimmjow, what are you planning to do next?" Naqim asked.

"After I recover? Obviously, we'll kill him together and tear apart that damn Menos Grande and Shinigami!"

Naqim listened to Grimmjow's gruff response, his mind drifting to their fallen comrades.

"Yes… we must take revenge!"

Just then, both Menos Grande tensed as their expressions darkened.

"Something powerful is approaching!"

"And fast—it's almost here!"

Before they could finish speaking, a figure crashed into the distance, sending dust and debris flying.

Now that the disturbance had settled, Grimmjow and the others could finally sense the being's Reiatsu clearly. Suddenly, Grimmjow's eyes lit up with excitement.

"This Reiatsu…! It's a Vasto Lorde! The pinnacle of Menos Grande!"

For Grimmjow, achieving that form had always been his ultimate dream. And now, standing before him was an actual Vasto Lorde—a rarity among Hollows. How could he not be excited?

"Vasto Lorde…?!" Naqim gasped in terror, immediately yanking Grimmjow backward.

"Be careful! We're no match for a Vasto Lorde!"

But then, Naqim hesitated, confusion flashing across his face.

"Wait… if this really is a Vasto Lorde, why does it feel so weak?"

Grimmjow stiffened. Now that he focused on it, he realized Naqim was right. The Reiatsu of this Vasto Lorde was frighteningly diminished—almost to the point of collapse.

Who the hell had beaten it this badly?

Grimmjow couldn't even begin to imagine the strength of whoever did this.

"This is an opportunity!" Naqim suddenly suggested. "If you devour this Vasto Lorde, you might…"

"No," Grimmjow interrupted, his tone sharp. "Whoever did this is still around. The one who left this Vasto Lorde on the brink of death…"

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm and suppress his Reiatsu.

Soon, their worst fears were confirmed.

A crackling surge of electricity flashed across the sky, and a figure appeared in the distance, standing ominously above them.

"It was blown this far? No matter… I'm done playing cat and mouse. Let's finish this."

At that moment, Grimmjow's entire body trembled.

"No… impossible! This can't be happening!"

Naqim's face paled as he recognized the Reiatsu. It was unmistakable—the exact same energy signature as before.

It was him.

The Shinigami.

Thunder crackled around the figure as if the heavens themselves had answered his call. He had already expended much of his spiritual power fighting Baraggan, but even so, his presence had become even more overwhelming.

Grimmjow and Naqim were frozen in shock.

This couldn't be real.

How long had it been? How was it possible?

That Shinigami had actually defeated a Vasto Lorde?!

"I… am the King of Hueco Mundo…!"

A voice rasped from the massive crater. Baraggan, now reduced to little more than his upper body, struggled to rise.

"I swear… in the name of Hueco Mundo's king… even if I die… I will never let you take my pride!"

Grimmjow and Naqim recoiled in disbelief.

The King of Hueco Mundo?

Even they had heard the legends.

And now that legend lay before them, battered and broken.

"Pride?"

The Shinigami scoffed, his gaze cold and merciless.

"You've been beaten down like a stray dog. What pride is left for you?"

Lightning surged in his hands, crackling with devastating energy as he loomed over Baraggan.

"The breath of death…!"

Baraggan gritted his teeth, pouring the last of his strength and fury into a swirling mass of ominous black mist.

The deadly miasma spread like a tsunami, consuming the sky itself. Even Grimmjow—one of Hueco Mundo's most arrogant warriors—felt an involuntary chill of terror.

However, in the face of such a terrifying attack, Akira neither dodged nor flinched. Instead, he remained calm and continued to charge forward.

The thunderclouds thickened in the sky, crackling with deadly energy. The aura of death radiating from Baraggan Luisenbarn, the former Segunda Espada, began to erode Akira. Yet, it had no effect.

"Give it up. Your power is useless against me."

As Akira spoke, the thunderclouds reached their peak, and countless streaks of lightning intertwined in a chaotic storm.

"No… We need to get out of here!"

Grimmjow and Nakeem didn't wait to witness the outcome. They knew the result was inevitable and immediately turned to flee.

In the next instant, a massive ball of lightning descended from the storm above.

"Raikou!"

The boundless surge of thunder engulfed Baraggan entirely. The self-proclaimed King of Hueco Mundo let out a final, defiant roar before his form was consumed by the searing energy. As the last crackle of lightning faded, all that remained was ash, scattered into the winds.

When the storm finally cleared, an enormous crater scarred the white sands of Hueco Mundo, a mark of Akira's overwhelming power. He then flew back to where Ulquiorra and Nelliel stood, neither of whom had moved since the battle began.

After all, there was no need. The outcome had been certain from the start—Baraggan never stood a chance.

"How did it go?"

Seeing Akira return, Nelliel approached with concern.

"Did you win? Is Baraggan dead? Or did he escape?"

Akira smirked and patted Nelliel's head.

"Of course, I completely annihilated him."

"Yeah! Akira is seriously super strong!"

Seeing Nelliel cheer so excitedly made Akira feel a bit odd.

"You're an Arrancar. Is it really okay to celebrate a Shinigami killing one of your own?"

But Nelliel didn't seem to care about such things. That night, she shared a meal with Akira and Ulquiorra, as if nothing had happened.

For dinner, Akira prepared an oversized version of the crispy roast meat from Shokugeki no Soma—enough for all three of them to enjoy. But as he ate, he couldn't help but ponder something.

"I fought the King of Hueco Mundo today… so why didn't I receive any advanced rewards?"

Over the next few days, he continued to pick up minor, inconsequential items, which only confirmed his suspicions.

"As I thought, the difficulty of survival isn't just affected by the environment or external factors—it also changes based on my own strength."

"If I grow too powerful, former threats that once posed a challenge become trivial, and the difficulty of survival naturally decreases."

With this realization, Akira knew there was no point in staying in Hueco Mundo any longer.

After all, with his current strength, even if he wasn't dominating the entire realm, he could at least travel freely without any real threats.

As for Baraggan, he had already served his purpose. Akira had ordered Ulquiorra and the others to retreat before the battle, leaving him alone to face the so-called King of Hueco Mundo. That fight had fulfilled the role of increasing the difficulty of survival.

And because of that, he was able to obtain the Goro Goro no Mi—the Lightning Fruit.

"Baraggan was just a stepping stone, after all."

With that settled, Akira made up his mind.

"Looks like it's time to return to Soul Society."

Visit patreon.com/shirokendama for more chapters