Bleach: I Bound the Hōgyoku, Sterilized a Goddess, I Might Die

> "The reason the instructors at Shin'yō Academy of Spiritual Arts never mention the word Arrancar," Matsumoto Rangiku said gravely, "is because Arrancar are a class of beings you're statistically unlikely to ever encounter in your entire career as a Shinigami."

Her voice was serious, her usual playfulness nowhere in sight.

> "Both Shinigami and Hollows have limitations," she continued.

> "But when a Hollow overcomes those limits, breaking through its ceiling, it undergoes a metamorphosis—gaining Shinigami-like abilities. Its mask shatters to reveal a human-like face, and it gains a Zanpakutō-like weapon. That's when it becomes an Arrancar."

> "Arrancar don't come from just any Hollow. They evolve from high-class Menos Grande, specifically from the Adjuchas-class and above."

> "And Arrancar at the Adjuchas level are already comparable to the pinnacle of Menos evolution—the Vasto Lorde."

> "In other words, these are enemies only captains stand a chance against!"

Vasto Lorde?!

The name alone drained the blood from every Shinigami candidate's face. Breaths were held. The weight of fear began to crush their spines.

After all, Vasto Lorde were almost mythological in nature—creatures that shouldn't even exist in the practical experience of ordinary Shinigami.

And yet, even without a Menos Grande's presence in sight, the weight of this information alone made it hard to breathe.

It felt like death itself hovered nearby.

Heavy.

Despairing.

Suffocating.

Just the name of Vasto Lorde carried a terror that seized the heart.

That's Hueco Mundo—the domain ruled by monsters.

> "And that's not all," Rangiku added, her voice tight. She looked over the increasingly shaken recruits and paused for a moment before continuing. "There's one more thing."

Even beyond the Arrancar's immense spiritual pressure, there was something terrifying about their bodies: a defensive evolution known as Hierro—a steel-hard skin that even a Shinigami's Zanpakutō struggles to pierce.

> "And like us," Rangiku said, "Arrancar can release their Zanpakutō."

But unlike Shinigami, whose Zanpakutō holds a unique spirit and releases outward, an Arrancar's sword seals their original Hollow form. Their Resurrección is not simply an increase in power—it's a return to their primal form.

> "When they release their blades—when they 'return to the blade'—they regain their Hollow forms, vastly increasing their offense and defense… and healing from injuries almost instantaneously."

> "In simpler terms," she said, voice grim, "an opponent of this level requires a captain to even stand a chance—and even then, it's only a chance… not a guarantee."

> "A slight chance, mind you. Not a sure win."

She gritted her teeth. "Seriously, why the hell did my mother send me here…?"

As one of the instructors overseeing the soul burial exercise, Matsumoto Rangiku had expected to mostly coast through the assignment. Babysitting a bunch of recruits shouldn't have involved this kind of disaster.

But now—retreat wasn't an option.

If she ran, those kids behind her would be slaughtered. And Rangiku… could never live with that.

Still… what the hell could she do against this thing?!

> "All I can do now is buy time."

> "This is a huge incident. The captain will definitely show up for backup."

Just then, a voice rang out—

> "Let's go!"

It was Hisagi Shūhei, Vice-Captain of the 9th Division. He raised his chained Zanpakutō—Kazeshini, a dual scythe blade—and rushed forward.

> "There you are," came a guttural voice, thick with disdain. "I thought you'd keep playing peek-a-boo."

The Menos Grande—no, something even worse—stepped back, narrowly avoiding the slash. Then it lashed out in return.

Fast.

Unbelievably fast.

> BANG!

Hisagi was launched, smashing through multiple floors before crumpling to the ground in a cloud of dust and debris.

Instant defeat.

The silence that followed was deafening.

> "Vice-Captain Hisagi… was taken out in a single strike?"

The trainees stood rooted, their bodies trembling with helpless fear.

> "Damn it…!"

Renji punched the wall, frustrated. "I'm still too weak… All I can do is watch…!"

> "This is… Reiatsu suppression," Rukia muttered in shock.

Shinigami battles were simple at their core: pure clashes of Reiatsu. Whoever possessed the greater spiritual pressure would naturally dominate.

In this system, even if the weaker one slashed endlessly, they could never pierce a stronger opponent's skin.

This was absolute spiritual hierarchy.

Until now, these students had only heard that principle.

Now, they witnessed it.

> "We… aren't even close to being in the same league."

Rangiku's lips were tight. "Shūhei was too reckless…"

But she couldn't come up with a better option.

Speed, power, Reiatsu… the enemy had all of it in overwhelming supply.

They weren't just outmatched.

They were doomed.

And then—before anyone could react—the Adjuchas-class Arrancar suddenly appeared right in front of them.

> "Heh… insects."

> "I found you."

The sadistic voice whispered directly into their minds. Rangiku's scalp prickled.

An instant later, pressure—unimaginable pressure—smashed down on them like a tsunami.

> "I… can't move!"

Rangiku's body seized up. It wasn't fear—it was the sheer Reiatsu. Her limbs no longer responded.

This wasn't just a high-level enemy. This was a monster whose spiritual pressure alone paralyzed her body completely!

So this… this was the level of an Adjuchas-class Arrancar.

Behind her, the trainees were in even worse shape. Most had collapsed, unable to stand under the spiritual gravity.

Only a few exceptions remained standing—barely.

Renji and Rukia.

Their latent talent and spiritual pressure were high enough to resist—though their faces were pale and strained.

> "Oh?"

The Arrancar noticed them.

> "You dare look me in the eyes?"

> "Trash like you doesn't deserve to even raise your head in front of me."

The killing intent exploded outward like a geyser.

> "You weaklings… just looking at you makes me sick."

The monster grinned and stretched out a clawed hand toward Renji and Rukia, fully intent on tearing them apart.

And then—

> CRASH!

A massive force dropped from above like divine judgment.

The Arrancar was slammed into the ground so hard that the floor cracked like glass beneath a hammer. The tremors radiated outward.

> "Wh-What just happened…?" Rangiku gasped.

The dust took a moment to settle.

And when it did…

Her eyes widened.

Standing calmly atop the broken body of the Adjuchas-class Arrancar… was a young man. He looked about twenty-something, dressed in casual clothes, his posture relaxed—as if none of this mattered.

As if he hadn't just one-shot something that only captain-class Shinigami could even hope to face.

> "Umm… excuse me," he said, scratching his head. "Have any of you seen my sister?"

> "She's missing. I've been looking all over."

Matsumoto Rangiku blinked.

> "She's about 1.6 meters tall… maybe 90 jin… B-cup. Oh, and she's got a birthmark on her butt… wait, never mind. That's probably not useful to you."

> "I'll just keep looking."

Matsumoto Rangiku: "???"

Wait—

Why do you know your sister's measurements that well?!

And more importantly—

How the hell do you know she has a birthmark there?!