BLEACH: SURVIVAL SYSTEM

Opposite Akira, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck had reluctantly finished eating the catfish noodles—though they were not really noodles at all.

"It's delicious… If only I could eat it again," she murmured, wiping her mouth.

She glanced at Akira and thought, Since we are friends, I should return the favor…

Nelliel pondered for a moment. Since she could eat Akira's food, perhaps he could also consume something from Hueco Mundo, even if it wasn't his usual fare. Though many Hollows in Hueco Mundo survived by preying on their own kind, the vast realm still had its own native flora.

With that thought in mind, Nelliel stood up and set off to find the edible fruits of Hueco Mundo. However, the barren desert stretched endlessly before her, making the search difficult. After flying a great distance, she finally spotted her goal.

"I found it—the fruit of the White Forest! Fortunately, it hasn't withered… I wonder if Akira would like it?"

Humming softly, she reached out to pluck the fruit—when suddenly, her instincts screamed a warning.

BOOM!

A blindingly fast Cero struck the ground where she had just been standing, obliterating the sky itself in an explosion of dust and debris!

When the dust settled, Nelliel reappeared hundreds of meters away, her expression dark. The fruit tree she had painstakingly located was now nothing but ashes.

"Who are you!?" she demanded, rare anger flickering in her emerald eyes as she stared down the six figures before her—six Adjuchas-class Menos Grande.

"Huh? For an Adjuchas-level Hollow, you're pretty fast…" The one leading the group, Charlotte Cuuhlhourne, narrowed her eyes. She had expected her sneak attack to land.

Nelliel, despite her immense strength, had always kept a low profile. She disliked conflict and had avoided unnecessary battles, which meant that few truly understood her power.

Charlotte crossed her arms and smirked. "Let's get straight to the point. A Menos saw you leaving with a Shinigami today. Where is he?"

Nelliel's heart clenched. Are they looking for Akira?

Her gaze flickered to the six enemies before her. A full squad of Adjuchas-class Menos Grande—this level of combat power was enough to dominate most of Hueco Mundo.

No… Akira hasn't recovered yet. I can't let them find him!

Determined, Nelliel met Charlotte's gaze and replied calmly, "I have no idea."

Her response was unsurprising to Charlotte, who scoffed. "Fine. We'll find him eventually. But if you won't talk, you'll just die here."

Without hesitation, Charlotte launched an attack!

Abirama Redder, Findorr Calius, Choe Neng Poww, Ggio Vega, and Nirgge Parduoc followed close behind, their combined assault thundering toward Nelliel like a storm.

Gritting her teeth, Nelliel had no choice but to fight with all her strength.

If they find Akira, it will be the end! I have to stop them here!

Even if Akira were to fully recover, Nelliel wasn't sure if his current strength was enough to handle a single Menos Grande, let alone six.

With that in mind, she braced herself and launched into battle.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The earth trembled violently. Countless Ceros exploded in all directions, shattering the very fabric of space for miles around!

Abirama and the others grew increasingly alarmed.

"Damn it! How is she this strong!?"

"She's an Adjuchas like us—why is there such a huge power gap?!"

Charlotte gritted her teeth, realizing just how overwhelming Nelliel's strength was. She had always known that Adjuchas-class Hollows varied in power, but she had never imagined the gap could be this vast!

However, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck resisted fiercely. No matter what, she was facing six Adjuchas-level Hollows on the opposing side.

"Ugh… The battle during the day drained a lot of my strength. I can't hold on any longer…!"

As the saying goes, even a master can be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Moreover, Nelliel was not at her peak, and her strength continued to wane.

Charlotte Chuhlhourne and the other Menos Grandes gradually gained the upper hand. In the end, they completely overpowered Nelliel!

"Very well! She's reaching her limit!"

Nnoitra Gilga exclaimed excitedly, sensing that victory was imminent.

Charlotte and the others were equally astonished at the state of their opponent. The once-mighty Nelliel was now struggling to maintain her defense. Her body was covered in wounds, large and small, as she fought desperately.

Meanwhile, far away from the battlefield, the night quietly gave way to the next day.

[Congratulations to the Host for successfully surviving one day! You have received a lottery reward!]

Akira opened his eyes and eagerly clicked the draw button.

"Come on… This was the most dangerous day of my life. There has to be something good this time!"

As he watched, the glowing turntable gradually slowed down and finally stopped.

[Congratulations! You have obtained 'Peak Reiatsu!']

"Peak level!?"

Akira's eyes lit up. This was a level he had never reached before!

"System, does this peak level come after the excellent level?"

[Correct. Peak Reiatsu allows the Host's spiritual pressure to reach the top five rankings in the Soul Society.]

Hearing this, Akira was stunned.

The top five in Soul Society?

Just think about how many powerful figures exist there! The Royal Guard (Squad Zero) is absurdly strong, and then there are monsters like Aizen Sōsuke and Yamamoto Genryūsai, who haven't even left Soul Society yet! Even excluding the outliers, there are still more than five insanely strong individuals.

"How can I rank in the top five under such conditions? Just how much has my spiritual power grown!?"

Excitement surged within him as he awaited an answer.

And then—he felt it.

In the next second, an unimaginable amount of spiritual power erupted from his body, swelling at an insane rate!

Akira had never experienced such an overwhelming Reiatsu before. Comparing it to an ocean would be an understatement. This spiritual pressure was boundless!

At the same time, his ability to sense and control Reiatsu rapidly evolved.

Within moments, he could perceive the spiritual energy of every Hollow within a kilometer. Then five kilometers. Then ten. Then twenty.

Before long, his detection range expanded to an astonishing 100 kilometers!

This meant that entire cities now fell within his spiritual awareness—no one in this vast area could escape his detection!

"Spiritual power is no longer my weakness… It's my greatest strength!"

Akira closed his eyes and carefully focused on his surroundings. Suddenly, his expression changed.

"Huh? This is…"

Through his heightened senses, he detected seven massive Reiatsu clashing in the distance. However, one of them—the strongest among them—was rapidly weakening.

Most importantly, Akira recognized this Reiatsu instantly.

It was Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck!