BLEACH: SURVIVAL SYSTEM

It was a pity that a Menos Grande, a Hollow whose mask grants only vision, still couldn't hear.

Akira pondered for a moment before manipulating his Reiatsu to form words in the air. With his peak-level spiritual power, this kind of refined operation was effortless.

Fortunately, the masked Menos Grande still retained a faint instinctive memory from its past life and could understand words.

"You know me?" The Hollow's tone carried a rare hint of surprise.

For the first time, the Menos Grande was displaying an emotional reaction.

"I know everything," Akira declared, feigning deep mystery—after all, there was no other plausible explanation at the moment.

However, he underestimated the simplicity of a Hollow that had spent its entire existence in the barren world of Hueco Mundo. Compared to human children, Hollows were sometimes even easier to deceive.

"Oh, is this a Shinigami's Zanpakutō ability?"

Ulquiorra nodded slightly. "I've heard that each Shinigami possesses a unique power, but I didn't expect one with such an omniscient ability."

Akira: "…"

He had no idea how to respond.

Nelliel, with her usual straightforwardness, clapped her hands excitedly. "Wow! Akira, you're amazing! I didn't expect you to have an ability beyond just golden energy blasts!"

Akira twitched at the corners of his mouth, choosing to change the subject instead.

And so, the three of them—one Shinigami and two Hollow—remained in place, conversing. Meanwhile, Nelliel was still slowly recovering from her injuries.

None of them moved. Nelliel and Ulquiorra, both exceptional among Adjuchas-class Menos, had the confidence of true warriors and didn't fear other Hollows seeking trouble.

As for Akira, his peak-level Reiatsu gave him unwavering self-assurance.

Ulquiorra spoke very little, spending most of his time quietly observing Akira as he wrote.

Yet, despite his silence, Akira could sense something—Ulquiorra was becoming increasingly human.

"In the blink of an eye, another day has passed," Akira murmured, glancing up at Hueco Mundo's bleak, endless sky.

He stood up. "We should find a place to rest. See you next time."

Ulquiorra's gaze flickered toward the words Akira had formed in the air.

"Can I… come with you?"

Akira was taken aback. "You want to follow me?"

He had underestimated just how much he had influenced Ulquiorra, whose existence had always been defined by nothingness. For so long, Ulquiorra had only experienced a hollow void, even contemplating surrendering his own consciousness.

Yet now, the golden light he had witnessed was the first brilliance to pierce the darkness of his soul.

"It wouldn't be right for a Menos Grande to follow a Shinigami," Akira reasoned. "Sooner or later, I'll leave Hueco Mundo. If I bring you to the Soul Society, it'll cause too much trouble."

After thinking for a moment, he wrote: "So, come find me after you've become an Arrancar."

From his knowledge, Akira understood that even without Aizen or the Hōgyoku, Ulquiorra would eventually evolve into an Arrancar on his own.

By then, his Shinigami instincts wouldn't even register Ulquiorra as a Hollow—at least, not in appearance.

"Eh? If I become an Arrancar, does that mean I can go to Akira too?" Nelliel asked, her large eyes filled with curiosity.

"Of course," Akira nodded. "You're welcome anytime."

Nelliel and Ulquiorra were among the strongest of the Menos Grande. Even after transforming into Arrancar, they would remain formidable fighters. If he could recruit them, it would be a tremendous advantage.

"Okay! I don't know exactly what becoming an Arrancar means, but I'll do my best!" Nelliel declared enthusiastically.

Akira smiled and said, "You'll find out soon enough."

The moment he finished speaking, his expression shifted abruptly.

Ulquiorra and Nelliel, standing beside him, also turned sharply in the same direction.

From the distance, a horrifying Reiatsu surged toward them—vast, oppressive, and filled with malice. Its sheer magnitude dwarfed anything they had ever sensed from a Menos Grande before, and it was closing in at an alarming speed.

"That… That's what a Vasto Lorde feels like!"

Nelliel gasped in shock. "Akira, we have to leave! The Vasto Lorde-class Menos is the strongest among the Menos Grande in Hueco Mundo!"

She had heard rumors that a Vasto Lorde could surpass even a captain-class Shinigami. Instinctively, she doubted that Akira could stand against such a foe.

After all, captain-level Shinigami were already considered the highest tier of Soul Reapers. No matter how strong Akira was, he could only be at that level at best… right?

"It's too late," Akira replied calmly. "It's clear he came for us."

As if responding to his words, a shadow flickered in front of them. In the blink of an eye, Baraggan Louisenbairn appeared.

A suffocating black aura of death surrounded him, and even Ulquiorra—normally indifferent—visibly tensed.

"The king was wondering why Charlotte and the others' Reiatsu had vanished for so long," Baraggan remarked, glancing at the massive crater nearby. His sharp eyes quickly pieced together what had happened.

"Hmph, useless trash. They couldn't even handle a mere Shinigami."

His gaze briefly swept over Ulquiorra and Nelliel, but he dismissed them just as quickly. To him, they were only Adjuchas-class Menos. Charlotte and his group had consisted of six Adjuchas. Even if two were missing, four should have been more than enough to overwhelm one Soul Reaper.

"Who are you?!" Nelliel demanded.

"The King of Hueco Mundo…" Ulquiorra muttered, as if answering both her and himself. His voice was calm, but the weight of his words made Nelliel's face go pale.

She had heard of the ruler of Hueco Mundo—the one who reigned over Las Noches. But she never expected him to appear in person.

"You… you…" Nelliel stammered before forcing herself to stand her ground. "If you attack Akira, we won't just stand by!"

But Baraggan ignored her entirely, his piercing gaze locked onto Akira.

"So, you're the Shinigami who dared to invade Hueco Mundo?" His tone was heavy with disdain. "You're not even wearing a captain's haori. What are you, a vice-captain at most?"

Akira chuckled lightly. "You're mistaken. I'm only a third seat."

"…A third seat?"

For a moment, Baraggan was silent. Then, he let out a low, mocking laugh.

"A mere third seat dares to enter Hueco Mundo?" He sneered. "For a moment, I thought a member of the Royal Guard had arrived. But it turns out you're just another insect."

His Reiatsu exploded outward, an overwhelming force pressing down on the surroundings. His voice boomed, carrying the weight of an absolute ruler.

"Kneel before the King of Hueco Mundo!"