BLEACH: SURVIVAL SYSTEM

As the turntable stopped, a notification appeared before Akira:

[Congratulations to Host for obtaining "Excellent Shunpo"!]

"Excellent Shunpo?"

Akira was momentarily puzzled, but he quickly realized this was a new level of mastery.

The system, anticipating his confusion, provided an explanation:

"The Excellent level is an upgrade from the Elite level."

Hearing this, Akira was astonished. He hadn't expected there to be a level beyond Elite!

Even at the Elite level, Hakuda (White Hits) alone was enough to overpower a powerful vice-captain like Abarai Renji. So what about Excellent level? At this point, even among the captains, he might be able to rank near the top!

"Shunpo… this is exactly what I need right now!"

As an immense flow of knowledge and skill regarding Shunpo flooded his mind, Akira felt as if he had been practicing for centuries.

In the perilous realm of Hueco Mundo, where danger lurked everywhere, enhancing his mobility with Shunpo was a game-changer. His confidence in surviving this hostile world soared.

After a night of training and recovery, Akira resumed his hunt.

The battles in Hueco Mundo were relentless.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The white desert erupted with towering sand pillars, while a lone figure darted between them at astonishing speed.

Opposing him was a Gillian-class Menos Grande!

"Whoooaaa!"

Despite possessing some intelligence, Gillians were still far from rational beings. Enraged by Akira's provocation, it lashed out blindly, unleashing devastating attacks.

Yet, every strike missed.

To the Gillian, it was as if Akira was teleporting—each time its attacks neared, he vanished and reappeared effortlessly, always one step ahead.

BOOM!

The Menos unleashed a destructive Cero, but Akira was already gone. In an instant, he was directly in front of it.

"Wind King Hammer!"

With a thrust of his holy sword, a fierce storm surged forward, completely piercing through the massive Hollow!

As the Menos Grande collapsed, Akira wiped the sweat from his forehead.

This was the eighth Gillian he had slain.

With each battle, his combat experience grew exponentially.

"Huff… Huff… My spiritual power is nearly depleted. I should rest before continuing."

Thankfully, Excalibur (Sword of Oath Victory) didn't always require its true name release to be effective—there were plenty of other techniques he could use.

And combined with Shunpo, which far outpaced the sluggish Gillians, he was fully capable of hunting them down.

This disturbance in Hueco Mundo was something rare.

Unbeknownst to Akira, his actions had already begun to spread through the Hollow world.

Meanwhile, in another part of Hueco Mundo…

"Grimmjow, have you heard? Seems like a Shinigami has infiltrated Hueco Mundo recently!"

"A Shinigami? Who the hell would be stupid enough to come here alone?"

Unlike lower-class Hollows, Adjuchas-level Menos Grande possessed human-like intelligence, allowing them to exchange information.

At this moment, a leopard-like Adjuchas was conversing with his five companions.

This was Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, the future Espada No. 6, accompanied by his long-time followers: D-Roy, Ilfort, Edrad, Nakeem, and Shawlong—all of whom would eventually become Arrancars.

Before meeting Aizen, the six of them had already formed a formidable hunting group, with Grimmjow as their leader.

And now, the rumor of a lone Shinigami running rampant in Hueco Mundo had reached their ears…

Although they were originally Adjuchas-class Menos, Grimmjow's five subordinates—Shawlong Kufang, Edrad Liones, Di Roy Rinker, Nakeem Greendina, and Yylfordt Granz—degenerated into Gillian-class Menos after being partially devoured by Grimmjow. Despite this regression, they retained a considerable degree of intelligence and individuality.

"No, I don't think this rumor is wrong. It is said that eight Gillian-class Menos have been killed!"

"That must be the work of a pretty powerful Shinigami," Grimmjow said with a grin.

"I think so too," Shawlong remarked. "How about we go hunting him?"

"If you devour a Shinigami of that level, Grimmjow, your power will surely evolve even further."

Grimmjow had always sought to surpass his limits and evolve into a Vasto Lorde. He certainly wouldn't pass up such an opportunity.

"Is that even a question?" Grimmjow sneered. "From the moment I heard about him, he became my prey!"

With that, Grimmjow and his five subordinates began tracking down their target.

By the time they found the Shinigami, he had been hunting Menos for two days straight. He was resting in the aftermath of his battles, recovering his strength.

"Is that him?"

The group observed from a distance, preparing to strike when Grimmjow suddenly raised a hand.

"Hold on."

"What's wrong?" Edrad asked, puzzled.

Grimmjow narrowed his eyes. "Something's off… His Reiatsu is too weak."

"What?"

The others focused on sensing his energy. Their expressions shifted in confusion.

"It's true… His Reiatsu is abnormally low."

"He's not even on par with an average Gillian."

"That doesn't make sense. We heard he killed over ten Gillians on his own."

"It's unnatural—there's no way someone with such weak Reiatsu could have that kind of strength."

They had expected a captain-class Shinigami to be responsible for the carnage. Only someone of that caliber should have been able to cut down so many Menos in such a short time.

"Maybe we were wrong about our target? Could he just be another Shinigami?" Di Roy speculated.

Grimmjow smirked. "It doesn't matter. If he's here, we're not letting him walk away. Edrad, take him down. You can have him when you're done."

"Understood!"

Edrad no longer concealed his presence and charged straight at the resting Shinigami with a bloodthirsty grin.

"Oh? Another Menos already?"

The Shinigami opened his eyes, seemingly unfazed. Rising to his feet, he dusted off his black Shihakushō and calmly faced the incoming Edrad.

"Heh, are you frozen in fear?"

Edrad lunged, jaws wide, intending to swallow him whole—

But in the blink of an eye, the Shinigami was gone.

"What—?!"

Edrad's pupils contracted. As a former Adjuchas, he recognized the truth immediately—this Shinigami's speed far surpassed his own.

Shing!

A flash of golden light.

In the next instant, a gleaming blade had already severed Edrad's head from his shoulders.