The answer was obvious.
It could not withstand it.
If the attack had been composed of Reishi like most Zanpakutō strikes or Kidō this Hollow might have devoured it using its peculiar ability.
But Gosuke Shigure's punch was different.
It was purely physical force, reinforced by precise Reiatsu control rather than formed from it.
Although Shigure's body was enveloped in dense spiritual pressure through Shunkō, that Reiatsu functioned only as reinforcement. The essence of Shunkō was not projection, but amplification—enhancing speed, destructive power, and bodily performance to their limits.
And this was something the Hollow could not consume.
Boom!!
The crimson tendrils shattered first.
Then the white mask cracked.
The Hollow's entire body collapsed inward under the overwhelming force. Its structure disintegrated instantly, and its consciousness was erased before it could even react.
There was no regeneration.
No resistance.
Only annihilation.
The massive body was blasted away, crashing heavily into the ground in the distance. Dust rose into the air, then slowly settled.
What remained was a broken corpse.
No Reiatsu.
No movement.
Completely dead.
Even a Hollow with such abnormal abilities could not survive a direct strike of that magnitude.
Not far away, Shiba Kaien held Miyako tightly in his arms, his emotions surging.
Before this moment, Kaien had always been proud.
As the current head of the Shiba family, he had long resolved to restore its former glory. After his uncle, Shiba Isshin, became Captain of the Tenth Division, the Shiba family gradually regained its footing within Seireitei.
Kaien chose the path of a Shinigami for that very reason.
He had delayed entering the Shin'ō Academy in his early years, remaining in Rukongai during the Shiba family's decline. He had seen firsthand the hostility, the suppression, the dangers that lurked in the shadows when a noble house fell.
Only after Isshin's rise did he return.
Because of his late start, his spiritual power was already developed upon enrollment he possessed sixth-class spiritual power, a rarity among new students. What followed was not mediocrity, but accumulation.
Ten years to graduate.
Five more years to rise to Vice-Captain of the Thirteenth Division.
And during that time, he met Miyako.
They fell in love. They married.
Everything seemed to be moving forward.
And yet
That pride had never truly disappeared.
Vice-Captain was not his limit.
He aimed higher.
Captain.
To stand at the peak of the Gotei 13.
He trained relentlessly, confident in his own talent and ability.
But today
Reality shattered that confidence.
Watching Miyako lying on the brink of death, powerless to save her… facing an enemy he could not overcome…
Kaien felt it clearly.
His weakness.
If not for Shigure's intervention, Miyako would have been devoured.
And he would have followed soon after.
"I'm still… too weak…"
The thought surfaced uncontrollably.
"Compared to true strength… I'm nowhere near it."
He had now witnessed it with his own eyes.
The power of a former Kenpachi.
And by extension, he could only imagine how terrifying the current Kenpachi Zaraki Kenpachi, the man who defeated Shigure must be.
Suppressing his thoughts, Kaien approached Shigure, still holding Miyako carefully.
"Kenpachi Shigure… thank you."
His voice was sincere.
"If not for you, she would have…"
Shigure interrupted calmly.
"No need. I was simply passing by."
Though his tone was casual, his words carried weight.
"I may have retired from the Gotei 13, but I won't ignore a Hollow's presence when I sense it."
His gaze shifted briefly toward the remains.
"That Hollow was unusual. Stronger and more troublesome than a typical one. It's not surprising you were pushed this far."
Kaien felt a brief, awkward stiffness.
The words were true but hearing them so directly was… uncomfortable.
Still, he said nothing.
After all, Shigure had saved them.
Shigure's eyes then fell on Miyako.
"Put her down."
Kaien hesitated for only a moment before gently laying her on the ground.
"I spent some time with the Fourth Division in the past," Shigure added. "I can handle basic Kaidō."
Without further explanation, he began.
Soft green light gathered in his hands.
Kaidō.
The healing Kidō enveloped Miyako's body, stabilizing her Reiatsu and closing her wounds. The previously critical injuries began to mend at a visible pace.
Her breathing, once faint, gradually steadied.
After a short while, Shigure withdrew his hand.
"That should do it."
He glanced at Kaien.
"It's been a long time since I last used Kaidō, so don't rely on it completely. Take her to the Fourth Division for a full treatment."
"I understand."
Kaien nodded immediately.
Then, Shigure added another point.
"That Hollow… was not normal."
His tone grew slightly more serious.
"I have some ideas about what it might be. I'll need to examine it further."
He turned toward the corpse.
"I'll be taking it."
Without waiting for a response, Shigure stepped forward, lifted the remains effortlessly, and prepared to leave.
Kaien opened his mouth slightly, as if to speak but stopped.
In the end, he said nothing.
Miyako's condition was stable. That was what mattered most.
At that moment
A sharp sound cut through the air.
A figure arrived swiftly.
It was Rukia Kuchiki.
As an ordinary member of the Thirteenth Division, she carried the weight of the Kuchiki name a burden that brought both pressure and scrutiny.
But she had never allowed it to break her.
If anything, it drove her to work harder than anyone else.
Upon hearing that Vice-Captain Kaien had rushed out alone, she had followed immediately to provide support.
Yet what she found was the aftermath.
Kaien standing there, Miyako safe in his arms.
And in the distance
A departing figure carrying the corpse of a Hollow.
Rukia's gaze lingered briefly.
"Vice-Captain… who was that?"
Kaien's expression turned complicated.
After a moment, he answered quietly.
"…Shigure Kenpachi."
"The former Captain of the Eleventh Division."
A pause.
Then, with unmistakable weight in his voice
"A true monster of a Shinigami."
"And the one who saved us."
WE ARE CURRENTLY ON CHAPTER 310
ON PATREON.
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCED CHAPTERS BEFORE PUBLIC RELEASE OR PURCHASE THE BOOK FOR LIFETIME ACCESS!
Patreon.com/HACKDWORLD