I Am a Merciless Monster-Slaying Machine
Hueco Mundo was desolate.
Endless white sands stretched across the land, devouring all signs of life. No vegetation grew here. Occasionally, quartz formations resembling tree branches jutted from the ground.
Eternal night cloaked the world, and the waning moon was the only constant sight for the countless Hollows who roamed the land.
"Is this Hueco Mundo? It's different than I imagined."
Zaraki Souya stood upon the white sands, scanning the surroundings. There wasn't a single Hollow in sight, nor any trace of buildings. He had expected a chaotic swarm of Hollows, yet the land was empty.
Shiraishi narrowed his eyes. Judging by the barren quiet, this was a remote corner of Hueco Mundo—far from even Las Noches.
That was fine. He could hunt from the outskirts inward. Facing the Espada directly was not an option—not yet. The power of the former Espada was far beyond his current reach.
"I'll open my spiritual sense and search for Hollows nearby."
His perception spread outward: three kilometers, ten, twenty, finally thirty. Amid scattered traces of weak reiatsu, six strong Hollow pressures suddenly flared—Achucas-class Hollows, and not just one, but a group of them.
A stroke of fortune.
"Northwest. I'll start purifying there."
"Remember to leave one for me," Zaraki's voice trailed behind him, faint in the night air.
In the next instant, Shiraishi appeared thirty kilometers away. Before him rose what looked like a mountain—yet it was the canopy of the Great Hollow Forest. The scale was so immense it seemed like towering peaks.
Beneath the canopy, six Achucas had dug a cavern for themselves. Unlike the mindless Gillian, Achucas had intelligence equal to humans. They formed packs, strategized, and preyed upon stragglers of their own kind.
Tonight, they were feasting. A slain Achucas lay in their midst as they tore into its flesh.
Focused on their meal, none noticed Shiraishi's approach. Their senses relied on reiatsu signatures, and with no alert from their instincts, they remained oblivious.
Shiraishi crouched low, striking silently. Using a Forward Slash, he flashed behind the one with the strongest spiritual pressure and drove his blade clean through its skull.
Bone shattered. The Hollow's massive form disintegrated into spirit particles.
The other five snapped to attention instantly.
The tiger-like Achucas lunged first, but Shiraishi cut clean through its torso, following with a Steel Flash that split it into two.
Three scarlet bolts of lightning surged at him. He swung his sword, raising a Wind Barrier that erased them without a sound.
A piercing shriek cut the air. A tall, thin Achucas covered in jagged white spurs spiraled toward him. Shiraishi met it head-on—Steel Flash gleaming, golden currents surging at his feet. His slash unleashed a tornado that intercepted the spinning Hollow midair.
The creature's momentum broke. It was sucked upward, and Shiraishi pierced its skull in a single thrust.
Three dead in an instant.
The remaining three Achucas panicked. Knowing they could not win, they scattered in different directions.
Shiraishi pursued. His blade carved into one, splitting it in two. Sand and blood flew. He pressed forward with another Forward Slash, closing on the next.
That one screamed. The shrill cry echoed like a dagger twisting inside his skull. For an instant, his senses faltered.
The Achucas's eyes lit with triumph. It lunged, claws slashing for his throat.
But a golden vortex of energy burst around him, clearing his mind. Without hesitation, Shiraishi drove his blade through its head.
The final one had fled more than ten kilometers.
With a burst of speed, Shiraishi blocked its path.
The boar-like Achucas froze, then dropped to its knees, trembling. "Mercy, sir! Spare me!"
His blade flashed once.
Bone shattered, flesh scattered into spirit particles.
No matter how pitiful the plea, Shiraishi showed no mercy.
Sheathing his sword, he felt his spiritual pressure rise sharply—his level had increased.
He accessed his system panel:
Name: Shiraishi
Level: 11 (85/1495)
Spiritual Pressure: 8975
Zanpakutō: Infinity (Chance of critical hit, doubling the next attack or skill)
Passives
Way of the Rurouni
Unyielding: Sword energy builds as you move. At its peak, attacks generate a shield that lessens incoming force.
Born to Die: You fear no death. In desperate moments, your reckless valor guarantees a critical strike.
Skills
Steel Flash (Lv. 3): Strikes grant Whirlwind Slash stacks. Two stacks unleash a whirlwind that knocks enemies back.
Wind Barrier (Lv. 2): Creates a wall of air that blocks ranged attacks for 4 seconds.
Forward Slash (Lv. 4): Dash as a gust of wind, piercing enemies. Steel Flash during the dash creates a circular slash.
Fresh Breath (Lv. 2): Launch toward airborne foes, prolonging their suspension. On landing, Sword Intent is restored and Steel Flash resets. For 15 seconds, attacks have a 50% chance to bypass defenses.
Shiraishi laughed. He had needed 1425 experience to level up, and now had 85 more than before. One Achucas was worth 100 experience.
"How many Achucas must exist in Hueco Mundo? Grimmjow alone devoured a thousand…"
At this rate, he could grow exponentially stronger.
His spiritual pressure had surged from 7550 to 8975. Skills had leveled. His progress was undeniable.
The bleak desert of Hueco Mundo suddenly seemed brimming with possibility.
Zaraki Souya finally caught up. Glancing at the battlefield, he raised his brows. "Achucas-level Hollows… and you've already slain them?"
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