Chapter 59: Engagement
On the return journey.
"Thanks to being grouped with Suoh, this training was really easy."
Takahashi Kenta's face was full of relaxed smiles as he spoke.
"Yeah, thanks to Suoh."
Kawada Taichi agreed, his gaze falling on Suoh Tsukasa at the rear of their formation.
Their words weren't entirely flattery—Suoh had been handling security watch the entire way.
With Suoh standing guard beside them, they could focus completely on the Konsō ceremonies without worrying about potential dangers around them.
Not to mention those notoriously difficult teenage Pluses, who were either rebelliously uncooperative and wouldn't listen, or emotionally unstable with deep attachments, crying and causing scenes.
Suoh had taken the initiative to perform Konsō on all those teenage Pluses himself.
"No need to thank me, I..."
"Hollows incoming. Stay alert."
The relaxed conversation on their return was shattered by Suoh's warning.
His words pulled them from their joy over the successful Konsō training.
His figure flashed as he stopped first on an empty residential lot, turning to look down at a position they'd passed earlier.
The smiles instantly vanished from his companions' faces. Without hesitation, they followed his lead, flanking Suoh on both sides with drawn swords, watching warily in the direction he faced.
Using the dim yellow glow of the streetlights, the two followed Suoh's line of sight to the street corner, where a pitch-black cavity had opened at some point.
A massive figure, about three times human height, was slowly emerging from the cavity at the street corner, its movement against the concrete creating an unsettling scraping sound.
A thick serpentine tail dragged along the ground, a black hole gaped at its waist, and a stark white bone mask covered its head, with naked bloodlust dancing in its hollow eye sockets.
Four smaller Hollows of varying forms filed out of the cavity behind it.
Though their appearances differed, all shared the same black holes at their waists as the serpent-tailed Hollow, and all fixed the three students with the same bloodthirsty, cruel gazes.
The lead serpent-tailed Hollow approached slowly with its subordinates, its slender tongue licking the lower edge of its mask as it spoke in a raspy whisper.
"Ah, such good luck today, three of them..."
"You all look... delicious!"
The deep voice carried barely suppressed hunger, its killing intent locked firmly on the three before it, attempting to break their will to resist through words.
Ordinary Hollows had little interest in regular humans or Pluses—only souls with high spirit particle density were their hunting targets.
During the Konsō ceremonies, the spiritual pressure fluctuations produced when the three concentrated on marking had been like bright beacons in the quiet night, making them targets.
Though Hollows appeared to be mindless monsters, their basic intelligence remained unchanged from life. When not hunting, they usually lurked in the gaps between the World of the Living and Hueco Mundo, rarely showing themselves actively.
Before they acted, even Soul Society's monitoring methods had difficulty pinpointing their locations.
These cunning predators had not only patiently waited for them to exhaust some spiritual pressure and stamina but had also precisely chosen to appear when the three were most relaxed on their return journey.
"That large Hollow's spiritual pressure is really strong. Should we fight or retreat, Suoh?"
Feeling the pressure from their opponents, Takahashi Kenta's voice trembled slightly, though his overall stance hadn't collapsed.
Kawada Taichi also held his breath, awaiting Suoh's command, his Asauchi held horizontally in a ready stance, his gaze locked on the approaching smaller Hollows.
"Engage!"
"Don't fear. I'm here."
Suoh's voice was calm, without the slightest ripple.
"Yes!"
The two responded loudly in unison without any hesitation, and the fear on Takahashi Kenta's face quickly faded.
"Tch, attack!"
Facing this situation, the serpent-tailed Hollow across from them let out a displeased growl. At its command, the smaller Hollows quickly rushed toward the three.
Kawada Taichi's eyes now burned with fighting spirit. His form flashed as he met the charge of the foremost small Hollow.
"So hungry!"
That Hollow wore a spike-covered mask. Seeing Kawada Taichi charging, it let out a sharp shriek and lunged with its fang-filled mouth wide open.
Before evolving into Gillians, Hollows typically only had claws and fangs for physical attacks. Only a few large Hollows possessed troublesome special abilities.
Though small Hollows lacked offensive techniques, their actual killing power wasn't insignificant.
Setting aside spiritual pressure, their physical advantages often gave them certain advantages in combat.
Kawada Taichi's blade steadily blocked the fangs, but the impact force made his legs bend slightly. He grunted, his spiritual pressure erupting to stabilize his stance, though he was still pushed sliding backward by the attack.
On the other side, Takahashi Kenta faced a small Hollow with a single-eyed mask, in much the same state as Kawada. The opponent's claws swept down rapidly, and he could only desperately raise his sword to block.
When the serpent-tailed Hollow gave its order, Suoh, who had been on guard, had already begun moving. His left hand aimed at his target as he began rapidly chanting the incantation.
"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south!"
"Hadō Number Thirty-One: Shakkahō!"
The incantation completed extremely quickly. In the next moment, a crimson fireball shot out at high speed, accurately striking the mask of a small Hollow at the rear attempting a sneak attack.
The explosion was crisp and decisive. The small Hollow's mask shattered on impact, along with half its skull turning to charred fragments. Its body swayed and fell, then dissolved into spirit particles.
Having succeeded with one strike, Suoh's expression remained unchanged. Drawing his blade, he appeared before another Hollow attempting to flank them.
The serpent-tailed Hollow took in everything on the battlefield, showing no anger at the sudden loss.
The corner of its mouth curved into a cruel arc. In that instant, its massive form silently vanished from its original position.
"You've got some skill."
The cold voice carried mockery, suddenly sounding from behind Suoh.
"But that's all you've got, hehe."
Reappearing, the serpent-tailed Hollow materialized behind Suoh Tsukasa, its tongue once again licking its mask, dripping saliva as it laughed with the satisfaction of prey within reach.
Its vicious right claw tore through the air in a horizontal sweep, attempting to slice Suoh's body into pieces in one strike.
The serpent-tailed Hollow considered itself an excellent, cautious hunter.
From the moment it was discovered, it had kept its attention on Suoh, the leader of the three.
Despite their numerical advantage, it had still chosen the most prudent strategy—sending small Hollows forward to test the waters before launching its ambush from the side.
At this critical moment, Suoh's previously restrained spiritual pressure instantly erupted. Using his left foot as a pivot, his waist twisted sharply.
The blade that had been blocking an attack instantly sliced through the small Hollow's mask before him like a hot knife through wax, splitting it in two.
The blade's momentum continued unabated, the edge tracing a cold, beautiful arc as it raced to meet the giant claw attacking from behind!
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