Chapter 374: Mysterious Hollow

"What happened?"

"The tower is going to collapse! Get out of here!"

"Something just flew over and hit the tower!"

"It's Captain Kenpachi! He crashed into the tower!"

"What?!"

A huge commotion erupted throughout the Seireitei. The Soul Reapers were all in shock, watching the tower tilt and fall.

Seeing Kenpachi Zaraki embedded in the tower, everyone gasped in disbelief. Who could have defeated the captain of the 11th Division, known as the strongest fighter in the Gotei 13?

Were the intruders really this powerful? Even Captain Kenpachi isn't a match!

The captains who hadn't yet reached H'el's location also showed expressions of shock, their eyes turning toward the area where H'el was.

The battle prowess of Kenpachi Zaraki, the 11th Division's captain, was undeniable. While each captain had confidence in their own abilities, none would claim they could defeat Kenpachi, let alone crush him so completely.

Aizen, who was heading toward the Great Spirit Library, looked up to see Kenpachi Zaraki flying like an arrow, crashing through towers and leaving deep craters where he was embedded. His eyes behind the black-framed glasses betrayed a hint of doubt.

Could Kurosaki Ichigo really have become this strong? Strong enough to defeat Kenpachi Zaraki so brutally?

Aizen knew Kurosaki Ichigo's potential well, having observed his growth closely. He had the potential to one day stand as Aizen's equal. But Aizen had not expected Ichigo to be able to defeat Kenpachi in such an extreme manner at this point.

Could it be Kurosaki Ichigo? If not, then in all of the Seireitei, aside from Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni, there shouldn't be anyone capable of dealing such a devastating blow to Kenpachi Zaraki.

Aizen looked up at the unconscious Kenpachi Zaraki embedded in the tower, then noticed that the mysterious black sphere, which had suddenly appeared in the Seireitei's sky a hundred years ago, had vanished.

His heart tightened slightly, and his eyes filled with contemplation.

"The Mysterious Hollow…"

Without reaching any conclusions, Aizen continued on his way to the Great Spirit Library.

In the 4th Division courtyard, Captain Unohana Retsu looked up as the tower collapsed with a great rumble. Seeing Kenpachi Zaraki embedded in it, even her gentle expression showed a flicker of surprise.

A hundred years ago, due to the "Mysterious Hollow," she had followed Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni's orders to search secretly for the highest combat strength.

Eventually, she found Kenpachi Zaraki wandering in Kusajishi District. At that time, he was in a state of instinctively weakening himself to match his opponents, afraid of losing the joy of battle, and his power level was not high.

Unohana had brought Kenpachi back to the Seireitei, allowed him to take the position of 11th Division captain, and bestowed upon him the title of "Kenpachi," gradually guiding him to recover his true strength.

Up until now, Kenpachi Zaraki had attained a combat strength on par with a captain. In precise terms, if Kenpachi were in a frenzy, his power might be equivalent to two or three captains like Kensei Muguruma.

Such combat strength was already among the highest in the current Gotei 13.

Yet, even with that strength, he had been defeated so utterly.

"Is the Mysterious Hollow coming...?" Unohana Retsu murmured to herself, lifting her head to the spot where the black sphere used to be. Seeing no trace of it, she whispered softly.

The Mysterious Hollow had always been a looming threat, as Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni had constantly reminded them. It was a being that almost destroyed the Seireitei a hundred years ago.

It was ultimately exiled, disappearing from sight.

Along with its disappearance, they lost their memories and past encounters with it. They had no recollection of what the Mysterious Hollow looked like or what the battle had entailed.

But the devastation left behind a century ago served as proof of Yamamoto's warnings.

One day, the Mysterious Hollow would return. Whether the Seireitei would be destroyed or not would depend entirely on the whim of the Mysterious Hollow.

"Captain, the 11th Division's captain is severely injured. We need to treat him immediately," said 4th Division Lieutenant Kotetsu Isane, a tall woman with short white hair and a white hairpiece, as she looked at the collapsed tower where Kenpachi Zaraki was embedded, his body seemingly shattered into pieces.

"Don't worry, Minazuki," Unohana replied calmly, releasing her zanpakuto, and, together with Isane, leaped onto the green manta-ray-like Minazuki to fly toward the tower.

Unohana wasn't concerned about Kenpachi Zaraki; on the contrary, every serious injury he sustained would wake him up and release his true strength.

As long as he wasn't killed instantly or completely dismembered, Kenpachi would only grow stronger. Besides, he wasn't someone who would die easily.

He was the only man who could entertain Unohana Retsu.

"Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi!" Soifon muttered under her breath, her gaze intense as she stared at H'el. She released her shikai, feeling the oppressive tension in the air.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyorinmaru!" Toshiro Hitsugaya said, unsheathing his zanpakuto, his heart racing with anxiety as he stared at H'el. Ice began to form, and cold air spread as he released his shikai.

"Roar, Tenken!" Komamura Sajin, his eyes narrowing like those of a beast, quickly released his zanpakuto, his spiritual pressure forming a massive figure as he focused on H'el.

The spiritual pressure from the three captains' shikai filled the area, creating an atmosphere of intense tension, with a battle seemingly imminent.

"Don't worry, old man. No one will stop you from speaking," H'el said earnestly.

He had a keen interest in his own forgotten past, and this old man clearly knew something about it.

As for the nearby captains, H'el thought he could easily defeat them with one hand while listening to the old man's story.

"Stand down," Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni commanded gravely.

A hundred years ago had already shown that captains were no match for him. Just now, H'el had demonstrated with a flick of his finger that his power had not diminished but had grown even stronger. The movement of spiritual particles, their meticulous micro-manipulation, was something Yamamoto could no longer comprehend.

Even without memories from a hundred years ago, it was clear that H'el, returning from the depths of Hell, was stronger now than ever.

Upon hearing the command, Soifon and Toshiro Hitsugaya did not lower their guard but remained silent, staring at H'el.

"Captain-Commander..." Komamura Sajin began, then stopped, realizing that questioning the Captain-Commander's orders was not his place. He quickly withdrew his shikai.

"If you wish to know everything... come with me," Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni said, turning and walking toward the 1st Division barracks.

H'el didn't hesitate to follow. Along the way, he noticed Uryu Ishida lying on the ground, looking like he was about to die. H'el picked him up, intending to study Uryu's body while listening to the old man's story.

As for Orihime Inoue, he didn't see anything special in her and ignored her.

Watching Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni lead H'el away, Toshiro Hitsugaya dismissed his shikai and turned to his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, his brows furrowed in concern.

"Rangiku, are you okay?"

Rangiku's vacant eyes seemed to show some movement, as if recalling something, and she murmured, almost dazed, "Captain, if you meet him again and he wants to kill me... please, don't stop him."

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