In the silent space, the glaring blood was spreading across the ground like a lake, filling the air with a thick stench of blood that continued to diffuse.
Kaiser’s expression shifted slightly as he looked upon the horrific scene before him.
In front of him, several Academy Students wearing the uniform of the Shin’ō Academy lay in pools of blood, barely clinging to life.
Kaiser immediately recognized them as the sixth-year students assigned to guard and monitor this area. Now, however, each one was gravely injured, with blood gushing from their bodies as if it were free, the sheer volume of blood loss so exaggerated it felt like a sick joke.
Kaiser stepped forward at once, crouched beside the nearest person, quickly examined him, and swiftly came to a conclusion.
"There’s no doubt they’ve sustained fatal injuries. If left , they’ll die within a minute."
This situation had already reached a critical level of urgency.
"They must be treated immediately."
"But I don’t know any Kaidō."
Kaidō was the one branch of Kidō that Kaiser had yet to explore. The Academy also didn’t offer a dedicated course on Kaidō—at least not in the first year.
"If only Asia was here."
Kaiser thought of the Sacred Gear Twilight Healing. If he had that artifact, so long as the person wasn’t already dead, they could be saved.
Unfortunately, Kaiser didn’t have Twilight Healing.
Helpless, Kaiser stood up and clenched his hand, gripping a long spear that appeared out of thin air.
It was the True Longinus.
His reiryoku flowed into the spear like running water, and it responded to the influx with a divine resonance as the spearhead opened up, releasing sacred waves.
"As I thought, reiryoku can also activate Sacred Gears."
Kaiser nodded, showing a look of no surprise.
Sacred Gears had always had varied power sources. They could be powered by stamina, by devil power, by aura, even by angelic or fallen energy—they accepted all, indiscriminately.
So although he had never tested it before, Kaiser had always believed that reiryoku from a spiritual body could also power Sacred Gears. He was merely confirming that belief now.
"I’ll have to test it with an Orga Lux sometime too, see if reiryoku can fuel those as well."
As that thought crossed his mind, Kaiser raised the spear.
"’O spear! True Holy Spear that pierces through gods!’"
With a voice sacred and solemn like a hymn, the incantation rang out.
"’Draw upon the ideal of the supreme ruler slumbering within me, pierce the gap between blessing and destruction!’"
"’Thou shalt proclaim thy legacy and become radiance!’"
The spear in Kaiser’s hand flared fully open at the tip, the sacred waves rapidly expanding, and in a blink, they enveloped the entire space.
Kaiser activated Truth Idea, invoking the will of God within the spear and bringing forth a miracle.
The sacred wave spread across the wounded sixth-years, and the blood beneath them began to flow back into their bodies in reverse.
Their wounds, too, began to close visibly, healing completely in mere moments.
Truth Idea responded to Kaiser’s will, releasing a healing effect and resolving his crisis.
"You really are the most reliable."
Kaiser exhaled in relief and smiled at the spear in his hand.
Suddenly, the Zanpakutō at his waist vibrated.
Kaiser blinked, then gave a wry smile and said:
"I never said you weren’t useful. Don’t be so petty."
At his words, the Zanpakutō at his waist finally ceased its trembling, leaving Kaiser half amused, half helpless.
After putting away the spear, Kaiser walked forward and moved the now-recovered sixth-years to a corner.
"Well then... where’s the culprit?"
Kaiser turned back toward the scene, his eyes narrowing.
He opened up his full reiatsu-sensing ability—only to sense nothing.
Not just here, but throughout the entire training ground, there was no reiatsu other than that of the Academy Students and simulated Hollows, as if the one who attacked the sixth-years had already vanished.
A feeling of foreboding suddenly rose in Kaiser’s heart.
Sensing something was terribly wrong, Kaiser didn’t hesitate. With a flash of Shunpo, he disappeared.
As it turned out, Kaiser’s premonition was right.
While he was heading toward the location of the injured sixth-years, in another part of the training grounds, the first-years were in full retreat.
Cries of terror rang out from all directions, plunging the area into chaos.
In answer to those screams came a hollow roar that shook the air—and a towering figure as large as a building.
A Hollow of absurd size.
Its body radiated a chaotic frenzy, warning everyone present that it was anything but harmless. It was most certainly not a simulated Hollow meant for training—yet strangely, it emitted no reiatsu at all. Because of this, no one had reacted in time when it appeared.
By the time everyone realized what was happening, many had already fallen to its assault, staining the ground red with blood.
"What the hell is going on...?!"
Shūhei Hisagi stood with his back to the fleeing students, facing the roaring Hollow, his expression as dark as it could get.
"Why is there a real Hollow here? And such a massive one at that?!"
He had already tried to contact the barrier class, but received no response.
He had also tried to reach Soul Society—but there was no reply there either, leaving him with a growing sense of despair.
"At the very least, we need to get the first-years out of here...!"
Clinging to that hope, Hisagi roared in defiance, drew the blade on his back, and charged toward the massive Hollow.
The giant Hollow, as if swatting a fly, casually swung its enormous limb and smashed Hisagi away.
Hisagi crashed against the wall of a nearby building, spitting out a huge mouthful of blood as the impact shattered the wall behind him.
"So strong... This thing isn’t something Academy Students can deal with at all...!"
Hisagi’s face contorted in pain.
The Hollow’s strength was immense. Even regular Gotei 13 squad members might not be able to handle it.
To take on a Hollow of this level, you’d need at least a Seated Officer—perhaps even one ranked higher than Tenth Seat.
Hisagi gritted through the pain, staggering to his feet and raising his blade.
The Hollow, seeming to take this as provocation, ignored the fleeing first-years and barreled toward Hisagi with its massive frame.
"...Is this the end?"
As the giant form blotted out his vision, Hisagi found himself seeing his own death flash before his eyes.
"Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of man! Truth and temperance, upon the sea barrier, strike the southern sky and advance!"
A loud and urgent chant suddenly rang out.
Three voices—rushed, panicked, but none faltering—overlapped in unison, echoing through the battlefield.
"Hadō #31: Shakkahō!"
In the next instant, three fireballs shot forth, tearing through the air with red light, striking the giant Hollow all at once.
The explosions erupted on its body, causing it to stagger backward, creating space between it and Hisagi.
Before Hisagi could react, three figures rushed toward him.
"What are you standing there for, Senpai?!"
Renji Abarai shouted at Hisagi angrily.
Izuru Kira looked completely pale, clearly overwhelmed with fear. His hands were visibly shaking. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ NovᴇlFɪre.ɴet
"Excuse us, Hisagi-senpai!"
Momo Hinamori’s expression wasn’t much better. Seeing Hisagi still frozen, she shoved him hard, pushing him away.
A massive limb came crashing down where they had been standing, pulverizing the ground.
Instantly, smoke and debris filled the air, spreading outward.
Renji, Kira, Hinamori, and Hisagi burst out of the smoke just in time, fleeing desperately into a nearby alleyway.
The enormous Hollow let out another roar and gave chase in their direction.
"That’s a real Hollow, right?" Renji growled as he ran, biting his lip. "Why the hell is there a real Hollow here?!"
"...I don’t know." Hisagi had finally snapped out of it. Running with the others, his face was grim as he said, "It appeared out of nowhere. We couldn’t sense any reiatsu from it. The barrier class isn’t responding. Soul Society isn’t responding either. None of this makes sense!"
"Wh-why is this happening?!" Hinamori nearly cried out, her voice trembling. "Even Soul Society can’t be contacted?"
"Are we just going to die here?!" Kira’s voice shook with raw terror. "I don’t want to die!"
"For now, just run!" Hisagi had finally regained his composure and barked, "The farther the better, the faster the better! Once Soul Society realizes they’ve lost contact with us, they’ll definitely..."
He didn’t finish his sentence.
Because true despair—
Had just arrived before their eyes.