A hoarse voice came from the mouth of the strange Shinigami before them.

His calm, unshaken gaze swept over the Shinigami who had begun to surround him.

"Who are you?"

From the crowd, Madarame Ikkaku stepped forward, studying the strange Shinigami with curiosity.

"Shinigami. Ashido."

That same deep, muffled voice sounded again from beneath the antelope-like mask.

Only then did Shimo leisurely recall the man's identity—

The seventh Kenpachi, a friend of Kenpachi Kuruyashiki, and formerly the Lieutenant of the Eleventh Division—Ashido.

"That name… sounds familiar."

Yumichika frowned deeply, struggling to recall the details in his mind.

"Judging by your squad insignias, you're from the Fourth and Eleventh Divisions, right?"

Ashido spoke again.

Years of not speaking had left him somewhat rusty at even this basic skill.

"Yeah. I'm Madarame Ikkaku, Third Seat of the Eleventh Division.

This narcissist here is Ayasegawa Yumichika, Fifth Seat of the Eleventh Division.

And the one holding the Hollow over there is Kyōraku Shimo, Liutenant of the Fourth Division."

Up until then, Ashido had shown little reaction—but when he heard Shimo's name, his eyes shifted sharply toward him.

"Kyōraku? What's your relation to Captain Kyōraku?"

Shimo replied with a trace of exasperation,

"I usually just call him 'foolish old man.'

Alright, there's no need to be on guard—it's one of our own."

He waved a hand, signaling the other Shinigami to relax.

Seeing this, Ashido also let down his guard and approached them.

"Kyō… Kyōraku Shimo?"

Shimo nodded.

"A long time ago, my uncle told me about you.

You led a squad of Shinigami into Hueco Mundo hundreds of years ago… and then vanished without a trace."

At those words, Ashido finally let go of all caution, removing the antelope mask from his face.

The features beneath were sharp and striking, with a cool, composed expression—bearing a faint resemblance to that stubborn Kuchiki's.

"Yes… that's me.

One by one, my comrades fell to the Hollows.

Now, after centuries, I am the only one left."

Shimo remained silent.

He held deep respect for this man who had fought for the Shinigami's creed—

though some of his more extreme actions were harder to understand.

Still, considering the Eleventh Division's lack of skill in Kidō, it was no surprise they couldn't create a Senkaimon or force open a Garganta to return.

Over the centuries, Ashido had slain countless Hollows,

the Hollow masks he wore as trophies each one taken from a foe he had defeated.

For him to have survived in such a place for so long spoke volumes about his strength.

"These fleeing Hollows… they're connected to you, aren't they?" Ashido suddenly asked.

Shimo nodded.

"Not long ago, we fought that group of Hollows.

With limited manpower, we couldn't stop them all from escaping."

Ikkaku and Yumichika both felt a bead of cold sweat slide down their foreheads.

Good grief—wasn't their record impressive enough already?

From the sound of it, give Shimo two more squads and he'd flatten all of Hueco Mundo.

Ashido stayed silent.

After so many years without conversation, he didn't even know how to respond to Shimo's eccentric way of thinking.

After a pause, that hoarse voice spoke again:

"And you… why have you come to the Forest of Menos?"

Shimo didn't hide anything.

"Not long ago, an expeditionary team in Hueco Mundo went missing and sent a distress signal to the Seireitei.

We followed the trail here, but found no trace of them."

Ashido attached his mask to the mantle on his shoulder and said,

"You can stop looking."

"When I found them, they had already fallen to the Hollows."

"You should leave quickly—the Forest of Menos is no safe place."

Hearing this, Ikkaku asked in puzzlement,

"You're not coming with us?"

Ashido's voice was firm.

"This forest is the Hollows' nest, constantly sending more to the World of the Living."

"If I kill just one here, it might mean less burden there."

"Besides, I carry the will of my fallen comrades."

Shimo crushed a stone beneath his foot, looking at Ashido.

"You'd better come with us."

"Nnoitra is dead in the Forest of Menos—Hueco Mundo will have noticed by now."

He gave Ashido a brief explanation of who Nnoitra was,

claiming all the intel came from Kyōraku Shunsui.

Given that Shunsui was one of the longest-serving Captains in Soul Society, it was plausible.

"Killing Hollows is a Shinigami's duty, but that doesn't mean you must stay rooted in one place," Shimo said gravely.

"Besides, the world is never purely black or white."

"Even among Hollows, there are both good and bad… just as with Shinigami."

He patted Nel's head, paused, and added quietly:

"The same goes for us."

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