Y/N's grip tightened on his weapon, frustration simmering beneath his skin. The Hollow in front of him remained eerily still, watching him with glowing, predatory eyes. Around them, the battlefield had turned to chaos.

Ichigo and Uryū were being pushed back, their figures barely visible through the horde of Hollows swarming them. A fresh wave of howls echoed through the air as monstrous bodies lunged at them from all sides. Y/N could hear Ichigo's blade slicing through flesh, could hear the sharp twang of Uryū's arrows being fired in rapid succession—but they were getting separated.

A Hollow leapt between them, blocking Y/N's line of sight. He cut it down in one fluid motion, but another replaced it instantly.

"Tch," he exhaled, irritation creeping into his tone. "This is getting old."

The Hollow before him chuckled. Its voice was deep and rattling, vibrating in a way that made Y/N's skin crawl.

"Losing focus already?" it taunted. "A real shame. I was hoping the blood of a god would be more... impressive."

Y/N had no patience for this thing's smugness. With a burst of speed, he closed the gap between them, slashing upward with force meant to cleave the creature in half.

But the Hollow moved too fast.

It twisted its body unnaturally, dodging his strike by a hair's breadth. Before Y/N could readjust, its claws lashed out, raking across his side. Pain flared through his ribs, and he barely managed to avoid taking the full hit, rolling to the side to create distance.

The Hollow licked the black ichor from its claws, grinning.

"Sloppy."

Y/N exhaled sharply, resisting the urge to glare. He could feel warm blood seeping through his uniform. Not a deep wound, but enough to piss him off.

This was taking too long. He didn't have time to play around while Ichigo and Uryū were swamped. If they got overwhelmed, it would only get worse.

He shifted his stance, weapon steady in his grip.

Poseidon.

No response.

Poseidon, you hear me?

Still nothing.

Y/N scowled as he parried another strike, moving on instinct alone. He dodged left, twisted, countered with a sharp slash that barely nicked the Hollow's shoulder. It was tough—too tough. His strikes weren't landing cleanly, and when they did, they weren't doing enough damage.

Fine. He had a god in his head, right? He might as well use it.

I need more power.

Silence.

You wanna help out here, or are you just watching for fun?

Finally, Poseidon's voice stirred in the back of his mind.

"Do as you wish."

Y/N's eye twitched.

Really? That's it? That's all you've got?

"You call upon me for assistance, yet I sense no restraint in your blade. You fight not with hesitation, but with annoyance. If you seek my guidance, state what it is you truly desire."

Y/N barely had time to process that before the Hollow struck again. He ducked under a sweeping claw, countering with a thrust aimed straight for its mask. The Hollow jerked back, avoiding a fatal blow, but the blade scraped across its jaw, leaving a thin gash.

It didn't even flinch.

Y/N clicked his tongue.

I want this over with. Now.

Poseidon did not answer.

Damn it, old man, this thing's tougher than the usual garbage. If you've got any divine tricks up your sleeve, now would be a good time!

Another second of silence. Then, finally—

"Then end it yourself."

Y/N nearly cursed aloud.

That's your big advice?

But he didn't have time to argue. The Hollow was already moving again, closing in with blinding speed. He barely had time to react before it slammed a fist into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. His body skidded backward, boots digging into the cracked pavement as he barely managed to stay standing.

Annoyed wasn't even the right word anymore. He was pissed.

Poseidon wasn't going to help. Fine. He'd handle it himself.

With a sharp exhale, Y/N focused, letting the ocean's energy inside him swell. He didn't need permission. The water answered him.

Moisture gathered in the air around him, swirling along the length of his weapon. The Hollow's grin faltered slightly as it felt the shift in the air.

Y/N rolled his shoulders, adjusting his grip. "No more games."

The Hollow's eyes gleamed with amusement. "Finally."

It lunged.

Y/N met it head-on

Y/N's breathing slowed as he shifted his stance. The Hollow in front of him remained poised, its glowing eyes filled with amusement as if it had already won.

But it hadn't.

Not yet.

He exhaled, his grip firming around his trident as he called forth the techniques Poseidon had drilled into him before.

Waterfall. A surge of water built within his core, waiting to be unleashed. Hydro Cutter. A precise, razor-thin edge of liquid pressure that could slice through nearly anything. Hydro Lance. A high-speed spear of compressed water, capable of piercing through solid steel. Teardrop. Small, nearly weightless spheres of water, deceptively fast and unpredictable.

Closing his eyes, he focused.

The air grew heavier as moisture condensed around him, the atmosphere bending under the weight of the ocean's presence. Tiny droplets materialized in the air, glowing with a faint blue shimmer.

The Hollow smirked. "What, closing your eyes to accept your death?"

It lunged.

Then—impact.

A sickening crack echoed as the Hollow's claws rebounded off something unseen. Y/N's eyes snapped open just in time to see the Hollow staggering back, hissing in confusion.

Around him, the watery spheres had arranged themselves in a defensive formation.

They blocked it?

Y/N hadn't even commanded them to move, yet they had acted on their own, shifting to protect him at the last second. He barely had time to process it before the Hollow growled and struck again.

Its claws came from the side, a blurred arc of movement.

Thud. The spheres intercepted it again.

Faster this time, the Hollow kicked forward, trying to break through—only to be met with the same resistance. The watery orbs flickered in the air, shifting just enough to deflect the attack.

Y/N's heartbeat quickened. He hadn't even fully mastered Teardrop yet, but the technique was responding to him instinctively.

Poseidon's voice rumbled in his mind.

"You understand now."

"Barely," Y/N admitted, turning his focus back to the Hollow.

It had stopped attacking, analyzing him instead. Its claws twitched in irritation. "I see," it murmured. "You weren't using your full potential before."

Y/N grinned. "Figured that out, did you?"

The Hollow's body tensed, its muscles coiling before it launched forward with devastating force. This time, it struck with both arms, aiming to overwhelm Y/N's defenses.

The watery spheres didn't falter.

They shifted with a mind of their own, moving in a blur to block and deflect the incoming blows. The Hollow's strikes landed but never connected with flesh—each one redirected by the fluid orbs dancing around Y/N.

Still, his own attacks weren't doing enough. Every time he slashed at the Hollow, his blade barely left a scratch. Its skin was too tough. His usual cutting power wasn't enough.

The spheres flickered, aligning themselves along his trident.

At first, he thought it was coincidence—then he felt it.

The energy within the spheres resonated, wrapping around the weapon like a spiraling current. The weight in his hands changed, the blade becoming sharper, more refined.

Y/N slashed again.

This time, the impact was different.

His blade met the Hollow's torso—and cut. Not a shallow scratch, not a mere surface wound, but a deep, precise slash. Black blood spattered the pavement as the Hollow stumbled back, its grin replaced with a sharp, annoyed hiss.

Poseidon's voice hummed in his mind once more.

"You can do better."

Y/N scoffed, rolling his shoulders. "Figures you'd say that."

The Hollow steadied itself, wiping at the wound on its chest. The amusement in its gaze had dimmed slightly. "Impressive," it admitted. "But still not enough."

Y/N wasn't interested in arguing.

If the spheres could enhance his cutting strength, why stop there?

He took a slow breath, concentrating. The watery orbs floating along his trident suddenly began to rotate—at first, slowly, then faster. The air hummed as the spinning spheres gained speed, shifting into razor-thin discs of spiraling water.

Like sawblades.

The Hollow's body tensed. It felt the change. The way the air shifted, the way the pressure condensed. Y/N gave a slight smirk.

"Let's test something."

And then he moved.

He surged forward, spinning his trident in a swift, controlled arc. The saw-like water discs at the tips carved through the Hollow's defenses like wet paper.

A shriek. The Hollow stumbled backward, black ichor pouring from fresh gashes across its arms and torso. It gritted its teeth, trying to recover, but Y/N didn't stop.

He struck again. And again. Each movement was fluid, the spinning water slicing effortlessly through its once-impenetrable hide.

For the first time since the battle began, the Hollow's expression shifted from amusement— —to frustration.

It let out a snarl, its spiritual pressure flaring wildly. "Enough!"

It lunged forward, claws darkening as its reiatsu surged—but Y/N didn't move to block. He ducked.

The attack swiped over his head, missing entirely.

His counter came instantly. He thrust his trident forward, the saw-like water rotating at full force. The Hollow barely had time to react before the weapon buried itself into its shoulder, tearing straight through muscle and bone.

A howling scream tore through the battlefield.

Y/N didn't wait. He twisted the trident. The spiraling water increased its speed, grinding through flesh like a drill.

The Hollow's body convulsed violently, its arm severing at the joint. It reeled back in pain, staggering.

Y/N exhaled, stepping back. The spinning water slowed, returning to its natural spherical form around his weapon.

The Hollow's breathing was ragged. Its body twitched, its one remaining arm clutching the stump of its missing limb. Its glowing eyes flickered with something unfamiliar—caution.

For the first time, it didn't immediately attack.

Y/N rolled his neck, loosening the tension in his muscles. "Still think I'm unimpressive?"

The Hollow let out a low, distorted chuckle. "Hah... you might be worth eating after all."

Y/N's eyes narrowed.

Poseidon's voice resonated in his mind once again, steady yet firm.

"Now, finish it."

Y/N didn't need to be told twice.

The Hollow had lost its momentum. It was slower now, struggling to keep its form stable. The fight was already over—it just didn't know it yet.

Y/N surged forward, his trident glowing with the ocean's power. The watery spheres aligned once more, spiraling into razor-sharp discs.

The Hollow snarled, trying one last desperate attack.

It never landed.

Y/N's final strike was swift and unforgiving, his weapon cleaving straight through the Hollow's mask. The spinning water drilled into its skull, shattering it completely.

A long, piercing wail—

And then silence.

The Hollow's body disintegrated, dissolving into black particles before vanishing entirely.

Y/N stood still, his breathing deep and measured. The orbs of water around his weapon faded, falling as harmless droplets to the cracked pavement below.

It was over.

His grip loosened slightly, rolling his shoulders before looking over his shoulder.

Ichigo and Uryū were still in the middle of their own battle. Hollows surrounded them, their numbers overwhelming—but Y/N was done wasting time.

He spun his trident once before gripping it tightly.

"Alright," he muttered, cracking his neck. "Time to clean up."

And with that, he charged forward

Y/N exhaled sharply, gripping his trident as the last of the watery spheres spun around him. The battlefield was still thick with Hollows, but their numbers had thinned drastically. With each swing, the spinning water blades cut through them like a storm ripping apart a ship at sea.

A Hollow lunged at him from the side. He didn't even look—just flicked his wrist, sending one of the whirling spheres slicing through its mask. The creature let out a gurgled shriek before dissolving into nothingness.

It was over.

Y/N rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck as he turned to Uryū, who had just loosed another volley of arrows. "Alright, Quincy," he called out. "You can fuck off now. Duel's over."

Uryū straightened slightly, still breathing hard. He adjusted his glasses, his expression unreadable.

Before he could respond, Ichigo stepped forward. "Hold on," she said, keeping her zanpakutō resting against her shoulder. "Before we call it quits, do you even understand why Uryū did all this?"

Y/N scoffed. "Yeah. He wanted to prove that Quincy are stronger than Shinigami. Stupid way to do it, but I get it."

Uryū turned his back to them, looking toward the remnants of the Hollow horde still swarming nearby. "Our methods may be different, but our goal is the same," he said. "You believe in eliminating Hollows to maintain balance. I believe in eliminating them to protect the people Shinigami failed to save." His hand tightened around his bow. "We'll never see eye to eye on that."

Ichigo sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Opposite ways of thinking and all that."

Uryū nodded. "Then watch if you disagree with my methods."

Ichigo didn't answer. She just kicked him in the back of the head.

Uryū yelped as he was sent skidding across the pavement, landing face-first in the dirt. He groaned, pushing himself up, his hair now filled with dust. "WHAT THE HELL, KUROSAKI?!"

"You talk too much," Ichigo declared.

Uryū sat up, flabbergasted. "You barbarian!"

Ichigo ignored him and walked over, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him to his feet. "Listen, your grandfather didn't want you proving the power of the Quincy," she said, locking eyes with him. "He wanted Shinigami and Quincy to work together."

Uryū froze.

Ichigo didn't give him time to argue. She stepped past him, slashing a Hollow's head in half with one clean strike. "If you still don't get it, I'll spell it out for you," she continued, standing next to him. "If we have different ideologies, fine. But when you're fighting a group of enemies, the best way to handle it—"

She turned her back to him.

"—is back-to-back."

Uryū blinked.

Two Hollows lunged at him. Instinct took over. He whipped up his bow and fired, twin arrows piercing through their masks in rapid succession.

Ichigo smirked. "Not bad."

Uryū adjusted his glasses. "I only did it because I would have been killed otherwise."

"Same thing." Ichigo shrugged. "You fight alone, you die. You fight together, you live. Simple as that."

Uryū scoffed but didn't move away. He glanced over his shoulder. Ichigo was still there, zanpakutō ready, eyes sharp. Watching his back.

He exhaled. "...Fine."

The two of them stood their ground, Hollow after Hollow falling at their feet.

Y/N watched them for a moment, then clicked his tongue. "Took 'em long enough."

He stepped forward, launching a final wave of slicing water across the battlefield, cutting through any remaining stragglers. The ground was littered with dissolving Hollow corpses, the sky still dark from the lingering presence of so many openings to Hueco Mundo.

Then—

The air changed.

A low rumble vibrated through the battlefield.

Y/N frowned, his grip tightening on his trident. Ichigo and Uryū noticed it too, both freezing mid-motion.

The sky cracked.

Two massive white hands gripped the edges of a new void forming above. The tear in space groaned as something pushed its way through.

Ichigo's jaw clenched. "What the hell—"

A face emerged.

Long, red nose. Hollowed-out eyes. A mask stretching endlessly across a grotesque body.

A Menos Grande.

Kon, watching from the sidelines in Ichigo's fallen body, felt his knees shake. "W-WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"

Ichigo swallowed, staring up at the gargantuan creature. "...Shit."

Uryū adjusted his glasses, but even he looked shaken. "My Hollow Bait shouldn't have attracted something this strong..."

"Too late for regrets," Y/N muttered, stepping forward.

The Menos let out an earth-shaking roar. The force of its voice alone sent debris flying, the sheer spiritual pressure pressing down on all of them.

Ichigo tightened her grip on her zanpakutō. "Alright, new plan—"

More Hollows surged forward.

"Dammit! We don't have time for this!" Ichigo swung her sword wildly, trying to keep them at bay.

Uryū pulled back his bowstring, firing as fast as he could. "Then make time!"

Four more Hollows leapt at them.

Before they could react, a barrage of explosive shells ripped through the creatures, sending them flying in pieces.

Ichigo's eyes widened. "The hell—?!"

A familiar voice called out.

"Whew! Almost too late!"

Through the dust and chaos, several figures emerged.

Ururu stood with a massive cannon resting on her shoulder, smoke still curling from the barrel. "U-Um... hello, Kurosaki-san," she said timidly.

Next to her, Jinta cracked his knuckles, his smug grin wide. "Tch. You guys really know how to make a mess, huh?"

Tessai stood behind them, arms crossed. "It would appear you were in need of assistance!"

And at the center of them all—

Kisuke Urahara, tilting his hat down, smiling lazily. "Sorry for the wait~!"

Ichigo blinked. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

Urahara chuckled. "Well, I thought I'd come help out my favorite substitute Shinigami before she gets squashed like a bug."

The Menos roared again, shifting its massive frame. Its movements were sluggish, but its power was undeniable.

Y/N spun his trident in his hand, sighing. "Great. More guests."

Ichigo gritted her teeth. "Guess we're not done yet."

Uryū adjusted his glasses, focusing his bow. "Obviously."

Urahara's grin widened. "Then what are you waiting for? Let's dance."

The battle wasn't over.

Not yet.

The Menos Grande loomed over them, its hollowed-out eyes glowing with eerie malice. The ground trembled with every movement it made, and the air itself felt heavier under its overwhelming spiritual pressure.

From a distance, Rukia's voice cut through the chaos. "No! This is impossible! Only the Royal Guard are meant to deal with something like this!"

Y/N frowned, gripping his trident tighter. So we're not even supposed to be fighting this thing? Great.

"The hell does that mean?" Ichigo shot back, barely glancing at her. "A single Shinigami can't take it on?"

Before Rukia could respond, the Menos slowly turned its massive head, its empty eyes locking onto them.

Ichigo grinned. "Then I guess I won't fight it alone."

She shifted her grip on her zanpakutō. "There's no point in overthinking it. Only way to take something this big down is to cut it up—again and again—until it falls."

Y/N sighed. "You really don't think things through, do you?"

Ichigo ignored him, already charging forward.

"Dammit—" Uryū growled before breaking into a sprint after her. "You absolute idiot!"

Rukia started to move after them, panic in her voice.