Las Noches was now right before him, yet Shimo had little interest in considering the dangers within.
'So this is Las Noches…'
'It looks even bigger than I imagined.'
Instead, his thoughts drifted to something entirely unrelated.
Traveling with the Hueco Mundo expedition force had looked impressive on the surface—but in reality, only he knew the truth.
It was nothing but a façade of strength.
A barrel's capacity isn't determined by its longest plank, but by its shortest one.
It wasn't that he meant to single anyone out, but some members of the Visored had been painfully underwhelming.
Three captains against the two weakest Espada—and they had nearly been counter-killed.
Three against two, and they still almost lost. That said everything.
If they had continued advancing deeper into Hueco Mundo, serious problems would have arisen sooner or later.
Shimo kept moving at high speed. Though Las Noches was already fully visible, he was still some distance from actually entering it.
Moments later, just as he was about to reach its territory, a massive and twisted spiritual pressure surged beneath his feet.
The white sand began to flow, forming a gigantic quicksand vortex that obstructed his path.
"A mere Shinigami dares approach the sacred land of Las Noches so openly?"
"Allow me, the Guardian of the White Sands—Runuganga, to bury you here!"
Boom!
A deep, rumbling voice echoed as the white sand surged like a tidal wave, casting a monstrous shadow and obscuring the horizon.
Moments later, a giant form rose from the sand, manipulating it as it towered before Shimo.
"Another Runuganga?" Shimo muttered in surprise.
"There really are quite a lot of these in Hueco Mundo."
He recognized the creature immediately.
Runuganga—the Guardian of the White Sands. A massive Hollow that wandered Hueco Mundo's inner regions, appearing as a half-bodied giant whose lower half was fused with the desert sands.
Its ability was the manipulation of Hueco Mundo's white sand. For seated officers or even lieutenants, it posed a grave threat.
It also possessed a major advantage against Shinigami—its entire body was composed of white sand, rendering it immune to ordinary slashing attacks.
Against swordsmen who relied solely on physical strikes, this ability made it virtually invincible.
But this Runuganga felt different from the one Shimo had encountered before.
Its spiritual pressure alone made that clear.
"This reiatsu… it's even stronger than the previous one?"
Runuganga roared, shaking the air.
"I will tear you to pieces!"
A sand arm dozens of meters long rose and smashed downward with a howling wind.
White sand scattered everywhere, sealing off every escape route.
Shimo didn't even consider dodging.
In the next instant, an abyss-like spiritual pressure descended.
Runuganga froze mid-motion.
Shimo flashed forward with Shunpo, appearing atop the giant's hand.
He glanced at its condition calmly.
"I see."
As soon as he spoke, Runuganga broke free of the pressure and roared again, sand raining down like a storm.
"You foolish Shinigami! Do you think such trivial tricks can defeat Lord Runuganga?!"
"What a pitiful and useless idea!"
It raised its arm, bringing Shimo closer to its face.
"The great ones of Las Noches require your death as an offering!"
Shimo remained completely unmoved under its gaze.
"You seem very confident in your abilities."
Runuganga roared back:
"Within the white sands, I am invincible! Your reiatsu and your attacks are useless against me!"
The sand beneath Shimo surged, trying to immobilize him, while another arm rose high and smashed downward.
"Useless?" Shimo replied calmly.
He didn't dodge.
His spiritual pressure exploded outward.
BOOM!
The air trembled violently.
The crushing pressure descended upon Runuganga's sand body.
Within seconds, the desert for miles around collapsed into a massive crater.
Its lower body solidified under the pressure, unable even to maintain its form.
"How… is this possible…"
Its sandy face twisted and crumbled.
"Such a fragile soul."
Shimo shook his head in disappointment.
"Even if the entire desert's power gathered in you, it wouldn't matter."
"The difference between us is absolute."
His spiritual pressure pressed down completely.
BOOM!
Runuganga's enormous body was crushed into fine white sand, returning to the desert.
Its soul was obliterated by the pressure.
Shimo continued forward toward Las Noches.
With his Shunpo speed, he quickly reached the outer wall.
The true scale of the palace now stood before him.
"It seems Barragan put a great deal of effort into building this."
"A pity it was seized by Aizen."
He raised a finger, red light gathering at the tip.
"Hado #31: Shakkahō!"
A blazing crimson blast pierced straight through the wall, opening a deep passage into the palace.
He had no interest in searching for the front gate—breaking in was faster.
The moment he stepped inside, the familiar system notification finally sounded in his ear.
[Check-in complete. Distributing mission rewards.]
[Congratulations, host. You have obtained Cero! (Hollow system progressing…)]
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