Chapter 376: BSUS - 379: The Cup and the Water

Passing through the pitch-black opening revealed a long, seemingly endless tunnel—a tunnel Hiroe was all too familiar with.

The Dangai, the interstitial space connecting the World of the Living and Soul Society. Traveling between Soul Society and the World of the Living required passing through the Dangai, but for it to appear here, right behind a Garganta opened by an Arrancar, was entirely illogical.

There was no Dangai between Hueco Mundo and either the World of the Living or Soul Society. Why would an Arrancar carrying Inoue Orihime end up in the Dangai? Could he be taking Inoue to the Seireitei?

Was Aizen’s target the Seireitei? That was, of course, impossible. The only explanation was that Inoue Orihime was also a feint—a diversion specifically targeting him, Chōzuka Hiroe!

Naturally, the lineup for this trap set specifically for him could be considered quite extravagant.

Nine Espada had invaded Karakura Town, but counting the temporarily promoted Luppi, there should be ten Espada-level Arrancar.

People like Hirako, who were unaware of the inside story, always assumed there were two more hiding in the shadows. Hiroe knew the truth, and initially, he also thought there were two—one of them being the burly man currently carrying Inoue on his shoulder.

The other was standing quietly in the Dangai. It was a slender figure of indeterminate gender, or perhaps not even human at all. After all, their entire head was covered by a long, perforated mask. If not for the large empty space at the top, it would be hard to imagine what kind of face could fill such a long mask.

The 9th Espada from his past life, Aaroniero Arruruerie. Hiroe naturally knew his identity and had previously assumed he was one of the Espada hiding in the dark.

Placing him here was likely due to his weakness to sunlight.

Aside from the two Espada, two of Hiroe’s old acquaintances were also in the Dangai: Ichimaru Gin and Tōsen Kaname. It could only be said that Aizen had brought out his full force this time.

"Long time no see, Mr. Chōzuka." Ichimaru Gin greeted him with a face full of smiles, a hint of regret in his tone. "Next time it will be your turn. It seems you didn’t take my words to heart."

Hiroe had no intention of paying him any mind. With a flick of his wrist, he held his moon sickle behind his back. His briefly paused footsteps resumed, charging straight toward the gap between Gin and Tōsen.

"Watch out for his blade!" Tōsen warned aloud. He had no desire to be cut by Hiroe’s bizarre second blade ever again.

Hiroe fiercely swung the moon sickle in his hand. The pale white scythe blade left a ring of light in the air, vanishing in a flash.

The two, already on guard, leaped away to either side. As Gin met Hiroe’s shifting gaze, his body instinctively brought his Zanpakutō up to guard his chest.

However, reason—or rather, Aizen’s words—told him that the man before him was rarely consumed by the killing intent in his heart. As long as he maintained a baseline of calm, he wouldn’t waste time tangling with him and Tōsen right now.

Swiftly twirling his short sword to point at Hiroe in the center, Gin shouted, "He’s trying to save her! Stop him!"

Hiroe’s immediate priority was indeed to save Inoue; he had no time to get bogged down fighting Gin and Tōsen.

After temporarily forcing the two back, he pushed off his toes, dodging attacks from both the left and right. Like a nimble dragonfly, he merely tapped the surface of the lake, leaving a single ripple before hurriedly flying forward.

"I know you. You’re just as cunning as before, Shinigami!" Aaroniero said in a low voice, his tone carrying an indescribable sense of familiarity.

According to Resen’s report, Aaroniero was still the 9th Espada. Although his actions were extremely secretive, his strength was pitifully weak. In a real fight, he might not even match up to Yammy, the 10th Espada.

His thrust wouldn’t be considered slow among the Gotei 13, but in Hiroe’s eyes, it was exaggeratedly sluggish. A simple sidestep and a spin were all it took to dodge it. He could even land a slash during the opening when facing him.

Therefore, it couldn’t be said that Hiroe had cleared another obstacle, but rather that Aaroniero, as the obstacle, had narrowly escaped disaster.

He finally reached the Arrancar who had instantly turned the tide right under his nose. Hiroe not only knew the various Espada from his past life but was also aware of Aizen’s current generals—or at least, he knew their names.

Eliminating all the ones he had already confirmed, the only one left was Jupiter Wald, the 1st Espada of Las Noches!

Just looking at such a towering figure gave off an oppressive aura. The word "power" seemed tailor-made for him.

This was both exactly as Hiroe had imagined and completely different. The man who defeated Love, crushing his enemies with a single strike like a collapsing mountain, ought to have this kind of oppressive presence.

But how could such a person be as silent and traceless as a gentle breeze?

Reiatsu. Even at such close range, Hiroe couldn’t sense any Reiatsu from him. That was likely the answer to the mystery.

As Hiroe sized up Jupiter in his mind, Jupiter was doing the exact same.

Speed and judgment. Based solely on these two displayed traits, Jupiter couldn’t find a single flaw. This wasn’t to say the opponent’s speed was unacceptably fast, or his judgment so precise that it left no openings.

It was fitting, or rather, just right.

Hiroe gave him the impression of a cup. The water level inside was slightly raised, looking as if it would spill over at any moment, yet it maintained a delicate balance.

The strange thing was, such a balance could be broken with just a slight shake or the addition of a single drop of water. Yet, a clear stream continuously poured into the cup, and the equilibrium between the cup and the water remained in a state of perfection.

A man who inspired both curiosity and a touch of fear. *Is this the existence Lord Aizen truly views as an enemy?*

Jupiter was curious. He was curious about what kind of charm this man named Hiroe possessed, and even more curious about where the limits of that delicate balance lay, and what it would take to shatter it.

*Can this sword strike shatter it?*

It was a straightforward thrust. From the moment it was launched, it seemed devoid of any possibility of changing course. Unadorned yet terrifying, it aimed straight for the incoming man’s face!

Hiroe’s expression was grave. Compared to Aaroniero, the sword thrust by this 1st Espada was stronger and faster. That was all, but that was enough.

Hiroe leaped, stepping onto the broad spine of the opponent’s blade. His body leaned slightly forward, as if he had tripped over the lingering momentum of the strike.

Thrusting the silver scythe handle fiercely against the sword, Hiroe vaulted directly above Jupiter’s left shoulder. His left hand smoothly grabbed Inoue Orihime’s collar, hoisting her against his waist.

*Faster than before.* Feeling the pressure on his wrist, Jupiter realized the opponent’s strength was also much greater than what he had displayed when evading Gin and Tōsen.

That delicate balance still remained unbroken.

For the first time, a gleam of excitement swirled in Jupiter’s stone-like eyes. He slammed his greatsword into the ground with his right hand, clenched his five fingers into a fist, and threw a punch at Hiroe, who was still mid-air.

"Watch out!" Inoue hadn’t seen Jupiter’s movement; she just warned Hiroe out of pure instinct.

Hiroe hardly needed her warning. The moment he rescued Inoue, he delivered a powerful sweeping kick with his left leg, landing squarely on the back of Jupiter’s head. This kick not only sent the opponent pitching forward but also allowed Hiroe to use the recoil to land on the ground, putting distance between himself and the enemy.

"Hahahaha!"

Hearty laughter filled the space. As Inoue watched Gin and the others catch up to regroup with the giant, she felt a sense of relief but couldn’t help the worry creeping into her heart.

"Chōzuka..."

Suddenly, a white light flashed in Hiroe’s palm. Inoue’s eyelids instantly grew heavy, and she felt herself on the verge of falling asleep.

"Don’t worry, it’ll be over soon."