Bleach: In Soul Society, I just want to retire

Yamabuki Ditang's entire body was encased in layers of sticky spider silk, rendering him completely immobile. The sticky, suffocating threads bound him tightly as the enormous spider-like Hollow dragged him through the forested mountains. The rough terrain caused him to bounce and jostle against the ground, his body scraping against rocks and roots.

He gritted his teeth, keeping his composure. Though he appeared helpless, his sharp mind was working overtime to assess the situation.

Eventually, the spider Hollow dragged him into a dark, ominous cave hidden deep within the mountains. The air was thick with the stench of decay and dampness. Yamabuki quickly noticed that the cave walls and ceiling were covered in thick strands of spider silk. His gaze swept over the scene and landed on numerous large, cocoon-like structures hanging from the ceiling and piled on the ground.

"Looks like this is your base of operations," Yamabuki murmured under his breath.

The spider Hollow grinned maliciously as it hoisted Yamabuki's silk-bound body higher into the cave. "You self-righteous Shinigami always think you're so clever. But you're nothing but food now!" it sneered. The creature opened its grotesque mouth, revealing two rows of sharp, venom-dripping fangs. It loomed closer, ready to inject Yamabuki with its paralyzing venom.

But before the Hollow could act, a sudden flash of silver cut through the darkness. The spider silk binding Yamabuki fell away effortlessly as he slashed himself free with his Zanpakutō.

The Hollow froze in shock.

"It seems this is your little lair," Yamabuki said with a smirk, brushing off the remaining strands of silk. "Not bad. Decent feng shui. It'll make a good grave for you."

The spider Hollow recoiled, its many eyes wide with terror. "Impossible! My spider silk is laced with anesthetic! How are you even moving?!"

Yamabuki's smirk deepened as he took a step forward, his Zanpakutō gleaming in the dim light. "Do you seriously not see how much higher my spiritual pressure is compared to yours? Battles between Shinigami—and Hollows, for that matter—are determined by spiritual pressure. Your cheap tricks won't work on me."

The Hollow's trembling grew worse as Yamabuki continued, his tone laced with mockery. "To be honest, the only reason I let you capture me was to rescue the people you've stored away here like snacks. But I'll give you credit for one thing—you still haven't shaken off your spider instincts of hoarding your food."

"You… you deceived me?!" the Hollow roared, its voice shrill with fury. "How dare you lie to me?!"

It let out a bloodcurdling scream and lunged at Yamabuki, its eight spindly legs moving with terrifying speed. Each step echoed loudly through the cave, and its venomous fangs glistened as it aimed for Yamabuki's throat.

But Yamabuki was faster. In a single, fluid motion, he stepped forward and brought his blade down in a devastating arc.

Slash!

The Hollow's massive body split cleanly in two, its momentum carrying the halves forward until they collapsed onto the cave floor with a sickening thud.

For a few moments, the spider's body twitched reflexively. Then, all movement ceased.

"It's over," Yamabuki said quietly, sheathing his Zanpakutō.

Turning his attention to the cocooned captives scattered around the cave, he quickly got to work. With precision, he sliced through one of the silk prisons, revealing a middle-aged woman inside. Though she appeared pale and weak, she was still breathing.

"Good," Yamabuki muttered. "The Hollow's poison seems to have been purely anesthetic. They'll wake up soon enough."

He moved on to the next cocoon, then the next. As he worked, he realized there were over a dozen captives in the cave. Men, women, the elderly, and even children had fallen victim to the spider Hollow. Yamabuki couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt as he wondered if Hanako, Chojiro's sister, was among them.

Soon, the captives with stronger constitutions began to stir. One by one, they opened their eyes and looked around, disoriented but alive. When they saw Yamabuki standing before them, sword in hand, many of them assumed he was a noble from Soul Society.

Seizing the opportunity, Yamabuki straightened his posture and addressed them. "There's no need to thank me. I'm a Shinigami of the Gotei 13. It's our duty to eliminate Hollows and protect innocent lives. That's why I'm here. Now, can anyone tell me—" He paused, scanning the group. "—is there a girl named Hanako among you?"

A small voice piped up from the back. "I'm Hanako…"

Yamabuki turned and saw a little girl no older than six or seven. She was tiny, with her hair tied into pigtails, and her oversized shoes clunked awkwardly as she stepped forward. Her clothes were tattered, and her big, tear-filled eyes made her look even smaller than she already was.

A warm smile spread across Yamabuki's face. "Your brother is waiting for you at home. Let's go. I'll take you back to him."

The other captives began to chatter excitedly. The idea of leaving the cave and returning to their homes filled them with hope. But Hanako hesitated, clutching the hem of her tattered dress nervously.

"But…" she whispered, her voice trembling.

Yamabuki crouched to meet her at eye level. "What is it, Hanako? Don't be afraid. That Hollow is gone. It won't hurt anyone ever again."

Hanako shook her head, her hands trembling. "It's not that… I'm scared because… if we leave, we might get eaten by something even worse."

Her words sent a chill through the cave. Everyone fell silent, their hopeful expressions fading.

"What do you mean, Hanako?" Yamabuki asked gently.

Hanako's voice quivered as she explained, "The day I was captured… I saw this spider Hollow kneeling before a bigger Hollow. It was… huge…"

The weight of her words pressed down on Yamabuki like a ton of bricks. He clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay calm. If he let his fear show, it would only make things worse for the terrified captives.

"I should have realized it sooner," Yamabuki thought grimly. "There's no way a Hollow like that spider would resist eating its prey. It must've been following orders from something stronger."

Taking a deep breath, he addressed the group. "Listen to me. I'll protect you. That larger Hollow may not even be here right now. Let's take this chance to leave the cave before anything happens."

Reluctantly, the group began their journey out of the cave, Yamabuki leading the way. But just as they reached the entrance, Hanako stopped and pointed to the sky.

"Look! The moon… why is it red?"

Everyone turned to look. A brilliant scarlet orb hung in the night sky, glowing ominously. It seemed to grow larger with each passing moment, descending rapidly toward the earth.

Yamabuki's blood ran cold. That wasn't the moon.

It was a Cero—a Hollow's devastating energy blast.

"Back into the cave! Now!" Yamabuki shouted, drawing his Zanpakutō as the group scrambled back inside.

He leaped into the air, spiritual pressure surging around him as he swung his blade at the descending Cero. The sheer force of the energy blast made his arms tremble as he gritted his teeth and pushed with all his strength.

At last, the Cero was deflected, curving away and crashing into a distant forest. The resulting explosion lit up the sky, and the forest was instantly reduced to ashes.

Panting, Yamabuki turned his gaze upward and locked eyes with a massive figure.

A Killian.

The towering, humanoid Hollow stood motionless in the distance, its grotesque mask glinting under the light of the stars.

"Why is a Killian here in Soul Society?" Yamabuki muttered to himself, his grip tightening on his Zanpakutō.

As he studied the creature, a horrifying realization struck him.

It was smiling.

A cold sweat ran down Yamabuki's back. "A Killian… with intelligence?"

He knew what that meant. Most Killians were mindless beasts, but on rare occasions, one would develop intelligence. Such creatures would devour their own kind and could eventually evolve into even more powerful forms, such as an Adjuchas or a Vasto Lorde.

"I can't let this thing escape," Yamabuki thought grimly.

"Red Smoke Escape!" he shouted, using a Kidō spell to obscure his movements. In an instant, he appeared behind the Killian, ready to strike it down with one decisive blow.

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