Bleach: Sea of butterflies

The battlefield hummed with tension, broken only by the sound of clashing blades and the sharp hum of energy blasts.

"You stupid old SHINIGAMI!" The cockroach-like Vasto Lorde screeched, swinging her clawed arms furiously at Kuchiki Ginrei. Each strike was powerful, yet Ginrei deflected them with ease, his blade moving with practiced grace. His expression remained calm, barely acknowledging the force behind her attacks.

'Weak,' Ginrei thought. 'They must have evolved recently. Their strength is lacking, and their control over their humanoid forms is pitiful.'

Ginrei kept his focus split, parrying the hollow's strikes while his gaze flickered toward the other fight below. Musashi, Arasaka, and Suì-Fēng worked together, battling the ant-like Vasto Lorde. The coordination between them was sharp, seamless even.

'Impressive. Their teamwork has improved greatly,' Ginrei observed. 'Musashi is closing the gap to captain-level strength. His potential already surpass all the lieutenants. Arasaka... his zanpakuto is an enigma, but his skill is undeniable. And Suì-Fēng... she is shaping into a formidable fighter. She's able to keep uf with them pretty well.'

Ginrei's restraint wasn't by accident. He allowed the cockroach Vasto Lorde to continue attacking, knowing that if he killed her too quickly, the other hollow might flee to Hueco Mundo.

"Just dieee!" The hollow roared, charging a cero at point-blank range.

In a single fluid motion, Ginrei's blade met her face, extinguishing the growing light with a flash of steel. The hollow darted back, vanishing into thin air with sonido.

Below, Musashi and Arasaka circled the ant Vasto Lorde, delivering swift, relentless strikes. Suì-Fēng darted in and out of the fray, slicing at the hollow's weak points in quick succession.

'Tsk, persistent pests,' the ant hollow thought, its regeneration beginning to lag. 'I need to end this before they wear me down.'

The Vasto Lorde lunged, claws swiping at Suì-Fēng. Before it could reach her, Musashi's blade intercepted it with a deafening clang. Arasaka followed up with a barrage of Kidō, red blasts of energy crashing into the hollow's carapace.

'Damn it, damn it,' the hollow thought, growing desperate as his regeneration slowed. 'I can't keep up.'
Suddenly, Musashi shifted tactics. His movements became unpredictable, and the Vasto Lorde misread the incoming attack, raising his left arm to block. The blow, however, came from the right, slicing deep into his side.

Before the hollow could recover, golden light enveloped him.

"Bakudō #61, Rikujōkōrō," Arasaka whispered. Six beams of light slammed into the hollow, binding him in place. Musashi stepped back, giving Suì-Fēng room to strike. Her blade pierced the unguarded section of his torso, and the hollow screamed in agony.

A purple glow built up in his mouth, desperate to fire another cero. Suì-Fēng shunpoed behind Musashi just in time to avoid the blast.

"Musashi," she called, "it's not regenerating anymore."

Musashi nodded, lowering his blade slightly. "Good job."

Suì-Fēng's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly pushed aside the fleeting feeling of satisfaction. 'We're in the middle of a fight,' she reminded herself.

The ant Vasto Lorde panted, clutching its wound. 'Damn... I'm not healing. This is bad.' Its eyes darted around frantically, searching for an escape.

Suddenly, it used sonido, moving faster than before.

Musashi braced for an attack, but instead, the hollow retreated toward the horizon. Without hesitation, Musashi and Arasaka pursued, Suì-Fēng close behind.

They didn't realize it until it was too late — they had crossed into a garganta.

Ginrei's eyes widened in alarm. "Stop!" he called out
But it was too late.

From above, Ginrei's eyes widened. "Fools!" he mutered.

The cockroach hollow smirked at Ginrei, only to feel the swift slash of his blade cut through her head. She barely had time to register what had happened before her head hit the ground.

Ginrei wasted no time, racing toward the garganta, entering just before it closed behind them.

Ginrei stepped into the closing garganta without hesitation. On the other side, he found himself standing behind Musashi and the others. The ant Vasto Lorde lay defeated at their feet, his body dissolving into ash.

The four of them stood in the pale sands of Hueco Mundo, the infinite desert stretching endlessly around them. The air was cold, suffocating.

"Where are we?" Suì-Fēng's voice quivered slightly.

Ginrei stepped beside them. "Hueco Mundo."

Arasaka frowned. "But... we were just fighting the hollow a second ago."

"You followed it through the garganta," Ginrei replied grimly.

Musashi turned to him. "Why did you follow us, Captain? You could have stayed behind."

Ginrei's eyes softened. "I will not abandon my family. Both you and Arasaka are part of that." He glanced at Suì-Fēng. "And you, lieutenant."

Suì-Fēng lowered her gaze, feeling both relieved and burdened by his words.

Arasaka surveyed the landscape. "Is there a way back?"

Ginrei's expression darkened. "

Ginrei lowered his gaze. "I'm afraid that isn't possible from this side. For now, we must find shelter and assess our options."

Musashi's hand clenched around his blade. "I'm sorry. This was my fault. I was too focused on the hollow..."

Ginrei placed a hand on his shoulder. "There is no shame in determination. But now we must survive."

Suì-Fēng's shoulders trembled as she clenched her fists, her usual composure slipping away. Musashi noticed and took a small step forward, reaching out his hand to her shoulder, but before his fingers could brush against her, a sudden pulse of spiritual pressure washed over them.

Musashi's eyes narrowed as he turned his head sharply to the left, the source of the disturbance undeniable. A split second later, the sharp sound of sonido echoed across the dunes, and two new figures materialized a few meters away. Their forms were slender yet powerful, humanoid but undeniably monstrous. Their eyes gleamed with malicious hunger.

"Tch, I figured those two wouldn't last long. Weaklings," one of the Vasto Lorde sneered. His body resembling a fly.

Beside him stood another, bulkier and draped in overlapping carapace like a beetle. His arms crossed as he observed the Shinigami with calm, predatory eyes. "We shouldn't stay long. If the boss finds out, he'll consume us next."

The fly-like hollow scoffed. "Relax. We'll devour these three and keep it quiet. One of them can be our offering."

(End of a chapter)