In the forest, an oppressive silence weighed on everyone — almost everyone at least. 

Gojo just found the situation distasteful. 

Initially, he had decided to watch the show and see how Rukia would deal with it. 

He believed in practice more than theory. Even if she got wounded, even if she lost a limb, he could help her grow it back by recreating the matter that made up her body. 

His Shikai gave him a near god-like control over spiritual energies. Recreating his own body was nothing complicated and even though doing so for others was without a doubt more difficult, it was just a matter of how much effort he was willing to put in.

But after witnessing the first attack of that hollow, he was forced to throw his training plan to the window. 

'I can't let her or any of them get wounded.'

He hadn't been paying attention at first when the hollow was still in the cave since he had been distracted by the disgusting scene of the massacre and body parts thrown all around, but it seemed that a part of the soul of the hollow was fused in those tentacles. 

This reminded him of the way some Curses could attach themselves to humans and possess them, or at least take control of their bodies. 

Of course, the laws of the two worlds were different and perhaps he was worrying for nothing, but since those Shinigami were part of his team for the mission, it was his duty to avoid putting them in unnecessary difficult situations.

More than anything, it was a question of pride. He had just bragged how everything was under control, so it would be quite lame if someone died soon after.

They could go die in another mission he wasn't part of later. 

"Honestly, I'm kinda disappointed in you."

It was hard to say if he was addressing Rukia or the hollow. 

"I mean, you have so much potential and this is all you amount to after five years of training?" 

Shaking his head, Gojo put his hand in his pocket and began to advance. 

"Watch and listen."

How long has it been since he could play the teacher? How could he let such an occasion pass? 

'It's showtime!’

"Do not underestimate me!" 

The hollow roared before keeping its maw wide open. 

A scarlet orb of energy condensed in front of the hollows, then, 

"Die!" 

It was fired directly at full power towards Gojo. 

This was a cero. The most used technique of high-ranked hollows. Contrary to the complexity of Kido that shinigami pursued, Hollows knew only one thing. 

The bigger the better. 

Looking at the energy beam flying toward him, Gojo tilted his head. 

"Underestimating you? Nah!" 

Then, under the astonished eyes of all people present, he slowly raised his hand–before swatting the cero aside as if it was nothing. 

*BOOM*

When the cero landed, everything in a hundred meters radius was erased. 

Even though the center of the explosion was quite far from them, Rukia could still clearly feel the wave of energy. 

"See? I have perfectly grasped your strength, and the result is-" 

Gojo brought his thumbs down while a grin split his face. 

"You are far weaker than I thought."

"!!!"

The other three Shinigami could only open their eyes wide at this declaration. 

'He is weak?' 

Rukia gulped while watching the hollow and threw a glance at Gojo. 

There was no way this hollow was weak. At the very least, she was sure that not even Miyako could have handled it. 

She had heard many rumors about Gojo since he left the academy. 

But only by seeing for herself was she able to understand just how absurdly strong he was. 

"Bastard!"

The hollow, Metastacia, seethed with anger. 

'How dare he!?' 

He was his master’s most beautiful creation. Even though he could not remember who his creator was, he believed it was the most absolute being in this world. 

Enraged, it used all its remaining tentacles and swiped them at not only Gojo, but also at the other three who were still in the vicinity. 

Despite its rage, Metastacia understood quite clearly that it was simply no match for the one in front of it. 

Even though they had only exchanged a few moves, the difference in power was made clear. 

But, there were many ways to win even against someone stronger. 

Its tentacles weren't simply meant to attack. 

As long as it wounded at least one of them, it could infect their minds and bodies by fusing their souls with theirs. 

It knew that shinigami were incredibly loyal to each other. Surely they would not kill each other. 

What's more, 

'If I can get his body.'

From the information in its minds, it knew that its technique would be useless against captains of the soul society. Their souls were simply too powerful. 

But, the one in front of it did not wear the white cloak. 

'It's possible!'

What's more… It had another trump card. 

Meanwhile, watching all this, Gojo could only feel bored. 

Lately, his six eyes have been slowly getting stronger. It all began the moment he unlocked his Shikai. 

It seemed that the power of his eyes was related to the power of his soul. 

Currently, Gojo could convert one instant into more than three minutes. 

It wouldn't be a mistake to say that he was living in a different world from most people. 

Thankfully, this power of his was something he could control, otherwise he would have gone crazy. 

But still, fighting against enemies so much slower than him was nothing more than a pain. 

Suddenly, just as the attacks were about to land, they were all stopped by a spinning translucent yellow shield.

Rukia’s breath nearly stopped as she watched the tentacle stopping just a few centimeters away from her face.

At the same time, she could not understand what had just happened.

No matter how she saw it, what he had just used was a Kido. More precisely, it was Bakudo #39: Enkosen[1]

But this shouldn’t have been possible.

Not only did he create a dozen shields in a fraction of a second, but he did not even use any incantations, nor did he use the name of the spell.

This could only mean one thing.

Satoru Gojo was at the master rank in terms of Kido.

“Rukia, what do you think was your first mistake?”

Ignoring the caged hollow, Gojo asked Rukia calmly.

“I…”

“You did not clearly tell your teammates what your skills were.”

Even though Sode no Shirayuki was renowned as the most beautiful Shikai in Soul Society, it didn’t mean that its abilities were equally known.

“Since your leader did not know your power, she operated and used a flawed formation from the start.”

Saying so, Gojo raised his index, a spinning fireball formed above it before being thrown at the hollow.

“Ghahhhh!!!!”

The heat was so high that Rukia was already sweating. Meanwhile, the hollow was being charred and released a high-pitched scream of pain.

“Second mistake. After you managed to repel the first attack, the first thing you should have done was to regroup and cover the back of either of your comrades.”

After the fire stopped burning the hollow, Gojo opened his hand wide and a green light covered the hollow, while slowly healing all its wounds. If any of the 4th division members had been present, they would have sworn at this sight.

Healing a hollow was accepted to be fundamentally impossible because, while their Reiryoku and Reiatsu were the same in essence, there existed too many little differences.

“The third mistake you made was to use a skill you obviously did not master completely in a setting that allowed room for no mistakes. If I did not intervene, you would have been seriously maimed.”

Once it seemed that the hollow was sufficiently healed, the green light was replaced by pale white lightning.

“Stop!!!”

All the hollow could do was scream and beg, but when it tried to move, chains of light appeared out of thin air and chained him down.

Rukia did not know what she should feel. Should she be ashamed because of the mistakes she made? Or amazed at the incredible display of skill and power? Or simply frightened at the callous and uncaring way he was torturing another being?

“Of course, some would say that this wasn’t your fault. You are just a newbie, this is your first true mission. You did pretty alright for the first time and you know what? Even though they aren’t really wrong...absolutely never listen to them.”

Gojo chuckled as he healed the hollow once again, twitching and writhing on the ground.

“Do you know the difference between the weak and the strong?”

Three lances of light formed in the air above the hollow before falling down and nailing it on the ground.

“....!”

This time, Rukia and the other two had to actually cover their ears.

The screams had been so high-pitched that they could hear nothing else.

Once it slumped powerlessly on the ground, Rukia asked while trembling, 

“What happened?”

“Oh, that? Don’t pay attention. What I just did is the equivalent of injecting acid directly into the veins, it must have hurt. Now then, where was I again? Oh yeah, the difference between the weak and the strong.”

Chuckling, he walked slowly toward the hollow.

“You see, Rukia, when something happens, the weak always try to reject their faults on something else. Meanwhile for the strong, searching for someone to blame is just a pain.”

---

Metastacia could not understand what was happening.

How could it be possible?

How was it possible for the difference in strength between the two of them to be that huge?

It had been created to be the perfect counter for shinigami.

As long as someone used their swords on its body, the sword would crumble.

Even though it could only use this skill once a day, it would have been enough.

Even without that, it could have contaminated any of the others and taken over their bodies.

But, in the end, it could do no nothing.

and the pain...

It hurt so much! 

How could it hurt so much!? 

Right now, it did not fancy any hope of escaping. All it wished for was to die, to vanish and never see that man again. To finally stop that pain that seemed to grind all its bones to dust and set its veins ablaze.

“Hello, hello! Heh, mister hollow, you don’t seem to be in good shape? What might have happened? Perhaps some handsome, strong, intelligent, and kind man passed and brought retribution?”

The hollow’s whole body trembled a little. Whether it was out of anger, indignation or fear was unknown.

“Hmm...It hurts, right? You want it to end, right? Then… beg me!”

Silence fell like a heavy blanket.

A few seconds later, having come to a decision, the hollow raised its head with difficulty and looked at the silver-haired man standing a few meters away.

“I-I beg you. Please, just end me. Please!”

It took all its strength to utter those words that completely crushed its pride. But at the same time, it was relieved.

‘Finally…”

Now it could finally rest. At least that was it thought, but unfortunately for it,

"I refuse."

Two cold and utterly merciless words crushed its renewed hope.

“Ah…”

Crouching down next to it, Gojo murmured, 

“How was it? How sweet was your short moment of hope?”

Hollows were beings who lost their hearts. The very definition of despair.

But for the first time, Metastacia understood now.

True despair wasn’t the lack of hope.

Rather it was the feeling of utter helplessness as you watched the seed of hope getting ruthlessly smashed in front of you.

Looking at the sinister smile plastered on the face, contrasting with the cold emotionless gaze of the man standing in front of it, Metastacia shivered. A deep primal fear seized its empty heart.

It was sure of it. Out of the two of them, the true monster was not it.

[1] Rond lock Fan.