Ms. Peridia!' Chad screamed out with a start, only to find himself laying on a mat in a makeshift shelter beneath an opening of rubble. He then looked down he saw that his chest was covered in bandages and Ludius and Anteo standing beside him.

'Well it is good to see that you are awake Mr. Sado' Anteo muttered while looking out the of the opening of the shelter. 'Because we didn't know how long we would able to watch over you'

Chad then steadily got himself up from the mat. 'Ms. Peridia is she-'

'She's hanging in their big guy, so don't worry too much about her' Anteo said reassuringly though his left fist began to shake. 'She may not look like it, but her regenerative abilities surpass that of most Hollows, to the point that even getting ripped apart by an Espada wouldn't take her down...' he then paused for a moment. 'In fact, she is distracting Nnoitra as we speak'

The Director's eyes then winded for a moment. 'Then we must help her now before-'

'If you go to her now you are only going to get yourself killed' Ludius said bluntly to Sado. 'We saw both the raw might and the nearly impenetrable defense of the Esapda's Segunda Etapa and if that new form of yours was only strong enough to get through the first barrier of his Hierro ...you are just going to get killed if you are going back out there without a plan'

Chad then stood down and sat back on the mat and Ludius just rolled his eyes at the man's despair. 'Look just because we aren't going to fight now, doesn't mean we are going to abandon Ms. Perida. I am sure that once I managed to heal you back to your full strength and come up with a plan. All of us are going to fight back' The Arrancar then narrowed his eyes. 'Understand?'

The large man then stared at Ludius for a moment and then nodded.

'Good now hold still while I get to work' The Arrancar then grabbed a bottle from under his jacket and from it poured out a glowing water-like substance into his other free hand and then rubbed it over on Chad's back. 'Palme der Heilung is a Quincy technique, that uses concentrated liquefied reshi, to heal wounds. Though, given the severity of yours, it will likely take around half an hour to get you back to full health and regrow your missing arm' He then narrowed his eyes. 'And I suggest you use that time to think about our next move'

As Ludius continued to heal him. Chad himself once again began to allow guilt to consume him. Regardless of his strength or how much stronger he had gotten, he still needed others to bail him out.

No different from how it was in the past.

Two years ago in a shielded city in Mexico.

When the Hollow Night began in the World of Living. Every single nation was attacked by those masked spirits from as far as Alaska to the southernmost borders of Australia. While my home country of Mexico was caught right in the middle and the chaos of the war between the Hollows, the Quinces, and the Full-bringers. Virtually all government infrastructure collapsed. This then allowed countless crime lords to take complete control over entire cities unopposed and enslaved the entire populace as their slaves'

'Or like me...their enforcers.

'Look man I don't have the money but swear I will have it by the end of next week' A middle-aged Hispanic store owner tried to reason. But Chad who at the time kept his hair down, frown at the man's pleading.

'You have already said that last week and the boss still doesn't have his money'

The Merchant then began to sweat in fear. 'That is because business has slowed Sado and not just for me but the rest of the townsfolk too and the reason why is because we have so little stock on goods'

Sado then looked around the store around and saw that merchant wasn't lying, from the near-empty rows of shelves that barely had one or two cans on them, to the refrigerators that barely had drinks like water let alone alcohol.

The large man then sighed. 'Give me what you can and I will see if I can make a pea for your case' He then frowns and narrows his dangerously at the merchant 'But don't think I will play this nice again if you don't pay up soon'

The Merchant then smiled gratefully, before running to his cash register and placing all the cash he had in a bag before giving it to the larger man. 'Oh thank you Sado thank you, I promise that your mercy will not go unrewarded!'

Chad then took the bag without another word, exit the store, and then used the bringer light to blitz himself to a mansion on top of the massive garden hill that overlooked the entire city. Then upon entering the main entrance hall of the building, He was greeted by several other enforcers, some who are or even younger than him, and many others dressed in tactical body armor and armed with guns. While in the center of the crowd stood his boss.

'Cavondi De Lando. The Jackel'

He was a tan man in his late thirties with smoothed-gelled black hair, cunning green eyes, and a trimmed soul patch beard on his chin. While wearing a white open v-neck dress shirt with a black sleeve dress jacket and pants.

'Once he was just the leader of the local city street gang, but since the Hollowing night and the awakening of his full-bring and along with several of his men. He quickly rose to become the de facto Kingpin and ruler of the entire city. Created his own personal army and having essentially driven off the entire Federal government of Mexico from the streets'

'Sado, my boy how has been business?' He greeted rather warmly but Chad was tense at his approach.

'He is nicknamed the Jackal, because of his eagerness to corporate with anyone as a means to make business, but also for his ruthlessness in getting anything he wants. Whether it be through threats, blackmail, or exploiting their need for shelter and supplies

Chad then took a deep breath and then walked towards his boss with the bag of cash in hand and toss on top of his boss's desk.

'Though for most people like me, it is practically all of the above'

'Not good boss, the merchants still don't pay enough of what they owe and I don't think scaring or ruffing them up is going to be enough' Sado explained and Cavondi sighed, while taking the bag off his desk and toss it to one of his guards.

'Yes, which is something that I hear all too common from my other men too...' He lamented while placing his left arm over Chad's shoulder and gesturing out into a balcony overlooking a massive garden and the cityscape itself beyond it.

'Ever since those malevolent mask spirits of the dead plagued us living mortals nearly fifty years ago. Life hasn't been the same for the city. Which use to be one of top the trading centers in the country, why I can still remember when the streets were packed with traffic, stores filled with goods, customers, and everyone wanting to make a name for themselves here' Cavondi then gave a false sympathetic breath 'And now it can't even stand on its own two feet anymore ever since those self-righteous Quincy bastards cut us off and just because a few low lives want to make a few extra pesos. He then looked to Chad and gave him a cunning look 'An't that right Sado?'

Chad paused for a moment and then let out a short breath. 'Of course Boss'

'I rather not lie to anyone about matters such as that. But for the sake of being kept on Cavondi's good side, I didn't have much of a choice but to stroke his ego'

'But as for the truth of the situation. It went far beyond then a few punks making extra money

'Ever since the Quicy's introduce of the sun Gates. Which were devices that could transport a person from anywhere across the globe in an instant. Trading and marketing were quickly reestablished in the world of living. Despite the near destruction of government infrastructure by the Hollow hoards and with the rapid sharing of other technology and ideas the quality of life for humans had only increased'

'Unfortunately, this also came at the cost of criminals all too willing to exploit the sun gate for their uses. With my former Boss being one of the major players

'Drugs, Arms-dealing, human trafficking, etc. All of them could be delivered and traded within seconds across entire countries and even to the afterlife itself. But when the Holy Kingdom caught wind of that their technology was being abused. They immediately cut off the sun gates from any shielded city that was led by severe criminal elements

'And as one can guess my hometown was one of them'

'Anyway Mr. Sado...' Cavodi began. 'I have decided to expand my trade beyond the borders of this town. In hopes that our neighboring cities could lean us a hand'

Chad's eyes then winded. 'Are you telling me that you are planning to have your men deliver goods across the dead lands?' He question and Cavondi smiled cunningly.

'Not just my men, specifically you Sado' The Crime-lord corrected which turn Sado's face grim. 'After all, you are one of my strongest enforcers, who could easily put down any hollow and marauder in their place'

Chad then frowns. 'Can't you just send a world out to Xuation to sell us more supplies?'

Cavondi then snorted. 'Oh I have tried that multiple times over the years, But they just keep upping the prices for goods each time I wanted to make a trade and I just don't have the financial income I use to

The teen then looked around the mansion and saw that it was just as if not even fancier than it has ever been. Elegant vases and furniture lean along with hallways and multiple servants dashing around serving high-quality drinks and food to his men and guests.

Realizing that his boss rather not sacrifice his increase in expenses to support the people. Chad then tried to argue another approach.

'Defending a city against threats and going out in the open are two different things and I can't guarantee that any of the men or your supplies would make it out unscathed'

Cavondi then chuckled lightly. 'So long as some of them make it back and more specifically you I am content with that' He then smiled warmly at Sado, but the teen could sense the venom underneath it.

'So Mr. Sado do you want to take the job?' After all, with a little more trade and goods in this town, I can make both you and your grandfather a bit more comfortable' His voice became lower and raspier. 'Unless you and he don't want that'

Chad understanding the underlying threat bowed his head.

'Of course...Senior Cavondi.

'Later that day, I told my grandfather, Oscar Joaquín de la Rosa, about the new job that my boss offered me'

'But as usual, he was against it'

'It is too dangerous Yasutora!' Oscar protested. 'Even those that are experienced in dealing with those monsters can easily die before them and you are about to head right into the heart of their territory!'

Chad then sighed. 'You know that, but I have no choice in this matter Abuelo' he reasons back. 'If I defy Cavondi he will take his wrath upon you and I would lose whatever family I have left'

Oscar then placed his right hand over his face. 'Yasutora...both of us know that my time is already short and I do not want to spend the rest of it being fearful of your life or continuing to work for those...Gilipollas!'

Chad then let out a breath. 'I know but...it was you who taught me to protect others right? so why are you denying me my ability to protect you?'

The older man's eyes then soften. 'Yasutora...giving into threats and bowing down to evil, does not protect me, it just makes me hostage and one powerless to even guard my own Nieto from getting harmed' Oscar then placed both of hands on both of Chad's arms and stared at him in shame. 'But given the great power and strength you hold now, I can only hope that you can make it back here safely'

'The next day on the outskirts of the city I meet a group of men, readying themselves to protect a line of trucks loaded with goods to a nearby city that was over half an hour away. Many of them were Fullbringers like me who were hired from Xcuation. While others were Quincies, who either quit or deserted the holy kingdom'

Each of them was decently powerful on their own. But it was obvious that I was their main muscle on the trip to get through the dead lands in one piece.

'But as always things were never that simple'

Chad breathed heavily as he struggled to stand up, his body covered in bruises and cuts while the rest of the people in his party lay dead. While being surrounded by several Arrancars.

'Well, we sure have a tuff one here huh?' A short red-headed Arrancar spoke to the rest of his posses, composed of a long pink-haired woman with a bunny mask and a large tan-skinned man with short black hair.

'He must be one of the Xcuation's special agents if I have to make a guess' The woman commented. 'Though since I don't see the silver emblem on him he could just be better than average'

The larger older looking Arrancar with a skull bull horn mask then snorted and then looked at the red-haired man 'Should we take him back to base and have the other Hollows eat him?'

The redhead man then shook his head. 'Nah, too much trouble' he then placed the blade of his zanpakuto below Chad's neck. 'Best just kill him now and be done with it!'

'At that moment I knew that I have failed to honor my Abuleo's hope that I would make it back safely. As I could only close my eyes and prepared to meet my end.

'That is...until he came along

A sickening piercing of the flesh was all the black-haired Arrancar heard before he look down and saw that a huge gaping hole had punctured through his chest, heart, and spine.

'Wh-What...?' the man spout out with his last breath before his blood filled in his lungs and throat before collapsing to the ground dead. Much to other Arrancar's horror.

'Aldeg-GULK!' the female Arrancar tried to cry out only for her head to be shot off from her neck by another holy arrow and collapsed to the earth beside her comrade'

The Red-haired Arrancar then stepped back away from his fallen comrades in fear only to suddenly bumped into someone behind him and just at that very moment he noticed that his entire body was then spilt evenly into two before both halves split and landed on the desert floor. While the Hollow's blood poured and soaked into the dirt.

Chad then looked at his rescuer who turn out to be a long orange-haired teen in a stylized Quincy uniform and wielding a long solid black bow in his left hand.

'Yo are you all right?'' The teen said as he reached out his hand and Chad in a show of gratefulness took it.