Hueco Mundo.
6 months since the Protection of the Soul King Great War.
Even in Hueco Mundo, the world of the Hollows headed by the Arrancar, a gradual change is occurring.
After the Arrancar hunt by the Quincy of the Wandenreich came to an end, powerful Arrancar such as Harribel and Grimmjow had disappeared, a new period of civil unrest was about to be ushered in.
However, as Nelliel, whose whereabouts had been unknown thus far, suddenly returned accompanied by Harribel, the ambitions of the Arrancar and Vasto Lorde class Menos Grande were instantly met with disappointment, and they retreated back to their respective colonies as a result.
Several Arrancar launched surprise attacks on Nelliel and Harribel thinking "surely they're exhausted now", however most of them were beaten at their own game, and even those who had managed to escape were sent sinking to the ground unlucky enough to bump into Grimmjow who was in a foul mood.
In a corner of Hueco Mundo which was in the gradual process of restoring its peace from such a 'return of the leader', a man wearing a mask resembling a bull's skull released a sigh.
"…That was a brief dream huh."
Rudborrn Chelute.
He is an Arrancar that was once the leader of the "Exequias" directly under Aizen, and he is the man that continued to manage Las Noches alone in Hueco Mundo after Aizen's departure.
"After all, for a weak person like myself to dream of such things, wasn't the very idea itself presumptuous...?"
He is also one of the Arrancar that tried to unify Hueco Mundo after Harribel's disappearance.
Rudbornn still felt an obligation to Aizen and was attempting to defend the new order as much as possible in its original form, created after that leader seized control of Hueco Mundo from Baraggan.
In addition to the likes of the Tres Bestias and the Espada, there are also several other Arrancars that are stronger than him.
However, without having any interest in governance to begin with, they did not participate in a succession dispute. It could be said that it was Rudbornn alone that tried to fight for hegemony considering that very 'order' itself as the number one priority.
It's not that he was without ambition.
He could not deny that he had dreamed of a day where he would eventually develop Hueco Mundo himself, and be worthy of being acknowledged by Aizen as a being that was a cut above the rest like the Espada.
Although he had heard that Aizen had quite literally 'cut down and cast away' Harribel as well as leaving behind words of disappointment with the Espada, if Aizen had returned to this place at the time, he wished to communicate that he had accomplished something with the powers he had received from Aizen.
Even if he would be astounded thinking the results were unfavorable, and then cut him down on the spot, it was no matter.
And now, as before, for the sake of protecting Hueco Mundo's order —— he was battling the Quincies.
"Dear me, I didn't expect that there would still be Quincy survivors left."
Half a year ago, the Quincy who captured Harribel later deployed a unit called "Jagdarmee" throughout Hueco Mundo to conduct Arrancar hunts in every place.
After the executive captain of the Jagdarmee Quilge is defeated by Ichigo and Grimmjow's group, the majority of those separated units were left behind in Hueco Mundo.
It was those Quincies that put up a do-or-die resistance which took various forms for each unit from desperate suicide attacks to guerrilla warfare, however most of them were annihilated at the hands of the "Exequias" led by Rudbornn.
There had been no movement for several months since then, so just when he thought their extermination was complete, he received eyewitness reports of Quincies going on the offensive.
"Truly disappointing indeed. The "Pikaro" are disobedient as usual, and I hear they frequently go to the Human World with Roca. And even now Grimmjow sama refuses to give his cooperation to establish rule in Hueco Mundo. If things continue like this, I wonder if order could genuinely be brought about someday…"
(TN – For those who are unfamiliar with Narita's previous works for Bleach - Spirits are Forever With You I and II - You can read about the 'Pikaro' and Roca there)
Rudbornn shakes his head at his own shortcomings, but as he uttered such things, coming towards his observation spot, a voice of protest is raised against him.
"Hey! Don't sigh, you also have to fight for yourself once in a while! It's not just about pushing the job to us and the small fry you create every time!"
"Forget it Loly, even talking about it is pointless."
The Arrancar with the twin ponytails who was talking smack – Loly Aivirrne – is rebuked by an Arrancar with a short-cut hairstyle – Menoly Mallia.
When they were discovered on the verge of death after battling with Quilge, they were transported to Las Noches where they were left in the care of Rudbornn.
Soon after that, they were dragged into acting as members of the "Exequias" to gradually match the fighting power of the Quincies, but because they are not under the direct supervision of Rudbornn, they failed to reach an understanding in any way whatsoever.
"No, I will say it! Anyway, Rudbornn! Where were you when Harribel sama was kidnapped! You were not even there when that guy called Quilge came!"
"Since the invasion began in various places at the same time, someone had to cause an obstruction in each location that's all. And while we're on the subject, when Aizen sama was defeated by Kurosaki Ichigo, we could not have rivaled anyone who was already at his side."
"…You have a comeback for every remark…"
At Loly's complaint Rudbornn releases a sigh whilst shaking his head.
"You two are inexperienced, but because you still have respect for Aizen sama, in this way, you were able to join my troops. Because under normal circumstances, disturbing the existence of order with mere presence like your own, is truly unbefitting of Hueco Mundo."
"Huh, what am I 'disturbing' just with my presence?"
"Forget about it."
"Let go of me Menoly! That guy acts like he's better than everyone else, but what do you think he was doing when the Shinigami attacked this place? A passing Yammy socked him so hard he was practically on the verge of death, isn't that so?!"
"Since that also happened to us..."
Menoly tugs back Loly's arm to keep her at a distance from Rudbornn.
Veins were visibly throbbing on her forehead, and even as she was released from Menoly's grip, she attempted to complain some more, However – a single streak of light passed by before her eyes.
That bullet of light pierced a boulder located a fair distance away from Rudbornn and the others, part of the large boulder is hollowed out as if it had been bitten off by something with a huge set of jaws.
"Whaa!?"
When Loly shifts her attention to the direction in which the streak of light had flown in from, as her eyes popped out in astonishment, there, a figure of a girl with a bow drawn out was standing atop a pile of a caved in building structure.
Her garments closely resembled that of the Quincy lot that once tried to capture them.
In the depths of that structure the figures of others also begin to stir, from there, it appears that a couple were launching an attack their way.
A continuous stream of Quincy arrows that were just shot can be seen flying towards them at alarming speeds.
When Menoly and the others scrambled to avoid it, skull wearing soldiers who are Rudbornn's subordinates were now engaged whilst numerous pillars of sand shot up in Hueco Mundo's desert.
As she Looked at the sand craters that were left behind after that with shocked eyes, Loly yells in a cold sweat.
"Just a minute! Those are not the usual small fry! Their kind still remains!?"
"…That group of arrancars, there's only a few of them gathered here. I'm of the impression that they're the ones that came to clean us up."
Whilst clutching a small bow with a design that was reminiscent of shark teeth, the small girl spoke with a straight face.
In response to that, a figure that was in the darkness of the structure which was half reduced to rubble, spoke up.
"So you mean, we only have to get rid of a few small fry? And you missed your target at this distance? Wow, you suck. It's because you haven't been practicing properly isn't it?"
"You're such a nag. You'd better get to work too. This is a chance to increase our pawns you know, Gigi."
Then, the Quincy that was known as "Gigi" - Giselle Gewelle - replied as she displayed a mechanical smile which made it impossible for others to read her emotions.
"My power can only temporarily allow me to zombify Hollows, you're aware of this right? I thought it was common knowledge that Hollow Reishi is incompatible with us Quincies, or did you forget about that?"
"Even if it's just temporary, it doesn't matter does it? Everyone other than Bambi is disposed of anyway, and even if they're able to undo zombification 'over there', the situation is practically the same."
"You're tired I don't like it. Lil might as well become my zombie, how about it?"
Lil tilted her head as she responded to Gigi – remaining expressionless Liltotto Lamperd gave her companion a tongue-lashing.
"Do you want me to eat you, dumbass? …No, never mind. If I eat Gigi I'd probably get diarrhoea."
"Isn't that a bit harsh? I think it's a terrible insult to eat a girl and then get 'digestive problems'. Hey, don't you think so too, Bambi chan?"
Looking at the girl with dark red skin who was 'placed' like a doll in a corner of the wreckage, Gigi maintained her mechanical smile as she sought the girl's agreement.
"Y-yes…just as Gigi…it's just as Gigi says. So, so Gigi…please…blood."
"Ugh, Bambi chan is really greedy huh. If you want to speak selfishly to me…you get the picture right? Because Bambi chan is smart isn't she? She's clever right?"
"…I, I understand…defeat…enemies… Like…to protect…Gigi…that's why, Blood…"
Watching Bambietta Basterbine - the corpse with the reddish skin rise up, unsteady on her feet, Lil spoke as if she was somewhat amazed.
"Why does it feel like her injuries aren't completely healed, and her speech has become more ambiguous than before? Is she Frankenstein's monster? It's as if she's become some freak that has just strayed out of a forest and into civilisation."
"It's okay, if I give her blood I can 'fix' her up nicely. But, Bambi chan is cuter when she looks so pitiful like this, so I'm still keeping her this way for a while alright?"
"You're a real piece of shit aren't you?"
Although she disapproved of Gigi's preferences with her candid expression, Lil didn't try to stop Bambietta who began walking towards the enemy.
Because she knew well.
Even though her ability to think has degraded to such an extent, when it came to Bambietta's powers, there was no hindrance to defeating average strength Arrancars, hollows and the like.
And as if to prove it ——
An infinite amount of Reishi mass emitting from Bambietta's surroundings were thrust towards the enemy camp, the white desert was blanketed by dazzling explosive flames.
Liltotto Lamperd.
Giselle Gewelle.
Apart from Bambietta who has been transformed into a corpse puppet, why were those girls who rose in revolt against Yhwach in Soul Society and then supposedly had the tables turned on them, still alive and staying in Hueco Mundo?
As for how this came to be, one must go back in time to the point immediately following the end of the war between the Shinigami and Quincies.
6 months ago - A certain place in the Human World.
"..."
When Lil awakens, she finds herself inside an unfamiliar room.
A bandage is wrapped around her abdomen and a dull pain shoots through her when she touches it.
It appears that she had undergone healing techniques unique to Quincies, however it seems it wasn't the case that she was completely recovered.
—- Of course.
What remains in her memory is the fact that she had challenged Yhwach to a fight, after being unsuccessful in that regard she was cut down with ease, and just before she collapsed the Reiatsu of Bazz-B, who had been doing battle in another place, disappeared.
—- My abdomen was cut open with that kind of power. Ordinarily, the fatally wounded would have been left alone.
—- Why am I still alive?
When she looked to her side there was the figure of Gigi who had not yet regained her consciousness, and laying down further back was a body that appeared to be Bambietta's, wrapped head to toe in bandages like a mummy.
All three people including herself had been laid down to rest in simple beds, and had seemingly been given minimum medical treatment.
Lil who noticed that the pillow placed under head was "Wandenreich" issued, speculated that this place is one of their bases in the Human World.
—- There are considerable signs of Quincies outside this room too…but most of them are already half dead.
When she got up to survey her surroundings, the door to the room opened and a woman appeared.
"You're awake? Liltotto Lamperd."
It was a female Quincy with a dignified look in her large-pupiled eyes that was standing there.
"You're…"
Lil puts herself on guard.
"Aren't you the lackey of Yhwach's lackey? Did you mistakenly rescue the enemy?"
- A member of the Sternritter who possesses the Schrift "B" and is said to essentially be Wandenreich's second in command -
Jugram Haschwalth.
It was Haschwalth's close aide that appeared in the room, and amongst the ordinary Soldat with no Schrift, this female Quincy was one of the most outstanding when it came to raw talent.
Although it was rumoured that her handling of purely bows and arrows as well as her combat strength even surpassed some members of the Sternritter, she was not given a Schrift, it is said that this is because she herself wished to continue to serve as Haschwalth's subordinate rather than becoming equal to everyone who was a 'Schrift holder' - with the exception of Yhwach.
Haschwalth, who is her superior, is a loyal subject to Yhwach. There should be no motive for her to help Lil's group who had raised a revolt against the Wandenreich.
"Haschwalth that bastard, what is he thinking of doing? Even if he interrogated us, nothing will surface you know? We merely got sick of Yhwach so we betrayed him, that is all."
Judging from Haschwalth's cautious nature, is it not reasonable for him to speculate that those who betrayed the empire had the backing of the Shinigami, or some other organisation attached to them?
In response to Lil who thought as such, the Quincy woman shakes her head a little.
"…Haschwalth sama was killed in action after giving his strength to his majesty."
"Huh?"
At those unexpected words, Lil grimaced.
However, the facts that were narrated after that, was the thing that caused the former Sternritter member Liltotto Lamperd to be surprised.
"…His majesty also passed away by battling special war potential Kurosaki Ichigo, as well as Aizen Sōsuke."
" ! "
In a rare display, both of Lil's eyes widened and her mouth gaped open a few times, but after about ten seconds had passed, her usual calm demeanor returns.
"…seriously? That Ichigo asshole, I thought he would be outrageously strong, but to that extent? He's pretty strong, for someone who's awfully naive huh."
Recalling the orange haired Shinigami who yelled "you idiot, dodge it!" to a Quincy who tried to stop the huge slashing attack that Shinigami had fired himself, Lil smiled wryly with a touch of self mockery.
"That reminds me, what happened to Candi and Meni?"
Candice Catnipp, Meninas McAllon.
They are her comrades who mobilised jointly with her during wartime, it was unusual for Lil, being recognised as a comrade amongst the Sternritter by each one of them.
Although it was habitual for her companions to throw out blistering remarks to each other, it seemed to be the kind of relationship where they would bring up each others names first and foremost in situations like this, half resigned as she is, Lil quietly waited for her addressee's reply.
"…I went to rescue them, but I didn't make it in time. It seems they were captured by the 12th division when they lost the power of their Vollständig in his majesty's 'Auswählen'. Najahkoop sama too, although it is unknown whether they are alive or dead, they appear to have been transported there."
"I don't give a damn about that Peeping Tom bastard. The 12th division huh…? I see…in that case, perhaps it's better if they had died at once."
What kind of department is the 12th division? What kind of man is Kurotsuchi Mayuri the captain of that division? Through advance intelligence, she was able to understand.
"Be that as it may…there is a possibility that they're still alive, isn't there?"
Lil cast a quick glance at Gigi who was lying down beside her.
If they have the power of Gigi's Schrift "Z" – "The Zombie", the others can be recuperated even if they have a certain degree of physical impairment due to 'experiments' or 'autopsies' carried out by the 12th division. And even if they are dead, as long as the body and brains remain, it is possible to revive them as zombies like Bambietta in the worst case scenario.
Although, as far as emotional scars are concerned, that cannot be healed.
Taking everything so far into consideration, Lil then posed a question to the Quincy woman before her eyes, in a dispassionate manner.
"…Returning to the subject at hand. Why did you help us?"
"It is Haschwalth sama's will. When his majesty entered his final sleep, Haschwalth sama ordered the Soldat under his direct supervision to retrieve and provide medical treatment to you ladies and other wounded Soldat."
"It doesn't make any sense at all to me. What happened to the Schutzstaffel bunch?"
Despite knitting her eyebrows in bewilderment, Lil thought she should straighten out further details by continuing to enquire.
Returning a shake of her head and with a sorrowful expression –
"…All members were killed in action. I received reports from the observation unit that his Majesty completely absorbed Gerard sama's power and he dissipated."
"So even Nakk Le Vaar was done away with huh? Maybe it's true that guy is lethal."
—- Is it that we took those Shinigami guys too lightly?
—- Taking in the "Heart of the Soul King" until his own trusted minion Gerard dissipated, that Yhwach bastard was pushed to go that far? When he was done with me and Gigi, he was talking some nonsense about "being able to see into the future" or something…but what kind of future did that guy see with those creepy eyes?
—- wait a minute?
"…You said Haschwalth ordered you to save us when Yhwach went to sleep right?"
"That's right. Immediately after his Majesty had fallen asleep."
Haschwalth was granted the "mask of the ruler" allowing him to exercise all powers as a substitute, only during the period where Yhwach falls asleep at night.
"If that's the case, does that mean that Haschwalth bastard saw the 'future' too?"
In response to Lil's query which was uttered as if she was half speaking to herself, the Quincy woman cast her eyes down whilst forming her words.
"…When he handed down his instructions to me, he muttered something as if thinking aloud to himself. Seeing into the future is a cruel power he said."
"That asshole, what did he see? Did he see a future where both he and Yhwach would die?"
"This is something I am unable to comprehend."
The female Quincy who was Haschwalth's trusted aide sorrowfully distorted her face, she spoke as her wise voice was enveloped in a slight sadness.
"Haschwalth sama did not divulge his true feelings. Neither to us, nor the Sternritter…and in all likelihood, not even his Majesty. However, at the very end, "no matter what, preserve the future of the Quincies" was the only thing he said to me…."
"So then, being honest to a fault, you went as far as to save us rebels, is that it? For your information, don't expect me or Gigi to feel like we have an obligation to you or something."
"That's fine. It's not that we are seeking a reward, we are merely obeying Haschwalth sama's commands."
In response to she who had answered matter-of-factly, Lil opens her mouth to speak after lightly clicking her tongue.
"Well, we survived thanks to you. I am grateful for that…just, don't expect even a word of gratitude from Gigi. When she wakes up she'll turn you lot into zombies, and she may even use your flesh to treat her own injuries."
"..."
"Don't give me that look…I think I understand enough to know how to take responsibility for this kind of thing. I can handle Gigi, as soon as she becomes able to move, we will take our leave."
Leaving Lil who caught a glimpse of Gigi's condition, the Quincy woman exited the sickbay.
That woman who was Haschwalth's trusted aide, told only one lie to Lil.
Before confronting his final battle, there were other words Haschwalth had left behind too.
—- "Ishida Uryuu is perhaps the last test his Majesty bestowed upon me."
—- "I don't understand the reason why, but my emotions are so violently shaken at times, only by that man."
—- "If there is ever a time I am driven by passion and forget my role as the balance…in that moment, I will relinquish all power his Majesty has entrusted to me, as well as my life."
The way in which he had spoken was as if he had seen a future where such a thing would come to be.
But assuming this was visible to him, why could he not take action to avoid that future?
If it's the case that even after he became aware of the future, he still couldn't suppress his emotions, what kind of words did he make Ishida Uryuu hear? Or what sort of conduct did he let him see?
Although everything has been nothing but incomprehensible now that things have come to pass, that Quincy who was a trusted aide could only feel proud of her master.
Even if his own destiny was in sight, she believed he carried complete resolution on his back, and chose his path of his own free will.
It was the very next day when Liltotto, Giselle and Bambietta had disappeared from the hidden base in the Human World.
Currently, Liltotto's group continue their dispute with the Arrancars in Hueco Mundo.
It took several months to regain their powers, but it was restored to all useable levels with the exception of their "Vollständig" ability which was snatched away by Yhwach.
"If only we had Vollständig, we would be able to absorb all their Reishi."
The Quincy's ultimate form is Vollständig, if they have the "Sklaverei" ability which is unleashed by the halo that is generated when one enters that state, it becomes possible for a Quincy to completely disintegrate the surrounding Reishi and forcibly enslave it.
There was also the potential to capture even Hollow Reishi - whose Reishi matter is naturally poisonous for Quincies - as a harmless substance with a one time complete decomposition.
However, there are no more Quincies who possess that ability.
If there is a possibility, then that would only be Ishida Uryuu and his father who were spared from Yhwach's "Auswählen", but Lil shrugged her shoulders thinking "so what if men who are enemies were able to use it."
Then, Gigi's voice could be heard from behind.
"Eh? But Lil can do something similar can't she? If you wanted, you could just swallow those guys whole. or perhaps you're on a diet?"
"There is nothing I can't eat, but poison is poison, my stomach will become awfully upset, so I refuse."
Whilst replying in a detached manner, Lil watched intently as Bambietta trampled everything in her path, Gigi then spoke some more.
"In the end, most of them have fallen huh? The survivors of the Jagdarmee that is."
"Every last one of those guys are pitiful. As if marching through this desert for two months wasn't annoying enough, none of those guys could become a decent fighting power."
They were now mobilising with the purpose of reclaiming the independent Quincy units for themselves and drawing them in as "pawns".
Their ultimate goal was to raid the 12th division in Soul Society and recover Candi and Meni.
"Even though Lil tells us to leave her alone, sometimes she places great importance on things like frie~nd~ship~huh? And then, helping the remnants of the Jagdarmee, half of the time it's not for the purpose of collecting pawns, is it that you want to repay those people in that sickbay?"
"Whatever. I'm just pushing the guys who are likely to get in our way onto that bunch."
"Lil is being sultry whilst having such a cold expression, I think it's really creepy, but I actually kinda like it?"
"Are you praising me or dissing me, pick one, bitch."
remaining expressionless, Lil spoke in an unconcerned manner.
For some reason, the moment Gigi was called a "bitch", she smiled looking a little delighted at the thought, she then replied in a cheerful manner. (TN– Forgot to mention that the word "bitch" actually means more along the lines of "slut" in Japanese)
"Oh my, It's a joke, It's a joke. Lil is so cute when she's embarrassed. There's no way I can just ignore it. If Candi and Meni are both dead, does it mean they can be my zombies?"
Then Gigi's expression fades away, she recalls the face of a certain man as she spoke with a voice that was full of resentment.
"…Besides, I won't be satisfied unless I give that dazzling weirdo a little surprise you know?"
"Forget it. That guy completely outranks you."
At Lil's chiding, Gigi then spoke.
"If I use my brains I can manage somehow. Hey, what if I zombify Kurosaki Ichigo?"
"Stop right there. I have no interest in going along with your suicide mission, alright?"
In all honesty, it's not the case that Lil hasn't considered that idea in her own mind.
If they could turn Kurosaki Ichigo into one of their pawns with Gigi's abilities, she has considered the fact that he would become their strongest fighting power. However, as far as Lil could tell, around Kurosaki Ichigo, there were people such as his father who has experience as a captain in the Gotei 13, Ishida Uryuu who had defeated Haschwalth, and his father Ishida Ryūken who is an "Echt" Quincy, moreover she understood there is also the special war power Urahara Kisuke, Lil was neither hasty nor foolish enough to step into such a den of sinister forces.
"Be that as it may, we will continue to crush Arrancars here like this…"
The actions of the Quincies, eradicating Arrancars, is a prohibited act that will disturb the balance of the world from the Shinigamis viewpoint, if they overdo it, the shinigami will likely sense this and send in assassins to eliminate the threat.
Considering the fact that they lent a hand to the Shinigami together with Bazz-B in the end, it's not impossible for them to reach an understanding, however – even if they reconciled it did not appear likely that the 12th division captain will release Candi and the others, above all, formal reconciliation will probably be difficult when Gigi has zombified many Shinigami and then let them kill each other.
"Well, first of all, after we're finished with these guys, we will return to the Human World to plan..."
Lil suddenly stopped talking in the midst of her muttering.
Before her line of sight, there were figures of Arrancars being ravaged by Bambietta's bombing raid.
However, Lil had then realised that something felt wrong.
"…it's still not over yet?"
It's not that Bambietta was dealing with this at a leisurely pace.
As much as her reasoning power has weakened, there is still a part of her that maintains her ability to carry out a reckless bombing raid.
But the number of Arrancar soldiers has not decreased in the slightest.
Rather, it even felt as though their numbers were increasing with time.
"Reinforcements? No, that's not it…"
Furthermore, those countless number of skull masked soldiers that had newly appeared assembling on top of one another thus creating a wall, could it be that they were putting themselves in harm's way to continue to defend the troops at the centre?
There was not a shred of hesitation, as if they were accepting of their own death.
"What? …What's going on?"
Going back in time to just a few minutes ago.
"Th, that was close! What the hell is that sickly looking girl?! Endlessly throwing bombs or something without warning huh!?"
Whilst hidden in the shadow of the skull masked soldiers, Loly yells in a cold sweat.
Menoly who she had directed the question at was also unable to stand and trembling as she responded.
"Th-this is bad, Loly…She's as strong as that guy with the glasses, Quilge or whatever…"
Next to the two flustered 'Aizen bodyguards', there was a man who calmly analysed the progress of the battle alone.
It is the leader of the Exequias, Rudbornn.
"Hmm…apparently, her Reishi seems to have the power to convert anything it comes into contact with, into an explosive. The underlying Reishi itself doesn't have the ability to explode, so I guess it can only be rapidly fired to those extents but…it doesn't seem like a good plan to wait for our opponent's Reiryoku to become exhausted."
"Just a minute! What are you talking about in such a carefree manner?! At this rate our situation will only get worse won't it?!"
Hearing that complaint which was mixed with yelling, Rudbornn releases a sigh as he shakes his head.
"You are not to expose such disgraceful behaviour as Aizen sama's former servants, not even for an instant. Always keep calm. Do not harbour despair in the face of death. Even if your lives end here, continue to think of what you can leave behind for Aizen sama's sake until the very last moment."
"We don't have time for that Zommari like manner of speech! As things stand, we'll be charred to the tips of our nails let alone leave something behind!"
"How truly awe-inspiring that I am being compared to someone like Zommari dono… it doesn't matter, there is no need to worry about anything. Because either way, I have no intention of dying here."
As he said that, Rudbornn pulls out his Zanpakutō setting the blade level with the ground.
"Let's show them. As someone who once fell behind the Shinigami, we've refined our abilities to shave away our shame…!"
"Grow… Árbol"
In an instant, Rudbornn's Zanpakutō transforms and spreads like tree vines, it coils around Rudbornn's arm and the lower half of his body, changing into a tree like shape.
Additionally, from the 'branches' that grew on his back, skull soldiers were created one after the other, the intact soldiers once again became part of the wall, proceeding to defend the others from the enemy's bombing raid.
"What's this, the same as always..."
Stopping mid-sentence, Loly's eyes widened.
When she looked carefully, a little further ahead the sand was swelling up, new skull wearing soldiers were starting to emerge out of the desert.
It seems that bamboo like rhizomes were spreading underground, appearing to produce fresh soldiers in succession of one another.
Árbol's ability "Calaveras" sucks up Hueco Mundo's Reishi from the roots and with that as its source, creates an infinite number of Rudbornn's loyal soldiers.
Even though its nature hasn't changed since before, growing trees at the tip of the rhizomes and continuing to extend its range further, changes the speed of production to an astonishing one.
Although this was originally a technique developed on reflection of the past when his branches were sealed because they were frozen over by Kuchiki Rukia, he attempted to produce them underground where an icy chill wouldn't reach, the extraordinary rate of the mass production of soldiers resulted in a great upsurge in Rudbornn's power acting as his new weapon.
The several newly born skull soldiers eventually exceeds the numbers that have died out due to the enemy Quincy's bombing raid – becoming a great army with no fear of death, they surrounded the deathly pale Quincy.
"No…no way, these guys…don't fear death..."
In Bambietta's broken mind, her past fears are resurrected.
"…w-what? Why…."
The captain with a dog's appearance who was called Komamura, sacrificed his own heart, she felt fear when he approached her as a dead warrior.
Bambietta's biggest motive for fighting was "I don't want to die".
In the Wandenreich, what is given to losers is a 'death penalty' called execution.
That is why she keeps fighting.
For her, battle was a process through which one could continue to evade death for an eternity, and for that reason she could not even begin to comprehend the act of abandoning one's own life.
When she battled that man named komamura, she was seized with a fear she had never experienced before.
That Shinigami had told her, "I am not throwing away my life, I am merely staking it."
In that moment she felt fear, as though she was truly dealing with a god who governs death.
However, now, the skull masked swarm that had gathered around her were even more abnormal in nature.
They were not staking their lives, nor were they throwing it away. Instead, this humanoid army was behaving as if they had no lives to begin with. Could it be that even dying was merely part of their system and nothing more, that this swarm of skulls have robotically embraced 'death' when they are engaged in an attack?
They were not even Hollows, not even beasts, it's as if they were a huge swarm of insects that have transformed into a colony, and it seemed like they were trying to drag Bambietta into their cycle of 'death'.
That frightened even Bambietta who has been reduced to a living corpse.
The primordial fear that was engraved in her soul and brain momentarily stimulated her damaged mind.
But, she could only raise her fearful voice.
"No…no…don't, I don't like it, I'm scared, I'm scared…"
Several hundreds, thousands of skull swarms transcend the explosive inferno, gushing forth from the the depths of the flames.
Using the corpses of their own, even the bodies of those who were alive as stepping platforms, the skull swarm became one huge tentacle that tried to swallow up Bambietta who was fluttering about midair.
The face of the young lady who had forgotten even the fact that she was already dead, distorts, and she trembles like a little girl.
"Lil…Candi…Meni…Gigiii…! Save me…save me…everyone…!"
Then in the very moment she was about to be captured by the huge wave of skull soldiers ——
That ominous, white heaving wave disappeared in the blink of an eye.
" ! "
Rudbornn and the others who were watching with a panoramic view from a spot in the distance, were shocked to see the new development in the course of events.
"W…what happened just now…"
As a cold sweat ran down her cheeks, what met Loly's eyes was the petite Quincy's mouth that came flying their way from the direction of the ruins, that mouth started to deform into an irregular shape – in the next moment, the huge mouth appeared as if to chew up the heavens, it was a spectacle where nearly a thousand skull soldiers were swallowed with one mouthful.
Where did all that mass disappear to? Under the night sky, there was only the few figures of those who were apparently Quincies, still left standing.
"Uu…ua…L-Lil…?"
Reflected in the eyes of that trembling zombie was the figure of Liltotto who was chewing something before gently swallowing it down.
"How unpalatable…no, it doesn't have any flavour to begin with. What the heck is this?" Lil remarked dissatisfied with what she had eaten just a moment ago.
Gigi suddenly appeared from behind her, with both hands she grabbed Bambietta's head.
"Really, I don't know what to do with you! Bambi chan is truly useless huh!
...
What's wrong? Don't you want your reward? If you don't want it I can send you to sleep? I won't be troubled right?"
"Ah…n-no, not that…I'm sorry…sorry, Gigi…"
When Bambietta became teary eyed once more, Gigi looked at her displaying an expression full of ecstasy.
Watching the scene between the other two with a cold look, Lil spoke to Gigi in a detached manner.
"Yet you, of all people, being unashamedly able to make public that "I'm not an 'S' type" huh...?"
(TN – In Japan 'S' = Sadist 'M' = Masochist, I often hear young people using it - even though in terms of context, it's not usually used to the extremes of the English meaning, Gigi's probably an exception though - if you're an S you're more aggressive/dominant if you're an M you're more submissive/passive.)
"? why?"
After watching Gigi tilt her head in seriousness and giving a small shrug of her own shoulders, Lil turned her attention to enemy lines once again.
"Good grief, they're still rapidly hatching out. Are these guys cockroaches?"
"By the way are you alright? You said you'd get an upset stomach if you eat Hollows."
"I have no choice but to forcibly digest them, after all, we are in this predicament."
Although Lil who used her own ability "The Glutton" to absorb Reiryoku by devouring a huge quantity of enemies with her heteromorphic mouth, it was never an easy task.
Hollow Reiryoku is a poison to Quincies. It is naturally a suicidal act to absorb it, if Lil wasn't included as a member amongst the Schrift holders, she would probably have become immobilised by now.
Continuing the digestion process whilst battling with the sensation of her entrails being eroded away, Lil nevertheless maintains her composure not revealing even a splinter of such a sensation on her face as she spoke to Gigi and Bambi.
"I think I can eat another 2 or 3 more times, but those guys from just a moment ago were seriously lacking in both flavour and nutrition. That damned garbage won't satisfy my hunger."
Then, they shifted their attention to the several 'trees' that continued to give birth to skull soldiers, and the Arrancar with the lower body that had transformed like a tree who was at the centre of it.
"So then, you eat guys that seem flavoursome right away?…but that seems unsavoury.
"Nuu…!"
Sensing the imminent threat drawing near, Rudbornn let out a groan.
The Quincy who had 'devoured' skull soldiers earlier, danced through the air with hirenkyaku whilst making a beeline in their direction.
The skull soldiers immediately rushed forward, but the Quincy who had manipulated explosions earlier began firing out her Reishi in a manner that would restrain them.
Watching as the petite Quincy approached by weaving her way through the army that was confined in the blast from the explosions, Rudbornn built up his flesh wall of skull soldiers to carry out defence.
"What an ugly layer of skin you're hiding behind."
The mouth of the Quincy, who was whispering whilst expressionless, strains like slime that then immediately stretches out horizontally.
With a 'single bite', she intended to consume what was on the inside, skin and all, so that the wall of skull soldiers would instantly disappear.
However ——
"…There's nothing there."
Apparently the wall was merely a diversion tactic, and Rudbornn and the others who were on the inside had already moved.
Then, Loly sprang out from behind the Quincy whilst shouting her release command.
"Poison! Escolopendra!"
Her Zanpakutō which took the form of huge a centipede like creature entwined with her body, Loly brandished parts of it like a blade.
" ! "
The Quincy dodged it by a hair's breadth, but the desert sand that was struck down upon by that blow began to melt into pulp.
"Dissolve!"
Loly yells whilst trying to land a blow on the Quincy however ——
The tentacle that gave the impression of a centipede's body vanishes into thin air.
"Whaa..."
"…Rather pointlessly spicy. But, not bad I guess."
"Y-you! Part of my Resurrección...!"
—- it's been eaten.
Realising that a clump of her own natural power sealed in her Zanpakutō had been eaten, Loly turned pale.
Although it was far from a fatal injury, the feeling of losing part of her body reminds her of fear.
But the thing that truly surprised her, was what happened immediately following this.
"...huh."
The Quincy scatters arrows all around the place, piercing the skull swarm and the splitting trees that were creating them.
Consequently, the skull soldiers and the trees that were struck by those arrows, like the sand from just a moment ago, dissolved as if they were pulp.
"My…poison?!"
"It seems I can manage to digest it somehow. My stomach acid was stronger huh."
As she watched the enemy army melt, Lil murmured in a relaxed manner.
The ability of "The Glutton" is not just to consume enemies.
It is possible to freely use the unique abilities possessed by a target who she had torn into "only up until the part that was eaten is digested", she also gained the secondary power to understand how to use said abilities instinctively.
During the last war she 'consumed' a man named Pepe, but it seems there was no way she could demonstrate her true abilities because Pepe's power appeared unlikely to be effective on Yhwach who was her battle opponent.
Nonetheless, according to what she told Gigi "do we really want to use such a disgusting bastard's powers?", It's possible to say that in the end, the man named Pepe was devoured only for retribution and replenishing Reiryoku.
"So…where are they hiding?"
—- Although I don't want to act impulsively like Bambi…will scattering this 'poison' at random bring them out into the open?
—- No, I'll start by getting rid of that one who in all likelihood has the ability to counter the poison.
Then, Lil turns her bow towards a single Arrancar.
Towards the female Arrancar with the twin ponytails who had her 'poison' ability plundered just a moment ago.
"eek..."
Loly has never attempted to find out whether her own poison is effective on herself.
But Loly had heard that Baraggan who was once the king of Hueco Mundo had died by his own curse, in a panic Loly tried to run away.
However, because part of her body, after using Resurrección, had been eaten, she fell down unable to maintain her balance.
"Loly!"
In response to Menoly who rushed over to try and help her, Loly yelled as her eyes widened.
"Idiot! Run away..."
Without waiting for the other two to finish their conversation, poison arrows were fired from the Quincy's bow ——
In the next moment, a large mass of water swept away the poison infused arrows together with the surrounding skull soldiers.
"Eh...?"
"No way..."
A barrier of water that protected them.
Watching the form of a large body of water which is out of place in a desert, dancing in mid air, Loly and Menoly embraced each other realising what had just happened.
And then, before anyone could notice, Rudbornn reveals himself, he bowed his head deeply whilst uttering words of apology.
"Oh…for you to go as far as to come to such a place in person. How should I express my humble apologies for causing you trouble..."
The Arrancar that appeared on the scene opened her mouth to speak in a manner that interrupted Rudbornn's apology.
"There's no need for you to apologise. I'm sorry for arriving so late."
The Arrancars mouth was covered by a mask which was reminiscent of a set of fangs, and then concealed behind a long collar —- Tier Harribel turns her eyes towards the Quincy in the sky whilst the water steered by her Zanpakutō was made to surround them as a river flowing through the air.
"…You're leader is supposed to be dead. Why lay waste to our territory?"
In contrast with Harribel who had posed that question, a man who appeared from behind flashed a villainous smile as he spoke.
"Ha! Does it matter what kind of reason they may have? If they came here for a fight let's give them one."
Looking at the Arrancar who had just made an appearance, Loly and Menoly who were once attacked by him shrieked.
"G-Grimmjow!"
"eep..."
Grimmjow looked at the pair and simply muttered to himself "huh? I feel like I've seen their mugs somewhere…", however, appearing to not take any particular interest, he removed his eyes from them right away.
"It's been a while since I've felt such a flashy Reiatsu so I came to see, is this some sort of festival? And you're leaving me out in the cold, you have some nerve, don't you Rudbornn!"
"…But I've requested your assistance for the subjugation of Quincies many times…"
In response to a perplexed Rudbornn, Grimmjow replies without even a hint of shame.
"I'm not interested in small fry. However, these guys look like they'll do just fine."
Although he's not as irrational as he once used to be, there is still a part of Grimmjow that is typically battle hungry.
As if to reprimand him, an Arrancar who was a little further behind him spoke.
"It's no good if you just throw yourself at the enemy all of a sudden, Grimmjow. We have to probe into our opponent's goals and abilities first of all."
"Huh? Back off Nelliel. Their goals ain't worth shit, it'll be over when I beat all of them to death."
"You say that but, who was the one that was almost killed by the Quincy in Soul Society, I wonder?"
"...Why you."
Taking Nelliel's words as a provocation, Grimmjow turned his irritated gaze towards her.
In a vast desert where the silence resembles nothingness, showy explosive flames and Reiatsu was enough to attract the attention of powerful Arrancar.
Watching the current scene where practically all the top class powerhouses amongst the Arrancar were gathered, Rudbornn concealed his emotions, in his heart he was choked with tears.
Menoly is relieved thinking "we're saved, for the time being", Loly experiences a sense of envy towards the stronger warriors and irritation towards her own helplessness, she ground her teeth seemingly vexed.
Strangely, it just so happened to be the case that each of those three strong warriors were all present, and even though the battle seemed to intensify further – they have not yet noticed.
The fact that it was not only the inhabitants of Hueco Mundo who were being drawn in by the conflict of the desert.
"Hey, some dangerous looking guys have turned up."
Vigilant of the huge mass of water Lil kept her distance, Gigi addressed her from further behind.
"That person over there, wasn't she a prisoner of war in Silbern?"
"Yeah, she's the Arrancar boss that was captured by Yhwach personally. She's not an opponent you can be careless around."
Whilst trying to predict the abilities of the newly arrived Arrancar, Lil tries to issue simple instructions to Gigi.
"Gigi, use your blood on that water..."
However, she was interrupted midway through her sentence.
A sudden chill runs down the spines of Lil and the others.
—- What the heck? What's this creepy Reiatsu?
Lil turned her attention to the three newly arrived Arrancar, but it seems not to belong to them.
On the contrary, the Arrancars seemed to pick up the same feeling, shifting their cautious eyes back in Lil's direction.
They have never felt such a thing before now, but despite that, when they probed around for the source of that Reiatsu that seemed as if it was familiar somehow ——
"It" suddenly appeared from the sky.
A small gate that resembled a Garganta, opened up high in the night sky.
The small figure that jumped out from it, dropped down to the ground with tremendous force as the Reiatsu of that figure in question dispersed, a cloud of sand was made to rise several hundred metres in height.
A few seconds later, the mass of dense Reiatsu that was at the centre of it swirled around resulting in a crater far more wider than that created by the Quincies' attack earlier.
"What…? This Reiatsu…"
"…It's a strange Reiatsu. It reeks of a Shinigami and Hollow mix…"
Grimmjow responded by continuing Nelliel's words.
—- It's similar to that blonde masked asshole, the one who got in the way during my fight with that Ichigo bastard.
Grimmjow did not know his name, but it's one of the "Visoreds" that appeared before him in the past – it closely resembled Hirako Shinji, despite this, he felt the Reiatsu was even more sinister as he turned his guarded attention towards it.
Then, Harribel who was silent up till then raised her voice.
"…It's like the Quimera Parca that belongs to Apacci and the others…"
Quimera Parca.
Although they haven't arrived here yet, the three Arrancars who were Harribel's direct subordinates, are able to create a ferocious beast by sacrificing one arm each.
"Ayon? It certainly has that sort of stench to it."
An eerie Reiatsu, intermingled with a myriad of elements.
What kind of monster has materialised from within that cloud of sand?
As the Arrancars keep their guard up, that cloud soon clears away ——
"Aitatata...Sand becomes rock hard when you dive into it huh? I've learnt something new!"
A voice resounded as if to shatter the tense atmosphere, a child wearing black garments similar in appearance to a Shihakushō became visible.
The child is beautiful but with androgynous features whom one cannot distinguish as either a boy or a girl, looking at the group of Arrancars that were in the surroundings "It" nods with evident satisfaction – next, "It" looked at the three Quincies and tilted its head.
"Huh? Quincies? I haven't heard anything about how to deal with Quincies. What should I do?"
Muttering that to itself whilst standing up, "It" turned in the direction of the Arrancars.
"But, if I don't do what Tokinada sama told me to do first of all..."
An out of place child without any indication of nervousness.
Although, seen from the outside, the child made such an impression, there is no one who could laugh or drop their guard after watching that.
The fact that they had maintained composure in a situation like this is an abnormality in itself – because the sinister Reiatsu they had sensed earlier is without a doubt being emitted from the child in front of their eyes.
"Stop right there…Who are you?"
Harribel enquired, her Zanpakutō remaining in a readied state.
Rudbornn has already produced countless new soldiers, enclosed in a horde of skull soldiers running in the thousands, "It" displayed an innocent smile and gave its name.
"Right! I'm Hikone! Ubuginu Hikone!"
The child named Hikone, remained completely unperturbed by the fierce Arrancars.
Observing that scene, Lil then spoke.
"…I'm getting a sick feeling. That brat's smile doesn't reach its eyes at all."
Whilst sensing an aura similar to Gigi's zombies, an expressionless Lil continued to speak some more.
"Moreover, I also sense signs of familiar scum…what's going on?"
In an atmosphere surrounded with confusion, Hikone quietly bowed before speaking of their own intentions.
"Well err, to all the Arrancars, I have a gift from Tokinada sama."
"Tokinada...?"
The Arrancars are even more perplexed at the fact that a completely unfamiliar name had just been brought up.
"I heard that the one called Baraggan san and the one called Aizen san are gone, and this world has no king now."
When Hikone said as such in a cheerful manner, some degree of the Arrancars' bewilderment turns to hostility.
Whether or not the child noticed the change in atmosphere, Hikone continued to speak unfazed.
"Therefore – it seems Tokinada sama himself is kind enough to let me be king of Hueco Mundo! Isn't that great?! He and I will do our very best so that I become a good king!"
Hikone quickly bowed their head.
The skull soldiers brandished their blades and advanced at Hikone's back.
"Your disrespect knows no bounds. You even talk about replacing Aizen sama or something, surely you jest."
Although Rudbornn speaks with a calm voice, he took those words from just a moment ago as an insult towards Aizen, a wave of fierce emotion overflowed within him.
However, Hikone doesn't even try to avoid the attacks of the skull soldiers who came swooping down on them, Hikone took every hit with their whole body.
Then, the sound of a violent collision could be heard —— the shattered blades of the skull soldiers went flying into the air.
"...Hierro!?"
Nelliel raised her voice in astonishment.
Why does that Shinigami like child have hardening skin which is a special characteristic of Arrancars such as themselves?
In front of Nelliel, who held some doubts, Hikone delightfully looked at the surrounding Arrancar and spoke.
"Tokinada sama said it's likely no one would accept. As expected of Tokinada sama. It's become just as he said it would be."
Accordingly, Hikone unsheathes the Zanpakutō that was being carried on their back.
Looking at the blade that had just come into view, the Arrancars perceived the drop in the surrounding temperature.
The child was clearly enshrouded in an aura that differed from that which ordinary Shinigami or their own employ.
Before the Arrancars could even ascertain the true nature of that sense of discomfort, Hikone poetically recites the instructions of "Tokinada sama" aloud.
"In that case… beat them to a bloody pulp, until they consent, until their hearts yield, that's what I was told!"
As soon as that was said, Hikone grasped the Zanpakutō they were holding tightly, with a smile still on that face, Hikone chanted the name of the sword.
"Orbit the stars —— Ikomikidomoe!"