Chapter 273: I'll Get Serious Too!
Gantenbainne, a member of the Privaron Espada, was a first-generation Arrancar warrior.
Among all the Arrancar, his strength wasn't particularly outstanding.
In Satoru's impression, this guy seemed to have lost to Chad Sado.
What was Chad Sado's level? It was debatable whether he even measured up to a single Kenpachi.
But even so, an Adjuchas that had undergone Arrancar Transformation was considered an absolute top-tier combatant in Hueco Mundo.
Being able to kill Gantenbainne indicated that the opponent's strength was at least that of a Vasto Lorde.
Moreover, even among Vasto Lordes, this one was likely a type highly skilled in combat.
Of course, there was another possibility: another Menos Grande that had undergone Arrancar Transformation on its own had appeared.
Aizen believed this possibility was relatively low.
Spontaneous Arrancar Transformation required exceptionally high talent; it was something one could only encounter by chance, not seek out.
So far, he had only seen Starkk accomplish it.
In any case, regardless of the situation, capturing it was the right course of action.
He turned to look at Satoru, about to speak, but found no one beside him.
"Lord Aizen, Lord Satoru left about halfway through the report."
"Should I pursue Lord Satoru and bring him back?"
Aizen took a deep breath, calming his slightly rising blood pressure.
"No need. At your speed, it's already impossible to catch up to him."
"Just follow the Reiatsu trail he left from a distance. Report back to me immediately with any developments using your clones."
"Yes!"
Rudbornn bowed, then vanished into the air with a flicker.
After confirming both Satoru and Rudbornn had departed, Aizen's expression turned cold.
He turned and walked toward the wall.
With each step, layers of barriers unfolded, severing all connection with the outside world.
Reaching the wall, he extended a hand and pressed it gently against the surface.
A keypad materialized.
Reiatsu verification, iris verification, and the most crucial step—a randomized intelligence test verification.
With the three locks disengaged, the wall parted to either side, revealing the room within.
This room was one he had secretly constructed while Satoru was away from Hueco Mundo.
All four walls were lined with Sekkiseki Stone, capable of blocking any Reiatsu detection.
Inside the room, over a dozen humans were suspended in cultivation tanks.
These were all Quincies he had captured from the living world during covert operations.
His reason for capturing these Quincies was simple.
To find the weaknesses of the Quincies and strive to eradicate them all in the simplest manner possible.
Satoru had already striven admirably.
Though he never spoke of it, Aizen had long acknowledged in his heart that Satoru deserved the vast majority of the credit for securing Hueco Mundo.
Satoru might not care, but Aizen was unwilling to be the kind who only received without giving.
He wanted to help Satoru fulfill his wishes.
At this moment, Satoru's greatest concern was the Quincies of the Wandenreich.
Therefore, these Quincies were his enemies.
The Quincies in this room had no connection to the Wandenreich; they were merely innocent individuals from the living world.
That was the purpose of this secret laboratory.
While Satoru hadn't returned yet, Aizen, with a cold gaze, opened one of the cultivation tanks and transferred the Quincy inside onto the operating table...
...
…
On the endless desert, two figures walked slowly.
One was a humanoid Hollow with black hair.
He possessed features nearly identical to a human's, with a handsome face and an indifferent expression.
Two streaks of green tear marks extended from beneath his eyes down to his cheeks.
A half-piece of white bone mask covered the left side of his head, with a pale demonic curved horn remaining on it.
He wore a simple tattered cloak, similar in style to the one Starkk had worn back in the day.
Though some mask fragments remained, there was no doubt—both his appearance and the faint fluctuations of Reiatsu emanating from him indicated he had fully undergone Arrancar Transformation.
Beside him was an Adjuchas that had not yet undergone Arrancar Transformation.
This Adjuchas resembled a bizarrely shaped insect.
Its body, over three meters long, consisted of a head and two arms at the front, with the rest being entirely legs.
The way it moved was somewhat unsettling, almost unsettling to the point of inducing unease.
After walking for a while, it impatiently said:
"Ulquiorra, where exactly are we going?"
The young man walking ahead shook his head:
"We are not companions. I am merely walking my own path. You are the one who forced yourself to follow."
The Adjuchas grinned: "I'm protecting you. You just killed so many strange beings—they might have companions who will come looking for trouble."
"When that happens, I'll devour them all!"
Hearing this, the young man sighed.
"I had no intention of killing them; I only wanted to drive them away."
"If you hadn't suddenly intervened and killed them, there wouldn't have been any further issues."
The Adjuchas was displeased: "When others bully you, if you don't kill them, are you just waiting to be killed?"
"You, with your decent strength, why are you so hesitant in your actions!"
"If you're so afraid of conflict with others, you might as well end yourself quickly and let me devour you!"
The young man: "..."
He wanted to say that he wasn't afraid, but merely found it meaningless.
But after a moment's thought, what purpose would explaining such a thing serve?
Life in this world is nothing but endless emptiness.
One day, he would turn into a handful of dust scattered across Hueco Mundo.
No matter how much he explained or how many people acknowledged him, it would all be meaningless by then.
Seeing that Ulquiorra didn't respond, the Adjuchas grew irritated.
At first, when he encountered Ulquiorra's sudden "disconnected" reactions during conversations, he would become furious and even resort to violence.
But after spending some time together, he gradually grew accustomed to it.
This was just how the guy was—getting angry was useless.
"Then, where are you heading?"
"I am going to Las Noches."
Ulquiorra answered quickly this time.
"I've heard that Las Noches has changed masters."
"Changed masters?"
The Adjuchas was surprised: "Is there really a Hollow stronger than that Baraggan?"
Ulquiorra said calmly:
"Hueco Mundo is vast, with countless lives. It's not strange for there to be Hollows stronger than Baraggan."
"However, it wasn't another Menos Grande that replaced Baraggan."
"The current ruler of Hueco Mundo is two Shinigami."
Upon hearing this, the Adjuchas widened its eyes and stood frozen in place.
"How is that possible?! What kind of joke is this?!"
"How could the master of Las Noches be Shinigami?"
"Has Hueco Mundo already been conquered by Shinigami?"
Ulquiorra gently shook his head: "I don't know."
"Precisely because I don't know, I want to go see them."
"I've asked many Hollows, wanting to understand the meaning of life and what a heart is."
"Unfortunately, so far, no one has been able to answer this question."
"If Hollows cannot provide answers, then I shall go ask the Shinigami."
"Since they were able to enter Hueco Mundo and replace Baraggan Louisenbairn, they must possess the capability to answer my questions."
The Adjuchas gaped, speechless for a long moment.
Through their journey together these past days, he had gained some understanding of Ulquiorra.
He knew this was an... unconventional individual.
But never had he imagined the extent of this unconventionality!
Two Shinigami capable of overthrowing Baraggan Louisenbairn must possess formidable power.
For a Hollow to actively approach them would hardly be met with a welcoming ceremony.
"Hey, Ulquiorra, have you gone mad... Stop joking around!"
"The Shinigami won't discuss anything with you—they'll just cut you down!"
Ulquiorra nodded. "Indeed, that is the most probable outcome."
"But this remains the best solution I can conceive."
"If I cannot obtain answers, what purpose is there in wandering aimlessly as we do now, merely expending our elongated lifespans?"
"Perhaps... accepting death outright would be preferable to this existence."
The Adjuchas fell silent.
With the conversation reaching this point, he found himself at a loss for words.
Seeing that he couldn't dissuade Ulquiorra, he finally let out a derisive snort.
"Fine! Since you put it that way, I'll accompany you to Las Noches!"
"After slaughtering countless Hollows, I've never had the chance to kill a Shinigami!"
"I'm genuinely curious—what do Shinigami taste like?"
Ulquiorra glanced at him.
This Adjuchas, despite not being particularly strong, had insisted on accompanying him all the way.
Even knowing he was marching toward certain death, he still chose to follow.
How peculiar.
He parted his lips slightly, intending to inquire.
But at that moment, a flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes.
Swish!!
Ulquiorra spun around abruptly, drawing the Zanpakutō at his waist and slashing upward.
Almost simultaneously, a short blade wreathed in blue flames, trailing a long black iron chain, pierced through the night sky toward him!
Clang!!!
Blades collided, scattering blinding sparks.
Ulquiorra raised his hand, conjuring a Reishi Shield to block another direction.
From that direction, another chain-blade had flown toward him unnoticed.
First block with the shield, then sever the blade.
Within a fraction of a second, Ulquiorra formulated his countermeasure.
But just as he prepared to swing his blade, he stared in astonishment as his Reishi Shield shattered instantly, offering no defense whatsoever.
The short blade engulfed in blue flames pierced through his palm with a sickening crunch, grazing past his cheek.
Though it hadn't made direct contact, its sharp aura had already left a bloody gash on his face.
Feeling the stinging pain in his hand, Ulquiorra was taken aback.
His shield's durability was considerable.
Judging from their earlier blade clash, while the opponent's attack was powerful, it shouldn't have been capable of instantly obliterating his shield.
Some kind of special ability?
As he pondered, the chain-blade began retracting with a metallic rustle.
Without hesitation, Ulquiorra tore off his severed palm from where it was skewered by the chain.
Had he been slower, the chain would have hooked and dragged his entire body away.
The palm, torn apart and dripping blood, seamlessly regenerated in less than a breath, restoring itself completely.
The gash on his face had naturally vanished already.
"Zehahahahaha!!!"
Amidst clear, ringing laughter, a figure descended from above, landing with a crash before the two.
Only then did the Adjuchas grasp what had transpired.
Staring at the young man clad in a Shinigami Uniform and a white Captain's Haori, he couldn't suppress his shock.
Though he'd never seen him before, he recognized the figure instantly—
"Shinigami!!"
"Correct! Your reward is a blade!"
Satoru laughed heartily and lunged forward.
Clang!!!
Mid-charge, Ulquiorra flashed in to intercept.
Though blocking, he didn't adopt a defensive stance—instead, he swung his blade forward.
Watching Ulquiorra's movement, Satoru raised an eyebrow.
"Ho... Coincidence? Or did you decipher the pattern in just one exchange?"
"..."
Ulquiorra offered no reply, silently observing the man before him.
"Are you the new master of Las Noches?"
"More precisely, the new master of Hueco Mundo Paradise."
"?"
A flicker of confusion crossed Ulquiorra's eyes.
"Hueco Mundo Paradise? What is that?"
"My entrepreneurial vision, my unwavering original intention!"
Satoru grinned widely.
Ulquiorra still didn't understand.
But he caught one key word.
Original intention.
He felt a sudden spark of joy.
Just as he'd suspected, this Shinigami understood what a heart was.
This momentary distraction was seized by Satoru.
With one blade pinning Ulquiorra down, the other swept upward in a long arc, trailing brilliant blue flames!
Satoru moved too swiftly. Distracted and unable to think clearly, Ulquiorra instinctively defended using his habitual method—coating his skin with Reiatsu.
The moment he made this move, he knew it was a mistake.
Swish!!!
A flash of steel, and Ulquiorra's forearm spun high into the air.
"Your King's Power—I, Satoru, shall claim it!"
Ulquiorra found the Shinigami's bizarre declaration utterly perplexing. This Shinigami's words always left him feeling mentally strained.
While rapidly regenerating his lost wrist, he swiftly shifted his combat style. Originally balanced between offense and defense, his approach transformed into pure, relentless aggression—much like the Shinigami he faced.
The two combatants presented a stark contrast: one gloomy yet delicately handsome, with a sickly beauty; the other radiantly confident and dashing. In a Western fantasy, one could easily be a mage, the other a hero—yet here they were, battling like frenzied berserkers, unleashing torrents of violence.
At first, Ulquiorra held his own, trading blows evenly. But within two minutes, he began losing pace. Whether in strength, reaction speed, or ability to anticipate moves, he was outmatched. Wounds accumulated rapidly across his body. Though his High-Speed Regeneration closed them quickly, the technique consumed immense Reiatsu. Prolonged like this, defeat was inevitable.
Assessing the situation, Ulquiorra seized an opening to disengage. Putting distance between them, he leveled his Zanpakutō.
"Enclose... Murciélago!"
Black Reiatsu erupted violently!
Watching this, Satoru nodded. "As expected—like Starkk, you've completed the Arrancar Transformation on your own. In that case, I'll get serious too!"
With a flick of his wrist, he discarded his Zanpakutō, releasing its Shikai form.
Thud!
The blade plunged into the sand, trembling fiercely.