Hitsugaya had long felt that some unknown transformation was taking place in this world.
Even so, he forced his heavy body to stand, continuing to gaze into the distance.
It had not been seven days yet; if he returned now, he would not be able to rendezvous with Yoshio. He might as well use this time to track down the lair of that giant man.
From Yammy's words, Hitsugaya was almost certain that the Arrancar nest was nearby.
He just didn't know if that giant was the same one who had attacked Rukia.
He likely was.
Step by step, Hitsugaya trudged forward, the eerie moonlight falling about him. The silver-white glow tangled with the darkness, weaving a quiet, solitary scene.
On the surface, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
But the spiritual core that had suffered Yammy's attack and withstood multiple Bala bombardments was seriously shaken. Hitsugaya's condition was far from ideal, but as long as he didn't run into another Espada, he believed he still had the strength to protect himself.
Under the cold, dark night, Hueco Mundo felt even more chilling. Wind and sand scraped at his face like countless tiny needles. From far away, monstrous roars occasionally rumbled, adding a layer of danger to this endless desert.
Yet perhaps because Yammy's previous display of power had frightened off the surrounding big Hollows, even after the giant left, no strong Hollows dared approach this area.
This made Hitsugaya's search somewhat easier.
However, the territory was far too vast, and he had no way to determine his exact direction. All he could do was follow the faint remnants of Yammy's spiritual pressure.
After walking for nearly two and a half days, Hitsugaya finally stopped.
Because, in his field of view, the monotonous white landscape of this night finally changed.
Until now, everything had been unvarying: white sand, black sky. This barren world seemed made only of those two colors. The Hollows who lived here might see nothing but that endless, unchanging scenery from birth until death.
But now…
A gigantic city appeared on the horizon.
The Hollow Kingdom — at last — had revealed itself at the other end of the world.
So he had finally—
"…Found it."
A faint smile tugged at Hitsugaya's lips. The tension that had weighed on him for days finally loosened a little.
Even so, he didn't rush forward immediately. His current condition was far from good, and he had already experienced the strength of the Arrancar firsthand.
Charging in on his own would be courting death.
He carefully observed the white city from afar. It was still distant enough that the view was blurred; he could only see massive white walls and what appeared to be a transparent dome covering the top.
It looked somewhat similar to the Soul Barrier protecting Seireitei.
Had the times changed so much that the Hollow Capital now used complex enchantment-type defenses?
He made up his mind and decided not to get any closer for now.
He turned and prepared to leave.
But the moment he pivoted, his foot seemed to step into thin air.
The ground opened under him — a huge hole appeared — and he lost his balance and fell.
"…"
Before he could even curse his luck, the world around him trembled.
The very ground split open wider beneath him and swallowed him whole.
What—?!
He was stunned. Only then did he realize:
The sand beneath his feet…
Was that stuff actually alive?
From a higher vantage point, one could clearly see: a massive mouth had opened in the white desert at Hitsugaya's feet, the gaping maw widening and exerting a powerful suction force.
He had no time to draw his blade before he was sucked entirely into the mouth.
Once Hitsugaya vanished, the maw slowly closed again, the sand flowing back into place, returning to what looked like an eternal, undisturbed desert.
…
When Hitsugaya regained consciousness, he found himself lying on the ground. He slowly opened his eyes and realized that the world before him had completely changed.
He was clearly underground…
Yet there was light, as if it were daytime.
This was the exact opposite of the sky-covered desert above.
Going underground had made things brighter.
He took a careful look around.
He was in some kind of tunnel — and he could sense traces of life and habitation.
Forget it.
Now wasn't the time for reckless exploring. The safest option was to return to the surface first.
Hitsugaya bent his knees and leapt upward — and someone grabbed his ankle.
"What?!"
He whipped around. A man wearing a crude Hollow mask stared at him, pupils dilated.
A mask…
The Visored?
The so-called "Visored" — Shinigami who had defected a hundred years ago, awakened Hollow powers, and clashed with the Gotei 13 thirteen years back.
As a current captain of the Gotei 13, Hitsugaya knew the classified reports and the basic information on them.
The Visored were still Shinigami, but in battle, they wore Hollow masks on their faces.
They were different from Arrancar.
Arrancar's masks were broken from their original Hollow form, whereas Visored put on a mask they forced from within.
In the world of Soul Reapers, the hatred toward masked ones was even deeper than the hatred toward Arrancar.
Arrancar were Hollows — the natural enemies of Shinigami. Their hostility had lasted for hundreds of thousands of years. That was normal.
But the Visored were Shinigami.
Shinigami who had fallen.
They were once of Soul Society, yet chose to rely on the forbidden, traitorous power of Hollows — the ultimate betrayal.
Since ancient times, traitors had always been despised more than enemies.
So Hitsugaya instinctively drew Hyōrinmaru and slashed at the masked man.
The masked man was strong, however. Though neither side had released their Zanpakutō, Hitsugaya quickly realized he was actually at a disadvantage.
He was badly injured, yes — but his swordsmanship had been refined through Yoshio's specialized training.
"Soar Upon the Frozen Heavens…"
Realizing that his sword alone would not be enough, Hitsugaya was about to release his Zanpakutō when the masked man suddenly tore off his mask and spoke quickly:
"Don't release your Zanpakutō. You'll draw the monsters here!"
Seeing him remove the mask, Hitsugaya blinked in surprise.
What was going on?
That mask…
It wasn't real.
Visored formed their masks with their own Hollow power, but this man seemed to have gotten his mask from who-knew-where.
This wasn't his personal power.
And come to think of it, Hitsugaya hadn't sensed any Hollow spiritual pressure from him since the start.
This man…
Was he a pure Shinigami?
Wearing a mask like that only to conceal his identity while in Hueco Mundo?
"You're… a Shinigami?" Hitsugaya asked, eyes narrowing. "Which division?"
The man's hair was short and reddish-brown. His eyebrows were almost ruler-straight. He wore the Shinigami garb under a fur-lined coat — a somewhat casual but striking look.
Hitsugaya had never seen him in the Gotei 13.
For a Shinigami this strong to be entirely unfamiliar to him, he should at least be a seated officer if he were currently active.
"Save the talk for later," the red-haired Shinigami said in a low voice. "It's not safe here. We need to change locations."
Hitsugaya hesitated.
This place was indeed strange and dangerous.
No matter what, the man was a fellow Shinigami. Compared to the Hollows, Shinigami were unquestionably more trustworthy.
So he followed the man through a series of twists and turns, finally arriving at a hidden chamber.
The structure resembled a complex labyrinth.
A faint aura of rot and decay permeated the air.
Next to this secret room was another entrance.
The entrance seethed with the power of death and corruption. Black spiritual mist slowly congealed into a vortex, and just looking at it made one's own life feel as if it were being eroded.
The red-haired carefully avoided the black vortex, pushing open a concealed door in the stone wall beside it.
"This place is safe," he said. "You're the current captain of Division 13, right? Where's Captain Ukitake?"
Hitsugaya had worn his captain's haori in the earlier battle, with the kanji for "13" clearly visible on his back.
Hearing his question, Hitsugaya realized this man had probably entered Hueco Mundo a very long time ago.
"Captain Ukitake retired," Hitsugaya answered quietly. "I succeeded him."
He stepped into the secret room.
The interior was extremely simple: a bed, a stone table, nothing else.
"I see. If you've inherited that position, I have no reason to doubt your strength," the man said, taking off the crude mask and setting it on the stone table. "Let me introduce myself. Name's Ashido. I'm from Division 11."
"Division 11?"
Hitsugaya frowned. "You're the Shinigami who entered Hueco Mundo with the advance team and never returned?"
"Advance team?"
Ashido was stunned for a moment, then nodded. "You could call me part of the advance team, yeah. I came to Hueco Mundo over two hundred years ago. I was the lieutenant of Kenpachi Kuruyashiki of Division 11 back then."
"…"
Hitsugaya went quiet.
There was no disbelief in his gaze — only a more complicated emotion.
"The seventh Kenpachi…" he murmured. "He passed that title to the eighth about two hundred fifty years ago."
"…"
Ashido fell silent.
There was no dramatic reaction, no hysterical denial — only a vague, subdued heaviness in his eyes.
"To think a captain of that level actually died…"
"I understand, Ashido," Hitsugaya said in a low voice. "Let's focus on the situation at hand."
"…Alright."
Ashido sighed softly. "I grabbed your leg earlier because this area is guarded by the Sand Warden, Runuganga. The sand itself is alive. If you try to force your way out, you'll only summon more terrifying existences here."
"Terrifying existences?"
"Yeah. This is the Tres Cifras," Ashido replied. "It's the underground lair directly connected to the Forest of Menos and the Arrancar who've emerged from it. Anyone who clears the Tres Cifras earns the right to enter Las Noches."
"I know what the Forest of Menos is," Hitsugaya said, frowning. "But I don't understand the rest."
He knew the Forest of Menos was a special region in Hueco Mundo — a gathering ground for gigantic Menos, where numerous powerful Gillian and Adjuchas prowled.
He also knew that Hueco Mundo wasn't all desert. Places like the Forest of Menos had formed naturally over time as concentrated Hollow habitats.
But "Three Digits"? "Las Noches"?
He had never heard these terms.
Seeing the confusion on his face, Ashido frowned back.
"You really don't know anything?"
"Didn't Seireitei discover the existence of Las Noches? Wasn't sending a captain here supposed to be part of a large-scale purge?"
Hitsugaya shook his head. "It's more complicated than that…"
He briefly told Ashido about the recent events and the true purpose of his current mission in Hueco Mundo.
"I see. So you came to find that particular Arrancar," Ashido mused. "Because he might know what happened to your lieutenant."
After thinking for a while, he added, "He probably does. That Arrancar you're looking for isn't part of the Three-Digit. He's an Espada of Las Noches."
Another unfamiliar term — "Espada."
Hitsugaya couldn't help but look at Ashido, waiting for him to elaborate.
"Let me start with Las Noches," Ashido said. "Las Noches is the dominion of the King of Hueco Mundo, Baraggan. They say he possessed great power tens of thousands of years ago, even before he became king."
"I don't know exactly when it began, but at some point, Baraggan obtained the power to break masks — and started summoning powerful Hollows, granting them the Arrancar transformation. That's how he built his mighty army."
"Wait," Hitsugaya interrupted, eyes widening. "The King of Hueco Mundo? You mean… the Hollow King?!"
"…"
Ashido blinked at the intensity of Hitsugaya's reaction.
"Yeah. His title is the King of Hueco Mundo. What's wrong?"
"Do you know what he looks like?" Hitsugaya asked at once.
"I don't know the other Espada too well," Ashido admitted. "But I do know Baraggan's former appearance. He used to be a massive Hollow shaped like a skull. After his mask broke, they say he took on a new form — the appearance of an old man. That's all I know."
Hearing that, Hitsugaya finally exhaled in relief.
For a moment, he'd feared that the ruler of Las Noches was the same entity as the Hollow King. If that were the case, both they and Seireitei would likely be finished.
The Hollow King alone was already nearly unstoppable.
If that being commanded such a well-organized army…
Soul Society's end would be sealed.
This so-called King of Hueco Mundo and the Hollow King were different entities — but he must still be extremely powerful. Otherwise, he could never have subdued other Arrancar.
"What's wrong?" Ashido asked, noticing the shift in Hitsugaya's expression.
"Nothing. Go on," Hitsugaya said quietly.
"Alright." Ashido continued, "Second, about the Espada. After Baraggan created Las Noches and summoned many Arrancar, he chose the ten strongest Arrancar as his subordinates and named them the 'Espada.'"
"Powerful Arrancar all have numbers. The Espada bear the numbers '0–9' — the ten strongest of all, ranked from highest to lowest by strength."
"For Arrancar outside the Espada, their numbers don't necessarily correlate with strength. It's more like… the order in which they were recruited."
That made Hitsugaya think of the puppy he'd seen earlier — Kukkapūro.
There had been a "35" engraved on its back.
"The Espada are terrifyingly strong," Ashido went on. "But the hierarchy of Las Noches can change. Whenever an Espada is defeated, they're demoted."
"Demoted Espada are re-ranked and become part of the 'Three Digits' — that is, Arrancar whose numbers range from '100' and up."
"Though they've fallen from the Espada ranks, they still possess great power. But as losers, they're punished by being banished below Las Noches to guard the Hollow Kingdom from the underground."
"Which is exactly where we are now — the Tres Cifras."
"The Sand Warden Runuganga is one of those Three Digits, numbered '107.' His job is to guard Las Noches and lure foreign intruders into this passage."
"Runuganga…" Hitsugaya murmured. "When I fell, I didn't see any enemy. Was that all his sand?"
"Exactly. Runuganga is said to be a very special natural-type Menos. His true body is the countless grains of sand in Hueco Mundo. In a world like this, he's practically invincible."
Of course, that so-called invincibility came with caveats.
There were always people who liked to boast about being invincible, but if they were truly unbeatable, why would they end up stuck with such a lowly role?
Hitsugaya turned Ashido's information over in his mind.
He had never imagined that the Arrancar in Hueco Mundo had formed such a massive army.
He'd thought that even if they had gathered, they would amount to no more than a loose group of armed bandits. But from Ashido's explanation, a completely different picture emerged.
Las Noches clearly possessed a structured hierarchy:
A King of Hueco Mundo at the top.
Ten Espada below him.
Demoted former Espada serving as the Three-Digits.
Countless numbered Arrancar filling out the ranks beneath them.
It was like a nation — hierarchical, orderly, almost like a civilization that had blossomed within the world of Hollows.
And the more layered and structured a system was, the harder it would be to infiltrate.
At that moment, Hitsugaya thought of the black vortex outside the secret room again and asked, "Ashido, where does that entrance lead?"
"Oh, you mean the Death Labyrinth?" Ashido's gaze turned serious. "They say the Death Labyrinth was personally constructed by Baraggan. It's a maze filled with death and decay that connects Las Noches to the Tres Cifras. Once a Hollow enters the labyrinth, it never comes back out."
"That's why no other Arrancar or Hollows dare approach it. Everyone knows to stay away. Because of that, I carved this secret room right here, beside the entrance and exit of the maze. It was the safest way to conceal myself."
"Death Labyrinth…" Hitsugaya considered using it to enter Las Noches — and ultimately rejected the idea.
It was utterly unwise.
If Baraggan was truly as powerful as rumored, then a maze crafted by him would never be simple.
Facing the King of Hueco Mundo's power head-on was too risky. It would be better to sneak into Las Noches from outside and seek out the Espada within.
Ashido then explained his own story.
He had once fought in the Forest of Menos. One day, an overwhelming spiritual pressure descended from above, shaking the entire forest.
That condensed power was unlike any he'd ever felt in his life. Curious — and alarmed — Ashido had left the forest to investigate.
The moment he emerged, he had somehow been imprisoned in this Tres Cifras.
He didn't know when the forest had become connected to this place, but it seemed that Las Noches occasionally selected" qualified Arrancar straight from the Forest of Menos.
At first, he'd tried to escape by force, but Runuganga caught him. If it had been only the 107, he might not have cared, but once Runuganga began to move, other Three-Digits quickly arrived as well.
If their numbers were too great, Ashido couldn't hope to face them.
Among the Three Digits was a monstrous presence —
The strongest he'd personally encountered was 102, a female Adjuchas with tremendous power. If she had truly intended to kill him, Ashido doubted he'd have survived.
Unable to escape and unable to return to the Forest of Menos, Ashido hid within the passage, alone, for nearly three hundred years.
Hearing all this, Hitsugaya couldn't help but sigh.
What incredible tenacity.
For a Shinigami to live alone in Hueco Mundo for almost three centuries, constantly hunted by Hollows and Arrancar — that was something beyond imagination.
He was about to say more when Ashido's expression changed. His ear twitched slightly, and he stood up at once.
Hitsugaya, seeing his reaction, immediately grew wary.
Because at that instant, they both heard it:
Footsteps outside the secret room.
Someone was coming.
Ashido had spent nearly three hundred years in Hueco Mundo, fighting almost constantly. He was acutely sensitive to changes in the environment.
Without that sensitivity, he would have died long ago.
So he was the first to react — and immediately realized that the approaching spiritual pressure belonged not to Hollows.
Both men held their breath.
Here, in the Tres Cifras, if they were discovered, it would almost certainly mean being surrounded by enemies.
This secret chamber had been carved by Ashido with extreme care. There were no visible disruptions to the exterior, and he had placed seals to mask their spiritual pressures. With the chamber situated right beside the Death Labyrinth, whose entrance reeked of death, it was nearly impossible to detect anyone hiding here — so long as they didn't make a sound.
They listened carefully.
The footsteps outside were light.
They sounded like those of a small, slender woman.
Soon, more footsteps followed — also women.
And…
All of them had apparently exited from the Death Labyrinth.
"That guy really went and opened his mouth," a bold, somewhat brash female voice grumbled, clear dissatisfaction in her tone. "He actually asked for that much of His Majesty's blood."
"It has nothing to do with us," another voice — calmer, more composed — replied. That was Liltotto. "We've completed our mission. All we have to do now is return this Arrancar. He'll keep sending more in the future anyway."
"Besides, most of that blood was only Baelz's imitation. We didn't really lose anything."
"Yeah, yeah, you're right," another woman — Giselle — added languidly. "But it still pisses me off how smug he was. Really makes me wanna turn him into a zombie and run him into the ground."
"Drop it. He's too strong. I don't wanna fight him. It'd be a pain," Liltotto snorted.
"Good thing Bambietta didn't chase after that idiot. I'd actually worry if those two ended up fighting in Las Noches."
"Speaking of, where'd Bambi go?" another girl asked. "Why didn't she come with us?"
"She went to another Menos gathering point with Baelz," Liltotto replied. "That place is pretty much a done deal. No need for Baelz to come here."
"That guy's really capable. No wonder His Majesty promoted him to the Royal Guard so quickly."
"How come you sound kind of sour, Candice?" Giselle teased with a chuckle. "Baelz's more than competent enough."
"Shut it, you rotten brat! Who said I'm sour?!" Candice shot back in irritation. "I just think that guy's been totally bought off, that's all!"
"It's normal. Baelz's helped Gigi a lot, after all."
"Enough. Stop arguing," Liltotto cut in. "We can't let the other Arrancar find out about this. This is the Three-Digit territory. Most of them are fodder, but people like Neliel, Rukia, Picaro, and Lilynette are all here too."
Their voices grew fainter and fainter as they moved away.
A long silence followed.
Who… are they?
Hitsugaya was utterly confused.
From their conversation, they were clearly not from Las Noches. Rather, they sounded like some external force that had come here to purchase an Arrancar.
Enemies of Las Noches.
But how—
How was that even possible?
And then—
Hitsugaya's eyes abruptly widened.
He replayed one of the names in his mind.
Rukia.
Among the Three Digits… there was an Arrancar named "Rukia"?
What the hell was going on?
Rukia… an Arrancar?
No.
Impossible.
She had spent almost all her time working under his nose, occasionally being sent to the human world, but always as a lieutenant of Division 13. How could she be one of the Three Digits?
Hitsugaya's thoughts were in complete turmoil.
Right now, more than anything, he wanted to charge out and see those Three-Digits with his own eyes — to find out who that "Rukia" really was.
…
"Big Brother."
In another world, in the Kurosaki household, Ichigo was heading downstairs, preparing to go to Urahara Kisuke's black-cat shop.
Right then, he heard Karin call out to him.
"What is it, Karin?"
Ichigo forced a casual smile.
"That black ghost that's always with you— what about her?" Karin asked.
The "black ghost" she referred to was Rukia.
But…
She was already—
Ichigo remembered the words Urahara had spoken three days earlier.
"They'll execute her."
Ichigo had been shocked. "Execute her? But Hollows are the enemies of Shinigami. How can that be a crime…?"
He remembered kneeling in front of Urahara, demanding an explanation.
Urahara had sighed and said, "Being a Hollow is one thing. But becoming an Arrancar — that is a grave sin, one Soul Society absolutely cannot tolerate. Even for someone like Kuchiki-san — a member of the noble Kuchiki family and Lieutenant of Division 13 — once she commits this crime, there's almost no possibility of pardon."
"Then…" Ichigo had swallowed hard. "Rukia will be… executed?"
"That's right."
Back in the present, Ichigo clenched a fist.
He had already made his decision.
He would save Rukia.
She had once saved his life — and Karin's, too.
Even if it cost him his own life, he would repay that debt.
But—
Urahara had told him to wait three days and given him three pills.
For three days, Ichigo had wrestled with how to say goodbye to his family, using the medicine each day.
That medicine healed his body and altered his soul, allowing him to better use the powers of a Shinigami.
If he wanted to go to Soul Society to save Rukia…
He had to become a true Shinigami.
Only then could he move freely in that world.
"By the way, Karin, I'm heading out now," Ichigo said. "Got a trip with some classmates this summer."
"Really?" Karin looked skeptical. "You think I can't tell when you're lying? Ever since that black ghost disappeared, you've been zoning out all the time."
"You're overthinking it."
Ichigo forced another smile and headed down the stairs. "Don't worry. Everything's fine."
With that, he practically fled out of the Kurosaki Clinic.
Watching his back grow smaller and smaller, Karin's heart filled with unease.
Right now, there was no one else at home. Isshin and Yuzu had gone shopping, and Ichigo had just gone out.
Karin stood at the doorway, staring at the spot where he'd vanished, a bad premonition weighing heavily on her.
At that moment, someone appeared behind her.
"The doctor's not here."
Karin turned around and saw a boy wearing glasses. He looked about Ichigo's age, but his expression was gentler, more composed.
He pushed his glasses up with one hand and said calmly, "I didn't come to see the doctor."
"…You're Ichigo's classmate, right?" Karin asked warily. "He just went out."
"I know," the boy replied. "That's why I'm here."
"…"
Karin's pupils dilated.
For an instant, she thought he might be some kind of criminal out to kidnap kids.
She was about to slam the door when his next words stopped her.
"Allow me to introduce myself," he said. "My name is Ishida Uryū. And as far as I know… I am currently the only Quincy left in this world."
Seeing the panic on Karin's face, Ishida continued in a quiet voice:
"Would you like to know what your brother has been busy with lately?"
The word "brother" made Karin freeze.
"What… are you trying to say?" she asked.
"I told you — I'm the last Quincy," Uryū said, meeting her eyes seriously. "Which means that, aside from me… you are a Quincy as well."
"?!"
"What did you just say…?"
Karin was completely stunned.
She didn't fully understand what a Quincy was, but she suddenly remembered something a frog-like Hollow had said when it had once caught her:
"This Quincy's blut is such a damn hassle!"
Quincy…
Were they people who could see spirits, who Hollows couldn't easily consume—
Exterminators of Hollows.
Then what was this boy after?
Karin took a deep breath and forced herself to stay calm.
"Fine. Talk," she said. "Tell me everything, 'mysterious Quincy.'"