"Yoshio, why are you here?"
Beyond the Tres Cifras—past the Labyrinth of Death—lay an underground palace. It wasn't particularly magnificent, but anyone who wished to pass through had to go through countless doors.
The moment Yoshio stepped in, he spotted Lilynette.
Lilynette sat there in a white uniform. Her face was uncovered; she wore a light silk skirt and lounged lazily in her seat, calves propped up on the armrest as she swung her legs back and forth. A mischievous smile curved her lips, as if Yoshio's arrival genuinely pleased her—so much so that even the air around them felt livelier.
Lilynette had become a completely independent existence from Starrk. Later, she became the three-digit "100"—once a lower officer when she'd still been part of Starrk.
Of course, she still served under Starrk.
Three-digit ranks were known as "losers," but that was mostly in reference to the four-digit numbers.
As for the best three-digit—"100" Lilynette, "101" Picaro, "102" Nelliel, "103" Dark Rukia—those four possessed abilities even stronger than the current Ten Espada.
They simply couldn't be bothered with the position, or had no interest in becoming three-digit numbers in the usual sense.
That was why they could enter the Palace of Hueco Mundo at any time.
In addition, "109" was Roka Paramia—someone whose combat power fluctuated like darkness itself. As Yoshio's subordinate, she naturally could come and go from the Palace freely.
The current Ten Espada lineup was exactly such a group:
0 Blade: Coyote Starrk
1 Blade: Barragan Luisenbarn
2 Blade: Szayelaporro Granz
3 Blade: Tier Harribel
4 Blade: Ulquiorra Cifer
5 Blade: Nnoitra Gilga
6 Blade: Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez
7 Blade: Zommari Rureaux
8 Blade: Grand Fisher (Beelzebub)
9 Blade: Yammy Llargo
And aside from the previously mentioned, the remaining three-digit ranks were:
104: Luppi Antenor
105: Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio
106: Cirucci Sanderwicci
107: Runuganga
108: Gantenbainne Mosqueda
109: Roka Paramia
Now, the Palace of Hueco Mundo's overall combat power had indeed risen dramatically.
Whenever Yoshio thought of the new Ten Espada and the three-digit group, he couldn't help but feel a certain satisfaction.
After all… he'd built all of it himself.
It felt like playing an infrastructure-building game.
At this moment, Yoshio smiled at Lilynette. "It's almost time. Looks like I'll be staying in the Palace for a while."
"Got it!" Lilynette was still grinning happily.
"I told you ages ago—Shinigami and you don't mix. You should've escaped the Seireitei sooner," she said, crossing her legs. "Runuganga said a Shinigami broke in. Did you bring him?"
"Looks like it," Yoshio replied. "One of my juniors. He always wears a cold face, but he's still pretty cute."
"Huh? Are you going to capture him?"
"No. He won't be here long." Yoshio spoke as if he could already see the outcome. "He'll leave soon."
He paused, then his gaze sharpened.
"But he's not the important one. The important one is the Shinigami who's shown up in the Tres Cifrass after all these years."
"You mean that red-haired guy?" Lilynette said indifferently. "He doesn't look that strong. Why do you care?"
"Because he's interesting," Yoshio said quietly. "Wait a bit—tell him to forcefully take the Labyrinth of Death route."
"No problem." Lilynette flashed an OK gesture.
And the reason Yoshio cared about Ashido… was his Soul Ability.
Ashido's ability was called: Past Reaper.
Past Reaper: Briefly appears in a certain era of history, causing people to lose their impression and memory of the user.
To many people, this might be useless.
Because it didn't truly send someone back in time—it merely made your existence "appear" in history.
And the more you used it, the more people would gradually forget you.
But to Yoshio, it was still terrifyingly powerful.
Because at this point, there were too many people he simply couldn't win over directly—Aizen, Yamamoto, Yhwach, the Zero Division…
Either they had reached a state where they would not accept anyone into their inner world, or they were too cold, or simply beyond his reach in time and space.
But as long as he used this ability, he could let a part of his existence "appear" in the past.
The preface claimed it would only appear for a very brief period, only within history, and could not change history.
In practice, it was like rubbing your face into an old memory—nothing "changed," but when people recalled the past, they would remember Yoshio.
Even if today's people ended up with only a vague impression and lost some memories, he could still leave behind a favorable image.
If this were the early Yoshio, he would never have considered such an ability.
Because he needed to grind favor in the present.
There was no point trading present-day goodwill for a fragmentary past reputation… right?
But now, Yoshio had already wiped out many of the "permanent soul abilities" he'd obtained—or rather, most of the soul abilities he'd permanently gained.
The parts he hadn't permanently obtained yet had to be "erased" in the past.
That was why he wanted Past Reaper.
Of course, he hesitated.
After all, he'd lived in this world for years. He wasn't as naïve as before. There were many memories he didn't want others to forget.
So this ability had to be used carefully… or not used at all.
Because even he didn't know exactly what memories others would lose.
But he couldn't live without it—yet he couldn't bear to let it go.
So Yoshio decided to act, preparing to skim Ashido's goodwill.
Unfortunately, Yoshio's identities weren't exactly "friendly."
Sooner or later, one of his identities would become a Shinigami traitor—another would be even worse.
Angra was a Hollow.
Ashido was a more traditional Shinigami—absolutely opposed to Hollows.
Baelz was a Quincy—hostile toward Shinigami.
Meaning: none of the three identities on his face were suitable for farming Ashido's favor.
So… wouldn't it be better to use special means?
He only needed Ashido to have 60 or 80 goodwill toward "him." The specific identity didn't matter; what mattered was that Ashido "aimed at" him.
Just like how Seireitei people could keep a good impression even if you changed your name or appearance—so long as the "impression" remained.
But you couldn't change the "self."
For example, even if Baelz was Yoshio's doppelgänger, in other people's cognition, Baelz and Yoshio were two different people.
So someone who liked Baelz wouldn't necessarily like Yoshio, and vice versa.
Therefore, Yoshio could switch identities to approach Ashido's favor.
He just had… a lot of identities.
After chatting with Lilynette for a while, Yoshio left.
…
Elsewhere, in the previous hidden chamber, Hitsugaya had finally calmed down.
No matter who claimed to be Rukia, he couldn't simply suspect Rukia. The only thing he should do now was find the truth.
The problem was his condition—he couldn't rush out yet.
Ashido had once been a Shinigami of the Eleventh Division, but in Kaien's era, the Eleventh wasn't like the modern Eleventh with its discrimination against the Fourth.
Back then, it was normal for Shinigami to use Kidō.
Ashido's main strength was swordsmanship, but after fighting in the Forest of Menos for two to three hundred years, he had also learned some medical techniques. Naturally, he could use Kidō as well.
His healing Kidō wasn't exceptional, but it was enough to help stabilize Hitsugaya.
After some time, Hitsugaya recovered more than eighty percent of his fighting strength.
"I was planning to find the Espada who attacked Rukia, but now…" Hitsugaya said, eyes cold. "I found a clue in the Tres Cifrass. We'll investigate here."
"At the very least… it's much safer than the Palace of Hueco Mundo."
In his heart, Hitsugaya believed three-digit ranks were weaker than the current Ten Espada, so dealing with them would be easier than fighting the Espada directly.
"Don't let your guard down," Ashido warned. "I fought 102 briefly before. She's extremely strong."
He'd said this before, but Hitsugaya hadn't taken it seriously. After all, Ashido wasn't a Captain…
No matter how confident you were, you couldn't underestimate the enemy. No arrogance, no carelessness—that was Yoshio's principle of combat.
And Hitsugaya had been deeply influenced by him.
The two of them opened the hidden door—
And their pupils constricted at the same time.
A girl stood right outside.
She leaned against the wall opposite the door, arms folded over her chest, even yawning—bored.
She had short pale-green hair, a purple flame pattern beside her left eye, a vest that exposed her chest, short pants, and a broken mask. A shattered horn jutted from her head, making her look like someone who loved to spy on others.
Her left eye was hollow, like it had been gouged out—an empty pit.
But above her abdomen, there was also a hollow opening—two black voids that seemed to swallow light.
Just her presence alone startled them.
But what shocked them most…
Were the three digits on the back of her left hand.
100.
A three-digit number!
And the top three-digit rank?!
Hitsugaya and Ashido's pupils widened.
What was going on? Why was Number 100 here?
"You finally came out," Lilynette said after finishing her yawn, suddenly perking up. The corners of her lips lifted into a smile. "If you didn't come out again, I was considering calling Starrk."
They didn't know who "Starrk" was, but at this instant both Shinigami pressed their hands to their Zanpakutō, ready to draw.
Noticing their movement, Lilynette didn't panic. She continued casually.
"Honestly, I don't even want to be this strong. After splitting, my power keeps increasing—like I'm breeding power or something. Should I just stop being Starrk?"
She didn't realize how unbelievably humblebrag it sounded.
Everyone else trained desperately to become stronger—and she was complaining while her power rose on its own.
But she wasn't lying.
After fully separating from Starrk, Lilynette became independent. In the past, her soul strength had been directly tied to Starrk.
After the split, her soul strength remained at Starrk's level, but her spiritual pressure hadn't accumulated to match it.
In other words, her excessive soul strength amplified spiritual pressure growth. In a world where spiritual particles were far denser than in Soul Society, she absorbed vast amounts with every breath.
Most Hollows couldn't handle that. Their soul strength was insufficient, their spiritual pressure saturated, and their talent lacking—so they had to devour other Hollows to grow.
But Lilynette could simply grow over time, slowly reaching a spiritual pressure level that matched her soul.
Her situation resembled Aizen in the prison realm: even after losing power, the "soul" remained transcendent—so it rebuilt strength over time.
"Sit upon the frozen heavens—Hyōrinmaru!" Hitsugaya released his Zanpakutō without hesitation.
But he couldn't use Bankai here.
Using Bankai in this place would only attract disaster. This was the enemy's nest. Bankai's immense power would inevitably draw more powerful Hollows.
If that happened, he wouldn't just face a three-digit rank—other three-digits, maybe even higher, would come as well.
"So that's a Shinigami's power?" Lilynette watched, intrigued. "Wanna try Bankai?"
"Shut up," Hitsugaya snapped—and attacked together with Ashido.
But Lilynette vanished in an instant.
Both she and Starrk specialized in extreme speed.
She appeared at the edge of the corridor and raised a finger.
Cero Oscuras.
A roaring blast of black-green light fired at them in an instant.
Aizen had forbidden the Espada from using Cero Oscuras in the Palace because of how destructive it was—but they weren't inside the Palace.
So outside… she could use it freely.
Seeing the destructive beam, Hitsugaya immediately sent an ice dragon erupting from his blade to freeze it, while Ashido cut through part of the blast with his sword. Hitsugaya used the opening to slash at Lilynette along the corridor line.
"Three-shot Cero Oscuras!" Lilynette didn't withdraw her finger—she kept firing.
The first blast failed.
The second shattered the frozen first.
The third rammed through the second, compounding the force into one terrifying torrent.
Hitsugaya's eyes widened. He immediately froze the front into a thick wall of ice.
But the power was still overwhelming. The ice barrier didn't last—it was blown apart.
"Careful!"
At the decisive moment, Ashido stepped in and cleaved at the beam. The two of them resisted together, but they couldn't block it completely.
The blast swallowed them, scorching their bodies with burning pain.
Even at their best, dealing with an Espada-level opponent was still hard.
Hitsugaya stared at her and suddenly asked, "Can I ask you something?"
"Ask. I'll answer if I can." Lilynette didn't carry killing intent. She didn't even like fighting—she just found this fun.
"Among the three-digit ranks… is there an Arrancar named Rukia?"
"Hm… that doesn't count." Lilynette thought briefly. "Rukia isn't an Arrancar. She doesn't even have a mask—how could she be Arrancar?"
Hitsugaya finally exhaled in relief.
But he didn't lower his guard. He remained ready to release more power if needed.
Ashido stopped him. "Enough. I know you have Bankai, Captain—but using it here is too flashy."
If it drew an Espada, it would be the end.
"I'll go," Ashido said. "I'll hold her back. If your power is ice, you should be able to break through Runuganga's defenses easily."
"Ashido…" Hitsugaya frowned. "What about you?"
"Don't worry," Ashido said with a faint smile. "I've lived here for years. I've seen worse."
"And… I don't miss life in the Seireitei."
"Captain Kuruyashiki is dead. There's no one I know in the Gotei 13 anymore. There's no point going back."
"So I'll stay here."
"Even if… even if that means dying in battle."
Hitsugaya fell silent.
He could see the resolve in Ashido's eyes.
When a man looked like that, the best thing wasn't to stop him—
It was to let him complete his "mission."
"I understand."
Hitsugaya spoke one final sentence, then attacked together with Ashido.
Lilynette didn't tangle with them too much. From the start, her target had only ever been Ashido.
This was something she could handle. Picaro or Nelliel might be stronger, but they wouldn't be as suited to dealing with Hitsugaya and Ashido in this situation.
She fired more Ceros, all blocked by Ashido. Hitsugaya used the opening—slashed, disengaged, and fled without hesitation.
Lilynette watched him vanish, then looked at the now-alone Ashido.
"So he really left you behind," she said flatly. "That's pathetic."
Just like Yoshio said…
"Shinigami really are ruthless."
"Hah!" Ashido laughed despite himself. "Aren't Hollows supposed to be emotionless?"
"Who said Hollows don't have emotions?" Lilynette frowned, irritation flashing.
"At least I wouldn't abandon my companions!"
"Then you're too pure, little girl." Ashido gripped his blade with both hands, voice low. "Sometimes… it's because we understand emotions that we abandon our comrades."
He swung.
Spiritual pressure erupted like a crescent.
Sword Press!
A basic sword technique—simple, direct, brutally effective.
Lilynette raised an arm to block. Steel met force, leaving a deep white mark across her guard. She blinked, momentarily startled.
"Abandoning your comrades—so that's 'noble' to you?" she sneered. "I really admire Shinigami. You're good at flipping black and white."
"Shinigami always stand at the center of the three worlds, convinced you define the order of everything."
"To you, abandoning comrades is evil—born from corruption, beyond redemption."
"But when Shinigami abandon comrades, it's because you 'understand emotions'?"
"You're really good at wrapping every action in the name of 'nobility,' aren't you?"
She dodged his attacks while talking, keeping her tone sharp.
Ashido's lips curled in mockery. "You don't understand a thing."
Lilynette didn't understand—and didn't want to.
But now she got serious.
Hitsugaya Tōshirō had already left, so it was time—just as Yoshio said—to force Ashido into the Labyrinth of Death.
"Infinite Full Cero!"
She opened her mouth.
In the next instant, green light began condensing in three places at once—her hand, her mouth's hollow, and her left eye.
Three simultaneous Ceros—linked into a continuous barrage.
Dozens of blasts fired in an instant.
Ashido's pupils shrank.
He hadn't expected her to use that kind of Hollow kill-method so casually in a narrow underground corridor—where there was nowhere to dodge.
Damn it… no way to hide.
He could only keep swinging, using his blade to neutralize each blast.
Fortunately, these weren't Cero Oscuras—just standard Ceros. There were far more of them, but each individual shot was weaker.
And after years in the Forest of Menos, Ashido had developed special ways to deal with Ceros.
After the first bombardment, Ashido looked battered, but not heavily wounded.
He tried to counterattack—
And saw something that made his blood run cold.
After confirming he was still alive, Lilynette didn't look panicked at all.
She was… condensing again.
What?
Ashido's shock exploded.
A single barrage was one thing.
But she could do it again?
Was she a monster?!
How could she keep producing Ceros like that?!
Originally, Infinite Full Cero was something Starrk could only use after returning to Blade form.
But now—even without that—Starrk and Lilynette could use part of the ability to fire Cero endlessly.
If anything…
Lilynette might be even better at it than Starrk.
The corridor shook.
Explosions thundered, spiritual pressure surging outward.
Yet the Tres Cifrass were built terrifyingly sturdy. Even after that bombardment, they didn't collapse at all.
The corridor was fine.
But Ashido wasn't.
The first bombardment—he managed.
The second—he was already struggling.
And now…
She was preparing a third.
Damn it.
She really was a monster.
Was this what a washed-out Ten Espada looked like?
Then how strong would the current Ten Espada be?!
Only now did Ashido truly understand: the Palace of Hueco Mundo was an evil force that could overturn the Seireitei.
This couldn't continue.
If he kept blocking, he would die.
There was no chance.
He needed a way out.
He had chosen to remain here, ready to die—but if he could survive, he didn't need to die.
The problem was Lilynette was blocking his retreat.
On the open plains outside, he could escape.
But in this underground corridor, the only way forward was through her.
Because behind him… was the Labyrinth of Death.
The Labyrinth of Death…
Ashido suddenly remembered the place left behind by the King of Hueco Mundo.
Everyone said it was extremely dangerous—so dangerous that no life could exist there.
But facing Lilynette felt like dying anyway.
And the Labyrinth of Death was… just a rumor, wasn't it?
He'd even heard that someone once came out of it.
Under Lilynette's indiscriminate firepower, Ashido inhaled deeply.
He made his decision.
Boom!
After another blast, Lilynette extended both hands—ten fingers aimed at Ashido.
As the saying went: if you're poor, aim precisely. If you're rich, drown them in firepower.
Lilynette was drowning him.
Exhaust him. Break him.
As the smoke and light cleared from the last explosion—and just as a new barrage was about to fire—
Ashido suddenly turned around and sprinted straight toward the entrance of the Labyrinth of Death.
Lilynette blinked, surprised. "You're really going in? You won't survive. And I don't even know what that Barragan guy did to it…"
Ashido reached the entrance.
It looked like a slowly flowing dark nebula. Rot and death seeped out from it like an invitation.
Behind him, he felt burning heat—Cero waves ready to swallow him if he hesitated.
He didn't hesitate.
He lunged into the dark vortex.
In an instant, his figure was swallowed.
The light vanished.
Everything decayed.
Lilynette put her hands on her hips and walked toward the entrance, frowning.
"Why does Barragan's power feel… weird?"
"Did he go to Szayelaporro to run experiments again?"
She knew Barragan had always had opinions about Starrk—let alone Aizen and Yoshio.
Driven by anger, jealousy, and resentment, Barragan constantly sought greater power.
He'd experimented with Szayelaporro before, but now… it felt like something had changed, and not for the better.
Looking at the Labyrinth of Death, Lilynette decided she should warn Starrk to keep an eye on Barragan.
…
Inside the Labyrinth of Death, Ashido found himself in a dark world.
It was similar to Hueco Mundo outside—but there was no moon here.
Only a faint, unknown light filtered in from nowhere, barely preventing the world from becoming absolute black.
In his blurred vision, he saw walls formed of black aura.
Unlike the decaying vortex outside, these walls were… different.
Instinct screamed at him:
Touch it, and death would corrode him.
Then, in the next moment, something changed.
The darkness converged.
Within the already-dark world, an even darker silhouette formed.
"Welcome to the land of death."
The voice reached directly into the depths of Ashido's soul.
…