"You idiots! I am Hitsugaya Toshiro!" Toshiro roared.
"You... are Commander Hitsugaya? Hahaha... Commander Hitsugaya's older brother, you're really funny!" Amagai chuckled.
"Exactly, how could you be Commander Hitsugaya? Commander Hitsugaya is obviously a kid who acts older than his age-" Ando couldn't help but interject, but before he could finish, Toshiro's body was enveloped in a flash of ice-blue light. The adult body instantly shrank several sizes, returning to his original elementary school student form, as if he had taken some kind of potion.
"Ando, what were you saying just now?" Toshiro stared coldly at Ando.
"That... that... haha, Commander Hitsugaya, you're finally back! Looks like you won, right?" Ando Akimine played dumb.
"Hmph, don't change the subject. Ando, daring to talk about me like that... I think you don't want to be deputy commander of the 1st Corps anymore!" Toshiro snorted.
"Commander Hitsugaya, what exactly happened earlier?" Amagai asked.
Seeing this, Toshiro didn't press Ando further and got down to business: "I was fighting a Vasto Lorde Menos Grande earlier."
"What?!" They all exclaimed.
"A Vasto Lorde! That's a legendary existence said to surpass Captain-level!" Ando said, shocked.
"Then what was the outcome?" Kawano hurriedly asked.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm standing right in front of you, aren't I?" Toshiro said calmly.
"True. No one in Hueco Mundo should be a match for Commander Hitsugaya," The others easily accepted this outcome.
In their view, Toshiro was the strongest Shinigami besides the Captain-Commander, after all, in the eyes of ordinary Shinigami, the [Kenpachi] was the strongest besides the Captain-Commander, and Toshiro, having defeated the Kenpachi, was naturally the strongest besides the Captain-Commander.
In a one-on-one fight, no one in Hueco Mundo should be Toshiro's match.
"But why would a Vasto Lorde attack us?" Ando asked.
"Earlier, the group of Hollows that attacked the Menos Grande Expeditionary Force were eliminated by me, Ando, and Amagai. But the leader, that Captain-level Adjuchas, was a subordinate of Baraggan, the King of Hueco Mundo. So, this Vasto Lorde was sent by Baraggan for revenge," Toshiro explained.
"Sent by Baraggan, the King of Hueco Mundo?!" They were shocked again.
Having operated in Hueco Mundo for a long time, they naturally knew about Baraggan and couldn't help but worry.
Seeing their worried expressions, Toshiro said, "No need to worry. Even if Baraggan came personally, he wouldn't be my match."
Toshiro wasn't boasting. If he hadn't broken through and was still at the peak of Captain-level, even if he used his ultimate move, Frozen Heaven Hundred Flower Funeral, he likely couldn't have defeated Baraggan.
But now, after breaking through to the mid-level of beyond-Captain level, Toshiro was confident Baraggan was absolutely no match for him.
"That's true. But Baraggan, as the King of Hueco Mundo, has many powerful Hollows under him," Ando said.
"You're overthinking, Ando. No matter how many Hollows Baraggan has, what does it matter? Like when Commander Hitsugaya fought the Vasto Lorde earlier, just the shockwaves were more than we could handle. So, no matter how many Hollows Baraggan has, they can't threaten Commander Hitsugaya," Ota said.
He seemed even more confident in Toshiro's strength than Toshiro himself.
"Mm, alright. No need to worry so much. With me here, nothing will go wrong," Toshiro said confidently.
After breaking through, Toshiro was now very confident in his own strength.
"Oh, right. About the camp... I'm really sorry. During the battle, I couldn't pay attention to it," Toshiro said apologetically, thinking about the camp destroyed by the battle's shockwaves.
"It's fine, Commander Hitsugaya. You were fighting for the entire Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force. How could anyone blame you? Besides, we were about to start moving to other places to clear out Hollows anyway. That camp wasn't needed anymore," Ando said nonchalantly.
"Mm, then let everyone rest here for a while, then we'll head to other areas to clear out Hollows," Toshiro nodded.
…
Las Noches.
Baraggan sat leisurely on his bone throne atop the high platform, taking a sip of fine wine, then looked down below the platform.
Below the platform was a scene of scattered limbs and a bloody mess.
Of the dozens of Hollows originally divided into two groups fighting each other, less than ten remained.
And these weren't the original group. Since Vargas left, Baraggan had already made several batches of Hollows fight each other.
"Vargas is too slow. I already prepared a victory banquet for him, and he still hasn't returned," Baraggan suddenly said.
"Baraggan-sama, those Shinigami are in the outer circle, which is very far from Las Noches. Perhaps Vargas-sama hasn't even arrived yet," An Adjuchas said respectfully.
"Mm, true. Then take away the prepared banquet for now."
"Yes, Baraggan-sama."
At this moment, the Hollows who survived the recent two-group battle cautiously asked, "Baraggan-sama, shall we continue?"
"Well, forget it. I'm getting tired of this game after watching it so much. You may withdraw for now," Baraggan ordered.
"Yes, Baraggan-sama!"
The Hollows couldn't help but sigh in relief, then hurriedly ran out, afraid Baraggan might change his mind if they were too slow.
"Hmph, truly useless. They can only serve as entertainment to pass the time," Baraggan said, somewhat displeased, watching the Hollows scramble to leave.
"It seems I should find some stronger Hollows to serve as subordinates," Baraggan said.
"Oh, right. Have you found Harribel's whereabouts?" Baraggan asked the Adjuchas with Captain-level strength serving beside him.
"Baraggan-sama, we've already discovered Harribel's location," The Captain-level Adjuchas respectfully replied.
"Then go see if you can subdue her," Baraggan said.