Fortunately, Soifon's secret escape to the World of the Living went undiscovered, and a long period of peaceful, leisurely daily life passed by.
After the routine year-end Captains' Council concluded, Shunsui Kyōraku sneakily sidled up to Sōsuke Aizen.
"Um, Captain Aizen..."
"What can I do for you, Captain Kyōraku?"
"You see, about this year's performance report..."
"Ah! I understand."
Aizen pushed up his thick glasses, the lenses reflecting a light of scholarly wisdom. "Come with me, Captain Kyōraku. I'll write one for you right now."
"Excellent! As expected of the man they call the 'Dragon of Paperwork,' Captain Aizen. I'll treat you to dinner later."
"Then I shall impose upon your generosity, Captain Kyōraku."
With her ears perked, Soifon walked past the two at a steady pace. She noted that Aizen was actually being tied down by Shunsui Kyōraku today.
What a stroke of luck!
"Oh? If it isn't Captain Soifon," Aizen spoke up with his usual elegant and gentle demeanor. "Do you need any help with your performance report, Captain Soifon?"
Since the two had once been colleagues at the Shin'ō Academy, it was perfectly normal for Aizen to strike up a conversation.
"Thanks, but I don't need it."
Soifon spoke to Aizen with a hint of boastfulness. "I have Momo Hinamori. Her clerical work is also quite impressive."
"Aah, I'm so jealous of Captain Soifon..."
Shunsui Kyōraku rubbed his chin, looking like he had a massive headache. "Nanao just refuses to help me write mine. Sigh."
Aizen nodded a smiling farewell to Soifon, but a strange sensation lingered in his heart.
—Why did Soifon look like she was showing off to him?
...
The incident Soifon had caused in Hueco Mundo last time had been smoothed over by the passage of time. Once again, Soifon summoned her two prized students.
"Teacher... do we really have to wear these?"
"Yeah, I feel like these aren't the kind of clothes 'good people' wear."
Faced with the black concealment cloaks Soifon had handed them, Momo Hinamori and Rukia expressed some resistance. They were upright and honorable; why did they need to hide their faces like this?
Besides, there wasn't a soul in Hueco Mundo anyway.
"Fine, then don't go hunting Menos Grande anymore."
Soifon made a move as if to take the cloaks back. "I don't want to be greeted by the Ceros of a hundred Gillians again."
As expected, the moment Soifon's hand showed signs of retreating, the two black cloaks were instantly draped over Momo Hinamori and Rukia.
It was all just a little game between them.
There was no helping it; fighting Menos in Hueco Mundo was simply too rewarding. Moreover, with a powerful Captain like Soifon protecting them, they didn't have to worry about their lives—at most, they'd take a Cero and end up horizontal for a bit.
The improvement brought by actual combat was far better than training themselves to death in a practice hall.
Kisuke Urahara's updated concealment cloaks were truly ingenious. Once put on, the user's body was encased in a field that interfered with perception, blurring their appearance and silhouette.
If Soifon's Reiatsu hadn't been powerful enough to penetrate the field, she probably wouldn't have been able to tell which of the two was Momo and which was Rukia.
She didn't know where Kisuke Urahara had managed to get Seki-Seki Stone powder to use as a manufacturing material, but it was incredibly devious.
—Upper Hueco Mundo, Desert Region.
"Soifon-sensei, can we really find Hollows by just running around like this?"
After just killing a wild Gillian, the two girls felt it wasn't enough to satisfy their cravings, so they pestered Soifon to lead them everywhere in search of Menos.
Hollows at the Gillian level were only so-so; as long as you could break their defense and adapt to their speed, the fight became purely formulaic.
"Solitary Hollows aren't that easy to find. Don't be impatient..."
Soifon was about to answer her students' questions when a peculiar white speck appeared in her vision across the endless desert.
To think that just wandering around Hueco Mundo would actually lead her to Las Noches?
"Stop!"
Following Soifon's command, the three of them skidded across the white sand, kicking up a long trail of dust.
"Soifon-sensei...?"
Momo Hinamori and Rukia hadn't finished their sentence before Soifon raised her hand to cut them off. She then pulled out a Kikaigai and sliced through the air.
"Change of plans. You two go back first. The Garganta will stay open for three minutes."
Soifon turned around and removed her hood, revealing a serious and stern expression.
The new map they were about to open was not something two seated officers could participate in.
"Understood..."
"Soifon-sensei, please be careful..."
Seeing their teacher's grave expression, they didn't say anything more and charged into the Garganta Soifon had opened without hesitation.
Soifon maintained the Garganta's opening until she sensed that Rukia and Momo had both safely reached their destination. Only then did she close the black cavity and put her hood back on.
Now that Aizen was being stalled by Shunsui Kyōraku, he likely wouldn't dare use Kyōka Suigetsu to sneak off to Las Noches. This was her golden opportunity to infiltrate the enemy camp!
Thump—
Soifon bent her knees and leaped, leaving a massive circular crater where she stood. She shot toward Las Noches like a bullet.
Soon, the white speck in her vision grew larger.
A towering white palace stood upon the endless desert. Once close, the boundaries of the palace walls were almost invisible to the naked eye.
Rather than a palace, it was more like a city of Arrancar.
"Hmm? An intruder?"
Szayelaporro was currently in the monitor room, enjoying the battle between Nnoitra and Nelliel. He was curious to see if the tools he had made could help Nnoitra pull off a successful sneak attack.
When he noticed a white streak of air flashing across the screen, he immediately ordered the Las Noches gatekeeper, Runuganga, to intercept.
A giant of sand rose from the ground, blocking Soifon's flight path. In the next second, it was smashed into a pile of scattered sand by the force of Soifon's charge.
She didn't even look back at the remains.
...
At the entrance of Las Noches.
Soifon landed silently before the palace gates. Surveillance cameras created by Szayelaporro lined the walls of Las Noches, detecting her existence instantly and locking onto the target in unison.
The movement of the cameras told Soifon that her presence had been exposed.
Therefore, she decided to give up on stealth.
Indeed, standing in the center of the entrance wearing a black cloak against a pure white palace was a very conspicuous thing to do.
Soifon casually cut down a few Arrancars who came to capture her. Finally, Ulquiorra Cifer, acting as the steward of Las Noches, walked out with his hands in his pockets.
"You..."
Soifon spoke, imitating Gin Ichimaru's way of addressing others: "I was sent by Captain Aizen."
Ulquiorra couldn't see through the person in the black cloak. He opened his mouth to question her, but was interrupted. He immediately lost any desire for further conversation.
Don—
The sound of Sonído appeared behind Soifon as a pair of pale arms reached for her right shoulder.
"Hiding your face... how do you intend to prove..."
Because Soifon's way of addressing him was so ambiguous and reminded him of a certain annoying individual, Ulquiorra decided to take her down first.
Soifon didn't even turn her head. She simply tilted her body, grabbed Ulquiorra's wrist with her left hand, and formed a blade with her right palm. Infused with the Kidō Reiatsu of Shunkō, she slashed toward his shoulder.
Schlick—
It was the sound of flesh and bone being severed at the root.
Ulquiorra's eyes widened in disbelief at the scene before him.
[I couldn't see it. When did this happen?]
His right arm had been severed from the shoulder. The wound was clean, and blood sprayed onto the ground like a fountain.
"I am a new collaborator found by Captain Aizen. My specific identity is not convenient to disclose."
Soifon picked up the severed arm from the ground and handed it over. "Don't you have High-Speed Regeneration? Reattach it. Save your strength."
"..."
Ulquiorra blankly took his severed arm and pressed it against the smooth stump. The growing flesh instantly reconnected the limb.
The opponent had held back just now, not even drawing her Zanpakutō. Her strength was greater than both Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen.
Furthermore, she knew his information and referred to Lord Aizen as 'Captain.' She was likely a Shinigami from the Seireitei.
Based on these three points alone, Ulquiorra somewhat believed Soifon was on their side, but he wasn't entirely convinced.
Ultimately, it was because he didn't think anyone would have the audacity to impersonate Aizen's subordinate and walk into Las Noches so brazenly.
____
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