Ulquiorra did not stop Soifon, but he remained vigilant, following closely behind her as they entered Las Noches together.
The environment inside Las Noches was completely different from the rest of Hueco Mundo. Here, there was actually a deep blue sky and brilliant sunshine. Although the light didn't feel particularly warm against the skin, it was still far better than the eternally oppressive night of the outside world.
"So this is the virtual canopy invented by Captain Aizen," Soifon remarked with a relaxed, teasing tone. "It truly looks just like the sky in the World of the Living. Quite impressive."
"Indeed. Lord Aizen's talents are far beyond the reach of people like you or me."
Hearing her praise Aizen, Ulquiorra felt a sense of shared pride, his posture even straightening involuntarily.
"Excellency, I wonder if your visit to Las Noches today means Lord Aizen has issued new orders?"
Ulquiorra was even beginning to treat Soifon as one of their own, asking if there was a mission Aizen wanted him to handle.
Walking in front, Soifon rolled her eyes. If she had known this line of dialogue was so effective...
"Yes. Take me to Szayelaporro," Soifon said, coming to a halt. "Captain Aizen sent me to periodically inspect the development progress of the 'Extinguishing Prince'."
Soifon wasn't flustered at all, casually making up a story about the Extinguishing Prince—who would eventually appear during the Great Battle of Karakura Town.
If Ulquiorra knew about it, it would prove Soifon's information was correct and that she was an insider. If he didn't know, it would prove Soifon's clearance was higher than his. Of course, this was all underpinned by the overwhelmingly powerful strength Soifon had just displayed.
[She even knows about the special Arrancar currently in the design phase?]
After staring deeply at the cloaked Soifon for a long moment, Ulquiorra turned and walked into a side path.
"Please, follow me."
The footsteps of the two echoed through the long corridors of Las Noches. Ulquiorra tilted his head slightly, trying to keep Soifon within his peripheral vision as much as possible.
"You don't need to be so wary of me, Ulquiorra."
Soifon felt it was necessary to show off her strength again; being stared at constantly was making her uncomfortable.
"Even if you keep your eyes on me..." Soifon suddenly flashed to his right side, pressing down on the hand he was using to reach for his blade. "The result is the same."
"..."
The two locked in a brief struggle. Ulquiorra tried to force his sword from its sheath, but it wouldn't budge an inch.
Furthermore, this black-clad figure was not only fast and possessed powerful Reiatsu, but their physical strength also completely crushed his own. Such formidable power—truly worthy of a subordinate recruited by Lord Aizen.
The moment he thought of Aizen, he reconciled with Soifon's presence once more.
*
Inside Szayelaporro's monitor room.
Since Ulquiorra stopped staring at Soifon while leading the way, their pace increased significantly.
"Szayelaporro, this Excellency has something to ask you."
Pushing the door open, Ulquiorra got straight to the point, showing absolutely no professional courtesy.
Szayelaporro turned his head and found that he couldn't see the face beneath Soifon's hood, nor could he perceive her Reiatsu. He immediately approached her, his interest piqued. He didn't even bother looking at the battle on the monitors anymore.
Step, step.
Soifon ignored the approaching Szayelaporro, brushing past him to stand before the console, watching the battle on the screen.
Nelliel vs. Nnoitra.
[She's ignoring me?!]
The expression on Szayelaporro's face twisted slightly—this black-clad person actually dared to ignore him!
"Is this how you show your loyalty to Captain Aizen?"
Before the other could lose his temper, Soifon struck first.
"Allowing two Espada to engage in infighting? Which of you is going to replace the lost combat power?"
Soifon slowly turned around. Reiatsu equivalent to a 1st Spiritual Rank poured out toward Szayelaporro, making him feel as if he were standing beneath a thundering waterfall, nearly crushed by the weight.
The terrifying pressure caused Ulquiorra to take two steps back as well. His gaze toward Soifon now carried even more approval.
Stopping internal strife, looking out for Lord Aizen's military strength... this black-clad Excellency is a loyal servant! I truly regret not meeting her sooner!
Soifon withdrew her Reiatsu.
The pressure in the monitor room vanished instantly. Szayelaporro supported himself with both hands on the floor, sweat dripping from his forehead onto the white tiles. He gritted his teeth, his pink hair hanging disheveled by his face, but he didn't dare voice any objection.
"Location," Soifon asked mercilessly. "Tell us the location of their battle."
Szayelaporro quickly recited a string of coordinates.
Soifon turned and walked out, gesturing for Ulquiorra to lead the way immediately.
Soon, they arrived at a desolate area on the outskirts of Las Noches. Even before getting close, they could hear the clashing of weapons and the tremors caused by clashing Reiatsu.
Through the drifting dust, they could see Nnoitra's massive scythe and Nelliel's graceful figure.
Just as Soifon and Ulquiorra landed, the battle reached its critical turning point.
Nnoitra, knowing he was outmatched, used a secret tool given to him by Szayelaporro, leaving an illusion in the opponent's blind spot.
By the time Nelliel shattered the enemy in front of her and realized it was a fake, it was too late to defend. The bone-chilling wind of the swinging scythe was already closing in behind her.
Clang—!
Soifon had cut into the battlefield at some unknown moment, her gleaming Zanpakutō firmly blocking the massive scythe without the slightest tremble.
Nnoitra froze, his gaze darting past Soifon to glare at Nelliel. [You had a backup plan too?!]
Giving him no time to react, Soifon's blade suddenly parried outward. The heavy scythe was forced aside by Soifon's sheer strength; Nnoitra couldn't maintain his balance and stumbled backward.
Squelch—!
In that opening, Soifon appeared behind his falling form, gripping her sword with both hands. The Zanpakutō carved an arc through the air, sweeping across Nnoitra's neck.
With a flourish of her blade to flick the blood onto the ground, Soifon sheathed her sword.
Nnoitra only felt a cold sensation at his throat before his vision began to spin and fall. Then, he felt his face hit someone's shoe.
"Did you know?" Soifon said, looking down at the head rolling on the ground. "Gripping a sword with both hands deals more damage than using one."
The moment the words left her mouth, the headless body swayed twice before crashing to the ground.
Everything had happened too fast. Before Ulquiorra and Nelliel could even react, an Espada was gone.
Wait... didn't you just say you wanted to preserve combat power for Lord Aizen?
"Why did you kill him...?"
Ulquiorra felt as though Soifon had backstabbed him. It was rare to hear such an emotional fluctuation in his voice.
"I thought they were just sparring. I didn't expect this guy to use underhanded tricks to ambush a comrade. Leaving him alive would only lead to more trouble."
No matter what, Soifon always had an explanation ready.
Why does it... actually sound somewhat logical?
After a moment of silence, Ulquiorra slowly nodded.
In the next instant, the long-absent mission panel popped up once more.
[Mission Triggered: The Way of Balance lies within.]
[Mission Completed.]
[Reward Obtained: Quincy Power (Because you saved a kind Arrancar and avoided unnecessary slaughter, the balance of the Three Worlds has become more stable.)]
What does this mean? Giving her the power of a Quincy while hinting that she should maintain the balance of the Three Worlds?
*
After catching her breath, Nelliel looked gratefully at Soifon, who had saved her life. She was just as stunned as Ulquiorra. She couldn't see the person clearly, couldn't sense them, and couldn't even tell if they were a man or a woman.
Nelliel looked at her colleague beside her. "This person is..."
"This is Lord Aizen's business," Ulquiorra replied, having subconsciously accepted Soifon's identity. "We shouldn't ask questions that aren't meant for us."
____
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