Kensei had been wandering aimlessly through Hueco Mundo's virtually indistinguishable landscape for quite some time.
Though his confident promise to Aizen had looked cool earlier, right now Kensei's desperate searching looked truly pathetic.
He knew that Stark and Ulquiorra were two Adjuchas who had achieved Arrancarization naturally, but he had no idea where they were.
Damn Kubo. Why didn't he make it clear when he was drawing the manga? Now Kensei was left stumbling around like a headless chicken.
And the ancestors of the Five Great Noble Clans—when they split the Three Worlds, why didn't they build more landmark structures in Hueco Mundo?
If he ever got his hands on those noble ancestors, he'd give them a piece of his mind.
"And that guy Stark is really something. Basically a second Uncle Kyōraku."
Kensei tugged at his hair. Kyōraku was always hiding in obscure places to slack off. No wonder those two just went through the motions when they fought.
With no other choice, Kensei clasped his hands together and muttered incessantly: "Hōgyoku, Hōgyoku, grant my wish, reveal your power! Let me find that shut-in old man Stark."
Whether Kensei's prayers worked or not, on his umpteenth repetition, he sensed two spiritual pressures distinctly stronger than other Menos. Moreover, the nature of these two spiritual pressures was very similar.
In Hueco Mundo, Hollows with such spiritual pressure characteristics could only be Stark and Lilynette.
"Found them!"
Kensei's eyes lit up. He immediately set off towards the direction he perceived.
Good thing Stark was a lazy dog who barely moved.
In the barren desert, a middle-aged man in a tattered cloak with disheveled hair lay flat on the ground, his eyes half-closed, wearing the same "don't bother me unless it's important" expression as Kyōraku.
Beside him, a little girl in an equally ragged cloak listlessly pounded the ground with a rock.
"So boring, Stark!" Lilynette, with her light green short hair, tossed aside the rock in boredom and lay down like Stark. "There aren't even any bugs here."
Stark couldn't be bothered to lift an eyelid, responding weakly: "Quiet down, Lilynette. Even talking consumes energy."
"Tch." Lilynette clicked her tongue in annoyance, turning to look at the half-dead Stark. "I don't know why I split off such a lazy bum like you."
"I split off you," Stark retorted. Then, as if perceiving something, he raised an eyebrow. "Looks like our leisure time is over."
"Huh?"
Before Lilynette could ask, Kensei's face appeared in their field of vision.
"Yo." Kensei bent down to look at the two lying on the ground, enthusiastically waving in greeting.
"A Shinigami?!" Lilynette jumped up instantly, her eyes widening with a mix of wariness and curiosity. "Hey! Did you come here to fight?"
Stark laboriously propped himself up, his eyes sizing up the suddenly appearing Kensei.
A hint of impatience crossed his face. A Shinigami's appearance usually meant trouble, and he happened to dislike such trouble.
"Could you please leave on your own? I don't want to waste energy."
Stark still seemed unmotivated. Since this Shinigami could approach him without being affected, he was probably not an easy opponent.
"Don't worry, I didn't come here to fight." Kensei casually sat on the ground like an old friend catching up. "I heard there's a Hollow here so powerful it has no friends. I came to check it out."
Lilynette reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her voice suddenly pitching higher: "None of your business! I specifically split off Stark to be my companion. I'm not alone!"
"Hey, hey, calm down." Kensei raised his hands in surrender. "I'm a warm-hearted person. I came here specifically to be friends with you."
"Friends?" Stark narrowed his eyes at Kensei. "A Shinigami wants to be friends with Hollows? That kind of talk might fool Lilynette."
"Hey!"
Lilynette jumped up, dissatisfied at being randomly attacked.
"What benefit would I get from lying to you?" Kensei shrugged. "I have a way to allow other Hollows to not be affected by your spiritual pressure. If you don't believe me, you can come see for yourself."
Lilynette's eyes lit up. She instinctively turned to look at Stark.
Stark was momentarily silent, a flicker of internal conflict in his eyes.
Lilynette looked at Kensei, then leaned close to Stark, tugging his arm: "Hey, Stark, this sounds pretty interesting. We've been stuck here for centuries. Even if he's lying, we can just beat him up."
Hearing Lilynette's words, Stark's face showed an expression of "I can't do anything with you."
He also longed for companions. Since his birth, he had never experienced having companions. It wasn't that he didn't believe Kensei's words; he was just afraid that hoping would lead to even greater disappointment.
Stark let out a long sigh, looking at Kensei and emphasizing: "We're just going to take a look."
"Don't worry. I swear on the name of the Crown Prince of Soul Society that I won't force you to do anything excessive."
Kensei's smile was radiant. First, lure them back. As for what they did later, as long as Stark voluntarily agreed, it wouldn't count as coercion!
Stark reluctantly rose and, with Lilynette, followed Kensei to an unknown destination.
-----------------
At the other end of Hueco Mundo.
Within Las Noches, once belonging to the King of Hueco Mundo, a solemn atmosphere permeated the air.
Baraggan sat on his battered throne. The unhealable scar on his skull and the shattered corner of his crown constantly reminded him of the unprecedented humiliating defeat he had suffered.
Toyed with by some Shinigami brat, wounded by Harribel, whom he regarded as an insect...
This shame continuously seared his reason like an unquenchable flame.
"Unforgivable!" Baraggan's low, resentful voice emanated from his skull. "These insects... all must die!"
Glancing at the kneeling forces below, since his defeat, his authority as King of Hueco Mundo had greatly diminished. Many Hollows had sneaked away.
Damned traitors!
An unfamiliar spiritual pressure silently appeared within Baraggan's perception, causing him to sharply raise his head. "Who?!"
"Heh heh, don't be nervous, esteemed Lord Baraggan."
Accompanied by light laughter, a pink figure slowly walked into Baraggan's line of sight. It was Szayelaporro, who had obtained a new body through "Embryo Announcement" and escaped Aizen's tracking.
Due to hastily using the incomplete "Embryo Announcement," Szayelaporro's body hadn't recovered as expected. His spiritual pressure would need considerable time to recover. But escaping the physical trauma was enough for him.
Szayelaporro bowed elegantly, addressing Baraggan: "Lord Baraggan, I share the same enemies as you. I've come seeking cooperation."
"Arrogant talk!" Baraggan looked down contemptuously at Szayelaporro. "You're not even a match for me, and you want to cooperate?"
Immense spiritual pressure erupted from Baraggan, crushing down on Szayelaporro.
Szayelaporro showed no alarm. He merely took out the Zanpakutō Ikomikidomoe he carried and displayed it to Baraggan.
"Anger solves nothing, Your Majesty." Szayelaporro's respectful smile deepened. "I think you know what this is and understand the power it contains."
Baraggan's released spiritual pressure stalled, then pressed down even more violently on Szayelaporro. "So that meddling puppet was your doing!"
The black mist around him churned violently. His hollow eye sockets fixed on the figure below. "You dare appear before me so brazenly. It seems you seek death."
"Your Majesty." Szayelaporro remained unhurried. "What if I told you I could fuse this power together with you?"
"Someone as intelligent as you must understand what magnificent power that would be." Fanatical fervor appeared on Szayelaporro's face as he spread his arms, presenting the beautiful vision to Baraggan. "Then, revenge would be nothing. Even the Soul Society, where the Shinigami dwell, would be Your Majesty's something in your pocket."
"You... can do this?"
The reality of his crushing defeat forced Baraggan to consider Szayelaporro's tempting proposition. If what he said was true, then he wouldn't just be the Lord of Hueco Mundo—he could become Lord of the Three Worlds!
"How would I dare deceive Your Majesty?"
"If you deceive me," Baraggan slowly rose, the black mist around him churning, "you know the consequences."
"I wouldn't dare." Szayelaporro bowed gracefully. "Our goals are aligned. I only ask that Your Majesty later grant me that Shinigami who uses spatial abilities... intact."
Driven by their craving for revenge, Baraggan, the ruler of Hueco Mundo, and Szayelaporro, the mad scientist, forged a fragile alliance.
***
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