Hueco Mundo, inner palace.
He glanced at the two figures before him, Grimmjow and Wonderweiss, both deep in slumber.
"Szayelaporro, how much longer until they wake?"
Yekawa turned his head to look at the humanoid Adjuchas behind him. Its form was slender, with a narrow, elongated mask covering its face, revealing only a portion of its pink hair. Four tentacles, like clotheslines, extended from its back. The most peculiar feature was its Hollow hole, located between its legs.
"Reporting, Yekawa, they will awaken in three to five months at the shortest, or half a year at the longest. And when they awaken, they will most likely have evolved into a high-level Vasto Lorde!"
The humanoid Adjuchas's voice was extremely effeminate, and it looked at the sleeping Grimmjow and Wonderweiss as if they were two priceless treasures!
"I understand. During this time, you are not to conduct any strange experiments on them, do you understand?"
Perhaps seeing through Szayelaporro's thoughts, Yekawa issued a warning.
This Adjuchas was none other than the Eighth Espada, Szayelaporro Granz, from the original story. At this point, he had not yet split his brother from within his body, and his rank was still that of a high-level Vasto Lorde.
He had proactively sought out Yekawa and pledged allegiance to him in the second year after Yekawa took control of Hueco Mundo. His only condition for loyalty was the construction of a personal laboratory within Hueco Mundo, where he could conduct his research freely.
Yekawa readily agreed to this simple request. However, he also imposed two prohibitions on Szayelaporro. First, he was not allowed to intentionally harm his comrades and turn them into experimental subjects. Second, he was strictly forbidden from imitating Starrk by arbitrarily splitting his own soul.
This meant that at this moment, Yekawa already had five Vasto Lorde under his command. And Grimmjow and Wonderweiss, after consuming the large amount of residual cocoons from their Arrancar transformation, had also begun the process of evolving into Vasto Lorde.
This meant that once they both awakened, Yekawa would command seven Vasto Lorde!
"If all seven of these Vasto Lorde were to become Arrancar..."
However, what surprised Yekawa the most was that even though he was still only an Adjuchas, the residual remains left after his Arrancar transformation were enough to help other peak Adjuchas break through to Vasto Lorde.
It could only be said that the Child of Hueco Mundo's unique status was truly remarkable. In the four years since his successful Arrancar transformation and his occupation of Hueco Mundo, his spiritual pressure had continued to steadily increase.
At this rate, he would likely be able to advance to Vasto Lorde on his own in just over twenty years.
Aizen had not visited Hueco Mundo for several years, yet large-scale disappearances of souls in Soul Society were occurring frequently. These were clearly Aizen's doing.
Suddenly, in a certain part of the Desert of Hueco Mundo, a Hueco Mundo opened, and three figures clad in Captain's haori emerged from it.
The moment these three stepped into Hueco Mundo, Yekawa, as the Child of Hueco Mundo, sensed them through the omnipresent spirit particles within Hueco Mundo.
"They're here already?"
"Szayelaporro, give the order: all Menos Grande in Hueco Mundo are to hide in their residences. No one is to come out without my command!"
"Yes, Yekawa!"
Szayelaporro Granz noticed a trace of solemnity on Yekawa's usually calm face. This was the first time in the three years since he joined Hueco Mundo that he had seen such an expression on Yekawa's face. Although he didn't understand why, he knew that this matter was no small feat.
...
At the same time, outside Hueco Mundo.
Aizen Sōsuke, Ichimaru Gin, and Tōsen Kaname looked at the magnificent castle, built entirely of pure white giant stones, nestled in the boundless white Desert.
"Oh my, I didn't expect these Hollow to be so capable! Such a grand palace built in just a few years! It seems they've put in a lot of effort for Aizen's new world!"
Ichimaru Gin said with a smile in front of Hueco Mundo.
"New world? This place is merely my temporary dwelling. My new world will always be..."
Aizen smiled faintly as he looked at Hueco Mundo before them. Then, the three of them simultaneously used Shunpo and entered.
"Where have the Hollow gone?"
Tōsen Kaname walked through one empty palace after another, voicing his confused question. Although he was blind, his spiritual perception was extremely keen, yet after walking for a long time in the palace, he hadn't sensed the spiritual pressure of even a single Hollow.
It wasn't until the three entered the main hall that they saw a figure in white robes, seated high on the throne at the very top of the main hall, looking down at them from above.
"Welcome to my Hueco Mundo, Aizen Sōsuke!"
Yekawa looked at the three figures in Captain's haori below.
Seeing this, Aizen pushed up his black-rimmed glasses and then spoke indifferently:
"Who are you?"
Yekawa did not answer, merely scoffed, and then fully unleashed his spiritual pressure.
In an instant, a terrifying dark golden spiritual pressure permeated Yekawa's body, then transformed into a dark golden pillar of spiritual pressure, piercing through the skylight of Hueco Mundo and reaching the sky above!
"This spiritual pressure... So you are Yekawa. You truly did become an Arrancar on your own."
"But now, speaking to me in such a tone, has becoming an Arrancar given you courage?"
Facing Yekawa's 'transgression,' Aizen still maintained a faint smile. However, the next moment, Yekawa raised his right arm, using his hand as a blade, and struck down, cutting through the air.
"Clang!"
The result was a strange sound of metal clashing.
Yekawa swept his right palm, and Tōsen Kaname, who had been standing behind Aizen, had inexplicably appeared before the throne and was swept away by Yekawa's palm.
"Pfft!"
Tōsen Kaname was struck in the abdomen by Yekawa's palm, half-kneeling on the ground, directly spitting out a large mouthful of blood, his face filled with disbelief.
He had clearly rushed silently towards Yekawa, concealed by Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu, yet not only was Yekawa not fooled by Kyōka Suigetsu, he even blocked his attack with just the Hierro on his Arrancar body.
Seeing this, a fleeting look of shock appeared on Aizen Sōsuke's face below, but it quickly returned to normal.
"It's a pity, this bizarre illusionary ability is ineffective against me!"
Yekawa sat majestically on the throne, his resonant voice echoing through Hueco Mundo. At this moment, Yekawa no longer had the sense of urgency he felt when he first met Aizen.
"Indeed, all fear stems from insufficient firepower!"
Now that he had successfully become an Arrancar and was imbued with the status of Child of Hueco Mundo, as long as he remained in Hueco Mundo, he could stand undefeated against anyone.
At this moment, among the three below, Aizen still watched Yekawa on the throne with an expressionless face. Ichimaru Gin stood to Aizen's right, also squinting at Yekawa, deep in thought.
But Tōsen, who had been repelled by Yekawa's palm, was greatly shaken. Since following Aizen, he had never been so disheveled. Now, he had been defeated by a single palm from an Arrancar in Hueco Mundo, which was something he could not accept no matter what.
"A mere Arrancar dares to look down on me!"
He immediately stood up, raising his Zanpakuto, and then placed his hand on the circular guard.
"Bankai—Suzumushi Hyakushiki: Enma Kōrogi"
Then he swung it towards Yekawa, and eight spiritual pressure rings rapidly expanded, enveloping Yekawa. The next moment, a semi-circular, pitch-black barrier formed, encasing Yekawa!
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