Meanwhile…
Just as Zaraki District and the surrounding borderlands settled back into calm—thanks to the Garganta sealing shut—
Las Noches, the origin point of the Negación beam, exploded into a completely different kind of commotion.
Inside Hueco Mundo, beneath the artificial sky of blue and white clouds, the fortress-like Las Noches stood like a giant castle in the endless white desert.
From far away, you could clearly see two black rifts above the palace—
and the two dull-yellow beams returning from Zaraki District came crashing down with thunderous noise, plunging straight into the palace.
"Yammy and Ulquiorra…"
"They should've finished the mission and come back, right?"
With sky-blue short hair, Grimmjow "Pantera" Jaegerjaquez tilted his head up and clicked his tongue.
Even though he ranked sixth—middle of the pack—
Grimmjow had never respected anyone.
He didn't even pretend to submit to Aizen.
And this time, when he heard the target was Bai Chen—
for the sake of the two subordinates he'd lost in Karakura Town, Di Roy and Shawlong Kūfang—
he had volunteered in front of Aizen, demanding to go to Soul Society himself:
to test the target…
and to make Bai Chen pay in blood.
But Aizen rejected him coldly—"because of your personality."
So while Yammy and Ulquiorra were gone, Grimmjow had been sitting on a bellyful of fire.
That was why he looked so annoyed while staring at the descending beams.
"If there's another mission next time…"
"Honestly, I want a trip to Soul Society too."
Not far away, Nnoitra Gilga, ugly and vicious-looking, grinned while gripping his giant scythe.
The contempt in his voice was obvious—
to him, Soul Society was just a backyard for Arrancar and Hollows,
a feeding pen packed with "soul nourishment."
"Why is there only Ulquiorra…?"
Under the Arrancar's watch, the Negación pierced the palace roof and began to descend.
And then—
"Wait… did I see wrong?!"
"Why is only Ulquiorra in there?!"
"Where's Yammy?! Why is he missing?!"
"There's no way you left him behind in Soul Society… right?!"
At first, seeing Ulquiorra's familiar cold silhouette didn't ring alarms.
But the moment everyone's eyes shifted to the second beam—
and saw only empty floating stone—
the entire Arrancar force froze.
Same frowns. Same confusion. Same instant dread.
Did Yammy… die?
The thought flashed—
and within three seconds, everyone rejected it on instinct.
No matter how reckless he was…
"No. 0 Espada" still meant something.
He was still a top-tier monster in Hueco Mundo.
How could he go to Soul Society once and just… get killed?
That would be insane.
"Ulquiorra."
"Talk."
"What happened?"
"Why didn't Yammy return with you?"
Grimmjow and Nnoitra fired questions before the beam even fully faded.
And from the highest platform—
Starrk, Barragan, and Harribel—the top three—silently turned their gaze over.
All eyes locked onto Ulquiorra.
What kind of disaster makes Yammy vanish?
"Tap—"
White boot soles hit the floor.
The sound was absurdly loud in the sudden hush.
"An answer?"
Ulquiorra lifted his eyes, expression unchanged.
"Exactly what you're seeing."
"Yammy… is gone."
One sentence.
Like a lightning strike through every Hollow's spine.
The temperature of the hall dropped below freezing.
"Gone?"
"What the hell does that mean?!"
"Ulquiorra… don't tell me he—"
"—died?!"
The moment those words landed, everyone's faces twisted.
A chill crawled up their backbone.
Ulquiorra wasn't the type to joke about a comrade's life.
Which made this worse.
Under pink bangs, Szayelaporro Granz narrowed his eyes—careful, precise.
"Ulquiorra…"
"I know your nature. You wouldn't lie about this."
"Then tell us."
"Who killed Yammy?"
And then he swallowed, voice tightening:
"Don't tell me it was…"
"that target… Bai Chen?"
Just saying the name made sweat slide down Szayelaporro's cheek.
As Hueco Mundo's "scientist," his job mirrored Mayuri's.
He'd studied Bai Chen's file:
A freak genius who appeared out of nowhere a few months ago.
A new category of Zanpakutō—
a wood-type blade with absurd attack power.
Beyond that, the intel was thin.
So Szayelaporro couldn't accept it:
with two Espada deployed—
with Ulquiorra present—
that Bai Chen could win, let alone kill one.
It sounded like a joke.
Ulquiorra answered flatly.
"Yammy was killed by Bai Chen."
That line hit Las Noches like a nuclear blast.
The palace erupted.
"What?!"
"A target… killed an Espada?!"
"And Bai Chen is only a seated officer!"
"Impossible—aren't Shinigami trash?!"
"How is even a seated officer this terrifying?!"
Nnoitra's face locked.
Grimmjow looked genuinely stunned.
Starrk, Barragan, Harribel—brows drawn tight.
No one could digest it.
Yammy—alive minutes ago—was erased in what was supposed to be a low-risk probe.
And the one who did it…
wasn't even a captain.
"So Yammy didn't release in time, right?"
From above, Barragan, the skeletal emperor, spoke with grave weight.
"Ulquiorra."
"During the fight…"
"You and Yammy didn't release, did you?"
The crowd instantly latched onto the explanation.
Right—he must've died because he underestimated the enemy.
Nnoitra even sneered:
"Exactly. Yammy was just showing off."
"If he had a brain, he would've released immediately."
"With that Fury Beast body—who could withstand it?"
He was ready to conclude the case:
Not Bai Chen's strength.
Just Yammy being reckless…
and Ulquiorra "not doing enough."
Ulquiorra's next words erased that fantasy completely.
"You're overthinking it."
His emerald eyes darkened.
"Not only Yammy…"
"I released too."
"And even then…"
"I still couldn't stop Yammy from being killed."
Silence.
Then—
the entire palace went dead quiet.
If anyone else had said it, they would've laughed.
But Ulquiorra?
Aizen's most trusted subordinate.
A true Vasto Lorde-tier monster.
He had no reason to fabricate something like this.
Which meant one thing:
Bai Chen really did it.
A wood-type Zanpakutō… in a one-versus-two…
killed an Espada right in front of Ulquiorra.
The Espada—collectively—
went quiet.
Not angry.
Not mocking.
Just… mentally "shut down."
Even Starrk, usually indifferent, felt his interest ignite.
"So Shinigami Zanpakutō…"
"can be this strong…"
His eyes warmed.
And Barragan's gaze changed too—
the arrogance drained out, replaced by hostility and battle intent.
From that moment on—
Bai Chen and "Wood Dragon" were marked.
Back in Soul Society: trouble, but a different kind
Bai Chen had already ended his Shikai and sheathed Wood Dragon—
when Sasakibe approached with a serious face.
"Bai Chen…"
"About your dual-Zanpakutō awakening…"
"In the latest remote report…"
"I already told the Head Captain about Great Fire Extinguishes the Fan."
Bai Chen's eyes narrowed.
"So?"
"What did the Head Captain say?"
"He isn't planning to…"
"…put restrictions on my Zanpakutō, is he?"
Dual Zanpakutō was unheard of in Soul Society's long history.
Given the Head Captain's conservative nature, Bai Chen couldn't help but worry:
What if he tries to lock down Great Fire Extinguishes the Fan?
Sasakibe shook his head and smiled.
"Yes, the Head Captain is stubborn and conservative."
"But he isn't narrow-minded."
Then he leaned closer, lowering his voice:
"Bai Chen… you know this."
"The Head Captain's Zanpakutō, Ryūjin Jakka, is acknowledged as the strongest fire-type."
"And after hearing how overwhelmingly Great Fire Extinguishes the Fan performed…"
"He asked me to tell you this in person."
Bai Chen's expression sharpened—because he'd already guessed it.
Sasakibe delivered the message:
After witnessing Great Fire Extinguishes the Fan's results…
the Head Captain's battle spirit flared.
In front of the captains—
he wanted a fair, direct showdown:
Ryūjin Jakka vs. Great Fire Extinguishes the Fan.
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