Las Noches.
Lilynette was never one to hold back. She opened with a barrage of Cero Metralleta, unleashing a storm of green light that left Halibel with zero room to counter. The shark-masked Arrancar could only brace her massive bone sword in front of her, struggling just to stay on her feet.
A few minutes later, Halibel reached her limit. Cracks spider-webbed across her blade. Just as despair began to take root, the overwhelming bombardment abruptly ceased.
Halibel looked at Lilynette in confusion, only to find the small girl scribbling in a notebook. Walking closer, she overheard Lilynette's mutterings.
"Tanked 360 rounds. Inferior to the Skeleton." After finishing her notes, Lilynette shouted, "Next! Who's up?"
Unsurprisingly, Grimmjow made a high-profile entrance. He smirked at Lilynette. "I'm not just going to stand there and let you hit me!"
Lilynette didn't waste words. The familiar emerald storm returned, sending Grimmjow straight back to the repair shop.
"85 rounds. Little weakling."
The others were handled with similar efficiency, and the final rankings were solidified. Tier Halibel as the Fifth, Grimmjow as the Sixth, followed by Zommari, Szayelaporro, and Aaroniero. It was almost exactly like the original lineup.
During the trials, Yammy managed to spike his Reiatsu above Halibel's by stacking his rage, but since the burst was temporary and he became a mindless brute, Ren kept him at the Tenth spot. Ren didn't care if Yammy was dissatisfied—if the big guy had a problem, Ren was more than happy to "buff" him into submission personally.
With the Espada rankings settled, Ren disappeared for a few days. If it weren't for the... noisesoccasionally coming from his quarters, the others would have assumed the family had gone on another vacation.
When Ren finally re-emerged, he gave the new Espada a casual greeting and headed straight for Aizen's surveillance room. He was still curious about using the Hogyoku to gain Soul Reaper powers—and if possible, he had a lingering interest in Quincy abilities.
Aizen was busy "stalking" Ichigo via his monitors. He showed no surprise at Ren's arrival, turning around with the Hogyoku in hand. "Ready for Shinigami-fication?"
Ren nodded. "Not just that. If the conditions allow, I'd like to dabble in some Quincy power too!"
At the mention of "Quincy," Aizen looked at Ren with genuine surprise. To a Hollow, Quincy power was literal poison. A single touch could be fatal, and Quincy arrows didn't just kill Hollows—they erased them from existence. The very sands of Hueco Mundo were composed of the dust of Hollows erased by the Soul King.
Aizen didn't have any Quincy reishi on hand and, frankly, looked down on them, so he hadn't bothered collecting their power. Ren felt a slight twinge of regret but didn't dwell on it; with his Energy (Yi Neng Liang) system, Quincy powers were just a "nice-to-have" novelty.
The violet light enveloped Ren. Seconds passed, the light faded, and Ren waited for the change.
...And waited.
There was no surge in Reiatsu, no black robes, no zanpakutō.
Emmm~ Ren quickly realized why. His own strength already far surpassed the peak of this world; the Hogyoku simply had nothing to "grant" him that he didn't already possess in a higher form. Aizen, unaware of Ren's true scale, assumed the evolution had simply occurred on a level beyond his current perception.
"How do you feel?" Aizen asked. "Yeah, feel a bit stronger, I guess," Ren lied smoothly.
Returning to his room, he looked at the sleeping Lilynette and Nel. Once I settle this Aizen business, I'm bringing entertainment to Hueco Mundo. I'll drag a fiber-optic cable from the Living World to the desert and live the ultimate otaku life!
A few days later, Aizen approached Ren with a task: kidnap Orihime Inoue. Ren knew this was the signal that the main plot was accelerating. He didn't ask questions and personally set off for the Living World.
Karakura Town.
BOOM!
The sky shattered as Ren stepped out of a Garganta. He didn't bother hiding; a wave of terrifying Reiatsu swept across the city. Ordinary humans lost consciousness instantly, while Ichigo and his friends remained awake, trembling.
Floating in the air, Ren looked down at the sprawling town and felt a headache coming on. Aizen didn't actually tell me where she lives... Before he could start searching, two figures appeared before him. The mysterious man in the bucket hat and his black cat stood ready, their gazes locked onto Ren like a vice.
"You guys! Long time no see!" Ren waved cheerfully.
Yoruichi and Kisuke Urahara didn't share the sentiment. Kisuke pressed his hat down, his voice low. "To think the person I casually pulled into a bunker back then was actually the Leader of the Espada."
Yoruichi was more blunt. "What are you doing in Karakura Town? Did Aizen send you?"
Ren waved them off. "Don't be so tense! I'm just here to find Ichigo!"
The two grew even more guarded. Ichigo was currently training with the Visoreds to master his Hollowfication—the last thing he needed was a meeting with Aizen's right-hand man.
Suddenly, a third figure arrived. Ichigo, wielding his massive Zangetsu, appeared behind Ren, looking at him with a complex expression. "What are you doing here? Hollows aren't welcome."
"Hahaha! Don't be so cold, kid," Ren laughed, dropping a hand onto Ichigo's shoulder. "I was bored in the desert, so I came to play. So... did you awaken your Hollow power yet?"
Ichigo froze. He hadn't even used his mask, yet Ren had sensed the Hollow within him instantly. Moreover, Ren didn't look surprised at all.
"You bastard... just how much do you know?!" Ichigo demanded. "Can't you just tell me everything for once?!"
One relevant follow-up question: Should Ren tell Ichigo the truth about Aizen's "grand experiment" involving his life, or should he stay focused on the mission and "kidnap" Orihime while everyone is distracted by the conversation?