The tension in the chamber had shifted from the suffocating pressure of the monsters to an awkward, probing curiosity. Minoru, his breathing stabilized thanks to the frantic work of the surviving healers, slowly pushed himself to his feet. He leaned heavily on his sword, his eyes locked on the two men who had just rewritten the rules of their world.
The survivors watched them with a mix of awe and bewilderment. They had no idea who these two were, where they hailed from, or if they were associated with any of the known Guilds. Yet, the reality remained: these two had single-handedly decimated a force that had crippled an S-Rank leader and his elite team. It defied every known metric of power. 'How have we never heard of these two?' the hunters wondered. 'If they were this strong, they would be legends across the continent.'
Minoru took a hesitant step forward, stopping a safe distance away from the two brothers, "My name is Minoru," he said with his voice regaining some of its usual authority, "I am the Raid Leader for this specific expedition. We were dispatched by our Guild to clear this dungeon… though, obviously, our mission ended in failure the moment we stepped through the gate."
He gestured toward the now smoking ruin where the Boss had once stood, "If you don't mind me asking… How did you gain access to this gate? These dungeons are heavily monitored. Access is strictly controlled, and the only way to bypass the external seals is through a high-ranking Guild Leader's clearance."
Ulquiorra's expression remained as blank as a fresh sheet of snow but on the inside, he was thinking of a lie to tell them, "That is… complicated."
Grimmjow stepped in with a grin that manifested on his face, widening with a sharp, performative sincerity. "We were in a pretty secluded area, deep in the Amazon forest. We were in the middle of some… intensive training, let's call it, when out of nowhere, a massive, mysterious rift opened up, and the dungeon literally swallowed us whole. So we didn't 'gain access,' little man, we were pulled in."
Minoru blinked, his brow furrowing as he processed the lie, "Connected gates? A rift manifesting inside an existing dungeon? I've never heard of such a phenomenon, but…" He paused, looking at the sheer carnage Grimmjow and Ulquiorra had left in their wake. "I suppose in a world of magic and monsters, nothing is truly impossible."
Ulquiorra stepped forward, his eyes boring into Minoru's. The pressure behind his gaze made the Raid Leader subconsciously straighten his posture.
"Since this territory falls under your Guild's jurisdiction," Ulquiorra said with a measured cold tone, "we have no objection to cooperating with your organization for the time being. However, we have saved the lives of your team, lives that were already forfeit."
Ulquiorra's gaze flickered to the shivering survivors. "We are collecting on this debt. Consider our cooperation a temporary arrangement to balance the ledger."
He didn't explain what the "debt" entailed or how exactly he intended to collect, but his vagueness carried an unmistakable, heavy weight. Minoru didn't need a formal contract to understand the implication: these two were not heroes, they were entities to be negotiated with, and they were very much in charge at this very moment.
Minoru nodded slowly, a bead of cold sweat rolling down his temple. "I understand. Saving us was a debt that cannot be ignored. Once we exit this dungeon, please, follow me to the Guild Master. We will ensure the Guild is prepared to… properly compensate you for your services and honor the debt you've brought to our attention."
Grimmjow let out a dry, amused huff, "Compensate us, huh? Let's see if your Guild has anything worth our time."
Ulquiorra simply turned, his back to them, and began walking toward the shimmering rift that led to the exit. "We shall see."
Kenji watched Minoru out of the corner of his eye, a grim smirk playing on his lips. 'That's Minoru for you,' he thought, 'always looking to turn a catastrophe into a political advantage.' The atmosphere in the boss chamber remained suffocating and quite frankly they all wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. Minoru didn't want to linger here a moment longer than necessary. He needed to extract his team and, more importantly, get a report of this impossible event to Goto as soon as humanly possible. He gestured for the two brothers to follow.
The trek to the exit was silent, save for the crunch of rubble under boots. As they passed through the shimmering veil of the gate, the world shifted.
For the Espadas, stepping out into the modern world was a jolt to their senses. They had seen a lot about this reality before in the anime and manhwa, but experiencing it in real life, the sheer scale of the skyscrapers, the chaotic energy of a city built on the casual integration of supernatural power was intoxicating in a way they would never admit. Grimmjow kept his hands in his pockets, his face a mask of practiced apathy, but his eyes were darting everywhere. 'Seeing this in the anime was one thing,' he thought as a thrill ran down his spine, 'but breathing in the real air? This is... something else.'
Ulquiorra, too, was scanning the environment. His gaze lingered on the glass and steel towers, his eyes holding a barely visible shimmer of interest that vanished as soon as a human looked his way.
As they emerged, the sight that greeted them was a wall of steel. Dozens of hunters, clad in elaborate armor and wielding enchanted weaponry, stood in a tight perimeter with their weapons drawn. Their posture was tense, ready to strike, but the moment they saw Minoru's battered form, they immediately stood down and bows of respect replaced their aggression.
"Transportation!" Minoru called out, his voice raspy. "Get a vehicle here now!"
After a few minutes, a sleek, elongated limo glided toward them, the engine purring with a low hum. Minoru gestured grandly towards the transport, "This way, gentlemen. We will be comfortable."
A hunter scurried forward, bowing deeply as he pulled the door open. Ulquiorra and Grimmjow stepped inside. The interior was lined with fine leather and bathed in soft, recessed lighting, a level of luxury that was entirely alien to the two brothers.
Minoru slipped in after them, his eyes searching their faces. He saw a flicker of something in their expressions, it wasn't fear or excitement, but a quiet observation from the two, "Is something wrong?" Minoru asked.
"It is nothing," Ulquiorra replied with a flat tone.
In truth, both brothers were internally recalibrating. They had never been this close to such an absurd, expensive and luxurious ride before and to ride in a machine designed for pure comfort, divorced from the usual comfort of their sedan was kinda weird and quite frankly, it was absurd. 'Damn, this is so damn coooooooooool. Ok, ok, ok keep it tight Grimm Grimm.' Grimmjow thought, keeping his face perfectly still, this is actually pretty cool.
Minoru kept glancing at them, trying to parse their thoughts, trying to find a crack in their armor but he found nothing. They remained silent without making any expression of being impressed at all. Maybe he should have had the jet brought to them instead of the car.
————
High above, in a skyscraper on the other side of the city, a woman in a sharp business suit stood before a floor-to-ceiling window. She held a tablet in her hand, her thumb hovering over the screen before placing the tablet down on the desk.
"They are on their way now, sir," she said with her voice sounding crisp and professional.
Behind her, a man stood with his back to the room, looking out over the city. He didn't turn around to acknowledge what she'd said for a few seconds before he sighed and spoke up.
"Minoru had better have an explanation for this," the man replied with a low, dangerous rumble as he looked back to the tablet on the desk.
On the screen of the tablet, the image was grainy but unmistakable: a high-definition capture of Ulquiorra Cifer and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez stepping out of the dungeon gate, looking.