...
Back on the battlefield
Harribel clenched Tiburn, staring in silence for a few moments before speaking in a complicated tone:
"Well damn"
"Guess I was underestimated after all."
A faint blue glow shimmered at the tip of Midoriko's finger, the spell tag in her hand radiating purifying energy. She looked calmly at Harribel, whose expression was tense. Her voice was gentle, almost regretful.
"Give it up. Your Zanpakut won't survive another hit."
Harribel wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, her bladeTiburnriddled with cracks that screamed defeat. She took a deep breath, then suddenly stabbed the massive sword into the ground.
"You think this is over?"
A tremendous surge of Reiatsu exploded from her body, making the surrounding seawater boil violently. Midoriko furrowed her brow, instantly deploying a triple-layered barrier in front of herself.
"Cero Ola Azul!"
Harribel gripped the hilt with both hands, and a golden beam shot from the tip of her sword, distorting the very air it passed through.
Midoriko didn't flinch. She tossed seven glowing spell tags into the air.
The golden and blue energies clashed midair in a blinding explosion of light. Taking advantage of the flash, Harribel used Sondo to instantly appear behind Midoriko, Tiburn aimed straight at her heart.
But just three inches away from hitting its mark, the blade froze mid-aircaught in the grasp of a massive hand made entirely of pure purifying energy.
"Sorry"
Midoriko turned her head to look at Harribel, her tone soft.
"My powers aren't exactly fair to you."
Even as she said that, her actions showed no mercy.
With a snap of her fingers, hundreds of talismans burst from her sleeves, weaving into a glowing net that enveloped Harribel. A rain of purification energy fell from the sky like a downpour. Harribel let out a pained grunt and dropped to one knee.
Hssssss!
The sound of burning echoed from her body. Even her Zanpakut wasn't spared.
Already on the brink of shattering, Tiburn trembled violently under the strain of the attack.
Harribel gripped the hilt tightly, bit her lip, and muttered under her breath, "Tiburn"
Following such an incompetent master must be suffering, huh?
Frustration twisted in her chest.
Still, she looked up at Midoriko and said sincerely, "There's no such thing as unfairness. I simply wasn't strong enough."
No matter how countered or restricted she was, if her power had been greater, none of this would've mattered.
In the end, she just wasn't strong enough.
Midoriko blinked, a little surprised by Harribel's attitude. "Damn, she's got real warrior spirit."
But then a sly look appeared in her eyes.
"Don't forget you made a promise~"
Harribel's expression stiffened.
The loser becomes the spoils of the victor.
Was she really going to just accept that?
Harribel's grip tightened on her damaged blade. She wanted to resist. Just a little more.
But looking at the state Tiburn was incovered in deep gashes and burnsshe couldn't bear it. In the end, she lowered her head and said nothing.
Midoriko crouched down in front of her, grinning sweetly. "Silent treatment? I'll take that as a yes~"
It wasn't that she didn't want to respond.
Harribel stared silently at Midoriko, her heart aching for her Zanpakut.
Noticing the look, Midoriko's eyes drifted to the ruined bladeand she realized something.
With her ability to sense spiritual resonance, she could hear the pained, sorrowful cries echoing from Tiburn's soul.
Midoriko blinked and scratched her cheek with a nervous smile.
Yeah, it's all fun and games when they're the enemy. But if Harribel really joined her familia became one of her own...
Then what?
How the hell do I explain destroying my new comrade's beloved weapon on our first day together?
Wait a minute, this is a Zanpakut, right?
Midoriko stared hard at the weapon in Harribel's hand, intrigued.
A weapon with a soul?
It reminded her a bit of her own techniques.
But each Zanpakut had unique abilitieshow exactly did that work?
It felt like she was missing some crucial piece of the puzzle.
Her heart began to race with curiosity.
If she could figure it out, maybe she could finally solve the weapon shortage problem among her retainers!
Huff
Midoriko exhaled, her eyes shining with anticipation.
Word is: The Soul Society is where Zanpakut were originally created.
Looks like a little field trip is in order.
Meanwhile
Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez stared at the defeated Harribel, eyes wide in disbelief.
"She just got taken down like that?!"
They'd always ruled Hueco Mundo with overwhelming poweryet today, they were getting stomped, one after another.
Sure, Nelliel was one thing. She used to be Third Espada, after all.
Taking out Fifth and Eighth Espada in quick succession? That was already pushing it.
But this?
These strangers what the hell were they after?
He could stomach someone going toe-to-toe with the First Espada, the Primera.
But now even the Second had been taken downby a random shrine maiden no one had ever heard of?!
Gulp.
Grimmjow felt a cold shiver of unease crawl up his spine.
...
Ulquiorra Cifer stood in silence for a moment, then calmly placed a hand on his sword and stepped forward.
"Enough watching."
Intervening in someone else's fight was dishonorable, sure.
But if they kept letting things play out, they'd get picked off one by one.
He didn't really care about his own pride
But this was Lord Aizen's territoryand he would allow no threat to remain.
Besides, the Espada were a critical piece in Aizen-sama's next move.
They could not allow anything to derail his plans.
As he thought this, Ulquiorra's emerald eyes grew darker, his Reiatsu beginning to rise.
"Ah!"
Grimmjow flinched, then quickly caught on. "Right, yeah!"
Yammy Llargo let out a low chuckle. "Well, if that's the case, guess I can't just sit back either."
Ulquiorra glanced sideways at the hulking brute beside him. He didn't say anything.
He also didn't expect much.
Before stepping onto the battlefield, Ulquiorra paused, then said: "Just in case someone go inform Lord Aizen."
He didn't really think that even all of the Espada together wouldn't be able to handle this.
But there was a gnawing sense of unease in his chest that he couldn't shake.
So best to let Lord Aizen know what was happening in Las Noches, just in case.
If he got involved, then no matter what the problem was.
It would all be handled.
.
.
.
Main World Tag
Soul Society — Seireitei
Division 5 Barracks
Aizen Ssuke sat calmly at his desk, dark-framed glasses resting on his nose, face as warm and composed as ever.
His hand moved smoothly across the paper, writing something down, but behind those lenses, his eyes were filled with contemplation.
His mind wasn't on the paper.
No, it was focused on the world of the livingKarakura Town.
What exactly happened?
How could something have slipped beyond his control?
"Interesting"
"Things were finally starting to get interesting."
Aizen's eyes narrowed slightly.
Was it those old geezers?
Or perhaps could it be... him?
His thoughts stirred with subtle unease and yet, a trace of excitement.
Yes.
This was good.
This made things so much more funso much more worth it to drag that being off his heavenly throne.
And despite the unknowns, Aizen wasn't worried.
If anything, he was even more intrigued.
Now, all he needed was Gin's report.
Though, before Gin could bring him any news, Kaname Tsen showed up first.
"Captain Tsen," Hinamori Momo bowed slightly, then quietly excused herself from the captain's office, sensing the tension.
Once the room was clear, Tsen's expression turned grim.
"Aizen-sama there's a problem in Hueco Mundo."
Aizen paused for a fraction of a second, then smiled softly. "What is it? Another friendly sparring match?"
Obviously referring to the previous clash between Nelliel and Nnoitra Gilga.
Nothing in Las Noches escaped Aizen's notice.
In fact, he knew full well that Nelliel was still alive.
Besides, Hollows evolving into Arrancars, retaining some beastly behavior, was to be expected.
Survival of the fittest, after all. That principle applied to humans, Shinigami, and Hollows alike.
But this time, Aizen's assumption was off the mark.
Tsen shook his head seriously. "Las Noches is on the verge of falling."
"???"
The smile on Aizen's face froze ever so slightly.
He stopped writing and looked up, face blank. "Are you serious?"
Though Tsen was blind, he could feel the oppressive aura Aizen emitted as soon as the words left his mouth.
He nodded silently, saying nothing more.
Aizen squinted slightly. "You mean to tell me even with the Espada Las Noches was still taken?"
Tsen nodded again.
A heavy silence filled the captain's office.
Aizen's expression grew unreadable.
He wasn't sure if he should be more surprised that Las Noches was under attack or that the supposedly elite Espada turned out to be this useless.
Still, putting aside the presence of the Espada
"Someone actually dared to attack Las Noches?"
Aizen genuinely sounded a little surprised.
The Reiatsu radiating from the Espada made the entire fortress a no-go zone within Hueco Mundo.
No Hollow in their right mind would even think about stepping close.
So what the hell happened today?
And more importantly, who had the strength to actually pull it off?
Because if the Espada were struggling, then whoever this intruder was had to be at least on their level.
Aizen frowned slightly.
But when had someone like that appeared in Hueco Mundo?
He had personally explored nearly every corner of the dimension during his experiments.
So that only left one possibility.
A subtle gleam flashed behind Aizen's lenses.
A new enemyappearing from nowhere.
And heading straight for Las Noches?
Hard not to be suspicious.
Was this an attack aimed directly at him?
His eyes narrowed.
Had his plans been exposed?
But who? Urahara Kisuke?
The name popped into his mind instinctively, but he quickly dismissed it with a shake of his head.
NoUrahara didn't have the power to pull off something like this.
And besides, Karakura Town and Las Noches were hit around the same time.
Was someone really targeting him?
Even Aizen, for all his cunning and foresight, couldn't make sense of it just yet.
In the end, he blamed it on those fossilized old farts or maybe even the elusive, almost mythic Soul King.
With a small sigh, he pushed the thoughts away.
Then, in one smooth motion, he picked up his captain's haori from the coat rack and tossed it over his shoulders.
A composed smile returned to his face.
"Well then let's go see which bold guest thought they could drop in unannounced."
Noscratch that.
They didn't just drop in.
They trashed the place.
Now that was something Aizen just had to see for himself.
Besides, lately, things seemed to be spinning more and more out of his control.
With that unsettling thought, Aizen opened a Garganta and, with Tsen in tow, stepped into the void toward Hueco Mundo.
Meanwhile
Lynn was monitoring the situation in Hueco Mundo through his [Devil Piece] skill.
He glanced at the pink-haired boy in front of him. "Yo, Sukunayou still breathing over there? I swear I was going easy on you."
So, what was Lynn up to?
Oh, nothing muchjust casually solving the Jujutsu Kaisen world.
As for Strike the Blood? He'd left that in the hands of Avrora, Saeko, and a few others.
Right now, Lynn's full attention was on the "Main World" tag in his [Devil Contract] skill. He had a feeling that was the one that mattered most.
And Grayfia?
Well, she was currently being "taken care of" by Senhime.
He hadn't forgotten the most important world in this whole mashupHigh School DxD.
But for now, that was Senhime's problem at least until he showed up.
Senhime: "???"
Excuse me?!
This woman doesn't play fair for real!!
...
Underworld
Grayfia stood cold and imposing, her expression icy as she loomed over Senhime.
"Lynn" she said with deadly calm, "You know where he is, don't you?"
Senhime: "..."
She wiped the cold sweat from her brow and forced a smile.
Against a strong Satan-level opponent, she was really pushing her limits.
Even just being near Grayfia put enormous pressure on her.
As for Lynn's whereabouts?
Yes, she knew.
But
"He isn't really in this timeline," Senhime said hesitantly.
Grayfia's brow twitched. "You've said that several times. If you're going to lie, could you at least try changing the excuse?"
Senhime nearly burst into tears.
"B-But I'm telling the truth!!!"
"Lynn is literally five hundred years in the future!!"
.
.
.
Aizen Arrives
Hueco Mundo.
Black cubed panels unfolded from space, forming a dark path.
In the next moment, a figure appeared above Las Noches.
Wearing a captain's haori, glasses on his face, brown hair fluttering lightly in the wind, and a soft smile tugging at his lips
Aizen Ssuke had arrived.
Right behind him, Tsen Kaname, ponytailed and stoic, wearing his usual sunglasses.
But the moment they saw the state of Las Nocheseven Tsen, who rarely showed emotioncouldn't hide his shock.
What the hell happened here?
Aizen's smile almost faltered when he took in the devastation.
So that's what they meant by "under attack".
He had precious research data inside that fortress!
He winced inwardly for a secondjust one secondbut quickly resumed his calm demeanor.
Thankfully, he'd memorized most of the important material.
His eyes scanned the battlefield in the distance.
He saw the Espadaall of them.
"Well, this is rare," he remarked, voice filled with mild amusement. "The entire Espada actually mobilized?"
Even Baraggan Louisenbairn, who normally clashed with him, was fighting with unusual enthusiasm.
But after seeing the destruction of Las Noches, Aizen understood why.
Compared to Aizen, this scene would be even more infuriating for Baraggan.
After all, when Aizen took over, Baraggan still had some hope of reclaiming control one day.
But now? All that was left was a flooded, ruined wreck.
Of course he was furious.
Still, whether back then or now, Baraggan's chances hadn't changed.
