"Is there another one?" Having dealt with Loly and Menoly, Enkidu turned her attention to Grimmjow.
"Chains of Heaven!" With a wave of her hand, golden chains erupted from the floor, snaking towards Grimmjow.
Grimmjow's expression hardened, but he didn't retreat. He drew his Zanpakutō, severing the approaching chains. However, the chains were too numerous, too fast. Despite his use of Sonído to evade them, his arms and legs became entangled.
"Damn it!" Grimmjow had witnessed how those two Arrancar had perished. Once bound by these chains, even he would be in danger.
Just as he prepared to release his Resurrección, Orihime's voice stopped Enkidu's attack.
"Um, Enkidu-san," she said hesitantly, "I don't think he's with them. Could you… let him go?"
Enkidu studied Grimmjow. He was different from those two weaklings. A greater power resided within him, a power she sensed but couldn't identify. While she wasn't afraid, her primary objective was to protect Orihime. A prolonged battle with Grimmjow would deplete her reiatsu, leaving her vulnerable should Orihime face another threat.
If Orihime believed Grimmjow wasn't involved, she would trust her judgment. Besides, she was confident she could react to any surprise attack.
The chains binding Grimmjow dissolved. Enkidu, however, remained by Orihime's side.
Orihime walked over to Menoly's lifeless body and took a deep breath. Having learned the true nature of the Hōgyoku from Ailin, she had spent the past three days praying to it. She wanted to test if her prayers had been answered. She extended her hands.
"Shun Shun Rikka, Tsubaki…"
"Santen Kesshun. I reject!" Two yellow lights emerged from her hairpins, forming an oval-shaped barrier that enveloped Menoly's body. Within the barrier, Menoly's wounds rapidly healed.
Orihime didn't deactivate Santen Kesshun. She maintained her focus. Then, to the astonishment of the others present, Menoly's chest began to rise and fall.
"How… how is this possible?" Loly who was pierced by the Chains of Heaven, stared in disbelief.
She hadn't expected this human woman, so valued by Lord Aizen, to possess such power. Menoly was dead. She had seen it with her own eyes: her body pierced, her reiatsu extinguished, her form dissolving into spiritual particles. And yet, this woman had brought her back?
The yellow barrier surrounding Menoly shattered, revealing her fully healed body. Without Santen Kesshun's protection, Menoly's reiatsu rushed outwards.
"She's… alive?" Sensing her friend's familiar spiritual pressure, Loly smiled, despite her own impending death. Menoly had been her responsibility. Her survival was a form of redemption.
To her surprise, Orihime then approached her, extending her hands once more.
"Santen Kesshun. I reject!"
"So warm…" Loly felt a comforting warmth enveloping her. Remembering her earlier jealousy, her desire to harm this human, she felt a bit of shame. Compared to this woman, she was… pathetic.
"My, my. Las Noches seems quite lively today." A voice echoed through the hall as Orihime finished healing Loly.
They turned to see Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, and Kaname Tōsen entering.
"Lord Aizen!" The Arrancar present knelt in unison.
Ignoring Grimmjow and the others, Aizen walked past them, towards the display stand at the base of his throne. A multi-faceted, rhombus-shaped crystal, radiating a blue light, rested upon it.
"Such a beautiful thing." Aizen picked up the Hōgyoku with a look of fascination. Everything he had done, for all these years, had been for this. His long-held desire had finally been fulfilled.
"Orihime," he said, turning to her, "you are far more capable than I anticipated. I had assumed it would take at least a week, but you completed the fusion in just three days. Your power truly defies the laws of the gods."
He placed the Hōgyoku back on the stand. "Orihime, thank you for accelerating the fusion. As a token of my gratitude, you will remain in Hueco Mundo for now."
"Ulquiorra."
"Lord Aizen. What are your orders?" Ulquiorra emerged from the shadows.
"From now on, both Orihime's safety and this Hōgyoku are your responsibility. I will be in seclusion, preparing myself for the fusion. I must be at my best."
"Yes, Lord Aizen."
"Hold on, Aizen, and you, little birdie." Enkidu interrupted. "Orihime's safety is my concern. You needn't worry. Focus on your… precious gem. Wouldn't want it stolen by some… unscrupulous individual." With that, she took Orihime's hand and left Las Noches.
"Lord Aizen…" Ulquiorra looked at Aizen, seeking guidance.
"Let them go, Ulquiorra. Since Orihime doesn't require your protection, your task is to guard the Hōgyoku while I'm in seclusion."
A hint of surprise flickered in Aizen's eyes. He had been imprisoned by Ailin for decades. During that time, he had pondered Ailin's motives for sparing his life. After his release, he had concluded that perhaps only the Hōgyoku had caught Ailin's attention.
Ulquiorra's earlier encounter with Ailin, being stopped but ultimately allowed to take Orihime, had fueled Aizen's suspicions. He had wondered if Ailin intended to claim the merged Hōgyoku. However, judging by the Zanpakutō spirit's actions, protecting Orihime but not attempting to steal the Hōgyoku, it seemed he had been mistaken.
What, then, did Ailin desire? He was currently not in optimal condition for the fusion. He would use the Hōgyoku as bait.
"Yes, Lord Aizen." Ulquiorra bowed his head in acknowledgment.
"Grimmjow."
"Lord Aizen." Grimmjow knelt, awaiting his orders.
"Several individuals from the World of the Living and the Soul Society have infiltrated Hueco Mundo. I'm assigning you to deal with them. All Espada below number six, and all numbered Arrancar, are under your command. I want you to keep them away from Las Noches for at least three days. Can you do it?"
"Don't worry, Lord Aizen. I won't let a single one of them enter Las Noches." He hesitated. "But Lord Aizen, what if we… accidentally kill the humans?"
"If they attack Las Noches, kill them." Aizen glanced at Grimmjow, amused by his bravado. He could sense three reiatsu signatures comparable to his own among the intruders. Three Shinigami at their limits. Even with Hueco Mundo's combined strength, they wouldn't be able to defeat them. And a mere Sexta Espada believed he could kill them? He was delusional.
Furthermore, two of those three reiatsu signatures were… familiar. Captain Retsu Unohana of the Fourth Division. And Zaraki, the former lieutenant of the Eleventh. He wouldn't discourage Grimmjow, however. His arrogance might buy him some time, perhaps even mislead the intruders.
…
Hueco Mundo hadn't always had a sky. It was Aizen who had created it, complete with a sun, a moon, and stars.
Under the moonlight, a figure slipped through the hole Grimmjow had created earlier, entering the chamber where the Hōgyoku was stored. He reached for the gem.
"If I were you, I wouldn't do that." Ulquiorra's voice came from behind him. "Lord Aizen has ordered me to guard the Hōgyoku. You haven't touched it yet, so I can pretend you're not a thief. Leave now, and I'll pretend I didn't see you."
To Ulquiorra's surprise, the figure hesitated for only a moment, then snatched the Hōgyoku.
"Ulquiorra, if I were you, I wouldn't have shown myself." In the moonlight, the number 105, on the Arrancar's arm, caught Ulquiorra's eye.
Three-digit numbers designated former Espada, those who had been replaced by stronger Arrancar. While still powerful, they were considered failures, discarded by Aizen. While two-digit Arrancar could serve as subordinates to the current Espada, these discarded former Espada wouldn't lower themselves to serve those who had replaced them.
Number 103. The Arrancar before him was the former Tercera Espada, from before Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck. After Nelliel's supposed death, he had believed he would regain his position. But Tier Harribel's arrival had dashed his hopes.
The complete Hōgyoku possessed far greater power than the fragmented ones. If he could acquire it, he might surpass the current Tercera Espada. No. Not just the Espada. Perhaps even defeating Lord Aizen, becoming the king of Hueco Mundo… it wasn't impossible!
The Arrancar grinned at Ulquiorra. "If you had remained hidden, we wouldn't have bothered you. But now… you've forced our hand."
"A mere discarded Espada, daring to challenge a current Espada? Who gave you such courage?" Ulquiorra placed his hand on his Zanpakutō.
Suddenly, a figure materialized behind Ulquiorra, slashing down with a blade.
The attack nearly bisected Ulquiorra. Mortally wounded, he collapsed to the floor with his Zanpakutō still sheathed.
"What? There are more of them?"
"Did you really think we'd be so foolish?" The other Arrancar sneered. "Knowing an Espada guarded the Hōgyoku, we naturally came prepared. Don't blame us, Ulquiorra. Blame Aizen, for choosing you as its guardian."
Seeing Ulquiorra's state, Number 103 laughed, clutching the Hōgyoku. He and his accomplice quickly left Las Noches.
Once they were gone, the look of surprise vanished from Ulquiorra's face. The blood surrounding him flowed back into his wounds, regenerating in seconds. All Hollows possessed some regenerative abilities. Ulquiorra, during his time as a Hollow, had focused solely on enhancing his regeneration, discarding all other abilities.