In the Night Palace, numerous pillars uphold the expansive main hall, which is entirely white, exuding a sense of majesty throughout the palace. Centrally located within the hall is a raised platform, atop which rests a chair.
This chair serves as the throne for Aizen Sōsuke, the reigning lord of Hueco Mundo. Aizen has discarded his Shinigami coat, abandoning the facade of the suave and relaxed persona he once portrayed. Without his glasses, he now exudes the presence of a monarch.
"Welcome back, Grimmjow. "
Aizen sits on the throne, looking down at Arrancar No.6, Grimmjow, who was brought back by Tousen Kaname.
"What's the issue? "
"You should have something to apologize for, Grimmjow. "
As Aizen's most steadfast subordinate and the leader of the Arrancars, Grimmjow's unsanctioned action was deemed a failure in duty by Tousen Kaname.
Although Tousen sought an apology from Grimmjow for his unauthorized assault, Grimmjow, characterized by his aloofness and pride, would never genuinely submit to anyone, even Aizen, the one who granted him Arrancar power.
"There's nothing to say."
Grimmjow averted his gaze, avoiding eye contact with Aizen, yet his demeanor and indifferent tone deeply irritated Tousen Kaname.
"You scoundrel. "
Tousen glared at Grimmjow, ready to speak further when Aizen intervened from his throne.
"Forget it, I'm not upset. "
Despite Aizen choosing not to pursue the issue with Grimmjow, Tousen still hesitated, saying, "Lord Aizen, Grimmjow. . . "
"The actions taken by Grimmjow were intended to please me."
"Am I mistaken, Grimmjow? "
Aizen's intensity was palpable as his gaze locked onto Grimmjow, voice frosty.
Typically, such a statement from Aizen would be perceived as providing an escape for Grimmjow, directing him to reaffirm his loyalty.
However, Aizen, adept at manipulating emotions, lacked awareness that for an Arrancar like Grimmjow, such reassurances would not lead to submission.
True to form, even with Aizen's tone, Grimmjow nonchalantly replied, "You're right. "
Immediately after Grimmjow spoke, Tousen reached out, seizing Grimmjow by the collar.
"What are you doing, Tousen? "
Grimmjow looked him in the eye, clearly dissatisfied with Tousen's actions.
"Master Aizen, please grant me permission to execute him."
Grimmjow's repeated disrespect towards Aizen had pushed Tousen's anger to its breaking point.
Nonetheless, Grimmjow shrugged off Tousen's grip and sneered, "You're only doing this out of personal vendetta against me; is this how a ruler should act? "
Instead of engaging with Grimmjow's provocation, Tousen opted to articulate his perspective: "I believe that those who disrupt order should not be pardoned, that is all."
"Oh? Is this for the organization? "
Tousen paused briefly before slowly responding, "It's all for Lord Aizen. "
Tousen's comments prompted a sneer from Grimmjow, who had always defied him, saying, "You've always excelled at preaching the so-called righteous path. "
"Indeed, it is the correct path. "
As he spoke, Tousen drew his Zanpakutō from his side and added, "This is precisely what you lack in your actions. Murdering without justice amounts to mere slaughter. "
"However, killing in accordance with the righteous path,"
"That is justice! "
In a swift motion, blood cascaded onto the white floor, creating a stark contrast. Amid Grimmjow's agonized cries, Tousen quickly severed one of his arms.
"Hadō's Fifty-fourth Waste Flame! "
Tousen gestured casually, unleashing a purple flame that promptly turned Grimmjow's severed arm to ashes.
"Damn. . . Damn it! "
"You scoundrel! You've taken my hand. . . "
"I swear I'll kill you! ! ! "
Grimmjow, clutching the wound on his truncated arm, glared at Tousen. Just as he was about to draw his Zanpakutō and counterattack, Aizen's voice resounded in the hall.
"Grimmjow! "
"If you dare to strike Kaname here, I will not show you mercy. "
Aizen's voice held no trace of emotion; despite his arrogance, even Grimmjow had to bow to Aizen's chilling gaze.
Suddenly, a dark portal materialized in the hall, and two figures emerged from it.
"Oh, oh, what's with all the blood? Even if he erred, there's no need for such brutality. "
Fiander, grinning, led Koufang from the shadows.
Koufang, taken aback by the sight of Grimmjow's severed arm, muttered in disbelief, "Master. . . Grimmjow! "
"Come on, come on. You're in the presence of Aizen-sama; your punishment is far from over. "
In an abrupt movement, Fiander seized Koufang by the neck and forced him to the ground, making him kneel and face Aizen.
"Aizen. . . my lord, I've brought him here; what shall I do next? "
"How about I assist you in eliminating him outright? "
Fiander's suggestion caused Koufang, still kneeling, to tremble uncontrollably, cold sweat streaming down his forehead.
Witnessing his subordinate being demeaned by Fiander, Grimmjow grit his teeth and yelled, "Fiander, you. . . scoundrel! ! "
In response to Grimmjow's furious glare, Fiander merely turned his head for a fleeting glance, and a wave of Reiatsu emanated from him. The overwhelming pressure bore down solely on Grimmjow, rendering him immobile and filled with dread as he looked at Fiander.
"Understand your position, Grimmjow; Tousen may overlook your disrespect towards Lord Aizen, but I will not."
As Fiander's Reiatsu intensified, cracks appeared beneath Grimmjow's feet until Aizen intervened, stating, "That's enough, Fiander. "
"Grimmjow has already faced punishment for his unauthorized attack on the human world. Let's cease this; Koufang was merely following orders, so no further punishment is warranted. "
"Yes, Master Aizen! "
Fiander retracted his Reiatsu, offered a brief salute to Tousen Kaname, and then the two turned to leave together.
Then Aizen got up from the throne and made his way back to the bedroom. Grimmjow watched Fiander leave, his expression filled with horror.
Koufang, who had managed to escape unscathed, rushed to Grimmjow and inquired, "Grimmjow, what happened to your hand? "
"Ah, it's nothing serious, just got bitten by a dog, but you're still alive. Now I owe that bastard Fiander," he replied with a tsk.
"Fiander? That guy? " Koufang responded indignantly.
"Hehe, he saved your life; Aizen would've taken you out right as you were being escorted back," Grimmjow's eyes froze, before he mockingly added, "Is that guy Fiander really that powerful now? "
-
In the corridor behind the Night Palace's hall, Aizen walked alone toward his chambers.
"You've been pulling tricks on your subordinates again, haven't you? What a terrible temper you have," someone remarked.
"Did you catch that? Gin," Aizen said.
From around the corner, Ichimaru Gin, who had been absent for a while, approached Aizen, wearing his trademark grin, squinting as he continued, "You mentioned that during the incident. "
"You should have anticipated this all along," Aizen said as he moved to the window, gazing up at the moonlight above, casually replying, "Who. . . can say."
"Grimmjow's actions led to four Arrancars' deaths. Without Mr. Fiander's intervention, you would've executed him right now," Gin noted.
"It doesn't matter," Aizen remarked, turning to face Gin. "It's just low-level Gillian, and it won't affect the overall plan. "
"Once we have cultivated the highest-level Vasto Lordes to complete the Espada, we will be unstoppable. "
Inside Fiander's room at the Night Palace.
In the dim light, Fiander unsheathed his Zanpakutō and examined it closely. Though he had reached the capability of an average Shinigami, he believed he had mastered all the techniques they could obtain. Now he could even cast Kidō numbered 90 without needing to chant.
The skills of a Shinigami—Shunpo, hakudo, and swordsmanship—require time to refine, yet nearly a century of dedication had led Fiander to a point of stagnation.
To increase his Reiatsu, he realized he needed to advance his Zanpakutō.
A Shinigami's Zanpakutō has two forms: Shikai and Bankai. While I have successfully utilized Shikai and its powers, I remain clueless about Bankai, even after studying the manga to learn about Shinigami abilities.
Traditionally, Shinigami like Mr. Yamamoto, Ichimaru Gin, and Aizen can communicate with their own Zanpakutō. Even Kurosaki Ichigo, a partial hack, cannot always depend on his formidable lineage.
Whenever he faces foes and finds himself in peril, he can leverage his Quincy blood to bridge a connection with the latent power within him.
Even the formidable Zaraki Kenpachi, lacking both Shikai and Bankai, must still communicate with his Zanpakutō in future encounters to strengthen his abilities.
Fiander's primary issue currently is his inability to locate his own origins.