Chapter 129: The Loyal Blade
"A long-lost encounter indeed, Ulquiorra."
The corner of Aizen's mouth curved into a composed smile. Facing his once most loyal subordinate, he did not hesitate to show his approval.
The curtain of light gradually dissipated, and Ulquiorra's slender, pale figure stood fully revealed before Aizen.
"Yes, Aizen-sama," Ulquiorra's voice was as flat and devoid of inflection as his expression. "Did you summon me back from the brink of nothingness?"
As the Cuatro Espada, the Fourth Blade, Ulquiorra inherently possessed immense power. Particularly the Segunda Etapa, the second release form he alone had mastered, which had elevated his strength beyond that of most Espada.
In his past life, Ulquiorra in his Segunda Etapa had radiated a Reiatsu of unparalleled horror. The very dome of Las Noches had distorted. The earth of Hueco Mundo had trembled for him. Standing beneath the bright, artificial moon, he had unleashed his sealed power.
Black Winged Demon.
A casual Cero Oscuras possessed the might to shatter mountains and crack the earth. His Lanza del Relámpago was a power comparable to a Tailed Beast Bomb.
Now, this cold Espada, summoned by the Hōgyoku's brief awakening, had descended upon the Shinobi Continent.
The end of winter was coming. Black wings would once again cover the night sky of the Five Great Nations.
"The awakening of the Hōgyoku, the divine artifact, has granted my wish," Aizen stated. "Your appearance was predetermined."
He opened his palm. The Hōgyoku pulsed with a pale blue light, beating rhythmically like a living heart.
Thump… Thump…!
With every beat, an invisible force rippled outwards, creating an eerily surreal atmosphere under the quiet shadows of the underground palace.
"This silent darkness… is this Hueco Mundo?" Ulquiorra asked, not disoriented by his rebirth, but calm and analytical.
Lacking a "heart," Ulquiorra was inherently cold and merciless, showing no pity to his enemies. The prey he set his sights on often met a tragic end. He would pierce through their hearts, leaving these "humble humans" to collapse helplessly to the ground.
As Aizen's powerful subordinate, Ulquiorra possessed a cool head and power that surpassed the very sky of Las Noches. He was, in a word, perfect.
Impeccable.
"No," Aizen shook his head slightly. "This is neither Hueco Mundo nor the Soul Society. At this moment, we are in another world."
"Another world?!" A faint trace of surprise flickered within Ulquiorra's turquoise eyes.
"There are no Shinigami here. No Hollows. No Quincy," Aizen explained coldly. "This world is populated only by ordinary humans."
"Only humble, small humans? Then this world must be exceedingly weak."
"Do not be so quick to judge. What we have seen is merely the tip of the iceberg. Perhaps the divine power I insist on pursuing will find its answer here."
As he spoke, the image of the Mangekyō Sharingan flashed through Aizen's mind. His battle with Uchiha Itachi had given him a vague intuition—that there was a pupil power even greater than the Mangekyō. That kind of power could be the "Royal Key" to the Throne of Heaven.
Ulquiorra fell silent. His final memories were still of the battle in Hueco Mundo. This sudden rebirth and crossing into another world was something he needed a moment to accept.
When Ulquiorra's gaze shifted back to Aizen, a look of surprise surfaced once more. He was astonished to discover that the power radiating from Aizen did not feel as overwhelmingly vast as it once had. Clearly, this was a consequence of the transference and the limitations of this world.
Not only that, but Ulquiorra felt that his own strength was also not what it used to be. By his estimation, he possessed only half the power of his peak.
"Lord Aizen, is this…?"
"Do not be troubled," Aizen reassured him, a slight smile playing on his lips. "As long as we advance and retreat together, the power that was lost will be regained in time."
From beginning to end, he remained in complete control.
"As long as instinct exists, we still have no true opponents before us!"
Ulquiorra questioned, "Instinct?"
"Instinct," Aizen elaborated, his voice taking on a lecturing tone, "is what is necessary for those with similar abilities to display even greater power. It is what is necessary to become a king!"
"To fight continuously. To pursue strength relentlessly. To crush your enemies without mercy, to tear them apart, to cut them down in a single stroke. This is the absolute desire for battle!"
"This is the response of the Zanpakutō at its most primitive class—stripped of skin, flesh cut away, bones broken, until one reaches the very depths of godhood."
Aizen stared at Ulquiorra with a profound gaze. "Do you understand what I mean?"
"Lord Aizen," Ulquiorra replied, his face still a mask of nothingness, "perhaps the so-called 'heart' of humans is nothing more than this primitive desire to kill."
He recalled his battle with Ichigo Kurosaki, a vision of that raw, primitive power flashing deep within his pupils.
"However… your body no longer possesses the Hierro it once had," Aizen observed, studying Ulquiorra closely, a slight frown forming. "It seems we have a matter to attend to."
Hierro, the steel-like skin, was one of the most vital assets of the Espada. Without that steel-hard body, they could not operate with the same reckless abandon as before.
The reason for this lack was the absence of the Sprite's physical body. The soul of a Hollow, even one as powerful as Ulquiorra's, could only manifest half its strength in this state. Only by fusing with and absorbing the Sprite's original body would Ulquiorra regain that impenetrable Hierro.
"Lord Aizen, what is our next destination?" Ulquiorra's face was cold, his turquoise eyes showing no emotional fluctuation. His focus was solely on Aizen.
"The Land of Swamps," Aizen declared. "According to the information provided by Huang Quan, the Sprite's original body is sealed there."
"We will break the seal placed by the Shrine Maiden of old. We will seize the Sprite's body and restore your strength."
Aizen turned, squinting slightly as he looked into the darkness. "Ulquiorra, after that, I have an important mission to entrust to you."
"What mission, Lord Aizen?" Ulquiorra responded, his tone as calm as still water.
"Capture the Nine Tailed Beasts," Aizen commanded, his voice dropping. "And reawaken the Hōgyoku."
He clenched the fractured gem tightly in his hand, a flash of anticipation in his eyes.
"Now, let us go. It is time to rebuild the Espada Legion."
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