Las Noches, the conference palace.
Around the massive long table sat eleven long chairs. Ten figures, each exuding a distinctly different aura, sat in their respective seats, waiting patiently.
"Good morning, everyone."
"The enemy will be here shortly. Before they arrive, let us brew a cup of black tea."
Aizen walked slowly through the doors, calmly looking at the Espada who had arrived right on time.
As the second-in-command of Las Noches, his words actually carried less weight than a certain someone's, largely because he spent so much time in the laboratory.
However, simply borrowing that man's name was enough to gather this group of unruly individuals.
"Lord Aizen, where is Lord Naraku?"
Nelliel, the 5th Espada, raised her hand to ask.
"He went to train the Arrancar soldiers."
Aizen took the seat at the head of the table. The Arrancar maids beside him tactfully served black tea to each of the Espada.
"You must all be curious as to why I suddenly summoned you."
"Before I explain, let us watch a video."
"Szayelaporro."
"Yes!"
Sitting to his right, Szayelaporro nodded and pulled out a hidden console beneath the conference table, pressing a button.
Swirling patterns unfolded in the center of the table as a projection appeared, playing a relatively clear video.
In the footage.
The Gates of Hell, exuding a twisted aura, swung open. Ferocious Togabito poured out like a torrential downpour, filling the sky with a terrifying presence.
Below, the Soul Reapers trembled, yet their eyes remained resolute as they fought back valiantly.
Fear is a biological instinct, but courage is the anthem of humanity.
Despite their immense terror of these dead returning from Hell, not a single Soul Reaper took a step back.
The war had begun.
At first, the Arrancars had little interest in the contents of the video.
It wasn't until they saw the familiar figure sitting high in the sky that a hint of intrigue finally appeared on their faces.
It was Lord Naraku!
As the man who had changed Hueco Mundo, the Espada had always held him in high regard.
Although his methods were quite crude, there was no doubt that he had altered the trajectory of their fates.
He looked no different than he did in Hueco Mundo.
Naraku Sora still led the charge, directly confronting over a dozen exceptionally powerful Togabito from Hell.
His performance was as brutal as ever, obliterating one of the enemies with a single slash.
Grimmjow's face lit up with excitement, eager to join the fray.
*'As expected of the King of Hueco Mundo I chose to serve—so incredibly strong!'*
However, the footage did not intentionally focus on Naraku Sora. Instead, the camera constantly shifted to the other Soul Reaper Captains.
Such as Kensei Muguruma, Hirako Shinji, Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō...
While their performances were commendable, they still fell far short when compared to Naraku Sora's clean and decisive combat style.
Especially that arrogant-looking white-haired man, who was beaten to the ground mere minutes after showing up.
When his arm was broken, he even let out an incredibly embarrassing wail.
He completely lacked the resilience expected of a Captain.
The others were barely putting in any effort, looking more like they were just passing through.
They didn't display the combat prowess a Captain should possess at all.
The only one worthy of attention was the elderly man who looked almost as old as Baraggan.
Guarding the Gates of Hell alone, he wielded a flaming tachi. With every rise and fall of his blade, massive clouds of ash scattered like falling rain and snow.
Then came the appearance of Gagaku Kairyū. The familiar figure stepped forward, unflinchingly halting the expansion of the giant maw. Amidst the endlessly spreading scorched earth, he forcefully brought the disaster to a stop.
Afterward, he threw himself into the giant maw without hesitation, becoming the hero who saved the Seireitei.
The footage abruptly ended there.
It could be said that after such a tragic war, Naraku Sora and Yamamoto were the greatest contributors. While the performance of the ordinary Soul Reapers was lacking, their protective spirit was commendable.
In contrast, the Captains, who should have been the main fighting force, seemed to be slacking off.
Aizen maintained a calm expression, quietly waiting for the video to take effect.
This was footage he had specifically extracted from the Department of Research and Development's observation division. He had added a little artistic flair to make the scenes look more dramatic.
"Do any of you have any thoughts?"
After a few minutes, seeing that everyone's emotions had sufficiently brewed, Aizen spoke lightly.
Grimmjow furrowed his brows and voiced his dissatisfaction:
"What is wrong with these guys? Why did they leave all the powerful enemies for Lord Naraku to handle? Is he the only Captain in the Soul Society?"
Ulquiorra nodded, agreeing with Grimmjow's statement.
A flash of displeasure crossed Harribel's eyes.
Baraggan raised an eyebrow and looked at Aizen, faintly guessing something.
Ever since stepping down from his position as the King of Hueco Mundo, he had been quite idle. In his free time, he would observe the reconstruction progress of Las Noches, occasionally offering constructive advice.
After detaching himself from that identity, he found his mind to be much sharper.
When looking at things, he could often consider them from multiple perspectives.
In his eyes, this second-in-command, Aizen, was the most terrifying figure in all of Las Noches.
Bar none.
Not only was his strength frightening, but his intellect also far surpassed that of any Arrancar.
If Naraku Sora was the spiritual banner of Las Noches, then Aizen was the flagpole holding it up.
An indispensable and crucial role.
There had to be a deeper meaning behind his actions.
Baraggan suppressed the doubts in his heart and offered no opinion.
Seeing that the mood was ripe, Aizen said calmly, "I have seen all of your dissatisfaction with the Soul Reaper Captains."
"Right now, they are heading this way."
"Haven't you all frequently complained about not having suitable opponents? Well, now they are here..."
Grimmjow's eyes lit up, and Nnoitra looked eager to fight.
Baraggan looked thoughtful.
Sitting on the left, Starrk yawned, looking completely uninterested.
As a natural-born Vasto Lorde, he had a lazy personality and couldn't muster interest in much of anything.
However, life in Las Noches had indeed satisfied his need for companionship.
If these Soul Reapers were coming to destroy this hard-won peace, then he would have no choice but to step forward and protect it.
"I will follow Lord Aizen's orders."
Szayelaporro grinned, highly anticipating what was to come.
After his initial adaptation, he had gradually familiarized himself with his new power. His research on Gabriel was nearing perfection, putting him in an absolute peak state.
It was the perfect time to flex his muscles.
The corners of Aizen's mouth curled up slightly, his indifferent voice echoing through the massive palace:
"With the Espada leading the charge and the other numbered Arrancars providing support, show them your strongest forms and tell the Soul Reapers of the Soul Society—"
"Who the sharpest blades in His Majesty Naraku's hands truly are."
"Therefore, go all out."
Beneath the crescent moon, on the boundless desert.
The air was thick with a viscous, mixed Reiatsu, and a heavy atmosphere continuously spread.
After trekking for some time, the Soul Reaper squad led by Kyōraku Shunsui finally saw Las Noches sitting atop the endless silver sands.
The massive palace, towering like a mountain range, immediately awed everyone.
"Are you kidding me? Since when did such a building exist in the desolate Hueco Mundo?"
Hirako Shinji looked on in disbelief.
"This isn't funny at all. To think that Menos Grandes, who act purely on instinct, have surpassed the Soul Society in architectural achievements."
Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō twitched the corner of his mouth.
As the Soul Reaper in the group who had studied art the most, even though he didn't pay much attention to architecture, he could still tell that the artistic value of Las Noches before him was incredibly high.
Aikawa Love scratched his head. "So you're saying we not only have to break into that palace, but we also have to find Lord Naraku's location and rescue him."
"Sounds pretty difficult."
Kyōraku Shunsui sighed.
"Although it's a bit absurd, it is the truth."
"Based on my observations, only that palace named Las Noches holds such a staggering number of Menos Grandes."
"If Sora is still alive, he must be in there."
Standing to the side, Yadōmaru Lisa pushed up her glasses.
"To add to that, in terms of sheer area, Las Noches isn't much smaller than the Seireitei."
"However, according to our intelligence records, it didn't look like this a hundred years ago."
Beside her, Komamura Sajin bared his teeth. "No matter how large it is, I will not give up on Lord Naraku."
Tōsen Kaname nodded solemnly.
Ichimaru Gin said nothing, only opening his squinted eyes a fraction while tightening his grip on the Zanpakutō at his waist.
This operation included not only the Gotei 13 but also members of the new Gotei 13.
They were specifically added by Naraku Sora.
In his view, they would have to meet sooner or later, so it was better to take this opportunity to get to know one another.
The only thing he found regrettable was that he couldn't participate in such a grand operation himself.
It was truly a pity.
Just as everyone was preparing to finalize their infiltration plan, a massive wave of Reiatsu surged from the direction of Las Noches.
Kyōraku Shunsui instinctively looked into the distance.
He saw dozens of massive Gillians surging forward, kicking up a colossal sandstorm that temporarily blotted out the sky.
"It looks like we won't need to make any plans."
"Our movements have been discovered."
He took a deep breath. "Let's attack head-on. Try to stay away from my battlefield; otherwise, getting caught in the crossfire will be a real headache."
The moment the two forces clashed, their violent, mixed Reiatsu collided fiercely, like two invisible, colossal beasts viciously tearing into each other.
Dazzling pillars of Reiatsu shot into the sky, illuminating the dark, profound heavens as if it were broad daylight.
Amidst the pillars of light, a man with short blue hair let out a roar of declaration:
"Stay here and atone for your sins!"
Accompanied by a tyrannical aura and fierce hurricanes that distorted the air, Grimmjow immediately spotted the white-haired man in the crowd and let out a disdainful snort.
In his memory, this guy had the worst performance and absolutely no willpower.
*'Since that's the case, I'll pick the weakest one to slaughter first!'*