"You bastard!"
Baraggan roared in fury, raising his double-bladed axe to attack Aizen again.
Swish!
Swish!
Gin and Tosen suddenly appeared on Baraggan's left and right, pressing their Zanpakuto against his neck.
"Drop your weapon. Submit to me. Don't struggle pointlessly. You cannot kill me," Aizen said, looking at Baraggan.
Baraggan glared at Aizen with intense hatred, his claws gripping his weapon tightly, countless times wanting to swing his double-bladed axe and charge to kill Aizen.
Clatter!
After an arduous internal struggle, Baraggan ultimately dropped his weapon.
With this drop, he dropped not only his weapon but also his crown.
Baraggan understood that from the moment he put down his weapon, he was no longer the King of Hueco Mundo. He would go from [King] to subject.
And the new [King] was the man before him who had seized his throne.
But Baraggan had no choice but to yield because he wanted to live.
Wanting to live didn't mean he feared death.
Baraggan yielded because he wanted to take revenge on Aizen and reclaim his throne. To do that, he first had to survive.
Baraggan thought to himself: 'Aizen, I swear with my entire being, I will make you pay in blood and reclaim my throne!'
"A wise choice!"
Seeing Baraggan drop his weapon, Aizen praised, "Alright, Gin, Tosen, put away your Zanpakuto as well. Baraggan is now my subordinate, just like you."
Aizen waved, signaling Gin and Tosen to withdraw their Zanpakuto from Baraggan's neck.
Tap, tap, tap...
Aizen walked past Baraggan, heading towards the high platform inside the hall.
Watching Aizen pass by, Baraggan tightly gripped his right claw with his left, afraid he might lose control and attack Aizen.
Aizen ascended the high platform, then sat on Baraggan's bone throne, looking down at him from above.
"This bone throne isn't very comfortable. Get a new one, Baraggan," Aizen said with a smile.
"Oh? Why aren't you answering me, Baraggan?" Aizen asked.
"Yes... Aizen-sama," Baraggan said, his voice filled with humiliation.
"Also, the name Las Noches is quite good. Keep it. However, if it lacks both a roof and walls, it truly cannot be called a palace. So, let's construct Las Noches properly. The renovation task is yours, Baraggan. With the many Hollows in Hueco Mundo, it shouldn't take too long to complete," Aizen instructed. (T/N: Las Noches means Hollow Night Palace.)
"Understood, Aizen-sama."
Once familiar, twice at ease. Baraggan was already starting to get used to saying 'Aizen-sama'.
Then, Aizen stood up from Baraggan's bone throne. After all, Baraggan had sat on it, and Aizen didn't particularly like it. Moreover, the bone throne was hard and indeed uncomfortable.
"Alright, now let's discuss serious matters. Baraggan, immediately bring me some Hollows. The stronger, the better. I have some experiments to conduct," Aizen ordered Baraggan.
Although the Hollows in the hall were all killed earlier by Aizen's group, Baraggan's subordinates weren't limited to just those inside. There were many more elsewhere.
"Yes, Aizen-sama," Baraggan replied.
Then, Baraggan quickly left the hall, as if wanting to escape this place where he had fallen from the clouds.
"Ara ara, Captain Aizen, is it really okay to let him go like that and even make him your subordinate? Having lost his throne, that Baraggan must harbor deep resentment towards you, right?" Gin asked Aizen with a smile after Baraggan left.
"It's fine, Gin. Baraggan was, after all, the former King of Hueco Mundo. He's much more familiar with Hueco Mundo than we are. We need his help to fully control Hueco Mundo. Moreover, we can't stay in Hueco Mundo too long right now, or the Soul Society will notice something amiss. So, someone still needs to manage Hueco Mundo," Aizen explained.
"Besides, even if he resents me in his heart, what can he do? Filled with hatred, yet forced to serve me, secretly waiting for a chance to take revenge… isn't that more interesting, Gin?" Aizen said with a meaningful look at Gin, as if referring to Baraggan, yet also hinting at Gin.
Gin's heart tightened momentarily, but his expression didn't change at all.
"I see, it is indeed quite interesting," Gin replied, his eyes narrowed.
After some time, Baraggan returned with some powerful Hollows.
"Aizen-sama, how are these Hollows?" Baraggan asked.
"Aizen-sama?!"
The Hollows brought by Baraggan looked at him in shock.
These Hollows didn't yet know their 'King', Baraggan, had submitted to Aizen.
Aizen frowned slightly at the incoming Hollows.
Most were Adjuchas at Lieutenant-level, with only a few at the early Captain-level.
"Apologies, Aizen-sama. The strongest among my subordinates are these," Baraggan said.
"Oh? Is that so? I seem to recall hearing you have a Vasto Lorde under you as well," Aizen said indifferently, looking at Baraggan.
Baraggan's heart tightened. Initially, Baraggan thought Aizen, being a Shinigami, wouldn't know much about Hueco Mundo, so he had concealed Vargas's existence.
Baraggan had previously thought that although he was under Kyoka Suigetsu's influence, Vargas wasn't. Maybe he could rely on Vargas to kill Aizen by surprise later. But he never expected Aizen to know about the Vasto Lorde under him.
For this reason, Baraggan had specifically ordered his subordinates not to mention Vargas when he went out earlier.
"Apologies, Aizen-sama. My Vasto Lorde subordinate had some business to attend to and went out. He hasn't returned yet, so I didn't think of him earlier," Baraggan explained.
"Alright, I won't pursue it this time. Just remember not to try to deceive me again in the future," Aizen said, not delving deeper.
"What is your Vasto Lorde subordinate doing? Have him return as soon as possible. With a Vasto Lorde's cooperation, my experiments will progress much faster," Aizen said.
"Aizen-sama, my Vasto Lorde subordinate, Vargas, went to the outer circle to deal with the Shinigami of the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force. I can't contact him for now, and we can only wait for him to return," Baraggan said, glancing at Aizen as if remembering that Aizen was also a Shinigami.
"The Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force!" Aizen was momentarily taken aback. He remembered that some days ago, the Soul Society had appointed Toshiro as commander of the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force, leading a campaign in Hueco Mundo.