Help! I am bound to Aizen!

Chapter 272

2-in-1 chapter

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Gantenbainne—one of the Seven Hollow Blades—was part of the first batch of Arrancar. Among all of them, his strength wasn’t especially remarkable. In Kaelith’s recollection, this was the same guy who lost to Chad. As for Chad’s level, it was never clear if he was stronger than Kensei Muguruma—who could say?

But even so, an Adjuchas that’s become an Arrancar is still a top-tier force in Hueco Mundo. If someone was able to defeat Gantenbainne, then their power was at least on the level of a Vasto Lorde—and most likely an experienced fighter at that. Of course, there was also a chance it could be another Hollow who had naturally gained Arrancar powers.

Aizen, however, thought this unlikely. Natural Arrancar requires immense innate talent and are extremely rare. So far, he’d only ever known Coyote Starrk to accomplish that.

Regardless of the truth, capturing whoever had done it was definitely the right move. Aizen turned to speak to Kaelith but realized he was already gone.

“Lord Aizen, Lord Kaelith ran off halfway through the explanation,” someone nearby reported. “Shall I pursue him?”

Aizen took a deep breath, calming the slight spike in his blood pressure.  

“No need. You’ll never catch up to him anyway. Just follow his spiritual pressure from a distance. If anything changes, send back word immediately.”

“Yes, sir!”

With that, Ludon bowed and vanished into thin air. Once sure Kaelith and Ludon had both departed, Aizen’s expression turned icy. He walked to the nearby wall. Each step he took triggered layer after layer of barriers until all external contact was blocked.

He stopped at the wall and pressed a hand against it. A lock panel appeared. After verifying his spiritual pressure, scanning his irises, and passing one final random intelligence test, the wall slid open to reveal a hidden chamber.

He had built this chamber in secret while Kaelith was away from Hueco Mundo. Every inch of the walls was lined with Seki-seki (Spirit-Sealing Stones) that concealed any trace of spiritual presence. Inside were a dozen or so humans immersed in fluid-filled capsules.

They were Quincy. Aizen had abducted them from the World of the Living. His reason for capturing them was simple:

Identify and exploit their weaknesses, and find a straightforward way to annihilate the Quincy entirely.

Kaelith had worked hard to secure Hueco Mundo, and Aizen acknowledged that success was largely thanks to him. Though Kaelith might not care, Aizen was unwilling to be the one who did nothing but receive.

He wanted to help realize Kaelith’s vision. Right now, Kaelith’s biggest threat was the hidden empire of Quincy. That made them Aizen’s enemy, too.

These Quincy in this room, however, were unrelated to the Wandenreich—just innocent humans from the World of the Living. But that was why this secret laboratory existed: Aizen planned to experiment here, away from Kaelith’s eyes. He knew Kaelith would not approve of this.

With a cold glint in his eyes, Aizen opened one of the capsules and lifted the unconscious Quincy onto an operating table…

…

Across the endless desert, two figures walked slowly. One was a black-haired humanoid Hollow, appearance nearly human—pale face, distant eyes, twin green tear-lines trailing from beneath each eye. A half mask of white bone covered the left side of his head, crowned by a single horn.

He wore a ragged cloak reminiscent of Starrk’s old garb. Though the fragments on his face hinted at his Hollow nature, the faint spiritual waves he emitted testified to a complete Arrancarization.

Beside him was an Adjuchas, not yet Arrancar, shaped like an odd insect. Its body stretched over three meters in length; only the head and arms resembled something vaguely humanoid, while multiple spider-like legs extended behind. Its crawling gait was enough to unsettle anyone who watched for too long.

After walking for a while, the bug-like Hollow grew impatient.  

“Ulquiorra, where the hell are we even going?”

The young man in front didn’t break stride.  

“We aren’t traveling together. I’m simply walking my own path. You’ve been following me.”

The Adjuchas grinned. “I’m protecting you. You just killed off a bunch of those weird guys. They might have friends who’ll come looking for trouble. That’s when I’ll eat them!”

Ulquiorra sighed.

“I had no intention of killing anyone. I only meant to drive them away. If not for you interfering, they wouldn’t have died, and there would be no aftermath.”

The Adjuchas scowled. “They were coming after us. If we didn’t kill them, what—sit around waiting to die? Kid, you’ve got decent strength, so why be so timid? If you’re that afraid of conflict, you might as well off yourself right now and let me devour you!”

Ulquiorra said nothing. He wanted to explain that he wasn’t afraid, only that he found it meaningless. Still, he realized there was little point in clarifying. Life was an endless void, and eventually, he would become desert dust in Hueco Mundo.

No matter how many people understood him or how much he justified himself, in the end, it would mean nothing.

Seeing him remain silent, the Adjuchas was annoyed at first. But after spending some time with Ulquiorra, he’d come to expect such behavior. Getting angry wouldn’t help.

“So, where exactly are you heading?”

“I’m going to Las Noches,” Ulquiorra replied swiftly. “I’ve heard someone new took over.”

“Someone… replaced Baraggan?” The Adjuchas sounded shocked. “So there’s a Hollow stronger than him?”

Ulquiorra shook his head.  

“Hueco Mundo is vast and teeming with life. It’s no surprise there are Hollows stronger than Baraggan. But apparently, the new masters of Las Noches aren’t Hollows at all.”

He paused.  

“They’re two Shinigami.”

The Adjuchas froze.  

“What did you say?! That’s insane! How could Shinigami be ruling Las Noches? Did the Soul Reapers invade Hueco Mundo and conquer it?”

“I don’t know,” said Ulquiorra. “That’s exactly why I want to see them. I’ve asked countless Hollows about the meaning of life and the nature of the heart, but none had an answer. If Hollows can’t help, then I’ll ask the Shinigami. If they overthrew Baraggan, perhaps they’re capable of answering me.”

The Adjuchas stared in disbelief. He knew Ulquiorra was unusual, but he never suspected this level of insanity.

If those Shinigami were powerful enough to topple Baraggan, they’d surely be formidable. Going to them willingly was practically suicide.

“Hey, Ulquiorra, are you out of your mind? Quit messing around. They’re not going to chat with you—they’ll slice you up!”

“You’re correct. That’s the most likely scenario,” Ulquiorra answered calmly. “But it’s the best idea I have left. If I can’t find an answer, wandering aimlessly through a near-immortal life is pointless. Perhaps dying is better.”

The Adjuchas had no words. After a moment, he let out a derisive snort.  

“All right, if you’re that dead set on it, I’ll tag along to Las Noches. I’ve killed a lot of Hollows, but never a Shinigami. I wonder what they taste like!”

Ulquiorra glanced over. This Adjuchas wasn’t particularly strong; what made him follow so persistently? Even knowing it might be a death sentence, he still refused to leave. It was strange.

He started to ask but was cut off by a flicker of alarm in his eyes.  

Swish!

Ulquiorra spun sharply, drawing the Zanpakutō at his waist in an upward slash. Almost simultaneously, a short sword wreathed in blue fire came hurtling down from the sky, linked to a long black chain.

Clang!!

Metal met metal, sending sparks flying. Ulquiorra raised his other hand, forming a shield of reishi to block an identical chain sword coming from another angle. Within a fraction of a second, he determined how to parry—only for his shield to shatter at once. The blue-flamed blade pierced through his palm and grazed his cheek before shooting off behind him, leaving a faint bloody line.

Surprised by the pain throbbing in his hand, Ulquiorra realized his defensive strength should have been enough to endure that strike. So this opponent’s weapon must be endowed with some special property.

While he processed that thought, the chain began retracting. Without hesitation, Ulquiorra yanked hard and allowed his wounded palm to tear completely free. If he hesitated for even a split second, his whole body would be dragged off. His hand ripped apart in a spray of blood, then regenerated within the span of a single breath. The cut on his face disappeared just as quickly.

“Zehahaha!!”  

With a crisp laugh, a figure dropped from the sky, slamming down in front of them. Only then did the Adjuchas realize what had happened. Staring at the young man wearing a Shihakushō and white captain’s haori, the bug-like Hollow broke into a cold sweat.

“A… Shinigami!!”

“Right answer—here’s your prize: a blade!” Kaelith roared with laughter, lunging forward.

Clang!!

He was abruptly intercepted by Ulquiorra, who flashed into position, meeting his slash head-on instead of opting to defend. Kaelith raised an eyebrow.

“Interesting. Did he just figure out my pattern after a single clash, or was that sheer coincidence?”

Ulquiorra offered no reply. He simply looked at the man before him.  

“You are the new master of Las Noches?”

“To be precise, I’m the new master of the Hueco Mundo Paradise,” Kaelith corrected with a grin.

“Hueco Mundo… Paradise?” Ulquiorra repeated uncertainly.

“It’s my personal venture—my guiding principle!” Kaelith said cheerfully.

Ulquiorra’s eyes flickered at the word “principle.”

So the Shinigami understood something about the heart after all. His brief distraction gave Kaelith the opening he needed. One blade locked Ulquiorra’s sword in place, while the other swept upward from below, trailing a blaze of blue fire.

In that split second, Ulquiorra instinctively tried to reinforce his skin with spiritual pressure—his usual tactic.

The moment he did so, he realized it was a mistake.

Slash!!

A flash of steel sent Ulquiorra’s forearm spinning into the air.  

“Your royal power is mine now!” Kaelith yelled, crowing triumphantly. Ulquiorra had no idea what that meant. The Shinigami’s words always seemed disconnected from reality.

While his arm regrew through his High-Speed Regeneration, Ulquiorra shifted tactics. Rather than blending offense and defense, he poured everything into aggression, mirroring Kaelith’s unbridled style.

Visually, they were polar opposites: one with a pale, melancholic grace, the other radiating sunny confidence. They should have looked like a frail magician and a bold hero in some fantasy epic. Instead, they raged against each other like berserkers, unleashing hit after devastating hit.

Initially, Ulquiorra managed to hold his own. But after a couple of minutes, he started falling behind. Whether it was raw strength, reflexes, or the ability to read attacks, he couldn’t match this Shinigami. Wounds multiplied across his body. Although High-Speed Regeneration healed them quickly, it consumed large amounts of spiritual energy. If things went on like this, defeat was inevitable.

Comprehending the situation, Ulquiorra wasted no time. Slipping out of Kaelith’s range, he leveled his Zanpakutō in front of him.

“Enclose… Murciélago!”

A violent surge of black spiritual energy flared up around him.

Seeing Ulquiorra’s posture, Kaelith nodded in approval.  

“Just as I suspected—like Starrk, you achieved Arrancarization on your own.”

“In that case, I should show my true strength!”

He tossed aside his Zanpakutō in its Shikai form. Thunk—it landed blade-first in the sand, quivering.

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