Chapter 42: Creation of the Royal Guard |
"Las Noches..."
Nelliel mused, whispering the name cautiously as she processed Yeruashi's words. "Legends say that you were the one who built that palace, but now... a Vasto Lorde makes himself at home there."
Yeruashi spoke calmly, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon. "Legends lie, for my true palace lies far above Las Noches. However... it is currently occupied, much like Las Noches itself."
"Ah?"
Nelliel was stunned by his revelation.
She had no way of knowing that a small, independent dimension, created by Yeruashi shortly after the birth of Hueco Mundo, floated above Las Noches, let alone that someone had taken up residence there.
"That is why I have decided to find several worthy Hollows and form a Royal Guard, ensuring that such a thing never happens again."
Yeruashi added casually as he paced forward. "Keep up."
Whoosh!
Lilith followed him instantly. Nelliel hesitated for a heartbeat before stepping forward and vanishing into the distance as well.
...
Soul Society.
Seireitei.
Inside a secret underground training ground located within the compound of the Second Division of the Gotei 13.
Soi Fon was gasping for air, her small hands white-knuckled as she gripped the hilt of her blade.
Facing the bloodied and exhausted Soi Fon was the materialized spirit of her own Zanpakuto!
To manifest the spirit into the physical world, they had used a special artifact called the Tenshintai—a device previously invented and tested by Kisuke Urahara, and now held by the Onmitsukido.
A Shinigami could only achieve Bankai once they had defeated and subjugated the materialized spirit of their own sword.
"Hah... hah..."
Soi Fon continued to fight stubbornly against the spirit, droplets of blood and sweat raining down onto the stone floor.
Her heavily depleted Reiatsu was clearly reaching its absolute limit, but just as it seemed she was about to collapse, the materialized spirit suddenly vanished, leaving nothing but a lifeless doll in its place.
"Take a rest."
Yoruichi's voice drifted in from the side.
Soi Fon protested in a hoarse, ragged voice. "But Yoruichi-sama... I can still keep going..."
Yoruichi shook her head, her gaze fixed on the ceiling of the vast training hall. "There is no need for such haste. You will have plenty of time for training later. Besides, people are looking for us."
She patted Soi Fon gently on the shoulder. "I will go see what has happened. In the meantime, rest and tend to those wounds."
With those words, Yoruichi's figure blurred as she dashed toward the exit of the underground facility.
As soon as she reached the surface, the frantic voice of a Shinigami reached her ears. "Captain! Lieutenant Hatake and Lilith have entered a dimensional rift leading to Hueco Mundo! They are pursuing the Hollows that attacked the members of our division!"
Yoruichi narrowed her eyes and ran a hand through her hair, feeling a headache beginning to throb. 'Why would that boy suddenly do something so reckless...'
"Captain, should we request that the Twelfth Division open a gateway to Hueco Mundo? If we do, Lieutenant Hatake might be able to return..."
Yuta Mitsuki was clearly in a state of high agitation.
Yoruichi stroked her chin thoughtfully. "No... not yet. That boy has everything under control."
If any other Shinigami had been stranded in the heart of Hueco Mundo, she would have immediately sought a way to provide support.
But Yoruichi was certain that Yeruashi—whom she had never been able to fully decipher—was not the type to recklessly throw his life away.
Therefore, there was no need for emergency measures.
In her estimation, there was a better than ninety percent chance that Yeruashi would find his own way back to Soul Society.
"Understood."
Yuta Mitsuki, still looking tense and worried, bowed and withdrew, unable to counter his captain's decision.
Yoruichi watched him leave for a moment before calmly returning to the underground training area.
"What news, Yoruichi-sama?"
Soi Fon was waiting for her return instead of heading to the hot springs to heal her numerous shallow cuts.
Yoruichi spoke breezily, twirling a long blade of grass she had picked up somewhere. "Yeruashi, that amateur monster hunter, has gone chasing Hollows straight into Hueco Mundo."
"Wha—?!"
Soi Fon exclaimed in shock. "How... how could this happen..."
Shinigami occasionally conducted raids into Hueco Mundo, but such expeditions required extensive preparation, coordinated efforts between multiple divisions, and the establishment of a stable gateway between the dimensions.
Since Yeruashi had entered Hueco Mundo while pursuing Hollows, it stood to reason that he had passed through a Garganta...
Which meant...
Yeruashi would not be able to return the same way, and the Gotei 13 would not be able to determine even his approximate location.
"Oh, don't worry so much, Soi Fon! Of all people, Yeruashi is certainly not one to act without a plan."
"Now, off to your recovery!"
Yoruichi smirked and tickled Soi Fon's earlobe with the tip of the grass, causing the girl to jump back with flushed cheeks.
Soi Fon continued to hesitate for a moment, but reflecting on his past behavior, his unimaginable strength, and his strange abilities, she realized it truly must have been a calculated move.
"I will look into the matter personally if Yeruashi hasn't returned in a few days."
Yoruichi tossed the grass aside and walked toward the hot spring, shedding her clothes as she went. "Stop standing around like a statue."
...
Hueco Mundo.
Around the time Soi Fon was soaking in the hot spring with Yoruichi, healing her shallow cuts and restoring her depleted Reiatsu, Yeruashi, Lilith, and Nelliel were traveling across the desolate expanses of the Hollow world.
The desert region they were currently in was slightly less monotonous than the rest, as several low hills broke the horizon.
At the very least, it wasn't just an endless, featureless plain.
"This strange Reiatsu... I have never encountered anything like it before..."
Nelliel, still following Yeruashi, narrowed her eyes and whispered as she surveyed the surrounding hills.
She sensed a very strange and unusual energy among those hills—something that couldn't be classified as the Reiatsu of either a Hollow or a Shinigami...
Just like her own current state!
The dim light of the night moon illuminated the gray hills rising from the lifeless landscape.
Atop one of those hills lay a figure steeped in a profound sense of loneliness.
Soon, the figure lazily turned its head toward Yeruashi, Lilith, and Nelliel. Watching Lilith and Nelliel racing across the gray desert in Yeruashi's wake, the figure murmured, "Such powerful Reiatsu... have they come for me?"
Physically, the speaking figure was almost indistinguishable from a human.
Even a Vasto Lorde was incapable of achieving such a striking resemblance to an ordinary person. Nelliel had only gained this appearance after ascending to a higher state of existence through Yeruashi's Six Paths Evolution.
Which meant this figure's level of development far exceeded that of a Vasto Lorde!
This person was... Coyote Starrk!
He was a rare Hollow who had managed to tear off his own mask, becoming an Arrancar whose power eclipsed even that of a Vasto Lorde.
He was also the Primera Espada under Aizen's command in the original timeline.
"!"
Nelliel tensed visibly when she saw the human appearance of the one possessing that strange Reiatsu.
He was incredibly strong!
Nelliel felt that even now, after receiving the King's gift, she was still inferior in strength to this individual!
As she watched the slowly rising Starrk, another head popped out from behind his back.
"Hey, are you finally going to relieve our boredom?"
This was Lilynette—Starrk's companion and the other half of his soul.
In an attempt to escape his crushing loneliness, Starrk had split his own soul into two parts, resulting in Lilynette, who became his constant companion.
"Don't be rude, Lilynette."
Starrk smacked her over the head.
Lilynette smirked wickedly and bit Starrk's hand before whispering, "Such strong Reiatsu... maybe they really can relieve our boredom."
"Let go of my hand!"
Starrk grumbled irritably and shook his arm vigorously, trying to dislodge her. It was useless, so he swung his free hand toward her neck, forcing Lilynette to leap back.
"Coyote Starrk."
Yeruashi stepped forward and spoke nonchalantly, extending his right hand. "Serve me."
His words caught Starrk by surprise, while Lilynette exclaimed irritably, "Who do you think you are?! Why would we ever serve you?!"
Rap!
Starrk smacked Lilynette again, cutting off her outburst, before fixing his gaze on Yeruashi. "Are you their leader?"
He had concluded that Lilith was the strongest the moment he noticed the trio.
To be more specific, even Starrk couldn't fully gauge the depth of Lilith's power, while Nelliel gave off the aura of a powerful Hollow with an essence very similar to his own.
As for Yeruashi... he had been completely ignored by Starrk.
But now...
Yeruashi, from whom he felt almost no Reiatsu at all, turned out to be the leader of the three!
This not only defied Starrk's expectations but also suggested that his entire understanding of the situation might be fundamentally flawed.
Yeruashi spoke calmly as he looked at Starrk. "You are so powerful that other Hollows lose their souls and die just by being near you. Because of this, you are very lonely. But I promise you that if you follow me, you will gain many powerful companions."
Starrk looked deep into Yeruashi's eyes.
Lilynette remained silent because Nelliel and Lilith, who were watching her closely, seemed incredibly dangerous and frightening.
After staring into Yeruashi's eyes for several seconds, Starrk asked warily, "May I ask... who are you?"
In response, Yeruashi merely offered a silent smile and raised his hand, pointing a finger toward the sky.