Author's note: While I love Bleach, I was hoping that Kubo could've done something more in this arc. While some of this will remain loyal to the canon part, the rest of the plotlines will be original, based upon an idea I had. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.
Chapter 5: The Holy Vanguard
In the white palace called Silbern, somewhere hidden in the shadows
The white, icy palace called Silbern was the main headquarters of the Wandenreich, a hidden empire of Quincies. Its courtyard presided over the surrounding buildings that had were considered to be the Quincies' territory. Even to this day, no one knew how to enter or exit this realm. The only exception were the Quincies themselves.
Inside the palace, Yhwach, the Emperor of the Wandenreich, as well as the Father of the Quincies, sat on his throne while listening to reports by some of the empire's scientists. The long-haired man sat still, his eyes only focused on the men dressed in white. At his side stood his most trusted advisor and confidante, as well as the Grandmaster of the Sternritters: Jugram Haschwalth.
"So, the entire Jagdarmee has been exterminated?" Yhwach asked his subjects.
The scientist nodded his head in return. "Yes, Your Majesty. That also includes Executive Hunting Captain: Quilge Opie. However, from what we can confirm, none of them were exterminated by the Special War Potential: Ichigo Kurosaki" the scientist answered with respect towards his liege.
The emperor only forced a smirk underneath his long moustache. "I see. An unfortunate outcome. Nevertheless, they all did their job well, just as I requested" he said, not as much as feeling saddened by their loss. He then faced the blonde-haired man beside him. "Haschwalth, we may have to find a replacement for Quilge soon" he noted to his confidante.
Haschwalth formed a slight smile by hearing this. "Of course, Your Majesty. I will look into it" he said with formality in his voice.
"Sir" another scientist spoke up. "According to the Daten given to us by the Jagdarmee, it says that most of the attackers were Arrancars…although more powerful than those of the Espadas. I am concerned. Creatures like them could only jeopardize our hold on Hueco Mundo" he revealed with a hint of shock in his voice.
"It matters not" Haschwalth's voice snapped the scientist. "Hueco Mundo already did its job by helping us invade the Soul Society. It was merely a foundation stone. With it, we have managed to shatter the Sereitei's defenses and leave its soldiers in disarray. Therefore, we don't have use for it anymore, as His Majesty has said" the blonde-haired man said, before nodding his head in respect for his emperor.
The scientist nodded his head with respect before facing Yhwach once again. "Certainly. However, it would be beneficial to have those subjugated Arrancars on our side, considering that they don't require prerequisite training" he pointed out.
"You still believe in such distant facts?" Yhwach asked him and began laughing at the scientist's stupidity. He then rose up and began pacing back and forth by his throne "While they don't necessarily require it, they must undergo such if they are to achieve greater strength. But so far, all those Arrancars who have joined the Wandenreich are nothing but a pack of weak-minded vermin compared to full-blooded Quinces like ourselves!" he spoke up, thus snapping the scientist.
"But they could still….I mean, you're right! There's no sense in enlisting unworthy simpletons into our ranks. You're correct, my lord!" he then said, quickly changing the tone of his voice. Apparently, he had done so out of fear of Yhwach. He was well aware of what a ruthless man the emperor was towards his subjects.
Bowing his head in shame once again, the scientist begged for his superior's forgiveness, yet the long-haired man was growing tired of listening to him. "I have heard enough from you and your colleagues for now. It is time that I begin my work. Come forward…Uryu!" the old man called out the name of one of Ichigo's trusted friends, Uryu Ishida, as he was now standing beside the throne, dressed in his Wandenreich attire. It remained to be seen why he, who was among Ichigo's greatest allies, would join the Quincies, knowing well about the danger his people possessed to the balance of souls in the world.
"I am here, Your Majesty" Uryu spoke with formality in his voice.
Yhwach smiled by seeing him responding to his call. "So glad to know of your quick response. Now come, let us officially induct you into the Wandenreich's ranks" he said and motioned for the four-eyed man to follow both him and Haschwalth.
"As you command, sire" Uryu said in return.
The scientists were very shocked to see Uryu, an outsider, already gaining Yhwach's favor. "Your Majesty….…who is this man?" one of them asked as he was curious.
This made the emperor stop and he looked over his shoulder to face them with his imperial glance. "Who, you may ask?" he said, before fixing a smug grin underneath his moustache. "Why, he is the Prinz von Licht and your future emperor" he replied before proceeding towards the throne room's exit.
The scientists only reacted in shock without saying anything in return. They could not believe how a stranger like Uryu had been chosen to be Yhwach's successor to the throne of the Wandenreich. However, they would have no say in the matter, as Yhwach's decisions were absolute.
However, the Emperor of the Wandenreich was apparently thinking about something as they made their way to the main hall. He was even filled with satisfaction within himself. "If the Jagdarmee has indeed been obliterated by Arrancars with higher Spiritual Pressures, then that can only mean one thing and one thing alone" Yhwach thought while forming an evil smirk in the process. "My instincts were right all along. You are still alive after all these ages…Augustus Zod Allowin" he thought, remembering someone he knew, from a very different lifetime.
At the same time, inside a Reishi-empowered prison cell, Silbern
While the Quincies were dwelling in the halls of Silbern, Tier Harribel, the former Tres Espada in Sosuke Aizen's army, was chained and battered in her own cell, accessible to only the higher-ups of the Wandenreich. The blonde-haired woman had managed to survive Aizen's deadly slash, but only narrowly.
After Aizen's defeat, Harribel and her Fracciòn fled back to Hueco Mundo and rallied the surviving Arrancars. Because of her number, as well as her previous status as a Vasto Lorde, Harribel was made the de facto ruler of Hueco Mundo, although her rule did not last very long. In fact, she was once approached by representatives of the Imperio de Hierro and asked to join it, even being offered a place amongst the Dechados. But Harribel, already embittered by Aizen's betrayal and exploitation, angrily rejected the offer, claiming that she was no one's slave anymore. But the representatives warned that whenever she was facing her greatest threat, she would be fighting her battle alone. Even so, the blonde-haired woman refused to take their words seriously and swore to never again serve under someone.
But rejecting the empire's offer turned out to be Harribel's biggest mistake made as the ruler of Hueco Mundo. When the Wandenreich invaded the realm of Hollows, it's military easily disposed of the defenders of Las Noches. Harribel had lost support from Arrancars, both those who were formerly loyal to Aizen and those who defected over to the Wandenreich's ranks. The abandonments and defections only complicated Harribel's effort to lead Hueco Mundo against the invading Quincies. The Sternritters and the Jagdarmee completely decimated her loyalists and Harribel herself attempted to confront Yhwach in combat. But despite her powerful stamina and strength, Harribel was easily defeated by the Wandenreich's merciless emperor and was imprisoned as a result.
Yhwach had decided to keep her alive as a prisoner, in hopes of dragging more Arrancars into the Wandenreich's service. However, he knew that most of them were too weak by his own standards. Still, weak Arrancars functioned well as cannon fodders to the empire's army.
As the blonde-haired woman sat there being chained like a beast, she could only think about how her Fracciòn was doing. She deeply cared about Apacci, Mila Rose and Sung-Sun, which contrasted her from other Espadas when it came to a compassionate relationship with their Fracciòn, with the noticeable exception being Nelliel Tu Odelschwank. Even so, she felt utterly hopeless in herself, as she had been defeated and jailed by Hueco Mundo's new rulers, or so she thought.
"How could I let this happen? To me? To my Fracciòn!? To my people!?" Harribel wondered in her head while facing the floor with empty eyes. "Was I nothing but a failed experiment from Aizen? Was I never meant to be a powerful warrior!? Was I destined to fail!?" she added to her thoughts. It was apparent that Harribel was emotionally lost as she didn't know what to feel.
But all that changed when her prison cell suddenly enclosed itself into darkness, thus surprising the former Tres Espada. Harribel could see all that she saw before her eyes were nothing but an empty space. However, she could spot a silhouette forming itself from the floor and the young woman widened her eyes in shock.
"What in the name of…" she uttered out words slowly as the figure began revealing itself as an old Arrancar with shabby clothes, including a hood. He had long, white beard and four spikes sprouted from his back, indicated that they were his Hollow-shell. He held onto a staff made of bones. His blue eyes opened and he formed a toothy grin with his mouth as he got a glimpse of the chained Harribel. "You! How did you…..." Harribel angrily demanded, but stopped by only seeing the strange Arrancar chuckle deeply at her.
"Such a humiliating view. The wise and mighty Tier Harribel, rallying her people as Hueco Mundo's "so-called" ruler. But look at you now, all wrapped up in chains after failing the battle against the Quincies" the Arrancar told her mockingly.
Harribel gritted her teeth in anger. "What do you want from me, Killaman Khan!?" she demanded bitterly while calling out the Arrancar's name. "Have you come to make a mockery out of me, oracle!?" she added.
The old man called Killaman Khan only shrugged his shoulders by seeing this, and faced her smugly in return. "Your reaction and thoughts only indicate that you now believe in my divinations, do you not? After all, I was present when we offered you a place amongst us in the Dechados" the weird Arrancar remarked, but Harribel only huffed in return, causing him to narrow his glowing eyes. "Do not be so ungrateful, Tier Harribel. After all, I did tell you that without our assistance, you would fall to the Wandenreich. However, you stubbornly kept comparing us to Sosuke Aizen, saying that we would only take advantage of you. A very foolish accusation, especially given that you are an Esclavo" he went on explaining.
Hearing this made Harribel immediately snap in rage. "I only followed Aizen because he was the only strongest individual I could relate to! If you and your master really wanted my service so badly, then you would've approached me many years before him!" Harribel spat out and then faced the oracle right in his eyes. "So let me ask you this: how are you any different from us Espadas!? Aren't you and the others Dechados slaves as well!?" she demanded an answer from him.
Killaman only narrowed his bright eyes and then took small steps towards the angry woman, who was not hesitant to attack him if he came closer, despite her being in chains. Standing a few meters from her position, the oracle reached out his finger and poked Harribel's forehead. The woman first attempted to move her face away, but after being poked, something occurred within her body. It began trembling with nothing like she had ever felt.
"What…what is this!?" she demanded an answer as she felt her entire vision change. "Bastard! What have you done to me!?" she added furiously.
"What you are about to see will make everything become clear to you, young woman. When you have seen it, do what you think it's best for you. But remember: such will define your destiny" the voice of the oracle could be heard, although he himself was no longer to be seen.
Harribel felt herself drift away from the cell, and she soon realized that she was standing upon her two feet. She felt herself standing on the dunes of Hueco Mundo. At first, she thought she had been freed, but that was not the case.
The blonde-haired woman could only face the endless landscape, but snapped as she felt a powerful wind blow to her from behind. Turning around, Harribel's eyes were filled with fear, as she could spot a large pillar of darkness shooting right up to the dark skies. It was surprising how the pillar could strike fear into her, who herself was a powerful Arrancar.
"What has happened here!?" Harribel questioned warily. "WHAT KIND OF HELL IS THIS PLACE!?" she then demanded as she fell slammed her fists onto the dunes in despair. She even shrieked as she could see a skull lying right before her in the sand. This was indeed a nightmare.
But she immediately got cautious, as she could spot a familiar figure walking towards her location. It was Yhwach, although he seemed less old and even lacked the moustache underneath his nose. His hair was also shorter and only reached to his shoulder. He was smiling with satisfaction as he walked towards Harribel.
The blonde-haired woman immediately charged towards him, this time, hoping to take him down once and for all. But she was in for a surprise as he simply walked through her. Harribel fell onto the sand and watched him continue walking as if he hadn't spotted her.
"I don't understand. Is he not seeing me!?" she wondered in her head while noticing Yhwach proceeding to walk towards the endless dunes.
"YHWACH!" Harribel suddenly snapped by hearing a familiar voice calling out to the Father of the Quincies. This even made Yhwach stop. Turning around, he could spot a Shinigami captain standing a few meters from him with his flaming Zanpakutou. Harribel immediately recognized this man as Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, although he seemed much younger, as he did not have his long beard or exposing eyebrows. The former Head-Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads faced Yhwach angrily. "Yhwach, you bastard! How…how could you do this!?" the Shinigami angrily demanded an answer from him. "This…...this was not the plan we agreed upon!" he added with frustration.
The emperor only smirked by seeing his demands. "You seem quite upset, Shigekuni Yamamoto. Shouldn't you, your subordinates and the entire Soul Society be celebrating? After all, we have defeated our common enemy and corrupted its source of power. The number of Hollows obtaining intelligence will reduce, which makes it easier for us to dispose of them" he replied in return as if everything was normal.
Hearing this answer, only made Yamamoto angrier by the minute. "To hell with your wickedness! You have betrayed us! Exploited us! Made us assist you Quincies with this war so that you could do the most unthinkable! Defile the Vida! Have you any idea of the consequences this will have on the entire world!? Not only will it increase the number of Hollows! It will also ruin the balance that has…" he angrily yelled, yet stopped in seeing how nonchalant the Quincy was behaving towards him.
In fact, Yhwach chuckled at Yamamoto's angry rant. "Sympathetic towards your enemy? Your ideals are gravely misplaced, Yamamoto" he said and looked at the giant pillar of darkness. "By getting rid of the Arrancars' source of power, there will be more Hollows left alone, as well as more Hollows left to destroy! Then, it will help us create a stronger Soul Society, starting by annexing Hueco Mundo!" he exclaimed with madness.
Yamamoto's eyes widened in shock, but eventually formed a determined expression on his face, firming his grip on his Zanpakutou in the process. "Yhwach…tell me about your true desires. What are they?" he requested lowly.
"My true desires, you ask?" Yhwach asks him before turning his back to him and wanders off, but not before leaving parting words for Yamamoto to hear. "You have no idea of what my desires truly are. Because if you knew about them, then you would be on your knees begging for my acknowledgement, as well as my forgiveness. After all, all Souls like you should know better than to stand against the one, true Soul King" he replied before vanishing by using his Hirenkyaku.
As he watched the emperor disappear, Yamamoto could only look back and watch the chaos of Hueco Mundo he had helped in creating. His eyes were only filled with shock, as he was in fact guilty of assisting Yhwach in destroying the only civilization of Hollows in Hueco Mundo. A shameful expression formed across his face.
"Once again…..I have shamed myself by allowing my inner demon to take hold on me" Yamamoto spoke with defeat in his voice.
Harribel snapped back into the reality, as she found herself back in her cell, still wrapped up in chains. She panted deeply, trying to catch her breath after being dragged into this…...nightmarish vision. Whatever it was, it had seemed terrible, even for an Arrancar, to witness.
But beneath catching her breath, a hidden fire began igniting within her eyes. The reason being that she could hear a voice calling to her. This voice sounded very distant, but she could definitely hear it.
"Release yourself from this captivity" it said and with enough willpower and strength, Harribel broke the chains that held her and she pulled of the stick that had been implanted into her right foot. It was painful for her to bear, but she did this anyway, knowing it was better than to sit and rot inside this prison. "Well done, Tier Harribel. You are only one step ahead towards the path to freedom" the elderly voice called to her.
Harribel noticed that she was back in her normal form, as her Hollow-shell covered her mouth and breasts once again. The blonde-haired woman held her Zanpakutou tightly and looked around the cell to see if there were anyone but herself in here.
Her suspicions were confirmed as two Arrancars dressed in the Wandenreich attire entered the cell, only to be shocked when seeing Harribel without in chains.
"Those who accept the Wandenreich's amnesty or remain loyal to Sosuke Aizen are traitors to our kind!" the voice invaded her thoughts once again. "Eliminate them, warrior! Slay the Esclavos in the name of our forefathers! Punish them for revering men who has helped orchestrate the demise of our people" it demanded.
Without hesitating, Harribel unleashed herself upon the Arrancars and ruthlessly tore them apart, considering that their strength was on the same level as normal Nùmeros. Blood sprouted everywhere in the cell and Harribel only stood there with a remorseless look. Even though she valued Arrancars, she too, had come to despise those who had abandoned their pride for either the Wandenrich or Aizen.
The blonde-haired Arrancar looked down upon her victims. "Treacherous scum! You are a waste of space, as well as an eyesore!" she spat out with venom.
"I am impressed. People like you would be a valuable asset to the empire's army" the voice called out.
However, she was not impressed by it. "Who are you!?" Harribel demanded while her eyes narrowed. "And what makes you think I will agree to join forces with you!?" she added, with anger being omnipresent in her tone.
It took some time before she was given an answer, after a Garganta was formed in the cell, much to the Arrancar's utter surprise. How could someone simply open a Garganta in the middle of enemy territory? But as it opened, Harribel could see that there was no one inside, only the long road towards freedom.
"Enter the Garganta and you will be given the answer you seek, Tier Harribel" the voice called out to her through the Garganta. "Come to me and you will be free at last" it added.
Harribel, who was only focused on being free from captivity ran into the Garganta, running towards the path while the opening behind her was shut down. "Apacci, Mila Rose, Sung-Sun…wherever you may be….I will find you" that was the thoughts of Harribel as she ran towards her salvation.
In the desolate wastes of Hueco Mundo
Orihime Inoue and her small, flying companion named Pero had been wandering through the endless wastes of Hueco Mundo for hours. The winds were blowing, but the young woman never lost track of where she was heading. She didn't even bother looking back.
However, she felt her body growing tired, yet resisted and pressed on. "These Negal Ruins does seem to be far away from the ruins of Las Noches. I never expected Hueco Mundo to be that big" she remarked while keeping up her pace.
Pero had changed his position at various times, yet he was still concerned about him and Orihime being alone in the realm of the Hollows. But so far, they had not encountered a single Hollow on this journey and it made both Pero and Orihime wonder why. But then again, the Wandenreich's Jagdarmee had managed to slay countless of Hollows since they entered it, so it would actually be no surprise as to why the lack of Hollows.
Suddenly, Orihime stopped in her tracks and she paused to look to her sides. So far, she saw nothing but the endless night and the sand. "Weird. I thought I just sensed something strange" she noted before continuing walking.
"Are you doing okay, Orihime" Pero asked her, making her force a carefree smile.
"Of course, I do, Pero! Thanks for asking!" she answered in return.
However, Pero did not necessarily seem convinced by the orange-haired woman's answer. Even so, he chose not to raise that issue with her. "Strange. I can no longer sense Master Kisuke's Spiritual Pressure, even though I am designed to locate and track it no matter the distance between us" the small thing noted in his thoughts. "I am already starting to have doubts about this….test" he admitted.
But all things changed, once Orihime could feel the entire sand beneath her shake. Eventually Pero could notice it as well, despite the fact that he was flying.
"What in the world!? Is this an earthquake!?" Pero asked as he felt uneasy.
"No. I think this is something else!" Orihime noted with shock and she could immediately see the sand beneath her sinking. With her quick reflexes, Orihime sprung from the circle and made a jump to a giant rock, knowing that it would not be taken by the sinking. However, she and Pero quickly got a glimpse of what had actually emerged out of the sand. It was a giant Hollow, that almost resembled an octopus, as it had tentacles. While Orihime had seen many types of Hollows before, she had never seen anything like this, as it actually seemed taller than a Menos Grande. "Such immense size…" was all the words Orihime could come up with as she could watch the creature rise above the dunes.
The Hollow had its shelled face fixed upon Orihime and it began to howl in a different manner than what most Hollows did. It then began moving its tentacles at her, forcing her to run away as quickly as she could. It was hard to run fast on the sand, but her size helped her in advantage to the Hollow's.
"We need to scram as quickly as possible!" Pero told Orihime as he flew beside her.
However, Orihime looked at him with a confused eyebrow. "But isn't Urahara supposed to be coming now? He said that you had a button that I could push on to make him come here" the young woman asked while running.
Pero only felt dumbfounded by that question. "What do you mean that Master Kisuke will come? I am only programed to document everything that I see! I don't have any button on me!" he replied in return, much to Orihime's utter confusion.
"What!? But I swear, Urahara said that…" Orihime was interrupted as the giant Hollow slammed one of its tentacles on the sand like a giant whip, forcing the two to be sent in separate ways.
The orange-haired woman rolled down the dunes, coughing out dust as she stopped rolling. She briefly looked up to see a giant tentacle up in the airs once again, convincing Orihime that it was indeed aiming for her. With reluctance, she rolled to the other side as quickly as she could, hoping to avoid it. However, the tentacle's slam on the sand caused quite a shake and the woman was even lifted in the air by it.
Orihime landed on her behind, and quickly looked to see the beast standing before her. "This Hollow sure is persistent. Usually, my Santen Kesshun is able to kill Hollows. Unfortunately, it may not be effective against a Hollow at this size" she noted warily as she could see the Hollow nearing her location. However, by seeing Pero floating in the air, Orihime got an idea, a terrific one. "But I shouldn't just use it as a weapon and tool. I should use it to my own advantage! Santen Kesshun!" she called out and her hairpins began forming a floating platform that she quickly jumped on.
Pero was stunned by what he was seeing. "Orihime, what in the world have you created?" he asked with wonder.
"I'll explain everything later! Now hold on tight!" she replied and the platform she created took off to the air, and with incredible speed as well. Orihime held onto Pero as they flew eastwards.
But they were not safe, as the giant Hollow was still pursuing them from below the sands. In fact, it even dug in the sand and shot three tentacles up from the sand like giant pillars. This caught Orihime and Pero by surprise, and they almost fell from the platform. However, they also strived to avoid the giant tentacles, knowing that one hit could destroy the platform.
"That Hollow is using the environment to its advantage!" Pero noted with worry. "It can even catch flying prey as well! I suggest that fly higher to avoid it's reach" he added with an analysis of the situation.
"We can't fly too high! That will certainly destabilize and destroy the platform!" Orihime called out and she proceeded to command the platform to head towards the east.
But as they headed east, the two became surprised when this unfamiliar fog began surrounding them. Orihime stopped the platform and both she and Pero became wary about stumbling upon something like this.
"Now this is unusual. I never knew Hueco Mundo had fog" Pero remarked. "This means e must be in one it's more unique territories" he added.
Orihime still felt suspicious, although a hint of relief could be seen on her face. "Whatever this fog is, it sure helped us in losing that Hollow" she noted lowly while facing around. "But where do we go now? I can't see anything through here" she wondered while sounding confused.
"That is a good question, Orihime" Pero said and looked up, only to see that there was fog there was well. "This fog is everywhere. Even if we flew up higher, we wouldn't have been able to spot a thing. Not to mention that I still can't sense Master Kisuke's Spiritual Pressure" he added.
But out of nowhere, a giant tentacle appeared from below, destroying the platform and sending Orihime falling. She quickly tried to recreate the platform but it was no use. She could see the giant Hollow's head appearing right below her.
"No! It must have followed us into the fog and using the sand to navigate to our location!" Orihime thought with shock. "And my Santen Kesshun is paralyzed at the moment, so I can't use it right now" she added with distress.
Pero flew beside her, but apparently, he didn't possess the power to save a Human. However, he and her could eventually feel themselves floating in the air, right beside the tentacle, which was beginning to lower itself. This made them both confused.
Their answers were given as the entire fog vanished in the blink of an eye, revealing the entire environment once again. However, Orihime and Pero were stunned to see a giant female Hollow made by wind. It was enormous and began using her hands and wings to blow wind at the Hollow with tentacles. Apparently, she was fighting it.
"What…" Orihime wondered in disbelief. "I never knew that there existed Hollows of that type!" she added to her thoughts.
The windy Hollow was revealed to be Àirde, and she was now driving the Hollow away from her position. "Back to the sands with you, Kraken! You know the consequences of entering the Valle de La Salvaciòn! Now, begone!" Àirde bellowed while commanding the Hollow to leave.
Orihime was stunned by seeing the giant, windy Hollow confront the one called Kraken. However, she looked beside Àirde and was stunned to see something she never had seen in Hueco Mundo before. There were mountains, canyons as well as a giant valley. Furthermore, she could see clouds floating at the peaks of the mountains, as well as thunder and lightning raining down from them. She and Pero got a better look as they slowly descended upon the ground, standing not far from the edge itself.
The young woman turned around to see Kraken disappear from her sight, all thanks to Àirde and her warning towards the giant beast. Furthermore, it didn't take long before she took notice of Orihime's presence, her azure eyes gazing down upon her.
Orihime felt slightly intimidated by the Hollow's glance, yet decided to express her gratitude towards it with a bow. "Thank you so much for saving me and my companion from that Hollow" was the gentle words she could come up with.
Àirde's eyes narrowed at her. "I did not scare Kraken away to save your little hide, Human! I did it because that beast has no permission to enter the Valle de La Salvaciòn!" her voice boomed out, thus snapping Orihime out of her words. Àirde lowered her head to study the young woman. "Now then, spare the plenaries. What is your name, young one?" she asked while sounding demanding at the same time.
Orihime gulped, but she knew better than to act tough against a unique Hollow she knew nothing about. "M-My name is…..Orihime Inoue, madam" she replied without hesitation.
"I see" the windy Hollow replied. "And what have made you approach the Valle de La Salvaciòn?" she then asked.
"Well…..I was told by two paragons that if I traveled to the east, I would find the Negal Ruins…..and El Dorado" the young woman answered in return.
Àirde had not forgotten the favor Chad had asked her to do, especially for Orihime. Once she ever reached the entrance to the valley, Àirde would grant her free passage. Wanting not to be indebted to a Human, the Hollow suddenly unleashed her windy powers, and lifted Orihime and Pero in the air.
"Woah…...what are you doing!?" the young woman asked while sounding very scared by being lifted.
The giant Hollow could be heard sighing in annoyance. "You have given me enough reason for me to allow you entry to the valley, Orihime Inoue. And because of your honesty in your words, I will send you directly to the Negal Ruins" she revealed to her.
Orihime snapped by hearing Àirde's revelation. "Really…but why?" she asked while sounding surprised.
"I grow tired of hearing your mouth, child! Accept this gift humbly!" Àirde said, before throwing them both towards one of the many mountains, although she was more specifically aiming to throw her at the dunes lying before them. Even so, Orihime was officially in the valley and would soon be joining up with her friends, if they too had made it to the Negal Ruins.
To be continued…..
Author's note: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Next one will tell us more about El Dorado, as well as the current situation with the Soul Society. Now who is this Augustus Zod Allowin? Only time will tell. We will also see more about the Wandenreich, as well as Uryu. Ichigo is too preoccupied with getting ready for the final fight.
