Chapter II: Loyalty

The last thing I recall is passing out in front of four blurry figures, their voices garbled as they called at me. I spoke out to them, requesting some sort of help as my conscious went to black. Or that was my intention at least. I have no clue if I was even comprehensible to them or if they weren't going to just kill me. I was hoping that wouldn't be the case, I still sort of had to do something for those who gave themselves for me. Walking a good couple of miles then being devoured by strangers wasn't exactly what I had in mind for that.

However, I very quickly realized that I wasn't dead. That became incredibly clear as pain seemed to scream through every fiber of my being. I felt as if my face was being torn off as my eyes shot open and I found myself yelling from the sudden pain.

I wasn't exactly far off.

A woman was leaned over me with both of her hands pressed into the center of my chest and a shining force flaring beneath her palms. Whatever that shining was made me feel as if my head was being cleaved in half. All I could make out was her sun-kissed blond hair, the rest was a blur to me on account of the fact it felt like she was trying to rip my head in half. If they wanted to kill me, I wished they would have used a less torturous method.

I began to struggle my limbs, ignoring the blood that was escaping my body at every thrash. I continued to scream until air emptied from my lungs causing me to pause as I tried to draw what may very well be my last bit of air for one final scream. However in the silence, I heard what I assumed to be the females voice.

"It will be alright." Her words weren't malicious or hateful, in fact they were laced with tenderness and care as she continued to painfully press the shining object into my chest. Okay, so she wasn't trying to kill me. I managed to stifle my scream as the pain crackled down my spine like lighting. Following her words, I heard a definitive crack (presumably my mask) as light began to shroud me and quickly blinded my vision.

The energy released began to engulf me instantly, threatening to take me whole. However, the way it pulsed across my skin made my limbs somewhat relax as it spread along me. It felt amazing, honestly. Especially after the pain that I just had to deal with.

"Fight it." I could hear that same female voice whisper fiercely, sensing me growing content within the cocoon of energy. Her words weren't a request but a command, and one I could only accept. I began to grow aware of what was happening, of what she had just done.

The feeling across my face was bare, as if my mask was no longer there- or at least most of it. That was when it clicked. I was to become an Arrancar if I could control this energy, I was being force evolved. Why they did this I was unaware, but that wasn't crucial right now. Usually it was done by the choice of the mask-wearer, but that was clearly not the case. Also I wasn't aware the amount of pain involved.

However, I knew what would happen if I didn't control this. My conscious would be lost, and I'd probably be killed after whoever had done this saw that I had failed to retain my energy. So I fought, and I fought. I wrangled in all the energy around me that had begun to engulf me. It was surprisingly easy, truth be told. Asserting myself dominant came as a natural instinct in this regard. Maybe it was my resolve that refused to yield, or maybe it was just a natural survival instinct.

"You're doing good, keep it up."

The energy itself began to mold into a weapon within my hands as I continued to reign it all in and keep my resolve from wavering. I didn't know what laid on ahead for me after this light had dissipated, but it was a future that I had to face. Arrancar, Vasto Lorde, whatever I would be classified as didn't matter. I would still go forward, and continue to carve a path that was supported by those who had died for me. I refused to leave any of it to fate, I would make the path my own.

The future didn't scare me at all.

I could feel the energy become fully tangible and solidify into a weapon as the light faded and vision returned. The first thing that came into my line of sight was presumably the person behind the voice that was talking me through it all.

The lower-half of her face was hidden by a high, white collar. I noticed what looked to be the start of her mask peeking above, the white bone standing in stark contrast with her bronzed visage. Then her golden locks seemed to hang freely, two strands crossing right down the middle of her expression. Some of it was contained faintly by three braids that cascadded over her shoulder blades. Honestly though, the natural way she let her hair go fit her beautifully, her sun-kissed tresses framing what was visible of her face wonderfully. Her sea-green eyes seemed to lock onto mine, examining to see if I had truly managed the evolution successfully.

I merely stared back, slightly mesmerized by the way her eyes seemed to glow within the sparse amount of lighting. It was nothing I'd ever seen before. She looked lovely. Most of the company I kept either had no actual eyes aside from depthless dark holes or were too busy trying to kill me for me to be astounded by them. Hair? Not a common trait, hell most hollows barely had a humanoid shape.

So it was a wonderful new sight to see someone so…attractive.

I then noted the new weight within my hand. I forced my gaze away and found a weapon clenched within my fist. It was…a zanpakuto. My energy had formed itself into a zanpakuto. Wait, weren't they supposed to be bigger?

I stared down, the zanpakuto I wielded was a length of roughly 20 cm. There were also loops for my fingers to fit through and presumably get a better grip. Or use the loops as a make-shift set of iron knuckles. Either or, they could be useful. But weren't zanpakutos usually kantana-shaped or more…long? This looked to be the type of weapon someone would use to stab somebody from behind with.

"Ah, so it seems that you managed to go through the evolution stage without dying. Rather easily at that. Tell me, what name do you go by?" The voice came from above and tore my gaze from the inadequate weapon in my hand. It also made me conscious of the other beings that watched from above on all sides. There were whispers all around, but the voice that had spoken with such calm authority came from in front of me.

His dark brow locks of hair were pulled back to reveal matching colored irises that stared at me with a sort of composure I couldn't help but…fear. It was then I knew who it was, the man who was only whispered about throughout the vastness of Hueco Mundo. A man whose power was so well renowned that some believed him greater than the whole Espada.

Sosuke Aizen.

How the hell I ended up laid out before the throne of him was something I couldn't even begin to understand. It would seem the white beacon I was moving towards was Las Noches. Now wasn't exactly the time though to be focused on that as I moved swiftly to a kneeling position out of respect. I expected such a move to cause pain through my entire body, but as I bowed my head I could see that the fatal wound along my abdomen had entirely closed up. The other wounds along me seemed to have healed as well as I felt no blood swell up. Apparently the transformation to Arrancar had very useful benefits.

"My name is Mitsunari, sir." My voice came out as slightly distorted, it felt different to talk with lips instead of a maw. "Thank you for…well, saving my life in a sense. I am deeply grateful." I spoke, my voice evening out as I could hear the female beside my rise up. All eyes were on me now, and I just stared down at the floor. All I could think about was the severe escalation this had taken. I went from roaming the desert, to being taken in by what I assumed to be an Espada, having my mask forcibly removed from me, and now introducing myself to Sosuke Aizen. This was…simply hard to believe.

"Mitsunari…Interesting, tell me, what brought you to Las Noches in such poor condition?"

All my thoughts about the sheer improbability of this all happening were forcibly silenced as I focused on responding in a proper manner. However before I could, a command was voiced, "Also, rise and dress yourself." A set of white and black attire was dropped down to me, the thought just now striking me that I didn't just have the shape of a human but the anatomy as well.

Those private regions certainly weren't a thing when I was a Vasto Lorde. I spared a glance down as I hastily attempted to dress myself. I could feel the red spreading across my pale cheeks.

After I had I finished, I gazed up to meet his cool, composed stare. He was smiling at me, and it caused my nerves to prick as I fought to maintain my own composure. I had heard he could be…intimidating, but I never assumed the degree was this great.

"Would you like the shorter version or the lengthier story? I don't wish to bore you." My voice managed to have a bit of playfulness to it as I mustered a grin. Probably due to sheer anxiety, and my only way of coping was humor. Aizen merely waved his hand, seemingly amused as he nodded. He wished for me to explain entirely.

And I did just that, going over how I watched my comrades fall and the sacrifice they made. How they requested I devour them so that their sacrifice would be complete. How I moved forward so that their sacrifice would not be in vain. Then the dull monotony of slowly moving towards Las Noches, unaware of what it was besides a reference point for me to help keep centered. And then I mentioned I remembered passing out one moment then being awoken to the feeling of his mask being tore off.

Aizen listened patiently, seeming to be interested with my words as he nodded along at points. Even the female beside me seemed interested in well, her gaze staying fixated onto me. As the words I spoke escaped my lips I felt my nerves cool, focusing on only him and the presence of the woman to my right. Those behind me I paid no heed to, I didn't dare out of fear that I'd end up showing weakness.

As I finished I took the time to catch my breath as Aizen examined me. I felt my body tense a bit under his stare, and the stares of everyone else within the room. I could still hear whispers, and even a few displeased voices. That was all irrelevant as Aizen spoke, rising from his throne and silencing any murmurs.

"An interesting story, very unique. I hope you understand why we forced the transformation in such an…abrupt manner. You may have otherwise bled out from your wound had you not gained the power of regeneration. However, that opportunity wouldn't have been possible without our lovely Tres Espada, Harribel. Which I believe you owe her thanks for bringing you in; I fear some of our other members may not have been so kind." Well, my thoughts were confirmed. She was certainly Espada, and a high-ranking one on top of it all. Even without Aizen's words I intended to thank her, she could have easily left me for dead or done worse. But it was at least nice to have a name to such a lovely face.

I turned off of my heel and gave a gracious bow to Harribel, my lips forming a slight smile- a new sort of movement for me.

"My deepest thanks; I am truly in your debt as well as Lord Aizen's." I stated with as much sincerity as I could bring forth, keeping my gaze downward. While I bowed, I also noted the hole that I had developed. It had formed upon my left pectoral muscle, going straight through me. It seemed as if my body were changing in many ways. I was exceptionally curious about what I looked like without most of my mask. And what was left of it as well.

I gazed up finally; locking stares with Harribel whose sea-green orbs glinted with amusement for a brief second. I now had a moment to see more than just her face, but her full figure. And a whole lot more given how…short her attire was. Her jacket didn't even cover the entirety of her breasts which it took every bit of my mental fortitude not to stare at. Though I did notice the number '3' tattooed on the inside of her left breast. I also took note that every curve she had was well placed and seemed to fit her perfectly, and I now understood that saying she was lovely was a vast understatement.

"It was fascinating that you mention the concept of debt, Mitsunari. If you believe yourself truly indebted, then perhaps you'd be willing to hear a proposition I have in place." My attention snapped back to Aizen as I rose from my bow.

"To repay your debt to me, you would join Las Noches. It would be refreshing to have someone with such…ambition within the ranks. And to repay your debt to Harribel, then perhaps she would take you on as one of her fraccion."

It was obvious that the request took everyone off guard, Harribel's gaze snapping to Aizen as she examined him while I just stared in slight wonder. Meanwhile some of the Espada began to voice how they felt, even some of their fraccion joining in.

Aizen ignored the surprise, shifted his gaze slowly over to Harribel. "Of course, this could only be done if Harribel is to accept such terms as well. Espada do chose their fraccion." Harribel shifted a bit as the room silenced and awaited her response.

"Lord Aizen, I do not wish to conscript the Vasto Lorde- Mitsunari- if he has no desire to be under my guidance. If he were to serve, I would want it to be out of loyalty, not some sense of debt that he believes he may owe to me. So if he wishes to serve beneath me, then I will not refuse taking him as my fraccion. But I do not want him to serve me if he only feels like he owes me any type of recompense." Harribel's voice was calm yet holding a matter-of-fact tone, her eyes looking to me for a brief moment before back to Aizen.

It was just the response Aizen had expected because he didn't wait a beat to carry on with his words, "Very true Harribel, loyalty is a treasured aspect in a fraccion. It is better that it is truly meant instead of only held in place by debt. So Mitsunari, do tell, would you serve Harribel then? The choice defaults to you. Would you serve out of loyalty, or debt?"

Aizen wasn't the only one that could respond without missing a beat.

"I readily agree to serving as her fraccion, if she has no qualms to it of course. I would serve with loyalty brought on by respect for her, not debt." I spoke boldly now, my gaze staying firm with Aizen's despite the slight bit of fear that crackled down my spine from such prolonged eye contact. I may have felt a sense of gratitude of debt to her and I very well found her appealing. However there was something else that compelled me to answer how I did.

She was the voice I heard as I was changing through, she was the one pressing that orb to me, and she was the voice that calmed my nerves when my mask was being removed. Those words were laced with a sort of tenderness I didn't know existed. It was an instinct in my head saying that I could trust her and that serving her was the right choice.

The voice that followed was not from Aizen or Harribel, but a gruff baritone that sounded from behind me. "Lord Aizen, this is preposterous! Who says this boy is capable of being a fraccion? He has not proven his worth or shown his mettle. And of his ambition? He merely wished to survive as every being of Hueco Mundo does, he is nothing special! He may very well be as incompetent as Grimmjow's fraccion!" That comment received many shouts of anger from what I assumed were Grimmjow's fraccion.

I turned about to face the voice, my gaze lifting to man who was adorned with scars and wrinkles nearly everywhere. His silver hair pulled back with a five-pronged crown while a bit covered his upper-lip. He hadn't risen from where he sat, but his one capable eye was glaring fiercely at Aizen. Given how close he was to Aizen's throne with only one male ahead of him in the chain and the crown, I could only assume he was a high-ranking Espada. And while I didn't exactly love his tone, he did begrudgingly have a point.

I was just pulled in from the sands of Hueco Mundo as a Vasto Lorde, force evolved into Arrancar and now I was being offered a position as a fraccion to an Espada. My worth had yet to be formally tested. I merely survived the desert, and while I did it to honor my fallen comrades I could see how one could misconstrued it as me simply trying to survive.

"Baraggan, how nice of you to finally speak openly instead of mumbling under your breath." Aizen stated, as cool and composed as always. He seemed unflappable, which only made me question what kind of terror he would be if he were enraged.

"I see that you do not believe in Harribel or my own speculations for the boy. I would have hoped that you had enough faith to know that I wouldn't bring in someone I deemed useless, or that Harribel wouldn't accept him if she didn't see him having a use. On top of that, it is an Espada's choice for whom they bring into their fold. However, I would have assumed you with your age would've sense his potential and understood this choice. I suppose your…eye for potential must have deteriorated." Aizen's words were still calm, but they had an undertone that was just daring the elder to speak out against him in such a bold manner. That if he did the repercussions would be grave.

But I was only curious of what was seen in me. What potential could they see from me?

Baraggan picked it up as I could see a scowl form across his wrinkled visage, "All I ask is that we at least check if the boy can truly stand on the pedestal you are placing him on. I do sense his reiatsu, and its abundance. However if one cannot use it then there are ineffective. I merely wish for this to be less nuisances bumbling around here. We already have Grimmjow's fraccion causing havoc. I suggest a duel, between him and one of my fraccion." His eye then turned to me, and I felt an overwhelming pressure roll over my shoulders like a tidal wave of sand. "Unless he doesn't have the courage to test himself."

Silence now followed. I could watch his fraccion tense beside him, most of them seeming eager to come and get a piece of me. Aizen seemed to be entertaining the notion before nodding, "Very well then, right now. Right here. Zanpakuto only with no releases. I will mediate. Do you agree, Mitsunari?"

…Oh hell yes I did. Lack of courage? I'd show him that I lacked no such thing as I lifted up my short zanpakuto. I gripped it tighter as a smirk etched itself across my visage. The weapon may have been short but that wouldn't matter when I buried its pommel into my opponents nose and sent them flying. Just because I had yet to show my worth didn't mean I lacked it, I didn't become a Vasto Lorde by pure luck.

"Most certainly, Lord Aizen...I readily accept this."