Cws for background character death, temporary loss of limbs, and people getting eaten.

Akira spent most of his afternoon with Sae, learning the ins and outs of opening a Garganta. Once he'd gotten the hang of it, the Phantoms scattered – Ryuji wanted to spend some time with his mum, while Uryū confessed with a slight blush that there were some classmates of his he wanted to visit before tomorrow came.

"Ooh, am I sensing a crush?" Ann's eyes lit up like a panther watching its prey.

"Of course not – don't be ridiculous." Uryū huffed, but the redness to his cheeks indicated she might not be too far off the mark. "I just want to tell them it's a good idea to leave Karakura for the next few days."

A knowing look entered Makoto's eyes. "Tatsuki-chan and Orihime-chan, I assume? Give them my regards."

Akira and Futaba, meanwhile, returned home together to Leblanc, the former quickly collecting his body from Morgana before walking downstairs. As he saw Sojiro standing behind the counter, idly skimming through the paper as the news droned on the background, a lump formed in the teen's throat. As much as Akira believed in the Phantoms, he wasn't that much of an optimist – he was keenly aware that this might be the last time he ever saw the man who had basically been a father to him this year.

"Oi, Sojirooooo!" Futaba called as she strolled into Leblanc, the bell jingling above her. "Curry! Curry! Curry!"

With a shake of his head, the older man rolled his eyes and moved towards the kitchen. "Well, at least you're consistent…"

If he noticed the unnatural cheeriness in his foster daughter's voice, he didn't comment as he quickly heated up several servings of Leblanc's patented dish.

As the rich tang of Sojiro's curry tingled on his tastebuds, Akira swallowed. "Hey, Boss?"

"Yeah?" The barista arched a brow, having returned to his paper.

"I just wanted to thank you. Most people wouldn't have been willing to give me a second chance, but you did. If you hadn't taken me in… I don't think my life would be anywhere near as good as it is today."

Slowly, he closed his paper. "Alright, what's wrong? It's not like you to be so maudlin, and Futaba, I can tell when you're putting on an act."

The two teenagers exchanged a panicked glance. Uh oh – busted.

There was no way in hell they could tell Sojiro the truth – he'd probably drag them off to the nearest mental hospital, or, on the off-chance he actually believed them, he'd never let Futaba infiltrate a parallel dimension filled with monsters. That was assuming the barista didn't just ground them both for hiding Wakaba's continued presence in the World of the Living from him. Still, Akira owed – no, cared – for Sojiro enough not just to feed him baseless lies - he was pretty sure the older man would see through them anyway. In the end, the teen settled on a happy medium.

"I've been… hearing a lot of rumours lately about some gang wars down south. While the press hasn't reported on it, Uryū's seen a lot of shady figures around Karakura."

"Your skinny friend?" Sojiro's lips drew into a tight grimace. "He doesn't seem the sort of person to get wrapped up in things like that."

"He's not, but he's pretty observant. He thinks things have reached a boiling point, and shit might go down any day now. I don't think the violence will reach here, but… I guess the whole situation has got me thinking. This world's peace… it's a lot more fragile than it looks. There's so much danger out there, and, well…"

Frown growing deeper, Sojiro sighed, shaking his head. "Kid, you've got too much empathy in that skull of yours for your own good, and not enough self-preservation. Remember – you can't single-handedly save the world. No one can." Reaching forward, he patted Akira on the shoulder. "Looking out for your friends and family is enough, you hear?"

"Loud and clear." Akira smiled, unable to miss the irony behind Sojiro's words. After all, they were quite literally planning on single-handedly saving the world. Still, he understood the older man's point – even if things went wrong, as long as his friends were okay, that was enough.

"If it makes you feel better, I'll stay over on this side of town for the next week or so." Sojiro offered. "It's not like I tend to go to that part of Tokyo, anyway…"

"Thanks, Boss." The teenager grinned. "I'm probably just worried for nothing - I'm sure we'll all be fine."

…..

After spending his evening with his foster family, Akira returned to his attic for potentially the last time. To his relief, Morgana was already waiting on the sofa, swinging his stubby legs.

"Akira!" The Mod Soul leapt upwards, bouncing over to his side. "Where have you been? What on earth is going on?!"

Biting his lip, the teenager sighed. There wasn't really any good way to break the news, was there? As he recounted the last few days to Morgana, the plushie listened, expression growing increasingly worried.

The second Akira finished his announcement, the Mod Soul responded. "I want to help."

Opening his mouth, Akira hesitated when the image of Morgana working alongside him to save the victims of Akechi's attack flashed into his mind. In hindsight, this shouldn't have been a surprise, should it?

"Go and see Futaba." The teenager instructed. "She can contact Urahara – he's bound to have something he needs a bit of extra manpower for."

"Got it!" Morgana chirped, chest swelling. "I'm a man of many talents, you know!" Waddling forward, the mascot plushie wrapped his arms around Akira's leg. "Stay safe, okay? I don't want to have to take over body duties full-time, alright?"

Expression softening, Akira patted his head. "I promise I'll try my best."

Nodding, the Mod Soul pulled away. "Good, you better! Until next time, Akira!"

Hurrying away, Morgana slipped open the window, waving his farewells before he jumped out onto the street. Akira noticed the Mod Soul's grimace as he left, however, and a burst of melancholy ran through him. For all his cocky posturing, it was clear his companion knew exactly what was at stake.

Now that he finally had some privacy though, Akira did something he should have done a long, long time ago. Withdrawing his phone, he scrolled down through his contacts and selected a certain number. Rukia didn't pick up on the first call, but that was fine - the frizzy-haired kept at it until she finally answered.

"Akira." She swallowed. "Renji told me everything. Don't fear - when you go to Hueco Mundo, we'll be there with you."

He blinked, eyes wide, something warm flushing through him before a chuckle escaped his throat. "Saw through me instantly, didn't you?" His mirth mellowed out into something more gracious. "Seriously though - thank you. It means a lot to me."

"There's no need for gratitude." He could vividly picture Rukia flicking her wrist dismissively. "After everything we've been through together, the idea of not standing at your side is utterly inconceivable."

While Akira's lips curled into a smile, a heavy weight sunk in his stomach. Still, he knew he needed to do this - dishonestly would only hurt them both in the long run, and he knew both Rukia and himself deserved better than that.

The teenager took a deep breath in. "Hueco Mundo isn't the only reason I called. Truthfully, I... I haven't been at my best these past few months, and, well... I guess it all started that day on Sokyoku Hill."

From there, the entire story spilled out of him. It was even more agonising than his confession to the Phantoms - at least they'd already known about his backslide, even if they were missing a lot of context. Rukia though had basically no idea of his sins - she had no idea that he'd brushed off his friends and made a foolheartly deal with the devil that had blown up in all their faces. If he hadn't tipped Akechi off, there was a chance Shido might never have even stepped foot into Hueco Mundo. Still, the frizzy-haired teen had a hunch Rukia would care very little about that compared to his personal betrayal.

At the end of the tale, Rukia simply let out a long, tired sigh. "Akira..."

"I'm sorry - I know I should have told you this before reached a boiling point. I never could have hated you, no matter what happened in your past, and I should never have doubted you'd extended the same courtesy to me."

On the other end of the line, the Lieutenant huffed. "I'm glad you came to your senses, at the very least. I would have been somewhat unpleased if all your talk about how we'd have both been willing to run to the edge of the world if meant saving each other was just that - talk." Her voice evened into something more melancholy. "If you ever lose faith in yourself again, please, turn to one of us - the Phantoms, Ishida-kun, Renji, Sakura-san, myself... so many people care for you, Akira, and I've learnt from experience that the ones we love tend to have a very different perception on our-so called failings." After a beat, she continued. "Also, next time we meet, I'm going to slap you."

"Hmm, sounds kinky."

Rukia let out an indignant splutter that quickly turned into a laugh, and Akira couldn't help but giggle along with his old friend.

…..

The next day, instead of going to school, Akira joined Futaba and hopped on the train to Karakura. Wakaba had handled Shujin for them – Urahara's memory substitution devices would make the administration conjure up a reasonable excuse why all the Phantoms were absent.

By the time arrived at the Urahara Shōten, Uryū was waiting at the front for them. "Ah, excellent. All we need is Ryuji now." The teen pushed up his glasses, school uniform abandoned in favour of his upgraded Quincy outfit. "Come on – I've made something for everyone."

Curious, Futaba and Akira exchanged a glance before following the Quincy through the shop. Guiding them to one of the many storerooms, Uryū quickly ducked in before coming out with two bundles tucked under his arms. He passed one to Futaba before handing the other to Akira.

Blinking, the frizzy-haired teen realised Uryū had given him a pair of dark leather boots along with a coat of some kind. Placing the shoes on the ground, Akira unfurled the jacket and saw it was a snazzy black tailcoat with a propped collar. Glancing over to Futaba, it seemed Uryū had given her a dark bodysuit with fluorescent green stripes, accompanied by a bulky pair of dark goggles.

"Hueco Mundo is meant to be a desert, so I thought it'd be for the best if we all had some practical clothing for it." The Quincy explained. "They're loosely based on the outfits you wore for the Kaneshiro heist."

Futaba examined her outfit with intrigue. "It's kinda techy. Heavy, too."

"I got some advice from Wakaba-san for yours." Uryū admitted. "Given your lack of Reiatsu, it's insulated with spiritually resistant material, which will hopefully give you a bit of extra protection if things come to worse." He then turned to Akira. "Yours are a bit simpler. I provided an alternative pair of shoes, since honestly, those Shinigami tabi are going to be awful to wear in sand, and an overcoat to hopefully make you look a little bit less… well, Shinigami. I didn't give you any eyewear though – I thought it might get in the way of your Hollow mask."

"Thanks, Uryū." He nodded at his friend. "I'll put it on once I'm out of my body."

After getting out of his body and putting on his new digs – honestly, the shoes alone made it worth it – Akira walked to the back of the store and slid down the trapdoor. Landing in the training grounds, he headed over to where most of the others had gathered. It seemed Ryuji must have arrived shortly after Akira had, as the blond was doing some warm-up stretches at the edge of the crowd, already donned in his armour. Meanwhile, Ann and Makoto were talking to Sae.

Akira did a bit of a doubletake when he saw the former's outfit – Ann was donned in a ruby-red latex bodysuit that flattered her figure excellently. To top it off, she wore a matching red panther mask. Still, while Ann's new outfit was significantly snazzier than her old Phantoms gear, Uryū had gone the extra mile with Makoto's. She wore a navy leather bodysuit with spiked shoulders and kneepads. A black leather breastplate covered the outfit's front, and in contrast, her back was exposed, presumably to accommodate her Shunkō. Finally, the look was completed with a metal visor, and a long, flowing black scarf.

"Akira!" Ann called, perking up as she saw him. "Wow – someone looks good!"

"I could say the same." Akira laughed, joining his friends. "Enjoying your new threads?"

Makoto glanced at her shoulders. "Well, the quality is certainly good, though the spikes are a bit… excessive."

Sae – who, unlike the others, was wearing her usual suit – rolled her eyes. "Calm down, Makoto – it's not a big deal. They're charming."

The brunette arched a sceptical brow. "The second you saw them you snorted."

Any further banter between the Niijimas was interrupted when Futaba slid down the basement's ladder, Uryū and Wakaba following her at a far more sedate pace. The hacker stumbled as she hurried over to the other Phantoms – she probably wasn't used to wearing shoes so bulky.

Scanning the group, she whistled. "Huh. You look like you've crawled straight out of a sexed-up JRPG, Ann."

"Uh… is that a compliment?"

Futaba ignored her though, and moved on to Akira, eyeballing him appreciatively. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but if you weren't brother-zoned, I'd tap that." Akira laughed as she moved on to Makoto. "Nice spikes."

"Ugh."

"Oi!" Ryuji called out, joining the others. "What about me?"

Futaba gave him a flat stare. "Eh, mid."

"Hey!" He stomped the ground. "You made it!"

"Okay, that's enough." Wakaba's voice was full of amusement as the Phantoms turned towards her. "Save the squabbling for when Shido is stopped."

"Wakaba's right – I enjoy tomfoolery as much as the next fellow, but alas, it's time to get serious." Urahara's voice echoed across the training grounds, and blinking, Akira turned around and saw the man perched on top of a nearby boulder – he must have been waiting for them to all arrive.

The psientist shook her head. "If you're trying to be serious, you should probably ditch the bucket hat. And shave."

Swooning, Urahara mock-fainted. "Oh, you wound me, Wakaba! Girls love the rugged look, you know!"

"Hmm." She abstained from commenting.

Straightening up, the levity left the shopkeeper's eyes as he glanced towards the teens. "Are you ready? Aizen almost certainly has a way of tracking Garganta – if Shido is bothering to keep an eye on his monitoring software, he'll notice if there's any suspicious activity. Unless you want an Espada sent to your coordinates, once you enter Hueco Mundo, there will be no safe return until he is defeated."

The Phantoms glanced at each other, and nearly everyone nodded.

Akira, however, hesitated. Looking over towards the ladder leading back to the Shōten, he frowned. While Rukia said she'd be there, the Lieutenant hadn't exactly specified where she was going to meet him.

Having stalled long enough, Akira was about to give his assent, when a familiar cry echoed across the training grounds.

"Hold it right there – if you think you're leaving without us, you have another one coming!"

A delighted grin spread across his face as two figures leapt down from the trapdoor and landed gracefully on the ground. The duo had changed since Akira had last seen them – Renji now wore a sleeveless white haori over his Shihakushō, and Rukia stood tall and proud, Reiatsu shining strongly. Still, it was unmistakably them. Rukia and Renji had finally arrived.

"Rukia!" Ann shrieked in delight, before charging at her friend and embracing her in a tight hug. "How- why?!"

The Lieutenant chuckled, shooting a fond glance Akira's way. "A little bird told me you needed some help."

"Yo." Akira grinned as Ann shot him an amazed stare. While he didn't charge forwards like the blonde did, as approached his friends, there was a skip in his step. "Long time, no see."

The Shinigami exchanged a glance. Renji and Rukia nodded, before the latter walked over to him and slapped him in the face.

"Ow!" Akira whinged. He then heard the sound of a high-five, before Renji slapped his other cheek.

"You know what that's for." The Captain commented bluntly.

The frizzy-haired teen fake-swooned. "I was expecting this from Rukia, but I can't believe you betrayed me too, Renji."

Shaking his head, the redhead rolled his eyes. "If it makes you feel better, that's for pissing off Rukia. So technically speaking, I'm being a good friend."

The Lieutenant approached Akira again, but this time, it was with a hug. "Next time, remember that I'm here for you, alright?"

"… Yeah." Akira hugged her in turn. "I will. I… I missed you, Rukia."

"I missed you too, you fool." She murmured.

Eventually, they split apart, and the other Phantoms greeted their Soul Society friends. Once that was out of the way, Ryuji shot the pair a curious glance.

"So, not to be that guy, but why are you here? I thought the Gotei 13 didn't want anyone to go to Hueco Mundo."

"I'm a Captain now – I do what I want." Renji shrugged.

Rukia shook her head. "To give you a proper answer, Renji came to me after Urahara contacted the Captains. When he informed me of the situation, I knew Urahara's fears were correct – humanity is not to be underestimated."

Renji tipped his head towards Akira. "This guy then called Rukia, asking for our help. How could we say no to that?"

"Captain Kyōraku must have figured out that Renji was up to something." Rukia finished the explanation. "He let us use his family Senkaimon, and, well, now we're here."

The reunion was brought to an end when Urahara cleared his throat, Wakaba standing at his side. "As happy as I am to have a bit of extra firepower on this mission, you really do need to get going – Shido's had nearly twenty-four hours to prepare himself, and from what Wakaba tells me, he runs a tight ship."

Sae addressed Akira. "Remember, you want to arrive near Las Noches, but not inside it – that'll just alert Shido to your presence immediately."

He gave her a nod, and the prosecutor went to her sister's side, giving her one last hug while whispering something in her ear.

Meanwhile, Wakaba patted Futaba on the head, expression proud. "I believe in you, honey. Keep an eye on everyone for me, will you?"

"Aye aye, ma'am!" The hacker saluted, and despite her voice's jovial tone, there was the slightest tremble to it. "I… I'll see you again, I promise!"

With that, it seemed the time had finally arrived. Turning around, Akira half-summoned his Hollow mask so it merely covered his eyes – the same way Akechi tended to wear his. A weight formed in his chest at the homage to his rival. I'll save you if I can, I promise.

Summoning Reiryoku to the tips of his fingers, he vividly imagined what he'd heard the World of the Hollows was like and clawed at the air. At his touch, the ominous maw of a Garganta opened.

"Alright, everyone – it's showtime."

…..

As Akira stepped onto Hueco Mundo's white desert sand, he was greeted by a cool breeze. Despite it being the middle of the day in the World of the Living, the sky in the World of the Hollows was nearly pitch black, illuminated by naught but a crescent moon. The teen scanned his surroundings – the sea of pale dunes seemed to stretch on forever, broken by nothing but leafless trees. Well, leafless trees and a massive fortress, that was. Las Noches marred the horizon, the brutalist architecture of the massive building only emphasizing how alien it was compared to the wilderness around it. The vast, rectangular obelisk was capped by a plain, dome-like roof, and towers rose from the sands in front of it like dying fingers reaching towards the sun.

Uryū wrinkled his nose. "Arrancar. I can taste it in the air."

"Hollow, too." Rukia murmured. "Be on your guard – even if our opponents aren't a threat, Shido will likely be alerted if we get into a battle near Las Noches."

The grim reminder doused Akira's curiosity with cold reality. Silently, the assorted group walked through the desert. As they passed by some of the trees, Akira realised that despite their appearance, they weren't plants at all. Instead, their surface glittered like stone, like they were some sort of bizarre, malformed stalagmite. As Las Noches grew closer and closer, Akira started to notice small, square-shaped buildings popping up across the dunes.

"Any idea what those are?" Futaba asked, eying them warily.

"I'm not entirely sure." Rukia furrowed her brow. "Perhaps outposts of some sort?"

"Do you think they're occupied?" Renji glanced down at the Lieutenant. "You've always been a better sensor than me."

Akira and Rukia exchanged a look, then closed their eyes and concentrated. While some of the buildings had faint speckles of Reiatsu in them, they felt too weak to be of any note. The frizzy-haired teen stiffened when he noticed something else, however. About five metres before them, hidden under one of the dune's slopes, was a ripple in the ambient Reiatsu that permeated Hueco Mundo. They'd done an excellent job of blending their spiritual energy into their surroundings, but it was clearly an Arrancar. As he focused on the Reiatsu, he narrowed his eyes. It felt familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

Opening his eyes, he saw Rukia's grim frown – she'd clearly sensed it too.

On the count of three? He mouthed and received a nod in return.

The duo disappeared in a flash on shunpo, using a perfect pincer movement as they bore down on their target, but the Arrancar was faster. The Shinigami's blades met nothing but thin air as their foe stopped hiding. The second the Arrancar's Reiatsu let loose, the distinctive crack of shunpo echoed through the air, and the invaders found themselves surrounded.

Cutting the Phantoms off from the back were three Arrancar. One of them was a tall woman who looked distinctly Latina in appearance, and she was flanked by a short woman with a bob cut along with a long-haired one with floppy sleeves. While they weren't weak, they weren't Espada level – they were most likely Fracción. The other Arrancar, however, Akira recognised immediately. Grimmjow scowled at them, lips curled, and to his opposite side stood the other male Espada who'd escaped Shido's brainwashing – he must have been the one Akira and Rukia charged at. At the front of the group was Halibel – the woman's blue eyes were narrowed, but while her blade was unsheathed, she made no move to attack.

For a moment, they eyed each other warily, Reiatsu flaring. Uryū had summoned his Heilig Bogen, and everyone else had readied their weapons. As he met Halibel's eyes, the black-haired teen remembered the thoughts that had haunted him after their first encounter – that perhaps they weren't so different, after all.

"Everyone, stand down." Akira ordered, not daring to take his eyes off Halibel as he returned Tasogare no Dorobō to his sheathe.

"What?! Are you nuts?!" Ryuji gawped, whirling around to face him.

The frizzy-haired teen shook his head. "They're not under Shido's control, and you know what they say about the enemy of my enemy. I propose a truce."

It seemed his gamble had paid off, as with a nod, Halibel also stowed her oversized blade. "Everyone, at ease."

"Halibel-sama, are you sure?" The female Arrancar with the oversized sleeves shot a concerned glance her leader's way.

The dark-skinned woman replied with a curt nod. "It is at the boy says. Right now, we share a common enemy."

Her side wasn't the only one that had qualms. "Akira, are you sure about this?" Ann hissed. "That's Grimmjow – I don't think he's the sort of guy to play nice."

The Espada stepped forward, snarling. "I'll show you playing nice, you jumped up bitch…!"

"Enough." Halibel's voice dripped with warning, and as her Reiatsu crashed down on all of them like a deep, dark ocean, Grimmjow stopped in his tracks.

The mohawked Espada then cleared his throat, watching Renji with disdain. "Halibel-sama, while I respect your judgement, I am unsure that this is a wise decision. That man is a Captain of the Gotei 13 – our sworn enemy. Not the mention… they're Shinigami." He finished, lips curling.

Renji shrugged, shoulders squared. "If it's any consolation, I'm not here on the Captain Commander's orders. I'm helping a friend – nothing more, nothing less."

"I'm certain, Zommari. Besides… I do not think they are Shinigami. At least, not all of them." Halibel nodded. The woman approached Akira before giving him a brusque bow that was closer to a nod. "Tier Halibel, Tres Espada. I believe we have met before, though I do not know your name."

"Kurusu Akira, Substitute Shinigami and leader of the Phantoms. This is my crew." He gestured towards his friends, most of whom remained steely-faced sans Futaba who gave her a wave.

Halibel scanned him up and down. "You managed to shake off Shido's control, did you not? I could see it in your eyes when he used his power on Aizen-sama."

With that, a wave of interest ran through the Arrancar. A flicker of hope lit up in Akira's stomach – perhaps this could work after all.

"That's right." He nodded. "Do you have anywhere more sheltered we can talk? I don't want to stay in the open like this."

The leader of the surviving Arrancar nodded. "Follow me."

It seemed Futaba's prior worry about the outposts surrounding Las Noches wasn't necessary – Halibel led them straight to one of the small square buildings.

"Shido hasn't bothered monitoring any of the infrastructure outside of Las Noches' dome." She explained. "I believe he doesn't intend on staying in Hueco Mundo for long."

"You'd be right on the money there." Akira's lips thinned into a grim line.

As the group approached the Arrancars' base, awkward small talk broke out between the two parties. Makoto cautiously asked one of the three women – who turned out to be Halibel's Fracción, the Tres Bestias – about the Hueco Mundo ecosystem. It ended with the three Arrancar almost getting into a brawl, but witnessing a petty squabble about something truly inane – the most human thing of all – seemed to lower his friends' reservations about the Hollow hybrids.

Ryuji – spurred on by Makoto's success – nervously approached Grimmjow's side. "So, uh… sucks about the arm, I guess. I kinda relate – I broke my leg real bad last year, and shit just hasn't been the same since."

The blue-haired Espada looked like he'd just entered hell. "Fuck off before I crush your head like a goddamn bug."

Luckily for Ryuji, they'd finally reached their destination. Halibel moved to a halt and tapped at the keypad on the outpost's front. A panel at the front of the square monolith slid down, and the Espada walked into the darkness. With a shrug, Akira followed. He doubted it was a trap. Between Halibel, Grimmjow, and Zommari, the Arrancar had more than enough firepower on their side to win in a fair fight - there was no point in them playing games.

The outpost's interior was as minimalistic as the outside. Screens covered one wall, showing various snapshots of Hueco Mundo. There was a staircase at the back that went god knows where. Perhaps it was connected to the other outposts – constantly travelling across all that sand would be a pain in the ass. The main thing of note though was that the room wasn't empty.

"Ah, Halibel-san! You're back!" A woman greeted them, voice cheery. Her hazel eyes widened as they settled onto the Phantoms, but Akira could see no malice in them. "Oh, you brought guests!"

Unlike the other Arrancars, she'd forgone the usual white uniform in favour of a battered light green skirt and top, which accentuated her teal hair. Her Hollow mask resembled a ram's skull with a large crack running through it, and while her Reiatsu was strong – somewhere between Halibel's and Grimmjow's in terms of strength – it felt strangely unstable.

"Kurusu Akira and the Phantoms. They're Shinigami, but not under the Gotei 13's command." Halibel introduced them. "They have information on Shido."

A look of understanding entered the ram-masked Arrancar's eyes, and she gave the newcomers a polite bow. "Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck – it's a pleasure to meet you. I suppose our situations are somewhat similar – while I used to be a member of Aizen's army, certain circumstances caused me to leave his employ."

Akira regarded her curiously – he supposed that explained the lack of uniform. As interested as he was in Nelliel's backstory though, the story would have to wait for another day.

Grimmjow sauntered into the outpost, closing the door behind him, and turned on the teal-haired Arrancar with a sneer. "The clowns aren't here?"

Nelliel's expression grew cool. "Dondochakka and Pesche are tending to Bawabawa."

Makoto puckered her lips, hesitation flashing across her features. "Akira is skilled at Kaidō, if this… Bawabawa person is hurt, I'm sure he could patch him up quickly."

"Oh, no – it's nothing like that." Nelliel laughed, eyes shining in amusement. "Bawabawa is our pet – he gets lonely if he doesn't have company."

The Phantoms exchanged a series of awkward glances, clearing all thinking the same thing. Arrancars have pets?

Soon enough, however, Halibel ended their little diversion. "Please, take a seat." She offered, gesturing to the handful of chairs scattered around the monitoring station. "There aren't enough for us all, but…"

Futaba made an immediate beeline to one of the seats, attention already glued to the tech. In the end, Makoto, Akira, and Uryū elected to stand, while Ryuji leant against the door. On the Arrancars' side, Grimmjow copied the blond, and both Halibel and Zommari remained upright.

"Alright, let's get straight to business." Akira began. "I managed to snap out of Shido's brainwashing because of my Bankai – Kokoro no Kaitou-dan. It purifies a person's mental state, freeing them of all corruption." Interest flashed in Halibel's and Zommari's eyes, and Akira decided to intervene before they got their hopes up too high. "I'm only going to be able to use it once, though, and it can't prevent anyone from getting controlled pre-emptively."

Halibel furrowed her brow, and if her mouth wasn't obscured by her shirt's collar, she'd probably have pursed her lips. Zommari also looked disappointed by Akira's news.

Grimmjow simply harrumphed. "If you can't stop any of us getting turned into brainless sheep, then what the hell's the point?!"

"He could free the others." Zommari chided. "Starrk-sama or Baraggan-sama's presence could be a huge boon for our side."

"It's gonna be Starrk." Apacci – the Arrancar with the bob – rubbed her chin.

"Don't be thick." Sung-sun – the sleeves girl – sighed. "While Starrk possesses more Reiatsu, Barragan's powers are far more dangerous."

Akira chuckled. "Oh, don't worry about my target – we've already got that planned. We're going after Aizen."

Each and every single one of the Arrancars' eyes widened with shock.

Zommari took a step forward, staring at Akira with wonder in his eyes. "You would return Aizen-sama to his natural state?!"

Akira paused. "… Something like that. I can free him from Shido's control, and after that, he'll hopefully feel inclined to take the bastard down."

While Zommari was too busy beaming in delight to pick up the true meaning behind Akira's words, they weren't lost on the female Espada. Nelliel's expression turned carefully mild, and while Halibel's stoic mask didn't crack, Akira could tell by the way her shoulders stiffened that she'd divined the true power of his Zanpakutō.

He returned her gaze unflinchingly. What do you value more? Aizen's war, or your and your friends' freedom?

An age passed before the Tres Espada gave him a clipped nod. "… Very well. I will support you in whatever way I can."

"That's a good point…" Mila Rose – the tallest of Halibel's Fracción – scratched her head. "How the heck are we gonna do anything if the second we get near Shido… well, zap?"

Futaba took the reins. "Oh, there's plenty you can do. We're running blind here, but you've got all the deets. Las Noches' layout, the remaining Espadas' powers… you name it. The first thing you can do though is help me integrate my shit with your systems."

Akira's brows rose to the roof as the hacker unclipped a small device she'd attached to her belt and placed it on the ground. Tapping a button on its top, she quickly hurried away as the cube suddenly expanded until it filled nearly a quarter of the room. Its sides fell to the ground, revealing an entire miniature laboratory.

At the crowd's stunned expressions, the hacker smirked. "Mweheheh, witness the fruits of my labour! By weaving a low-level space-time Kidō into a physical object, you can hook it up to a trigger, and… ta-dah! Portable workspace!"

"That's… very impressive, but what is all this?" Makoto asked, regarding the contraption with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

Futaba smirked. The first thing she took out of the pile of junk was a bulky laptop which was as thick as your average briefcase and as wide as a typical monitor. Somehow, the hacker still managed to plop it down by the monitoring station. Next, she fetched a couple of small cylinder devices, placed them on the ground, and tapped their tops. They extended, turning into small, dark-metal towers with glowing purple cores.

"This baby is my new sensing station." She explained, booting up the laptop. "I've increased the spiritual acuity by five thousand per cent compared to my old antennas – I'll pick up anything with even a slight trace of Reiatsu within a fifty-kilometre radius, give or take."

"That'll cover most of Las Noches from here." Nelliel murmured, peering over the hacker's shoulder.

Futaba nodded. "It won't be perfect, but I should be able to get you a basic scan of Las Noches' interior, too." She looked at the Arrancar. "That's where you lot come in. I see you've got cameras set up in its interior – you give me full access to that, and we'll see everything coming."

Zommari rubbed his chin. "I see... a word of warning. The layout of the halls within Las Noches are adjustable. Ichimaru – the cur – has a bad habit of changing them at a whim."

Akira frowned at the reminder of the sole member of the traitor trio who was still free. Ironically, Ichimaru was probably their greatest threat. He still possessed his full faculties, and given the man's nature was equally as sadistic as it was capricious, Akira knew damn well it would be foolish to underestimate him.

"Hmm, good to know. I guess that's where these come in!" Moving back to her desk, Futaba scooped up a handful of earpieces. "Here's my new and improved coms system – tap once to stream to everyone, and hold to just message HQ – that's me." She shot an apologetic look at the Arrancars. "Sorry, but I've only got a couple spare. It'll still be useful having some of you onboard, though."

That wasn't the only goody Futaba had in store for them. Next, the hacker picked up a series of black-and-green armbands and went around to each of the Phantoms, tying them to their arms. Akira watched curiously as she fastened it around his bicep. When she let go, he felt a tinge of Reiatsu from it before it snapped closed, fitting snugly around his arm.

Akira stretched out his limb, examining the band. "What does this do?"

Instead of answering him immediately, she moved back to her pile and spread out a large, rolled-up sheet of some thick dark material. As Futaba flattened, he saw the edges of the mat were lined with metal. Leaning down, the younger teen fiddled with a control panel attached to its edge, and a complex series of magical sigils started to glow electronically in its centre.

"If you get badly wounded, hold your hand to the band for a couple of seconds, and it'll warp you right back here."

Renji whistled. "Ballsy. I'm pretty sure that violates at least three laws."

"Eh, what the Gotei 13 don't know can't hurt them!" Futaba shrugged dismissively. "Urahara's also given me some medical supplies. Nothing fancy – just some rejuvenation pills, coagulants, and super special spirit bandages. I won't be able to help if you lose a limb, but it should be enough to stop anyone bleeding out. I've got a few spare packets – I'll pass them around in case you need some DIY medical care."

Nelliel cleared her throat. "If I may? While an old injury of mine prevents me from fighting for prolonged periods, I have some healing powers that aren't so draining to use. Admittedly, I can't regrow limbs, but I should be able to reattach them."

"That would be very handy, Oder, uh…" Futaba trailed off, still trying to wrap her tongue around Nelliel's last name.

The Arrancar tittered. "Nelliel is fine, Futaba-chan. I think all of us sans-Halibel prefer to go by our first names."

Akira supposed that made sense – there seemed to be a decent amount of racial diversity amongst the Arrancar even though most of them had Spanish-sounding names. He wondered why that was the case, but in the end, decided it wasn't worth bringing up – they were wasting precious time, after all.

"While Futaba's getting sorted, why don't you tell us more about Las Noches?" He asked Zommari, Halibel busy assisting the hacker. "We might as well set up a plan of attack while they get ready."

The Espada eyed Akira warily, still seemingly having some reservations about working with Shinigami no matter what they promised, but in the end, he nodded. "Very well. When you infiltrate the palace, I'd recommend entering from here…"

…..

On the outskirts of Las Noches, three Arrancars poked their heads over a dune, their white uniforms blending in perfectly with the rippling sands around them.

"I knew it." Apacci smirked. "Look at the wall. Five guards, all of them braindead, and barely a speck of Reiatsu between them. Let's get in there and show them who's boss!"

"Oi – stop acting like you're in charge." Mila Rose chided. "I'm not taking any orders from a pea brain like you."

Apacci glowered at her companion. "Pea brain?! Who are you calling pea brain, you overgrown cow?!"

Sung-sun sighed with all the tiredness of someone who'd heard this argument a thousand times before. "Can you two please stop being idiots for half a minute? The guards don't even matter. All we need to do is cause as much havoc as possible, and they'll come right to us."

"So, like I said – we get in there, and show them who's boss!" Apacci beamed, rubbing her fist into her palm. "Let's go!"

Without another word, she flashed forward, and letting out a yell, Mila Rose followed her a second later. Sung-sun took the time to roll her eyes first, but eventually ran after her fellow Fracción. The trio had gotten approximately within a hundred metres of the fortress when alarms started ringing through the air. The guard's heads snapped towards the plume of white sand kicked up by the Arrancars' approach like puppets with their strings suddenly pulled tight.

One of the guards hurried away – probably to fetch reinforcements – as another leapt down from the walls, body distorting as she released her Zanpakutō. Pinpricks of light formed in the remaining guards' hands as they prepared an onslaught of Cero. Apacci was quicker, however. Leaning back, a Cero of her own formed at the tip of her mask's horn, and thrusting her head forward, she launched the beam of light. It tore straight through the guards, their own half-charged Ceros detonating into technicolour explosions that cracked the walls.

The Arrancar who'd activated their Resurrección – transforming her into an odd mashup of gargoyle and man – glided towards the three women, sharp claws at the ready, but Mila Rose beat her to the punch. Unsheathing her longsword, the tall woman charged at the guard with a yell and lopped off one of her wings. Silently, they crashed into the ground, and a flicker of distaste crossed the Fracción's face as she embedded her sword in the woman's throat.

The Tres Bestias exchanged a glance, their usual rivalry abandoned. While the coast was clear for now, a dozen Reiatsu signatures were converging on their location, and fast. Ironically, it was the weakest of them that was the greatest threat. After his surprise capture of Las Noches, Shido hadn't wasted a single second before bringing over his men, including a dozen humans equipped with their own Hollow control devices. Only the fastest of Arrancar would be able to escape once one of the infernal contraptions was pointed their way, which was basically a codeword for Zommari, and Zommari alone. Still, they'd planned for this. If they hadn't wanted that last guard to get away, Sung-sun would have her thrown her Zanpakutō – a sai dagger – straight into his throat.

Nodding at each other, each of the Tres Bestias grabbed their left arms before ripping the limb straight out of its socket. Blood sprayed from the appendages as the woman tossed them together. On impact, they warped into a spiral of flesh which soon morphed into a monster thrice as tall as any man.

The beast was a chimera. While it had the muscled torso of a man and goat-like legs, it was no satyr – the monster's tail was a snake and its head the skull of a deer surrounded by a shaggy, brown mane. Tilting its head, the monster peered at the wall. Then, it vanished. Closing the gap of twenty metres in less than a millisecond, it smashed its fist into Las Noches' wall, cleaving it from bottom to top. Chunks of white stone the size of cars came crashing down, leaving a hole the size of a small building in the fortress' side.

Las Noches had been breached.

Jumping for joy, Apacci cheered. "You go, Ayon!"

"You know he can't hear us, right?" Mila Rose sighed. "Come on, let's get out of here – that's definitely got their attention."

As the amount of Reiatsu bearing down on them multiplied, the three women darted out of sight.

…..

If someone had told Katō Masaru that one day he'd be protecting a giant castle with an army of monsters at his side, he never would have believed you. Primarily because said castle belonged in the literal fucking afterlife. Still, Shido – Shido Masayoshi, the man who would rule not just Japan, but the whole world – had chosen him, and Masaru wouldn't let him down, even if he was slightly out of his depth.

The former psientist – and current general – blanched as he saw the damage. Las Noches' height and magnitude exceeded even the greatest of mortal architecture, and yet, the walls had been shattered like they were made of glass. Standing in the midst of the destruction was a Hollow. The creature's body was large and masculine, but its head was oddly small, almost lost in its mop of shaggy fur – the thing was kinda cute, in a creepy sort of way. Still, it had caused severe structural integrity to Las Noches wall and was likely on the side of the handful of Arrancar who hadn't learnt their natural place.

"Kill it." He ordered his pawns.

A series of silent nods later, and over twenty Arrancar leapt straight at the beast. Masaru's hopes soared – surely, this would be over and done with sooner rather than later, and he could retreat back to safety. The guards withdrew their blades, ready to fell their prey. The Hollow then lashed out its tail, tearing through half of its attackers like they were made of toilet paper. Bile rose to the back of Masaru's throat as a pile of disconnected limbs and torsos splatted against the pale floor. He knew they were subhuman, but it was still unsettling. A single punch from the Hollow sent several of the remaining Arrancars flying until they hit Las Noches' wall with a sickening crunch. Finally, the creature lashed out its other arm, swatting away yet another half dozen of its enemies.

Luckily, several of Masaru's Arrancar managed to dodge the beast's blows and started their counterattack. Two leapt onto its back, shoving their swords straight into its thick mane, while the final aimed for the Hollow's ankle, attempting to sever its Achilles tendon. Masaru's heart skipped a beat – it'd been scary, but he'd won. His hope was short-lived, however, as the monster suddenly screamed. And by that, he meant that a gaping jaw over a metre wide opened up underneath what he'd mistakenly thought was the beast's head and was in actuality just its nose. Now that its fur had been disturbed, the psientist saw two massive, bulging eyes open up next to the so-called 'skull', each rotating wildly in its socket.

Scrambling backwards, Masaru fell to the ground, and a horrified whimper escaped the man's throat. "Hurry up and destroy that damned monster!" He wailed. "Protect me!"

What happened next could only be described as a bloodbath. Dozens upon dozens of Arrancar threw themselves at the beast, and each met the same fate. The Hollow crushed them with its hands, disintegrated them with its Cero, and ripped them to pieces with its large, salivating mouth.

Trembling, Masaru raised his hands, control device at the ready. Shido said this would make all variations of Hollows obedient, right? And this thing IS a Hollow, right?! Closing his eyes, he gave a desperate prayer and pressed the switch.

A tidal wave of relief ran through him as the beast settled. Its eyes stilled, and while it still looked utterly maniacal, it made no move to attack. A shaky, hysterical laugh escaped the man's throat. He'd been saved! Masaru would live, and take his place at Shido's side once he created his new world. Mind racing, the psientist wondered what he should do now. The Hollow was clearly Espada level, and would surely be a boon to Shido's side. Then again, it was dangerous. Too dangerous.

"Kill yourself." A sweat-drenched Masaru ordered. "Die, die, die!"

Instead of doing so, however, it shuddered. Slowly, silently, the Hollow took a step towards him. And then another one.

"S-stop that." Masaru stammered. "Stop that!" Desperately, he pointed his control device at the beast and activated it again and again. The readings were all correct – theoretically, it was under his control, but no matter what Masaru said, it didn't stop advancing on him.

By the time the psientist attempted to scramble away, it was too late. The monster picked him up and finished him in one bite.

…..

Three hundred metres away, Zommari winced as Ayon fulfilled his commands. Death by devouring… it was so… stereotypical. He thought he'd moved on from such vulgarity once Aizen had liberated him. Still, the Espada supposed it was in a Hollow's nature to eat or be eaten, even if he disliked subjecting a measly human to that fate. Once a Hollow had reached a certain stage of evolution after all, they had no need to harm mortals or even Shinigami.

(And yet, the Gotei 13 hunted them down anyway. Zommari would be lying if he said his appreciation for Las Noches' true emperor was the only reason he was happy to march under Aizen's banner).

Still, he would begrudgingly accept Halibel's decision to aid their enemies if it meant freeing his emperor. It also helped that the so-called Phantoms managed to develop an actually half-decent plan once they knew what they were working with. Said plan hinged entirely on one thing – Zommari's Resurrección, Brujería.

It was a power that came with a cost. Unreleased, Zommari was the fastest of all Espada, and yet, his Resurrección left him immobile. Brujería replaced the Espada's bottom half with a thick, crusty shell, almost akin to that of a sea urchin. Well, if a sea-urchin was covered in eyes, that was. And that was where Brujería's power lay. Every single eye that dotted his body had the power to control one object. If Zommari stared at a bird's wing, he could ruin its flight. He could glance at a man's limb and make them toss away their sword. If the Arrancar targeted a head, however? Their whole body would fall under his dominion.

Before the Phantoms had arrived, the remnants of Aizen's army had contemplated if it could be used to free their stolen allies from Shido's control. Halibel had deemed it too much of a risk, however. Like Shido's power, those under Brujería's full command were no more than puppets, but unlike Shido's ability, Zommari couldn't just issue orders and see them done. He had to manually control every single twitch those under his dominion made. Perhaps he could control one or two people fluidly, but no more than that. Not to mention, if the Espada fell under Shido's sway, it would be an unmitigated disaster.

Now though, he didn't need to singlehandedly conquer Las Noches. All Zommari needed to do was provide a distraction, and overwriting Shido's brainwashing on Ayon by targeting the chimera himself was perfect for that. The second the weaselly little man in charge of the wall waved his device at the Tres Bestias' unruly creation, Zommari struck, wrestling Ayon back over to their side.

The second the human died, several Espada-sized blots of Reiatsu started racing towards the beast. Zommari frowned as the leader of the pack reached the fray – Ulquiorra. The Cuatro Espada looked the same as always – the blankness in his eyes couldn't be seen from this distance. Zommari bit his lip, facing a conundrum. While Ulquiorra had always been quiet, the power he held within was obvious. He could likely put up more than a decent fight against Halibel, and therefore her subordinates' creation.

His problem ended up being solved in a somewhat unexpected way.

"There you are, you blank-faced prick!" Grimmjow jeered as he suddenly landed before the Cuatro Espada. "I've been itching to show you who's boss for a long, long time!"

Cursing, Zommari gritted his teeth. The damned fool! The former Sexta knew perfectly well about his vulnerability to Shido's power along with the limits of Zommari's abilities, and yet, he'd decided his pathetic one-sided feud against the Cuatro was more important than either of those facts! Thankfully, it turned out that Grimmjow had slightly more brains than it looked. The blue-haired man launched a kick at Ulquiorra which was easily deflected, but then, a prism of golden light surrounded the duo, and both combatants disappeared with a loud crack.

Fascinating… Zommari furrowed his brows. It seemed Grimmjow had stuck them both in a Caja de Negación – a sealed mini-dimension designed to seal away unruly subordinates. While theoretically, it could imprison an Arrancar forever, the Espada doubted it would hold for long considering the magnitude of the fight that was about to unfurl in it.

Shaking his head, Zommari tapped his ear, being one of the two Arrancars who received the privilege of Futaba's communication devices. "Halibel-sama, the mission has been a success. Ayon has breached the wall, and several Espada are converging on our location…"

…..

On the opposite side of Las Noches, a group of teens hidden under the cover of a Kyokkō approached a small window at a tower's edge. Despite the stakes, Renji couldn't help but watch the proceedings with a mild sense of amusement. Shinigami were all about honour, especially in the 6th – if his Division knew he was breaking and entering a building like a common thief, they'd froth at the mouth.

"Z-man's given us the go-ahead – the distraction was a success!" Futaba's voice crackled into their ears. "Go, go, go!"

Akira took the lead, releasing his Shikai and grappling to the window's edge. Busting it open, he lowered his hook, and the rest of the Phantoms climbed into the storeroom one by one. Zommari had recommended they use it as their infiltration point. It was too far away from anything important for anyone to pay much attention to it - security would be low, especially given the brazen attack the non-brainwashed Arrancar were launching on the other side of the fortress.

The Captain had to admit that Akira's willingness to offer his hand to their former opponents had turned out to be a massive boon. For now, anyway – Renji was pretty sure they might get some complaints after they successfully changed Aizen's heart. When he mulled over it, he supposed the black-haired teen's openness wasn't that surprising – he'd forgiven Renji for all the shit he'd done, after all, and given his issues with his inner Hollow, he was probably pleased to meet some hybrids that weren't batshit insane.

"Once you exit the storeroom, turn right, then take the third left." This time, Halibel was the one who spoke over the comms. "That is the shortest route to Aizen-sama's throne room - Shido has set up his base of operations there."

"Got it." Akira responded, before gesturing to them to follow.

Silently, they raced through Las Noches' halls. While the fortress was intimidatingly huge, that didn't unsettle the redhead nearly as much as its emptiness. Sure, the Seireitei was pretty monotonous on the surface, but if you knew where to look, there was plenty of life. Restaurant strips, underground gambling rings, street stalls, bars – you name it. The Shinigami had taken the sterile city and made it a home. There was none of that hidden warmth in Las Noches, however - the fortress had about as much of a heart as your average Hollow did.

As they advanced further and further into Aizen's lair, Renji's feelings of unease only increased. Halibel and Futaba did an excellent job of warning them about any approaching patrols, redirecting the group to safety, but the Captain knew their luck couldn't last forever. The closer they got to Hueco Mundo's heart, the more the air began to cloy with dense, rancid Arrancar Reiatsu, along with a slight hint of something uncannily sterile. It felt like the scent of ozone in the air just before a storm was about to break.

Almost on cue, a distant rumble echoed through the halls, and the Phantoms froze.

"What was that?" Ann hissed, glancing around.

"Ichimaru." Renji could hear the grimace in Halibel's voice. "The layout of the halls have changed – he must be onto you."

Frowning, Ryuji tapped his ear. "Hey, Futaba, can you like... override his controls or somethin'?"

"Doubt it." The hacker replied with a sigh. "His systems have mad security, and I dunno enough about the tech he's using to crack them anytime soon."

Renji nodded and straightened his spine as he addressed the group. "We need to split up."

"Absolutely not." Akira flashed him an irritated glare. "We're stronger as a team."

"Plus, uh, doesn't Akira need a group to activate his Bankai?" Ann pursed her lips.

The Captain shook his head. "Remember what Zommari said before – only several Espada took the bait. We've still got four unaccounted for, and Ichimaru's almost certainly leading us straight into their jaws."

Rukia rubbed her chin. "… I see. You want to trigger the trap."

"Exactly. That way, I can keep several Espada off your tail, and hopefully, it'll amuse Ichimaru enough for him not to pay any attention to the rest of you."

Makoto recoiled. "Hold on – you want to take them on by yourself?! That's suicide!"

"Sheesh, have some faith in me, will ya?" The redhead snapped back. "Besides, unlike the rest of you, I'm expendable. I've seen Aizen's Shikai – there's every chance I'll be nothing but a liability when you attack him."

The brunette quieted down but was still clearly troubled, and she wasn't the only one who looked unsure.

"If I may?" Halibel's voice echoed over the coms. "I believe Abarai's analysis is correct. You will eventually reach a point where making detours is no longer possible – sacrifice is inevitable. It is better to make them on our terms instead of our enemy's."

"She's got a point." Futaba concurred. "Plus, Renji's still got his escape ticket – if shit gets too much, he can always bail."

After a moment's silence, Rukia raised her hand. "… I'll go with him. Hopefully, we'll weather Ichimaru's trap and be able to cause some havoc while we're at it – the fewer guards Shido has by the time you reach him, the better."

If the Phantoms hadn't seemed happy with Renji's suggestion, they grew downright apoplectic at Rukia's. Still, for all his reluctance, Renji knew Akira was a good enough leader to realise the Shinigami were right.

Eventually, the tousled teen gave him a brusque nod. "Fine. But be sensible, okay? As important as this mission is, it's not as important as your lives. There are other ways to beat Shido, but no ways to resurrect you from the dead."

Renji nodded, before offering him a fist bump. "Don't worry – I got this haori for a reason. I ain't quite as stupid as I look."

With a grin, Akira hit his fist. "Well, that's debatable. Still, I have faith in you – I'll see you on the other side."