Chapter 39: Instinctual Learning

Northwest Wing, Las Noches

Two Arrancars, a Shinigami, a Vasto Lorde, and two bug-like Adjuchas investigate a long, dark hallway along the Northwest Wing of Las Noches. The Vasto Lorde leads the group while the unmasked beings hold the rear, leaving the Adjuchas in the middle.

Loly regards her counterpart, whispering, "Hey, Menoly, don't you think that guy's weird?"

The scorpion cocks her head to the side, "Who do you mean? No one here is exactly normal…"

The centipede shakes her head before gesturing one of her leg-like appendages towards the bat hollow, "I mean that one. He doesn't have a mouth, which is super weird… it's creepy how he'll look at us for a while, with those piercing green eyes of his. I can't tell what he's thinking…"

As if on cue, the bat suddenly stops walking and turns back to look at them, sending a chill down their backs.

The bat stares at them curiously, "So these are White's new companions…? I think I heard them talking about me. I wonder if they also want to be… 'friends'?"

Although the bat means well, he has no way of knowing that his appearance appears nefarious. The bat suddenly walks towards the two bugs, holding his arms in front of him, which to the bugs looks quite menacing. Naturally, this has the opposite effect than intended, as Loly lets out a high-pitched scream before rushing down the hall, past a wide-eyed Stark, Ashido, and Lilynette.

The bat's hands fall to his sides, somewhat disappointed, "I guess not…"

Menoly bows her head at the bat a bit apologetically before chasing after her sister, "Loly! Get back here right now!"

Stark lets out a long yawn, stretching his arms, before promptly inspecting a wall in the corner and sitting down before starting to snore lightly.

Lilynette growls before kicking him in the shin, "GET UP, STARK!"

The man grunts in pain, scowling, "Ow! What was that for?"

The girl hisses, "How can you take a nap in a place like this?! The enemy could ambush us at any time!"

Stark shrugs, "The enemy already knows we're here. They just haven't attacked yet, so I don't think they will unless we give them a reason… so I'm not too worried about it."

Lilynette scrunches her brows, and her mouth hangs a bit ajar, although she doesn't say anything.

Stark stretches once more before lying on his side, "I think I'm gonna catch some shut eye… go play with Ashido if you want…"

As the Arrancar begins to lightly snore, Ashido rolls his eyes before walking off past the bat, "You heard him, Lilynette. Let's keep looking."

The girl wears a concerned expression, "But Ichigo told us to stick together…"

This causes the bat to nod in agreement with the young looking hollow.

Ashido shrugs, "I don't recall saying I'd take orders from a hollow… besides, so far this group's dynamic simply isn't working out. I say it's better we split up. Stark and those sisters can probably handle themselves."

Lilynette nods, slowly turning towards the napping Stark before following the Shinigami. The bat, after glancing down the hall in the direction that the bug sisters ran, decides to follow the Shinigami as well.

As soon as the trio is out of sight, two figures drop from the ceiling. The first figure is a tall, dark skinned, bald Arrancar with spikes running from above his eyebrows to around his neck. The second is a taller, lankier being with a long mask covering its face.

The bald man looks in the direction the Shinigami went, his eyes narrowing, "Those three intend to trespass in Lord Aizen's quarters. I wasn't planning on fighting for Barragan's sake, but this is a different story…"

The other Arrancar nods in agreement before the shorter man eyes Stark sleeping in the corner, "I leave that one to you, Aaroniero…"

The other Arrancar, Aaroniero, stares at his companion intently.

The bald Arrancar states dispassionately, "Those Adjuchas are of no concern to Espadas such as us… Let them be."

Aaroniero answers with silence.

The man shifts his eyes forward before walking off, "I shall strike down the weakened Shinigami and the pit dweller."

As the other Espada's form disappears, Aaroniero shifts his attention to the sleeping form of Stark.

20 Minutes Later, Outside Aizen's Chamber, Las Noches

Ashido and company stop in front of a pair of massive doors which appear quite a bit larger than any other in the palace thus far.

Ashido narrows his eyes, "This must be the place that Arrancar mentioned…"

Lilynette nods quietly, scrunching her brow, "Say Ashido…?"

The Shinigami raises a brow, glancing back at the girl, "Yeah?"

Lilynette looks behind her, pointing at something, "What are we going to about that guy?"

Ashido and the bat follow the girl's gaze, landing on a bald Arrancar with a drawn samurai sword.

The Espada narrows his eyes, "How long have noticed me, little girl?"

Lilynette swings her arms behind her head carelessly, "I knew ever since you dropped in front of Stark. We're kind of connected, you know…"

The bald man readies his blade, "Interesting… no matter, you all shall be struck down by my blade."

Ashido scowls, muttering, "I don't have time for this…"

The Shinigami sends the white bat a look, "You can handle this guy, right?"

The bat's eyes widen briefly before nodding, "This man's reiatsu doesn't impress me compared to the captains I fought in the world of the living."

"I wouldn't underestimate me, if I were you.", the Espada states before disappearing with a buzz.

Ashido immediately parries the incoming strike with his Zanpakuto, causing the Espada to jump back a distance.

Before the Espada can come in for another strike, a green light appears next to his face. He shifts his gaze towards the light to find a cero charged at the tip of the bat's left index finger. The Espada uses Sonido once more to evade the cero, which lights up the entire hall.

Ashido takes this as his opportunity, "Let's go Lilynette."

The small girl nods before they both move through the doors.

Northwest Wing, Las Noches

"Why did you have to run off like that, Loly?", the scorpion asks her sister.

Loly hisses, "Well, I'm sorry that I'm skeptical of the freakshow Vasto Lorde who can't talk!"

Menoly sighs, "And you're always the one telling me to stop cowering… in any case, I sure hope we don't attract any unwanted attention from the Espada, because we're all alone…"

The two females wonder for a bit longer before stopping suddenly.

Loly hisses, "Do you feel that Menoly?"

The scorpion nods, "Yes, an Adjucha is nearby…"

As if on cue, a bipedal Adjucha with a unique looking mask and long, pointed claws walks out from the shadows.

The bug Adjuchas bare their claws at the Adjucha, who waves his hands defensively, "Calm yourself, Adjuchas, I don't intend to fight you. Not yet at least."

The sisters give each other a look before Loly hisses, "And why should we believe you? Are you with that Lord Aizen guy?"

The Adjucha narrows his eyes from under his mask, "'Lord Aizen'…? No, I'm afraid I've never heard the name."

The tall hollow then gestures his claws toward himself, "I am called Shawlong. I couldn't help but overhear that you view the Espadas as enemies… would either of you be at all interested in joining me in following The Uncrowned King? I'm sure he would accept the two of you as followers, as I can sense you are quite formidable."

The sisters give each other wary looks before Menoly slowly shakes her head, revealing, "We'll have to decline. We've been traveling with a powerful Vasto Lorde for what's felt like months, now. His name is Ichigo, although most other hollows know him as White. No doubt you've heard of him?"

Shawlong is silent for a long moment, his eyes narrowing, "…indeed, I have heard of that hollow…"

Loly and Menoly glance warily at Shawlong. Before the two know it, there is bloodlust radiating from the Adjucha as he charges at them, slashing with his claws. The bug hollows disperse, now on opposite sides of the rooms.

Shawlong, now cloaking his claws in red cero energy, regards the females with contempt, "Anyone who's sworn their allegiance to White is my enemy. I should've expected you two came here with him…"

Loly hisses, "What do you have against White anyway?!"

The clawed male Adjucha bares his claws, "Nothing, per se, but My King has a grudge against yours. Regardless, I must see to it that you two are exterminated in the name of the hollow who will become the King of Hueco Mundo—Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez."

Without any further delay, Shawlong disappears with a flash of Sonido, before reappearing before Menoly. The humanoid slashes down at the scorpion, who coats her own claws with ceros, which catch the other hollow's strikes. However, Shawlong quickly begins to overpower Menoly, her claws beginning to bleed. Luckily, Loly is able to quickly intervene, coiling her body around Shawlong's arm as she begins to secrete poison. This forces the Adjucha to retract his arm and throw the female to the side of the room. Menoly takes advantage of the opening by snapping both of her claws, firing ceros at the male Adjucha. Shawlong rends the attacks in two with a swipe of his claws.

The two sisters regroup, breathing a bit heavily, Loly being the first to speak, "This guy's keeping up with our movements… even after all that training!"

Menoly narrows her eyes, "Yeah… it just means he's a cut above the rest…"

Shawlong scoffs, "I expected White's followers to have skills and instinct of the caliber you've demonstrated, but I didn't expect you to be so weak."

The male Adjucha then promptly launches ceros from both of his hands at the two bugs, causing them to scatter once more. The sisters share a brief look before Loly releases a smokey haze of poison, cloaking their presence before the sisters both flee down the hallway via Sonido. Shawlong swipes his claws at the air, dispersing the haze, to find that the sisters left the area.

In a nearby dark open room, the sisters have taken cover behind massive pillars.

Loly eyes Menoly intently, "We need to catch him off guard with a coordinated attack…"

The scorpion nods in agreement from behind her own pillar a distance away. A few moments later, the two sisters tense up as they hear a distorted noise sound at the doorway of the room they're in.

Shawlong stops at the doorway, declaring ominously, "You cannot hide forever!"

The Adjucha immediately rushes at and slashes down a nearby pillar, however neither of the two sisters were behind that particular one.

He tilts his neck as he brandishes his claws and reiterates, "I told you; you cannot hide. …I did not take White's followers as such cowards… perhaps White himself has become cowardly since his days as an Adjucha?"

Loly and Menoly make eye contact, the former shaking her head in urgency as she sees the rage coat the scorpion's features.

Menoly ignores her sister's warning, however, as she charges in, "NO ONE TALKS ABOUT MASTER ICHIGO LIKE THAT!"

Loly screams internally, "NO!"

In spite of her sister's wishes, Menoly can't stand the utter disrespect coming from Shawlong's lips and foolishly charges at him with ceros charged on her pincers and tail. She clashes with the stronger Adjucha, who widens his eyes slightly as her enraged power is forcing him back slightly.

Shawlong stumbles somewhat, "Such strength! She wasn't this powerful earlier!"

Menoly capitalizes on this opportunity as she unleashes three devastating ceros on Shawlong's right arm, causing it to vaporize almost instantly. The Adjucha lets out a war cry now as he uses his left clawed arm, now coated in bright red reiatsu, to strike Menoly with such speed that it slashes through her mid-body, cutting deeply into her. He then grabs the scorpion by the tail and slams her against a nearby pillar, causing blood to smear along it as her body falls to the ground. Shortly afterward, Menoly has completely lost consciousness in a pool of her own blood.

Loly's eyes contain a rage from where she is situated behind the pillar, subconsciously letting out more reiatsu than she means to.

Shawlong breathes heavily before he clicks his tongue, "I can feel the bloodlust oozing off of you… I suggest you run now like the coward you are…"

Loly calms down a few degrees, getting her reiatsu under control, before revealing herself from behind the pillar, "No! I won't ever leave my kin behind to die!"

Shawlong glares coldly at the female, "Don't worry… I'll reunite you with her soon enough."

The humanoid Adjucha then brandishes his claws with a menacing look in his eyes.

Loly uses mock bravado and laughs, "Oh yeah? It hardly looks like you can stand after what Menoly did to you!"

Shawlong growls, "Maybe so… but I still have more than enough power to finish the likes of you in one attack."

The centipede promptly releases her toxic haze around the room, declaring, "If that's the case, this next attack will end our battle…"

Shawlong perks up, his blood boiling with a glint of anticipation in his eyes, "One last resort… a final move that stakes both of our lives…? Interesting… very well, let's see if you have the power, little bug!"

Both Adjuchas get into an offensive stance, staring intensely at each other for a moment. A chunk of pillar nearby begins to wane under the reiatsu before it breaks apart—at that moment the two charge. Shawlong reaches his hand back and strikes with insane speed. His attack is about to strike the centipede's midsection, however, surprising the Adjucha, the centipede disappears—a sign of Sonido, before her body coils suddenly, wrapping itself around his arm before plunging her bladed appendages into the Adjucha and seeping poison on him. Shawlong screams in pain as he is forced to take a knee. Loly wraps the rest of her body around the Adjucha's torso, weakening him and forcing him slowly to the ground. The Adjucha struggles, attempting to take the other hollow off by force, but is unable to due to having lost his other arm. He attempts to slam her against a pillar, but she doesn't let it phase her, gritting her teeth through the pain. Shawlong's attempts become weaker and weaker, ultimately proving futile when the Adjucha can no longer move, being completely paralyzed. His body goes limp, and he shuts his eyes, seemingly accepting death. However, no such thing comes, as he finds himself face first on the ground in the rubble. He is confused as he attempts to eye Loly, who rushes to Menoly's side.

Loly lets out a sigh of relief, "Good… she's still alive… with time, she can recover!"

Shawlong lets out, in a raspy voice, "Why am I still alive? You should devour me…"

The centipede glares at the other hollow with contempt, "Believe me, I'd love to kill you…"

She pauses as Shawlong continues to stare at her from the ground.

Loly then lets out an aggravated groan, "…but that IDIOT said no killing today! So, count yourself lucky, scum!"

Shawlong's eyes widen, "'Idiot'? Do you mean White…?"

The centipede nods, "I don't know how your king does things, but White is someone who understands something that I doubt he and his kind ever will—mercy."

Shawlong doesn't react, still having a baffled look in his eyes. Loly turns away from the other Adjucha, looking protectively at her sister.

Shawlong's thoughts drift to his past, recalling a particular conversation that occurred shortly before Grimmjow and White crossed paths…

Past, Hueco Mundo

The crescent moon hangs high above Hueco Mundo, illuminating the forms of a group of Adjuchas occupying the desert below.

Grimmjow, in his Adjucha form, glares back at his followers, "…What?"

Shawlong repeats, "I said… we give up."

Yylfordt, a distance away, clarifies, "We realize that we can never become Vasto Lordes. You see, ever since we ate our thousandth hollow, our powers haven't increased. I consumed my three thousandth hollow today. Three thousand more won't make any difference."

Grimmjow turns away uncaringly, "You're crazy. If you fools want to give up, go ahead and die like dogs. I'm gonna keep going."

Shawlong bows, "All right. We have no objections. But if that's your decision…"

The humanoid Adjucha then stands upright, "…consume us first."

Grimmjow glares back at Shawlong as he continues, "If even a portion of our bodies is consumed by a hollow, our evolution stops. Di Roy can never become a Vasto Lorde now. We know that. Our evolution ends here."

The panther narrows his eyes in disgust, "Cowards."

Shawlong sends his king a serious look, continuing his explanation, "As I said, we've come to a realization. There are those who can become Vasto Lordes and those who cannot. Some are not destined to rise beyond the Adjucha state. Perhaps it goes even deeper than that. We are aware of that now. From the moment we became hollows, we were destined to be Adjuchas. But you were meant for something greater."

The Adjucha narrows his eyes, concluding, "Eat us, Grimmjow…"

Present, Northwest Wing, Hueco Mundo

Shawlong continues to stare silently at Loly and Menoly before him. The Adjucha then closes his eyes, continuing to contemplate the past quietly.

Outside Aizen's Chamber, Las Noches

Zommari zips across the battlefield, using Sonido to disappear and reappear around the bat, landing strikes with his blade, drawing blood.

The bat's eyes narrow, "I can't fight him light this… he dodges all of my ceros, and he can cut through my Hierro… I need a way to parry…"

Zommari uses Sonido once more to appear a distance away from the bat, frowning, "You are powerful, pit dweller, but you clearly have very little combat experience. I'll teach you that you cannot get by on talent alone…"

The Arrancar immediately disappears with a flash again before reappearing behind the bat and striking him down the back with his blade. The bat shifts his wing to slap the Espada away, but the Espada disappears again before the wing can hit. This series of back and forth continues, slowly whittling down the Vasto Lorde, forcing him to open his Pesquisa in an effort to instinctually detect the Espada's movements.

The bat narrows his eyes, concentrating, "Good… I have a read on his movements… if only I had some kind of weapon to parry… like White and his blades…"

As Zommari comes in for another attack, a bright green energy lance appears in the bat's right hand, which he immediately swings around, parrying the Espada's strike and sending him flying back into a wall.

The bat widens his eyes in surprise as he looks at the Espada and then to his new weapon, "That actually worked…?"

Zommari, meanwhile, pulls himself out of the wall, now wearing a shocked expression, "What was that…?"

The Espada takes a look at the bat, seeing the shocked look in his eyes, concluding, "No more than a fluke."

Zommari disappears with Sonido once more, attempting to strike the bat with his blade again, however, his strike is parried again. Although, the parry is much less forceful this time around, so the Espada is not knocked back.

Zommari's eyes narrow, "So it was a fluke… that means I can apply more pressure—!"

The Espada's eyes widen in horror as he notices the bright green cero charged at the tip of the bat's left index finger, pointing at him from underneath his right arm. The cero immediately releases and engulfs the Arrancar in a green inferno. In the aftermath of the blast, Zommari, having most of his clothing burnt up, struggles to stand, balancing himself on his Zanpakuto.

The bat stares at the scene in mild surprise, "That worked too… it seems the more I fight like White, the more success I have…"

Zommari frowns at the bat hollow, "The time for games is at an end…"

The bat narrows his eyes as the Espada holds his Zanpakuto horizontally in front of him before letting go of the hilt, allowing for it to levitate. The bald man then slams his hands together as is praying and cocks his head around until it unnaturally sits horizontally, parallel to his Zanpakuto. Thereafter, the man's eyes dilate, as he finally chants, "Suppress, Brujeria."

The Espada's sword begins to bend around, creating some kind of swirling pattern. He then is immediately immersed in some kind of gray gunk that covers his entire body, outputting no small amount of reiatsu. The bat's eyes widen as the gunk subsides, revealing the Espada's Resurreccion.

Zommari's body now floats in the air, with fifty open eyes covering his body, except for his head which only has the usual two. The Espada's legs are replaced by some kind of pink pumpkin-like structure. Worn around his neck is a skull-shaped neck brace with an open eye in the front. Black markings appear on his face, trailing from his eyes and mouth as black, downward triangles.

Without further delay, Zommari pushes his palm towards the bat, which results in the bat instinctively charging and releasing a cero in the Arrancar's direction. The Espada uses Sonido to dodge, appearing a distance away to the bat's right. The Vasto Lorde turns towards the Arrancar but widens his eyes in shock of something. In the next moment, the bat looks down towards his left arm, marked with a sun-shaped tattoo, firmly grasping his neck as it begins to choke him. The bat becomes urgent has his fingers dig deeper into his neck, causing his breathing to become haggard. He struggles, as he disperses his lance and grabs hold of his left arm with his right, prying it free.

Zommari doesn't grant the bat respite, however, pushing his other hand towards him. The bat uses Sonido to get out of the line of sight of the attack. At that moment, Zommari clasps his hands together, causing all of the eyes on his body to open. As the bat reappears, he instinctively shields his head with his wings, which are promptly marked with similar sun-shaped markings. At least 20 other similar markings appear on his lower body thereafter.

The bat's eyes widen as, against his will, his body begins to fly towards the Espada, who charges a cero in his hands. The Vasto Lorde attempts to charge one of his own with his right hand, but his left hand clasps tightly around his right forearm, forcing the trajectory of his cero towards the ceiling.

The former pit dweller widens his eyes, "My Hierro…! It's not working!"

As the bat is within arm's length of Zommari, the Espada launches his own, point-blank cero at him, engulfing the defenseless bat in a sea of burning energy. The bat's body rolls on the floor, smoke coming off his scorched skin.

Zommari once more clasps his hands together, as if praying, "A worthy effort, but you were doomed as soon as that first tattoo marked your skin. Anything within the line of sight of any one of my fifty eyes can fall victim to my Amor."

The Espada begins to hover towards the large set of doors, "Now it's the Shinigami's turn—"

Zommari pauses, staring back at the former pit dweller whose right hand clasps the ground desperately. His right arm begins to lift his body up, as a green energy lance forms in the hand.

Zommari states passively, "Stop… you can't win—not while I still control most of your body. Even if I didn't have control, you are far too damaged to put up a decent fight."

The bat narrows his eyes, "He's right… with these limbs, I can't do anything… but what if…"

The Vasto Lorde for once allows his mind to go completely silent. No longer are there any of the thoughts that would otherwise occupy his mind for the sake of maintaining his sanity. The sheer nothingness is something familiar to the hollow, although it is not a comforting feeling. All the same, even among the nothingness, there is one thing and one thing alone that the hollow focuses on—surviving. For what reason? There is none, but of course the hollow has long recognized that such an instinct has no reason, it merely exists, as all beings do, whether we like it or not.

Suddenly, the bat does something extreme; he swiftly and accurately swings his lance around his body, slashing off both of his wings, his left arm, and his legs, causes blood to spurt from those locations as his body is still forced to float in the air with his reiatsu.

Zommari's two main eyes widen at this display, "You intend to fight me with just your right arm? You have to be joking—you'll faint from blood loss before you so much as hit me."

The white bat's breath is somewhat heavy from under his mask as he fully submerges himself in his instincts. In the next moment, the bat swiftly and effortlessly sprouts a new left arm, wings, and legs, all unmarked and free from the Espada's control.

The Espada gasps before he then scowls, "I was unaware that White recruited a being capable of high-speed regeneration of this caliber… and to think that your attacks are as powerful as they are in spite of your specialization…"

Zommari pauses before glaring at the Vasto Lorde intently, "If you are allowed to gain any further experience, you could easily become a threat on the same level as White himself. I shall take control of your mind before that happen—"

Before the Espada can finish, the bat lunges at him with great speed, catching him off guard, forcing him to dodge a downward strike from the green lance with Sonido. Now a distance away, Zommari prepares another of his Amor attacks, but gasps as the bat isn't there.

To the Arrancar's horror, he turns around slightly, met by a downward slash from the bat's green lance through his midsection. The strike cuts through Zommari's Hierro like butter, causing blood to spurt from the Espada's chest. The bat launches a quick, intense point-blank cero at him, exploding with brilliant green light on impact. Soon after, the Espada's smoking body is sent towards the ground, landing on it with a thud.

Zommari's vision goes fuzzy as he eyes the hollow flying above him, "That last move… he didn't just slip past my Pesquisa and match the speed of my Sonido… I didn't even hear his Sonido at all… curse my arrogance for thinking I possessed the quickest Sonido… I… I wasn't even close…"

Shortly after this thought, the Arrancar loses consciousness, leaving yet another Espada defeated. The bat lands on the ground in front of the downed Espada, his eyes following the way the Espada's body steams slightly before reverting back to its sealed state—the Zanpakuto reforming on the ground next to him. Rather than celebrating his victory in some way, or perhaps even honoring his opponent, the bat merely walks over the Arrancar's body as he opens the giant doors before him.

Aizen's Chamber, Las Noches

The bat can hear Ashido groan as he enters, "Just great! There's nothing here!"

The former pit dweller widens his eyes at the sight of a room with a balcony and chair, which Lilynette is currently seated in with a bored look on her face. The balcony overlooks the vast desert of Hueco Mundo, which appears even more empty than usual.

On the right side of the room, Ashido slams his fists against a table in front of a monitor of some kind, "Whoever Aizen is, he definitely makes sure to cover his tracks! There is not a single logged entry on anyone called 'Aizen' or Shinigami in Hueco Mundo!"

Northwest Wing, Las Noches

Stark yawns loudly, performing a series of stretches before finally rubbing his eyes, "Well, that was refreshing… but I can't say I appreciate having it interrupted like that… still…"

The Arrancar turns to regard the unconscious form of Aaroniero leaning against the wall where he was sleeping just earlier, "…I guess I needed some kind of wakeup call…"

Stark rubs the back of his neck as he starts walking down the hall towards the direction in which the two bug Adjuchas ran away.

Infirmary, Szayel's Palace, Las Noches

A multitude of hollows, be they Adjuchas, Arrancars, or any other kind, are wrapped in white, blood-stained bandages, which also work to seal their reiatsu, thereby partially binding them. Currently, Ichigo and company stand before one such large tiger Adjucha, seated next to a crab.

The orange haired Vasto Lorde growls at his follower, "I thought I told you not to get yourself killed! She had to save your ass from dying!"

Ggio attempts a light bow, "I apologize, Your Majesty, but that was a fight I simply could not run away from."

The tiger pauses before addressing his lord with a serious gaze, "You have a similar responsibly to attend to."

Ichigo's eyes widen briefly before narrowing, "You're right…"

Nelliel makes her way over towards a bandaged, bearded Arrancar, "You took quite the beating, Dordoni… who did this to you?"

Dordoni is about to answer before a taller, mummy-looking Arrancar answers from behind him, their voice restricted by bandages, "Mmmits mers durrh Ooomcruunedr Kimmgu!"

Nelliel raises a brow, which prompts a shorter, not so heavily bandaged Tesla to cut it, "Master Nnoitora said it was the Uncrowned King."

Right after that, the bandaged form of Nnoitora yells something else incomprehensible at his Fraccion, who waves his hands defensively, "But Master Nnoitora, no one else can understand you right now!"

The Espada then gives a slightly dejected grunt before leaning back down on the bed-like structure he's currently laid on.

Nelliel scrunches her brow, "Do either of you know where he is now?"

The woman is met by a shake of the head from Dordoni and dejected silence from Nnoitora, who clearly had his pride wounded as well. Just then, one of the Adjuchas wrapped in bandages begins to chuckle, causing most of the other hollows in the room to look at him.

The white bull Adjucha continues his laughing, "If you don't know where Grimmjow is, that means he left that fight alive… I can still sense his presence…"

Roka narrows her eyes, focusing on something, before they widen, "He's telling the truth... that Vasto Lorde is still alive somewhere in this palace—I feel traces of his reiatsu…"

Ichigo gives her a confused look, "You mean you can't find him? Can't you read his mind or something? 'Should tell you where he is…"

The spider frowns slightly, "I can only read the minds of hollows who have one of my threads directly attached to them. He is not one of those hollows. All I know is that he somehow seems to be in an area of the palace my threads can't reach…"

Ichigo sighs, "Well, I guess it isn't really all that important. From what that bull guy told me, wherever I go, he'll turn up eventually…"

The dragon then widens his eyes, "Hey, you have a connection to all the Espadas and Adjuchas under Barragan, right? Can you tell me if all my friends are still alright?"

Roka nods briefly before concentrating for a few moments. Ichigo and company all sit quietly, the dragon nervously awaiting any updates.

The spider then opens her eyes, a passive expression on her face, "The Vasto Lordes known as Tier Halibel and Sora Inoue are mostly unharmed. The Adjuchas known as Sun-Sun, Mila Rose, and Apacci were buried under rubble alongside Barragan's generals and two other hollows, however, the two previously mentioned Vasto Lordes were able to clear the rubble with help and dig them out. There were no casualties on either side, counting only the hollows who fought your followers."

Ichigo breathes a sigh of relief as pretty much everyone else in the Infirmary is wide-eyed.

Dordoni utters in disbelief, "No casualties…? In a fight between hollows…?"

Nelliel's expression turns from shock to a friendly, calm one, "I told you he was special… besides, you shouldn't act so surprised when no one died in your fight either."

The bearded man huffs, "That panther should have died… I don't know how he can still persist with injuries like that…"

This comment makes Ichigo look briefly at the Espada in silence, somewhat curious.

However, this doesn't last long as Ichigo turns his attention towards Roka again, "And what about the others?"

The spider nods, her frown somewhat deepening, "The Shinigami, two Arrancars, and Vasto Lorde are all alive and well, despite running into Espadas. There are again no casualties among them..."

Ichigo's eyes widen slightly as he notes that Roka seemed to omit something, "And? What about the other two?"

Roka nods slowly, "The twin Adjuchas suddenly split off from the group, although they were in good health when they departed… I know where they are, as they haven't moved… somewhere in the Northwest Wing. It seems they fought an Adjucha that is not among Barragan's troops… the one known as Loly will live without treatment, but if the one known as Menoly is left as she is, she will die."

Ichigo begins to breath a bit heavily before turning to leave from the room. Nelliel stands in his path.

The dragon snaps at her, "Get out of my way, Nel!"

The Espada shakes her head, her eyes conveying a sense of warning, "I know Barragan… keep him waiting any longer and he'll decide he wants to come looking for you… I'm sure I don't have to explain to you what that will entail?"

Ichigo clicks his tongue in frustration before giving a questioning look to Ggio and Findorr in the corner, who both nod, agreeing with Nelliel.

Roka adds, nervously, "Master Nelliel is right… I can hear his thoughts… I calculate the only situation where all of your allies survive is if you leave to confront the God King right now."

Ichigo growls, balling his hand into a fist, "Then what am I supposed to do? Leave Menoly to die?!"

The dragon tenses, staring at the ground in disgust.

Dordoni shakes his head, "Come now, niño, did you even listen to the niña? She said they can all survive."

Ichigo calms slightly, but still can't shake something, "But that would mean I leave her life in the hands of someone else… I'm supposed to be the leader… their lives are supposed to be in my hands…"

Nelliel walks towards the Vasto Lorde, placing a hand of support on his shoulder, which earns her a look from him.

The woman smiles, "I think you need to realize you're not alone in that responsibility anymore… Roka and I can handle the wounded, it won't be an issue. Meanwhile, you should focus on putting that King in his place, unless all of their battles—all of their scars, will have been meaningless."

The dragon looks to the ground briefly, in thought, before glancing at Roka, who promises, "I will save her."

Ichigo sighs, "Alright… but if that's the case, I want you to connect one of your threads to me, so I know when she's safe."

Roka widens her eyes slightly for a brief moment, before staring off distantly.

The dragon clarifies, "It's fine… I don't have any issues with you looking into my head every once and a while anymore. Just don't go past any boundaries."

The spider shakes her head, smiling, "I know that. I am… surprised by how much you genuinely care about those close to you. You are quite unique, You Majesty."

Ichigo responds with widened eyes before awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck, "Yeah, well… like I said, it's my responsibility as their leader to watch out for them… something that bastard Barragan doesn't seem to understand…"

Nelliel smiles at the younger hollow, "It's qualities like that which will make you a great king."

The dragon exhales, muttering, "King, huh…?"

Nelliel furrows her brows, "Did you say something?"

Ichigo shakes his head, waving his hand as is to shoo away the topic, "Nothing important."

As he quickly turns on his heel, a golden thread promptly attaches itself to his head.

The orange haired hollow declares while cracking his knuckles, "It's time to kick Barragan's boney ass!"

Roka nods with a smile, "I'll let him know you are coming, then."

As Ichigo prepares to leave the room, his eyes widen as six figures position themselves behind him, prompting him to turn around, regarding the group containing Dordoni, the mummy Nnoitora, Tesla, Ggio, Findorr, and even Yylfordt.

The dragon cocks his head, "What's this?"

Nnoitora passionately and incomprehensibly utters a long spiel, which leaves him breathing somewhat heavily by the end. Ichigo stares blankly, which causes Tesla to step forward, opening his mouth to translate.

Dordoni beats him to it, with crossed arms and a smirk on his face, "He said you're crazy if you think we'd miss such an important battle as this! Indeed, niño, such a thought would be the height of insanity…"

Ichigo nods slowly, "Fine… just don't complain if you can't keep up with my Sonido…"

After he says this another, familiar voice adds from the other room, "Your Majesty, Sonido won't be necessary…"

Ichigo and company stare at the sight of Szayel, stepping out of the shadows, earning a somewhat harsh look from the dragon.

The scientist continues, explaining, "There's a passageway in every one of the castles under the canopy of Las Noches that leads to the area above the canopy. Mine is hidden in the room next door. It will lead us directly to the arena."

The dragon growls, "If this is another one of you traps…"

Szayel shakes his head, "Please, Your Majesty… what more could I trap you with than bringing you directly to Barragan himself?"

Ichigo is quiet for a moment before huffing, "Fair enough. Lead the way."

The scientist bows dramatically, before beginning to lead the group out of the room. Nelliel can't help but smile at the sight of the hollows leaving the room in a rather peaceful manner, despite many of them technically being enemies with each other.

Unknown Location, Las Noches

Grimmjow comes to with a jolt, spasming upward suddenly, "I am—"

The panther cuts himself off as his eyes widen, taking in the surroundings, or rather, lack thereof, as the room is pitch black.

Grimmjow frowns, "Where am I…? Is this Hell?"

The panther widens his eyes again, feeling his chest briefly, "My wounds… they're gone…!"

The blue haired creature snorts, "This must be Hell, then. I couldn't have healed without gaining scars…"

"Without help, you mean?", a smooth voice calls out from the darkness.

Grimmjow swings his arm at the air violently, barking, "Show yourself!"

There is no answer.

The panther narrows his eyes, "Am I imagining things…? I can't feel anyone else's reiatsu in this room…"

A door suddenly opens a distance in front of Grimmjow, forcing his eyes to wince as light suddenly enters the room.

The voice calls out once more, "The God-King, Barragan, and the infamous dragon, White, are about to do battle for the right to rule Hueco Mundo… it seems they didn't invite you…"

The panther narrows his eyes furiously as he feels the distant reiatsu coming from the hall, "You're right… I'll kill them both!"

Grimmjow then sprints out of the room on all fours before rushing through the halls, the thoughts of questioning the nature of the mysterious voice leaving his mind.

Within the darkness, the voice sounds somewhat excited, "This should be an interesting battle…"

Author's Note:

Ulquiorra finally gets fed!

The following is somewhat my own head canon, so keep that in mind: As Zommari alluded to, the bat has all of the natural talent that a Hollow could want—he just needed battle experience. Some may wonder why I treat Ulquiorra in this manner, as in canon he's a beast, arguably stronger than even Barragan. Well, we know that the pit dwellers feared him, as well as any Hollow he encountered on the surface, which leaves him and Stark in the same boat—everyone around them either dies or runs away. This means they never fought any actual battles prior to being recruited by Aizen. Indeed, I think Aizen likely would've had Ulquiorra go through training to refine his talent, making him as deadly and effective as possible, easily earning him the rank of 4.