Author's note: While I love Bleach, I was hoping that Kubo could've done something more in this arc. While some of this will remain loyal to the canon part, the rest of the plotlines will be original, based upon an idea I had. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.
Chapter 1: Now You Remember Me?
In the endless deserts of Hueco Mundo
Shock. Fear. Unpredictability. Those were only three of the many things dominated Kisuke Urahara's thoughts when he felt a Zanpakutou over his shoulder. The usually laid-back Shinigami had been rendered immobile, all thanks to the tricks of the Sternritter: Quilge Opie. He had been a fool to underestimate the Quincy's durability, as he had even managed to survive Urahara's own Kido-attack. With Ichigo Kurosaki now headed for the Soul Society to help its desperate people, and Yasutora Sado and Orihime Inoue also badly wounded by Quilge's destructive strength, all hope seemed lost. At this rate, Urahara believed that he would need the help of his Bankai, something he even reluctantly wanted to. That was until "he" showed up, the person who had managed to easily wipe out Quilge with a Cero.
"Hey you, Shinigami" the rowdy voice came from none other than the former Sexta Espada himself: Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.
The blue-haired Arrancar, still retaining his white jacket from his days as an Espada and wearing some fancy black pants, fixed a smug smile while seeing his prey at his mercy.
"That Spiritual Pressure I sensed seemed very familiar to me. I know it as it is" he said and suddenly glanced over to Chad and Orihime, the two being too battered and bruised to even react to Grimmjow's presence. "And seeing as those two have entered Hueco Mundo, it's obvious who was here just now" he remarked.
Urahara felt ashamed of himself by being in this position. Being at the mercy of Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, a hothead he wouldn't mind teaching a lesson or two.
"This is bad! Really bad! I don't know how long this paralysis will last, but I can't let this guy do as he pleases" the blonde-haired man noted before looking his face into the distant space where Ichigo had disappeared. "Not to mention there are more pressing matters. How was that Quincy able to trap Ichigo inside the Garganta? Truly the enemy really IS wary of him" Urahara added while feeling worried about Ichigo's current situation.
"Enough chit-chat! I want answers!" Grimmjow said and tightened the grip around his Zanpakutou. "Where is he!? Where the hell is Ichigo Kurosaki!?" he demanded impatiently.
Urahara did not open his mouth to answer and he proceeded to only sit still and stare towards the distance. This only irritated the Arrancar further.
"You think I'm stupid!? I know you can speak!" Grimmjow spoke up loudly. "So quit screwing around and answer my damn question!" he barked aloud.
"I don't know!" was all that Urahara could muster. Slowly, the shop keeper began turning around to look Grimmjow in the eyes. "I am sorry to disappoint you, but I have no idea where Ichigo currently is" he said, doing his best to lie.
Being spoken to like that really made Grimmjow feel offended, and he felt like talking was no longer an option. Despite his short temper, even he could see straight through Urahara's lie. Forming a psychotic grin, Grimmjow raised his Zanpakutou in the air. Apparently, he had some ideas to explore with his captive.
"If you don't tell me about his location then I might as well force him to come to me!" he exclaimed with such craven delight. "I'll kill every one of you! That oughta bring that bastard chasing after me!" he said and was about deliver the blow.
Urahara's eyes was filled with shock, wondering if this was really what his ends would be like, dying at the hands of a hotheaded Arrancar while being paralyzed. The thought of humiliation only made this situation worse. He was now really considering activating his Bankai. But all that changed when something so unexpected happened.
"STAY YOUR HAND, GRIMMJOW JAEGERJAQUEZ!" by hearing this voice, the blue-haired Arrancar immediately stopped with what he was doing.
Urahara paused by hearing that voice. Somehow, he recognized it. He could hear steps coming towards him and all of a sudden, three beings appeared before the sitting Shnigami, having apparently used Sonido. When seeing them, Urahara's eyes immediately widened and his irises was solely fixed upon the three strangers.
Grimmjow reluctantly pulled back his Zanpakutou and grumbled angrily with what he saw. "Tch, I was wondering when you would show up!" he sarcastically remarked.
Standing before Urahara were three Arrancars. They each had different appearances and outfits. They wore white clothes underneath red-colored capes. It was almost as if they were of royal blood.
The tall black-skinned Arrancar with dreadlocks and spikey horns sticking out from his head faced Urahara with a stern glance. "It has been a long time, Kisuke Urahara" he told him without any emotion. "I believe you still recognize us" he added, still not changing the expression of his face.
Urahara slowly opened his mouth to speak. "Xerxxes Rureaux…Diablo Gallante…and Oggrom Dorian" he uttered out their names. "How…...how are you all…." he had difficulties in saying anything.
The red-skinned Arrancar with the eyepatch on his right eye, devilish horns and a cloth covering his mouth while hanging right underneath his nose scoffed at him. "So you still remember our names, even after all these ages?" he remarked smugly. "I am impressed with your recollection" he complimented him, although Urahara was uncertain whether this man truly meant it.
"I've heard enough talk!" the muscular Arracnar with light brown skin, long, black hair tied into a ponytail, black marking on his chin and barbarous appearance only grunted at hearing this. He then began narrow his ferocious eyes on the Shinigami. "Did you think he wouldn't know, Shinigami?" he asked lowly and sternly at the same time. "Did you honestly think that he would forget the debt you and your mentor owed to him!? You thought that by allowing Sosuke Aizen and his pets take dominion of Hueco Mundo, you could run away from it!" he went on explaining as Urahara sat and listened.
"Furthermore, you allowed Aizen to gain possession of the Hogyoku. There was some intentions in doing so, was it not?" Xerxxes noted sternly.
Hearing this made Urahara grit his teeth in frustration. "You're wrong! I never intended for Aizen to gain possession of the Hogyoku!" he claimed while the three Arrancars stared at him blankly. "All those ages, me and my friends spent our lives in exile so that neither him nor even the Soul Society could get their hands on it! The Hogyoku's safety was the sole reason me, Yoruichi and Tessai chose that lifestyle!" he insisted, defending what he had done in the past.
So far, Chad and Orihime had barley started recovering from their wounds on the sand, not moving an inch of their bodies. Even if they tried running away, they knew that these unfamiliar Arrancars would catch up to them and do whatever terrible things they could possibly imagine.
"Chad...what are they talking about?" Orihime asked her tall friend, who was trying his best to listen to their conversation.
"I don't know. But it seems to me…..that Urahara has somehow a connection to those Arrancars" Chad replied.
However, the tall man felt himself being in a dangerous position. This was due to the Spiritual Pressures he could feel from those Arrancars. They terrified him.
"This is not making any sense. Grimmjow used to be an Espada, so his Spiritual Pressure is on the same level as a captain of the Court Guard. However, when those Arrancars arrived, everything changed. Their Spiritual Pressures….dwarfs Grimmjow's!" he noted in his head uneasily.
Orihime had different thoughts, even though they were similar to Chad's. "This immense power…...I have felt it before…...during my time in Las Noches. But where?" she wondered as she struggled to recall. Eventually, her eyes snapped when she was reminded of a certain individual, the one who was responsible for her captivity: the former Cuatro Espada: Ulquiorra Cifer. Thinking about this made her stuck in her thoughts. And it lasted until she heard a voice.
"Humans, in Hueco Mundo? Now this is a rare sight" both Chad and Orihime snapped and turned around to see something that made them even warier: more unfamiliar Arrancars, wearing the same capes as those standing before Urahara wore. An elderly lady with a necklace as her Hollow-shell was standing in the middle and she faced the two with a curious glance. "Hmmm, they seem very…...young to me" she added while describing them.
But she was not alone. Besides her compatriots, a horde of Arrancars in armor stood behind, with some already riding on what appeared to be Hollow-like wolves or horses. They carried spears and shield, which could perhaps be their Zanpakutous or whatever weapons they were. What was noticeable was the symbol stand on those shields, as well as the medallions that was keeping their capes together. It was a symbol of omega. That female Arrancar as well as those standing before Urahara were carrying that symbol with them as an emblem on their capes.
Urahara had taken notice of the horde of Arrancars arriving, but as he got a glimpse of heir shields, his eyes widened. Apparently, he recognized that symbol. "No…...it's them…they are…" the Shinigami could not believe what he saw.
Chad and Orihime only backed away by seeing the elderly lady and her company of soldiers. However, she seemed very mild-mannered compared to her compatriots. She even chuckled, albeit in a amused manner.
"Have no fear, young ones. I have no intentions of harming you, nor do these Hoplitas" she told them, but suddenly turned her attention towards Urahara on the hill. "However, I would like to have a word with your cunning friend up there. He has much to answer for" she added sternly and used her Sonido to vanish from the two friends' eyes.
Urahara recognized this woman. "Annabelle Luisenbarn, as well as the Hoplitas" he uttered out lowly. "I had hoped to never see anyone of you again" he added, still feeling sour.
The elderly Arrancar only stared at him with a frown formed with her lips. "Now that is just impolite of you, mansion boy. You should be thankful that Grimmjow was nearby to save your life from that wretched Quincy" she reminded him with a huff.
As much as the blonde-haired man wanted to dispute her claim, he felt he still lacked the strength, considering that he was still paralyzed. But even if he hadn't been paralyzed, fighting against these Arrancars was something he would've least done.
Grimmjow had, so far, only stood and watched this interrogation from the sidelines in boredom. He grew impatient and confronted those mysterious Arrancars. "Hey, what the hell are we even standing here for, anyway? Can't we just drag his ass back to Esperanza?" he asked while sounding rude towards them.
Xerxxes, Oggrom and Gallante gave him disapproving stares, while Annabelle only glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "You do NOT have the authority to make such commands yet, Esclavo!" Xerxxes pointed out sternly. "Remember, you are still a Legionario, and one rank below us. You have yet to earn your right to issue demands like that" he added with an explanation.
"Watch how you talk to me!" Grimmjow demanded and reached for his Zanpakutou. "Just you wait, I will become a Dechado soon enough! Then we'll see which of us deserves respect!" he added with anger in his voice.
"Enough from you, Grimmjow. Do not forget the reason you were sent along with us" Annabelle reminded him. By hearing this, the blue-haired Arrancar removed his hand from the tip of his Zanpakutou and crossed his arms out of irritation.
Urahara's eyes widened by what he had heard from their slight altercation. He specifically faced Xerxxes. "Esperanza…...is it true that it still ex..." Urahara was interrupted by Gallante putting his Zanpakutou near his throat. It was formed like a deadly scythe. This made the Shinigami cease speaking.
"You do not get to ask the questions here, Urahara. We will do that" the red-skinned Arrancar reminded him. "Now moving on, you might be wondering if we are aware of the current situation in the Soul Society. And yes, we do know of the Wandenreich's invasion as well as their assassination of the lieutenant of Squad 1: Chojiro Sasakibe. Therfore, we know that there is a war taking place" he revealed.
Urahara was surprised by the level of knowledge they possessed. "I see" he noted lowly. He then formed a slight smile with his lips. "Then I guess you and the rest will head over there to battle the Quincies, as well as aid the Soul Society" he remarked, feeling confident.
Oggrom narrowed his eyes at the laid-back Shinigami. "Aid the Soul Society?" he asked with distaste. "You are deceiving yourself! The Imperio de Hierro have no interest in risking our men and women for the sake of the Sereitei!" he barked, clenching his strong hands.
"But you do know what happens now, right?" Urahara asked him loudly. "You all know what nefarious ends this Wandenreich might have in store for not just the Soul Society, but Hueco Mundo as well. They will target you next should the Soul Society fall" he pointed out.
Gallante nodded his head in return. "You are correct. We do loathe its emperor: Yhwach, especially for what he has done to Hueco Mundo in the past and the present. However, we also loath Shigekuni Yamamato and his past atrocities. As such, we paragons know very well that neither man is worth supporting, especially for what they each did to our beautiful home ages ago" he explained their reasoning with a hint of bitterness in his voice.
Hearing this caused Urahara to backpedal on saying such words. However, he could feel the paralysis slowly fading away. Seeing this as an opportunity to grab both Orihime and Chad to escape from Hueco Mundo, Urahara was about to use his Zanpakutou to fend off his interrogators and then use his Shunpo to vanish, once he had both Humans in his hands. But all that stopped once he could see Annabelle slam her staff before him. That staff appeared to be her Zanpakurou.
"I would not do something as reckless as that if I were you, young man" Annabelle warned her lightly. "Now that you know of our continued existence, it is pointless for you to even try hiding from us any longer. We know all about you mischief" she explained further.
The cunning Shinigami angrily gritted his teeth by seeing her doing that. "And why would I fear you?" he asked as if he wanted an answer.
Annabelle only formed a smug look on her face. "Hmmm, you will see" she said and suddenly turned her attention to a line that was beginning to form right before the soldiers.
For Orihime and Chad, this was all too familiar.
"Chad….is that a…" Orihime asked slowly.
"Yes…it's a Garganta…" Chad answered before seeing it opening itself. "Where is it coming from? The World of the Living? The Soul Society?" he wondered about who had opened it.
As it became bigger Orihime was filled with both surprise and joy by seeing Yoruichi Shihoin, Tessai Tsukabishi, Ururu Tsmugiya and Jinta Hanakari emerging out of it. While she was happy to see them, she noticed that they weren't so pleased with the way they were standing. In fact, as they stepped out of the Garganta, they fell onto their knees, showing everyone that they were tied to their hands and feet.
"Oh no! Yoruichi and the others! They are…." Orihime was filled with disbelief over seeing this.
"They're captured! But how!?" Chad exclaimed in shock.
Out from the Garganta, three Arrancars emerged. Chad immediately recognized the one in the middle, who had orange afro hair and seemed like a disco dancer. As their eyes met, the Arrancar only smiled smugly and even made a gesture to him by forming his fingers into a pistol.
"You…." Chad spoke up, recalling the fight they had last time in Las Noches two years ago
"We meet again, Yasutora Sado" he said and crossed his arms with a smug look on his face. "I take it you still remember our glorious fight back at Las Noches, eh? Well, I'm no longer a Privaron Espada. That's all in the past. From now on, I'm Gantenbainne Mosqueda, proud member of the Legionarios in the Imperio de Hierro" he exclaimed with confidence of his status.
Chad had started to find calm within himself, but there was something he thought was odd about Gantenbainne. "It's odd…his Spiritual Pressure…is stronger than from the last time I fought him" he noted while observing the man with the orange afro. "However, those other Arrancars are still more powerful than he is. I can feel it" he added while observing the other two Arrancars, who wore capes similar to Xerxxes and the others.
The one on the left, who had the head of a wolf as his Hollow-shell and had white markings running across his cheekbones, as well has long black hair and facial hair. He looked over to Gantenbainne. "Gantenbainne Mosqueda. Do you recognize that Human?" he asked him and the orange-haired Arrancar nodded in return. The calm Arrancar began crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes at them. "Hmmmm, I see. But I don't think neither of them are ordinary Humans" he noted lowly.
Xerxxes had seen Urahara's reaction to his friends being held captive and he mused about it. "When we heard that you had decided to visit Hueco Mundo, we saw this as the perfect opportunity to sneak into the Human World and apprehend the rest of your little gang" he revealed, having no regrets for what they had done. "Matter of fact, we predicted that Quincy activity in Hueco Mundo would've attracted your attention" Xerxxes added smugly.
Urahara was so far been shocked and angered by seeing his friends being tied up and brought to this place like this. He angrily faced the paragons. "Bastards! What the hell have you done to do them!?" he angrily demanded an answer out the Arrancars. "You leave them out of this! They have nothing to do with…" Urahara was kicked by Oggrom, his iron boot sending the Shinigami down to Chad and Orihime's location. The blonde-haired man felt blood form his lips.
"Urahara!" Orihime exclaimed with worry as she crawled over to his side, and tried to help him getting up on his feet. "Are you alright?" she asked with concern.
The laid-back Shinigami fixed a cocky grin at her in return. "Sure, I am…...never felt.…...ARGH!" he felt the pain's aftereffect in his stomach.
The Arrancar with white, shoulder-length hair and dressed in silver armor in addition to his cape helped Yoruichi back on her feet, although she was reluctant to be helped.
"I can do this myself, you know!" the purple-haired woman said to him. But as she got a glimpse of the other Arrancars, she snapped in shock an in surprise. "Xerxxes…...Annabelle…and even Gallante" she uttered out words before forming a slight smirk with her mouth. "So, you weren't bluffing. You're all back again" she said with a defiant voice.
The white-haired Arrancar raised an eyebrow at her. "You honestly think that we bluff with our captives?" he asked before eventually starting to ignore her. He then proceeded to face his comrades. "Anyway, as he requested, we captured Yoruichi Shihoin, Tessai Tsukabishi and two peculiar children who so rudely attacked us without warning" he informed his comrades.
Jinta glared at him angrily. "We're not children, arrogant twerp! And the reason we attacked you was because you came to our shop uninvited!" the red-haired teenage boy spat out. "I swear, when I'm through with this, I'm gonna whoop your ass until it's all…" Jinta was interrupted by the Arrancar drawing his two-handed sword, and made sure that the its tip was almost pointing at Jinta's lips. The young boy freaked out, almost feeling the tip's sharpness.
"Hold your tongue, or I will cut it off personally" the Arrancar told him without any remorse or doing this to a teenage boy. "And just to clarify you, I am no "bastard". I am Luddenwig Van Gogh, proud member of the Imperio de Hierro's Dechados" he introduced himself before putting his Zanpakutou away.
Jinta sighed in relief, only for Tessai to slam his head with his own. The young teenager got an ugly mark as a result. "Ouch…what was that for!?" he wondered in annoyance while glaring at Tessai.
Tessai sighed, not even replying to Jinta. "Repulsive idiot…." he lowly muttered, and Jinta only twitched in anger by hearing this.
The Arrancar with the wolf-head as his Hollow-shell faced Urahara sternly while crossing his arms. "You thought we would underestimate you? Not a chance, Kisuke Urahara" he told the blonde-haired man.
"Durann Lupinus" Urahara noted sternly while calling out the Arrancar's name. "What made you commit something as cowardly as to take my friends as hostages?" he asked while wanting to know an answer.
The one called Durann narrowed his blue eyes. "They are not hostages. Only bargaining chips" he said but began facing both Yoruichi and Tessai. "We know all about you. These two are you accomplices, which makes them just as guilty as you are" he added.
"Guilty? For what!?" Yoruichi asked him angrily. "As far as we know, we weren't the ones who destroyed your civilization, let alone allowed Aizen to do as he pleased in Hueco Mundo!" she hit back at him.
Durann only smirked by seeing her reaction. "Are you certain of that?" he asked while facing her with such sanctimony. "Our "spy" disagrees to what you are alleging. He gave us plenty of intel with regards to your actions" he said in return.
Urahara's eyes widened with surprise by what Durann just said. "A spy…." the blonde-haired man was filled with confusion, but also shock at the same time. He faced the wolf-like Arrancar. "You had a spy placed in Las Noches!? Who was he!?" he demanded an answer out of him.
Luddenwig glared at him disapprovingly. "We have no obligations in answering you, former Shinigami. Such information and answers are only shared amongst us paragons" he replied.
But as they were having this gathering, a large shadow appeared over them. Urahara and his gang and friends immediately recognized the giant creature as Ayon. As he was standing above them and growled like a ferocious beast.
"Oh right, I almost forgot…" Urahara noted in his head. "With the Sternritter dead, that giant Hollow must've been freed from the absorption" he added and decided to look if there were any perpetrator. He could eventually spot the members of the Tres Bestias: Emilou Apacci, Franceska Mila Rose and Cyan Sung-Sun standing not far away from his location.
The so-called Dechados had taken notice of the giant beast approaching and they didn't seem necessarily concerned or intimidated. In fact, Oggrom was now charging towards it, his axe-like Zanpakutou held tightly in his hands. The Hollow was larger than him, but Oggrom stubbornly ran towards it. Ayon opened its terrible mouth, yet the muscular Arrancar did not back down.
"YOU'RE STAYING DEAD, MONGREL!" Oggrom yelled and jumped towards Ayon's chest. With the tip of his axe aimed at it, Oggrom made long cuts with it, but he was not finished. Using his right arm, he punched a hole in Ayon's chest, much to the giant monster's agony. Then, he actually went through the opening, proceeding to tear Ayon apart from the insides.
Ayon stood in silence for a couple of minutes, before his limbs, tail and head began crumbling apart one by one. Oggrom was using his Zanpakutou to cut the Hollow into many pieces. He emerged through the giant's back, with Ayon falling down to his death.
The muscular Arrancar put his Zanpakutou back and only looked at the remains of Ayon with utter disappointment. "Heh, what a pathetic excuse for a monster" he remarked with disgust and even spit at the remains.
The Tres Bestias could not believe how Oggrom had so easily defeated their combined creation.
"Shit! Ayon's completely toasted!" Apacci cursed after seeing the results.
Mila Rose approached her. "I told you this was a bad idea, didn't I!?" she scolded her, but Apacci got up to her face.
"My idea!? You were the one who suggested it, numbskull!" the blue-haired Arrancar retorted back.
Mila Rose twitched in anger over hearing this insult. "Call me that again and I will whoop your fat ass until it bleeds!" she warned her.
But as Apacci and Mila Rose got into their usual arguments, Sung-Sun decided to intervene. "We cannot stay here for much longer" she said and both women focused their eyes on her. "We better flee before they take notice of us being…." it was too late for them, as Xerxxes, Annabelle and Luddenwig appeared before them using Sonido.
Their Sonido were incredibly fast, even to the Tres Bestias' standards.
"Just as I suspected" Xerxxes remarked while facing them with disgust. "More Esclavos skulking around the ruins of their former slave pens" he added, insulting the three women.
Apacci gritted her teeth in anger. "What did you just call us!?" she asked threateningly only to be restrained by Sung-Sun.
Annabelle chuckled by seeing her reaction. "Why, you were indeed slaves at Las Noches. Slaves to a Shinigami. I see no reason for why we should not refer to you as such" she bluntly pointed out to her.
Being told this actually made Apacci calm down, and she looked to the ground with a level of shame. But Mila Rose stepped before her to confront the paragons. "We were never slaves to Aizen!" she spat at them with defiance. "That selfish bastard was never our master! The only master we ever had was Lady Harribel!" she spoke up.
"Ah yes, Tier Harribel. That beautiful yet stubborn wench" Luddenwig suddenly spoke up, triggering the anger of both Mila Rose and Apacci. The white-haired Arrancar did not taking their rage seriously. "It's a shame that she rejected our invitation to join us. Instead, she faced the Wandenreich and lost miserably. But what could we have expected? She was an Esclavo after all" he remarked, not holding back with insultin the former Espada.
Sung-Sun stepped forward. "But where were you when Barragan ruled Hueco Mundo? Where were you when Aizen ruled Hueco Mundo? Where were you all this time?" she asked them as if she wanted a straight answer. "I take it you could perhaps answer us, Annabelle Luisenbarn, considering that you were Barragan's elder…" before she could say anything more, she paused by feeling something small but deadly passing by her cheek. While it didn't hit it, it actually made a cut on her cheek, with blood running out of it. The long-haired Arrancar froze from what Annabelle just did.
Apparently, the elderly woman had fired a Bala, and it narrowly missed Sung-Sun's right cheek. She blew off the smoke from her wrinkly finger. Annabelle then faced the snake-like Arrancar with a serious expression. "Watch your tongue, Shinigami-concubine! The fact that you dare mention that name to my face only demonstrates the kind of traitors to our people you have become. His Highness himself is dismayed with you, as well as those rejecting the true call of our people" she remarked while commenting Sung-Sun's words.
Apacci sprung before her comrades and faced the stronger Arrancars with an accusing finger. "To hell with your empire and master! We only serve Lady Harribel!" she spat out.
The three Arrancars did not like the tone she was giving them, yet they turned around to leave. However, Luddenwig did stop and looked over his shoulder to take a last glance at them. "Fair enough. I knew from the start that extending an invitation to you and your mistress was a mistake. Once an Esclavo, always an Esclavo" he said before facing forward. "Grimmjow. Gantenbainne. You may do with them as you please. These women are of no use to us" he said as Grimmjow and Gantenbainne had just appeared in the area.
"With pleasure" Grimmjow exclaimed with bloodlust and cracked his knuckles, slowly beginning his walk toward the Tres Bestias.
"So you're with them now, Grimmjow?" Sung-Sun asked. "I expected no less from the former Sexta Espada" she added with a hint of disgust.
Grimmjow stopped and only raised an eyebrow at her. "You still believe in those damn numbers!?" he asked loudly and then turned around to show them the place where the number 6 tattoo was standing on. But instead of a tattoo of the number, it showed them the omega symbol. The three Arrancar women widened in shock.
"No…don't tell me that…." Mila Rose uttered out words lowly.
Gantenbainne stepped besides Grimmjow and opened his shirt, revealing them the same symbol on his chest. "I too have been granted this gift since my induction as a Legionario" the orange-haired Arrancar said. "With this, we are stronger than a Privaron Espada and an Espada combined. However, "he" is still stronger than all of us" he added.
Back at Urahara's outpost, the Shinigami and his friends were still surrounded by the Dechados. But Urahara approached Gallante and Durann and faced them with seriousness.
"Okay, because of the situation we're in, I'll agree to whatever you request of me" Urahara said while adjusting his hat. "But know this, I'm only doing this for the sake of saving our world. I'm not interested in serving the Imperio de Hierro or whatever name your kingdom is called" he reminded them.
All the Dechados smiled with satisfaction of his answer. "You made the right decision, Kisuke Urahara. Your mentor would have been proud of you" Gallante remarked. "But before we can officially begin, we will have to dispose of the Quincies who are still roaming Hueco Mundo like vermin searching for food, then we may take you to His Highness" he went on explaining.
Urahara nodded in return. "But I will require the assistance of someone living in the Human World. And while we're at it, there's something I must do for the Soul Society" he said.
"That will have to wait" Luddenwig suddenly spoke up. "Once we are done here and have returned home, you may begin with your research to help your "allies" in the 13 Court Guard Squads. But still, you will be researching under our supervision. We have zero interest in the affairs of the Soul Society" he added sternly.
Urahara nodded once more, heading towards his friends afterwards. But she was met with an angry expression from Yoruichi, and she seemed pissed. "Just what the hell are you doing now, Kisuke!?" the purple-haired woman was more than furious. "You're not thinking about helping them are you!?" she added with stress.
"We are at a great dilemma here, Yoruichi" Urahara answered. "Given the current circumstances, we're unable to visit the Soul Society. We must trust that Ichigo got there in time to battle the enemy. Besides, we will contact Shinji and see what the current situation is" he assured her while putting a hand on her left about this, she reluctantly agreed with a slight nod.
Yet Tessai was not as convinced. "But boss, what did you mean about someone in the Human World? You already sent Ichigo to the Soul Society, didn't you?" he asked while adjusting his glasses.
"It's a bit complicated to explain this, Tessai. But it has something to do with fixing the distortions between the realms" he explained shortly. "I will fill you in on it later. You, Jinta and Ururu could perhaps do this request for me. The Dechados know that you three are less than a threat to them anyways" he added with a suggestion.
Ururu saluted in return. "Your wish is my command, sir" she said, yet sounding so awkward, even as a teenager.
Jinta only huffed while crossing his arms. "Whatever you say, douche" he muttered lowly, only for Tessai to slam him once again with this head, much to his agony.
Urahara then looked at Chad and Orihime. He fixed a reassuring smile while doing that, surprising them both. "You two will just stay with me. And let me assure you, no matter how ruthless and mean these Arrancars look, they are more honorable than those serving under Aizen" he told them who listened closely.
"Yeah right! Taking hostages sure is honorable!" Jinta remarked with sarcasm, but this time, Ururu delivered her left foot at his right cheek. "Ouch…...just knock it off with the attacks, already!" he said as he was getting tired of being the punching bag.
But Urahara and the others ignored the teenage boy's rant and resumed their conversation. "Just trust me on this one, you two. As long as you're with me, you'll be safe in Hueco Mundo. But be sure not to provoke the paragons. While they are more far more patient than the Espadas, they know how to kill you without even breaking a sweat" he warned them sternly.
Having just witnessed Oggrom making Ayon a giant pile of ash, Chad and Orihime only agreed to what Urahara said, fully believing in him. Hopefully, they would stay safe in Hueco Mundo, considering that the Soul Society was currently in chaos. However, they both hoped that Ichigo was doing okay. But they knew better than to doubt his determination as it had saved their hot-headed friend various times.
To be continued…..
Author's note: That was the first chapter of my splendid fanfiction about Bleach. Like Kubo did with his chapters, I won't spoil what happens next. And remember that this is only fictional. Now let's take a look at the new terms we got introduced to.
Imperio de Hierro - Spanish for "Iron Empire": A new power has arisen amidst the desolated wastes of Hueco Mundo. But who is this empire? Wasn't Tier Harribel the ruler of the realm of Hollows after Aizen's defeat?
Dechados – Spanish for "Paragons": These unfamiliar Arrancars possesses a different level than that of the Espadas under Aizen. But where are their origins? Somehow, they don't seem to have their origins in Aizen's army.
Legionarios – Spanish for "Legionnaires": These Arrancars seems to be one rank lower than the Dechados in their hierarchy, yet possesses enormous amounts of Spiritual Pressure. In fact, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and Gantenbainne Mosqueda seems to have joined it, earning them powers beyond those of Espadas or Privaron Espadas.
Esclavo – Spanish for "Slave": Many members of the Imperio de Hierro are noted to have a low opinion on Arrancars who served under Aizen or Yhwach. Because of this, they are referred to as Esclavos and are usually looked down upon. Even Grimmjow is referred to as such, although by joining the Legionarios, he has built a reputation for himself, as well as gaining the favour of some paragons.