Chapter 249

This refers to the Miyano siblings.

"What's so surprising?"

Ashido glanced at the Haruto.

"I never said I was alone."

"Over the years, quite a few members of the Expeditionary Force have been lost in Hueco Mundo; perhaps one or two Captain-level will have survived..."

Is it hard to understand?

"..."

Haruto didn't reply.

It's normal to survive, but it's very abnormal to survive and not return to Soul Society.

The fact that he was only removed from the Soul Society and not issued a warrant for his arrest is already a testament to the captain's high reputation.

But.

Haruto didn't care about these things—he had seen many Soul Reaper wandered between the World of the Living and Hueco Mundo, choosing to leave due to dissatisfaction with the Soul Society's system, whether they were free or sealed and guarded.

"Click."

Ashido pulled a long, pale white spine from his "treasure chest" where he had previously retrieved the map, then aimed at the very bottom and ignited it with a Haien.

"Call out!"

The crooked spine shot into the sky like a rocket.

"We're not far away; we should be able to get here in about half an hour."

"..."

Haruto offered no comment on this unusual firecracker.

"Oh, right."

Ashido patted the bone meal off his hands.

How are you going to lure that Vasto Lorde out?

"To openly attack Las Noches... no, to use this person as bait?"

Ashido looked at the silent Tier Harribel and spoke.

"Just like Szayelaporro had a personal grudge against the 11th Division, I think this guy also had some resentment towards that Admiral?"

"Need not."

Haruto shook his head.

"Tier Harribel is our secret weapon."

Haruto's words dispelled Tier Harribel's wariness:

With so many formidable Soul Reapers gathered together, Tier Harribel must be wary that they might turn against her—just as Apache said, while the Grim Soul Reaper beside her is somewhat special, their group is inherently difficult to trust.

"To bring up the work of that Vasto Lorde..."

"Leave it to me."

Haruto took on the job.

"You?"

Ashido's eyes widened in surprise.

"Right."

Haruto explained his plan:

"Vasto Lorde..."

"With a new Vasto Lorde discovered within Las Noches' territory, this general must have a reason to take action, right?"

Haruto's explanation was simple, but it mimicked the aura of Vasto Lorde.

Is this the power that Soul Reaper should possess?

"Do you have the means to simulate the aura of Vasto Lorde?"

I guess so...

Simulation?

No, no, no.

The source of the hollow portion of Haruto's Reiatsu is the real Vasto Lorde!

He was even somewhat worried that the very clear composition of the Gillian part might have directly attracted Baraggan—

These are all familiar auras to the King of Hueco Mundo.

"I can't demonstrate it for everyone right now."

"Once we arrive at the destination..."

At this time.

"Whoosh."

With the combination of Shunpo and the Shinigami's spiritual pressure, he appeared in everyone's perception without reservation.

"Um?"

Unlike Ashido was fully equipped, this new Soul Reaper was dressed in tattered, hole-ridden clothes.

"So fast?"

So many people?

Ashido and he spoke almost simultaneously.

"I was just nearby, chasing after a strange Adjuchas."

Not only were his clothes casually dressed, but his messy hair and unkempt beard also made his already mature appearance look slovenly.

"They're discussing how to resolve the Vasto Lorde."

"... Then my achievement just now is nothing to mention."

The newcomer casually tossed away a deformed head, then addressed the crowd:

"Let me get involved too."

"That was the plan all along... Oh, right."

Ashido introduced the group of Soul Reaper:

"This is the former Third Division Soul Reaper..."

"Shusuke Amagai."

――――

Volume 1: Chapter 150, Lure and Kill

Las Noches.

Although it's called a palace, it's just a "fortress" built of bones—but in Baraggan's view, the entire Hueco Mundo is his territory, so there's no need for a palace in the real sense.

Heaven and earth are the dome and foundation of Las Noches.

At this time.

Baraggan himself is not in Las Noches.

After leaving two of his Vasto Lorde with a small force to guard Las Noches, he led his main army to hunt in the distant borderlands; Hueco Mundo didn't really have any targets worth hunting with the Baraggan, the main purpose of this trip was to reduce the number of his Adjuchas... to put it bluntly, to let them kill each other for fun.

This was one of Baraggan's few hobbies for passing the time—and from another perspective, it was also the reason why Shigekuni Yamamoto could keep him around for a thousand years without coming to eliminate him: the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force only needed to eliminate the lower-level Hollows in the Forest of Menos, Baraggan would take care of the rest himself.

Certainly.

This isn't all good for Soul Reaper either.

A large number of Adjuchas with considerable strength gather together to fight each other. Among them, there will always be a few with exceptional talent who may take this opportunity to evolve into Vasto Lorde. This is also one of Baraggan's goals.

Besides Szayelaporro, he already had two Vasto Lorde born in this way, although one of them was killed by Kuruyashiki Kenpachi.

And the balance between the two...

It was the tacit understanding between Shigekuni Yamamoto and Baraggan.

――――

What is that?

On the throne of bones in Baraggan.

The giant hammerhead shark... no, its upper body looks more like a virtual version of Garchomp.

Stowe is devouring the food in his hand:

That was Adjuchas failed to complete the task he assigned.

And the only guy in the entire Las Noches who dares to sit so arrogantly in Baraggan's position is him...

This is only true when Baraggan is not home.

Vasto Lorde's form resembles a human.

However, this Vasto Lorde, born from the bloodshed within the Las Noches army, has an appearance...

It seems that the human and animal parts are basically split in half.

As for personality...

You can tell by looking at his meals right now.

Vasto Lorde don't need to devour their own kind to evolve; their appearance is purely a product of their nature.

"Vasto Lorde?"

Like Stand users, Vasto Lorde can sense each other, especially after one of them intentionally releases their aura.

If Baraggan his territory, this aura would definitely have been detected even from a few hundred spirit miles away.

"A new Gillian-class Menos Grande has appeared within the territory of Las Noches?"

Hammerhead's eyes were bulging and darting around wildly.

—Hammerhead, the name Hammerhead Shark-like Vasto Lorde gave himself.

"Judging by the aura..."

"It feels somewhat familiar, but it's not the one I'm chasing."

Hammerhead threw away the half-eaten Adjuchas in his hand, and large patches of blood gushed out and soaked the many kneeling Adjuchas below.

"..."

Hammerhead glanced at the mid-level Menos Grande under his command.

Although they were under his command, they were also His Majesty Baraggan's troops... It was just good luck that they weren't taken out, but dying inexplicably would still be quite troublesome— Hammerhead's intelligence was far inferior to Szayelaporro's, and he wasn't the kind of guy who would make up excuses.

"No."

He planned to go and check on the situation, but didn't intend to bring these burdens with him.

After all, Baraggan's requirement was to bring Vasto Lorde back to Las Noches immediately upon discovery, not what Hammerhead was doing at this point:

Kill the newly born Vasto Lorde.

That's right.

Hammerhead has absolutely no desire for others to share his power.

If he weren't inferior to Szayelaporro in both strength and intellect, he would never have wanted someone who was his equal by his side.

He wished all Vasto Lorde were like Tier Harribel—

The thrill of hunting one's own kind always made Hammerhead tremble with excitement... especially this guy who had humiliated him before His Majesty Baraggan:

Hammerhead's Visored was once chipped in Ikkaku by Tier Harribel.