Baraggan

The open-air courtyard of Las Noches lay beneath the sky of Hueco Mundo, and its ruler had claimed all the land in Hueco Mundo for himself.

To earn his current title, he had defeated every Vasto Lorde of his era.

The Hollows who had tried to challenge him had died, while those who feared him had become his resources for war: the Espada.

He sat on his throne now, radiating an air of majesty, clad in an otherworldly dark blue robe.

A golden Crown rested on his skull.

He was a Hollow who closely resembled a Lich, a being at the pinnacle of the well-known Undead.

His throne stood atop a pedestal, and his followers—his subjects—knelt on either side of the red carpet.

Everyone in his court was at least an Adjuchas.

The female Hollow pouring him wine behind him was a Vasto Lorde.

She was a powerful Vasto Lorde who had chosen to give him everything she had after he defeated her.

King Baraggan, the god-king of Hueco Mundo and ruler of Las Noches.

He was no ordinary Hollow.

He had reached the level of a Vasto Lorde, then torn off his own mask to become one of the most terrifying beings in Hueco Mundo.

His Aspect of Death was "Aging," and it allowed him to decay and age the life around him at will.

In Hueco Mundo, he lacked nothing.

He had everything.

Nothing in Hueco Mundo could interest him anymore.

The monotony of life bored him so much that he had even considered splitting his army into two factions and having them slaughter each other.

Just then, a muscular Adjuchas ran onto the red carpet. "My lord, two wandering Vasto Lorde are killing our comrades."

"Two Vasto Lorde?" Baraggan said softly, then held out a hand.

"Summon them to the court. Wait, send the Espada to capture them."

Baraggan Louisenbairn considered every Vasto Lorde except the Prime Hollow inferior to himself.

But two Vasto Lorde were indeed a problem for his subordinates.

So he dispatched his strongest army—the Espada.

"At once, my lord. I'll see to it."

In Hueco Mundo, there was no way to tell how much time had passed.

Cangya felt as though he had been a Hollow for a month.

Quite a few things had changed in that unknown span of time.

The most obvious changes had occurred among the Hollows in his group, mainly Apache, Mila Rose, and Sun-Sun.

Their Reiatsu levels had steadily risen.

Apache's growth had been the most astonishing. Her Reiatsu had grown thicker and denser, reaching the level of the first Adjuchas Cangya had killed.

It was all thanks to Cangya generously providing her with Gillians, and occasionally an Adjuchas, to devour.

His Innate Ability, Shattered Heart, had also played a part in their growth.

The second change had occurred in Cangya himself.

Day by day, his mind and muscles had grown increasingly accustomed to fighting.

Tier Harribel had also been a great help, helping him hone his natural abilities.

Each battle made him an increasingly difficult opponent for Tier Harribel.

And by sparring with someone like Cangya, who could match her blow for blow, Tier Harribel had grown stronger as well.

She could fight him with all her strength and try out new techniques and fighting styles.

It was a win-win situation for both of them.

The final change was that Baraggan had shown no reaction after Cangya killed three Adjuchas who served him.

Cangya had even prepared for Baraggan to come after him personally, but nothing had happened.

That made him wonder whether Aizen had already used the Hogyoku to turn Baraggan into an Arrancar.

Puzzled, Cangya sought advice from Sun-Sun, his smartest companion.

He put his question to her seriously as she studied him with her small eyes.

Suddenly, Sun-Sun threw back her head and laughed merrily. The earrings hanging from her ears swayed with her delighted laughter.

"You're far too naive to think King Baraggan would take action over what happened to his subordinates."

"I overestimated him, didn't I?"

He had overestimated the current organization of Las Noches.

Baraggan never left his court, and his most loyal subordinates rarely left his side.

Naturally, it would take a long time for them to notice the disappearance of the Adjuchas, and investigating their deaths would take even longer.

"Exactly. Hueco Mundo is vast, and Hollows die in every corner of it every day. There's no way he can keep track of every Adjuchas under him. He might even think they killed each other."

Sun-Sun wrapped her tail around Cangya's waist and stroked his neck with its tip.

"My point is, relax. Baraggan has no idea how or where his subordinates died."

Cangya shrugged. "Got it."

Sun-Sun flicked out her tongue and stared at Cangya. "You look disappointed."

"I thought Baraggan would send some strong opponents for me to test myself against."

"How confident." Sun-Sun giggled. "What if Baraggan came himself instead of sending anyone? What would you do?"

"I'd take you all and run."

Sun-Sun burst out laughing at his adorable answer.

"Keep that attitude, and you'll live a long time in Hueco Mundo. I'm serious. Listen—today's defeat can become tomorrow's victory. But death today can only bring sorrow and tears."

Sun-Sun had thought long and hard before coming up with those wise words to keep her group from taking the wrong path.

She hoped everyone could live a little longer.

Cangya shook his head. "I'd rather have an interesting life than a long one."

On the surface, his life in his previous world had been good, if not perfect. But had he enjoyed it? No.

"Hmm... I have to admit you have a point," Sun-Sun said with a sigh. "But we Hollows are bound by fate. There's not much we can do to make life interesting. Why not pursue a long life instead?"

Cangya gently reached out and patted the Serpentine Hollow's head.

The Shell-Shaped Mask fused to her head was cold and covered in scales, making Cangya shiver.

Her eyes darted around in confusion, blinking gently in the dim light.

"I'll teach you how to make life interesting. I promise, okay?"

"You're treating me like a child. This might be the most ridiculous thing I've ever experienced."

Cangya chuckled and withdrew his hand. "If you look down, I'll do it again."

Sun-Sun had been a great help while Cangya was adjusting to Tier Harribel's training.

Thanks to her, Tier Harribel hadn't gone all out from the start, instead guiding Cangya step by step through different levels of skill.

"Note to self: don't look down in front of Cangya."

"That won't work, ma'am. I always bring out the worst in the people around me. Just look at Apache."

At the mention of Apache, Sun-Sun giggled.

Over the past few weeks, Sun-Sun and Cangya had constantly teased Apache and played tricks on her, livening up her life.

Hearing distinct footsteps, Cangya turned his head. "Here comes the one we were talking about behind her back."

Apache walked into the cave and glared at Cangya, her eyes blazing. "What are you two plotting?"

"I refuse to answer."

"Me too."

"Screw you, Sun-Sun," Apache muttered, striding out of the cave.

Sun-Sun shook her head. "She's angry... or jealous, rather."

"She'll be back to her hot-tempered self tomorrow." Cangya nudged Sun-Sun, then walked out of the cave.

He saw Tier Harribel sitting alone on a hill and went over to spend some time with her. "Taking a break here?"