Preparing to Face the Arrancar Again

Las Noches, the throne room of Sōsuke Aizen. This palace, built of pure white stone, is empty and cold. Towering pillars support the dome, above which is a simulated night sky—with a pale moon forever hanging in the sky. There is no light source in the palace, but every corner emits a faint, cold light, like moonlight.

At this moment, twenty figures stood on either side of the main hall. They were the Espada and their Fracción, each radiating powerful Reiatsu and possessing strength surpassing that of an ordinary Captain. Yet, they remained silent, their gazes fixed on the two figures returning to the center of the hall.

Ulquiorra Cifer, the 4th Espada, remained expressionless, the tear-like lines on his face even more pronounced in the pale light. Beside him stood Yammy Rialgo, the 10th Espada, the giant with his head bowed, his face filled with resentment and anger. Although his right arm had regenerated, the humiliation from the battle remained vivid.

Sōsuke Aizen, seated high on his throne, looked down at them with a gentle smile on his face. That smile was no different from the one he wore in Soul Society, but on this throne in Hueco Mundo, it seemed even more dangerous and chilling.

"You're back, Ulquiorra, Yammy." Aizen's voice echoed in the empty hall, gentle and composed. "Come, before our twenty comrades, tell us about the results of your mission."

Ulquiorra bowed slightly, his voice cold and emotionless. "Yes, Lord Aizen."

He didn't describe it in words, but instead raised his right hand, his index finger and thumb reaching towards his left eye. The movement was clean, swift, and without hesitation—his fingertip pierced the eye socket, gouging out an intact eyeball.

His eyeballs trembled slightly in his palm, the pupils reflecting everything that had just happened. Ulquiorra clenched his fingers, squeezing hard.

The eyeball turned to dust, but in the instant it shattered, countless points of light surged from the powder, weaving together images in the air—projections of memories, everything Ulquiorra recorded through his special ability "Shared Vision."

The streets of Karakura Town, the battle between Yammy and Ichigo Kurosaki, the appearance of Liu Hao, the final confrontation... all the details are presented to everyone with crystal clarity.

When the scene ended, the hall fell into a brief silence.

Aizen remained smiling, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest of the throne, producing a rhythmic sound. He looked at Ulquiorra, his tone as casual as if discussing the weather:

"So, Ulquiorra, you're convinced there was absolutely no need to kill him?"

"Yes, Lord Aizen," Ulquiorra replied calmly, "because the orders I received were 'only kill those who can hinder us'—"

Before he could finish speaking, a sneer came from a corner of the hall.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez —the Espada, with short blue hair and a wild, untamed smile—interrupted him from a distance, "You're too kind, Ulquiorra. I'd just kill these guys with one blow from the start."

Grimmjow stood up and walked to the center of the hall. His movements were casual and arrogant, completely unconcerned that he had interrupted Ulquiorra, nor that Aizen was still present. This was Grimmjow's style—wild, direct, and driven by instinct.

Ulquiorra turned his head, his empty eyes fixed on Grimmjow, his voice still calm. "Grimmjow..."

"Whatever the reason," Grimmjow waved his hand dismissively, "Since the order is to kill, then he should be killed. Hesitation will only bring trouble and give the enemy a chance to grow—don't you understand that?"

As soon as he finished speaking, several voices echoed behind him. They were Grimmjow's Fracción — Shawlong, Edrad Liones, Nakeem, Yylfordt Granz, and D.Roy. Although these five Arrancar were not as strong Espada, they were all powerful warriors. Standing behind Grimmjow, they expressed their support for their lord with their actions.

Grimmjow looked at Yammy, a mocking smile playing on his lips, "Yammy, you've been beaten up like that, and you still say that guy wasn't worth killing?"

Yammy's face instantly turned ugly. He clenched his fists, veins bulging on his forehead. "Bastard! Didn't you see? It was that Liu Hao who hit me!"

"So what?" Grimmjow shrugged dramatically. "Just kill them. Can't you even tell the difference between enemy and bystander? Has your brain been damaged?"

"You—!" Yammy was about to explode, but Ulquiorra stretched out his hand to stop him.

Ulquiorra turned to Grimmjow, his voice still calm, but with a hint of coldness. "Grimmjow, don't you understand? Lord Aizen values that kid's growth rate. Because that kid's potential is extraordinary; behind his unstable strength lies the potential to surpass us. In the future, he might even become one of us."

"Become one of us?" Grimmjow laughed as if he'd heard a joke. "That's why I said you're too kind. What if he grows beyond your expectations and ends up as our enemy? Are we going to wait until he becomes a threat before we act?"

Ulquiorra was silent for a moment. Then, he spoke slowly, each word clear and distinct. "At that time, I will handle it. You have no objections now, right?"

The hall fell silent once more.

All the Arrancar looked at Ulquiorra, at the 4th Espada who was always calm, always rational, and always carried out his missions without personal emotion. They knew that when Ulquiorra said those words, it meant that he had included Ichigo Kurosaki in his "scope of responsibility." If Ichigo Kurosaki ever became a threat in the future, Ulquiorra would personally take action to deal with him.

Grimmjow stared at Ulquiorra for a long time, then finally spat, turned around, and walked back to his seat without saying another word.

Aizen's laughter broke the silence. He sat on his throne, looking down at the dispute below as if watching an amusing drama. When the dispute ended, he clapped softly, the applause remarkably clear in the empty hall.

"Is that so?" Aizen's voice was gentle. "In that case, I'll leave it to you to handle, Ulquiorra."

Ulquiorra bowed deeply to Aizen: "Thank you for your consideration, Lord Aizen."

"Then, the meeting is adjourned." Aizen stood up, his white robes gleaming like flowing moonlight in the pale light. "Go back and prepare. We'll be very busy in the coming days."

The Arrancar bowed and left the main hall one after another.

Before leaving, Grimmjow gave Ulquiorra one last look, his eyes filled with provocation and defiance, but in the end he said nothing and left with his Fracción.

Yammy also left, his footsteps heavy and angry, clearly still harboring resentment over the earlier argument.

Only Ulquiorra and Aizen remained in the main hall.

Aizen down from the throne and approached Ulquiorra. He didn't look at Ulquiorra, but instead gazed at the artificial night sky outside the hall, his voice softening. "Ulquiorra, what do you think of that boy?"

Ulquiorra paused for a moment, then replied, "His potential is immense, but unstable. His power explodes on the brink of death, but is usually bound by inner conflict. If he can break free from these inner shackles, he will become a powerful warrior—both for us and for our enemies."

Aizen nodded, his smile deepening. "And what about Liu Hao?"

This time, Ulquiorra remained silent for an even longer time. After a long while, he slowly spoke, "Unfathomable. I can't see through him. His power... is unlike that of Soul Reaper, a Hollow, or Quincy. It's something older, more fundamental."

This assessment caused a glint to flash in Aizen's eyes. He turned to look at Ulquiorra, a hint of amusement in his voice. "So, if you were to fight Liu Hao at full strength, what are your chances of winning?"

Ulquiorra answered without hesitation, "Zero."

The answer was so direct and certain that it surprised Aizen for a moment. Then, he smiled—a genuinely amused smile.

"Zero, huh..." Aizen repeated softly, "Interesting. It seems I need to reassess this 'old friend'."

He patted Ulquiorra on the shoulder, then turned and walked deeper into the hall. "Go, Ulquiorra. Prepare yourself. That boy... is in your hands."

Ulquiorra bowed, then turned and left.

The hall fell silent again. Aizen stood alone before the throne, gazing at the illusory night sky, his eyes flashing with an unfathomable light.

"Liu Hao... just how many secrets are you still hiding?"

His whispers echoed in the empty hall, but no one answered.

In the World of the Living, Karakura Town.

Liu Hao sighed as he looked at the dejected Ichigo Kurosaki. After the battle, Ichigo Kurosaki remained silent, head down, his eyes filled with self-doubt and confusion.

"Ichigo," Liu Hao called out.

Ichigo Kurosaki looked up at Liu Hao, his expression a complex mix of confusion, resentment, anger, and fear.

Liu Hao walked over to him and sat down on a piece of rubble in the ruins. "What's wrong? Is it because the thing inside you is acting up that you're starting to doubt yourself?"

Ichigo Kurosaki opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a complete sentence. "But I... he... I..."

"You're afraid he'll devour your consciousness, take over your body, and turn you into a mindless Hollow, right?" Liu Hao directly voiced Ichigo Kurosaki's deepest fear.

Ichigo Kurosaki lowered his head, his voice barely audible. "Yes..."

Liu Hao smiled, a smile tinged with understanding and helplessness, "He is a part of your strength. Why is he unwilling to help you, and even hinders you? Haven't you ever thought about it?"

"Why?" Ichigo Kurosaki asked anxiously.

"He's frustrated with you," Liu Hao said, his tone becoming serious. "You've been suppressing your own power, suppressing him, yet you rely on him too much in times of crisis. So naturally, he's unhappy—after all, your situation is different from other Soul Reaper, or those Visored. You weren't forcibly Hollowfication; your Hollow... is a part of yourself."

These words stunned Ichigo Kurosaki. He had never thought about it from this perspective before.

Liu Hao continued, "Think about it, when you face a powerful enemy, doesn't he always awaken when you're in the most danger? When you want to retreat, doesn't he always push you forward? He's not your enemy, Ichigo. He's just... protecting you and pushing you to grow in his own way."

"But if I don't suppress him, he will devour my consciousness!" Ichigo Kurosaki retorted, his voice filled with suppressed fear.

Liu Hao looked into his eyes and said, word by word, "A disobedient child just needs a good beating."

Ichigo Kurosaki was stunned, completely failing to understand the meaning of those words.

Liu Hao stood up and patted him on the shoulder. "Tomorrow, I'll take you to see the Visored. They'll tell you how to deal with the Hollow within you, how to control that power. But before that—"

He paused, his tone turning serious. "You need to accept this fact first: that illusion is you. It's a part of you, your strength, the truest and most primal aspect of your being. Resisting it is resisting yourself."

After saying that, Liu Hao turned and left, leaving Ichigo Kurosaki standing alone in the ruins, pondering the meaning of his words.

The following day, reinforcements from Soul Society arrived in the World of the Living.

Led by Tōshirō Hitsugaya, the group appeared in Karakura Town at dawn. In addition to Tōshirō Hitsugaya himself, there were Rangiku Matsumoto, Ikkaku Madarame, Yumichika Ayasegawa, and an unexpected figure— Momo Hinamori.

When Tōshirō Hitsugaya found Liu Hao was sitting on the roof of Kurosaki Clinic watching the sunrise. The morning light bathed the entire Karakura Town in gold, and pedestrians began to move about the streets; a new day had begun.

"Liu Hao," Tōshirō Hitsugaya leaped onto the roof and stood beside Liu Hao, "Yesterday, under the surveillance of the Twelfth Division, we discovered two unusual Reiatsu entering the World of the Living, which you repelled. Can you tell me about the situation?"

Liu Hao didn't turn his head, still gazing into the distance. "The ones arriving are Ulquiorra Cifer, the Espada, and Yammy Rialgo, the 10th Espada. By the way, Yammy could grow into the 0th Espada after unleashing his Zanpakuto, but his strength would be just so-so—he'd only be a bit bigger and have higher Reiatsu."

Tōshirō Hitsugaya frowned slightly. The Espada —this was new intelligence they had obtained after Aizen's defection, knowing that it was Aizen's most powerful Arrancar army. However, they had not yet accurately assessed the specific strength of the Espada and 10th Espada.

"So what preparations should we make?" Tōshirō Hitsugaya asked.

Liu Hao finally turned to look at Tōshirō Hitsugaya, his expression turning serious. "You need to be prepared. They are very likely to attack again tonight."

"Tonight?" Tōshirō Hitsugaya, somewhat surprised. "Are you so sure?"

"Intuition," Liu Hao replied simply. "Apply for the restriction removal in advance. When the battle is intense, removing the restrictions all at once should be enough to defeat them."

"The restrictions are lifted?" Tōshirō Hitsugaya's expression grew even more serious. "Is the opponent that strong?"

"It can only be stronger than you imagine." Liu Hao stood up and dusted himself off. "Of course, if the opponent is weak, we don't need to lift the restrictions—that's even better."

Tōshirō Hitsugaya was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, I understand."

He paused, then added, "By the way, Hinamori wants to talk to you."

After saying that, he jumped off the roof to arrange accommodations and guard duties for his team members.

A few minutes later, Momo Hinamori also leaped onto the roof. She was wearing a plain Shihakushō, without the Vice-Captain's armband, and looked a little thinner than when she was in Soul Society, but her eyes were more determined, and she had lost some of her naivety and gained more maturity.

She walked up to Liu Hao and bowed deeply. "Liu Hao, thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to see Aizen's true colors."

Liu Hao paused for a moment, then laughed, "Cough, I thought it was something serious. As long as you don't hate me for shattering your illusions, that's fine."

Momo Hinamori straightened up and smiled—a relieved, genuine smile, "How could that be? I've figured it out too. I was too naive before, ignoring the people around me who were good to me, blindly worshipping Aizen. You helped me break free from that blindness, and I should thank you."

Liu Hao nodded, his eyes gentle. "Well, that's good. Actually, I quite like your naiveté—it's just that you gave it to the wrong person. Just be more discerning in the future."

He paused, his tone becoming serious. "But you need to be careful in the upcoming battles. After all, your opponents are at least Captain-level."

Momo Hinamori nodded, her eyes resolute. "I understand, I'll be careful. Don't underestimate me—I'm also Vice-Captain, and I'm quite strong."

After exchanging a few more words, Momo Hinamori jumped off the roof to find Tōshirō Hitsugaya.

Liu Hao watched her departing figure, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes. The girl who once blindly worshipped Aizen had finally grown up. Although the process was painful, it was an inevitable path.

After the Soul Society support personnel left, Liu Hao found Ichigo Kurosaki. The boy was still preoccupied, clearly still troubled by last night's battle and the Hollow within him.

"You'd better prepare," Liu Hao said, "There might be a battle tonight."

Ichigo Kurosaki looked up, puzzled, and asked, "Liu Shu, why did you say there would be a battle tonight?"

"Just a gut feeling," Liu Hao replied simply.

"Tch," Ichigo Kurosaki scoffed, "That's just wild guessing!"

Liu Hao wasn't angry; he just smiled and said, "We just need to be prepared and wait to face any possible unexpected events."

He paused, then continued, "Tomorrow, we'll go to the Visored's base. They've already released their Reiatsu so obviously; it's time we went to check it out."

Ichigo Kurosaki's expression turned complicated. "Can they really help me?"

"They can only provide the venue and their successful experience," Liu Hao said frankly. "The rest is up to you."

"Okay, I understand." Ichigo Kurosaki's voice was tinged with frustration.

Liu Hao patted him on the shoulder and said gently, "Get some rest. I'm going back to sleep too."

He turned and walked towards his room, glancing back at Ichigo Kurosaki before closing the door.

The boy sat alone in the living room, head down, hands clenched into fists, seemingly engaged in a fierce internal struggle.

Liu Hao closed the door, leaned against it, and sighed softly.