An Unimaginable Gap

At the sound of that voice, Nel's eyes widened as she slowly turned her head to look behind her. Sōsuke Aizen, dressed in Las Noches attire, stood plainly before her.

"L-Lord Aizen!"

Nel swallowed, her expression revealing a trace of fear.

After Chiba Makoto had healed Nel through "Second Stage Resurrección," and after Nel had undergone Resurrección for the first time, she had now recalled much of her past despite being in a childlike form with a childlike mind.

That included the long, empty past she had spent in Hueco Mundo, as well as how Sōsuke Aizen had split her mask with a single frontal slash, leaving her on the brink of death...

If not for Father's treatment and protection, Nel believed that even if she had survived, she would likely have become one of Sōsuke Aizen's relatively special Vasto Lorde test subjects.

Seeing Nel's reaction, Sōsuke Aizen showed no intention of immediately executing this deserter. Instead, he displayed patience that caught Nel off guard and spoke calmly.

"You have been away for quite a while. It is about time you came back, Nel."

Why would Aizen come for me himself?

Even in her childlike form, Nel was momentarily stunned. Then she instinctively took a step back, gripping her Zanpakuto tightly with both hands as she prepared to use Resurrección at any moment. She shook her head and said,

"No! N-Nel wants to stay in Karakura Town. Nel does not want to go back to Las Noches..."

Having already realized that Kurosaki Makoto was Asura Yan Cheng, and knowing of the conflict between Sōsuke Aizen and Asura Yan Cheng, Nel instinctively concealed what she called Chiba Makoto.

Moreover, the resolute rejection on Nel's face made it clear that she was ready to resist Sōsuke Aizen.

"This is not a request.