What Yamabuki Chidori never expected was that they had been spotted the moment they set foot in Las Noches.
Soul Society.
Yamamoto drank tea as he waited for news from Yamabuki Chidori. Soon, the technicians received a signal from Hachisato.
"Captain Commander, we've located the Chief Strategist. He says... he says to open a Soul Gate near Las Noches..."
Pfft! Yamamoto sprayed out a mouthful of hot tea. Las Noches? How did you end up at Las Noches? Yamabuki, you're leading the Hueco Mundo Extermination Squad, not delivering takeout to them!
In truth, Hueco Mundo and Soul Society had little contact. Soul Society had no information on Baraggan at all. Even during the battle of Karakura Town a thousand years later, a veteran captain like Shunsui Kyōraku would not recognize the King of Hueco Mundo.
But in his youth, Yamamoto had fought an Ancient Menos Grande. Zanpakuto technology had not existed back then, and the Ancient Menos Grande had defeated the young Yamamoto through sheer physical strength. It had even fought its way to the Soul King Palace and swallowed the Soul King. In the end, the Monk had stepped in to defeat it, erase its name, and bestow a new one: Ise-Ise-Iseba!
Seriously, Monk, do you even know how to name things? If you don't, stop making names up! That one's a tongue-twister!
Baraggan was a Hollow from the same era as that Ancient Menos Grande. He was certainly no weakling.
Besides, Hueco Mundo was dangerous enough as it was, and the area around Las Noches was especially treacherous. How had that brat wandered all the way there?
"Captain Commander, it sounds like the Chief Strategist is in trouble. Should we send a rescue team?" a technician asked.
Yamamoto considered it for a moment, then shook his head. "Do as the brat says. I'm sure he has his reasons."
The technician could only relay the reply. "Chief Strategist, the Captain Commander has authorized us to open a Soul Gate near Las Noches. It will open in two hours. Please hold on until then."
After fighting the whole way, Yamabuki Chidori could finally catch his breath. He leaned against a wall of Las Noches to rest. His Reiatsu recovered quickly, but the mental exhaustion from such a long, intense battle was harder to shake off.
With a crowd of Hollows watching hungrily from outside, Yamabuki Chidori closed his eyes. "Wake me if anything happens. I'm going to sleep for a bit!"
Chōjirō Sasakibe said bitterly, "Brother Yamabuki, can't we go home before you sleep? How can you sleep here?"
The Hollows bared their teeth, itching to tear Yamabuki Chidori apart and eat him alive, yet none dared take a single step into Las Noches.
Yamabuki Chidori ignored Chōjirō Sasakibe and closed his eyes to rest.
Chōjirō Sasakibe gripped his sword tightly, afraid some monster might emerge from Las Noches. This was the King of Hueco Mundo's territory, after all.
Less than two minutes after Yamabuki Chidori closed his eyes, the gates of Las Noches opened without warning.
The Hollows watching the spectacle scattered in terror. Yamabuki Chidori opened one eye and watched the doorway.
Two humanoid Hollows came through the gates. Neither was a Vastolorde; they merely looked rather human.
They're probably not here for me, right? Yamabuki Chidori thought. Chōjirō Sasakibe and Hachisato were so tense they nearly released their Zanpakuto.
The two humanoid Hollows swaggered up to Yamabuki Chidori and said with utter arrogance, "Soul Reaper, the King of Hueco Mundo wishes to see you. Come with us at once."
Yamabuki Chidori frowned. What's going on? How does Baraggan know I'm here? And why does he want to see me?
"No. Don't interrupt my nap." Yamabuki Chidori refused outright. What a joke. I'm leaving this hellhole in two hours. Why would I want to meet a skull?
If Nel Tu or Tier Harribel were here, I might make an exception.
They may be Hollows, but if I could snuggle up in their arms, I'd find a little time for them. Baraggan, though? Ha. Ugly bastard. Get lost.
The two humanoid Hollows raised their voices. "We'll say it again. His Majesty Baraggan, the King of Hueco Mundo, wishes to see you. Come with us at once."
"Chōjirō, you can handle those two on your own, right?" Yamabuki Chidori rolled over and went back to resting with his eyes closed.
Those two held about the same standing in Las Noches as the two cleaning girls at Aizen's side. They thought following the boss meant they would have it made, but they were hopelessly weak.
At least the two beside Aizen are pretty. Look at you two! Baraggan's taste must be awful. Besides, what big boss keeps male secretaries around?
Sure enough, it took Chōjirō Sasakibe just one minute to put both smug Hollows on the ground.
"They're so weak," Chōjirō Sasakibe muttered. Are they really from Las Noches? Their strength doesn't match their status at all!
"Just you wait! His Majesty will never let you get away with this!" After taking a thorough beating, the two humanoid Hollows fled without looking back.
The King of Despair
"Your Majesty, that brat is far too arrogant! He has no respect for you at all. He wasn't just beating my backside—he was slapping you in the face!" The two humanoid Hollows returned to complain to Baraggan. A massive skeleton sat on the throne, radiating ominous Reiatsu. It was Baraggan, the King of Despair.
"And you have the nerve to come back?" Baraggan waved a hand. Guards immediately dragged the two humanoid Hollows away for execution.
Baraggan surveyed the empire he had built. What set him apart from ordinary Hollows was his immense ambition.
He craved not just strength, but power over others as well. That was rare among Hollows.
He had noticed Yamabuki Chidori and the others the moment they arrived at Las Noches. But to display his authority, he had not gone to meet Yamabuki Chidori himself. He had wanted the Soul Reaper to come before him and satisfy his vanity. Yamabuki Chidori had refused to play along.
"Hmph. You dare defy my orders? You're courting death."
Being ignored by Yamabuki Chidori had humiliated him. Baraggan decided that once he caught the Soul Reaper, he would make him suffer for it.
He had heard the Soul Reaper had two companions. He would make them fight one another, and only one would leave alive.
I, the King of Hueco Mundo, will deal with you personally. You should feel honored.
Baraggan rose, and a great crowd followed behind him. He reveled in the feeling of standing above everyone else.
Meanwhile, Yamabuki Chidori was preparing to move. For all his swagger earlier, he knew that if he truly drew Baraggan's attention, another brutal fight awaited him.
"Brother Yamabuki, is the King of Hueco Mundo really that strong? Strong enough to make even you run?" Chōjirō Sasakibe asked.
"What do you know, kid? This is a strategic withdrawal, understand? In two hours, victory will be ours anyway."
It was the first time Chōjirō Sasakibe had heard anyone describe running away so boldly. He could only admire Yamabuki Chidori's thick skin.
But a Soul Reaper's Reiatsu stood out in Hueco Mundo like a beacon in the dark. Unless their pursuers were blind, they could not miss it.
The three ran around Las Noches, but before they got far, two Menos Grande blocked their path.
"Stop! His Majesty wishes to see you!"
"Go see him yourself!" Yamabuki Chidori drew his sword and drove it through one Menos Grande's head, then fired a Roaring Cannon backhanded to finish the other. He kept running.
Just as the three were about to press on, a savage, decaying Reiatsu descended from above. All three stopped. Chōjirō Sasakibe and Hachisato could barely stand beneath its weight and nearly fainted. Yamabuki Chidori's expression turned grim. Only one being in Las Noches could possess Reiatsu like that: Baraggan, the King of Despair.
He actually came to catch me himself!
"Brother Yamabuki, this Reiatsu... it feels awful!" Chōjirō Sasakibe forced out.
Yamabuki Chidori said nothing, but sweat covered his temples. Something's not right! In the anime, Aizen and two others swept through Hueco Mundo without breaking a sweat.
Why is it so hard for me?
Suddenly, the Reiatsu thick with decay grew even more violent. Chōjirō Sasakibe and Hachisato, who had only the strength of ordinary squad members, nearly collapsed and could no longer move.
A crowned skeleton appeared overhead with countless Hollows behind him, all shapes and sizes. It was a parade of monsters.
I've really done it now.
Yamabuki Chidori had chosen to stop briefly at Las Noches because he had gambled that Baraggan would not care about a mere lieutenant. He had never imagined the King of Hueco Mundo would come in person.
Fight? I can't win!
Run? Not like this... I can't get away either!
"Soul Reaper, why do you not kneel before me?" Baraggan demanded from his throne in midair.
"If I knelt, would you let me live?"
"Of course not!" Baraggan looked at Yamabuki Chidori as though he were an insect. The Soul Reaper had some ability; ordinary Adjuchas were probably no match for him. But Baraggan stood at the pinnacle of Hueco Mundo, and that level of strength meant nothing to him. He wanted to toy with the Soul Reaper before slowly torturing him to death. Perhaps that would pass a little time.
"Then there's my answer. You weren't planning to spare us anyway." Yamabuki Chidori gave a helpless smile, then drew his sword and pointed it at Baraggan. "Come on. Enough talk. Let's fight!"
Baraggan froze. Does this brat not know fear? Can't he sense the gulf between us? And he wants to fight me?
"Hahahaha!" Baraggan roared with laughter. "You? Any one of my subordinates could slaughter the three of you."
Yamabuki Chidori ignored the mockery and said calmly, "I hear only someone with overwhelming strength can claim the throne of Hueco Mundo. So let's fight. If I lose, the three of us will stay here and keep you company. If you lose, hand over your throne to me."
"Arrogant fool!" Baraggan roared. Someone dared try to take his power from him!
"In front of all these Hollows, tell me: do you dare accept my challenge? Of course, if you're afraid, forget I said anything!" Yamabuki Chidori said with a smile.
Baraggan studied the brat before him. He did not look like a formidable opponent, and refusing his challenge in front of everyone would be humiliating.
One second. That's all I'll need to finish him.
"Heh, heh, heh! Fine. If you insist on dying, come at me!" Baraggan descended from his throne and landed roughly ten meters in front of Yamabuki Chidori.
He took the bait.
I can leave Hueco Mundo in two hours, and Baraggan has no idea. All I have to do is stall him until then.
"I'll delay him as long as I can. One more thing: I'm about to use some strange powers. Pretend you didn't see them, and don't breathe a word about them once we're back in Soul Society. Understood?" Yamabuki Chidori said quietly.
Chōjirō Sasakibe was about to ask a question, but Hachisato grabbed his head and pushed it down. "Chief Strategist, we understand. Wherever we go, we won't ask a thing. Just pretend we're blind."
He really does pick things up fast. That's what comes from moving in noble circles.
"Come, Soul Reaper brat!" Baraggan took out his great axe, ready to fight.
"Wait!" Yamabuki Chidori said. "Give me twenty minutes to warm up. You wouldn't want people saying you won an unfair fight, would you? I'll do some calisthenics! One, two, three, four, two, two, three, four..."
Yamabuki Chidori vs. Baraggan (I'm Getting Serious)
Baraggan watched Yamabuki Chidori go through a string of strange movements, his brow twitching—if he had a brow.
"Brat, are you making a fool of me?" Baraggan raised his great axe and swung it down at Yamabuki Chidori. A razor-sharp gust swept through everything in its path.
Yamabuki Chidori hurriedly dodged with Flash Step, hurling insults as he went. "Baraggan, you're trash! You won't even let me warm up! You're just a little kid! You don't even have a dick, so you'll never know the joy of holding someone in each arm! You might as well paint that crown of yours green!"
Red light flickered in Baraggan's eye sockets. Once I catch him, I'm tearing that mouth apart. How can anyone be this infuriating?
Chōjirō Sasakibe muttered, "How did I never notice how much Brother Yamabuki deserves a beating? Even I want to go up there and slap him!"
Hachisato felt the same.
Insults aside, Yamabuki Chidori's hands never slowed. He used Flash Step to get behind Baraggan and slashed at his neck.
Without even turning, Baraggan swung his axe back. Zanpakuto met great axe, and Yamabuki Chidori felt as though he had struck a mountain. An irresistible force sent him flying. He flipped twice in midair before barely steadying himself, but when he looked up, Baraggan had vanished.
"Brat, where are you looking?" Baraggan's voice sounded behind Yamabuki Chidori. He spun around to find the great axe coming straight at him. There was no time to dodge or use Flash Step. At the last instant, his body vanished, and space shuddered around him.
Baraggan was startled, then roared, "Brat, aren't you a Soul Reaper? How can you use a Hollow's Sound Steps?"
Yamabuki Chidori had escaped death by a hair, and cold sweat covered him. He had not expected it to work. Sound Steps was a movement technique unique to Hollows, much like a short-range blink. He had seen so many Hollows use it that he had long wanted to try it himself—and he had succeeded!
"Sound Steps aren't the only Hollow technique I can use..." Yamabuki Chidori gathered the Reishi of Hueco Mundo into a massive Spirit Bow. "Holy Spirit Arrow, knockoff version."
A huge Reishi Arrow shot toward Baraggan like a beam from a cannon. Despite the vast difference in their strength, Baraggan sensed a serious threat.
He gripped his axe with both hands and smashed the Reishi Arrow to pieces with a single blow.
"Hm? All show and no substance? It looked frightening, but it barely had any power," Baraggan thought. Then he looked up and saw five identical Spirit Bows already formed in the sky.
Damn it!
All five Spirit Bows fired at once, raining Reishi Arrows down on Baraggan. He swung his great axe to deflect them but could not advance a single step.
The Reishi in Hueco Mundo was denser even than in Soul Society. Small creatures could survive simply by breathing it in. For Yamabuki Chidori, who could control Reishi, the conditions were perfect. He hardly had to worry about exhausting his Reiatsu.
"Is this all you can do, you little pest?" Baraggan roared in frustration. If dealing with such a minor opponent took this long, what would his underlings think of him? How could he command their respect?
"Cero!"
Black Reiatsu steeped in decay gathered in Baraggan's hand. One look told Yamabuki Chidori he was in trouble. It was a Black Cero.
Black light tore across the sky, shattering all five Spirit Bows in an instant. Yamabuki Chidori barely escaped with Flash Step.
"You're not the only one who can use Cero!" Yamabuki Chidori gathered a silver-white Cero in his hand and fired it at Baraggan.
Baraggan answered with another Cero of his own.
The two blasts collided before Las Noches. The Reiatsu they unleashed made the surrounding Hollows tremble.
But a Cero's power came down to Reiatsu, and Yamabuki Chidori had far less of it than Baraggan. Baraggan's black Cero soon crushed his silver one.
"Brat, your abilities are nothing but flashy tricks! I don't know how you obtained Hollow Power, but I can promise you won't leave this place alive." Baraggan advanced step by step, and Yamabuki Chidori's face darkened.
He had plenty of techniques, but his lack of Reiatsu was the greatest problem. If he had Captain-level Reiatsu, he might have been able to hold his own against Baraggan for a while.
With only Lieutenant-level Reiatsu, facing the King of Hueco Mundo was an uphill battle.
"What's wrong? Finally realized how far beneath me you are? Fallen into despair already?" Baraggan looked at Yamabuki Chidori with contempt.
Before you continue