Las Noches was perhaps the only stretch of wasteland in the barren wastes of Hueco Mundo that did not look quite so much like a wasteland. It was also the domain of Baraggan Louisenbairn, ruler of all Hueco Mundo and its sole emperor.
Baraggan Louisenbairn, King of Hueco Mundo, wore a crown atop his skeletal face and a pitch-black robe. Like a true god of death, he sat quietly on a throne made of dry bones, listlessly watching two Adjuchas-class Menos Grande fight in the arena. Though he was the exalted King of Hueco Mundo, his daily entertainment remained this dull. Hueco Mundo was a place full of tedium.
Whoosh!
Boom!
With a terrifying Cero, the tiger-shaped Adjuchas successfully finished off the gorilla-shaped Adjuchas opposite him.
"Roar!!"
As though proclaiming his victory, the tiger-shaped Adjuchas roared at the top of his lungs, displaying his strength to the Menos Grande gathered in Las Noches.
Swish!
But before the tiger-shaped Adjuchas could finish gloating, a humanoid Menos Grande countless times smaller than him appeared at his side. With just one strike, he tore the tiger-shaped Adjuchas to pieces, then went straight over to Baraggan and dropped to one knee before him.
"Your Majesty Baraggan, that high-level Vasto Lorde who refuses your summons has been getting more and more arrogant lately. She's been taking some Soul Reaper from who knows where around with her, wreaking havoc on Menos Grande everywhere. Quite a few enormous intermediate Menos Grande have been killed by those two using them as balls. I believe this is contempt for you as the King of Hueco Mundo! Please give the order for me to kill them both at once!"
The humanoid Menos Grande knelt on one knee before Baraggan and spoke heatedly.
"..."
After hearing the humanoid Menos Grande's words, Baraggan did not answer. He simply gazed quietly at him with his hollow eyes.
"Y-Your Majesty Baraggan?"
His stare continued until the Vasto Lorde-class Menos Grande grew uneasy and softly called Baraggan's name.
"You think you can kill her? In the face of that endless barrage of Ceros and her absolute Spiritual Pressure? Besides, hasn't that girl acquired a 'Soul Reaper' helper now? Or do you mean that I should deal with her myself?"
Baraggan looked at his subordinate for a long time before asking disdainfully.
"Uh... I..."
After hearing Baraggan's words, the Vasto Lorde-class Menos Grande's forehead became covered in sweat, and his body began trembling uncontrollably.
"Hmph."
Baraggan snorted disdainfully at the Vasto Lorde before him. He knew that this subordinate had once appeared before Lilynette Starrk, invoking his name and acting with supreme arrogance, only to suffer for it. Lilynette had beaten him like a stray dog, costing Baraggan his prestige. Yet perhaps out of respect for him as the Hollow King, she had not followed Hueco Mundo's custom and killed his underling, sparing this rare Vasto Lorde-class subordinate's life. But this underling, who had no sense of his own limitations, had instead come to resent Lilynette over it. He was utterly foolish. Had it not been for the fact that he was a Vasto Lorde-class Menos Grande and utterly loyal to him, Baraggan would have personally slain such a fool with no self-awareness long ago.
"Szayelaporro!"
Ignoring the Vasto Lorde-class Menos Grande before him, Baraggan called softly.
"At your service!"
As Baraggan's voice rang out, a pink-haired humanoid Menos Grande hidden among the gathered Menos Grande slowly stepped forward. The waves of terrifying Spiritual Pressure emanating from his body were actually more frightening than Baraggan's.
"Go tell Lilynette and that nameless Soul Reaper underling of hers that they are forbidden from entering within a thousand li of Las Noches. If they want to play, they can go elsewhere... and remind her that this is my command!"
Still maintaining his lofty air, Baraggan Louisenbairn issued his orders to Szayelaporro below him.
"As you command, Your Majesty!"
Szayelaporro respectfully inclined his head to Baraggan, then turned and left, ignoring the fellow Vasto Lorde beside him.
"Bas..."
The repeatedly ignored Vasto Lorde was filled with fury, but he still dared not lash out. The gap between one Vasto Lorde and another was even greater than the gap between an ordinary Hollow and an Adjuchas.
"If there is nothing else, you may all withdraw! I am weary!"
After giving his instructions, Baraggan casually waved at the Vasto Lorde below him, his words carrying a hint of fatigue.
"As you command, Your Majesty!"
Upon hearing Baraggan's words, the Vasto Lorde-class Menos Grande immediately rose and bowed respectfully to him.
Elsewhere.
"Lower your center of gravity. Good, that's the stance!"
"Beautiful!"
Sōgo Shihoin cheered loudly as he watched Lilynette bunch an elephant-like Adjuchas into a ball and then take out ten Gillian with a single shot.
"Whew..."
"That wasn't very hard, Teacher Sōgo."
Lilynette gently wiped away the fine beads of nervous sweat on her forehead and gave Sōgo a small smile.
"You really are talented, Lilynette!"
"Honestly, if you keep working this hard, you'll surpass me very soon!"
Sōgo Shihoin praised Lilynette, nodding constantly as he wondered whether he should increase the difficulty. Perhaps next time he could try tying twenty Gillian together?!
"Really?"
"It's all thanks to your teaching, Teacher Sōgo!"
Although Lilynette had no idea what exactly she had learned or how it would help her in the future, she still nodded gently and complimented Sōgo Shihoin.
"Oh, not at all!"
"Your own hard work had plenty to do with it."
Sōgo Shihoin smiled at Lilynette.
"By the way, are you hungry? I have food here."
As he spoke, Sōgo Shihoin took out the food-making machine Ōetsu had given him.
"Is there anything you want to eat?"
Sōgo Shihoin set the machine in front of him and asked Lilynette.
"Food?"
"I don't need to eat!"
Lilynette shook her head gently. As a Vasto Lorde-class Menos Grande, she did not need to eat, because she was constantly absorbing Reishi from the air, as well as some Reishi scattered from the bodies of Menos Grande crushed by her Spiritual Pressure.
"That won't do. Just absorbing that Reishi isn't very nutritious."
"Hmm... let me think. Let's have hot pot!"
"Come to think of it, it's been ages since I had hot pot."
As he spoke, Sōgo Shihoin began operating the machine before him according to the instructions Ōetsu had left him.
In the blink of an eye, the machine produced plate after plate of fresh beef, along with Sōgo Shihoin's beloved spicy, numbing hot pot base.
"We have beef and lamb, the soup base, and seasonings. It can produce water too... all we're missing now is a pot."
Looking at the seasonings and beef before him, Sōgo Shihoin gradually sank into thought. He had left Soul Society in such a hurry that he had forgotten to bring a pot.
Szayelaporro was a Vasto Lorde and the original zeroth Espada. Later, believing himself imperfect, he split himself, dropping to the rank of Adjuchas.
(End of chapter)