Chapter 171: Aizen

Las Noches.

The palace where Barragan, the emperor of the western "Hueco Mundo," resided.

"What the hell is this tacky architectural style?"

The moment Aizen stood before this palace, he was deeply shocked by everything before his eyes. The gaudy, golden-glittering aesthetic felt like some third-rate noble from the "Soul Society" who had suddenly struck it rich. Fearing that others would still look down on him for being poor as they had in the past, he had specifically ordered his clan grounds to be rebuilt to the specifications of the "Five Great Noble Families." However, before even half of it was finished, he realized he had run out of money, resulting in this hastily completed, half-finished product.

"Pfft, how lame..."

Ichimaru Gin couldn't hold it back any longer and burst into hysterical laughter, clutching his stomach.

"..."

Only Tosen Kaname stood where he was, at a loss.

It couldn't be helped; after all, he was blind~

"Alright, let us go inside and take a look!"

After a moment of silence, Aizen spoke to Ichimaru Gin and Tosen Kaname at his side.

"As you command, Lord Aizen."

Hearing this, Ichimaru Gin and Tosen Kaname nodded slightly toward Aizen, and the two followed closely behind him into the magnificent palace.

Once the three entered the palace, they naturally caught sight of the neon lights decorating the entire hall, and the pitch-black skeleton wearing a golden crown, seated upon a decaying throne.

"You must be King Barragan, correct?"

Aizen gazed at the skeleton before him and asked.

Although Aizen's tone was inquisitive, judging by his confident demeanor, it was clear that Aizen was certain the skeleton seated on the throne was none other than Barragan Luisenbarn.

"Call me Emperor!"

"You impolite wretches..."

Upon hearing what Aizen said, the withered bones on the throne seemed to stir, and suddenly, a glazed, rosy light flickered within those pitch-black eye sockets...

Clearly, this slumbering king was slowly waking from his leisurely nap due to the visit from Aizen and his group.

"Emperor? You?"

Hearing Barragan's words, Tosen Kaname's tone carried a hint of disdain.

"Judging by your appearance, you must be Soul Reapers, right?"

"Since you are wearing white captain's haori, that means you must be captains of the 'Gotei 13', correct?"

"What business do you captains of the 'Gotei 13' have visiting my 'Hueco Mundo'? Answer me, Soul Reapers!"

Barragan ignored Tosen Kaname. High upon his throne, he looked down at Aizen and the others, asking in a cold voice.

"It seems you are quite knowledgeable about our Soul Reaper system~"

Ichimaru Gin said with a cheeky grin after hearing Barragan.

"A long, long time ago, I also encountered Soul Reapers wearing white haori visiting my palace. That guy seemed to be some commander of the 'Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force'. He was an incredibly cunning fellow; he ran away before I could even make a move..."

Barragan said coldly to Ichimaru Gin.

"Captain Aizen, this guy before us seems to be one of the Vasto Lorde-level Menos that Senior Kuruyashiki encountered when he visited 'Hueco Mundo'~"

Hearing Barragan's words, Ichimaru Gin's expression suddenly dawned with realization.

Because the "Records of Hueco Mundo" written by Kuruyashiki was currently one of the textbooks for students at the "Central Academy of Spiritual Arts," Kuruyashiki's name was still quite famous in the "Soul Society." Every student who graduated from the "Academy of Spiritual Arts" knew that Kuruyashiki had ventured into "Hueco Mundo" and encountered many powerful, humanoid, high-ranking Menos.

"Gin, I am naturally aware of that..."

Aizen nodded with a smile after hearing Gin.

"King of 'Hueco Mundo'! Do you wish to obtain even greater power?"

Aizen continued to look at Barragan, smiling as he extended his hand.

"Greater power? Wahahahaha..."

"Just a few ants, and they actually think they are dragons?!"

"I have truly seen too many fellows like you over these years..."

"Thinking back to before I became the Great Emperor of 'Hueco Mundo', I had already lost count of how many I had slaughtered!"

"Just yesterday, no fewer than fifty-six self-righteous fellows like you died inside this very palace of mine."

Barragan looked at Aizen and said with extreme arrogance.

"Pfft, Lord Aizen, this guy says he killed fifty-six people as powerful as you just yesterday~"

Ichimaru Gin laughed after hearing Barragan.

"Lord Aizen, please allow me to teach this guy who doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth a lesson!"

Tosen Kaname looked at Aizen, requesting to fight.

"Teach the Emperor a lesson?"

"Ridiculous!!"

"You know nothing of true power..."

Before Aizen could speak, Barragan had already stood up from his throne, brandishing the giant axe in his hand, and attacked Aizen and the others.

"Under the power of my god-like control over the aging of all things, your meager strength is as laughable as an ant's..."

As Barragan's voice fell, a roaring black wave of energy was released from his body, swallowing Aizen, Tosen, and Gin almost instantly.

"Boom!"

Immediately following was a terrifying surge of Reiatsu that shot into the sky, leaving a crater approximately 100 meters in diameter on the floor of Las Noches.

"Hmm?"

Barragan stopped his attack and looked at the crater before him, his expression slightly stunned.

"Ahahaha..."

"As expected, just a bunch of guys who only know how to run their mouths."

"I only used less than one-tenth of my power, and your corpses are already gone without a trace?! And with just this, you dared to spout such nonsense before me? Ridiculous, ridiculous..."

After laughing for a while, Barragan seemed to find it boring. He shouldered his axe and walked back toward his throne, seemingly believing that the previous strike had been enough to completely destroy Aizen and his group.

"Barragan~ are you in such a hurry to go back?"

However, just as Barragan stood before his throne, preparing to turn and sit down, Aizen's voice suddenly rang out from behind him once more.

"Hmm?"

Hearing this, Barragan turned around. He looked at the completely unscathed Aizen, Tosen, and Ichimaru Gin, and the flames flickering in his eye sockets suddenly flashed.

"How is this possible?"

"You should have been killed by me..."

Barragan asked, puzzled.

"That was an illusion!"

"Barragan, this is my Zanpakuto, Kyoka Suigetsu..."

"Anyone who falls under the influence of my Kyoka Suigetsu will have their five senses forever under my control! In other words, Barragan, you have already lost!"

Aizen drew the Zanpakuto at his waist, aimed it at Barragan, and sneered.

"What kind of joke is this..."

Hearing Aizen's words, fury rose in Barragan's heart.

"Barragan, your aging cannot be released infinitely, can it?"

"The proof is that the ground beneath your feet and the throne you have sat on for so long have not been corroded by your ability! In other words, you are not an invincible existence..."

"Barragan, think about it carefully! Submit to me, and I will grant you the power of the Arrancar. I can allow you to obtain power that rivals Arturo Plateado!"

Aizen looked at Barragan and said calmly.

"You say I am inferior to Arturo?!"

Hearing this, Barragan roared at Aizen.

"If your strength were truly greater than Arturo's, you wouldn't have had the title of Hollow King stolen from you so easily by him, would you?"

Aizen looked at Barragan and smiled.

"You bastard..."

Hearing this, Barragan clenched his fists in anger.

Yes, just as Aizen said, it was precisely because that bastard Arturo had stolen his throne that he had changed his title from Hollow King to the Great Emperor of "Hueco Mundo."

"I hope you are not fooling this Emperor, otherwise I will definitely make you pay the price!"

After Barragan finished speaking, he sat down on the throne in a deeply decadent manner. At this moment, Barragan was completely in the posture of an aging king gradually heading toward decline after failing in the competition against a new king.

It had to be said that Barragan's acting skills were still decent; this sense of a hero in his twilight years was truly overwhelming, leaving Ichimaru Gin and Tosen stunned.

"A wise choice~"

Only Aizen revealed a faint smile.

As if everything before his eyes was entirely according to his plan...

And it was precisely as Aizen's voice fell that a calm voice rang out in the depths of Barragan's heart: "Very good, Barragan, this part has passed! Please do not be careless, keep it up! The others should learn more from Barragan..."

"Hoo..."

Because only bones remained on Barragan's face, no one could see his expression. Only he knew how nervous he had been just now. After Araki's voice rang out in his heart, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"It seems Lord Araki's disciple did not notice anything amiss..."

"But that is to be expected; after all, there is no such thing as an expression on my face."

Barragan muttered to himself.

"Barragan, do you know the locations of the other Vasto Lorde-level Menos?"

Just as Barragan was sitting decadently on the throne, Aizen's voice suddenly rang out slowly before him.

"Other Vasto Lorde..."

"Hahaha, you Soul Reaper are truly greedy!"

"Do you really think you can swallow the entire 'Hueco Mundo'?"

"Do you really think that, with your identity as a mere Soul Reaper, you can lead all the Vasto Lorde-level Menos in 'Hueco Mundo'?"

Hearing Aizen's words, Barragan suddenly burst into laughter.

"That is not something you need to consider~"

Aizen said with a light chuckle after hearing Barragan.

"Is that so? You are truly confident, young Soul Reaper!"

"I have suddenly become somewhat interested in you..."

"Fine! Since that is the case, I will tell you everything I know! I want to see exactly how you, a mere Soul Reaper, intend to conquer the entire 'Hueco Mundo'."

"But remember, the other Vasto Lorde are not as cultured as I am, and they will not speak so amicably with you Soul Reapers!"

Barragan looked at Aizen and warned him.

"Let us wait and see~"

Aizen remained full of confidence in himself.

As for Tosen Kaname and Ichimaru Gin behind Aizen, they felt disdain for Barragan's words.

Was this what Barragan called being cultured? It was just that Barragan had discovered his ability was ineffective against them, which was why he chose to negotiate with them properly...

Of course, Tosen and Ichimaru Gin would not talk about culture with a Menos, but they had already seen the difficulty of other Menos from Barragan.

"The Vasto Lorde-level Menos in this 'Hueco Mundo' that I know of, besides myself, total nine! They are Roka Paramia, Lilynette Stark, Tier Halibel, and Nelliel, who occupy the entire northwest. They are the only four females among the Vasto Lorde, and they have always chosen to live together. Besides Lilynette being worth noting, Halibel and Nelliel are of no consequence! As for Roka, haha, she is simply not worth worrying about..."

Barragan, acting as if he were a master of drama, began to dig a pit for Aizen.

"Beyond the forces in the northwest is Arturo Plateado, who occupies the entire center and stole my throne! Since you, Soul Reaper, know Arturo's name, you must be clearly aware of his strength, so I won't introduce him much. After Arturo seized my throne, the three Vasto Lorde-level Menos who were originally under my command—Dihyela, Cien, and Szayelaporro—all defected to his side and became his lackeys~ When dealing with Arturo's forces, it is enough for you to be stronger than Arturo. Those three spineless cowards are fence-sitters; they follow whoever is stronger..."

Barragan introduced Arturo's forces to Aizen.

"Finally, there is that guy 'Jiba', who occupies the far east of 'Hueco Mundo' and echoes me, who occupies the far west..."

"To be precise, Ikomikidomoe is not a Vasto Lorde-level Menos. When that guy was an Adjuchas, he chose a path completely opposite to ours while on the road of self-evolution. He chose to continue strengthening his body size and power. However, calling him an Adjuchas is not entirely accurate! His power far exceeds that of an ordinary Adjuchas; even my decaying power can do nothing about that guy..."

Barragan explained the layout of "Hueco Mundo" to Aizen.

"Hehe, I see..."

Hearing this, Aizen revealed a satisfied smile.

There were even more Vasto Lorde-level Menos in this "Hueco Mundo" than he had imagined.

Counting Ikomikidomoe, who rivaled a "Vasto Lorde," there were ten in total, which satisfied the scale of the Espada in Aizen's initial plan.

"Alright, Soul Reaper! After hearing the layout of 'Hueco Mundo', do you still want to continue your plan? The other Vasto Lorde are not as solitary as I am!"

Barragan looked at Aizen and said calmly.

"Of course, only with difficulty and challenges is it interesting~"

Aizen said with a smile after hearing Barragan.

"Three days! In three days, I can make all the Vasto Lorde submit to me."

After Aizen finished speaking, he suddenly extended three fingers toward Barragan.

"Three days?!"

"Hahaha, no need for three days! How about I give you three hundred years?"

"If you can subdue these Vasto Lorde within three hundred years..."

"I will take all the Menos under my command and pledge allegiance to your 'Soul Society'!"

Barragan was amused by Aizen's words. He looked at Aizen and laughed.

"Remember, it is not pledging allegiance to the 'Soul Society'..."

"... but pledging allegiance to me, Aizen Sosuke!"

Aizen corrected him after hearing Barragan.

Yes, he had to correct Barragan's mistake. It was not the Soul Reapers of the "Soul Society" who ruled "Hueco Mundo"; the one who ruled "Hueco Mundo" was he, Aizen, alone.

"It's a deal!"

Barragan announced loudly. Only at this moment did Barragan officially gain about 0.1% of Aizen's trust.

In fact, Aizen had never wanted to trust these Menos; he simply treated the Menos, along with the entire "Hueco Mundo," as his tools! As for tools, as long as they could be used and were easy to use, that was enough...

"Then next..."

Aizen's gaze looked into the distance.

"..."

Barragan watched Aizen quietly. Next was the time to test the acting skills of the other Vasto Lorde.

The next one Aizen sought out was not the powerful Arturo, nor was it Lilynette and the others who occupied the entire northwest and faintly contended with Arturo's forces. After teaching Barragan a lesson, Aizen's first choice was Ikomikidomoe, who was solitary just like Barragan.

At this moment, Ikomikidomoe was lying on the outskirts of the "Forest of Menos," fast asleep.

"Boom! Boom! Boom..."

The sound of Ikomikidomoe's snoring alone was as deafening as muffled thunder in the sky.

"So big, is this guy that Ikomikidomoe?!"

"Lord Aizen, no matter how you look at it, this guy's body is too incredible, isn't it?! There is actually such a massive Menos in this world..."

In the sky, when Ichimaru Gin, Tosen Kaname, and Aizen Sosuke saw Ikomikidomoe—who had been constantly devouring Gillian and Adjuchas to recover from the damage he received at the "Soul King Palace" ever since Araki placed him in "Hueco Mundo"—they were shocked. After hundreds of years of recovery, his strength had already exceeded his peak period when he had attacked the "Soul Society" alone. At this moment, his massive body was over ten thousand meters tall, even taller than Mount Everest, which left Ichimaru Gin and Tosen Kaname feeling incredulous.

"Hehe, Ikomikidomoe, wake up!"

Aizen looked at the massive Ikomikidomoe before him with a light chuckle, then called out his name loudly.

"I am not called Ikomikidomoe..."

After hearing Aizen, Ikomikidomoe slowly woke from his slumber. He glanced at Aizen, Ichimaru Gin, and Tosen Kaname before him and replied with resentment.

"You little bugs, what business do you have disturbing my sleep?"

Ikomikidomoe looked at Aizen and the others and asked.

"I will lead you onto a brand new evolution!"

Hearing this, Aizen extended his right hand toward Ikomikidomoe.

"Evolution? Hahaha..."

Ikomikidomoe's laughter was like a great bell, setting off a series of air waves.

The air waves formed by "Jiba's" wild laughter alone made it impossible for Ichimaru Gin and Tosen Kaname to stabilize their bodies.

"I have already evolved to the pinnacle of Menos; there is nothing left in this world that can allow me to continue evolving! You three brats, become my rations!"

As Ikomikidomoe spoke, he opened his bloody maw and charged toward the three of them.

"Have you really evolved to the pinnacle of Menos?"

Facing the "Jiba" charging toward him, Aizen felt no panic or fear; he asked the other party calmly.

"Naturally..."

"Jiba" responded to Aizen, but his movements did not stop there.

"If you have really evolved to the pinnacle of Menos, why did you break into the 'Soul Society' thousands of years ago and head to the 'Soul King Palace' alone?!"

Aizen said with a light chuckle after hearing "Jiba."

"You bastard..."

Aizen's words made "Jiba" stop his movements. He looked at Aizen coldly and asked, "What exactly do you Soul Reaper know?"

"I know everything about you..."

Aizen looked at "Jiba" and smiled lightly.

"Damn it!"

"Jiba" roared, making a move to swallow Aizen.

"Do you really want to eat me?"

Aizen looked at "Jiba" and asked.

"Of course..."

"Jiba" answered truthfully.

"Then you might as well look beneath your feet."

Aizen reminded "Jiba."

"Beneath my feet?"

"Jiba's" expression carried a hint of confusion; he subconsciously looked down.

He saw that Ichimaru Gin and Tosen Kaname, who had been at Aizen's side, had arrived beneath "Jiba's" feet at some unknown time. Their Zanpakuto were currently held against the neck of a Menos that was the same size as a brown bear and looked exactly like "Jiba."

"Don't move, little 'Jiba'~"

Ichimaru Gin raised his head, looked at "Jiba," who had finally noticed what was beneath his feet after Aizen's reminder, and answered with a smile.

"Let him go..."

Seeing this, "Jiba" was instantly furious.

"Ikomikidomoe, if I am not mistaken, more than nine hundred years ago, when you took advantage of Yhwach's rampage in the 'Soul Society' to escape from the 'Soul King Palace', the method you used was to utilize your ability to split yourself, throwing your core part toward the 'Soul Society'!"

"When Master Araki was ordered to go to 'Hueco Mundo' to hunt you down, you also used this ability of yours to split yourself without limit, hiding your main body underground, which allowed you to dodge Master Araki's pursuit, am I right? But if I were to kill your clone, would you still be so calm? Answer me, Ikomikidomoe..."

Aizen looked at "Jiba" beneath him and asked calmly.

"What exactly do you want? Soul Reaper!"

"Jiba" looked at Aizen before him and asked angrily.

"Your loyalty..."

Aizen said truthfully.

"What can you give me? Soul Reaper!"

Hearing this, "Jiba" continued to ask Aizen.

"I will give you the power to continue evolving and lead you to kill your way back into the 'Soul Society' and attack the 'Soul King Palace'! This Throne of Heaven has been occupied by a fake for too long. From now on, I will stand above the sky! Alright, Ikomikidomoe, become my subordinate! I will grant you everything you want..."

Aizen extended his hand toward "Jiba" once again.

"Interesting! Young Soul Reaper, I want to see how far you can go..."

"However, since you seem very familiar with Araki and the 'Soul King Palace', then let me give you a piece of advice! Araki and the Royal Guard of the 'Zero Division' are not that bunch of trash from the 'Gotei 13'. If you are not careful, you will end up like me a thousand years ago, dying without a burial place! Sleeping alone in the darkness for nearly a thousand years..."

"Jiba" looked at Aizen and gave his warning.

"Then let us wait and see~"

Aizen smiled with extreme confidence after hearing this.

"Wait and see? Hahaha, what a 'wait and see'..."

"Jiba" continued to laugh, his laughter like mysterious thunder reaching the nine heavens.

"'Jiba' has passed, next we will see about the others."

Just as "Jiba" was laughing, Araki's voice rang out in his heart.

"Hoo..."

"It seems I have successfully passed this stage."

After hearing Araki's words, "Jiba" breathed a slight sigh of relief in his heart.

"Then next..."

"'Jiba' and Barragan! Both of you come with me!"

Aizen said to "Jiba" beneath him and Barragan, who was hiding not far away and had been secretly observing his movements, with a light smile.

"Hmph, Aizen, watch your tone, I am not your subordinate yet!"

Barragan knew his whereabouts had been exposed, so he stood out frankly.

"Barragan, so you were the first to surrender? That fits your cowardly personality! Hahaha..."

When "Jiba" noticed Barragan, he immediately burst into wild laughter, mocking Barragan for choosing to surrender to Aizen.

"Aren't you the same?"

Barragan rebuked after hearing "Jiba."

"I am not the same as you. At best, I can be considered to have a cooperative relationship with this Soul Reaper!"

"Jiba" snorted coldly after hearing Barragan and retorted.

"Boom!!"

For a time, Barragan and "Jiba," the two Menos who had been competing for thousands of years, clashed once again, their Reiatsu constantly rising.

"Alright, you two, don't you want to go and see exactly how I subdue Arturo?"

Aizen looked at "Jiba" and Barragan, who were competing beneath him, and said calmly.

"Oh? Your next target is actually Arturo?"

"I thought you would choose to attack Lilynette and the others' territory!"

Barragan touched his chin after hearing Aizen.

"Hehe, naturally, one must save the main course for last..."

Aizen said with a smile after hearing Barragan.

"You bastard..."

Barragan's expression was slightly stunned after hearing Aizen. It seemed that from the tone in which he had introduced Lilynette and the others just now, Aizen had seemingly heard something different.

"As expected of Lord Araki's disciple."

Barragan muttered to himself, while simultaneously putting away his contempt for Aizen.

"Then next, let us set off in the direction of Arturo!"

Aizen said, looking toward the center of "Hueco Mundo" in the distance.

"Oh!!"

"Jiba" was the first to choose to act after Aizen gave the order. His body was as massive as a mountain, and every step he took kicked up endless dust. At this moment, just by walking on the ground, "Jiba" changed the terrain of the entire interior of "Hueco Mundo."

"What a terrifying guy..."

"It is hard to imagine that such a powerful and terrifying existence actually lost to the young Master Araki hundreds of years ago~"

Ichimaru Gin muttered to himself as he looked at "Jiba" beneath him.

"Gin, do not forget Master Araki's identity! The reason we have put in so much effort is precisely because Araki is the most powerful enemy we need to face in history!"

Aizen reminded him after hearing Gin's muttering.

Yes, the reason Aizen came to "Hueco Mundo" to build his own forces, and the reason he framed Urahara Kisuke to plot for the other half of the Hogyoku in Urahara Kisuke's hands, was all so that the power in his hands and his own strength could approach Araki.

"Master Araki, I hope that when you see the day your disciple raises the banner of rebellion, you can feel proud because I am your disciple~"

Aizen's eyes narrowed slightly; he was looking forward to the day in the near future when he would rebel against the "Soul Society."

Similarly, Araki, who was currently sitting in the First Division Captain's office, was also looking forward to Aizen's performance. Araki drank the tea in his cup and muttered to himself: "Sosuke, do not let your master down! Use all your strength to keep getting stronger~"

"Boom!!"

When "Jiba," like a massive mountain, stepped on countless flying white sands and arrived at the center of "Hueco Mundo," which was Arturo's territory, a crowd of Menos ran out one after another and charged toward "Jiba."

"Damn it! This is Lord Arturo's territory; how can a guy like you break in! Get back to your 'Forest of Menos'! That is your territory..."

A crowd of Adjuchas roared at "Jiba's" massive body.

"Noisy!"

Hearing this, "Jiba" just muttered unhappily, then opened his bloody maw and swallowed all the Adjuchas before him, along with the white sand on the ground, in one gulp.

"Ah!!"

Accompanied by bursts of screams, those Adjuchas were instantly swallowed into "Jiba's" abdomen and digested into the most primitive Reishi.

"Ikomikidomoe, are you fucking crazy?"

"You dare to break into the territory of the great Immortal King, Lord Arturo?"

Just as "Jiba" continued to drag his massive body forward, a green figure blocked "Jiba's" path.

"Oh! It's you, the first warrior under that old bone Barragan. I remember you seem to be called Dihyela, right?!"

Seeing the person who had come, "Jiba" stopped his body. The person blocking his path was, after all, a Vasto Lorde-level Menos, so he had to give the other party some face.

"Shut up! I have already abandoned the darkness for the light, left Barragan's command, and come under Lord Arturo's command. I am now the first warrior under Lord Arturo..."

Dihyela sneered after hearing "Jiba."

"Is that so? Dihyela, you have truly grown capable!"

However, before Dihyela could say more, a cold voice suddenly rang out above Dihyela's head. The next second, a white skeleton wearing a black robe and a golden crown appeared before Dihyela.

"Bar, Barragan-sama?"

Seeing the person who had come, Dihyela was instantly dumbfounded.

"Go call that bastard Arturo out! I have come to settle the score with him..."

Barragan ordered Dihyela with his hands behind his back.

"I, I understand..."

Dihyela said, intending to go back and notify Arturo.

However, before Dihyela could turn around, Arturo, who had short light green hair, a human face, and a bone mask on the right side of his face, had already arrived in the sky.

"Hahaha, I wonder who it is?"

"So it is Barragan, you defeated loser..."

"Why? Knowing you are no match for me alone, you brought your arch-rival to deal with me together? It is simply ridiculous..."

Arturo stood in the sky with his hands in his pockets and said with disdain toward Barragan and "Jiba."

"It is not us who are going to deal with you..."

Hearing Arturo's words, Barragan and "Jiba" both sneered.

The next second, three figures arrived in the sky and stood before Arturo.

"You are?"

Arturo looked at the figures before him, his pupils shrinking slightly.

"We meet again, Arturo~"

Aizen greeted Arturo first.

"Soul Reaper, are you here to seek death?"

Arturo looked at Aizen and asked with disdain.

"I am here to help you..."

Aizen smiled lightly at Arturo.

"The wound on your right abdomen must hurt a lot, right?"

Before Arturo could speak, Aizen was the first to point out Arturo's weakness.

"You bastard, what exactly do you know?"

Hearing Aizen's words, Arturo pulled open the coat covering his left abdomen, where there was a deep knife wound that reached the bone.

"You think it is natural for that knife wound on your abdomen to hurt! In fact, the fact that you did not die under that blade already proves your powerful strength! The legendary Immortal King is truly worthy of his name. Of course, I do not mean to mock you; I am praising you..."

"Back then, you broke the seal and slaughtered the entire 'Central 46', and when you were leaving, you were slashed by Master Araki, who had arrived! That slash has always been your nightmare! It lingers in your mind, causing you unbearable pain."

Aizen looked at Arturo and said with a smile.

"Master Araki? I say, you bastard, why did you give me a sense of familiarity the first time I saw you, making me wish I could tear you into ten thousand pieces immediately? So you are the disciple of that bastard Araki. That is not strange at all, so go to hell!"

Arturo said, turning into a wild wind. Before Ichimaru Gin and Tosen Kaname could react, he had already arrived above Aizen, drew the sword at his waist, and slashed down toward Aizen.

"Ding~"

Facing Arturo's slash, Aizen drew his Zanpakuto without panic.

The moment Arturo's blade touched Aizen's, a terrifying wave of energy blew Ichimaru Gin and Tosen Kaname away...

"Lord Aizen!"

Seeing this, Tosen Kaname immediately revealed an anxious expression and shouted with worry in the direction of Aizen.

"Tosen, do not worry about me!"

"Arturo's power alone cannot defeat me..."

A smile hung on Aizen's face. The powerful swordsmanship he had learned from Araki and Unohana, which was not inferior to any generation of Kenpachi, allowed Aizen to easily suppress Arturo. In just a moment, Arturo's body was covered in knife wounds.

"The powerful part of this guy is not just his Zanpakuto ability..."

Barragan watched Aizen, who was easily suppressing Arturo with swordsmanship, and muttered to himself.

"Barragan, do not misunderstand. My strength is all-encompassing: speed, power, defense, technique, Reiatsu, intelligence—all of my aspects are above you all! Precisely because of this, I came to 'Hueco Mundo' to lead you..."

Aizen seemed to have heard Barragan's whisper. While holding his sword with one hand and suppressing Arturo, he still had the leisure to smile at Barragan.

"Damn it! Before me, the Immortal King, turn completely into dust!"

Seeing Aizen suppress him so easily, endless fury rose in Arturo's heart. He raised the Zanpakuto that belonged to the Arrancar in his hand, speaking as he prepared to perform Resurreccion, to fight Aizen in his peak state.

"I have been waiting for you to use that sword for a long time, Arturo~"

Aizen looked at Arturo, who was raising his Zanpakuto, first smiled lightly, then threw out a circular mirror. That mirror was the divine artifact Shattered Water Mirror, a divine artifact Aizen had specifically prepared for Arturo after consulting countless materials at the "Academy of Spiritual Arts" based on Arturo's ability, and it was a divine artifact that had been modified by Aizen's Hogyoku.

Its ability was only one: to restrict the enemy's regeneration and soul devouring...

"What?!"

When Arturo performed Resurreccion, his body was instantly enveloped by the flames reflected by the mirror light. In just an instant, Arturo felt that his regeneration ability and devouring ability seemed to be disobedient.

"Arturo, you have disappointed me so much..."

"I gave you hundreds of years, yet you have not grown at all."

Aizen looked down at Arturo, who was enveloped in flames, and said calmly.

"You bastard, Soul Reaper!"

"Araki is like this, and you are also like this..."

"Ahhhh! I want to kill you..."

Arturo roared at Aizen continuously.

"Kill me? Are you trying to kill a god? Arturo..."

"Since that is the case, I will give you a chance, a chance to take revenge on Master Araki."

"There is only one chance. Whether you can grasp it or not depends on yourself."

Aizen looked at Arturo beneath him and said calmly.

"Damn it! Soul Reaper, you had better never reveal your flaws!"

"I will keep staring at you, keep staring at you..."

Arturo let out a hysterical roar in the flames.

"Hehe, I will not..."

Aizen smiled lightly after hearing Arturo's words.

"My name is Aizen Sosuke; from today on, I am your master."

Aizen said, looking at Dihyela beside him.

"Greetings, Lord Aizen!"

Feeling Aizen's gaze, Dihyela immediately knelt on one knee and chose to pledge allegiance.

"Hmph! Three-surname slave..."

Barragan glanced at Dihyela and snorted coldly.

"Barragan-sama, this is called knowing the times makes one a hero!"

Dihyela said with a smile after hearing Barragan's words.

"Then next..."

Aizen said, looking at the laboratory where Szayelaporro and Cien were.

When Szayelaporro and Cien heard that Arturo had been defeated by Aizen, they knelt on one knee before Aizen without any psychological burden and announced their allegiance: "Greetings, Lord Aizen~"

After all, the setting for Szayel and Cien was that they were not interested in power; one was only interested in immortality, and the other was only interested in greater power...

"I will grant you all the power you want~"

To this, Aizen answered with extreme generosity.

"Next..."

Aizen's gaze looked toward the northwest.

"Lord Aizen, I am willing to be your vanguard!"

Dihyela knelt before Aizen and decided to work like a dog or horse for Aizen.

Yes, this kind of activity where he didn't need to expend effort and could still talk big in front of people he couldn't beat, he, Dihyela, really liked the most~

"No need! Let us all go together..."

Aizen said, deciding to take all the Vasto Lorde Menos together to welcome Lilynette and the others into their warm family.

"As you command!"

Although this group of Menos was still somewhat unconvinced, due to Aizen's powerful strength, everyone still nodded respectfully in agreement.

And so...

Arturo, Dihyela, Barragan, Szayelaporro, Cien, and Ikomikidomoe, five peak Menos, under the leadership of Aizen Sosuke, quickly surrounded Lilynette, Nelliel, Halibel, and Roka Paramia.

"Do you want to fight?"

Lilynette did not feel timid because of the situation before her; instead, she became somewhat eager to try. She drew the sword at her waist and was ready to perform Resurreccion at any time.

"Troublesome..."

As one of the only two Arrancar along with Lilynette, Arturo naturally knew Lilynette's ability and personality, and felt a sense of trouble.

Besides Lilynette, Barragan and "Jiba" naturally did not take Halibel and Nelliel seriously. They both had absolute confidence in defeating Halibel and Lilynette, and even if they were allowed to fight two-on-one, it wouldn't matter.

The one who made everyone present feel truly troublesome was Roka, who had been silent from beginning to end. Roka's evolution speed over these years had been too fast, already surpassing all the Menos present!

Even the crowd of Menos present were no longer sure if Roka could still be called a Vasto Lorde-level Menos. Over these hundreds of years, the other party had almost merged with the entire "Hueco Mundo"...

Barragan couldn't help but complain to Szayelaporro: "Open your eyes wide and take a good look! This is the monster you created!"

"This has nothing to do with me! Even without me, Roka would have evolved to this level because of the special nature of her ability. It is not that I achieved Roka; it is Roka's special nature that achieved Roka..."

Szayelaporro retorted after hearing Barragan.

"In short, just fight..."

Just as several Menos were looking at Roka with wary eyes, Roka, who had been wandering outside the sky, seemed to have come back to her senses. She spoke softly and walked toward Aizen and the others on her own.

"Uh..."

The crowd of Menos standing on Aizen's side took half a step back after seeing Roka prepare to act, letting Aizen, Ichimaru Gin, and Tosen Kaname stand in front of them.

To this, Ichimaru Gin and Tosen Kaname expressed: "..."

"Hehehe, we are not here to fight~"

However, just as the atmosphere began to solidify and a great battle was on the verge of breaking out, Aizen suddenly smiled and took the initiative to meet Roka Paramia, as well as Halibel, Lilynette, and the others.

"Hmm?!"

Aizen's behavior left everyone stunned.

"I saw order in the 'Hueco Mundo' you govern. The Menos living here are different from other places; they are in groups. Everyone follows the rules you have formulated, forming a massive collective..."

Aizen wore a smile and said to Lilynette and the others.

"This..."

Aizen's words left Lilynette and the others stunned. They seemed not to have expected that Aizen could perceive what was different about the "Hueco Mundo" they governed compared to the "Hueco Mundo" governed by other Menos.

"I know that allowing intelligent Menos to live according to rules is your ideal, but it is also my ideal! I guarantee to you here that I will lead you to continue expanding this ideal. From today on, rules will not be limited to the entire northwest! Instead, they will exist throughout the entire 'Hueco Mundo'. From today on, there will be no more meaningless sacrifices in the places I rule, and none of you will be lonely anymore..."

Aizen's eyes almost instantly perceived the essence of Lilynette, Nelliel, Halibel, and Roka: Lilynette's loneliness, Nelliel's friendship, Halibel's compassion for her subordinates, and Roka's pursuit of her own ideals.

As for the essence of the other Menos, Aizen was also very clear: Barragan's arrogance, "Jiba's" gluttony, Dihyela's greed, Arturo's wrath, Szayelaporro's lust, Cien's envy—these Vasto Lorde-level Menos simply concentrated the seven deadly sins of humanity.

"Can a Soul Reaper like you do what even we cannot?"

Lilynette asked Aizen.

"As you can see! The entire 'Hueco Mundo' is already in my hands."

"Why not come with me and see the scenery of the new world?"

Aizen smiled lightly after hearing Lilynette. He opened his arms; around him were those Menos who controlled other parts of "Hueco Mundo." Just as Aizen said, at this moment, Aizen had almost conquered the entire "Hueco Mundo."

"I will not treat you as my subordinates; I will grant you the same status as us. So why not come with us and see the scenery of the new world?!"

Aizen continued to ask Lilynette, Nelliel, Halibel, and the others.

"You bastard..."

Lilynette seemed to want to say something more.

"Can you complete our ideal?"

However, just as Lilynette was about to speak, Roka Paramia, who had been silent, spoke first and asked Aizen.

"Naturally..."

Aizen answered confidently.

"Sisters, since that is the case, let us go and see!"

After Roka received Aizen's answer, she asked Halibel and the others around her.

"Agreed."

Halibel nodded slightly.

"Since Roka agrees, then there is no problem."

Nelliel's voice was still very soft.

"Ah! Ah! Ah! I am so angry..."

"Then do as you say! But if you fail to achieve our ideal, I won't be able to help but kill him..."

Seeing that all three of her sisters had betrayed her, Lilynette said speechlessly.

"Hehe, I am right here and will not go anywhere~"

"You can draw your sword against me at any time..."

Aizen smiled lightly after hearing this.

"Then next, it is time to make a change~"

Aizen said, taking out the half of the Hogyoku that belonged to him from his bosom.

"This is..."

When the crowd of Vasto Lorde-level Menos present saw the shining treasure before them, they were all stunned where they stood. They could feel the most primitive throbbing they had toward this treasure.

"I said it! I will grant you the power you expect..."

Aizen said, revealing a confident smile.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, five years had passed...

Over these five years, the entire "Hueco Mundo" had undergone earth-shaking changes!

First, in this "Hueco Mundo" of eternal night, there was an extra thick layer between the moon and the ground! Aizen built a deep blue sky for this "Hueco Mundo" and a massive sun capable of illuminating the entire "Las Noches."

As for the original "Las Noches," it had also changed from its initial KTV style to the current minimalist style dominated by white lines. Those white, undulating high towers became the most mainstream architectural style in "Hueco Mundo" today, and their designer was naturally Aizen Sosuke.

As for those Menos "subdued" by Aizen, they had also completely changed their appearance over these five years! Although the power of the half-Hogyoku in Aizen's hands had not yet reached the limit of the Hogyoku, it was enough to make Vasto Lorde-level Menos undergo Arrancarization...

At this moment, in the conference room of "Las Noches," a crowd of Vasto Lorde Menos wearing white Arrancar uniforms personally designed by Aizen were dozing off in the conference room.

Sitting in the first position was naturally Roka Paramia, who had short black hair and looked unremarkable. Aizen gave her the number Espada 0.

Sitting opposite Roka was the Immortal King, Arturo Plateado. He was currently resting his feet leisurely on the table where everyone was holding the meeting, in a posture of ignoring mortals. The number he obtained from Aizen was Espada 1.

After that were the pair of clones, Cien Granz and Szayelaporro Granz. The numbers they obtained from Aizen were 2 and 3, respectively...

After that were Lilynette, who was an Arrancar herself, and "Jiba," who was a muscular man nearly three meters tall after Arrancarization. Their numbers were 4 and 5.

As for Barragan, who was ranked second in the original work, his number had become 6. Halibel and Nelliel were 7 and 8, respectively. As for Dihyela, who was useless except for speed, he was ranked 9 by Aizen.

Regarding this ranking, Barragan had also protested. He was very confident in his strength and believed that even if he couldn't be ranked first, he shouldn't be ranked below his original subordinates, Cien and Szayelaporro. To this, the explanation Aizen gave was Reiatsu!

Yes, Aizen's ranking of the Espada was the ranking of the Reiatsu between these Menos. As for whether any of these Menos had hidden their strength, only these Menos themselves knew in their hearts, and whether Aizen had seen through these Menos, only Aizen alone knew in his heart...

"Everyone! There is no enemy before us..."

After a while, when Aizen entered the conference room, he sat in his main seat and smiled lightly at the crowd of Menos present.

Ten Vasto Lorde-level Menos were a massive combat force sufficient to overturn the conventional "Gotei 13," and this was only the beginning of the forces Aizen had built in "Hueco Mundo." With him here, "Hueco Mundo" would become increasingly powerful...

To this, Aizen's dearest teacher Araki expressed: "Keep it up, Sosuke, you are of great use~ My 'Hueco Mundo' will depend on you alone to manage~"

A ten-thousand-character chapter, thirteen thousand! My state has recovered somewhat recently, and I will make up for what I owed in the previous chapters over the next few days. **CHAPTER 172**