Chapter 129: The Origin of Fiander and Inoue's Choice
A huge sword energy spreading a hundred meters long cut down through the air. At this critical moment, a sharp scream shouted: "Please stop! I am willing to follow you!"
"Please don't hurt Kurosaki-kun anymore—he has suffered... enough!"
At the crucial moment, Inoue's voice rang out. Fiander stopped his attack, and the ice mist in the sky slowly dissipated and re-condensed into his Zanpakuto, which appeared in his hands.
"You should understand that Kurosaki Ichigo has already been devoured by that creature. Even so, why won't you let me kill him?"
"Killing him would be avenging Kurosaki Ichigo, wouldn't it?"
Fiander stepped between Inoue and Ulquiorra, pointing to Jilianka, who had been transformed into a statue in mid-air.
"There must be a way... you must have a method. Although I don't know why you specifically brought me up here."
"Well, since I'm here, I believe I must serve some purpose."
At this moment, Inoue already understood Fiander's intentions. There were so many people stronger than her in the Hueco Mundo palace. Even if he valued her healing abilities, Captain Unohana Retsu's Kaido was obviously superior to hers.
But among so many people, he had chosen only her, so she must have a corresponding role to play.
"Interesting. Now you're not completely naive!"
Fiander reinserted his Zanpakuto into its sheath, and the surrounding ice fog slowly dissipated, returning the environment to normal. The previously distorted space gradually stabilized.
"Indeed, Kurosaki Ichigo cannot die now. I need him alive, but saving him won't be easy. You and I need to enter his spiritual world together to understand what's happening inside."
"Before entering, I need to explain clearly what kind of existence we fought before."
"By the way, Ulquiorra should have heard his self-introduction, correct?"
Fiander turned to look at Ulquiorra nearby.
"Yes, that's right. When Kurosaki Ichigo's body transformed, he once declared that he was a demon king named Jilianka!"
At this moment, Ulquiorra's face no longer held its previous arrogance. The battle had ended for him, and he had also released his Resurreccion state.
After Ulquiorra spoke, Fiander raised his hand and pulled Jilianka, who had been frozen into a statue mid-air, down to the ground and said, "Let me give you a brief explanation, Inoue Orihime!"
"Beyond the Three Realms we inhabit, there exist other planes and worlds. These worlds are closed off from our Shinigami world—that is, the world we currently live in cannot explore them."
"The Three Realms we inhabit was a void and chaotic realm countless years ago. At that time, humans, spirit bodies, and Hollows all lived in the same world without distinction. Until later, an existence named the Soul King established spatial barriers, separating the current Soul Society and Hueco Mundo."
"My name is Fiander Moros, and like the monster that previously occupied Kurosaki Ichigo's body, I come from a world beyond the Three Realms."
After Fiander finished speaking, Inoue was stunned, but seeing Ulquiorra's expression, she realized this was genuinely serious.
"The world I lived in was destroyed by catastrophe, and all life was reduced to ashes. With help from close friends, I barely survived, then came to Hueco Mundo, where I was assimilated into a Hollow by this world's law."
"So our current power grows based on this world's origin. Any power from outside worlds, when reaching certain limits, will be excluded by this world's will—just like the space storm before. When you and Ulquiorra fought earlier, space had been locked, and you were no longer truly in Hueco Mundo."
After listening to Fiander's words, Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes and asked: "Then... what are you now?"
"An invader from another world?"
"No, no, no! I'm still a Hollow, but I'm also not a Hollow!"
Fiander shook his finger with a proud smile: "I've surpassed Vasto Lorde limitations and become a Transcendent-level ultra-high rank Menos Grande."
"With Urahara Kisuke's 'assistance,' I managed to break free from racial constraints."
"Whether Shinigami or Hollow, even Quincy power and human power exist within my system. I've returned to the source and become the original foundation!"
Looking at Fiander's overwhelming presence, Ulquiorra asked suspiciously: "Then... what do you want to accomplish now?"
"Are you going to replace the Soul King?"
Although he didn't fully understand what the Soul King represented, from Fiander's description, Ulquiorra understood it should be a god-like existence.
"Soul King?"
"Think bigger, Ulquiorra. I've always considered Aizen quite capable, but his ideals have limitations. What he can see from his current height is only such a small landscape."
Fiander waved his hand dismissively with a sneer: "This world doesn't need another supreme ruler. The mortal world should be left to mortals to handle themselves. The Soul King is just another predator."
"You cannot comprehend it, but Aizen understands that this world's original power—the power of laws and rules—has been monopolized by the Soul King. All creatures living in the Three Realms have their growth limits artificially restricted."
"To break through these limits, the first step is releasing these energies."
"However, the prerequisite is that I can only use power within this world's system. But using power within the system, I cannot defeat the monk named Ichibei Hyosube."
"He's actually the real mastermind behind Soul Society!"
At this moment, an image appeared in Fiander's mind of a bald man with thick eyebrows and a chest-length beard.
Broad nose bridge, tall and strong figure.
Wearing traditional robes with a white wide-sleeved coat-style haori bearing the Zero Division emblem on the back.
A large crimson rosary hung around his neck, wearing high-footed single-heel clogs.
"Hehe, from beginning to end, my purpose has been clear. And Ulquiorra, don't you think Hueco Mundo's endless monotony is terribly boring?"
Ulquiorra looked at Fiander and said nothing more. The situation between them had never been on the same level from the start. All those below could do was look up.
"The one who came to this world with me is the god named Jilianka. His previous form was the Abyss Demon Lord, known as the Scarlet King."
"He was one of the real culprits behind my world's destruction. When our world was destroyed, only a few powerful beings survived as remnant souls caught in various spatial turbulences. Both Jilianka and I came to this world."
"However, with his damaged godhood and lost power, he didn't dare show himself and could only hide in ring fragments."
Speaking thus, a scarlet ring appeared in Fiander's hand. "To lure him out, when Aizen and Tousen Kaname created the first Hollow based on a Shinigami's soul, I placed the scarlet law ring in the depths of the Hollow's soul."
"Later, Kurosaki Ichigo's mother was chosen by that Hollow and integrated into her body. So by chance, after Kurosaki Masaki gave birth to Kurosaki Ichigo, Jilianka's remnant soul was also integrated into Kurosaki Ichigo's body along with the Hollow."
"So... there's a god living inside Kurosaki-kun's body, and that god wants to possess Kurosaki-kun's body?"
Inoue's face was pale as she looked at the ice sculpture beside her, speaking in a pitying tone.
"Exactly, Inoue Orihime. Since you said you would follow me, I will provide you with trials to qualitatively improve your strength."
"What I told you before wasn't a lie—Kurosaki Ichigo truly is just a pitiful person manipulated by fate. I genuinely want to help him."
"I want to see what kind of decision he'll make when he has sufficient strength to challenge his destiny!"
"Come now, Inoue Orihime. I'll take you to see exactly what kind of fate's shackles Kurosaki Ichigo bears!"
Saying this, Fiander placed one hand on the back of Inoue's head, then addressed Ulquiorra.
"Ulquiorra, remain here!"
"Understood!"
"Lord Fiander!"
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