At this moment, Hueco Mundo resembled a scene torn straight from hell.
Corpses of Hollows and Arrancar lay scattered across the sands, while even the rocks and desert that should never burn were consumed in the spiritual flames released by the Quincies.
"Line up and stand by the wall!"
"Hurry up, unless you'd rather I put another two to three holes through your bodies!"
The captain of the Hueco Mundo hunting unit, Quilge Opie, stood before the line of captured Hollows and Arrancar. His body was rigid in a perfect military stance, heels together, posture precise, and his sharp tone carried a theatrical edge. He adjusted the brown-lensed glasses set across his face, his manner exuding self-important authority.
Among the group, two uncertain figures whispered from within the line.
"That one… he must be their leader."
"Are we really doing this? I'd rather not…"
"Idiot. If we let this pass, do you think we'll survive at all?"
"...Enough, be quiet." Quilge raised his voice above the subdued whispers.
"Now, a selection among Hollows and Arrancar will be conducted. The weak and unwilling will be eliminated in order, starting from the right."
His smile sharpened as he continued.
"Those unwilling to die, and those who desire to follow us regardless of the cost, should kneal and lick our shoes."
"You all survived the earlier assault. That means you are strong and resourceful. Don't waste this chance."
The pressure in the air thickened until one Hollow broke the silence. He stepped forward and spoke out with forced courage.
"If I surrender… if I give my name, will that be enough to live?"
With a sharp thrust, Quilge pierced the Hollow's chest with his cross-shaped spear.
"Of course not. Every one of you will be tested in proper order. This gathering itself is your one chance at survival. If you fail to grasp it…"
His spear sank again and again into the unfortunate captives, cutting down one after another with cold efficiency.
Two Hollows in the back whispered quietly.
"Does he really intend to recruit Arrancar?"
"No… he has no such interest. He couldn't care less about Hueco Mundo."
Before they could say more, two Arrancar drew their blades and pressed them to Quilge's throat.
The Quincies in uniform surrounding him froze momentarily before snapping back to action, calling out to their captain and forming a ring to encircle the two attackers. Quilge himself didn't react to the blades grazing his neck.
"Too slow," Quilge said to his men, his tone scolding. Then to the Arrancar in front of him: "Strange… weren't all weapons confiscated?"
The two cloaked figures dropped their hoods-revealing themselves as young women. They fought with determination but were swiftly overpowered and subdued without effort.
Quilge glanced at them with disdain.
"So these are 'loyals' of Aizen Sōsuke. If this is the extent of his strength, then he was not worth the reputation."
One Quincy soldier stepped forward.
"What shall we do with them, Captain?"
Quilge drew back his hand. "His Majesty wants brave captives returned. Don't kill these two." He turned to leave, but the sound of blood splattering stopped him mid-step.
Whip-like air sliced past his ear, and he turned sharply to see a rotating ring gliding through the crowd. Quilge raised his white-gloved hand and caught the spinning weapon effortlessly in his palm.
"Who dares challenge me?"
"Trash like you isn't worthy to even ask my name," Emilou Apacci declared boldly, resting one foot firmly on the stone before her.
Cyan Sung-Sun covered her mouth with long white sleeves, her sharp voice dripping disdain. "Do you understand who you're speaking to? We serve under Lady Harribel."
"Don't get so arrogant, Apacci, you'll get yourself killed if you're careless," growled Franceska Mila Rose, her muscular frame taut as she leveled her glare.
Apacci sneered. "Who are you calling careless, gorilla?"
"Who else but you, idiot monkey?" Mila Rose shot back immediately.
Sung-Sun lowered herself gracefully from her perch, moving between them and covering her face with a single hand. "Ignore these two quarreling children. I'll face you instead, Captain," she said coolly to Quilge.
The Quincy soldiers moved in quickly, surrounding the three Fracción as combat erupted in the burning desert sands.
"So Harribel's underlings reveal themselves," Quilge remarked, idly resting a finger at his lips. "Hueco Mundo's so-called 'king' fled at the first sign of defeat. If that's the caliber of your master, then you three mean nothing." His eyes narrowed with amusement. "But surrender now, swear loyalty to His Majesty, and your fates will be blessed beyond measure."
"You speck-wearing clown, don't underestimate us!" Apacci spat back.
Quilge tilted his head, smiling faintly. "Ah… then negotiations have failed. A pity."
…
Seireitei - First Division Meeting Room
"The identity of the invading forces is confirmed. They are Quincy," one voice stated firmly across the table.
"How they survived this long, and how they expanded their influence… that remains unknown," another added gravely.
"Given Vice-Captain Sasakibe's Bankai was nullified, we must conclude they prepared techniques to counter Bankai directly," Nemu Kurotsuchi read from the report she held.
"Enough with speculation," Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni said, his expression dark beneath his heavy brows. "What you are tasked with is determining where their base lies."
"My apologies, no confirmation so far," Nemu replied crisply.
It was little surprise that she, and not Captain Yuta himself, handled this report. Though Hideki Yuta held the captain's seat of the 12th Division, his reputation for inattention to duty was well known.
Few knew Captain Yuta's real name, and fewer still had seen his power firsthand. To most of the Gotei 13, the clash with Aizen remained hidden behind blinding surges of reiatsu-making it impossible for witnesses to identify who fought whom.
To the general view of Soul Society, Yuta was simply a captain who had been inactive for too long, much like Kuchiki Rukia had once been underestimated. Many even dared whisper that perhaps his strength was lacking.
Yet whenever such words reached the ears of any other captains, those who voiced them always found themselves quickly silenced-as though every captain in Seireitei carried an unspoken respect for Captain Yuta that the rest of Soul Society could not comprehend.
[T/N: sorry for the no update for the last couple of days! I passed out in the middle of the day because of overwork! Please consider joining my patreon to support me. 🥰🥰🥰]
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