"No! I strongly advise you not to do that, Captain Tōsen," said Gin Ichimaru, gently shaking his head.
"What?"
"It seems you've misunderstood Captain Aizen's intentions."
A bright smile spread across Gin's face.
"With your current strength, killing a captain would be easy—but it would be completely useless to Captain Aizen's plan."
"Gin… what exactly do you mean?"
Clearly irritated by Gin's habit of speaking in riddles, Kaname Tōsen asked coldly.
"Heh heh… Captain Aizen's idea is this: he asks Captain Tōsen to lead the miscellaneous-number Arrancar to the Forest of Menos.
There, you will cooperate with the Gillian residing in the forest—as well as the numerous low-level Hollows—to continue slaughtering the Shinigami expeditionary force, creating the illusion that an invasion of Soul Society is imminent!
Then, for the sake of Soul Society's safety, the Seireitei will have no choice but to dispatch even more Shinigami to Hueco Mundo to reinforce them.
At that time—
I will lead Arrancar numbers 11 through 100 to Soul Society to tie down the remaining Gotei Thirteen, while Captain Aizen seizes the opportunity to lead the new Espada in an assault on the Royal Palace!"
Gin finished his explanation with a smile.
"I see… I understand."
Tōsen nodded, then asked, "When do we depart?"
"The sooner the better."
Gin's smile widened further.
"Additionally, your subordinates have already assembled outside. Captain Tōsen… you may depart at any time."
"Hmph."
Tōsen let out a cold snort and walked down the corridor. Just then, Gin called out again:
"Oh, by the way, Captain Tōsen, there's something else you should keep in mind."
"What is it?"
"These miscellaneous Arrancar are merely experimental products for testing the Hōgyoku's power. Their original ranks were at most Gillian-class. Even after becoming Arrancar, they possess little intelligence.
So… when you face the Shinigami expeditionary force, don't be too careless.
Well then—good luck, Captain Tōsen~"
With that, Gin turned and left.
…
Tōsen walked through the long, dim corridor and pushed open the grand doors of Las Noches.
At once, a barren desert landscape and jagged rock cliffs came into view—though to his blind eyes, it was sensed rather than seen.
Beyond that, more than a thousand humanoid Hollows of varying shapes were scattered across the wasteland outside Las Noches, awaiting his inspection.
They had evolved from low-level Hollows or Gillian-class Menos. Because of their low intelligence and limited aptitude, their Arrancarization was incomplete—Hollow traits remained clearly visible on their bodies and faces.
"Lord Tōsen!"
An Arrancar wearing half of a wolf-head mask hurried forward, grinning obsequiously.
"I am your Fracción, Masashō Ukaishi. I look forward to your guidance!!"
Ukaishi had evolved from a high-level Hollow. Because he retained a certain level of intelligence, he had been appointed as Tōsen's adjutant—his Fracción—by the General Overseer of Las Noches, Gin Ichimaru.
"As my Fracción, remember one thing first: no pointless chatter." Tōsen scanned the environment with his heightened senses and asked, "Where are we now?"
"Lord Tōsen, the magnificent structure behind you is Las Noches—the very center of what Hueco Mundo calls the 'Inner Circle.'
The Forest of Menos, which you are to lead us to, lies at the boundary between the Inner and Outer Circles. Beyond that is the barren wilderness—
A desolate land even low-level Hollows avoid, and the place where the Shinigami expeditionary force has long been stationed!"
"The Shinigami… expeditionary force?"
After a moment's thought, Tōsen issued his order:
"Form up immediately. We head to the Forest of Menos to intercept the enemy."
"Understood!"
Masashō Ukaishi responded, then pulled out a whip and rushed into the Arrancar ranks, lashing about wildly while shouting:
"Didn't you idiots hear him?! Line up! Move it!!"
Clatter, shuffle...
The miscellaneous Arrancar wailed as they scrambled in from all directions, barely forming a loose and utterly undisciplined formation under the sting of the whip.
"You lot…"
Though blind, Kaname Tōsen had gained severalfold sharper hearing and perception after becoming a Hollow. It was easy for him to realize that these so-called "Arrancar" were nothing but a pack of brainless, combat-inept trash.
"Lord Tōsen, there's no need to be so serious!"
Masashō Ukaishi leaned his half wolf-masked head closer and said, "Lord Gin already told us! We only need to stall the expeditionary force for a while. No need to take it so seriously!"
Damn it… Gin, are you treating me entirely as cannon fodder? How infuriating!"
Tōsen cursed inwardly, though his expression did not change in the slightest. Instead,he coldly commanded:
"Silence! Obey my orders. All Arrancar will proceed to the Forest of Menos immediately. We will strive to deal a heavy blow to the Shinigami expeditionary force before tomorrow's sunset!"
"Huh?!"
Masashō Ukaishi was shocked.
"Captain Tōsen! The Espada assault unit has already withdrawn. How are we supposed to severely damage the Shinigami?"
"The Espada assault unit?"
Since Tōsen had been undergoing Arrancarization in a sealed chamber ever since arriving in Hueco Mundo, he was unaware that the First, Sixth, and Seventh Divisions of the Shinigami expeditionary force had already been annihilated by the Arrancar army. Confusion flickered across his face.
"Lord Tōsen, the Shinigami expeditionary force isn't that easy to deal with! At the very least… it's not something a miscellaneous Arrancar army like ours can contend with!"
Masashō Ukaishi sighed and explained:
"The reason the Shinigami expeditionary force was crushed a few days ago was because we received help from the Espada!"
"The Espada…"
Tōsen fell silent for a long moment before speaking again.
"So… in Lord Aizen's eyes, I don't even measure up to the so-called 'Espada' anymore."
After a long pause, he continued:
"Have no fear, Ukaishi. I shall cut down all injustice before us in this new form of mine. Now then—let's move!"
…
Meanwhile, at the outermost edge of Hueco Mundo lay an endless wasteland. Savage winds swept coarse yellow sand across the dim sky, producing long, mournful howls.
"Lord Amagai, reinforcements from Soul Society have arrived in Hueco Mundo. The leader is a Ninth Division captain named 'Fūjin Taichi'!
Apparently… Yamamoto Genryūsai defeated him in just two or three moves and left him half-dead. Seems like an insignificant little figure!"
A male Shinigami with pink glasses and reddish-brown hair stepped across jagged stones and approached another man—tall, broad-shouldered, and covered in stubble—who stood behind a cliff face.
"Don't jump to conclusions before seeing for yourself, Kifune."
The man addressed as "Lord Amagai" leaned casually against the rock wall, speaking in a hoarse, subdued tone:
"If someone like Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto acknowledged him as worthy of becoming a captain, then I believe he must have something extraordinary about him."
"Hmph. Perhaps."
The Shinigami named Kifune sat down on a nearby rock, grinning viciously.
"By the way, Lord Amagai, I've confirmed it with the Kasumiōji family!
The Bakkōtō capable of sealing a Shinigami's power has been completed. So I believe it won't be long before… you can personally use it to slay Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni!"
...
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