Bawabawa had already entered its cocoon state.
For the time being, Nel could no longer play with it.
In less than half a day, the little mudskipper had leapt from a low-level Hollow to the threshold of Adjuchas evolution.
Such forced acceleration—
Only Sombravida would dare attempt it.
And only a Hollow with abnormal compatibility like Bawabawa could survive it.
"It may remain dormant for quite some time," Sombravida said calmly. "We cannot delay our march."
He opened a spatial aperture.
Not a Garganta.
Not raw distortion.
But his stabilized inner domain.
His Reality Marble.
The cocoon was placed inside.
Unlike early stages of his power, Sombravida's internal space could now sustain living entities for extended periods. Spiritual particle density was adjustable. Isolation from external interference was guaranteed.
On the way, he could deposit additional Sub-level masks within the domain for Bawabawa to passively absorb during metamorphosis.
"Let's move," Sombravida said.
Nel nodded.
Harribel remained silent.
The name Barragan still carried weight in her chest.
"Tia," Sombravida spoke evenly, "this is cooperation. Not submission. We pursue our objective; he pursues his. Do not let old grudges cloud your judgment."
"…Understood."
She would endure.
Not for Barragan.
But for Apache and the others.
Without Bawabawa slowing them, their speed increased dramatically.
Sombravida allowed Nel to carry him.
He conserved reiryoku.
He contemplated law integration.
Spatial resonance.
Future confrontation scenarios.
Aizen.
Ancient Hollows.
Unknown variables.
Half a day later—
They reached Barragan's marching formation.
The skeletal monarch turned his skull slightly.
"So you truly brought her back."
"Hmph." Harribel did not lower her gaze.
Barragan observed her a moment longer, then dismissed the tension.
"If she stands under your banner, I have no interest in revisiting the past. We move toward the Central Region."
He ascended his throne-carriage, carried by subordinates.
Sombravida mounted Nel again.
"Tia. Stay close."
"…Yes, my lord."
Her thoughts were unsettled.
Sombravida had spoken on her behalf before Barragan.
A newly accepted Vasto Lorde.
Given public validation.
That was not weakness.
That was deliberate positioning.
After marching some distance—
Sombravida spoke.
"Your Majesty. The King's Flash."
Barragan's skull tilted.
"You did not learn it from her?"
Sombravida turned toward Harribel.
"You know it?"
She blinked slightly.
"…Yes."
As a natural-born Vasto Lorde, Harribel inherently understood its principle.
Gran Rey Cero.
"Teach me," Sombravida said immediately.
Barragan seemed amused.
He had no desire to instruct.
Harribel explained carefully.
"It is not merely mixing blood."
She drew a thin line across her palm.
"Hollow blood carries the densest concentration of one's core reiryoku signature."
She began forming a Cero.
"The King's Flash is a Cero amplified by royal core resonance. Blood acts as ignition — not fuel."
Sombravida's eyes sharpened.
Ignition.
Catalyst.
Not just augmentation.
"Demonstrate."
They shifted one kilometer away through spatial movement.
Barragan watched from afar.
First—
Standard Cero.
Two beams erupted.
The mountain ridge in the distance shattered.
Then—
Harribel infused blood into her next Cero.
The reiryoku pattern changed instantly.
Density increased.
Atmospheric spiritual particles began spiraling inward.
The Cero distorted slightly, expanding in diameter and destabilizing the air around it.
She released it.
The explosion dwarfed the previous blast.
The remaining mountain base was erased entirely.
Gran Rey Cero.
Sombravida observed carefully.
He cut his palm.
Formed a Cero.
Infused blood.
Immediately—
His reiryoku flow accelerated violently.
Spatial vibrations began appearing around the Cero sphere itself.
Interesting.
His catalyst response was more extreme.
He released it.
The pale-gold beam tore forward.
But unlike Harribel's distortion—
Sombravida's blast fractured space itself.
Spatial seams split open momentarily.
The impact zone collapsed inward before detonating outward.
When the dust settled—
A crater remained.
Deeper than Harribel's.
Wider.
Barragan's inner flame flickered faintly.
"This brat…"
Spatial-law compatibility amplified the Gran Rey Cero beyond standard royal resonance.
Most Gran Rey Cero distorted terrain.
Sombravida's destabilized dimensional fabric.
That was different.
Sombravida lowered his hand.
He analyzed internally.
Blood as ignition.
Reiryoku acceleration.
Catalytic surge.
But—
His spatial attribute destabilized the attack structure.
It became harder to integrate additional abilities.
Gran Rey Cero required purity.
Too many layers destabilized the ignition pattern.
For now—
He would keep it simple.
Sneak usage during injury scenarios was viable.
A wound-triggered Gran Rey Cero.
Unexpected.
Deadly.
They returned to Barragan.
"You learn quickly," the Skeleton Emperor said.
"I have not used Gran Rey Cero in many years."
Sombravida understood.
Barragan's skeletal form lacked circulating blood.
Gran Rey Cero was tied to living Hollow physiology.
Barragan relied instead on Respira.
Aging.
Decay.
His law-fragment surpassed brute amplification.
"If this expedition yields results," Sombravida said carefully, "perhaps your time authority will strengthen."
Barragan did not respond directly.
But he did not deny it.
March continued.
Sombravida's mind shifted.
Next objectives:
Elevate Nel toward Vasto Lorde.
Consolidate Central Region control.
Recruit or eliminate rogue Vasto Lordes.
In Hueco Mundo, true Vasto Lordes were rare.
Not "hundreds."
More realistically—
Scattered handfuls per region.
The majority congregated in unstable central zones where law fragments accumulated.
Outside those areas—
Most territories had at most one Vasto Lorde overlord.
They discussed distribution.
Rodfules gone.
Harribel integrated.
Eastern perimeter stable.
Remaining threats:
Central savage Vasto Lordes.
Southern Illusory Forest.
There—
A solitary existence remained.
A Hollow ostracized by his own kind.
An anomaly among Vasto Lordes.
According to Unmasked records—
He had once belonged to a group.
But his hollow hole location, his silent demeanor, and his emptiness unsettled others.
They called him a monster.
He slaughtered some.
Fled deeper into the forest.
Sealed himself in isolation.
Ulquiorra Cifer.
Not yet Arrancar.
Not yet Espada.
Still—
Pure Vasto Lorde.
Sombravida looked up at the eternal moon.
Silver light washed over the white sands.
"Ulquiorra…"
He murmured quietly.
"In the original timeline… how did Aizen bring you out?"
He knew Aizen did not rely on brute force alone.
It was ideology.
Understanding emptiness.
Understanding nihilism.
Perhaps—
Ulquiorra was not persuaded.
Perhaps he was simply shown something.
Sombravida's eyes narrowed slightly.
The Illusory Forest would not be simple.
"So," he murmured beneath the pale moonlight,
"How exactly did Aizen trick Ulquiorra out of the forest back then?"
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