Kisuke Urahara handed the jar containing Shiba Kaien's spiritual body to Rukia for safekeeping. The person he and Tsunayoshi were about to meet next was not someone Rukia could be involved with.
While Shiba Kaien was still conscious, he gathered his entire spiritual body into one part of his body. Afterward, Tsunayoshi used his Storm Flames to completely disintegrate Aaroniero's body and extract the portion of the spiritual body that belonged to Shiba Kaien.
Because Shiba Kaien had been devoured by Aaroniero for many years, his spiritual body was certainly mixed with other Reiatsu. But that was not a serious problem. Once Tsunayoshi returned, they could slowly separate it out bit by bit.
Next, Ichigo would lead the others and follow Nelliel's Fracción out of Las Noches, keeping far away from it. If Tsunayoshi and Urahara did not contact Ichigo within the agreed time, the device Urahara had given Ichigo would open a Garganta leading back to the World of the Living.
"Wait, Tsunayoshi, didn't you say there definitely wouldn't be any danger?" Ichigo tucked a triangular device into his clothes and asked uneasily.
Ichigo could also activate the triangular device on his own. It could likewise open a Garganta and take them away.
"Aizen himself probably isn't too much of a threat to us right now, but there's no telling whether the people under him might have other ideas. If there's danger, you should go back first. The manager and I won't get into trouble," Tsunayoshi explained.
The person Tsunayoshi was mainly guarding against was the former King of Hueco Mundo, the current Second Espada, Baraggan. This Arrancar was not like Ulquiorra, who was utterly loyal to Aizen. Once Aizen showed any sign of weakness, there was no guarantee Baraggan would not immediately turn against him.
Furthermore, Baraggan's ability was not easy to deal with. If they went up against him, the best choice would be for Ichigo and the others to leave Hueco Mundo.
"But isn't Big Brother Inoue still here?"
"Don't look at me. I can say a few words about daily trivial matters, but if a real coup breaks out, I can't deal with those people at the top." Sora Inoue smiled wryly.
At his core, Sora Inoue still belonged to the Adjuchas class. Against several Vasto Lorde, he had almost no chance of winning.
"Don't make things difficult for Big Brother Inoue. We'll still need to trouble him to stay in Hueco Mundo for a while, so don't make him clash with his colleagues," Tsunayoshi advised.
"Fine. You two be careful. Don't expect us to come rescue you," Ichigo said with his arms crossed.
Tsunayoshi and Urahara glanced at each other and laughed. Tsunayoshi even turned solemnly to Ashido and said, "Mr. Ashido, please put up with Ichigo's little temper."
"Tsunayoshi!"
Before Ichigo could fly into embarrassed anger, Tsunayoshi pulled Sora Inoue along and headed deeper into the palace. Ichigo shouted a couple more times, but after seeing that it had no effect, he took the others outside Las Noches to look for a safe place.
"Inoue, you can register the Eighth Espada, Szayelaporro, now. He died at the hands of Squad 12 Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi," Urahara said to Sora Inoue after taking out a communication device and glancing at it.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi's notification to Kisuke Urahara was also his way of telling Tsunayoshi that he had already returned to Soul Society. Opening a Garganta was also an easy matter for Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
"Szayelaporro? You killed him?" Joy appeared on Sora Inoue's face.
"What? You hated him too?" Tsunayoshi asked curiously.
"I couldn't help it. That guy loved to toy with other people's lives, and he dressed it up as the pursuit of perfect life. More than once, I felt him watching me."
Sora Inoue still felt lingering fear as he spoke. "Fortunately, thanks to the experience from my work while I was alive, I'm somewhat capable when it comes to handling miscellaneous affairs. He didn't really dare to act against me when I had Aizen's favor."
"Quite a few Arrancar in Las Noches suffered at Szayelaporro's hands. Unfortunately, Hollows revere strength above all else. Every time Szayelaporro caused some research accident, it could only be left unresolved. It gave me quite a headache too."
As half the steward of Las Noches, the thing Sora Inoue hated most was Arrancar who used their own strength to cause trouble. He could not scold them, because of their strength, and even if he reported them upward, Aizen would ignore it.
That forced Sora Inoue to spend a great deal of energy mediating disputes. In all of Las Noches, there was no one who would not give this good-natured man at least some face.
"Sora Inoue, are you colluding with the enemy?"
It was clearly a question, but the speaker's tone did not fluctuate in the slightest. The one who stepped out from the shadows was the Fourth Espada, Ulquiorra.
"Don't put it that way. I'm only following Lord Aizen's orders and inviting these two to meet him," Sora Inoue said with a wave of his hand.
Once he heard that it was Aizen's arrangement, Ulquiorra had no further questions. He walked past Sora Inoue and the others, though his gaze remained fixed on Tsunayoshi the entire time.
Although it had only been a hurried glance, Ulquiorra had still recognized Tsunayoshi's appearance. Back when he returned from Soul Society, he had crushed his own eyeball and, together with Starrk, reviewed and analyzed Tsunayoshi's fighting style.
In the end, the only conclusion Ulquiorra could draw was that his best option was to compete against Tsunayoshi with the speed of his Lanza del Relámpago. Even then, the more likely outcome was that Tsunayoshi would take him down.
"Are you going to save Yammy? Don't waste your effort. Lord Aizen said there's no need to pay any attention to the Arrancar who went out to attack."
As the know-it-all of Las Noches, Sora Inoue saw through Ulquiorra's intentions at a glance. As Yammy's friend, Ulquiorra had surely sensed Yammy's Reiatsu and was preparing to support him.
"Yammy has only been temporarily suppressed. His life isn't in danger. After the guests have been sent off, someone will naturally rescue him."
With Sora Inoue's assurance, Ulquiorra paused. Then he changed direction. Although he said nothing aloud, he still did not dare disobey Aizen's order.
"Let's go."
Sora Inoue continued leading the way. When they passed through a central hall, Tsunayoshi and Urahara immediately sensed three sharp gazes.
"Inoue, you aren't planning to ambush us, are you?" Kisuke Urahara's face showed no expression as he asked in a gloomy voice.
"Manager, even if you don't trust me, you should trust Lord Aizen's magnanimity." Sora Inoue raised his head and swept his gaze around the area. Two gazes came from the corridors on the second and third floors, while one was blocking their path ahead.
Tsunayoshi, however, did not feel nervous at all. While Sora Inoue was speaking, he had already identified the three parties. The two upstairs were the Second Espada, Baraggan, and the Third Espada, Harribel.
One was a scarred, powerful-looking old man. The other was a dark-skinned, blond-haired mature woman whose face was half-covered, with the lower half of her chest exposed.
As for the person blocking the path ahead, it was actually the most troublesome one: the First Espada, Starrk. Beside him was Lilynette, baring her teeth.
"Were the three of you ordered by Lord Aizen to wait here?" Sora Inoue questioned them first. As long as it was not Aizen's order, he could immediately ask them to leave.
"Las Noches has been challenged. Are we not even allowed to come and take a look?" Baraggan asked in return. Although he did not dare to rebel openly, he still found people who constantly invoked "Lord Aizen" somewhat displeasing.
Hearing Baraggan's words, Sora Inoue instead let out a sigh of relief. The fact that Baraggan said that proved they were not here to make trouble.
"In that case, I'll have to trouble the three of you to return to your own palaces first. These are Lord Aizen's honored guests. I'll take them to meet Lord Aizen first," Sora Inoue said in a negotiating tone.
"You can go, but that spiky-haired guy has to stay!"
Starrk covered his eyes with a slight headache. At such a serious moment, only Lilynette would dare jump out and speak. But Lilynette was also his other half, so he could only indulge her.
"Sorry. Lilynette has been brooding over our last fight. If possible, could you fight us again?" Starrk brushed a lock of hair covering his eyes back behind his head, revealing a serious gaze.
In truth, it was not only Lilynette. Starrk himself would also often think back to that battle. Tsunayoshi had been the first opponent to break through his infinite Cero barrage head-on.
Being defeated in his own area of expertise had ignited a little fighting spirit in Starrk, even though he was lazy and disliked battle.
"A fight? I didn't expect you to be the one to challenge me." Tsunayoshi was slightly surprised. Had he beaten Starrk into enlightenment or something? "But not right now. Let's wait until after we've met Aizen."
"I see. Then Lilynette and I will wait for you outside the palace." Starrk patted Lilynette on the shoulder as he spoke. His main concern was that Lilynette would keep pestering him.
Lilynette was reckless, not stupid. When she heard that this involved Aizen, she lost any intention of interfering. In any case, Tsunayoshi had already agreed to fight them. It was only a matter of waiting a little, and the thing she and Starrk lacked least was time.
Since Starrk did not intend to start trouble immediately, the two upstairs had even less excuse to make things difficult for Tsunayoshi. They could only watch Tsunayoshi and the others leave.
Passing through the surrounding side halls, Tsunayoshi and the others entered the central palace of Las Noches. Even without any extra decoration, the bright, spacious hall gave off an overwhelming sense of grandeur.
As expected of Aizen. No matter where he went, he would never wrong himself. Even in Hueco Mundo, a place that could only be described as desolate, he had still managed to raise such a vast palace.
Before Tsunayoshi and the others even saw Aizen, his voice drifted over leisurely.
"It has been a long time, Sawada Tsunayoshi, Kisuke Urahara."
They looked up. At the rear of the hall, atop a towering flight of steps, there was only a single white throne. Aizen sat there with one leg crossed, his head propped up with one hand. Using the advantage of the terrain, he heightened his own presence as he looked down at Tsunayoshi and Urahara.
"Yo, long time no see, Aizen." Tsunayoshi was completely unconcerned by Aizen's pressure. Like greeting a friend he had not seen in ages, he casually waved at Aizen.
A helpless smile tugged at the corner of Urahara's mouth. He lightly pressed down the brim of his hat in greeting. After fighting Aizen for over a hundred years, he could not face Aizen with a completely ordinary state of mind.
After bringing Tsunayoshi and Urahara here, Sora Inoue bowed and quietly left. Having tact was the rule that allowed him to survive in Las Noches.
"Now then, allow me to hear it. What have the two of you come to me for?" Aizen sat up straight. Since the aura he had deliberately created had proven ineffective, he no longer bothered to keep up the act and asked the question properly.
"Before we talk about that, is this your way of treating guests?" Tsunayoshi raised a hand to his brow and deliberately looked around in puzzlement. "Even Old Man Yamamoto knows to serve tea. Surely the king of Hueco Mundo doesn't have nothing at all?"
"Heh. If I dared serve tea, would you dare drink it?"
Although Aizen's tone carried a hint of disdain, his movements were not slow. A stream of Reiatsu shot from his fingertip and landed in front of Tsunayoshi and Urahara.
The palace floor rose and shifted, and two seats appeared before Tsunayoshi and Urahara. This was Aizen's way of receiving guests. As for serving tea, one could only say that Hueco Mundo had no such custom. In any case, he was the king of Hueco Mundo, so everything was decided by him.
Tsunayoshi and Urahara exchanged a glance. Both of them recognized what power that Reiatsu belonged to.
Tsunayoshi frowned and asked with a strange expression, "Wait, you're using the power of the Hōgyoku to play around like this? Then I really need to reconsider whether I should cooperate with you."
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