A towering, solitary structure stood between heaven and earth.
Constructed entirely from massive white stone, its countless thick pillars and intricately crafted bricks supported what appeared to be an ancient capital of Hueco Mundo.
Unlike the seamless, futuristic Las Noches that Aizen would later rule, the architecture before them reflected a craftsmanship more akin to the ancient techniques of the human world.
The surrounding rocky mountains were riddled with caves of varying sizes, serving as the nesting grounds of the Adjuchas. Their bestial postures mirrored the instincts and behaviors of wild animals.
And yet, the sheer scale and design of most buildings within Las Noches suggested they were ant for beings in human form.
Among all Hollows, only Vasto Lorde and Arrancar ca closest to resembling humans.
This raised an unsettling question—
Could there have once been an ancient civilization in Hueco Mundo, ford by Vasto Lordes or Arrancars?
...
As night deepened, moonlight cascaded over Las Noches like flowing water.
Before the throne, nurous powerful nos knelt in reverence, their bodies trembling slightly. None dared to lift their heads.
Seated upon the throne was a humanoid skeleton, adorned with a resplendent golden crown. A regal black velvet robe, lined with deep purple, draped over his bony fra.
He emanated an unquestionable authority—one that demanded submission without the need for anger.
With one hand lazily supporting his chin, he gazed down at the gathered Hollows, his presence exuding absolute dominance.
His eye sockets, devoid of pupils, seed to pierce through each of his subjects with an invisible yet razor-sharp gaze.
The Adjuchas in attendance swallowed nervously.
Though their sheer size far surpassed that of a Vasto Lorde—so even ten tis larger—it was aningless.
When it ca to Reiatsu, the Vasto Lorde were the true giants.
As the undisputed ruler of Hueco Mundo, Baraggan idly tapped his skeletal fingers against the armrest of his throne.
Each rhythmic tap carried a weight that sent a silent wave of dread through those present.
Then, his deep voice rumbled like distant thunder, shaking them to their core.
"The pursuit of Harribel has lasted half a month. Has Oswell returned?"
However, before any of his subordinates could respond, a figure burst into the palace like a storm.
A rose in full bloom—yet unmistakably humanoid.
It was one of Baraggan's most trusted Adjuchas, Charlotte Chuhlhourne.
His expression was frantic, his steps hurried, as if he had just escaped catastrophe.
At the sight of his disheveled appearance, unease rippled through the gathered Hollows.
A heavy weight settled upon them.
For they knew all too well—
The wrath of Baraggan was not sothing the Adjuchas could afford to endure.
"Your Majesty Baraggan! A grave incident has occurred! Oswell-sama... he has fallen in battle! We discovered his body in the western dunes."
"Your Majesty Baraggan! A grave incident has occurred! Lord Oswell... he has fallen in battle! We discovered his body in the western dunes."
Charlotte Chuhlhourne reported breathlessly, his voice filled with grief and shock.
"Ggio, Abirama, and Findorr, who set out with us... have also vanished without a trace!"
The assembled Hollows felt their hearts clench, their faces full of disbelief. Then, with trepidation, they turned their gazes toward Baraggan, who sat high above them, and lowered their heads even further.
Missing?
Most likely, they had all perished, reduced to nothing but scattered Reishi!
Even Oswell, a Vasto Lorde-class nos, had fallen—what chance did those Adjuchas have of surviving?
The open-air palace was instantly shrouded in heavy silence.
Baraggan slowly straightened his posture, his once-lazy deanor vanishing, though he did not speak imdiately.
Everyone present knew all too well—this was only the brief calm before the storm.
As expected, in the next instant, a terrifying surge of spiritual pressure descended from the pinnacle of Hueco Mundo, crushing down upon them all.
The sheer magnitude of the oppressive force made even the strongest falter. Those with weaker Reiatsu found their minds reeling, their vision blurring as if they were about to faint under the suffocating weight of fear itself!
"Who dares commit such an atrocity!?"
Baraggan's voice thundered with barely restrained fury.
Oswell had been his right hand.
He was also well aware of Harribel's strength.
The two were nearly evenly matched—it was absurd to think that Harribel alone could have killed Oswell!
Even if that woman had abandoned her principle of not consuming her own kind, there was no way her power had grown so rapidly!
No—without a doubt, Oswell's death was the work of soone else.
"The situation remains unclear. No valuable clues were found at the scene."
Upon hearing this, Baraggan slowly rose to his feet.
It was obvious to all—his fury was burning like an unrelenting blaze.
A Vasto Lorde of Oswell's caliber—both imnsely powerful and absolutely loyal—was a rare asset in Hueco Mundo.
Losing such an exceptional subordinate was an enormous blow to a ruler.
A mantis-like Adjuchas, bearing six scythe-like arms, stepped forward and knelt on one knee, as if it had sothing to report.
Baraggan cast it a glance.
This Adjuchas had been recruited by Oswell himself during a hunt.
Among Adjuchas, its strength was second only to the Vasto Lordes—one of the strongest nos beneath that rank. Given ti, it had the potential to ascend to a Vasto Lorde.
Because of this, despite being a newcor to Las Noches, its status had already surpassed veterans like Ggio Vega, making it one of Baraggan's most trusted subordinates.
Baraggan gazed down at the Adjuchas, his expression unreadable as he spoke in a calm voice.
"Nnoitra, what do you wish to say?"
At the sound of his na, Nnoitra quickly bowed his head and answered with reverence.
"Your Majesty, I believe the one who killed Oswell was most likely Nelliel."
The mont those words fell, an eerie silence engulfed Las Noches.
All eyes turned toward Nnoitra, their expressions laced with intrigue.
Though he had not been in Las Noches for long, his disdain for won was no secret.
As two female Vasto Lordes, Harribel and Nelliel were frequent targets of his contempt.
Yet, under the weight of their gazes, Nnoitra remained unfazed.
He kept his eyes locked on Baraggan, as if seeking affirmation.
Baraggan sat back on his throne, his face impassive as he mulled over the claim.
In his mind, an image gradually surfaced—a tall, half-human, half-goat female Vasto Lorde.
Having ruled Hueco Mundo for so long, he understood well just how rare Vasto Lordes were.
In this era, including the now-deceased Oswell, the number of Vasto Lordes he knew of barely exceeded a handful.
And Nelliel was among them—stronger than even Oswell.
More importantly, Nelliel was not one for senseless combat.
Yet, she had an infuriating tendency to ddle in affairs that did not concern her, repeatedly interfering with Las Noches' capture operations.
Given that, it was indeed possible—both in motive and ability—that she had aided Harribel in eliminating Oswell.
With this thought, Baraggan furrowed his brows slightly, his stance toward Nnoitra's claim shifting toward agreent.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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