At the same time, Aizen appeared near the expeditionary force's camp. He adjusted his attire slightly, his gaze sweeping across the encampment.
"Makoto-kun, allow me to confirm something for myself..."
Just then, Tōsen's voice resonated in Aizen's ears, transmitted through Bakudō #77: Tenteikūra.
"Lord Aizen, we've uncovered some unexpected intelligence..."
Aizen's footsteps halted briefly. Almost instinctively, his mind connected this to Asura Gensei.
"Baraggan has been concealing critical information. His title as 'King of Hueco Mundo' is, in a sense, only a façade. In reality, he has completely lost control over the inner depths of Hueco Mundo, having been usurped by an unknown Vasto Lorde."
"According to our verified intelligence, this entity—referred to as the 'King of the Forest of Menos'—has not only established complete dominion over the area in the past fifty years but has also assimilated all newly born Adjuchas through some unknown means."
"This explains why the forces under Baraggan's command are significantly weaker than anticipated. Las Noches never required the expeditionary force intervention for attrition; it was already under control from within."
Hearing this, Aizen furrowed his brows slightly. Contemplating the implications, he continued listening to Tōsen's report.
"Furthermore, based on previously gathered intelligence from Las Noches, the number of Adjuchas under this 'King of the Forest of Menos' is estimated to be three to five times that of Las Noches."
"In other words, the unusually high concentration of Adjuchas-class spiritual pressure detected by the Twelfth Division does not originate from Hueco Mundo's surface, but from within the Forest of Menos."
"Additionally, there is evidence that this 'King of the Forest of Menos' has previously clashed with Baraggan. Reports indicate that this Vasto Lorde is an unprecedentedly massive entity, possessing a monstrous form comparable to an entire mountain range."
"That concludes the intelligence. Lord Aizen, please issue your judgment and orders."
As Tōsen's voice faded, Aizen remained still, lowering his gaze in thought for several moments.
A colossal Vasto Lorde?
With an Adjuchas army surpassing Las Noches in sheer numbers?
The implications were clear—this 'King of the Forest of Menos' might be an even greater threat than Baraggan.
---
Meanwhile, within the expeditionary force's camp, Makoto, Nanao, and the newly awakened Chōjirō were engaged in a strategic meeting while maintaining communication with the captains in the Seireitei.
With the intelligence gathered by Chojiro and Nanao upon their return from the Forest of Menos, both the expeditionary force and the Seireitei now understood the gravity of the situation.
Hueco Mundo had gained another King.
Unlike Baraggan, who ruled with an indifferent, almost negligent grasp over Hueco Mundo, this new King had established an unsettling form of order within the Forest of Menos over the past fifty years—gathering an overwhelming number of Adjuchas-class Hollows.
"Given the Adjuchas' instinctive need to devour their kin to evolve, how has such an enormous population been sustained?"
The captains were perplexed by this anomaly, but more pressing than the mystery was the immediate crisis at hand.
Setting aside the sheer mass of Adjuchas, whose numbers already threatened the balance of souls, the Central 46 would never tolerate the emergence of such a powerful, structured Hollow force.
A Hollow army of this scale posed an existential threat to the Soul Society. If left unchecked, the swarm of Adjuchas could engulf and destroy the entire realm.
While the expeditionary force had the strength to gradually eliminate scattered Hollows, it was ill-equipped to counter an organized Hollow army.
No captain could withstand an unending barrage of Cero from countless Adjuchas.
Yet, deploying a large number of Captain-class Shinigami from the Seireitei to reinforce the expeditionary force carried its own risk. If the King of the Forest of Menos opened a Garganta and launched a direct assault on the Soul Society, the expedition might not be able to respond in time.
Some captains even voiced suspicion—given the sheer scale of the Hollow forces and the unknown nature of this new King, was it possible that Chōjirō and Nanao had been deliberately allowed to escape as part of a calculated plan? A lure to draw captains away from the Seireitei?
For a moment, Makoto, Nanao, and Chōjirō found themselves sidelined as the captains, gathered within the First Division's barracks, engaged in heated debate.
Among them, Unohana remained characteristically composed, her serene and gentle smile unwavering. She refrained from participating in the discussion, instead observing the latest communications on the Technological Development Bureau's display.
Yet, her gaze flickered subtly when she noticed something unusual.
Makoto hasn't looked at me even once...
Instead, Unohana noticed that Makoto's attention drifted toward Nanao from time to time—an unintentional, yet unmistakably familiar, gesture of familiarity.
"Strange."
A faint doubt surfaced in Unohana's mind. This behavior was inconsistent with Makoto's typically meticulous nature.
As someone highly attuned to details, Unohana was well aware of a peculiar habit Makoto exhibited. Whenever she was near him, his gaze would inevitably linger on her from time to time—a subconscious pattern, likely unnoticed even by Makoto himself.
Yet now, in the communication feed, she could not detect even the slightest trace of that instinctive habit.
"Could it be due to the angle of the transmission screen?"
Just then, another figure appeared on the screen—Aizen Sōsuke.
"Oh? It seems the intelligence I brought is slightly outdated already."
Aizen effortlessly assumed the dominant position within the expeditionary force's command tent, offering a graceful bow toward the captains in the Seireitei before turning his gaze toward Makoto, Nanao, and Chojiro.
At that moment, deep within Shinro Bansho's consciousness, a sharp tension arose. His mind reflexively replayed every instruction given by Makoto regarding how to handle an encounter with Aizen.
Makoto had anticipated this from the start. The moment he had Shinro Bansho take his place in the expedition camp, he had known Aizen would eventually come to verify things in person.
Thus, before Shinro Bansho even faced Aizen, Makoto had already put her through extensive preparation.
TL/N - Just a whim, xd.