At this moment, within the center of Hueco Mundo, the sky was shattered, a dark void materialized, Fiander, calmly rubbing his head, had returned from the realm of humans.
"This is remarkable; this skill belongs exclusively to the Menos Grande lineage. Until now, I hadn't figured out how to access the dark void. It's on par with spatial laws. "
"When I used to watch anime, I envied this power greatly. " Fiander was suspended in midair, eyes shut, arms extended, appearing to revel in his own daydreams.
"Master Fiander—" Just as he was lost in his reverie, a voice called from nearby.
"Cough cough—" Realizing he was not alone, Fiander quickly adopted a serious demeanor. Turning around, he spotted an Arrancar with a mask atop his head, sporting a red ponytail resembling a rooster comb, approaching him directly.
"Greetings, Lord Fiander. "
The arriving Arrancar offered a subtle bow and continued, "I am here on the orders of His Majesty Baraggan to invite you to His Majesty's palace. "
The Arrancar named Abirama Leda served under Baraggan, and Fiander had overseen his transition into an Arrancar.
Unlike other Arrancarized Menos Grande, Abirama had witnessed Fiander's might firsthand. Even in a semi-Arrancar state, he would not dare to challenge him.
Furthermore, Baraggan had instructed him to treat Fiander with respect. The old monarch was known for his arrogance, only taking Lord Aizen seriously. Anyone whom Baraggan regarded with favor was undoubtedly more complex than they appeared.
"The old man seeks me? What could he possibly want? He doesn't intend for me to oppose Lord Aizen, does he? " Fiander's lips tightened.
"I'll take my leave now." Ignoring Fiander's words, Abirama Leda quickly turned to leave.
"Tch—coward." He sneered at Leda's retreating figure, knowing Baraggan was always searching for a chance to betray Aizen, seeking revenge for being ousted from power.
With Aizen away in the Soul Society, potentially for an extended period, he wouldn't allow the old man to act recklessly; this was intriguing! Fiander narrowed his eyes and contemplated for a moment before making his way to the cave where Reinhard was located.
Fiander had always been nostalgic, which is why after all these years, his only subordinate was Reinhard. He had poured his efforts into mentoring him, sharing lessons on meditation, principles for enhancing spiritual power, and soul training secrets.
Ultimately, success or failure lay in Reinhard's own hands. After all, in the end, one must rely on oneself and not others.
Returning to the Soul Society, a year elapsed since Aizen intervened to rescue Shiba Kaien, Shuhei, and others. In this time, Aizen took Hinamori Momo and Kira Iziru under his wing, subjecting them to his manipulation. Meanwhile, Abarai was regarded as a troublemaker, leading to his assignment to the 11th team.
Now, the year is 1973.
Upon joining the 11th team, Abarai paid respects to Madaramai, requesting him to instruct him in the art of swordsmanship.
In the blink of an eye, another decade passed for the Soul Society. Aizen dispatched Kira Iziru, whom he had personally mentored, to the third team to support Ichimaru Gin in his duties.
At this moment, a significant event transpired within the Soul Society as the head of the Kuchiki clan, one of the four noble families, was defeated and perished due to natural causes following a battle with a hollow.
His grandson, Byakuya Kuchiki, took over as the head of the Kuchiki family and the captain of the sixth team.
Simultaneously, on the Hueco Mundo side, the "Espada" hierarchy was officially established. Aizen selected the most skilled among the Arrancars based on their lethal abilities, subsequently ranking them from "No. 1 to No. 10" in accordance with their prowess.
Each Espada bore their number tattooed on a specific part of their body and held authority over those ranked No. 11 and below. During this period, intense skirmishes erupted among the Arrancars, with victorious parties choosing the fate of the vanquished.
Amidst this turmoil, only two Arrancars faced no challengers from their peers. One was Baraggan, the former Hueco Mundo king; the other was Fiander Moros, who held Aizen's deep trust.
Baraggan was seen as formidable enough to deter any challenge, while Fiander, with the endorsement of another Arrancar he brought along, held the same invulnerability.
Coyote Starrk, appearing like an older man, bore a hollow hole in his chest and bone armor from chin to neck, his appearance otherwise indistinguishable from that of an ordinary human. His Reiatsu was so immense that nearby hollows would be obliterated in moments.
Most notably, Coyote Starrk was the only Arrancar who had not undergone transformation by Aizen's Hōgyoku and was the sole Arrancar to achieve complete Arrancarization, a feat even Fiander could not replicate. This demonstrated his exceptional talent and strength, surpassing the limits of his kind and achieving a breakthrough in his evolution.
At this point, within the newly established Espada gathering hall, though the top ten Arrancars had not been finalized, three members of the Espada had been essentially confirmed: Coyote Starrk, Baraggan Louisenbairn, and Fiander Moros.
"Hmm~ This is incredibly tasty! ! It's still the finest in this world! " Fiander lifted a cup of coffee, savoring the dark beverage.
"Kid, you're part of Espada like myself, I have no issue with that, but why is your rank just No.10? " Baraggan was well aware of Fiander's capabilities. Holding rank No.10 did not justify their sitting together.
"It's exhausting to fight and kill. No. 10 suits me. I plan to train my little subordinate to become No. 11. Anyone who wishes to challenge me must first defeat him." Fiander responded casually, unconcerned about Baraggan's remarks. Had Aizen not insisted on his inclusion in the Espada ranking, he wouldn't even care about holding a number.
"Doesn't matter, Fiander, you and I are kindred spirits, hahaha! " Starrk laughed heartily, throwing his head back.
"This is why we call ourselves good friends, right, Lilinette? Come and have some biscuits. " With that, Fiander pulled out a pack of biscuits he had brought from the human world and handed them to Lilinette nearby.
As Starrk's second-in-command, Lilinette's head and the left side of her face were obscured by a mask, her short light green hair contrasted by a purple flame design next to her left eye.
"Ah~ thank you! " After receiving the biscuits, Lilinette eagerly opened the package and savored them slowly.
"Wow~ this is delightful! " "I know, right? I brought back a lot of goodies from the human world. When the time comes, you and Starrk can visit my place and hang out, hehe! " Observing Fiander and Lilinette's playful banter, Starrk felt warmth fill the loneliness he had endured for countless years.
Fiander was the only Arrancar he had encountered in such a long time. Unlike Baraggan, he did not emanate a sense of tyranny and malice but shared the same yearning for tranquility.
Perhaps this is why he sought him out and uttered a simple phrase.
I want to be your friend.
With only those words, Starrk followed him to the Night Palace without hesitation. After meeting Aizen, the leader, he became increasingly content as a subordinate.
"Oh~ are you here already? " At that moment, Aizen appeared outside the hall, followed by Tousen Kaname, stepping in as if he owned the place, which he did, but well, you know.
"Master Aizen, I've mentioned that I don't wish to take part in the Espada selection; it's far too perilous! " Seeing Aizen approach, Fiander reiterated his request.
"With you as a member of the Espada, I will feel more secure, and avoiding conflicts isn't a valid reason. You need to reconsider, Fiander," Aizen, ever relaxed, spoke calmly to him.
"Since that's your stance, never mind, but I will remain at the No.10 rank and won't rise further, so don't push me."
"It's fine, it's your own desire. " Once Aizen settled into his chair, Tousen Kaname positioned himself behind Aizen, and the discussion commenced.
"The current speed of selection on Espada's side is exceedingly slow. Even the Arrancars with higher numbers lack sufficient strength. "
"I need you to go elsewhere and find some higher-level Arrancar or skilled Menos Grande to test Arrancarization with. "
"Are you saying that the hollows here aren't impressive enough to attract your attention? " The elderly Baraggan crossed his arms and regarded Aizen with evident discontent.
What Aizen had just stated effectively belittled all the Menos Grandes on his side.