Fiander, having restrained his reiatsu, unlocked the old anti-theft door. A courier boy stood outside, holding a box and spoke apologetically.
"I'm truly sorry, Mr. Natsume! Since you've not been home on several occasions, I just finished work tonight and noticed the light in your room was on. I came to bother you at this late hour because I feared I wouldn't get to see you tomorrow, given you're hardly here. "
Fiander glanced up at the dark night sky, realizing that his infrequent visits to this place could indeed justify the courier's late arrival.
"It's alright; I should admit that I am not home often. "
After saying this, he took the box from the courier and added, "Thank you for your effort! "
"In that case, my apologies once more. Goodbye! " The courier removed his cap, gave a slight bow, then turned and vanished around the corner of the stairs.
"Wow—" Back inside, Fiander placed the box on the table, and with a gentle tug of his finger, opened the express package to reveal a Shinigami uniform inside.
Typically, there were specific individuals in the Palace responsible for crafting garments, but what Fiander needed was more discreet, and Aizen should remain unaware.
Thus, he sought out a tailor in the human realm, requesting them to create the outfit in line with the designs he provided—a uniform meant for combat.
With a few alterations and some added spiritual particles, it could be worn seamlessly. He aimed to uncover the mysteries of these realms, and Baraggan had indicated that the answer only lay within the Soul Society.
After all, Baraggan's knowledge was limited. He needed to bide his time until Aizen eradicated Central 46, hiding away without showing himself.
The moment Kurosaki Ichigo invaded the Soul Society would be his chance to infiltrate the corridor of the Great Spirit Book. Fiander regarded the shinigami attire thoughtfully, gazing at the moon beyond the window, and murmured to himself:
"Come on! Kurosaki Ichigo! I've been anticipating your arrival for quite some time! "
Fast forward to 1990. . . Nearly 200 years had elapsed since Fiander entered the Bleach universe. In Hueco Mundo, at the Palace of the Hollow.
Espada Gathering Hall. . . After years of selection by Aizen, the interim candidates for Espada had finally been finalized.
At that moment, these formidable beings were congregating in the hall, awaiting Aizen's entrance.
"It's truly lively. It used to be so quiet here, just the three of us." Starrk, with his legs crossed, leisurely surveyed the crowd around him.
With a straw in his mouth, Fiander scanned the room and mused, these individuals are all acquaintances.
An Arrancar designated with a three-digit number is referred to as the "eliminated individual" who was cast out from the Espada. These hollows possesses Espada-level strength and previously held an Espada title. Various factors, such as defeats or Aizen utilizing Hōgyoku to create superior Espada, led to their expulsion.
"Hehe, the little leopard has arrived. Still as ferocious as ever. Why are you looking at me? Planning to eat me? "
Noticing Grimmjow's dangerous glare, Fiander couldn't resist his instinct to speak up and took the initiative to fire back.
"Tch! Is this just No. 10? How dare you show me disrespect! " After years of honing his abilities, Grimmjow had finally earned his title within the "Espada," and his current prowess was vastly superior to when he first encountered Fiander.
"I called you a mutt, and you're still yapping? Didn't you notice my brother next to me? No. 6, your arrogance is amusing. " He gestured to Stark, who had just arrived behind him, appearing rather uncomfortable.
It must be acknowledged that Fiander's gift for verbal sparring remained intact, successfully inciting Grimmjow's fury with only a few remarks.
"Humph--"
With a disdainful snort, Grimmjow turned his back on Fiander. Ultimately, he recognized that Starrk was indeed the strongest individual present.
"I haven't seen you in a while, and you're still making things difficult for people. " At that moment, Starrk approached Fiander, chuckled, and took a seat.
"It's nothing, haha, don't mind it," Fiander chuckled. His feelings towards Grimmjow weren't rooted in dislike; rather, he found Grimmjow's temperamental nature quite entertaining, prompting him to poke fun.
Within the gathering hall, Ulquiorra, sporting short black hair, a pale complexion, and green eyes, regarded Fiander with an unflinching stare.
Since his transformation into an Arrancar, he had frequently encountered Fiander's name but had yet to meet him directly.
Following Aizen's grand selection of the "Espada" decades prior, the ranks of No.1, No.2, and No.10 had been established. Consequently, subsequent Espada were generally positioned starting from No.9. It was unlikely that anyone would dispute the bottom rank. This was also part of Fiander's strategy: to maintain a low profile.
"Is this the initial Arrancar Master Aizen mentioned? Quite fascinating," Ulquiorra mused silently. An Arrancar acknowledged by Aizen elicited no additional thoughts from him.
Among the Espada present, aside from Fiander engaging in light-hearted chatter with Starrk, the remaining members sat silently with their arms crossed, not uttering a word, only radiating their presence.
They chose to disregard Fiander's raucous noise, even when he animatedly struck the table, causing it to wobble.
"It appears all the Espada have gathered, splendid. "
After a prolonged wait of ten minutes, Aizen finally made his entrance. With that, Fiander ceased speaking and obediently took his seat.
After surveying the surroundings, Aizen took a seat in the central position, flanked by Ichimaru Gin and Tousen Kaname, who stood beside him. After many years of Aizen's incursion into Hueco Mundo, he had finally assembled his own "team. "
They include:
No. 1 - Coyote Starrk,
No. 2 - Baraggan Louisenbairn,
No. 3 - Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck,
No. 4 - Ulquiorra Cifer,
No. 5 - Tiruti Sandaviki,
No. 6 - Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez,
No. 7 - Gangtenbain Moskeda (numbered later as No. 107),
No. 8 - Nnoitra Gilga,
No. 9 - SzayelAporro Granz ("The Scientist" of Hueco Mundo),
and No. 10 - Fiander Moros.