Las Noches—the only place in this endless wasteland that didn't look entirely like a wasteland. This was the domain of Barragan Luisenbarn, the one and only Emperor of Hueco Mundo.
Barragan, the King of Hueco Mundo, sat upon a throne crafted from bleached bones. His skeletal face was hidden beneath a crown, and his black robe draped over his frame like a shroud of death itself. Like a true god of death, he sat silently, hollow eyes fixed on the arena below, where two Adjuchas-class Hollows fought fiercely. Even as the king of Hueco Mundo, his daily amusements remained as dull as ever. Life here was… unbearably monotonous.
"Whoosh!"
"Boom!"
A deafening Cero ripped through the air, and the tiger-shaped Adjuchas crushed its gorilla-shaped opponent with overwhelming force.
"ROAR!!"
As if to declare its supremacy, the tiger Hollow let out a thunderous roar, proclaiming its victory to the other Hollows gathered in Las Noches.
"Slash!"
But before its triumph was complete, a smaller, humanoid Hollow appeared beside it—tiny compared to the massive tiger Adjuchas. In a single strike, the humanoid Hollow tore the tiger to pieces. Then, without hesitation, the humanoid Hollow dropped to one knee before Barragan.
"Your Majesty Barragan, that insolent Vasto Lorde who refuses your summons is becoming more brazen by the day! She's traveling with some Shinigami no one's ever heard of, causing chaos everywhere. Countless powerful Adjuchas have been slaughtered by the two of them—turned into nothing more than playthings! I believe this is an act of contempt against you, the King of Hueco Mundo! Please, grant me the order to eliminate them both immediately! "
The kneeling Hollow spoke fervently, head bowed in loyalty.
"…"
Barragan remained silent, staring at the Hollow with lifeless eyes.
"Y-Your Majesty Barragan? "
The Vasto Lorde Hollow felt a pang of fear crawl up its spine, its voice trembling as it spoke again.
"Do you really think you can kill her? Against that endless barrage of Ceros… against that absolute spiritual pressure? And now she has a Shinigami ally, doesn't she? So, what are you saying? That I, the King of Hueco Mundo, should personally deal with her? "
Barragan's hollow voice oozed disdain as he finally spoke.
"I… I…"
Cold sweat beaded on the Hollow's forehead, its body shaking uncontrollably under Barragan's crushing presence.
"Hmph."
Barragan snorted dismissively. He knew this fool well. Once, this Hollow had flaunted its status under Barragan's name, arrogantly presenting itself before Lilynette… only to be humiliated. She had beaten him down like a stray dog. His pride shattered. The only reason he still lived was because Lilynette, perhaps out of courtesy to Barragan, had spared his life—an exception in Hueco Mundo, where weakness meant death. And yet, instead of gratitude, the idiot bore a grudge. Pathetic. Were it not for his rare Vasto Lorde status and his unwavering loyalty, Barragan would have killed this imbecile himself long ago.
"Szayelaporro."
Barragan's hollow voice broke the silence, calling out another name.
"At your service."
From the gathered crowd, a humanoid Hollow with flowing pink hair stepped forward. His spiritual pressure alone sent waves of dread through the room—so oppressive it almost rivaled Barragan's own.
"Deliver a message to Lilynette—and that no-name Shinigami brat she's playing with. They are not to appear within a thousand miles of Las Noches. If they want to play, they can do it elsewhere. And make sure she understands… this is my command."
Barragan Luisenbarn spoke with absolute authority, his tone brooking no dissent.
"As you command, Your Majesty."
Szayelaporro bowed with impeccable grace, sparing not even a glance at the trembling Vasto Lorde beside him, before turning and leaving without a word.
"Damn…"
The ignored Hollow seethed with rage but dared not move. Among Vasto Lordes, the gap in power could be as vast as the one between an ordinary Hollow and an Adjuchas.
"If there is nothing else, then all of you may leave. I grow weary."
With a dismissive wave of his hand, Barragan dismissed his subordinates, his voice heavy with boredom.
"Yes, Your Majesty! "
The Vasto Lorde bowed low, retreating with utmost respect.
Meanwhile…
"Lower your center of gravity—yes, just like that! "
"Perfect!"
Yūshirō Shihōin cheered loudly as Lilynette rolled a massive Adjuchas, as large as an elephant, into a ball and sent it crashing into ten Gillians, wiping them out in a single strike.
"Whew…"
"That wasn't so hard, Teacher Yūshirō."
Lilynette wiped the fine sweat from her brow, her lips curling into a small smile.
"You're a natural, Lilynette! " Yūshirō grinned. "Honestly, if you keep this up, you'll surpass me in no time! "
He nodded to himself, already scheming about the next challenge. Maybe… twenty Gillians at once?
"Really?"
"It's all thanks to Teacher Yūshirō! "
Lilynette wasn't sure what she was actually learning—or how it would help her in the future—but she nodded politely, offering praise anyway.
"Oh, come on, it's all your hard work too! "
Yūshirō chuckled warmly.
"By the way, are you hungry? I've got food."
He pulled out the device Wang Yue had given him—a machine that could generate meals from reishi.
"What do you want to eat? "
"Eat? I don't need food."
Lilynette shook her head lightly. As a Vasto Lorde, she didn't need to eat. She could sustain herself endlessly by absorbing reishi from the air—or from the remnants of Hollows crushed under her spiritual pressure.
"That won't do! Just reishi? That's not nutritious at all."
"Hmm… how about hotpot? It's been forever since I had hotpot."
Yūshirō's eyes lit up as he flipped through Wang Yue's instructions, operating the device with practiced hands.
In an instant, fresh plates of beef appeared inside the machine, along with Yūshirō's beloved spicy hotpot base.
"Beef, lamb, broth base, condiments… even water. Everything's here. Now all we're missing is… a pot."
Yūshirō froze, staring at the ingredients with a dumbfounded look. In his haste to leave Soul Society, he had forgotten to bring an actual pot.