In a valley.
Harribel stood there with a grave expression, accompanied by three Hollows resembling a snake, a deer, and a lion… Sung-Sun, Apacci, and Mila Rose.
At this moment, Harribel was facing some trouble.
"Long time no see, Harribel."
Not far ahead, on a hillside, Baraggan stood with a large group of Hollows blocking Harribel and her companions' path.
Baraggan waved his hand, and his subordinates immediately brought forth his bone throne.
Baraggan leisurely sat on the bone throne, looking down at Harribel from his elevated position.
"You've come again, Baraggan. What is it this time?" Harribel asked.
Baraggan propped his chin on his hand and said, "How many times must I say it, Harribel? I don't want anyone acting recklessly under my nose. But killing you seems a bit... heartless. After all, your strength is not bad."
Baraggan had always been somewhat dissatisfied with his subordinates' strength. Aside from Vargas, none were to his liking. So, Baraggan had always hoped to subdue the other Vasto Lorde in Hueco Mundo.
"So, today I give you two choices. The first, as I've said before: submit to me," Baraggan said.
"And the other?" Harribel asked without hesitation.
"Disappear from my sight."
Seeing Harribel reject his offer without a second thought, Baraggan said with displeasure, "Though I say that, this vast Hueco Mundo is the territory of me, Baraggan, King of Hueco Mundo. My eyes and ears are everywhere, hahaha..."
At this, Baraggan couldn't help but laugh proudly.
"Hahaha..."
"Hahaha..."
Seeing Baraggan laugh, his subordinates also chimed in with laughter.
If the boss laughs, how dare the subordinates not join in?
At this moment, an Adjuchas with peak Captain-level strength, one of Baraggan's subordinates, walked up to Harribel and threatened, "Harribel, you're intelligent. You should understand you have only one path: submit to Baraggan-sama."
As he spoke, this peak Captain-level Adjuchas arrogantly patted Harribel on the shoulder.
Normally, this Adjuchas wouldn't dare be so arrogant. After all, he was just an Adjuchas, while Harribel was a Vasto Lorde.
But now, with Baraggan right there, and being Baraggan's strongest subordinate aside from Vargas, this peak Captain-class Adjuchas was getting carried away.
However, he would soon pay for his actions.
"Don't touch me casually!" Harribel said coldly.
Swish!
Harribel abruptly swung the bone blade on her right arm.
Squelch!
A deep gash appeared on the head of the peak Captain-level Adjuchas.
"Boom!"
The peak Captain-level Adjuchas cried out and fell heavily to the ground.
"Stop!" Baraggan shouted angrily.
"Daring to kill my subordinate right before my eyes... Hmph, truly a bold one. You'd better not regret this!" Baraggan threatened.
"Sung-Sun, Apacci, Mila, let's go."
Harribel ignored Baraggan and left with Sung-Sun, Apacci, and Mila Rose.
Although Harribel walked away with her back to Baraggan, her mind remained tense, prepared for Baraggan to stop them.
Baraggan watched Harribel leave, considered for a moment, but ultimately didn't move to stop her.
Although Harribel wasn't Baraggan's match, and if Baraggan really attacked, Harribel could very well die here, Baraggan hadn't yet given up on the idea of subduing her.
"Let's go," Baraggan said to his Hollow subordinates.
After Harribel and her group left, there was no point for Baraggan to stay.
Once Baraggan rose from his bone throne, two Hollows immediately stepped forward to collect it.
"Baraggan-sama, what about Pedro-sama?" One of Baraggan's subordinates asked.
Pedro was the peak Captain-level Adjuchas Harribel had just injured.
"Oh? He's not dead yet?" Baraggan asked.
"Yes, Baraggan-sama. Pedro-sama is only severely injured."
"Well, forget it. Don't bother with him. After all, he's just an Adjuchas. If he can make it back on his own, fine. If he dies here, it doesn't matter," Baraggan said indifferently.
With that, Baraggan turned and headed towards Las Noches.
…
On a distant mountain.
Aizen, Gin, and Tosen, who should have been in the Soul Society, suddenly appeared here.
"Ara ara, that's a large group of powerful Hollows!" Gin said, looking at Baraggan and his group of Hollows in the distance.
Noticing Aizen staring intently in one direction, Gin asked curiously, "What? Found something that pleases you again?"
"No, not quite," Aizen said, looking at Harribel departing in the distance.
"Alright, let's attend to our main task first. If we're out too long, the Gotei 13 might notice something amiss," Aizen said.
This time, Aizen used Kyoka Suigetsu's ability to have others impersonate himself, Gin, and Tosen. Meanwhile, the real Aizen, Gin, and Tosen came to Hueco Mundo.
"It's a rare opportunity. First, let's go greet the King of Hueco Mundo," Aizen said, looking at Baraggan heading towards Las Noches.
…
Las Noches.
After returning, Baraggan sat idly on his throne, unsure what to do.
The Hollows below the high platform knelt in neat rows, but the more Baraggan looked, the more dissatisfied he became.
"You useless lot, what good are you to me?" Baraggan asked.
The Hollows below immediately bowed their heads, not daring to speak.
"Don't you know how to answer with anything other than 'yes'?" Baraggan said, somewhat disappointed.
Just then, something unexpected happened!
Swish!
A flash of sword light, and the Hollow guarding the entrance to Las Noches was cleaved in two.
"What's happening?"
"Gagamaru's been killed!" Many Hollows exclaimed in shock.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Three figures suddenly appeared inside Las Noches.
It was Aizen, Gin, and Tosen!
"Who... who goes there?" One of Baraggan's subordinates asked nervously.
These Hollows never expected anyone would dare intrude into Las Noches!
Although some powerful Hollows in Hueco Mundo didn't recognize Baraggan as King or submit to his rule, no one had ever dared to barge into Las Noches and cause trouble.
Now that someone had intruded, the Hollows couldn't help but panic. Of course, their panic wasn't due to the intrusion itself, but fear that Baraggan would become angry and take it out on them.