After a fierce battle, the park where Aaron and the others stood had been completely devastated.
Sensing the disappearance of Ulquiorra's Reiatsu, Aaron understood that his opponent must have left this world through some special means.
Slowly descending from mid-air, he landed on the shattered ground and gazed into the distance.
At that moment, several familiar Reiatsu signatures were rapidly approaching.
Moments later, Urahara Kisuke and the others arrived at the ruined park, their faces filled with shock as they surveyed the aftermath of the battle.
Aaron scanned his surroundings before saying, "Urahara, take them back and tend to their injuries first."
Although Urahara and the others had lingering doubts, they followed Aaron's instructions without hesitation.
As he commanded the system to open the box, a mechanical voice echoed in Aaron's mind.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining Reiatsu x50,000!"
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining Soul Siphon!"
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining Bala!"
As an immense surge of Reiatsu flowed into Aaron's body, his figure flickered and vanished into the distance.
Hueco Mundo, Las Noches.
The dimly lit throne room gradually brightened with Ulquiorra's arrival. A pale silver glow from above bathed the entire hall, casting an eerie light upon the black stone floor, which now emitted a faint white sheen.
Aizen sat atop his throne, watching calmly as Ulquiorra stood at the center of the hall.
"Did you fail?" Aizen asked with a slight smile.
Ulquiorra bowed respectfully before replying, "Aizen-sama, Yammy was killed in battle, and I sustained serious injuries."
Grimmjow, his blue hair unkempt, scoffed and spat to the side, a look of disdain crossing his face.
The various Arrancars gathered in the hall displayed mixed reactions, yet all of them eventually turned their attention to Aizen, eager to see how he would respond to Ulquiorra's failure.
Rising from his throne, Aizen looked upward at the dome of Las Noches, his expression unreadable. A faint smile remained on his face, making it impossible to discern his thoughts.
Standing near the throne, Tōsen Kaname tilted his head slightly toward Ulquiorra, frowning momentarily before regaining his composure.
After a brief silence, Aizen finally spoke. "What is the general situation?"
Without hesitation, Ulquiorra reached up, plucked out his left eye, and bowed once more. He manipulated the surrounding spiritual particles, causing the eyeball to float toward Aizen. As it came to a halt, it emitted a faint blue glow before shattering into countless tiny fragments of reishi that dispersed in front of Aizen.
Closing his eyes briefly as if absorbing the information, Aizen soon let a knowing smile play at his lips. Slowly opening his eyes, he asked, "Ulquiorra, do you realize whom you encountered?"
Tōsen furrowed his brow slightly at Aizen's words before resuming his indifferent demeanor.
Murmurs spread among the gathered Arrancars, speculation running rampant.
After a long pause, Ulquiorra finally responded, "I do not know. Please enlighten me, Aizen-sama."
Aizen chuckled softly, as if recalling something, and conjured a deep blue gemstone—the Hōgyoku.
"That individual is our greatest threat," Aizen said. "I did not expect you to encounter him so soon."
"The loss of Yammy and your injuries are understandable."
The Arrancars were stunned by Aizen's words. They could not fathom that their enigmatic and seemingly invincible leader would acknowledge such a formidable enemy.
Aizen's gaze turned back to Ulquiorra. "I believe your current power has fallen to the level of a Gillian."
Ulquiorra remained silent, prepared to accept whatever fate Aizen deemed fit for him.
Just as some of the Arrancars anticipated a harsh punishment, Aizen descended the steps of his throne and approached Ulquiorra.
"Starrk and you are different from the others. Since you achieved your Arrancar form on your own, you have a unique opportunity before you. I hope you make the most of it."
Speaking gently, Aizen pressed the Hōgyoku into the Hollow hole at Ulquiorra's collarbone.
"Ughhh…"
A pained groan escaped Ulquiorra as he collapsed to his knees. His body erupted with a dark green radiance, undergoing a profound transformation.
Sensing the overwhelming change, Tōsen stepped forward urgently. "Aizen-sama!"
Aizen cast a calm glance at him. "Do not worry. This is both a punishment and a chance for him to be reborn."
Ulquiorra writhed in agony as the intense green light surrounding him gradually faded. With a final cracking sound, his form dissolved into a dark green mist, dissipating into the ground.
The Hōgyoku, now seemingly sentient, floated gently back into Aizen's hand.
Aizen frowned slightly as he watched Ulquiorra vanish. "Did it fail?" he murmured.
It was not surprising that Aizen questioned the outcome. This experiment was a crucial part of his research. If successful, he believed it would mark a significant breakthrough in his understanding of the Hōgyoku.
The surrounding Arrancars watched the eerie spectacle with tense expressions. To them, the deep blue gemstone was an enigma—an artifact that had given them their current forms yet possessed unfathomable power.
They had never imagined Ulquiorra would disappear entirely, unable to withstand its influence.
Just when many believed he was truly gone, an inexplicable fluctuation rippled through the throne room.
Aizen, who had initially seemed disappointed, suddenly smiled with satisfaction as he felt the shift in spiritual energy.
A deafening boom echoed through the hall as a bolt of dark green lightning struck the floor.
Thick gray smoke billowed, swirling around the room.
As the smoke dissipated, Ulquiorra emerged, his enormous black wings unfurled behind him.
"Kansha shimasu, Aizen-sama," he said, kneeling respectfully.
Aizen nodded approvingly at Ulquiorra's new form.
At that moment, a soft rustling sound echoed from the distance.
A small, white-furred puppy sauntered into the hall. Unlike ordinary dogs, it had no eyes—only two hollow sockets in their place.
One of the Arrancars standing near the entrance scowled at the sight and sneered, "Kukabura! Your master Yammy is dead. You should just die as well!"
A crimson Cero flickered in his mouth, ready to be fired at the Hollow pup.
Many Arrancars watched indifferently. To them, such weak, insignificant creatures were unworthy of sympathy.
Ulquiorra briefly glanced at the puppy, a flicker of hesitation crossing his eyes before he regained his usual stoic expression.
However, before the attack could be launched, a powerful Reiatsu suddenly erupted at the entrance of the hall.
A grotesque crunching sound followed as a young boy appeared, his mouth wide open as he devoured the Arrancar who had threatened the pup.
The surrounding Arrancars recoiled in shock, fear flashing across their faces.
The boy licked his lips in satisfaction before vanishing, reappearing in an instant beside Aizen.
Aizen, unfazed, smiled slightly. "Kukabura, you've arrived."
The boy giggled mischievously. "Aizen-sama, the big bug named Yammy is dead. I want a new pet!"
As the Arrancars processed the scene, they realized the puppy had vanished.
The boy turned, scanning the room before bursting into eerie laughter. His eyes held no pupils—only black digital markings: "1" and "0."
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