Bab 11: Resignation and Plains
The hollow glared at Aizen, his single eye burning with frustrated rage. But after a long moment of tension, he snorted and backed away slightly.
"Fine, Shinigami," he said in a tone laden with frustration. "The agreement I made with Baraggan, a Millennium ago, now applies to you. Don't interfere in my affairs, and I won't interfere in yours."
Aizen's smile widened subtly, but his eyes remained cold and calculating. "A fair agreement."
With that, Ikomikidomoe began to retreat, opening a Garganta and dissolving his immense form into the darkness. But before disappearing completely, he cast one last glance at Aizen, as if evaluating the man one final time. Then, with one last look, he crossed the portal and vanished.
________________
[At the moment]
Ashido's POV:
Kano Ashido, who had finally recovered from his injuries, was guarding the "Forest of the Menos," where Ikomikidomoe resided. Strangely, he felt indebted to the Hollow for saving his skin against the Espada's Arrancars (even though he wouldn't have needed saving in the first place if it weren't for Ikomikidomoe).
He had spent the past hours watching, restraining himself from attacking a bored Wonderweiss, who was wandering the forest, poking every Hollow he encountered and (to Ashido's dismay) poking *him*. If not for the voice in his head reminding him that Ikomikidomoe would KILL him if he harmed the dimwitted Vasto Lorde, he might have already done it.
As Ashido once again suppressed the urge to decapitate Wonderweiss, something else caught his attention. A sudden chill ran down his spine.
"What the hell is that? What kind of terrifying reiatsu is this?"
He had never felt anything like it before. Despite the unfamiliar sensation, when he traced the source of the reiatsu—one that oddly felt familiar—it suddenly appeared in the sky.
A portal resembling a Garganta opened in the dark sky of the Forest of Menos. A figure leaped out of it and landed on the ground with tremendous force. As the reiatsu from the figure dispersed, a cloud of sand rose several hundred meters into the air.
Seconds later, the dense mass of reiatsu at the center of the individual whirled, resulting in a crater far wider than the one created by the Espada's attack the day before.
"What…? This reiatsu…" Ashido was trembling. His instincts screamed at him to flee. But he was frozen in place. When the figure emerged from the shadows and dust, Ashido recognized it—
"Ikomikidomoe? H-HOW DID YOU GET THIS STRONG IN JUST A FEW HOURS?" He was shocked—no, shocked was an understatement. He was TERRIFIED.
In just a few hours, Ikomikidomoe's once raw reiatsu had become incredibly dense, overwhelmingly powerful, and utterly terrifying.
"Tch. Gonna wet yourself, Shinigami?"
The massive Hollow (now smaller? He was still massive by human standards) snorted as he walked to his usual "bed" of sand and quartz debris.
"You're going to sleep? N-NOPE! Get back here, you mountain of laziness! What did you do in the desert above, and HOW did you evolve so much? I thought you were a damn Vasto Lorde—with a capital 'V'—coming at me!"
Ikomikidomoe had the audacity to look at him as if *he* were the weird one here.
"Since when are you so friendly with Hollows, Shinigami?"
"Since some giant idiot decided to come at me and TURN EVERYTHING I BELIEVED ABOUT THEM UPSIDE DOWN! Even I think I'm weird now. Come on—I've been hunting Hollows for 250 years, thinking I was cleansing the world of them, and then ONE out of TEN shows me that NOTHING I've done mattered in the grand scheme of things. So, big guy, get your lazy butt UP AND EXPLAIN!" He punctuated his outburst with a hefty kick to the dunes near the giant.
He heard Ikomikidomoe grumble for a few moments before sighing and standing to his full height, turning to face him.
"The Shinigami have been betrayed."
…
…
…
"Wait…what?"
"You heard me. A Shinigami, Aizen Sousuke, along with two lieutenants, subdued ten extremely powerful Hollows—including Baraggan—and turned them into an army to invade the Soul Society. Ever wonder who leads the Espada? There's your answer." Ikomikidomoe, uncharacteristically talkative, dropped this entire conspiracy bomb on him.
Ashido was in shock, the weight of Ikomikidomoe's words reverberating through his mind. He knew the names of Baraggan and the other Hollows mentioned, but the idea of them being manipulated by a Shinigami—Aizen Sousuke—felt like a nightmare.
"But…why tell me this?" Ashido finally asked, incredulously. "You have no reason to trust me, Ikomikidomoe. What does this change for you? Now that you're stronger, are you going to try and destroy everything again?"
Ikomikidomoe looked at him with a blank expression, as if pondering the question himself. Then, he let out a low, cruel laugh.
"I'm no fool, Shinigami," he said, his voice rumbling like distant thunder. "But the truth is, Shinigami aren't what they used to be. You know it too. That Aizen—bastard thinks he can play god. Maybe he's our common enemy. But what are you going to do? Keep hunting Hollows like nothing's changed?"
Ashido felt frustration bubbling inside him. He knew Ikomikidomoe was speaking the truth, but he couldn't just abandon everything he'd done until now. Memories of every Hollow he'd exterminated, each one a fulfilled mission, came flooding back.
"I…can't just abandon everything," Ashido murmured. "My mission, everything I've done, everything I believe in…I can't throw it all away just because someone says the world has changed. I'm not like you."
"Of course not," Ikomikidomoe replied, a humorless smile on his face. "You're just another fool who'll die thinking you're doing the right thing. Like EVERY Shinigami."
The Hollow paused, his tone growing more serious.
"But you're not alone in this. The Soul Society is about to face a war. And it won't be easy. Your life is going to change, Shinigami. You'll have to decide: will you stay the same, or will you fight?"
Ashido looked at Ikomikidomoe, frustration mixed with a growing unease in his chest. Something big was coming. He could sense it.
"So, what do you want from me, Ikomikidomoe?" Ashido asked, his voice low but firm. "Because I'm NOT betraying my people for yours."
Ikomikidomoe didn't respond immediately. Instead, he turned away, walking toward the center of the forest.
"You'll figure it out soon enough," he said, his voice echoing. "Now, come. The game is just beginning. And if I'm forced to play, I want ALL the premium pieces in it. 'Canon' be damned."
Ashido watched the Hollow walk away. The weight of Ikomikidomoe's words lingered in his mind. Whatever the future held, he couldn't continue as he always had.
"Where are we going?"
The Hollow laughed before replying.
"Hahaha, I will search for stray dogs. You? Do whatever you want."
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[Time Skip]
[3rd Person POV]
The vast expanse of the Hueco Mundo desert felt even stranger than usual. The cracked ground and the endless sandy landscape contrasted with the sounds emanating from a specific point where a peculiar group of Adjuchas gathered. The three creatures exchanged insults as they tried to corner their quick and slippery prey, which darted between the sand dunes.
"BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR CLAWS, YOU IDIOT!" Apacci's furious voice echoed as the large deer moved its hoof forcefully, nearly hitting the lioness beside it.
"IT'S NOT MY FAULT YOU'RE SO SMALL, HORNHEAD!" Mila-Rose retorted, her tail swishing like a whip to intimidate her opponent.
Sung-Sun, the group's snake, coiled herself on a nearby rock, observing the scene with her typical bored expression. In a sharp tone, she murmured:
"What dramatic bitches..."
"SHUT UP, SUNG-SUN!" Apacci and Mila-Rose roared in unison, their voices converging in a chorus of frustration aimed at the mocking serpent.
From a distance, a female figure observed the spectacle. Tier Harribel, with her imposing yet calm presence, remained silent. She was there to assess her subordinates' progress. Despite their chaotic behavior, she knew their competitiveness was a driver of growth. A faint smile curved her lips as she analyzed the trio's movements.
"My girls are evolving... but..." Her golden eyes narrowed, and the smile faded. "...it may not be enough."
Suddenly, her mind drifted back to an event that occurred weeks ago, a meeting that left a mark on her thoughts.
[Flashback]
She was hunting with her subordinates when they were ambushed by a group of Hollows. Unlike common Adjuchas, these had an even more malevolent appearance. After a quick confrontation, Harribel defeated them with relative ease, but before being destroyed, one of them laughed derisively.
"You may be strong now, Vasto Lorde, but your time is ending. The new God-King will soon take everything. You are nothing to him."
The words, dripping with scorn, made her pause.
"God-King?" Harribel questioned, her voice laced with curiosity and disdain. "Who is he? Who dares to claim something so absurd beyond Baraggan?"
The Hollow smiled, even with his body partially destroyed. "His name is Ikomikidomoe. A giant among us. There is no longer a place for Vasto Lordes in this world. Hueco Mundo belongs to him now. He is the king who toppled even the Espada who terrorized the Vasto Lordes."
Harribel's eyes narrowed. The name was unfamiliar, but the mention of someone capable of defeating the Espada was concerning. "I will not bow to anyone, least of all an Adjuchas. Not even Baraggan broke me. Why would I kneel to him?"
The Hollow laughed, a hoarse and unsettling sound. "Not even Baraggan-sama could resist the new king. He fell like all the others. You will be next."
Before Harribel could attack again, the remaining Hollows vanished into the sands of Hueco Mundo, leaving her with troubling thoughts.
[Back to the Present]
The memory left her thoughtful. Harribel watched her subordinates, but her mind was elsewhere.
"Ikomikidomoe..." she murmured to herself. The memory of the overwhelming reiatsu she felt months ago returned to her. At the time, she thought it was just an anomaly, but now she had doubts.
'Was it him?' she wondered. If it was, Hueco Mundo could be on the brink of a drastic change, and she didn't know if that was good or bad.
As her subordinates continued their dispute, their interactions served as a reminder of the bond they had built.
Apacci finally managed to pin down the prey, a small but agile creature. She snorted, turning to the others.
"See? That's what I call efficiency!"
Mila-Rose rolled her eyes.
"Please. If you hadn't gotten in my way earlier, I would've finished this ages ago."
"You two are pathetic," Sung-Sun said, gracefully sliding closer to the group. "If it weren't for me, this hunt would have lasted all day."
Apacci growled, baring her teeth. "What did you say, you useless snake?"
"You heard me loud and clear, hornhead."
Harribel sighed, crossing her arms. Although she knew her subordinates were always in conflict, these moments of rivalry also strengthened them. "Apacci, Mila-Rose, Sung-Sun. Enough. The hunt is over. You have more to learn than just competing with each other."
The three fell silent immediately but not without exchanging irritated glances. Harribel stepped closer, her commanding presence calming the atmosphere.
"We need to prepare for what's coming. Hueco Mundo is changing, and we must be ready to protect ourselves."
Her words were serious, and the three Adjuchas noted the gravity in her expression. Sung-Sun tilted her head slightly. "Did something happen, Lady Harribel?"
"Not yet. But something is coming. And when it arrives, we will need to be more united than ever."
As the three exchanged looks, silence fell over the group. Harribel gazed at the horizon, her heart heavy with thoughts of the future and the mysterious new king who could shake the balance of Hueco Mundo.
As she watched her companions, Harribel sensed a strange presence, a strong reiatsu approaching from the coast. It didn't seem aggressive, just unconcerned with hiding itself.
While observing slowly, Harribel saw what could be mistaken for a massive mountain emerging piece by piece, which revealed itself to be a GIANT Adjuchas.
In a burst of sonido, Harribel placed herself between her companions and the intruder.
"STOP RIGHT THERE! WHO ARE YOU?!" Harribel commanded the large Adjuchas, not recognizing him. Perhaps he was a newly born Hollow?
The giant was still meters away, but Tier's warning reiatsu must have caught his attention, as he stopped and now observed them with a serious expression.
...
...
...
Time seemed to freeze as Harribel and her group watched the giant in alertness... until—
"Hmm... Tier Harribel, right?" The voice wasn't in any way a booming noise that would burst eardrums.
Yet it coursed through a person's body as if to permeate internal organs and bones, and as if resonating directly from the skull, the strange piercing sound rattled Harribel's very mind.
"W-Who are you?" she forced herself to ask, slowly readying herself to defend her companions.
"Hmm... Just an old Hollow... But you can call me Ikomikidomoe!"
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