Chapter 31

Questions existed only because of curiosity, the one emotion that drives the notion of both change and progress, and allows one to seek what one doesn't possess and understand.

An anomaly driven by cause and effect.

A means to link a sole thought with another, one piece to a wider puzzle.

If there was a Heaven, then there was a Hell.

If there was light, then there was dark.

A link always existed to explain something inexplicable.

It was a foundation of the world, a natural order of things.

Sinners would be brought into the levels of Hell and chained by the weight of their own evil, cursed to a life of eternal damnation; a never-ending torment that even the most hardened of criminals would find unbearable, their bones reduced to paste, their bodies burned to ashes by a searing heat.

Thus, was the fate of those who would do to others what they would not do to themselves.

And on the other side of the spectrum existed the majority of individuals, the good and the neutral. Those that would eventually ascend to Heaven and return to the cycle of the world.

The both of them created a state of balance.

Hell was related to the souls of the damned, and Heaven was the jurisdiction of the Soul Society and the Seireitei.

As for Hueco Mundo, it was hard to say.

It was something that shouldn't have had existed as it served no purpose. It simply an earthen space of sand and a kingdom of rubble left forgotten even by he who had created it.

Eyes devoid of feelings stirred for the first time in millennia; pitch black orbs strained into a narrow oval shape glowing with a dull light from behind closed eye-lids. It wasn't that no feelings existed, but the concept of such trivialities had far exceeded their use from the moment one was able to see past emotion and at the flow of time itself. In a way, it was kind of similar to evolution, parts that were no longer necessary discarded for a greater picture and eventually whittled away into a void of meaninglessness.

Such was the result of an existence whose purpose alone was to maintain the balance.

Neither possessing ambition, nor hate.

Simply an idleness born from reservation.

So, its begun.

An absent thought, one spoken more in passing than something one would think about, yet it was enough to indicate the return of his self awareness. The lynchpin that holds the very world together, and he who resides at the center of the Palace of the King, the Soul King.

The fluttering of his eyes ceased, the storm within him calming once more and returning to a state of tranquility despite knowing what was bound to occur.

The anomaly of the world was once again awakening.

The arms he no longer had and the power he had once wielded flittered through his mind; a reoccurrence of a simple memory.

A tremble appeared over his face, miniscule and too subtle for even the most loyal of the Royal Guards guarding his chamber to notice. Then again, it didn't matter. The burden on his shoulders was not one that was meant to be shared, rather it was his to bear alone as the Soul King.

A duty that he must fulfill without question.

Recalling the images found within his memory, a part of him wished to grimace. In the time of his youth, he had done a great many things while still fundamentally supporting the world with his existence. Watching over the beginnings of the Soul Society, establishing the world order and the flow of souls, all were things under his jurisdiction and supervision, and yet he had taken it for granted.

Back then, the world order was rather simple. A soul died and based on the actions of the individual in its life, the Soul would either go to Hell or be transported to what would eventually become the Soul Society. No middle ground existed and when Hollows eventually formed from spirits with past attachments on the earth, they would roam freely and devour the humans inhabiting the lands. It was the reason why humans were able to develop strong spiritual awareness and power to combat them.

This too was a result of his influence to help maintain the balance.

Regardless, some hollows were just too strong and these hollows would eventually be dealt with either by his Royal Guard or the then newly formed Shinigami to prevent the deaths of too many human souls. It was an easy affair, for hollows were limited to hiding in the world of the Humans from whence they came.

Yet it was the sudden appearance of what would eventually be called Hueco Mundo that changed everything.

It was a world unlike anything the Soul King had ever seen in his youth, and it had appeared just as suddenly. A world of its own that inherently switched the Self and the World while keeping the Soul King's set boundary at the same standard. As such, it was integrated with the natural order of things as if it had always been there.

The world Hueco Mundo formed radiated with an innate aura of solitude and desolation, a muffled feeling of emptiness derived from a bitter sentiment of loss permeating endlessly.

To the Soul King's surprise, he could not understand a single thing about Hueco Mundo. His very existence which was tied into the fabrics of reality unable to link itself with the rules and standards that comprised it. Perturbed as he had been on the matter then, it didn't matter as much as the fact that like moths to a flame, the Hollows formed from the Human World were drawn to it.

Practically all Hollows that had once inhabited the earth vanished in a single moment as they migrated towards a single destination and inadvertently escaped annihilation; the world they now lived in allowing them to visit and torment the Human world at a whim.

No one knew Hueco Mundo's history and only the Soul King could barely understand it after a millennium of interaction, but that wasn't the point.

The Hueco Mundo of back then, was far different from the Hueco Mundo of the present.

He fell into contemplation, the minute knitting of his brows revealing the depths of his thoughts, but in the end, he slowly relaxed, resolving himself to his role even as the darkness he had been supressing within him steadily began crawling up over his skin.

A foul tainted black.

The result of a mistake he could never reverse after exposure.

One that left him no choice but to limit his powers and even contain himself within an unusual barrier.

But he would worry no longer,

Because the Hero he had foreseen was finally prompted into action.

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Aizen stood there for a long time, his gaze not leaving the woman who stood in front of him for it could be said that this woman knew him the most. Alternatively, he knew her the most as his most trusted partner.

An existence closest to that which he found to be the most ideal.

Her expression hadn't even shifted by a fraction despite how rude it was that he had still yet to return her greetings. It was a sign of her patience that was perhaps equal to or more than his own, the calm light in her eyes enough to remind him of the validity of his own conjecture.

"Kyoka Suigetsu," he whispered out her name, watching as a bemused smile spread across the captivating woman's face, soft dimples forming on her cheeks.

"Honoured wielder," she greeted back with a bow, her hands resting on her lap and holding the hem of her dress in the process.

Aizen didn't know what to think at this point. To begin with, he wanted to understand the capabilities of the individual he would be co-operating with aside from what he already knew. What he got as a result was something beyond his expectations.

Kyoka Suigetsu was not only his blade, but his Zanpakuto spirit.

If he could list anyone who could possibly outwit him in terms of intelligence, there could only be two. Kisuke Urahara, and Kyoka Suigetsu, a representation of his inner self. As such, with Kyoka Suigetsu able to take material form, a feat normally impossible, it was like having two minds working towards the same conclusion.

No words were necessary to explain the benefits of such a thing, and this alone was enough to prove that his actions of allying with Shirou weren't wasted. It would be far worse if they were opposed and a portion of his plans were inadvertently revealed by Kyoka Suigetsu. He was exceedingly pleased as a result, enough so that it almost became unbearable to maintain his indifference, but in the end, he was a man of excellent self-control.

"This is most unexpected," he said, turning to Shirou who only nodded back.

"She should be able to stay for as long as she wishes to, granted I continue providing her with ample spiritual energy," Shirou said while feeling quite odd about the situation.

Even he didn't expect this result, as it was something that just spontaneously happened. To be honest, he had actually intended on tracing a fairly impressive sword to try and imply to Aizen about the versatility of his abilities. However, a part of him felt a sudden instinct that had caused Kyoka Suigetsu's manifestation.

It wasn't that he had actively tried to will her into the world, it was just that she had somehow been able to do so naturally for one reason or another almost as if there was a connection of sorts that he was missing. Something about his soul and Hueco Mundo.

Then again, he had been feeling slightly off about himself ever since the rescue in the Soul Society, like a part of him that he was unfamiliar with was awakening. Regardless, now wasn't the time to ponder on the issue.

He took a breath, his eyes meeting with Aizen's and attempting to read the man's thoughts to no avail.

Kyoka simply looked between the two men before simply standing up to ready the tea she knew Aizen was keeping stored somewhere in his belongings. As such, it wasn't long before the gentle clatter of glass plates being set echoed out into the surroundings.

Aizen gave a nod of acknowledgment while Shirou gave a quiet thanks as Kyouka poured both him and Aizen drinks.

Taking the offered cup into his hands, Aizen took a moment to sample the tea before moving on to business; the distinct clang of glass touching glass echoing out as he leisurely placed his drink down.

"As we are now working together, it's imperative that we increase our strength to deal with the hurdles ahead of us," Aizen said forwardly, being the first to talk in a while as his hands clasped together in front of him. "The people we will eventually face have strength greater than or equal to our own current levels and they are more than just one individual."

Shirou raised a brow.

"And what are you proposing?" He asked.

Aizen stared at him for a long moment before simply taking out the Hogyoku from a storage he kept on his person. It was a glimmering jewel, one that contained unimaginable power concentrated into a small sphere.

Aizen leisurely placed it on the surface in front of him.

"I've told you of the Hogyoku's power already. It's necessary for you and the other hollows to be able to improve their strength, and although I know you're not inclined to use it, are you confident that you would be strong enough against an entity like the Soul King while protecting everyone around you?"

Shirou stiffened minutely, the clenching of his fists enough to indicate his hesitance to answer with surety. Honestly speaking, Aizen's point was valid and wasn't something that he had the luxury of ignoring. Still, there were other means to gain strength, he just had to find them.

Yet even before he could rebuke Aizen's words, the man spoke once again and forced him to fall silent with a single fact alone.

"He with the ability to stand at the top of the world, even with your current level of strength, I fear that you would still not be his match. Not the way you are now."

Aizen picked up the Hogyoku, resting it on his open palm as he activated its power, tendrils of flowing spiritual energy extending out like billowing reeds.

"It will only take a moment," he said persistently, a part of him sensing a strange polarity with the Hogyoku and Shirou. "For the sake of those who follow you."

Silence, and then finally Shirou moved.

That which grants one's deepest desires, and a hollow who seemingly had nothing to gain or hope for.

Images flashed across his mind, blurred faces and muted voices causing the emptiness he felt inside to grow ever wider. This was no longer about just protecting those who followed him. From the Hogyoku, he could sense something. A desire that had shaped his very existence.

A hero that had lost his way,

And a world that was a reflection of his stagnation.

He had to know. He had to understand.

A desolate land whose hill and past glory was no longer recognizable.

Like embers needed to start a flame, an arm tentatively reached forward; a desire born from a child who had once made a promise subconsciously beckoning it forth.

To reach for the goal that was once strived for,

The hand met the orb, the very world consumed by a radiant blue light of dawn.

The recommencement of an eternal path of no tomorrow.

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The sound of laboured breathing echoed into the air, hoarse and exceedingly strained in the valley separated by a cliff on either side covered with sand.

Shadows from the moon above stretched down into the open crevice, looming dark masses that obscured all light; creating a wall of black that only reflected the pale-yellow eyes of those watching from the distance, but not daring to approach any further.

This wasn't part of the Lands of the Vasto of White, rather it was several miles away at a location where wandering hollows frequented. The majority of them were of the Adjuchas-class, freshly evolved from the entrance leading into the Menos Forest from an open cavity at the base of the nearest cliff.

All of them were watching attentively, some sharpening their claws, and others leering, their teeth jittering together in a cacophony of eerie wails and clicking noises.

In the area outside the Lands of the Vasto of White, all Hollows understood one main point.

One had to fight to survive.

There was no free source of spiritual energy to allow them to constantly feed and further their evolution. Instead, it was eat or be eaten. Only the strongest would be able to evolve and stand at the top, and yet this saying was only rarely feasible. It was more efficient to say that only the most treacherous could stand at the top.

Those that had both patience and prudence, and those that knew when an opportunity presented itself before them to act.

A battle between two powerful hollows may be dangerous to get involved in but waiting until either side was tired out was another matter entirely.

The current battle before them was one that was exceedingly tempting. Just from looking at the combatants, one could mistake them both for Vasto Lordes, but that title only belonged to one of the two. And yet the other was subconsciously outputting a spiritual aura no weaker than a Vasto Lordes.

It was tempting indeed. More so when almost all of the waiting hollows noted how weak the other hollow appeared, constantly getting battered away and driven directly into the ground.

To be this weak and possess such potent spiritual energy, if not for the Vasto Lorde currently fighting, an untold number of Adjuchas-level hollows would have had tried their luck.

In fact, some were still far from dissuaded, more so for those that reached a bottleneck in their evolution and needed a substantial amount of energy to accommodate. Those kinds of hollows would never let this type of opportunity go.

Yet life in Heuce Mundo was never easy, for once again none dared approach when they felt a piercing gaze land on them.

The gaze of an entity that surpassed their current level and could kill them on a whim.

Thus, was the power of the pinnacle existence amongst hollows.

Sovereigns amidst the masses of the weak.

A Vasto Lorde.

And yet, no hollow watching retreated, because they were all of the less savory sort, the thought of somehow earning big unable to leave their minds.

They would continue patiently waiting.

For in the end, to the victor would go the spoils, and in this case, the victor was already clear amongst the two fighting.

"Get up."

The words were prompt and curt. Devoid of any feelings and reflecting the calmness of the hazel eyes that silently urged him on with a gentle bemusement he never thought possible in the deceitful gaze of a hollow.

Ichigo groaned, his fingers clasping at the sand from his position sprawled on the ground, his knees beneath him in a forward position as he tossed a weary glance at the Hollows eying him intently from all around.

He knew their intentions as they watched him; he could even feel their murderous intent and that only made his growing vigilance sky-rocket.

More than once, he had wanted to warn them off, but each time Nel would not allow it by intercepting him the moment he chose to do so.

"They are waiting for a chance," Nel's voice entered his ears as he staggered up to his feet. "They can see it, that you are weak."

He swallowed, forcing down the indignation he felt from Nel's words simply because they were true.

Zangetsu was left to the side, the butcher-like blade stabbed into the ground as the white cloth tied at its pommel drifted in a steady wind. He could almost imagine himself grasping its hilt and using the sword to show the hollows eyeing him just how strong he could be.

Then again, from the darkening of Nel's eyes when she noticed him stare at Zangetsu, it was more likely that she would beat him into the ground far harder than she was already. And his body was in enough pain as it was.

He grimaced, the action not missed by Nel who involuntarily smirked before uncrossing her arms.

Like himself, she was fighting bare-handed, her weapon placed on the side and in the clutches of Lilynette who was observing with his mother in the distance.

"The strength of a Hollow does not need to rely on a weapon," Nel said, expression composed while she walked forward. "From the very moment one becomes a Hollow, their physical bodies and capabilities are all they need to survive even against Shinigami. To even think of using a weapon at this point would ruin the point of this training."

Inwardly she was scowling, the sting of her hands making her feel uncomfortable. If not for herself setting an example, she would have had much preferred dealing with Ichigo using her lance rather than her hands to block. Although his attacks were generally weak and something she could absently deal with, she was reluctant to admit that the force behind them actually hurt even through her toughened skin.

"Again," she said, her attention focused on the way Ichigo was naturally beginning to draw upon the large reserves of spiritual energy he had at his disposal.

Ichigo's potential was honestly shocking, and perhaps more than that was the rate of his progress. From a hollow that didn't even know how to use its own innate power, to a hollow capable of now producing enough force in its attacks that she had to restrict her expression just to not give anything away. Quite frankly, she was speechless but impressed at the same time.

The fact that the fear of being attacked from behind was instilling a sense of panic within him was all the better to force out that potential.

She glanced up at him once more, watching as his muscles tensed and joints loosened, power gathering into his palms.

Good.

This was how it should be.

He sprang forward on his feet just as she had expected, appearing before her almost in an instant.

His toes planted onto the ground, carrying the entirety of his weight as he twisted his body to generate more force in the punch he shot out with.

She snorted before back handing the attack, her knuckles grazing against Ichigo's arm and redirected its angle.

Wisps of Ichigo's red-tinted black spiritual energy calmly passed by her face, the shockwave of wind produced creating a hail storm of sand that fell overhead.

"Not good eno-"

Even as the words escaped her mouth, she felt a trail of liquid slowly trickle down from her cheek. Her brows furrowed together, she didn't need to see it to understand that a thin cut had formed on her face, her blood drawn.

A silence descended before she snorted at the pose Ichigo was making while waiting for her supposed counter strike; his eyes were already closed, and both of his arms covered his face as his body hunched to reduce his tall stature.

He blinked at her, feeling embarrassed when Nel then laughed.

"What?" He said heatedly, feeling flustered. "Did you expect me to just present my face to you? Well it's not happening."

Ichigo crossed his arms, his gaze shifting away from Nel even as she spoke.

"I believe you already understand what it was that I was trying to teach you at this point, well done," Nel said, Ichigo furrowing his brows at her praise.

For the longest time, he had considered all hollows to be the sort that preyed on humans like the ones he had faced in the Human World, cold blooded killers that only cared for their next meal.

Yet ever since coming to Hueco Mundo, this mind-set was gradually shifting. Almost all the Hollows he had met in the Lands of the Vasto of White appeared to be no different from Humans or Shinigami. They were nothing close to the image he had had in his mind.

More so when he noticed Nel give a frigid glare at the hollows still waiting for an opportunity, warning them to back of off on his behalf.

As expected, they reluctantly began to retreat. It was one thing if Nel was fighting Ichigo, it was another if Nel was protecting him. The hollows that had been waiting knew that there would be no chance to act any longer, for infuriating a Vasto Lorde in Hueco Mundo was the fastest way to a premature death.

Within moments, the area cleared, leaving only Ichigo and Nel.

"Thanks," Ichgio said quietly.

Nel only nodded back as the two lapsed into a silence.

Staring at Nel, Ichigo was quite grateful to her for taking the time to help him train. Yet at the same time he grew curious. He could understand from Nel's personality that she was an honest and upright individual even if she was a hollow. In that case, what did it mean for her to follow the Hollow known as the Vasto of White. The very Hollow that had lead an attack against the Soul Society?

His lips thinned into a frown, until the point where he couldn't help but voice the question.

"What kind of hollow is the Vasto of White?" He asked.

Unlike Lilynette who he knew would reply in simple terms, he was certain that he could get an actual explanation from Nel.

"The Vasto of White?" Nel's expression softened as she glanced up at the moon. "If I were to describe him, it would be a noble individual. Someone with a courage and strength greater than any other."

He mulled over her words but chose not to speak to allow her to continue.

"You may not know this Ichigo, but the reason the Lands of the Vasto of White were created in the first place was because the hollows who live in it were all protected by the Vasto of White. He had no obligation to protect them, no reason at all other than the fact that he wanted to. And that is why the hollows that he had protected call him King. For no other Hollow would do something like that for another Hollow let alone several thousand of them," Nel paused in her words, a seriousness in her expression. "He is a respectable and selfless Hollow, and the only one deserving of my loyalty."

Nel nodded her head in resolution before turning her gaze on Ichigo whose mouth was already open to speak.

"If the Vasto of White is as you've described him to be, then why would he attack the Soul Society?" Ichigo questioned.

It was the one thing that didn't make sense to him. Nel called the Vasto of White a noble, respectable, and selfless individual, but then why would he lead the hollows he had sheltered to attack the Soul Society if it meant harm to them?

Nel pursed her lips, her eyes staring at Ichigo in peculiarity as if she couldn't understand how he didn't know the reason.

"You were there weren't you?" She questioned.

Ichigo nodded his head as he was indeed there when the attack on the Soul Society occurred.

"Then shouldn't you already know?"

"I didn't actively participate," he replied truthfully.

Nel sighed before simply pointing with her finger towards Silent and Lilynette still watching in the distance. The two wouldn't approach until Nel beckoned them over to signal the end of the training.

Staring at the direction indicated, Ichigo fell quiet.

"It was all to save her," Nel said simply. "For the sake of one, he had even attempted to go alone. It wasn't the Vasto of White that lead the hollows to a war, but the hollows themselves who chose to do so."

Ichigo's mouth opened in disbelief, the lines forming on his brow growing numerous as his forehead creased. However, he could understand that Nel wasn't lying, and it was because of this that he was left at even more of a loss.

It was a piece of information that was hard for him to swallow.

The Vasto of White was not the type of individual he thought him to be, rather, it was more appropriate for him to thank the man instead for his efforts.

Still, that wasn't something he currently had the courage to do. Even with Nel's words, he decided that he would have to judge the Vasto of White for himself.

He stood up, his body stinging from the numerous times he was forced to eat sand through Nel's training. He was honestly just glad that it was over, but Ichigo got a sinking feeling when Nel grasped at his arm. To Nel, he was a hollow on good terms with Lilynette and was thus subsequently placed in a part of Nel's mind that labeled him as ally.

And an ally with the aptitude to reach even her level was one that she wouldn't allow to slack like Pesche and Dondochakka.

"Hold on," she said slowly. "Did you really think that we were done?"

The expression on her face could be described as beautiful; the gentle upturning of her lips, and the smug way her eyes narrowed on his, able to force any man into a fluster.

Yet in Ichigo's eyes, Nel's appearance was nothing more than a Devil.

The burst of blue spiritual light that then engulfed all of Hueco Mundo in the next moment an adequate reflection of his inner turmoil.

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When Soifon had first been assigned by the Seireitei to investigate Aizen's matters in Heuco Mundo she had believed that the assignment would have had been exceedingly difficult, not tedious. Rather than finding Aizen or the Vasto of White, she and her small unit were lost within the deserts of Hueco Mundo. Granted, Hueco Mundo was a place that the Seireitei had never really explored with adequate results to begin with.

It was imperative that she discover Aizen's location due to the state of the matter Yoruichi had explained on Kisuke Urahara's behalf. Aizen's goal was one that the Seireitei absolutely couldn't allow to come to fruition, and as a result, it had to be stopped at all costs.

She gritted her teeth, an arm shielding her eyes from the gusts of sand picked up by the wind and blown in her direction.

Generally speaking, if it was just Aizen alone, the Seireitei would never have had risked sending her to an area known to be brimming with unknown dangers. Instead, they would have waited and followed Kisuke's predictions to set up a barrier dimension Aizen would have had no choice but to walk into. From there, all the available Captains and the Head-Commander would work together to put an end to Aizen's goals.

But Aizen wasn't alone.

There was another individual that had to be taken into account.

The Vasto of White.

He with a power that could very well change the tide of a battlefield on a whim.

She wasn't certain of Aizen's strength yet, but she was certain of the Vasto of White's. And his ability was too grim to think about for too long.

Many Captains would never forget the sight of that day.

A sky filled with swords and weapons, raining down like hail in a bitter winter.

Supposed that the Siereitei had went with Kisuke's plan of catching Aizen in a trap. Who was to say that Kisuke would be able to account for the strength that the Vasto of White was capable of without having seen it first hand?

It wasn't a risk Yamamoto was willing to take unless necessary. Therefore, she had been sent to first verify on what kind of terms Aizen was on with the Vasto of White. If they were just acquaintances, then that would be adequate, enemies even better. However, if it was the worst-case scenario and they were working together, then she would have to report back immediately after setting up the transmitters equipped to each member of her team. The transmitters worked to allow her and the Seireitei to use them as a way point to travel through the precipice world and directly to the specific location in Hueco Mundo.

Launching a pre-emptive strike then would not be out of the question.

The only problem at the moment was simply locating where Aizen was. On top of the sand beating away at their bodies, it didn't help that almost everything looked identical in Hueco Mundo. It was simply one dune of sand after another in an endless cycle.

Her irritation building as she and her team avoided the gazes of random hollows, she was caught unprepared when a sudden flash of blue light engulfed everyone present, causing them to gasp in surprise.

The sand seemed to shift into a rustic red hue.

A place left forgotten.

She paused in her steps, a hand raising to alert the others around her to take similar actions.

Hueco Mundo itself seemed to come alive, an odd clinking noise reverberating in her ears as the dark sky illuminated transitioned into a twilight born from an extended horizon.

A manufactory of steel. A forge.

The ground beneath began to tremble and move, dunes of sand reducing themselves into churning flat plains that revealed some kind of massive object still hidden beneath the small dunes.

And from there came the flames, wide arcs of fire that shot out in all directions like branches on a tree. A smithery of heat to ore.

The fires dim and blackened like coal and hardened smelt.

She couldn't understand what was happening. One moment the very world seemed to be changing, then in the next, everything stopped.

The shifting hue of the sands, and even the flames she had seen burning, it was like they had never appeared.

And yet the lingering smell of ash wafted into her nose.

She narrowed her eyes, crouching down and taking a handful of white sand that she then brought close to her face and sniffed.

It was as she had expected.

Ash left behind by a fire was always a pale white, leaving behind a pungent smell from the smoke.

She grew alarmed, linking the flame-lit world she had seen to the Hueco Mundo of present. She stiffened, the sand in her hands falling to the ground like a wave of dust.

Hueco Mundo, the world of white and a dark night.

A middle ground, and the realm where lost souls gathered; a domain whose origins and history had always been widely unknown.

In the end, what exactly was this?

Her brows furrowed incomprehensively, the tips of her fingers brushing tentatively over Hueco Mundo's shifted sands. She couldn't understand what had happened, but there was a gleam of curiosity in her eyes, one born from discovering the unknown.

She prompted her subordinates behind her to wait as she got up and stepped forward. Looking at the surroundings, it was certain that what had occurred had not been an illusion, the absence of the tall dunes of sand around her was tantamount to that.

Although the majority of them were gone, some hills remained. And those hills were the points that Soifon noted had something large hidden beneath them.

She paused at one such hill, debating if what she was doing was worth the investigation for there was a chance that she would be giving her position away. In the end however, the answer was decided for her when the loose sand began shifting with the breeze, an obsidian coloured object revealing itself.

She pursed her lips, spiritual energy transmitting form her hands and down to her finger tips; a single action clearing away the remaining sand and revealing what was beneath.

A cold and hard metal, one worn and increasingly ancient; riveted pieces of iron and steel still bolted together through a means out of her own comprehension. For this object was too large to be produced in any smithery she knew of, and even then, the purpose of this object in Hueco Mundo eluded her.

Cracks had formed along its surface, the casting dented and just barely holding together by the strength of its make alone.

Buried beneath the dunes, only a portion of it was made visible despite her effort of unearthing it, but even then, it was enough for Soifon to understand what it was after a thorough scrutiny.

The cut grooves and edges,

The circular design and outer rim gouged in pattern like projections.

It was a cog.

A monolithic Black Gear.

She shook her head, no longer willing to think about matters that were irrelevant to her current mission.

Hueco Mundo was just Hueco Mundo.

She signalled for her team to come back together before giving out her orders.

"Let's go," were her final words.