Chapter 4

"A meeting between Kings." The shrewd hollow began, his form resemblant of a hyena. "You would do well to accept."

"I am no King." Shirou shook his head. "I am simply another hollow."

"No matter," The hollow bowed its head before retreating back. "Lord Baraggan will meet with you in the Valley of High Bones."

"..."

"May we never meet again." The hollow left the area.

It had been a mess of sorts ever since Baraggan's army had been repelled. For starters, everyone referrred to Shirou as King. He was never a King, the title not sitting well with him. Somehow, the title brought to him deep feelings of longing, but at the same time a faint sort of contempt. However, what truly changed was the way others interacted with him. Where before he could spend his days peering off across Hueco Mundo's skies, now it was spent warding off invading hollows and trying to get away from all the praise- not that it did him any good. He could no longer find the time to think about the figments, the blurry images that bubble from his mind whenever he closed his eyes. Then again, he could take a lesson from Starrk and just not ca-.

"-Starrk get off of your ass!" Lilynette drop kicked Starrk into a ravine of sand. "You're makin us look bad."

Yeah, Shirou wouldn't be taking after Starrk any time soon.

Shirou shook his head, he'd come up with something eventually, but for now, there were more pressing matters.

"You're going aren't you?" Harribel asked. Shirou nodded his head. "Then I'm going with you. The Valley of High Bones is a difficult place to navigate, and less experienced hollows are lost within for days or months before getting out. Besides, it would be better to confront Baraggan now that his army is gone."

"I see," The Raven like hollow landed near Harribel. "Victory in numbers. But not to worry, the King wouldn't lose even if you went there to back him up."

"If Shirou fails, the chances of defeating Baraggan are slim." Harribel's eyes hardened. "Perhaps Starrk could do something, but he's to lazy to do anything."

The Raven like hollow furrowed his eyes. "You have a point."

Harribel nodded. "Then we leave in two hours, when the sand clouds surrounding the Valley are at their weakest."

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Grimmjow was on the prowl. It had been days of tracking the path Shawlong had specified and still there was nothing. Nothing Shawlong said could quell his increasing irritation. However, it was movement in the distant sand that drew the brunt of his attention. It was a hollow running back to what looked like an underground cave.

Interesting

The distraction would do well to ease Grimmjow's mind.

Understanding their leader's intent, Shawlong, Di Roy, Yylfordt, Edrad, and Nakeem wordlessly followed behind.

It was to the sight of hundreds of hollows that awaited Grimmjow upon entering the cave. All of them from what Grimmjow could see possessed a number of reishi filled swords. Shawlong was right to direct them in this direction. The cave must have been the source of the blades.

Even more than just finding the blades, Grimmjow was truly elated over the sheer challenge. Power gained without any challenge was a cowards way out. He was a King, he was no coward. Therefore, to take what belongs to him, he would fight for it as he should.

"Shawlong, Di Roy, Yylfordt, Edrad, Nakeem," Grimmjow raised his power to the max, the hollows within the cave taking notice of his presence. "Tonight we dine in hell- in a sea of our enemies blood."

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Elsewhere...

"...Based on the residual energy of the various souls that fell from the sky roughly a week ago," Mayuri Kurutsuchi's smile could not spread any wider. "There is a high possibility that an artifact of the Soul King exists. Oh the wonders this could lead to my research."

Kisuke Urahara nodded his head for Mayuri to go on. He had not been wrong to release the man, but for now, he was to be placed under heavy supervision. Still though, new developments had garnered Mayuri's interest, and the man had spent little time misbehaving. Kisuke flipped his fan open to hide the smile on his face. All according to plan.

Yamamoto Genryuusai's eyes furrowed in thought.

"And that would mean, ya know for those of us not in the know?" Shinji Hirako drawled.

Yamamoto nodded his head to Mayuri as he stared across at the faces of the gathered captains of the court guard squads.

"Ah, the curse of dimwitted minds." Mayuri walked across the the gathered room and drew a small vile within a box he and Kisuke had brought into the room.

Aizen Sousuke, Shinji Hirako's lieutenant stared curiously at the vial.

"Within this vial remains the residual energy extracted from the numerous plus souls," Mayuri swished the vial back and forth, letting the contents bubble within. "It was so difficult to liquefy the substance and contain it within this vial, but alas my genius never fails to amaze me."

"Get on with it already." Zaraki Kenpachi, the more recent captain of squad eleven muttered. Half of the captains present were in agreement.

"So be it you crass fools," Mayuri said as he injected a small syringe into the vial and extracted a minuscule amount of the liquid. Soon after, he nonchalantly sprayed the liquid out into the air.

Every captains eyes widened at the level of purity, of holy power within the substance. A pleasant tingling sensation traveled across their bodies, a gentle wind blowing against them.

"W-What was that?" Love Aikawa, the captain of squad seven asked.

Mayuri Kurutsuchi's voice carried across the entire court.

"Pure Ether, a power source only available for one with the power of a god." Mayuri placed the vial back into the box and resumed his position by Urahara's side. "There is only one being that possess such a power."

"The Soul King." Aizen Sousuke said from where he stood with the other lieutenants.

"Exactly," Mayuri said. "But the Soul King doesn't interfere with our matters. Therefore, the most likely conclusion is an artifact left behind when the Soul King himself interacted with our domain."

"And where would such an item be?" Yamamoto asked, his gaze falling solely on Urahara who nudged an elbow at Mayuri.

Mayuri's smile never wavered despite the words he spoke through his mouth.

"Hueco Mundo, the land of hollows."

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"So you appear before me at last, Vasto of White." Baraggan stood up from his throne of bones and waved away his attendants. "However, I didn't expect to see Harribel here. Have you come to finally submit to my rule?"

"..." Harribel eyed Baraggan cautiously

"No matter, today's business is with the Vasto of White."

"And what business is that?" Shirou asked.

Baraggan leveled his gaze at Shirou, his expression unreadable without the presence of facial muscles.

"You destroyed my army and you ask me what business I have to speak off?"

"They attacked first," Shirou said as he crossed his arms.

"Hahhah, true enough." Baraggan swiped an arm to the side and released a miasma of black mist into the surroundings.

The bones found within the Valley of High Bones that stood erect for centuries began to rot and fade into dust. Harribel stood on edge, a testamount to the danger of Baraggan's strength.

"I have a single proposition. In respect for defeating my army, I allow you the opportunity to submit yourself to my rule. However, you must concede your title as 'King.'" Baraggan covered himself in black mist. "Otherwise, time itself will become your enemy."

"Time itself?" Shirou uncrossed his arms and stared Baraggan in the eyes. "If it's to protect others, then so be it."

"So you refuse, how insolent!" A tower of purple reishi erupted from Baraggan. "Time is absolute. Everything withers away, rots and crumbles under the weight of time! And only one with the power of a god may control it."

"Then you think yourself a god?" Shirou questioned.

"I am the God King of Hueco Mundo, none may stand as my equal."

"Then," A tower of white reishi erupted from Shirou, easily rivaling Baraggan's. "I shall be the first."

Baraggan seethed.

"To even sug-"

"-But first Baraggan, I would like to wager a little test of your power."

Curiousity plagued Baraggan's mind. Here was the Vasto of White in front of him who dared question his rule, and yet what sort of wager could he have to stall the inevitable fight? Baraggan pulled in his reishi to a more moderate level, the Vasto of White following his example.

Harribel watched the proceeding and debated whether or not it was a good time to interfere, but decided against it. She would wait and see how things play out.

"...Go on with it Vasto of White. Let me break whatever hope you have of defeating me." Baraggan brought a hand under his chin. "But I grow curious. What is a wager without a consequence? What do I get should I overcome your pathetic trial?"

"I shall submit to your rule without consequence," Harribel's eyes widened as Shirou stared off across at the abundant number of hollows living within the Valley. "But should you fail, we will postpone the fight to another time, at a place away from other hollows."

"Hmm, why not, in the end you will die by my hands anyway." Baraggan seated himself back on his throne of bones. "Now get on with it."

Shirou stretched his hand out, his palm facing upwards.

"Trace on."

Shirou glanced at Harribel, an image of a woman in blue and gold armour overlapping with her. He shook his head as he began to concentrate. The familiarness of the item he was tracing brought a warmth to his chest, a pleasantness washing over him.

It was a sheath made of gold and decorated with blue enamel. Almost as soon as it formed, Shirou gingerly tossed it at Baraggan who caught it with a hand.

"A sheath?" Baraggan muttered as he inspected it.

"The test Baraggan, is whether or not your power could destroy that sheath."

"Such a thing is prepostrous." Baraggan tightened his grip around the sheath and flooded his power into his hand. "Time is absolute, nothing can stop its effe-" Baraggan stopped mid-sentence, his gaze turning sharply towards the unaffected sheath. He could tell by the feel of his reishi that his power was working, and yet no wear or tear could be found on the ornate sheath.

"What is this?" Baraggan muttered in frustration, putting forth all his power into his hand. Nothing happened to the sheath, it was as if the sheath was ageless.

"It would seem that your time is not absolute," Shirou stated calmly.

"Not yet! I'm not done yet!"

No matter how hard Baraggan tried, nothing he did altered the sheath in any way. Finally, he stared silently at Shirou before tossing back the sheath.

Baraggan did not utter a word as his gaze remained firm on the sheath.

"As per the agreement, we will fight on another day away from any surrounding hollows," Shirou said.

The hollows in the Valley of High Bones stared with respect at the back of the Vasto of White. They weren't stupid enough to think that they would live through such a battle between Vasto Lordes.

Baraggan's silence continued.

Harribel couldn't believe it. Just like that, and Shirou had silenced the God King of Hueco Mundo. She knew from experience how egotistical Baraggan could be, and now faced with the failure of his power, he was rendered speechless. Such a thing has never happened before because in all respects, Baraggan's power was absolute. Everything ages and fades over time, and yet - she shook her head. Focus was what she needed.

Shirou turned to leave, Harribel following right after.

"...At the high plains, a week from now, we shall fight," Baraggan said after a moment, his voice eerily level. "I will not forget this mockery."

"And I shall tell you this," Briefly, Shirou turned his head at Baraggan's direction, sword after sword forming above him. "This sheath, it's not the only one of its kind."

Willing a single sword to shoot out, it flew and stabbed itself beside Baraggan. Quite quickly Baraggan realized that his power had no effect on it.

"You best be prepared, God King of Hueco Mundo."