Chapter 9

Squad Captains were the very representation of the Thirteen-Court-Guard-Squads of the Soul Society, an organization tasked with the guiding of souls, and the defense of the Soul Society. Combat operations, and defensive measures to protect the human world were also in their jurisdiction.

And one such captain of the Court-Guard-Squads was in Hueco Mundo.

His name was Aizen Sosuke. Captain of Squad five, and he was rarely if ever caught off guard.

This was unprecedented. The situation magnitudes above a mere miscalculation. What are you? The question revolved around his mind, as his eyes deduced what could not be said.

A walking variable, an anomaly of the highest order.

"Is that what it looked like? Then I apologize," he replied smoothly, smothering his previous embarrassment under the pretense of feigned ignorance. "I had intended to demonstrate one of the Shinigami's unique forms of attack, Kido. No harm intended, mind you." He added as he noticed the narrowing of the Hollow King's eyes. "Although, it appears to have failed in its desired effect."

Kido was the form of Shinigami combat based on advanced spells, the hollow's equivalent to Ceros, although more numerous in number.

"Which was?" The Hollow King asked.

"A mere representation, an image if you will, of the Soul Society." Aizen straightened his back before adjusting his square-framed glasses. "I had praised you for not reacting to the sudden change in scenery, but it seems that praise was not deserved due to my own blunder."

"How unfortunate?" The Hollow King replied unsurely.

"Indeed. Is there anything el-"

A shifting of the air, and the scattering of loose sand.

And a lance was pointed beneath Aizen's throat. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't end you now." Nel glared, teeth clenched as she forced down her anger. To not only endanger her, but to endanger Pesche and Dondochakka? She wouldn't stand for any half-hearted answer.

"How amusing," Aizen gripped the tip of Nel's lance and slowly lowered it to the ground. "Because you yourself had wished to test him, did you not?"

This was it; keep control of the flow of the conversation. Do not allow even the slightest foot-hold for the opponent to grasp.

Nel's brow creased, and he capitalized on the notion, taking the time to further drive in his points. "For that purpose, you had even allowed your comrades to stand beside you, testing the kind of Hollow the Vasto of White was." He pushed forward, standing a mere foot away from Nel. "Would he acknowledge them? Would he acknowledge you? Or would he attempt to kill you? In which case, you were already prepared. I can sense it you know; now that I've come in contact with it." Aizen leaned in and whispered into Nel's ear. "What were you planning on doing with the power stored in that hollow lance?"

Nel's eyes widened as she backed away. "N-No, I, that was-"

"In case he attacked," he finished, watching as Nel sent an apprehensive glance at the King of Hollows.

He smiled at Nel's flustered appearance; it would make things far easier to redirect her attention. After all, "Or did you plan to use it against me had my back been turned?" She would be looking for an escape.

"If I deemed it necessary," Nel quickly spoke before realizing the stillness of the air. Slowly, she turned around, her brows furrowed.

The Hollow King's stare was hard, disappointed even.

Perfect, Aizen thought absently. His initial deductions from his brief conversation with the King of Hollows had been spot on. He wasn't like the residents of Hueco Mundo, he was far more similar to the Captain of the Thirteenth Division: Jushiro Ukitake.

Empathetic, kind, understanding, but willing to do what must be done, that was the kind of man Jushiro Ukitake was, the kind of hollow the King of Hollows was.

Based on Nel's indecisiveness, she had yet to grasp that fact yet. Which played heavily in his favour as he would rather not see the King of Hollows, a potential enemy, gain an ally.

She was trapped. Admit that she had saved a lethal attack for someone she had taken as a partner of sorts, a definite blow to her character, or imply that she was harbouring lethal intentions towards the King. Either way, he had just redirected any and all suspicions the King of Hollows may have had on him. For he was simply a Shinigami who had meant no harm, and was treated with such cruel hospitality.

"Is this true?" The King of Hollows asked neutrally.

Nel pursed her lips, remaining silent.

"You don't know a thing about Lady Nel!" Pesche yelled as he glared at the King of Hollows. "Don't you dare make your own assumptions from the words of some damn Shinigami!"

Aizen entertained the notion of killing the bug before him, but watched how things would proceed. How interesting.

"Uhm, yeah," Pesche scratched at his head before clapping his hands together. "She's different from other hollows too, she didn't eat us," he said with a nod.

"Yeah, she didn't eat us, and she could probably break a mountain with her pinky," Dondochakka added with a smug flick of his hand.

Nel planted a hand over her face. "Enough you two." She stared without blinking at Shirou. "The truth is," Nel swung her lance and released the stored blast from within. "That was meant for you."

A shockwave of immense power ripped across the barren landscape, the winds generated by the explosion lifting tresses of Nel's hair past her shoulders.

There was a silence as the words took a moment to process in Shirou's head. He hummed in thought as Nel opened her mouth to continue on.

"It was only in case you attacked," she explained hastily. "We had never met you before, and if you were anything like the rumours of the God King of Hueco Mundo, it was best for us to be prepared."

Shirou nodded in understanding, the tension in his body fading.

"Understandable," he said lightheartedly. "Knowing Baraggan's habits, it was wise of you to prepare."

Nel exhaled in relief before she, Pesche, Dondochakka, and Aizen noticed.

The eyes. Thousands of them.

An attack of that magnitude had consequences after all.

Fascinating. Aizen stared across at the vast number of hollows around him. For such a number to exist, the amount of cannibalism should have been unprecedently high, yet that was not the case. Even more fascinating were the dozen or so humanoid figures he spotted amongst the many residents of Hueco Mundo. Vasto Lordes, and so many? The grin on his face was almost maddening. The rarity of Vasto Lordes was to such a high degree that only one Vasto Lorde would appear in an army of hundreds of thousands of hollows.

His eyes glanced to the numerous blades scattered around the land. Did they possess such power to continually fuel a hollow's evolution? The majority of hollows around him were Adjuchas, and many were powerful. How astonishing. How tempting. How much strength would they possess after surpassing the limits of a mere hollow? As an Arrancar who possessed the ability of both hollow and Shinigami?

He looked at the King of Hollows in a new light. Potentially, the King could very well be his downfall, a thorn at his side, but what if he were able to use him? The need to search Hueco Mundo for other Vasto Lordes would undoubtedly prove insufficient, but what if they all appeared right before him? This was interesting, too interesting not to meddle with it. He would first have to gain attention, followed shortly after by trust. He could work with this, he really could. A plan began to unravel within the complexity of his mind.

Meanwhile, Shirou pinched the bridge of his nose as he took in the numerous hollows that had appeared around him. He could understand their desire to protect him, but this was way too excessive.

"Oi, why's there a Shinigami here!" Apacci yelled, leaning on her bent right leg. Ever since she had been the first to evolve before Sung-Sun and Mila Rose, she had become even more outspoken. She had shed the fur that had covered her upper half, and now stood on two fur-covered hoofed legs, her upper half armoured and resembling a woman's. A horn jutted out from the middle of her forehead that parted her blue-coloured hair and also extended out into antlers on either side of her head.

"How crass Apacci," Sung-Sun spoke, a hand over her mouth. She had undergone a similar transformation as Apacci, but instead of fur, her body was covered in pale white scales. A long slender tail swished from behind her, revealing the tension of the current situation. "Although I do agree with you in this case." Her eyes narrowed. "What business does a Shinigami have here."

Harribel was the next to take action, yet rather than speak, she moved towards Nel. "And you are?" She asked.

"Nelliel tu odelschwanck," Nel spoke her full name, sensing that it wasn't the time to give shortened answers. Her eyes continued to roam across the sheer number of hollows that surrounded her. She moistened her suddenly dried lips, fully comprehending that there was no way out.

"Your intentions?"

"A test?"

"Of what kind?"

She began to answer the sudden interrogation of the shark like Vasto Lorde while noticing that things were beginning to heat up on Aizen's end.

"Well Shinigami?" Mila-Rose asked. She too had evolved after numerous decades of consuming the blades of Reishi. Her long mane of hair stretched down all the way past her waist, her eyes glaring fiercely at Aizen. "Are you gonna answer or not?!"

Crude women, how difficult. Now how should he play things? After a moment of thought, Aizen realized there was nothing more to be had of this informative meeting.

"My my," Aizen spoke before making sure he had Shirou's attention. "We were simply having a conversation before we were interrupted first by her," he motioned towards Nel, "and then by all of you."

"Is that all it is?" Starrk groaned before he fell flat on the ground. "Oy Lilynette, don't wake me up unless it's something important," he admonished before he got a kick in the face.

"You lazy ass!" Lilynette seethed as she crossed her arms. "Take things more seriously."

Starrk groaned in response, rolling over to his side.

Does this always happen? Aizen's face seemed to say as he stared at Shirou.

Shirou could do nothing but shrug.

"Is what the Shinigami said the truth?" Harribel asked Shirou after trading a small glance with Nel.

"Yes actually," Shirou agreed. "I had just asked him to explain something to me."

"And I do believe I already have," Aizen cut in. "I also recall that I'm currently in a self-imposed time constraint." I'm not technically supposed to be here.

"I see," Shirou said. "Then you best be on your way. Even I don't think I can stop all of them from attacking you if they chose to."

Amongst the crowd of Hollows, many of them had memories of being hunted down by Shinigami before they found their place within a barren ground of swords. Grudges ran deep, the reminder of their near deaths, igniting their anger. They weren't weak anymore. Now they were strong, and held the advantage of numbers. Only their loyalty towards the Vasto of White kept them in line, but rampant emotions may cause one to act rashly.

"Gladly," Aizen said before pausing and grabbing three of the numerous swords embedded into the ground. "May I take these?" He asked. "As a sign that I mean no harm in any future visits?"

Shirou's eyes scanned over the particular swords Aizen had in his grip. They were simple in make, one of the hundreds of thousands still spread out in the domain and would do little for him to lose.

He frowned before he stretched out his hand, and changed the inner working of one blade through alteration, a skill that allowed him to shift the properties of any item. It now worked as an indicator of sorts to let him know if the Shinigami was going to make a visit. It was bound to be trouble if he showed up without warning, especially with how the other hollows in the land already felt about him. He didn't want to warrant any unnecessary violence towards the Shinigami who had yet to do wrong.

"Very well," he agreed. "You may take the swords, but always carry them with you should you enter this domain."

Aizen nodded, but that being the case, he wasn't going to leave with just the swords alone.

He would plant his own seeds, and later reap what he would sow.

"A word of advice for your generosity," he called softly as he began to walk away. "Beware of a man named Kisuke Urahara."

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Deep in the forest in Karakura Town's park, Brans was breathing heavily, a light cut running across his chest. "I have done no wrong, Shinigami. Why have you attacked me?" He breathed out as the wound steadily began to close.

He had just seen Silent fire off a large blast of Reishi into the air before he was blindsided by this odd-looking Shinigami wearing a bucket-hat and clogs. Over his shoulders was a kimono reminiscent of most soul reapers, but his had small diamond patterns near the hem. Small tufts of blond hair peaked out from under his hat, his eyes shadowed by his hat's rims.

The Shinigami smiled. "Are you asking why a Shinigami would attack a hollow?" The man opened the small fan he held in his left hand, and used it to cover his jaw. "How intuitive, but before matters continue, I don't particularly like being called Shinigami this, or Shinigami that, you can call me Kisuke Urahara."

Kisuke motioned towards the ground before both he and Brans descended. "Now," Kisuke began as he tapped his fan closed and stored it in his pocket. "You've asked me why I've attacked an Adjuchas roaming around Karakura town." Isn't it obvious?

"I've not eaten a single soul, nor have I consumed any of my brethren. I repeat again, Shinigami, I have done no wrong."

Kisuke stood silently as he regarded the peculiar Adjuchas before him. To not have consumed a single soul, and already be at the second stage of a hollow's growth? It was unheard of, but he couldn't deny it either. The spiritual pressure this hollow possessed was not as tainted as the spiritual pressure of many other hollows he had slain. Credibility? He wouldn't know until he ran a few experiments, assuming this hollow would indulge him. The probability was quite low.

"Ah, I see you've chosen to ignore my earlier request," he spoke instead as he used his sword to adjust his green-and-white-striped bucket-hat. "How cruel of you."

"What do you want, Shinigami?" Brans spoke hastily. He wasn't paying as much attention as he should have because he was trying to locate the position of his ward. Periodically sending minor, near undetectable, bursts of his spiritual energy to act as a radar.

Kisuke took note of this fact. Any lieutenants or seated officers would not have been able to sense the subtlety in which this hollow was releasing his energy. A target perhaps? But what would an Adjuchas want with a regular human to go hunting in the living world? Spirit wise, it would be more beneficial for Adjuchas's growth to feast on the flesh of other hollows rather than the meager amount in possession of a spiritually aware human.

"No need to rush."

Brans tensed his muscles, and glared at Kisuke. "Move," he spoke warningly.

"Based on the urgency of your tone, am I right to presume you are following something? Or perhaps someone."

Brans scrunched his brows.

"Based on your reaction, it's the latter of the two."

How? Was it that obvious? Brans balled his hands into fists. He knew of only one way, his spiritual pulses. "You're no mere Shinigami."

"Why thank you, I quite prefer this fashionable haiori to that plain white or black, but more importantly," Kisuke's eyes narrowed dangerously beneath his hat. "Who exactly was it that you were following now?"

Brans didn't utter a word, merely gathered his spiritual energy into his being. If it came down to it, he would rather fight then sell out his own, but rather what would the King do? The answer was obvious to him.

Kisuke began to press further for an answer, but a black cat made its way to rub against his legs. "Yoruichi?" He spoke as he picked up the cat while keeping an eye on Brans. "I didn't know you were here."

Yoruichi jumped out of Kisuke's grip to perch silently on his shoulder. Eyes staring at the hollow in front of her, she quietly brought her mouth over to Kisuke's ear and spoke into it.

Promptly, Kisuke's gaze went blank as he drew his hat over his eyes. "Now now, Mr. Hollow, I do believe we are going to have a problem." He placed Yoruichi on the ground and then settled into a loose stance.

"You see, I've some interest in this target of yours. Now before we begin, does the name Sosuke Aizen, ring any bells?" Kisuke twirled his sword in his hand before pointing it dangerously at Brans.

Brans ignored the question, choosing to focus on Kisuke's stance. His legs were parted at least shoulder width, his back straight, and his sword held loosely in his right arm. It would do him no good to remain like that, too many openings and not enough stability. A single jab should be enough to lift him off his feet. Good, he could pull this off.

With a breath, Brans released his energy, the building spiritual pressure crushing and rooting the nearby plants and animals, except for the black cat who sat licking its paws. A spirit cat?

Kisuke's eyes widened. He did not expect this level of power, especially not from an Adjuchas. His lips thinned, it was close, too close to its next evolution, and he would not risk fighting a Vasto Lorde in the human world. Even still, human world or not, it would be better to weed out the stronger hollows before they could reach their full potential.

Kurosaki would not have been strong enough to handle a hollow of this calibre.

He brought his free hand to rest on the flat of his blade. "Sing, Benihime." The Red Princess made its appearance with a swipe of Kisuke's hand. "Careful," he spoke neutrally. "She's 'not nice.'"

"And talking in battle is a sin," unless you believe yourself so superior. Brans could think of only two with the right to speak in battle, and Kisuke wasn't one of them.

"Fair point." Kisuke closed his mouth, and then he was gone.

Spittle flew as Brans registered the sudden kick to his face, but even then, he prioritized blocking the sharp edge of Benihime.

Another swipe, then a stab, then another kick, and he had had enough of defending.

Brans contracted his wings and revealed his bladed feathers. He was a raven like hollow who stood on bird-like feet. Crouching under Kisuke's next strike, he beat his wings and released a heavy shower of sharp steel.

Retreating, Kisuke began to deflect the coming feathers.

Pelting the ground, the deflected feathers disappeared through hard rock and gravel, leaving small clean indents.

You may have been able to deflect my attack, but what will you do now? Brans crossed his arms and plucked large pinions from his wings. Elongating as he flooded them with Reishi, he threw them before extending his energy into the ground, feeling for his lost feathers.

What are you planning? Kisuke grunted as a cut opened up above his cheek. Slicing through the remaining feathers he charged forward.

Brans's arms strained against the force of Benihime. If it was now, he could do it. Come! He commanded. All at once, his lost feathers returned to him, trapping Kisuke in a sphere of Reishi infused serrated feathers.

Eyes widening, Kisuke placed both hands on the hilt of his sword. "Scream, Benihime."

A red mist formed over Kisuke's blade, pulsing brightly as the feathers drew near.

Brans covered his eyes as the dust and wind from the subsequent explosion obscured visibility, his feathers fluttering in the direction of the wind.

He had always been a hollow weaker than most.

When the dust cleared, Kisuke stood within a blood-red dome of Reishi, a wry smile on his face. "Wow, that would have hurt," he spoke.

Brans breathed in and out before plucking two steel pinions and elongating them into cleaver-like swords. He had to hurry, even now he could feel Silent's spiritual pressure fading farther and farther away. Yet he couldn't rush a confrontation. The reason he had been able to lead the King's army in the previous war between Kings was due to his quick wit, tactics, and abilities. He needed to in order to survive previously in a world without his King.

He inched forward, and that was all it took for Kisuke to be on him again.

Tiny, inexperienced, and easy pickings.

Their blades met, the grinding of metal producing heavy sparks. He couldn't lose here, not when the King had placed his trust in him.

Arms burning, he tilted his head forward, a massive violet concentration of spiritual energy accumulating in front of his beak. A Cero.

Kisuke clicked his tongue, he couldn't allow that blast to fire. Not only would it alert the Shinigami in the research and development's branch of the Soul Society, the damage would be catastrophic. But perhaps, even more pressing was the matter of Ruki Kuchiki. He couldn't allow the Soul Society to recall her on the grounds of handling a foe she could not face, especially an Adjuchas.

"Scream, Beni-"

Not this time, Brans retracted his blades and allowed Benihime to pierce through his arms. Wincing, he locked his muscles and flooded them with Reishi. He didn't know how Kisuke's sword worked, but he did know that it relied on focusing spiritual energy. Therefore, he would have to disrupt it long enough to fire off his own blast.

Kisuke's expression hardened. It didn't matter if the hollow tried to disrupt Benihime's activation, it would activate anyway as the energy was stored within the blade. What troubled him was the angle Benihime was pointing: Directly away from the cero. How troublesome. He signaled with his eyes.

With this, it was over. The power gathering in front of Brans's beak was reaching critical levels. I'm coming, Silent. "Cer-!"

The cat? Brans staggered backwards, dazed from the sudden swipe of the cat's claws that dissipated his cero.

"That's what you get for not taking things seriously, Kisuke," Yoruichi spoke after she landed.

Brans only had moment to register the ominous red of Kisuke's blade before his arms erupted in pain.

Blood arched into the air, large droplets smearing the ground.

"My bad," Kisuke shrugged. "Won't happen again."

Brans stumbled on his feet, his breaths coming out laboured. He couldn't lose. Couldn't. Couldn't.

He was granted power, respect, and acknowledgment.

Roaring, he refused to fall, but one thing was clear after that last exchange. He had lost his arms.

Flapping his great wings, Brans made as much distance as possible. He had underestimated this Shinigami, and his cat. It was two against one. He needed help. Retreat was the only possibility, and from there he could work out a way to retrieve Silent with his King. Perhaps even Lady Harribel would lend her assistance.

"The Raven signals the coming of the night." Brans beat his wings faster and faster. "Like hunters, vultures of the sky." A pillar of purple light extended down from the heavens. "We are one, harbingers of the end of times: Cuervos de anochecer."

The air shook, and the ground vibrated as black smoke covered Brans. The Nightfall Ravens, his strongest ability. It was the reason why he had been able to quickly take charge in war.

Kisuke rose a brow as the smoke cleared. And then there were twelve.

Brans stared down at Kisuke before directing his other copies to flee.

Quickly, the copies of Brans took off in different directions. The ability to split into multiple bodies with one mind had made managing a battlefield far easier, but in this case, he used it to flee.

"Yoruichi!" Kisuke called.

Yoruichi was already far ahead of Kisuke.

It was the damn cat again. Brans increased his pace as he felt the connection he had with his clones vanishing one by one. Impossible, they had dispersed in completely different directions, to be able to kill them so fast, how much power could a cat spirit possess?

Blood dripped from his arms, but he ignored the dull ache and focused all his concentration on creating a Garganta. A hollow could not simply make one whenever they wished which was why many died at the hands of Shinigami. All he needed was time.

Shooting past the foliage, Brans descended onto the ground and pressed himself into a narrow groove of a tree.

Breathing slowly, Brans pictured a hole in the fabric of space. With this, he was sa—

He swallowed, staring down in disbelief at the blade pierced through his chest. In an another moment, blood began to drip out of his mouth before he slowly lost consciousness, falling flat on the ground.

From small beginnings, he had achieved greatness through the kindness of his King. And for that, he would be forever grateful.

He slowly blinked his eyes open. The pain in his body was excruciating.

"Ah, you're not dead yet," Kisuke stated as he rested Benihime on his shoulder. "How tenacious, but unfortunately, I'm afraid I can't let you go. I also have a few questions that need answers."

"And I have none that I will speak of," Brans spoke as he spat out blood. He struggled to get back on his feet.

"Oh no no, I don't need you to speak you see. Your facial expression, tenseness of your body, and even the motion of your eyes is enough of an answer."

"Were you sent here?" Kisuke asked.

Brans clicked his tongue and refused to meet Kisuke's eyes.

"Lack of eye contact means, yes."

Brans promptly glared.

Kisuke pondered silently. How had Aizen done it? To bring back a single soul already consumed by a hollow? It was near impossible as a Shinigami's blade purified every trapped soul, and ferried them off to the afterlife, the Rukongai.

"Next question," he spoke. "What would you do if I told you I would acquire your target?" Not that he wasn't going to. All he had to do was search.

Brans forced himself to his feet, his veins bulging from the strain. "Then I will tell you this," Brans spoke hoarsely. "You will make an enemy far worse than what you could ever imagine."

Aizen? It was a possibility that he decided to store away as future reference, but how far did his control extend to the hollows in Hueco Mundo? For now, he continued probing.

"Unfortunately for you hollow, I already am."

Benihime pierced through Brans's leg, forcing him to the ground once again. He didn't let out a sound, he would not give the Shinigami that honour. "I had done no wrong," he rasped out instead. In the King's eyes, regardless of one's spiritual nature, Human, Hollow, or Shinigami, they were all the same. "You Shinigami are all hypocrites. Flaunting your strength and speaking of justice when all you do is discriminately cut down our kind, innocent or not."

"A hollow with morals? That's a first." Kisuke pulled Benihime out of Brans's leg and watched as the blood gushed out. He supposed he really did look like the villain, didn't he? The look on Yoruichi's face was enough of an indication.

End this already, her expression seemed to say. She was never a fan of torture, even when she was the leader of a covert ops.

With a final swing, Benihime came down on nothing.

"You talk too much, Shinigami." Brans fell into the Garganta he had formed beneath him and retreated back into Hueco Mundo.

Kisuke flicked the blood off his blade before sheathing it in his cane.

"You've gotten soft, Kisuke," Yoruichi spoke.

Kisuke pressed his hat down over his face. "That, or I refused to prove a point and simply let him go."

"Except that's not like you," Yoruichi climbed into Kisuke's arms. "You shouldn't try to act cool when all you did was slip a tracker on him."

Kisuke scratched his cheek. "I suppose not, but I didn't say I was trying to act cool which means…?!" He stared in wonder at Yoruichi. "You actually thought I-Not the eyes!"

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In a cave, far away from the Vasto of White's borders, there lied a depiction of sheer carnage.

Blood and bones.

Nothing remained of a hollow's body except for their boned masks and appendages, and they were simply strewn everywhere.

The copious number of swords that had lay about previously within the cave were dwindling, but they had served their purpose. They had catalyzed the growth of a new era of Vasto Lordes.

One of them stood idly chewing on a long saber whose guard bent around the hilt.

That Vasto Lorde was Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.

Taking a couple more bites of the blade, he tossed the rest of it away and stood up on his feet. His blue hair reached down near his waist, and his body was covered in form fitting white hollow bone. Green war paint covered both his eyes, giving him a feral appearance along with his long canines.

He clawed irritably at the ground, his claw-like nails digging large grooves into the sand. He was bored, immensely so. The blades had done their purpose and fueled his growth into the next stage of evolution, and he could still feel a rise in his power despite how marginal it was after evolving, but where was the thrill of battle? He had craved it, desired it, but locked it away in favour of building his strength.

But enough was enough. With the number of blades dwindling, and the blood-lust welling from inside him once again, there would be nothing more to be gained by remaining in the cave. They needed to test their mettle.

He grinned savagely as he exited the cave with his pack.

It was time to celebrate the coming of a King.