Hueco Mundo Needs Freedom (2)

10 advanced chapters on my Patreon: Fiction Haven

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"Shinigami?" Retsu remarked in confusion.

"How did you get here?" Yoruichi inquired stoically.

"I- I can explain," the Shinigami said nervously.

Retsu and Yoruichi looked at each other briefly before coming to an agreement. Retsu retracted her Zanpakutō and Yoruichi let go of her headlock. The Shinigami heaved out a sigh of relief and sheathed his Zanpakutō. He took a good look at the two female Shinigami and then bowed politely.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Captain Unohana."

"Identify yourself, Shinigami," Retsu ordered stoically.

"Kanō Ashido, Lieutenant of the Eleventh Division. At least, I used to be," the Shinigami, Ashido, introduced himself.

"Lieutenant?" Yoruichi remarked in surprise.

Retsu developed a pondering look. She observed Ashido's face and then finally remembered who he was.

"Are you perhaps Captain Kuruyashiki's Lieutenant?" she asked.

"That would be me," Ashido affirmed.

"So, you weren't killed by the Hollows."

Retsu who had remembered who Ashido was already put everything together and understood what happened. Yoruichi, who was not as old as Retsu, naturally didn't know what was going on. She looked at Retsu and Ashido in puzzlement. The only thing she could figure out of the interaction was that they knew each other.

"I still don't get what happened, but I think we have to catch up to Ichigo," Yoruichi reminded, alerting Retsu.

"Ah, that is right. We can't let him get into trouble!"

"Wait!" Retsu and Yoruichi were about to dash away when Ashido stopped them. "I know what you are capable of, Captain Unohana, but I don't think it is wise to go after that Vasto Lorde. I had encountered one of them once and he had unimaginable power."

Yoruichi clicked her tongue and dashed away. She thought Ashido was wasting their time. Retsu smiled awkwardly before motioning for Ashido to follow them. Ashido moved after the two. They were moving at high speed, but he could follow them well. They only slowed down when they could see Ichigo again.

The strong presence they had sensed turned out to be a group of Adjuchas. They watched Ichigo massacre the Adjuchas before returning their attention to Ashido.

"How monstrous…" The said Shinigami was impressed by Ichigo's showcase of power. "As expected of a Vasto Lorde."

"He is not a Vasto Lorde," Yoruichi informed. "And I don't know what he exactly is, but he likes to call himself a Shinigami."

"Arrancar," Ashido muttered. "I have heard about them. They are Vasto Lordes who manage to get rid of their masks. They are way stronger than Vasto Lordes. Is he on our side?"

"Well, at least, he is for the moment." Yoruichi shrugged. "Well, Captain Unohana already knows you, but I am completely clueless. What is your story?"

"Ah, my name is Kanō Ashido…"

"Yoruichi," the dark-skinned Shinigami supplied.

"The Shihōin Princess!" Ashido exclaimed. "A pleasure to meet you, Shihōin-san."

Yoruichi waved her hand dismissively. She was already used to Ichigo's attentiveness, so she was quite bewildered at how surprised Ashido was when he found out she was a Shihōin. After all, she was wearing a shirt with the Shihōin's emblem on the back. She decided that Ashido must be slow which was not that surprising since he belonged to the Eleventh Division.

Ashido then told Yoruichi about how he ended up in Hueco Mundo. Retsu already knew the gist of what happened but decided to listen to the story as well. She was curious about the details. Ashido revealed that he and his unit had chased a group of Hollows out of Soul Society and followed them into the Garganta.

'They are slow, all right,' Yoruichi remarked mentally.

Things happened and they didn't end well, which was not surprising. Ashido and his unit were demolished by a group of Gillians. Becoming the only survivor, he swore that he would stay in Hueco Mundo to kill as many Hollows as possible to protect the human world.

It was heroic and noble, but it sounded foolish to Yoruichi. Of course, she didn't say that to Ashido's face. She had a friend who had a stupid idealism and had done a lot of stupid things. She was also stupid for agreeing with whatever Ichigo and Kisuke were planning. She had no right to scold anyone for their foolishness.

Boom!

"I need more challenge! Come at me, weaklings!"

Ichigo's manic howl made them turn their heads in his direction. While Retsu's eyes gleamed in excitement, Yoruichi sighed in exasperation.

"That idiot is genuinely looking for trouble, isn't he?" Yoruichi remarked.

"In his defense, he needs trouble for his goal," Retsu commented.

Ichigo moved again, prompting them to follow him. Some Gillians stood in his way, but he blasted them with a Cero. It felt surreal how easy it was for him to kill Gillians. He stopped once he encountered an Adjuchas. The fight didn't last long. He was simply too strong for the Adjuchas to fight.

The same scene was repeated a couple of times. At some point, only Gillians stood in his way, so he put a stop to his conquest. He looked at Yoruichi and Retsu, prompting them to come up to him. Ashido was rather hesitant but decided to follow suit. When they were in front of him, he pulled his mask aside, revealing his handsome, pale face.

"The Adjuchas are plotting against me seeing that they are actively avoiding me," Ichigo remarked hoarsely. "Therefore, I am going to camp here and wait for them to come at me."

Yoruichi wanted to point out that he should do the opposite but remembered what he came for. "Right…" So, she agreed with him. "How do you feel by the way?"

"Never been better. My power is getting closer to reaching equilibrium," Ichigo said with a smile. "At the end of this, all of them will grow at the same pace and I will be able to dominate Aizen. At least, that is what I hope."

"I notice that your Reiatsu is growing increasingly heavier, Ichigo-kun. Does your Hollow power affect your mind?" Retsu asked analytically.

Ichigo hummed deeply. "My instinct has become more primal and I also have become hornier."

"Are you horny right now?" Retsu asked stoically, earning a weird look from Yoruichi. The dark-skinned princess could see the blush she was trying to hide.

"No," Ichigo shook his head faintly. "But let's just say that I can think of a hundred ways I can ravage both of you." His eyes gleamed as he looked at Retsu and Yoruichi. "Ah, sorry about that. As I said, I have become hornier."

Yoruichi openly smirked at this side of Ichigo, but Retsu reacted in a subdued manner. Regardless, they were tempted to make Ichigo do what he wanted to them. Ashido noticed the sexual tension between the trio and felt like an intruder. He was not a prude but not crude enough to ignore such things.

"And who is this one?"

When Ichigo's eyes landed on him, Ashido could tell that Ichigo already knew him from the beginning. Ashido gulped nervously. Ichigo's gaze greatly unnerved him. His eyes looked intimidating and all-knowing. His Reiatsu shook his soul. Everything about Ichigo told Ashido he wasn't someone he could ever mess with.

"Ah, this is Ashido-san. One of the brave Shinigami who remains in Hueco Mundo to hunt Hollows," Retsu introduced him.

"Hoh? A noble thing to do, Ashido," Ichigo remarked before extending his hand. "I am Ichigo. Nice to meet you."

"…Ashido. Nice to meet you."

Ashido's world rocked as soon as he grasped Ichigo's hand. The sheer pressure that Ichigo was exuding made him wonder how those Adjuchas could last against Ichigo that long.

…

Two days later, in another part of Hueco Mundo, in a gigantic castle called Las Noches, a meeting was conducted between the Espada and their master, Aizen Sōsuke. The said master was sitting on his throne, holding a shining marble in his hand. The Espada gathered around him, stoically looking at the one Espada standing right in front of him.

The air was so thick that one could cut through it. Grimmjow Jaegerjacques, the Espada in the center of attention, looked at Aizen flatly. His eternal scowl had slipped off his face, much to everyone's surprise. It signified how serious the matter at hand was.

"Grimmjow," Aizen called in his honey-laced tone. "How are your injuries?"

Grimmjow looked down on his scarred body and briefly scowled. "They are healing."

"Are they still bleeding?" Aizen inquired.

"Sometimes," Grimmjow answered curtly.

"Interesting."

Aizen hummed as he looked at Grimmjow up and down. He looked like he was pondering, but he already made his decision the moment he summoned the Espada.

"Do you want your rank back, Grimmjow?"

"Huh!?"

As Grimmjow's grin split his face; Luppi Antenor, the current Sexta Espada, frowned in disapproval. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Grimmjow could get his rank back as long as Aizen let Grimmjow fight him. Fortunately, he didn't need to worry since Grimmjow was too injured to win against him. Still, it would be annoying if he had to defend his rank.

"What is the catch?" Grimmjow asked eagerly.

"One of Barragan's Fracción reported an anomaly in Menos Forest. I want you to investigate the anomaly," Aizen answered, eliciting a frown from Grimmjow. "It seems a visitor is wreaking havoc there." Grimmjow's frown became deeper. "You don't need to think that deeply. Come here; let me heal you."

As Aizen healed him with the power of Hōgyoku, Grimmjow had a moment of revelation. A wide grin threatened to split his face. Aizen smiled gladly as if confirming his deduction. On the other hand, Luppi's face darkened.