Hades spent some time with Oetsu. He asked him whether he wanted to become stronger but Oetsu had no interest. He just wanted to continue with his work on the Zanpakutos. It was interesting to see him work and Hades asked him whether he would make him such a weapon when he was finished.
Oetsu agreed and said to come back when he was finished. Apparently, he was close to something but had hit some sort of limit for now.
Hades continued with his exploration and search of the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo for a few decades. And as it so happened Hades had found a friend in Hueco Mundo. Although it was less a friendship and more a one-sided bothering.
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(Flashback)
Hades was wandering the empty desert of Hueco Mundo in search of something new. The Hollows had started to get stronger again. Every once in a while Ichibe would go to Hueco Mundo and kill some Hollows that were too strong. All to preserve the balance.
As he walked through the desert he felt something interesting. A strong Hollow had appeared. It was the perfect time for him to see and meet someone strong and have some fun.
When Hades gets there, he sees a Hollow that he recognises from the story. The Hollow has the appearance of a skeleton, with his head being a skull and his hands and arms being bones. The Hollow's body is draped in a purple cloak, with a pitch-black tattered fur collar around his neck area and the fringes of his cloak, which gives him a macabre appearance strongly reminiscent of a lich.
Several lengths of golden chain, dangle out of his armbands. An eye at the centre of his chest near his neck is worn as an elegant pendant. His legs aren't visible as they are hidden by the purple cloak. He wears a full, extravagantly decorated, bejewelled crown, with a chain running downward on the left side.
It was truly befitting the king of Hueco Mundo. Or at least the future King of Hueco Mundo. Or maybe he already was? Hades wasn't sure. He hadn't been in Hueco Mundo for a while.
As he approached the Vasto Lorde, the latter sensed him and turned around.
"A Shinigami ... how nice of you to see me after becoming the new king of Hueco Mundo."
"Ah, a king you say. How fascinating."
"Yes. I am a king and as it is custom, you should better bow before me."
"Bow? I don't bow son. I am the one who usually gets bowed to."
"Oh? Hahahaha, I can't feel any spiritual pressure from you. Someone that is so weak shouldn't be so cocky ... or you might die sooner than you think.", Barragan said ominously.
"Uuuuhhh, ominous. I must say you got the whole skeleton theme down. Now why don't we get down to business?", Hades said.
"And what business do you have ... Shinigami?"
"Well, I felt your spiritual pressure and thought you were strong. How about we fight and get our old bones some training? Otherwise, we might rust, don't you think?"
"You want to fight with me? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA ... that is the funniest thing I have ever heard. You can't just fight the king. You first have to beat the lackeys."
"Oh, so you call them lackeys. Interesting. Although I understand with their strength they are indeed lacking."
One of the Hollows, an Adjucas didn't take that lightly and attacked Hades.
"O yeah? Well take this!", the Hollow screamed and attacked.
It was a crocodile-looking Hollow that had a strong jaw. It opened its mouth up wide and bit Hades. However before it managed to do that, its mouth was cut like it hit an invisible wall that cut off his face.
It was instantly dead as the mast was damaged.
"You shouldn't approach someone who you know nothing about. Now I didn't have time to tone down on my Reiatsu. Look at what happened.", Hades said.
Hades' Reiatsu was already incalculable. The quantity was limitless due to his divinity of boundaries and the quality was growing with the years.
So something similar happened as it did with Aizen when Shinigami tried to put cuffs on him after the Muken.
The jaw of the Hollow was disintegrated as soon as it got too close. But unlike with Aizen, this time there was no bleeding. The parts that made contact just turned into Reishi and the Hollow died.
Hades could tone this down if he wanted. Fighting was no fun otherwise. He did like to get a challenge every once in a while otherwise he would die of boredom. But he had his boredom under control.
.
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(Barragan POV)
I looked at what happened and had wide eyes. I have never seen a Shinigami that could do this. I had to be careful and be prepared.
But I wasn't worried. There hasn't been a Shinigami or Hollow that could challenge me yet. However, there was one that might pose a threat to me if he continued the way he did.
But a Shinigami? Pft, no way. My Aspect of Death was far too powerful. I will age him and he will die. It was as simple as that.
I stand up from my chair. I will have to create a palace for myself in the future. Or have others build it for me. Hueco Mundo was my kingdom and I will rule it.
"You are powerful Shinigami. I will fight you and you will see why I am the King of Hueco Mundo. Come!"
(Flashback end)
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(Hades POV)
This was about a century ago, maybe more. I was still following that feeling of longing when I felt something. A strong Reiatsu had appeared in Soul Society. No, not one ... two powerful Reiatsus.
Ah, a fight was going on. I might as well have a look and see whether I can have some fun. It has been a while since I spared with Barragan and now might be a good time for another spar.
I made my way across the Rukongai to the place where I felt the fight taking place. Using my movement technique was a very fast and nimble way of getting around.
I was not happy with the way Shunpo worked because it was very linear. Most movement techniques were like that and I didn't lie about that. I wanted something that flowed like water or the wind. Something unpredictable, otherwise it was only good to get from point A to B.
But I wanted something to fight with and I managed to create such a movement technique. I was very proud of it. Instead of just using as many steps as possible in one go, I used very small steps but pumped them full of explosive power to have fast and flexible movements.
It was hard to describe but I was essentially tip-toeing just with 1 million times the speed.
.
I got to the place where the fight was going on. And I was very surprised at what I saw.
A Hollow that looked like a giant toad-like creature with elongated arms which reached almost to the ground was there fighting a Shinigami. His forelimbs end in large claws, while his legs are much shorter.
The Hollow does not have a visible neck; instead, his head is an extension of his body. His forehead is covered in hexagonal markings, while a structure extends from his nose back across its cheeks, ending in large circles just beside the hexagonal markings. A long beard extends from beneath his small Hollow Mask.
I could not believe what I saw. This was the future Hollow known as Ikomikidomoe. It was currently an Adjucas class Hollow but I can tell you that its power is not lower than that of a Vasto Lorde. I can feel the hunger of this Hollow.
It was craving something to devour. That was its aspect of death. Devouring. And not only that, it seemed to evolve after it devoured something. That was why it wasn't yet a Vasto Lorde and still an Adjucas.
The Shinigami looked so small in comparison. He had black hair and had a tuft of hair sticking up at the back of his head in a topknot. He had thick but manageable eyebrows and the beginning of a moustache with no beard.
He had a prominent crease on his forehead and beneath his eyes, giving him a serious and tense look, and shallow cheeks. I could see that he wore better clothes like someone from the Seireitei but nothing that screamed noble.
And it made sense. There was no way a noble would willingly fight this Hollow, with nothing but a normal Katana and his fists. But this one had guts I'll give him that.
I could see what a stubborn one he was and I understood that he would make a great Shinigami.
.
As the fight progressed I understood that the Shingami had no chance. He was getting his behind handed to him. The Hollow was not holding back his punches at all. But despite all this, he was not giving up.
I could see the determination and will to continue fighting. He had some willpower. If he was in my Universe I'm sure that he would pass the Quest of Hades. He has that special will that I call 'Pandora's will'.
After one giant Cero from the Hollow, the Shinigami was finally down and could not stand up whatsoever. The Adjucas approached him and was just about to devour him when I decided to intervene.
I held the Hollow with my hand and stopped him from eating the young man. Then I looked at him and asked.
"Well, young man. That was quite the show you pulled. Remarkable for someone so young to be so strong. But you should be careful what you wish for."
.
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(??? POV)
It was another one of those days that I asked myself what it really means to be a Shinigami. I mean I know the basics. You understand how things work and who has all the say.
I know about Hollows and their danger to the souls as well as their appetite to eat more. But it was very hard to kill them. You had to kill them and cut their masks to truly defeat them. Otherwise, they might not die and come back.
I was always stronger than my peers. For some reason, my spirit energy was higher than those of others my age.
I had a hot temper and that was also why I didn't have any friends. But I didn't care. I wanted to do something with my life and not just rot here and do nothing.
So when I felt the powerful Reiatsu of a Hollow I was excited. I finally had a chance to fight a strong Hollow and have some fun.
But that was not what happened. I did not have fun. I had pain. And lots of it. I have never seen such a strong Hollow. He took my punches like they were nothing and my Katana did nearly no damage.
His Cero was so powerful that I had to dodge everyone in fear of dying otherwise. I held on as long as I could, but after a few hours of trying to survive and find an opening, I got hit by another of his massive Cero and was then unable to stand back up.
Just when I thought I was going to die, I felt a shadow appear above me and a man standing there holding the Hollow with one hand and stopping him from devouring me. ONE HAND!!!
"Well, young man. That was quite the show you pulled. Remarkable for someone so young to be so strong. But you should be careful what you wish for.", he said to me.
I couldn't even respond. The Hollow started to scream very Hollow-like and then fired a Cero at point-blank range.
I saw the man smile as the Cero approached him ... SMILE. What sort of psycho smiled in the face of that?
However, instead of him dying, he did something I will never forget. He took the Cero head on ... with his hand ...
... he just grabbed that Cero and tossed it away like it was nothing.
.
"Well, then big guy. It is time for you to say goodbye. For I will punch you in the eye. Oh my ...", he was an idiot it seemed.
This guy bent his knees slightly, pulled back his arms and then disappeared. He reappeared in front of the Adjucas and he punched with both of his fists at the same time.
"Sōkotsu!", the man said.
At first, nothing happened. But then ... there were cracks and then the Hollow began to crumble and a hole started to appear. More and more of the Hollow's body crumbled and disappeared until nothing was left.
The attack completely destroyed the Adjucas with a single blow.
And then another thing happened. The man stood there and closed his eyes. And then some of the most sinister words were said that I have ever heard.
"Rise and serve!"