Two figures, one shrouded in blue Reiatsu, the other cloaked in black, collided in an instant.
The black figure struck first.
In less than a heartbeat, more than a dozen kicks were unleashed in rapid succession. Her legs moved like afterimages, each strike precise and merciless. Her feet and calves were wrapped in condensed white spiritual armor, the plating flowing seamlessly with every motion as it completely enveloped the blue figure's guard.
The blue figure reacted instantly.
Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez drew his Zanpakutō in a sharp motion, his arm snapping forward as he released a flurry of slashes. In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen crescent-shaped blade arcs erupted outward, weaving together into a dense lattice of cutting force.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
Metal screeched against hardened spirit armor. Sparks scattered through the air as Grimmjow's slashes struck cleanly yet not a single fracture appeared on the white plating.
Suddenly, a black shadow pierced through the edge of the blade web.
Bang!
Grimmjow's body was struck squarely in the chest. He was sent flying backward, skidding violently across the ground before rolling several times. He forced himself upright, but his left arm hung at an unnatural angle, the bones clearly displaced.
"If you don't use Resurrección,"
the black-clad figure said calmly,
"you're not my opponent."
The speaker was Tristan.
She tapped the ground lightly with her foot. The white spiritual armor covering her legs dissolved instantly, dispersing into fine particles of reishi before vanishing completely.
Unlike standard Hollowfication, Tristan bore no visible mask fragment on her face. Her Hollow traits had fused directly with her equipment her boots acting as the medium causing the mask manifestation to stabilize and remain bound to her lower body rather than her head.
With the armor released, Tristan vanished in a blur of motion.
Her Sonído enhanced by partial Hollowfication was now noticeably faster than before.
Grimmjow straightened, rolling his shoulder once despite the pain, and snorted.
"Yeah… but once I release my blade, even you and that Tsukishima bastard together wouldn't be enough."
That assessment wasn't arrogance it was fact.
Tristan's strength had clear limitations. Even with Hollowfication, her output had an upper ceiling.
Grimmjow, on the other hand, was undeniably Captain-class, and even among Arrancar, his raw combat instincts placed him a tier above her.
Tristan shrugged casually.
"Then there's nothing to be done. You're not planning to fight Ginjo or Tsukishima, are you?"
Grimmjow's expression darkened.
"…Those two monsters."
Ginjo Kūgo and Tsukishima Shūkurō had already crossed into true Captain-level combat capability. Even without Hollowfication or Resurrección, they could contend evenly with Arrancar like Harribel, Nelliel, or Ulquiorra in their unreleased states.
Against Grimmjow, they could already win cleanly.
And if they did Hollowfy…
Only then did Grimmjow fully realize something uncomfortable.
For a so-called "support unit," their strength was absurd.
If this was the level of the auxiliary forces, then he truly belonged exactly where Renya had placed him.
"I'm going to get a drink,"
Tristan said lazily, yawning as she glanced sideways at Grimmjow.
"You coming?"
Grimmjow frowned.
"…You're inviting me?"
Tristan shot him an irritated look.
"Don't be stupid. Is there anyone else here?"
Grimmjow choked briefly, then scoffed.
"Tch. Fine. I could use a few drinks."
Far away, within the depths of Hueco Mundo, inside the laboratory beneath Las Noches, Kurotsuki Renya stood silently before a long experimental bench.
Resting inside a pristine white porcelain vessel were two Hōgyoku.
They were pressed tightly together yet unmistakably separate.
"They're resisting each other…" Renya muttered.
To fuse them, the boundary each Hōgyoku generated had to be forcibly dismantled.
Renya lifted a glass tube filled with shimmering blue fluid and slowly poured its contents onto the Hōgyoku. As the liquid spread, faint pulses of light rippled outward, and the previously discordant spiritual waves began to synchronize.
Aizen Sōsuke's Hōgyoku had been formed by extracting and condensing the souls of hundreds of Shinigami and spiritually gifted humans.
Urahara Kisuke's version differed in methodology, but it too contained immense soul density.
Both were mutations of the Soul Assembly Technique, each possessing the ability to manifest latent desire granting power according to the deepest wishes of the soul.
However, once completed, every Hōgyoku developed its own internal boundary.
To merge two into one, those boundaries had to be broken repeatedly and restructured into a single, perfect spiritual framework.
Renya had been experimenting for over a month.
The fusion was only partial.
"At least another month…" he calculated silently.
Even after full fusion, the structure would still require refinement.
When the blue luminescence faded, Renya raised his left hand and manipulated the surrounding Reishi, wrapping the Hōgyoku tightly. His right hand traced several symbols through the air.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
Layers of distorted space folded inward, forming a transparent cube around the Hōgyoku.
An anti-boundary membrane.
Inside and outside the membrane now existed in completely separate spatial phases.
Renya lifted the cube, stored it securely against his body, and turned his gaze to the side.
"Can you not lie there?" he said flatly.
"That's my testing bench."
Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck was sprawled across another table, her long legs crossed casually. A short white skirt hugged her hips, emphasizing the smooth curve of her figure.
"Standing is tiring," she replied lazily.
"And there aren't any chairs. This is more comfortable."
"You're unbelievably lazy," Renya sighed.
"There's no guard captain like you."
Nelliel's personality had always been like this—idle, relaxed, seemingly careless.
But like a grazing antelope, her awareness was absolute the moment danger appeared.
That was precisely why Renya had placed her in charge of patrol and personal security.
"It's boring," Nelliel yawned.
"No enemies. No danger."
Renya ignored her and finished organizing the lab. Draping his white coat over his shoulders, he said calmly,
"Since you have nothing to do, come with me."
Nelliel hopped down immediately and followed him.
They moved through the underground corridors, eventually exiting Las Noches into the open wasteland of Hueco Mundo.
"What are we doing?" Nelliel asked curiously.
"I'm capturing a Hollow," Renya replied.
"I need a new subject for Mask-Breaking experiments. The previous attempts failed
I want to see if this one works."
Nelliel tilted her head.
"But didn't Dondochakka and Pesche regain their power?"
"That's different," Renya said.
"They recovered lost strength. This time, I'm granting it. The nature isn't the same."
As they advanced, lesser Hollows scattered in panic.
"Nelliel," Renya said calmly,
"rein in your Reiatsu."
"Oh."
She nodded and suppressed it immediately.
Not far ahead
A group of Hollows were locked in combat.
Four or five lesser Hollows were surrounding a single beast-like Hollow a massive hyena-shaped form.
Renya's eyes narrowed.
He recognized it instantly.
"That one…" Nelliel said softly,
"is an Adjuchas."
Though not a Vasto Lorde, Adjuchas were already rare. Among the Espada, even the Ninth had once been nothing more than a mutated Gillian.
Grimmjow's former Fracción had once been an Adjuchas until Grimmjow devoured part of his body, forcing him to degenerate.
Finding one here was exceptional luck.
Renya nodded.
"He'll do."
The hyena Hollow finished slaughtering its opponents and lowered its head to feed
Suddenly
Pain exploded through its skull.
Its massive body collapsed instantly.
Renya stood behind it, already lifting the unconscious Adjuchas onto his shoulder.
"Alright," he said calmly.
"Let's head back."