"It's a Menos Grande, a Gillian!"
"Hueco Mundo actually chose to attack at a time like this?"
"Damn it, their target is Lord Naraku!"
Gasps of shock rippled through the crowd. The Soul Reapers drew their Zanpakutō and flared their spiritual pressure, preparing for battle.
They couldn't deal with the rule-based abilities of Gagaku Kairyū, but almost no one feared a Gillian with a physical body.
Moreover, they had just survived a brutal war.
Every Soul Reaper who made it out alive was harboring a massive amount of pent-up frustration.
Any enemy that dared to show up now would face their most terrifying wrath.
At this moment, Naraku Sora, the man who had saved the Seireitei, was undoubtedly the most revered figure in the hearts of the Soul Reapers.
Even if it was just to fight for Lord Naraku, they would unleash boundless potential.
"What's going on?" Naraku Sora stared at the golden light that had suddenly descended upon him, completely bewildered.
"Hasn't the crisis already been resolved?"
"Why would a Menos Grande appear at a time like this?"
"Could this be Kisuke's idea of efficiency?"
Just as Sora prepared to shatter the golden light before him, he suddenly noticed a head poking out from beside the Gillian.
The figure flashed a grin at the heavily injured Sora, then pulled out an unidentifiable object and pressed it hard.
A massive amount of colorless gas erupted within the golden light.
Sora only took a single breath before his entire body went limp. His vision went black, and he collapsed straight to the ground.
First, he had released his Reality Marble to forcefully resist the devouring power of Gagaku Kairyū, and then he had jumped directly into the giant maw to unleash the strongest strike of his life.
He was already pushed to his absolute limits; just being able to walk out standing was entirely thanks to his sheer willpower.
Seeing the crisis resolved, his guard was completely down. Thus, the moment he inhaled the specialized anesthetic prepared just for him, he immediately lost consciousness.
The ground crumbled and shattered as massive boulders slowly rose into the air, carried by the golden light.
Yamamoto's eyes widened in fury, and he instinctively prepared to unleash his power.
But he quickly realized what that golden light was.
Negación!
A special ability used by Menos Grande to save their comrades. Once deployed, the inside and outside of the light became two completely separate worlds.
Even with his destructive power, he likely couldn't break through this beam of light.
At this thought, visible rage flared up within him.
Yamamoto's entire body ignited—literally.
The person hiding beneath the Menos Grande saw this and felt a sudden chill in his heart, instinctively pulling his head back in.
'Making a researcher like me face a monster like Yamamoto Shigekuni head-on? One slash and there wouldn't even be ashes left,' he thought. 'Lord Aizen is really something else, actually making me do this kind of mission. Is he really not afraid of this old man charging into Hueco Mundo with his sword? Even the strongest Arrancar probably wouldn't be able to withstand that.'
"Wait, if I remember correctly, Negación is only used by Menos Grande to save their comrades," Shihōin Chika voiced his confusion as he looked up at the giant head in the sky. "Don't tell me that Naraku kid has already defected to Hueco Mundo."
"Mr. Chika, please watch your words," Shihōin Yoruichi said in dissatisfaction beside him. "Sora is the hero who saved the Soul Society, not the kind of traitor you're making him out to be."
Hearing this form of address, Shihōin Chika's expression instantly stiffened.
'I only casually voiced a guess, and I went straight from Uncle to Mr. Chika?' he thought. 'If I say a few more unpleasant things, won't the current clan head strip me of the Shihōin surname? Damn it, she hasn't even married him yet, but she's already siding with an outsider over her own family! If she actually marries him, what then?'
"Lord Naraku likely exhausted his spiritual power in the battle just now, which is why he couldn't resist," Katori Batsu'unsai walked over and explained softly.
Unohana Retsu nodded.
As a medical professional, she had already assessed Naraku Sora's condition the moment he appeared.
To say he was at his absolute limit was no exaggeration.
Normally, when they sparred in Zanjutsu, his injuries would heal instantly, but when he just showed up, he was covered in wounds.
However, out of everyone present, she was the least worried.
Because Unohana Retsu knew very well that for Naraku Sora, the Seireitei wasn't necessarily safer than Hueco Mundo.
Although she didn't know exactly what had happened, out of various considerations, she chose not to voice this thought.
As a sensible woman, this was a necessary consideration.
"Why waste so much breath? We've already fought Hell, does it matter if we add Hueco Mundo to the list?" Saitō Furōfushi was clearly the most hot-tempered of the bunch, immediately clamoring to gather the troops and invade Hueco Mundo. "It would be best to kill that so-called King of Hueco Mundo while we're at it."
Just as the captains were arguing endlessly, a wave of scorching heat suddenly descended.
Although he had already deactivated his Bankai, a residual high temperature that ordinary Soul Reapers couldn't withstand still lingered.
Looking at the exhausted crowd before him, Yamamoto took a deep breath and issued his orders once more.
"Captains of all Squads, gather your Soul Reapers and exterminate the remaining Wills of Hell and Togabito within the Seireitei."
"I will handle the Gates of Hell!"
"As for the matter of Prison Warden Naraku, we will discuss it later!"
As his words fell, pillars of spiritual pressure erupted once again.
Everyone held onto their pent-up frustration, venting all their anger on the remaining Togabito.
Yamamoto stood in place, calmly watching the Gates of Hell in the sky, ensuring he could respond to any sudden developments immediately.
He was expressionless, as if nothing had just happened.
Not many could guess what Yamamoto was thinking at this moment.
Only a slightly disheveled Kyōraku Shunsui cast a deep glance toward where the old man stood.
The battle broke out once more.
The new Gotei 13 took the lead, spearheaded by a blood-soaked Komamura Sajin, charging first at the Togabito wreaking havoc in the streets.
As for the old Gotei 13, although they appeared slightly weakened, spurred on by their colleagues, they also unleashed impressive combat power.
Coupled with the cooperation of several first-generation captains, the war took on a completely one-sided trend.
But even so, the fires of war continued to burn until the evening of the second day.
It wasn't until all the Wills of Hell and Togabito were completely eradicated that the Gates of Hell finally dissipated unwillingly into the air.
The heavy burden pressing on everyone's hearts vanished, yet no cheers of victory erupted.
The Soul Reapers hung their heads in dejection, as if they had suffered a defeat.
Whenever they thought of how the greatest contributor to this battle had been abducted to Hueco Mundo by a Menos Grande, they felt an uncontrollable surge of anger.
Although they wished they could charge into Hueco Mundo right now, the remaining Soul Reaper officers, including the captains, were in a state of extreme exhaustion.
They simply didn't have enough strength to sustain a battle.
The most pressing matter now was to rest and recuperate, adjust their condition, and then assemble an expeditionary force to march directly on Hueco Mundo.
Unohana Retsu looked at the crowd, whose fighting spirit remained undiminished, a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes.
Las Noches.
Comprehensive Medical Ward.
This was a temporarily established facility. Although the name was the same, the interior was completely different.
Rather than a hospital ward, it looked more like some sort of luxurious bedchamber.
The only difference was that various precise medical instruments and equipment almost filled the entire room.
"Nel, what is the meaning of this?"
Naraku Sora was forcibly strapped to the sickbed, his body hooked up to various unidentifiable monitoring devices.
"Could it be that Kisuke was dissatisfied with the treatment I gave him, so he secretly incited you all to rebel, and then forcibly pinned the label of 'Soul Society traitor' on my head in front of everyone?"
"All so that Teacher Yamamoto would gather a massive army, attack Hueco Mundo, and finally execute his traitorous disciple with his own hands?"
Nelliel shook her head, then revealed an innocent smile.
"Nel doesn't know."
"It's just that news came from the Soul Society telling us to take good care of Lord Naraku."
"Here, say 'ahh'—"
Although she was a bit of an airhead, she was still very careful and earnest when it came to taking care of people.
Nelliel held a bowl of unidentifiable medicinal soup, tested the temperature, and motioned for Naraku Sora to open his mouth.
If it were Szayelaporro, he might have suspected whether the soup was poisoned.
But since Nelliel was the kindest Arrancar in Las Noches, Naraku Sora didn't have a shred of doubt and obediently opened his mouth.
The moment it entered his mouth.
An overwhelming bitterness shot straight to the top of his skull, as if it were trying to kill his very soul.
Before he could spit it out, the medicinal soup dissolved in his mouth, sliding down his throat and straight into his stomach.
It definitely had a healing effect.
But the taste was truly nothing to write home about.
Even a tough guy like Naraku Sora, who wouldn't utter a single grunt if his neck were slashed, was nearly brought to tears by the bitterness.
"Can I stop drinking this? I feel terrifyingly robust right now."
Nel shook her head.
"Lord Naraku, this is a necessary part of the treatment."
"If you're scared, I can add a little more sugar."
She said that, but Naraku Sora highly suspected this stuff would be just as bitter even with sugar. In order not to show weakness in front of his subordinate, he forced himself to finish the entire bowl of medicinal soup.
Nel very thoughtfully wiped the corners of his mouth, then left with the bowl.
Not long after, the door opened again. Just as Naraku Sora was about to say something, he suddenly felt the temperature in the room drop significantly.
He opened his eyes and saw a familiar figure standing by the bed.
"Cough, cough, it's Sōsuke."
"Long time no see..."
The moment he saw his good friend, a certain someone suddenly remembered how he had forcibly hung up the 'phone' earlier, and an awkward smile instantly appeared on his face.
He tried to use this method to awaken Aizen's conscience.
"It has been a long time."
Aizen was expressionless, his gaze icy, as if he were looking at an ugly bug.
"It has been three days since the war with Hell."
"Naraku Sora, you've done very well."
"Facing Kuruyashiki Kenpachi all by yourself, even charging into the interior of Gagaku Kairyū. If it weren't for you, the Seireitei would have been completely destroyed by now."
The awkward smile on Naraku Sora's face became even more pronounced.
He was already faintly sensing that something was wrong.
That Negación from earlier most likely wasn't meant to save him.
Aizen ignored his sycophantic expression and continued calmly,
"But it seems you didn't listen to a word I said. Instead, you acted arbitrarily, solving every problem like a reckless brute."
"To teach you a lesson, you will stay put and behave yourself for the time being."
"The Soul Society cannot rely on one person to solve every problem they encounter. It is time for those captains to grow up a bit."
Naraku Sora's pupils trembled in sheer shock.