Chapter 359: BSUS - 362: Jupiter and Wonderweiss

Going by the time in the World of the Living, it should be the end of October by now, right? The 28th? 29th? Or maybe the 30th?

Ichimaru Gin was a little confused. Hueco Mundo, with its lack of alternating day and night, was a good place to rest, but if one lost focus for even a moment, they might lose track of time entirely.

"Kaname, how does time pass in your eyes?"

Tōsen Kaname was momentarily baffled by the inexplicable question. Seeing this, Ichimaru Gin smiled and drawled, "Just a joke, hee hee."

"How tedious."

"Don’t be so serious. You need to learn to relax a little, Kaname," Gin teased with a smile, though looking at Tōsen’s expression, it was obvious the words hadn’t registered at all.

"Lord Ichimaru is right."

A clear male voice rang out, but the speaker was a petite Arrancar with a somewhat androgynous appearance and attire. If he hadn’t spoken, it would have been genuinely difficult to tell if he was a man or a woman. "But it really has been too leisurely lately. I feel like my body is going to rust."

Luppi Antenor, the one who had temporarily taken over the position of the Sexta Espada after Grimmjow was punished. Gin glanced at him; compared to Tōsen, Luppi was probably the one who was truly chafing at the bit.

However, while any part of Luppi’s body might rust, his mouth certainly showed no signs of it. "Speaking of which, we owe our idleness to a certain reckless fellow. It’s all because of this useless trash that Lord Aizen’s plans were interrupted, and in the end, we all had to go through the trouble of saving him. Isn’t that right, Grimmjow?"

Standing at the very edge of the room, Grimmjow turned his head away in disgust, looking completely unwilling to engage.

Yet the Arrancars sitting or standing around the room—whom Luppi had referred to as "we all"—showed no intention of chiming in. This left Luppi slightly embarrassed, prompting him to direct more sarcastic remarks at Grimmjow.

"I’m asking you a question, Grimmjow. Do you think you’re still the Sexta Espada and can just ignore me?!"

Grimmjow sneered, baring his teeth. "Whether I’m an Espada or not, I can crush your skull anytime I want."

"If your blade was as tough as your talk, you wouldn’t have come crawling back beaten and covered in dirt like a dog."

"Then do you want to test it? Let’s see if your head is harder or my blade." As Grimmjow spoke, he provocatively beckoned Luppi over.

"You!"

"Both of you, shut up!" Tōsen turned around, shouting at the two with a stern expression. "Is Lord Aizen’s presence a place for your bickering?!"

*Self-righteous bastard.* Grimmjow leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, looking as if he were resting his eyes, but in reality, he simply didn’t want to look at Tōsen’s annoying face anymore.

Luppi’s expression was equally ugly. He wasn’t directing it at Tōsen; it was merely the existence of Grimmjow, the former Sexta, that made him uncomfortable. He knew very well that, up until now, Lord Aizen still hadn’t given up on Grimmjow, and he himself hadn’t completely replaced the man as the one and only Sexta Espada.

Luppi wanted to be the only one. He wished the name Grimmjow would never be spoken again, but now was certainly not the time. His hands, hidden beneath his sleeves, were clenched so tightly his knuckles were white. All he needed now was an opportunity—a chance to prove that Grimmjow’s existence was no longer necessary.

Both harbored their own ulterior motives, but they wouldn’t come to blows anytime soon. At the very least, they wouldn’t cause a scene right now and draw Lord Aizen’s displeasure.

However, Aizen, standing in the center of the room, did not seem affected by the two of them. At this moment, a strange color swirled in his eyes—the radiance belonging to the Hōgyoku.

And beneath the Hōgyoku lay two pure white skeletons. Judging by their silhouettes, they looked more like two people, one large and one small.

"It is Ulquiorra."

A somewhat cold voice sounded from outside the door. Immediately after, a dazzling light shone through the opening stone doors into the room, stretching all the way to Aizen’s feet.

"You have arrived, Ulquiorra, Yammy."

The newcomers were indeed Ulquiorra and Yammy. After giving Aizen a half-bow, the two slowly walked down the steps.

"You are just in time. It is just about to finish," Aizen said with a smile, looking at the Hōgyoku. He seemed very satisfied.

"Is the Hōgyoku about to fully awaken?"

Ulquiorra’s words seemed to voice the thoughts of most people present. The other Arrancars, who had previously shown exceptional indifference toward Luppi and Grimmjow, all unanimously focused their gazes on Aizen.

"Exactly fifty percent. For Soul Society, I’m afraid this is exactly as they predicted."

Aizen calmly explained the Hōgyoku’s condition. Seeming to notice the slight disappointment in the gazes around him, the corners of his mouth curled up as he continued, "Of course, anyone who hasn’t directly come into contact with the Hōgyoku wouldn’t know. Even Urahara Kisuke, who originally developed the Hōgyoku but immediately sealed it and never unsealed it again, would have no way of knowing..."

The surrounding gazes began to fill with anticipation once more. Amidst these expectant looks, Aizen extended his right hand over the Hōgyoku. "The Hōgyoku, which is in a dormant state after its seal was removed..."

The Reiatsu radiating from his body grew stronger and stronger.

"By temporarily fusing with someone who possesses twice the Reiatsu of a Captain-class, in that split second..."

Finally, Aizen’s Reiatsu seemed to peak. The overwhelming pressure, like a landslide or a tsunami, actually caused some of the Arrancars to involuntarily shrink back.

"...it can exert the exact same power as it would in its fully awakened state!"

As if to verify these words, the originally tranquil Hōgyoku suddenly burst with brilliant colors beneath Aizen’s hand. The light it emitted was like a flurry of sharp swords, tearing the protective barrier surrounding the Hōgyoku to shreds bit by bit.

*Crack, crack, crack.* The white skeletons below were instantly covered in fractures, almost dyed completely black. Finally, accompanied by a loud bang, they completely disintegrated!

Whether they had been inside all along or were created out of thin air by the Hōgyoku, two naked Arrancars tumbled out from the skeletal remains, drawing the attention of everyone present, including Aizen.

"Are there any anomalies, Jupiter?" Aizen asked the Arrancar on his left.

This was a burly Arrancar, perhaps even more heavily built than Yammy. A thin layer resembling leather armor clung to his bare upper torso, and a white mask shaped like a knight’s helmet obscured nearly half of his face, making it impossible to see his features clearly.

"I have not failed my mission. Your subordinate has already passed the trial and is ready to serve you at any time, my Lord!"

His answer was sonorous and forceful. Half-kneeling on the ground, Jupiter exuded an aura of absolute competence from head to toe, making one involuntarily feel a sense of surrender before him.

Aizen nodded, seemingly satisfied. "You have worked hard." He then shifted his gaze to the Arrancar on his right. "And you. Please state your name, our new comrade."

Compared to the burly Jupiter, this Arrancar was far too scrawny. Even standing up, he probably wouldn’t be as tall as the half-kneeling Jupiter.

The ends of his blonde hair curled up slightly, and a white, trident-shaped bone fragment was buried in his hair, looking like a hair accessory or a small crown.

Several freckles dotted his small cheeks. He was a child-like Arrancar with a pair of beautiful purple eyes, though his gaze looked somewhat vacant and foolish.

"Wonderweiss..." As if he had suddenly forgotten his own name, Wonderweiss paused for a moment before continuing haltingly, "My name is Wonderweiss Margela."

Watching Wonderweiss’s display, some revealed expressions of disdain, while others couldn’t help but frown. Although no emotion could be read on Ulquiorra’s eternally unchanging face, even he couldn’t help but harbor some doubts in his heart. *Was this a failure?*

A dim-witted Arrancar whose intelligence was, at best, only slightly higher than a Gillian’s—it had to be considered a failure, right?

"Wonderweiss, I have memorized your name."

Lord Aizen actually acknowledged his existence? Some of those present even began to doubt themselves, wondering if they had misheard just now. How could Lord Aizen possibly acknowledge a guy like this?

As if to dispel their doubts, Aizen continued, "Ulquiorra and Yammy have arrived. Counting Jupiter and Wonderweiss, everyone is now present."

With his hands behind his back, Aizen walked up the high steps, looking down at everyone in attendance.

"Since everyone is here, I shall announce our next course of action. I expect all of you to listen carefully."