Chapter 536 - 536 The Majestic Las Noches!

Rumble—

With a loud crash, a flat area of ground in Hueco Mundo suddenly collapsed, forming a massive crater hundreds of meters wide.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Several figures suddenly shot out of the collapsed crater. Upon closer look, it was Toshiro and the others.

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey—!!"

Among the group, except for Toshiro and Nel, whom he held in his arms, everyone else was spitting out sand wildly.

The ground in Hueco Mundo is mostly composed of sand. So, after the underground structure collapsed, countless sand poured in. Although the group managed to reach the surface via the stairs at the critical moment, aside from Toshiro and Nel, everyone else was covered in sand, looking quite disheveled.

"Phew... We finally made it out."

Rangiku breathed a huge sigh of relief. Among the group, excluding Nel, she was the weakest. Just as they were coming out, a large boulder suddenly fell right above her head. If Toshiro hadn't acted in time, she would have been crushed and trapped inside.

Then Rangiku surveyed their surroundings and asked, "Is this what Hueco Mundo really looks like? It's quite similar to what I heard back in Soul Society… very desolate, nothing much, just a pale white expanse."

Looking at the scene, as far as the eye could see, there were either undulating low sand dunes or vast, boundless dusty plains.

A crescent moon hung in the sky. Its bright moonlight cast down, illuminating the sand on the ground white as snow. Although it was night in Hueco Mundo, it wasn't very dark.

"Hueco Mundo is indeed quite desolate, but it's not like there's nothing. At least some plants seem to exist, even if they're withered."

Sojiro said, glancing at something beside him.

Not far from the group, some gray-white, withered-looking 'small trees' a few meters tall were sparsely scattered.

Sojiro walked to the nearest 'small tree' and, with a crack, snapped off a 'branch'.

"Hmm..."

Looking at the 'branch' in his hand, Sojiro said in surprise, "No! This isn't a plant! It looks more like..."

"It's made of quartz, like fossils or something."

Toshiro suddenly explained. "Strictly speaking, these things could be considered plants, or rather, they were once plants. They are the branches at the tops of massive trees that extend from deep underground spaces in Hueco Mundo. After countless years of erosion, they've gradually become fossilized."

"From deep underground spaces!"

Rangiku exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes. There are spaces deep underground in Hueco Mundo. The most famous among them is probably the [Forest of Menos]."

"When I was the Commander of the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force, I once went to the Forest of Menos deep underground in Hueco Mundo. That's where I met Ashido."

"And in the Forest of Menos, I saw countless 'trees' made of quartz. But unlike these 'small trees' on the surface, those 'trees' in the Forest of Menos were massive, blocking out the top. The Forest of Menos is formed by those endless 'trees'. They extend from deep underground, and these 'small trees' on the surface are just the tips of their branches."

Toshiro explained.

"A-amazing..."

Rangiku was extremely surprised. She couldn't imagine how majestic those quartz 'trees' deep underground must be.

"Hey, everyone, look!!"

Sojiro, who had been looking around, suddenly pointed behind them and shouted in shock.

"Hmm?"

Hearing Ashido's words, the group instinctively turned to look.

"Wh-what! Is this a castle or a palace?"

Rangiku stammered, shocked.

"So this is Las Noches? It's... so big..."

Sojiro also marveled.

Seeing that huge building in their view, Rangiku and Sojiro were immediately awestruck.

Large! So large!! Extremely large!!! Other than 'large', they couldn't find another word to describe it.

Logically, as among the stronger members of the Gotei 13, Rangiku and Sojiro were not inexperienced. But they had never seen such a huge building. Even the mansions of the great nobles in Soul Society were less than one percent of its size. That's why they were so shocked.

However, aside from Rangiku and Sojiro, Toshiro, Nel, and Ashido weren't overly surprised.

Nel had always lived in Hueco Mundo and had seen Las Noches countless times. Toshiro, having served as Commander of the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force, had also seen the majestic Las Noches. Ashido had seen Las Noches when he left the Forest of Menos at Toshiro's invitation.

"What a majestic, huge building. Even the skyscrapers built by humans in the Living World can't compare. Even seeing it a second time, it still shakes one's spirit."

Even Toshiro couldn't help but lament.

"Captain, you've seen Las Noches before? Of course, you served as Commander of the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force, leading the army in Hueco Mundo. Naturally, you would have seen Las Noches."

Rangiku said, understanding.

"I did come to Hueco Mundo back then. But initially, the King of Hueco Mundo was Baraggan Louisenbairn. That guy didn't seem very interested in castles or palaces. What was called Las Noches was just ruins."

"This current, immense Las Noches was actually built during the two years I was in Hueco Mundo, right before I left. That is to say, this majestic Las Noches was constructed in less than two years."

"Thinking back, Aizen probably took over Las Noches during those two years and ordered its reconstruction."

Toshiro said.

"Captain, although we know the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force is in trouble, we don't know yet whether they've already been captured by Aizen or are still resisting. But since we're this close to Las Noches, should we go there first to scout the situation?"

Sojiro asked.

"Close to Las Noches? Heh."

Hearing Sojiro's words, Toshiro couldn't help but laugh.

"Sojiro, do you see those quartz trees in front of Las Noches?"

Toshiro asked.

"Quartz trees? How... what!"

Looking in the direction Toshiro indicated, Sojiro was shocked again.

Compared to the quartz trees a few meters tall near them, the quartz trees in front of Las Noches looked as small as needles.

"Compared to Las Noches, those quartz trees look as small as needles. But it's not that the quartz trees are too small... it's that Las Noches is too large and too far away. It's like the moon in the sky looks the size of a plate, but is actually immense."

Toshiro explained.

"So, we are currently very far from Las Noches?"

Sojiro frowned.

"Exactly."

Toshiro nodded.

"So what do we do now, Captain?"

Rangiku asked.

"Compared to Las Noches, we are actually closer to the outer ring where the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force has always been active. So, although I feel bad towards Nel, I think we should go to the outer ring first to confirm whether the Expeditionary Force has already been captured or is still resisting."

"Otherwise, if we go to Las Noches first, and the Expeditionary Force is still holding out in the outer ring, once we start fighting Aizen and the Espada, we probably won't be able to help them."

Toshiro said, looking at Nel in his arms apologetically.

"Nel doesn't mind. Nel is already very happy that Toshiro came to help Nel rescue everyone."

Nel said obediently.

"Then, let's go to the outer ring of Hueco Mundo first!"

Toshiro decided.