"Hm?"

Ailin looked at Kisuke Urahara with surprise, as if he found it strange that there was something Urahara couldn't do.

"Don't look at me like that, Captain Ailin. You just said that the 'Negación' is an ability used by the Menos Grande to rescue their kind. But Gillians are basically species without independent consciousness, and to make them use Negación requires control from a higher-level Menos.

Given how vast Hueco Mundo is, how do you expect me to find a high-level Menos willing to control Gillians to release a Negación for you to study?"

Urahara's refusal to help Ailin wasn't because he couldn't do it, but rather, he didn't have that much time. He still had many unfinished researches himself and couldn't afford to put them aside just to assist Ailin.

Their relationship hadn't reached a point where such a commitment was necessary. In fact, Urahara felt that their relationship seemed reversed.

Wasn't it Ailin who owed him a favor and promised to help if needed?

But why was it that Urahara hadn't cashed in that favor for Ailin's assistance yet, but Ailin had already asked him for help multiple times?

What was going on? A role reversal?

"Alright." Ailin could understand Urahara's refusal.

After all, as Urahara said, even if he could accomplish this task, the time and effort required would be disproportionate to the gains.

No, not disproportionate to the gains - there would be no gains at all.

After all, the one who would gain the "Negación" ability was Ailin himself, so what did it have to do with Urahara?

"Then Urahara, could you trouble yourself to open a Garganta for me to Hueco Mundo? This ability is very important to me, so I must try it myself."

Upon hearing Ailin's words, Urahara seemed to remember something and his face fell. "So, Captain Ailin, if you're capable of doing these things yourself, why do you still ask me to do them?"

"Haha, haha..."

His plan to freeload had been foiled, and he was even being directly questioned by the person himself. Even Ailin felt a bit embarrassed.

"Well, I just felt that you were capable of anything, Urahara. Besides, I'm still the Captain of the 11th Division. It's fine for a short period, but if I'm away from the Seireitei for too long, the Captain-Commander might get upset with me."

"Tsk." Surprisingly, Urahara even scoffed at Ailin. "Then why isn't the Captain-Commander upset with you now?"

"Tsk, well, I have no choice. You've got it good, Urahara. With Lady Yoruichi protecting you, you can do whatever you want and have much more freedom than me.

Urahara, did you know? I'm already regretting listening to your advice and returning to the Seireitei to become the Captain of the 11th Division.

Say, Urahara, how about this? I'll consider this favor of agreeing to become the 11th Division Captain as repayment for the favor I did you by lending you my Tenshintai to help Byakuya train his Bankai. How's that?"

"Captain Ailin really thinks things through, doesn't he? But I'm afraid I have to refuse."

"Tsk, you're becoming less and less fun, Urahara. Alright, enough of this. Just open a Garganta to Hueco Mundo for me. The sooner I get this done, the sooner I can return."

"But Captain Ailin, since we won't be in the same world, our connection will be severed after I send you to Hueco Mundo. How will you return from there?"

"I'm not an idiot." Ailin shook his head. "Once I'm in Hueco Mundo, after I've analyzed the Negación, I'll find a random Hollow to open a Garganta to the Human World. Then I'll use the Garganta you left behind to return to the Soul Society from there. Rest assured."

"Alright, since Captain Ailin has made arrangements, I'll send you to Hueco Mundo."

"Thank you, Urahara."

Before entering the Garganta, Ailin suddenly seemed to remember something and said to Urahara, "Oh, by the way, Urahara, could you please keep an eye on the 11th Division for me while I'm away?"

"..."

Watching Ailin disappear into the Garganta, Urahara shook his head.

No wonder the Soul King's will no longer rejected Captain Ailin. It seemed the Soul King had realized that Ailin didn't intend to hinder the world's development.

However, Urahara's expression darkened slightly.

Negación, huh? It seemed he would have to study it as well, at the very least so he would have a way to deal with such abilities in the future.

***

If the Soul Society was a colorful and dreamy world, then Hueco Mundo consisted solely of black, white, and the "gray" formed by their fusion.

The sky was gray, and so was the ground. The only colors that appeared were those of the Hollows wandering in Hueco Mundo. White masks, black or gray bodies, and various different forms.

These Hollows were the lowest-level ones in Hueco Mundo. Among them, only a few that had consumed relatively fewer souls retained some rationality, while most of the mid-level Hollows that had devoured a large number of souls or other Hollows were driven solely by the "instinct" to feed.

Even if such Hollows consumed enough souls to evolve into Menos Grande, they would still be ordinary Gillians without any potential for further evolution.

Sensing the arrival of fresh food, these Hollows instantly roared and charged towards Ailin.

As he stepped out of the Garganta and saw these small fry Hollows rushing at him, Ailin waved his hand, causing dozens of Zanpakutō to materialize in front of him.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Under Ailin's control, the Zanpakutō left trails of afterimages, piercing through all the incoming Hollows.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

In less than three seconds, nearly a hundred Hollows had disintegrated into Reishi particles.

While this move didn't seem to have much combat effectiveness, don't underestimate the projected Zanpakutō's throwing power.

The only reason was that the opponents Ailin had used them against before were too powerful.

Whether it was Koga or Sōsuke Aizen, both were at least Captain-class fighters. Moreover, against them, Ailin had only projected a few dozen of the lowest-level Zanpakutō.

If Ailin had projected all the thousands of Zanpakutō within his innate barrier, do you think they could have dealt with it so easily?

Not to mention, the power of these Zanpakutō was at the lowest level. The force of throwing them out was roughly equivalent to the 33rd offensive Kidō, Sōkatsui.

If Ailin had chosen to throw Zanpakutō capable of Shikai, their speed and explosive power would increase by one level, at least matching the destructive force of the 60th Kidō, Rikujōkōrō.

The power would vary depending on the strength of each Zanpakutō's ability, but Ailin had at least six different levels.

After killing the surrounding Hollows, the Zanpakutō embedded in the ground dispersed into blue Reishi particles.

Crouching on the ground, Ailin moved his fingers and etched various Kidō incantations onto the sand with his Reiryoku.

At the same time, Ailin began chanting, "Heart of the South, eye of the North, finger of the West, heel of the East, banish but once with this breath, and disintegrate into the void..."

" Bakudō #58 Kakushitsuijaku”

After Ailin finished chanting the Kidō incantation, the pattern he had drawn on the sands of Hueco Mundo began to emit a white glow, forming transparent ripples that carried Ailin's sensory perception outwards.

Ailin knew that the area with the highest concentration of Menos Grande in Hueco Mundo was the "Forest of Menos."

And this "Forest of Menos" was buried deep within a space underground in Hueco Mundo. So Ailin focused most of his sensory perception on probing underground.

With his Reiryoku level, combined with the fully incanted spell, he was able to maximize its sensory ability to the utmost, scanning an area roughly seven to eight times the size of the Seireitei.

"Nothing."

The first scan didn't detect the "Forest of Menos" where the Menos Grande gathered underground, but Ailin wasn't in a hurry.

After all, Hueco Mundo was only so big. At most, it would take him around ten days to scan the entire area.

Getting up, Ailin moved at full speed in a random direction, rapidly advancing forward.

Once he felt he had traveled a diameter's distance from his previous scanning range, Ailin used Kakushitsuijaku again to detect the Reiryoku of any Menos Grande.

It's worth mentioning that during his search for the Forest of Menos, Ailin actually detected the main base of the Shinigami Expeditionary Force in Hueco Mundo.

Moreover, Ailin sensed a somewhat familiar Reiryoku signature there. Tilting his head slightly in thought, Ailin realized the source of this familiarity.

It was the Zanpakutō of Shin'etsu Kisaragi!

So Shin'etsu Kisaragi son, the one now known as Shūsuke Amagai, had already joined the Expeditionary Force in Hueco Mundo?

Recalling the shock of encountering a Captain-level fighter for the first time, as well as his own initial weakness and helplessness... Back then, if Shin'etsu Kisaragi hadn't spared them and decided to kill, Ailin might have died by his hand.

Since Shin'etsu Kisaragi had let him live once, and he now encountered Shūsuke Amagai, he might as well return that favor!

With that thought, Ailin projected a black cloak invented by Urahara to completely conceal his Reiryoku. He then stealthily made his way towards the Expeditionary Force's base.

Quietly infiltrating the base, Ailin located the young Shūsuke Amagai diligently training. He struck the back of the boy's head, knocking him unconscious, wrapped him in the black cloak, and swiftly retreated from the Expeditionary Force's base.

***

"Ugh, what happened to me?"

Regaining consciousness from his stupor, Shūsuke Amagai felt a sore pain in his neck, as if someone had struck him forcefully.

"Hm? No, this isn't the Expeditionary Force's base."

As soon as he reached up to rub his neck, Shūsuke Amagai realized that he was no longer in the place where he had been training. Recalling the pain in his neck, he instantly had a guess.

"Was I kidnapped? By who? Could it be that my identity was exposed?"

 

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