Quilge's smile was arrogant and unrestrained.
He stepped forward slowly, arms slightly outstretched as if embracing something invisible, speaking in a light tone.
"Traitors of Soul Society, filthy and inferior wretches."
"Those who violated the principles of the Gotei 13, willing to waste away in this barren land like trash."
"Tōsen Kaname, Gin Ichimaru! Have you two ever felt the warmth of the sun while living in such a shadowland where light never shines?"
His undisguised contemptuous tone was, essentially, also a kind of similar statement.
Quilge deeply despised the act of betrayal.
Because it meant that the person had denied their own past and experiences. Such cowardly behavior, without any justifiable reason, how could it possibly earn genuine respect from others?
For traitors, there was no mercy to speak of.
This was Quilge's life principle, his belief, the foundation of his will.
The two men, still wearing their Hueco Mundo custom uniforms, now stood to the left and right of the battered Arrancar, calmly observing the Quincy squad before them.
Their attitude was so calm that even Quilge was surprised.
Don't they have anything to say?
"Well, we don't have any interest in speaking to dead men."
As if seeing through his thoughts, Gin Ichimaru, silent until now, suddenly spoke.
He still maintained that expression of smiling without his eyes following suit, and even when those slender eyes 'looked' in a specific direction, they wouldn't give people a distinct feeling.
Like a poisonous snake lurking in flowing water, mountain streams, or crevices.
Before one could notice, it could only be ignored...
Gin Ichimaru stepped forward with light footsteps, and although there was no obvious attack, just this movement alone seemed to bring enough pressure.
"..."
Quilge unconsciously took two steps back.
There was a slight sense of uneasiness in his heart, but such a minor fluctuation could naturally be suppressed quickly, forcing himself not to overthink.
However, the anxiety within would also 'spread' further with external changes.
Gin Ichimaru's smile grew even wider.
"Your invasion plan isn't actually unexpected to us."
The opening statement was something Quilge hadn't anticipated at all. He frowned slightly, as if trying to chew up the words and comprehend them thoroughly, thinking carefully for a moment.
What did he mean?
His Majesty's plan had no flaws whatsoever, let alone to be seen through by these scum who had abandoned their own beliefs.
And if there were to be any issues, it should be problems within the organization... perhaps someone had leaked the plan?
A traitor?
No, that matter could be investigated later.
After all, in the current situation, he couldn't rule out the possibility that the opponent was deliberately saying this for psychological warfare.
If he was easily shaken, that would be overly cautious to a fault.
"Though my information says that neither of you has a very serious personality, I didn't expect... that you're also the type to joke around."
What changed you?
"Was it the environment? Or the taste of being abandoned, driven away, humiliated?"
As a member of the Hueco Mundo Subjugation Team, Quilge was naturally the vanguard of this operation.
He personally led the team to slaughter through these insignificant figures, and the way they scattered like common fowl made him increasingly contemptuous of these inferior groups.
The Three Worlds were once equally divided by the Soul King into three zones.
Soul Society, the Human World, and Hueco Mundo.
—Even such vulgar, despicable souls could have their own territory.
Why were the proud and arrogant Quincies forced to wander homeless in this vast world, eventually leading to His Majesty's once tragic death?
Sometimes, just thinking about these things made Quilge feel so angry that his teeth ached.
His Majesty's plan had absolutely no flaws.
"Is that really so?"
Gin Ichimaru slightly turned, his smile becoming somewhat playful.
An ominous feeling rose in his heart.
Quilge's expression changed slightly, but before he could take any further action.
A series of screams from behind made him turn back to look.
The originally well-formed, orderly, and advancing Quincy army was now being scattered by several sudden figures, becoming 'topsy-turvy'.
Quilge's expression became rare in its disarray.
"Who goes there?!"
"Of course, someone who's come for you!"
A voice more flamboyant and spirited than his own crashed over from the distance.
Rather than the spiritual pressure's oppressive feeling, it was the torn air current that arrived first, directly hitting Quilge.
The approach was fierce and had to be defended against.
Retreat, raise hands... draw bow and arrow.
On his skilled spirit bow, the sacred destruction bolts shot out rapidly, like precise firearms spewing out long and terrifying weapons, accurately and effectively curbing the opponent's offensive momentum.
"Tch..."
A clearly reluctant soft groan could be heard, accompanied by dodging and shifting movements. Though the opponent still rushed forward in the end.
But the attack was no longer as fierce as before.
He could block it.
Quilge's right hand swept at his waist, grasping a slender tube-like object. Infusing it with spiritual energy, a bright blue integrated beam appeared along with it.
Swinging it, the spirit particle beam heavily collided with the incoming blade, sparking conspicuous and eye-catching flashes.
Bang!
Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez frowned deeply, his downward slashing motion with the long sword was forcibly halted at that moment.
"You... what is that thing?!"
"This? Of course, it's the culmination of Quincy craft. By condensing spirit particles for reinforcement and enhancement, it naturally forms such a solid object."
Though not a substantial tool, it could clash with the opponent's blade. As such, it was the most powerful explanation and certification.
Taking advantage of his retreating motion, Quilge conjured a crossbow bolt with his left hand and continued attacking toward Grimmjow.
Forced to defend, Grimmjow could only stop his pursuit and stood in the distance, watching as the opponent landed gracefully.
Although he had avoided falling into danger.
Quilge's expression wasn't particularly pleased.
He instead let out a light snort.
The glasses hanging on his nose bridge were pushed back into place, and a contemplative gaze pierced through them, as if thinking, seeking something...
He began scanning and examining Grimmjow.
"You..."
He pondered for a moment, then said.
"Who are you again?"
"...Huh?!"
Completely not expecting the other to ask such a substandard question, Grimmjow's head seemed to be missing something, showing an expression that was both amusing and somewhat angry.
Was this guy making fun of him?
But that wasn't the case... because at this moment, Quilge indeed couldn't recall any intelligence related to his opponent.
"Someone with your skills shouldn't be excluded from His Majesty's list... but it's strange, why don't I have any information about you?"
After all, when he led the team to invade, Hueco Mundo hadn't formed any effective resistance.
Which aspect of the intelligence had a deficiency?
Compared to Quilge's silence and entanglement, Grimmjow obviously wouldn't dwell on such matters for too long.
He roared as he raised his right hand, pointing his thumb at his chest, as if making some kind of declaration.
"I am Grimmjow, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez!"
No impression.
Although he wanted to respond like that.
But in the next moment, Quilge seemed to suddenly understand something and revealed a somewhat peculiar expression.
"That name... could it be the former 'Espada'?"
The tone wasn't very certain.
After all, Quilge himself didn't pay much attention to these things.
As for that 'small organization' created in Hueco Mundo after Sōsuke Aizen, Seiya Arima, and others betrayed Soul Society, he naturally wouldn't pay much attention either.
After all, in the end, even the leaders were either killed or imprisoned... which fundamentally showed that such an organization had no future.
Quilge wouldn't pay too much attention to losers.
However, at this moment, the situation that was occurring was indeed somewhat unexpected for him.
After all...
"That organization, if I remember correctly... should have been eliminated by the captains dispatched from Soul Society after the previous battle in Karakura Town, right?"
Quilge slightly lowered the military cap on his head, and his tone, along with the fluctuation of his thoughts, was constantly becoming more firm, until finally speaking with vigor and force.
"Right, now I remember."
"You all became trophies of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads."
"None of the ten survived, and in the end, only some insignificant Arrancar remained..."
Although Quilge didn't have very specific content fragments, just by sorting through a few points, he could roughly recall these related contents.
"As for you, Grimmjow."
"You should have been stripped of all your flesh by Senbonzakura, wielded by the Captain of the Sixth Division of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads."
"In the end, only your skeleton remained, and it was taken to Soul Society, where you were burned in public view..."
That's how he remembered it.
There shouldn't be any discrepancies.
But Grimmjow's expression became somewhat disdainful. He very obviously 'tsk'ed, and his attitude now had an indescribable sense of complaint.
"What's that? They arranged such an ending for me? And who is this Captain of the Sixth Division... he could easily defeat me?"
You've got to be kidding.
"..."
The other's retort wasn't within expectations.
No, even more so, Grimmjow's appearance wasn't within his expectations either.
Quilge's expression became somewhat serious. He didn't choose to speak, but at this moment slightly lowered his cap brim, carefully observing the surrounding situation.
Something had gone wrong, many things were off.
"By now, you should have somewhat realized what's happening, right?"
Gin Ichimaru's voice came from behind. He seemed to have completely let go of something hanging in his heart, to the extent that his current tone had a sense of relief and emotion.
"This is the series of preparations we've made for this great battle, for the conquest of your Invisible Empire..."
"A series of preparations."
"Really, coordinating work is also a very tiring thing."
After all, to block intelligence, everything needed to be properly prepared. Even after completing this series of preparations, personnel still needed to be contained... to prevent 'already dead people' from appearing in the public eye.
"If enduring humiliation is also a necessary virtue, I should have finally made it through, right?"
The teasing tone itself didn't 'break' anyone, after all, the return of just one Espada wouldn't bring about any changes.
But at this moment, Quilge couldn't help but reveal a terrified expression.
Because if the opponent's arrangement itself was a series of designs targeting the Invisible Empire...
Then the problem was dramatic.
The Invisible Empire's action this time wasn't a sneak attack.
What it would face would only be a 'counter-sneak attack' jointly launched by Soul Society and Hueco Mundo!
"Your Majesty!"
Quilge let out a shrill cry. He quickly raised his right hand, and bright blue spirit particles flowed within it continuously, like climbing snakes clinging to the air, surging towards the horizon.
This was the connecting force formed by spirit particles. In terms of advanced Quincy standards, it was entirely possible to open up internal bridges in the shortest time, used to penetrate the shackles of space.
No need for the entire person to leave.
Just need to deliver the information and content in place.
Must reveal the truth of this side to His Majesty, must let the other side know the urgency of the current situation!
Such thoughts rolled and condensed in his heart, and Quilge's expression unknowingly became extremely fierce.
"Woooooah!!!"
His voice became high and excited, and the feeling of sacrificing oneself for what one believes in would indeed make one's heart surge with passion.
It was also natural.
Other people present would make corresponding responses.
"Shoot to kill, Shinsō."
The suddenly elongated Zanpakutō instantly pierced through Quilge's chest. His figure staggered, and a mouthful of fresh blood spurted out directly.
But this pain didn't make him stop his action; instead, at this moment, he gritted his teeth and further stimulated his own power.
Vollständig!
Not pursuing perfection and sanctity.
At this moment, it was merely to strengthen the body's durability, just to support himself until the last moment.
Tōsen Kaname and a group of supporting Arrancar all drew their swords, preparing to completely finish him off.
However, Quilge had already pierced through space.
He did it!
After this, he just needed to... wait.
The Vollständig that emerged from this showed defective characteristics, looking wretched and embarrassing. In this daze, Quilge's expression froze slightly, then revealed an overjoyed smile.
"Rein... reinforcements are coming!"
"Haha, you're finished, you're done!"
"The Captain of the Hueco Mundo Subjugation Team is about to arrive!"
As soon as the words fell.
Accompanied by the breaking of space, a man in military uniform walked out leisurely.
Landing lightly under everyone's gaze.
He looked around, a familiar and calm smile appearing on his face.
"Did I arrive just in time?"
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Powerstones?
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