Aizen's eye twitched slightly.
The way Masatsuki Aozaki spoke carried a hint of mischief. Was this what people called "concern from a friend"?
If so, Aizen wanted no part of it.
...But then again.
If Masatsuki insisted on being his friend, perhaps it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.
Masatsuki Aozaki cleared his throat, stood up, and cast a firm gaze over the gathered audience before speaking.
"For millions of years, the Shinigami have been our greatest enemies. But Soul Society is powerful, filled with warriors of immense strength. We cannot afford to be reckless."
"Our top priority is to strengthen ourselves."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"Hueco Mundo has been suppressed by Soul Society for countless generations. And in my view, there are three primary reasons for this."
"First, a lack of structure. Second, unclear responsibilities. Third, weak enforcement."
"All of this… is the result of Baraggan's failure as King of Hueco Mundo."
"Hueco Mundo has suffered under Baraggan's rule for far too long!"
At this point, Masatsuki Aozaki let out a deep sigh, as if truly lamenting the injustices endured by the Hollows.
"And now, thanks to your trust in me, I stand here as the new ruler of Hueco Mundo. It is my duty to change this."
In short, he was going to overhaul the entire system.
Previously, the hierarchy of Las Noches had been simple—almost laughably so.
Baraggan sat atop it all, reigning supreme.
Szayelaporro, Oswell, and that one Vasto Lorde who had invaded Soul Society only to be cut down by Kenpachi Kuruyashiki had served as his trusted lieutenants, leading bands of Adjuchas under them.
As for the weaker Adjuchas, those with no real potential?
They were lumped in with ordinary Hollows and left to be ruled by the stronger ones.
Calling this a monarchy would be generous—it was more like a glorified gang of bandits.
Masatsuki Aozaki turned his head toward an old acquaintance—someone who had once ruled Hueco Mundo and still carried considerable influence.
"Come, Sōsuke. You'll be the one to announce Las Noches' new system."
Under Aizen's wary and skeptical gaze, Masatsuki Aozaki handed him a list with a bright smile.
Aizen frowned.
That smile…
It was far too enthusiastic.
Was this really something to be so happy about?
After a brief hesitation, Aizen extended his hand and took the list, carefully scanning its contents.
"Las Noches Queen: Harribel."
"Head of the Science Department, Head of the Urban Development Department, Chief of Staff, and Head of Internal Affairs: Sōsuke Aizen."
"Head of the Public Security Department: Nelliel, overseeing both the Espada Force and the Public Security Force."
"Espada members: Starrk, Ulquiorra, Grimmjow, Zommari, Cirucci, Pícaro, Shawlong, Luppi, Dordonii, and Gantenbainne."
"The Public Security Force consists of all Arrancars who are not part of the above departments."
"Additionally, aside from the Public Security Force, members of all other departments may be assigned a certain number of Fraccións."
Aizen stroked his chin, lost in thought.
At first glance, the department titles seemed somewhat peculiar, and the structure overly complicated.
More importantly, why was he assigned four different roles? Was this some elaborate plan to work him to death?
That aside, the proposal did provide a more structured and detailed division of responsibilities.
However, something was off…
Nowhere in these positions did Masatsuki Aozaki's name appear.
Logically speaking, wasn't he the one currently ruling Hueco Mundo?
Shouldn't there be a title like "King of Las Noches" for him?
Where was he?
Aizen narrowed his eyes, sensing something amiss. He carefully searched through the list for any mention of Masatsuki Aozaki.
After a bit of effort, he finally found his name—on the back of the document.
"King of Hueco Mundo, Husband, and Director of the Female Arrancar Physiological Health Research Office—Masatsuki Aozaki."
Aizen stared at the title.
For a moment, he felt as if his centuries of carefully maintained composure had been wasted.
His chest rose and fell sharply as he took a deep breath, barely suppressing the overwhelming urge to cut someone down.
"Overall, there doesn't seem to be any major issues… except for this part."
He lifted the pen in his hand, the tip precisely aimed at Masatsuki Aozaki's absurdly long and utterly ridiculous title.
"No! Aizen-sama, please!"
Just as Masatsuki Aozaki put on a face of pure heartbreak and reluctant sorrow—
Aizen shot him an indifferent glance, then, feeling oddly satisfied, crossed out the title with a single stroke.
"There. No more issues."
Nodding in satisfaction, he strode toward the throne, stood before the assembled Arrancars, cleared his throat, and solemnly declared:
"Emperor of Hueco Mundo—Masatsuki Aozaki."
...
With the announcement of the official ranks, the reactions among the Arrancars were nothing short of spectacular.
For some, like Gantenbainne and Shawlong—who had only been mid-tier Adjuchas before evolving—being selected as Espada members was a huge deal.
They had fought their way through hundreds of Adjuchas to earn this position, and their spirits soared with pride.
But not everyone was pleased.
The loudest among them? Grimmjow.
It was one thing for Harribel and Nelliel to outrank him.
They were longtime rivals—Grimmjow had challenged them before and lost. He could accept that.
If you lose, you stand tall and take it like a man. No complaints.
But Starrk?
A newcomer he had never even fought before?
How the hell did he end up ranked above him in the Espada?
Grimmjow wasn't having it.
Without a second thought, he stepped forward and challenged Starrk for a rank swap.
This was Hueco Mundo—here, strength determined status.
Masatsuki Aozaki didn't hesitate in the slightest before agreeing.
Starrk, on the other hand, was about to refuse.
He had no interest in rankings—he had only stuck around because he finally found a group of people he could relax with.
But between Masatsuki Aozaki and Lilynette stirring up trouble, he eventually sighed and gave in.
With a smirk, Grimmjow sprinted toward the battlefield outside Las Noches.
Arrancars usually trained outside.
After all, even a single Cero could cause massive destruction.
But out in the endless desert, they could go all out without holding back.
A number of other Arrancars followed suit, eager to settle their own disputes.
Some of Grimmjow's former subordinates also ran ahead, but their targets weren't Starrk—they had their sights set on the lower-ranked Espada instead.
They knew Grimmjow's strength well and weren't about to compete with him.
Just as they were deciding who to challenge—
A crushing Reiatsu engulfed the area.
BOOM!
The sheer pressure crashed down on them like tidal waves, making it difficult to breathe.
Shocked, the Arrancars turned toward the source—
The Espada, sitting atop the dunes.
Grimmjow's eyes widened.
"What the hell!? Since when was Starrk's Reiatsu this strong!?"
His former subordinates weren't faring much better.
"Shawlong's this powerful!? He must've been holding back when sparring with me!"
"And those damn Pícaro brats… there's so many of them, and they're this strong? How the hell are they only ranked sixth!?"
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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