"It appeared that Lady Luck had deserted me right at the moment when I was poised to dominate the globe! "
"Consequently, the core of the planet detonated, engulfing the entire world in the resulting cataclysm. The escape was nearly impossible, but why must I be subjected to this agony! " With his hands shielding his skeletal visage, the creature hunched over on the sand, its elongated, sharp claws rhythmically striking against the dense bone armor encasing its body, producing creaking noises.
This being is a Menos Grande, differing from typical hollow evolution. It exists solely as a soul form, and upon arriving in Hueco Mundo, it was consumed by a distinctive force of law, compelling its entire essence to transform into a Menos Grande, a bulky humanoid figure standing around 2 meters tall.
Menos Grande is classified into three distinct types: Vasto Lorde, Adjuchas, and Gillian. Each type signifies a different level of existence! The souls of living beings after their demise often turn into hollows. Absent a Shinigami burial ritual, the majority of spirits will become hollows and arrive at Hueco Mundo, which is primarily populated by mindless beasts driven solely by the urge to kill.
Typically, from hundreds of hollows, only a single one can evolve into a Menos Grande called Gillian by consuming others of its kind.
At this point, a Gillian lacks individual consciousness, but by persistently devouring fellow hollows, Gillians can undergo another evolutionary phase.
Transforming into an Adjuchas, this form possesses the capability to effortlessly eliminate regular Menos Grande and can adopt a new shape through the essence of the soul. However, hollows that advance to Adjuchas are perpetually in a state of dread since those who shift from Menos Grande to Adjuchas risk degeneration if they fail to continue preying on other Adjuchas of the same tier.
Should an Adjuchas regress to Gillian, it will forfeit its personal consciousness and never regain the potential to evolve into Adjuchas again.
If an Adjuchas persists in evolving through the consumption of their kin, they ascend to the superior level of Vasto Lorde, which possesses formidable abilities that surpass those of a Captain-level Shinigami, with only a handful existing throughout all of Hueco Mundo.
As the level of Menos Grande rises, they increasingly approach human stature, intellect, and sanity.
Sensing a profound change in his body through spiritual awareness, Fiander is deeply distraught at this moment. As a time traveler, he had been delighting in the prospects of ruling the world, only to be defeated in an instant when the malevolent deity detonated the planet's core.
A tremendous explosion cascaded across the globe, annihilating even Fiander's tangible form, leaving merely a trace of his spirit to escape to the world of Bleach through a rift in space.
Once his remaining spirit form arrived in Hueco Mundo, it was absorbed by the governing force of this realm, transforming him into a hollow in human shape, specifically a Vasto Lorde, the pinnacle of such beings. This transformation implies he is not required to consume others of his kind for evolution, unlike other hollows, to avoid deteriorating.
Upon this realization, Fiander's heart was filled with a slight sense of relief, leading him to ponder whether, given his transformation into a hollow since arriving in the world of Bleach, he might face potential death in the future if that individual decides to venture here as well.
With this troubling thought, Fiander lamented, "I detest worlds dominated by the protagonist groups; they are unfair! " Just as he was engulfed in self-pity for his unfortunate circumstances, a crimson light struck his location with an immense roar.
"BOOOOOOOOOM--! ! "
The forceful explosion unleashed a vast cloud of dust, and yellow sand quickly enveloped the entire sky. A massive shadow of a creature loomed a hundred meters from the deep crater, emitting smoke from its mouth.
Clearly, the recent Cero attack was executed by the opposing entity. "After such a significant disturbance, I expected a formidable Menos Grande to appear, but it turns out to be a mere weakling! "
Observing that his own Cero had struck Fiander directly, the beast-shaped Menos Grande mocked him, believing that he had easily dispatched his opponent, casting a scornful glance at the pit.
Aiming to consume Fiander for its own evolution, it strode heavily towards his location. As the smoke and dust began to clear, the beast-form Menos Grande reached the edge of the pit where Fiander lay, lifting its grotesque head to gaze down into the crater.
This particular Menos Grande in beast form was classified as an Adjuchas-level entity. Moments prior, it had been resting when it sensed a significant tremor nearby. Curiosity led it to investigate, and it stumbled upon a humanoid Menos Grande writhing in anguish at the edge of a deep pit.
The Menos Grande presumed that this newcomer had just entered Hueco Mundo, weak in strength, and had been fortunate enough to retain its humanoid form.
Typically, those with low power and human thought possess a high soul capacity, making them prime candidates for evolving into the highest tier of Vasto Lorde. Right now, however, they presented an irresistible feast to the Menos Grande.
For consuming such beings can significantly boost one's soul potential. With this in mind, the beast-form Menos Grande extended its long, white tongue and licked its elongated teeth. As the sand and dust fully settled, it stared into the pit with disbelief.
"Impossible! " At that instant, Fiander was stunned and rubbed the back of his head, gazing at the Adjuchas who was looking at him intently, and murmured in bewilderment,
"Huh? When did you get here? " Fiander, whose form had just transitioned into Vasto Lorde, had no understanding of Reiatsu skills, failing to detect an Adjuchas nearby.
"How is this possible? ! "
Noticing the other party's unscathed body, Adjuchas realized he might be in significant and dire trouble, and a chill ran down his spine as he wished to escape the situation.
Observing that the individual was ignoring him, an afterimage of Fiander flickered, and he appeared beside Adjuchas, gripping the other's head with his two powerful arms, looking at him with curiosity.
At that moment, Adjuchas, desperate to avoid death, did not dare to make a move. The overwhelming power radiating from Fiander's presence immobilized him, leaving him only able to move his eyes instinctively.
"You didn't intend to attack me just moments ago, did you? " Fiander inquired, to which Adjuchas immediately bowed his head, knelt on the ground, and humbly pleaded,
"I… have offended you, my lord; please pardon my disrespect! " While speaking, he extended his tongue and licked Fiander's feet to demonstrate his earnestness.
"Tsk, pathetic. What is your name? " After releasing his grasp on the opponent's face, Fiander stepped on Adjuchas's head and remarked scornfully.
"I'm… just an ordinary Adjuchas, not deserving of a unique title! " Hearing the Adjuchas's humble response beneath his foot, Fiander lifted his foot off him, crouched down, and examined the creature's appearance.
A robust four-meter-long Menos Grande that resembled a lion. Fiander tilted his head thoughtfully for a moment, then a grin appeared on his face as if struck by an interesting thought, and he declared,
"From now on, your name will be Reinhard, Reinhard Cavendish; I grant you this name! "
With his new name, Reinhard lifted his head, looking at Fiander with excitement, realizing that he was likely to be forgiven, and the act of naming him signified he would become his subordinate.
The other party is a Vasto Lorde, the mightiest creature in Hueco Mundo, and he aspired to ascend to the pinnacle of Menos Grande and become one himself.
Reinhard exclaimed joyously, "Reinhard Cavendish, thank you, my Lord, for bestowing this name upon me! "
"Rise! "
After gesturing for him to get up, Fiander stared blankly at the vast desert surrounding them and asked Reinhard,
"Where should we head? "
"Please, my lord, mount my back, and I will take you to my lair! "
"Alright! " Fiander settled onto Reinhard, who had just stood, only to feel a heavy pressure coming from his back, the sudden weight causing Reinhard to sink back toward the ground, buried into the sand.
"Uh? . . my apologies, I believe it's best for me to take a walk"
Fiander, having just obtained a new body, is quite disoriented by his surroundings and needs to discover a quiet spot to contemplate his future intentions.
Under Reinhard's command, the two Menos Grande sped along for several minutes and arrived at the base of a mountain teeming with caves.
"My lord, this is where I, your servant, take my rest! "