"Eliminate them! " Baraggan shouted furiously as the Menos Grande, ever-present, converged and encircled the three individuals.
Disregarding the Menos Grande around him, Aizen narrowed his eyes at Baraggan and replied in an unexpectedly composed tone, "How absurd, King of Hueco Mundo. "
"What? "
"You're clearly a hollow, yet you wield a weapon like that. You're large and grey and black. You truly resemble a Shinigami. "
"Absolute nonsense! "
With a furious leap, Baraggan soared high, brandishing an iron axe and struck at the trio with incredible speed.
In an instant, the trio, who had previously exhibited remarkable arrogance before Baraggan, were instantly annihilated.
"Humph—Is the quality of your pretentiousness really like this? It's so feeble. "
As Baraggan muttered to himself, Fiander, suspended in mid-air, opened his eyes wide and regarded the scene below in disbelief.
When Baraggan commanded his Menos Grande to attack Aizen, the Menos Grande began to turn on one another, while Baraggan himself eliminated his remaining subordinates.
"This. . . is this Kyōka Suigetsu? Such incredible power! " Fiander honestly praised; Aizen's Complete Hypnosis had no effect on him, and he could clearly observe the unfolding events from his aerial vantage point.
"Ugh—" Suddenly, a blade flashed by, causing Baraggan to instinctively rise and leap away. Before he could comprehend the situation, the crown that signified his kingship slipped from his forehead and hit the ground with a "click," much to Baraggan's astonishment.
"This. . . what is happening? ! "
As Baraggan looked up, stunned, the trio he had previously defeated stood before him, unharmed. Their leader, Aizen, had caused the shattering of his crown.
"You. . . how are you still living? " Aizen, wielding Kyōka Suigetsu and pointing it at Baraggan, answered calmly:
"My Zanpakutō—— Kyōka Suigetsu's power is Complete Hypnosis. "
"Complete Hypnosis? " Baraggan gaped at Aizen, his voice losing its firmness.
"Exactly. The opponents you just vanquished were merely illusions. " With that, Aizen reversed the grip on his knife and softly uttered, "Shatter! Kyōka Suigetsu! "
As the words echoed, from Baraggan's viewpoint, all his subordinates appeared to be slain.
"What! ? "
His entire perception was thrown into chaos as Baraggan instinctively exclaimed, "What's happening? ! "
"This is your reality. " Aizen gazed down coolly at Baraggan.
"You scoundrel! "
Furious, Baraggan raised his axe, ready to attack once more, when suddenly two afterimages flashed. Tousen Kaname and Ichimaru Gin, who had been stationed beside Aizen, executed Shunpo, positioning themselves on either side of Baraggan, their Zanpakutō pointed menacingly at him.
"Don't waste your breath; you cannot kill me."
Just as Aizen finished speaking and prepared to sheath his Zanpakutō, Tousen Kaname abruptly lifted his gaze and directed it toward Fiander hovering in the sky.
"Master Aizen - there's an urgent situation! "
"Isn't that the kid who just evolved? "
Prompted by Tousen Kaname, several individuals in attendance turned their gazes toward Fiander.
"Oh? This is astonishing. "
Aizen observed a boy who stood at 2 meters tall, a half Arrancar levitating in the air, yet his body had not completely transitioned into an Arrancar, categorizing him as a half Arrancar.
In Aizen's studies, Fiander's details had never surfaced within Hueco Mundo, and this marked the first occasion he witnessed a Menos Grande capable of becoming an Arrancar autonomously, albeit only a half Arrancar.
Nonetheless, the presence of this individual signified that Aizen's research trajectory was indeed on point.
"Ah—this blind fellow is genuinely formidable," Fiander mused internally, realizing his existence had been revealed, causing him to no longer conceal his aura.
The Reiatsu characteristic of a Vasto Lorde Menos Grande expanded instantly, and he landed on the ground with a grin.
He addressed Aizen with a smile, "Lord Shinigami, can you take my claim of merely passing through as truth? "
"Master Aizen. " Tousen Kaname, positioned nearby, was preparing to strike Fiander, prompting Aizen to intervene immediately.
"Stop."
"Understood."
Observing the Arrancar boy before him gazing without any aggression left Aizen astonished. Since embarking on his research, any hollow he encountered would either launch an immediate attack or flee in terror.
Instead, the entity opposite him appeared confident, stirring a feeling of unease within Aizen, a sense of surprise that was beyond his grasp.
"Kid! Depart now! "
Although Baraggan had no fondness for him, he certainly didn't wish to see him killed.
"Be quiet, old man.I doubt the Shinigami here wants to fight me."
With that, Fiander raised his chin, squinted at Aizen with innocuous eyes, and remarked, "Right? "
"Kill him, Gin. " After examining Fiander with indifference, Aizen coldly instructed Ichimaru Gin beside him.
An afterimage appeared beside Fiander as Ichimaru Gin smiled and swung his Zanpakutō towards him, proclaiming, "As you command, Aizen-sama. "
Just as the Zanpakutō was on the verge of making contact with Fiander, a frigid chill surged forth.
With the temperature plummeting rapidly, Ichimaru Gin, who was attacking with his zanpakutō, found himself instantly encased in ice.
Fiander flicked away the Zanpakutō aimed at him, exclaiming dramatically, "How frightening! "
"Why did you suddenly assault me! I'm genuinely just passing by! " Fiander said, grinning at Aizen, as an incantation suddenly began: "Tweet! Suzumushi. "
The Reiatsu enveloping the Zanpakutō held by Tousen Kaname vibrated quickly, producing a "buzzing" sound, with powerful sound waves reaching Fiander's ears.
"You're quite noisy," Fiander remarked, casting a cold glance at Tousen Kaname, while two hands formed a sphere of icy energy.
Tousen Kaname leaped up, announcing:
"Suzumushi Type II Red Migratory Locust! ! "
Countless sharp blades materialized out of thin air, yet as they neared Fiander from about 2 meters away, they transformed into icicles, and the energy sphere in his grasp was hurled forward.
"Torrent Burial! "
A massive surge of blue light, accompanied by frigid air, surged towards Tousen Kaname from Fiander's hand.
Clearly, Tousen Kaname sensed the formidable energy within the icy blue Cero.
"Eighty One of Bakudō: Splitting Void. "
Just as the Cero was about to reach him, a large transparent glass bridge materialized to intercept the attack, though the force of the explosion still sent Tousen Kaname tumbling several meters away.
"Good job, kid. " Baraggan, who was readying his own attack, was interrupted as Fiander halted his assault, shifting his gaze to Aizen and asking,
"Are you pleased now? "
"Kid? "
Baraggan, still processing the situation, noticed Ichimaru Gin, who had been encased in ice, breaking through the frozen layer covering him, and turned to Aizen with a sheepish expression.
"I apologize, Aizen-sama, the opponent is formidable. "
"It's fine, Gin."
Aizen, showing indifference towards his subordinate's slip, moved toward Fiander with a swift Shunpo, his eyes reflecting surprise, while Tousen Kaname also approached Fiander but refrained from further aggression, instead sheathing his Zanpakutō.
"Young Arrancar, will you join my ranks? " Aizen, genuinely pleased with Fiander's actions, leaned in and spoke in a tone that brooked no disagreement, though his unusually emotional voice was audible to everyone present.
It appeared that Fiander's presence had undeniably uplifted Aizen's spirits at that moment.