Chapter 404: BSUS Chapter 407: An Acquaintance Returned from the Underworld

In truth, Hiroe’s steps still faltered for a brief moment. Szayelaporro’s final words had affected him somewhat.

“Kaien, was that his name? You should worry more about that brat. He’s going to be facing an old acquaintance of yours, Lord Chōzuka.”

Ashido was also pondering those words, unsure if it was a gesture of ‘goodwill’ from the Espada or a deliberate smokescreen.

“What did you make of what he just said, Chōzuka?”

Hiroe answered without hesitation, “He’s afraid. Rather than a warning, it was more like he was trying to explain himself to me.”

“Explain himself?”

“Explain why he ‘betrayed’ me. Of course, a guy like Szayelaporro doesn’t possess anything like loyalty to begin with. My attitude just now probably made him feel it was necessary to make his own stance clear to me.”

Hiroe offered a helpless smile. He didn’t think striking fear into a pervert was anything to be proud of; it only meant he had come across as an even bigger freak…

Ashido had always harbored hostility toward Szayelaporro. A guy like him—devoid of any morals or convictions beyond his own self-interest, who would casually manipulate the lives of others over the most trivial matters—could never truly be seen as a comrade.

Because of this, Ashido also understood Szayelaporro relatively well. Just as he would never be loyal to Hiroe, the same should hold true for Aizen.

Thinking about it from that angle, his current attitude wasn’t what Ashido had initially assumed—that he had completely defected to Aizen’s side.

“That guy wants to stay out of this?”

Hiroe nodded, affirming Ashido’s suspicion, and added, “More accurately, he wanted to pick a partner all over again—between me and Aizen. However, he should now realize just how arrogant that idea was.”

“So will he lean toward our side now?”

“Unfortunately, I think he’s still going to be an obstacle for us. Don’t forget, he was only trying to explain himself to me just now, hoping to justify his actions in the event that I emerge victorious in the end.”

Ashido scoffed with disdain. “There’s no justification for his actions. He was the one who took the initiative to expose Resen.”

“I’m sorry to say this…” Hiroe sighed, continuing, “But there is indeed a valid reason for him selling out Resen back then. And rationally speaking, his choice wasn’t wrong.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Because by the time Szayelaporro revealed Resen’s identity to Aizen, someone had already informed Aizen that both he and Resen used to take orders from me. Well, maybe they hadn’t told him yet, but there was a high probability Aizen was going to find out anyway.”

Hiroe turned his head and forced a smile. “Sometimes, self-preservation isn’t something to be ashamed of, and for Szayelaporro, it’s practically second nature. Even if it wasn’t him, if any of you were in that same situation, choosing to save yourselves is exactly what I would want to see.”

Indeed, if things were exactly as Hiroe described, then what Szayelaporro did wasn’t entirely despicable. By merely revealing Resen’s existence, he had even helped their side to some extent.

“How is that possible?! The only ones left in Las Noches were Resen, Szayelaporro, and Seth. Who could have exposed Resen before Szayelaporro did? Seth?! Have you discovered something, Chōzuka?!”

It was the only logical conclusion, yet there were still far too many contradictions.

For instance, if Seth was likely to betray them, why would he have taken Resen away? To remain on their side and continue gathering intelligence?

Just as a myriad of thoughts raced through Ashido’s mind, Hiroe spoke up, interrupting him before his imagination could run wild.

“No, no, no. There’s no issue with our people. At least, not right now.”

“Then who?”

Instead of answering, Hiroe countered with a question of his own. “Through Resen, we’ve actually gathered quite a bit of intel on the Espada, right?”

Ashido nodded, and Hiroe continued to explain, “Isn’t there a guy among them who can drag our deceased ‘old friends’ back from the underworld?”

“Baraggan!” Ashido blurted out. “His corpse…”

“It was left with Szayelaporro for his experiments back then. As the former King of Hueco Mundo, he knows exactly who dragged him down from his throne.”

Dead men tell no tales. It was an unwritten rule of common sense, which was why Ashido hadn’t initially considered the possibility of an enemy exposing Resen.

But since Baraggan’s corpse had never been destroyed, it was entirely possible that Szayelaporro—its custodian—had revealed some of those secrets to Aizen for self-preservation, just as Hiroe suggested.

“Are you certain?” Ashido’s expression turned grim. If Baraggan had truly been dragged back from the underworld, the repercussions would be far from over.

“Not one hundred percent, but back in the Dangai, that guy definitely gave off a familiar vibe. Furthermore, according to our intel, a mere 9th Espada wouldn’t be fit to stand in my way unless he had acquired Baraggan’s abilities. Couple that with what Szayelaporro just said, and there’s at least a ninety percent chance he got his hands on Baraggan’s corpse.”

Ashido’s expression darkened further. The resurgence of Baraggan’s power would inevitably introduce dangerous variables into the upcoming battles. Moreover, other than Hiroe, was there really anyone capable of handling such a troublesome ability?

*No, according to Szayelaporro, the one who has to face that ‘acquaintance’ is Shiba Kaien!*

“Let me go support Kaien,” Ashido volunteered. “You need to save your only chance to strike for the real Karakura Town. I’ll go back up Kaien alone, Chōzuka!”

“Yes, I need to save my only chance to strike for Karakura Town…”

Hiroe muttered to himself thoughtfully. Though anxious, Ashido didn’t disturb him any further, and the two continued their advance in silence for a long time.

Meanwhile, Kaien fully understood what his group was about to face. He had already discussed it with his teammates, Sung-Sun and Jackie, agreeing that they would face whichever Espada appeared next together.

After traversing a corridor that seemed to slope upward, they pushed open a massive stone door, revealing an unimaginable sight.

“Where in the world are we?!” Jackie couldn’t help but exclaim. She couldn’t be blamed for losing her composure; the scene before them bore absolutely no resemblance to the interior of a palace.

White clouds drifted leisurely across an azure sky. A cool breeze brushed against their faces, carrying the faint scent of dust from the boundless desert below. What lay before them was a world that seemed to belong to an entirely different dimension!

Kaien also marveled at the magnificent scenery, but a slender, white-clad figure standing on the bridge ahead quickly drew his attention.

“Who’s there?!”

The figure didn’t answer. He merely chuckled and waved at the trio before turning and vanishing from the spot. When he reappeared a moment later, he was standing in front of the massive white towers at the far end of the bridge.

Could that be where one of the Karakura Towns was hidden?