SI Szayel the Perfect Life Form!

After dismissing it with a wave and using a single tentacle wrapped around Roka's wrist, he continued toward his destination:

LAS NOCHES.

The "palace" of Baraggan! Why would he go there? Simple. He didn't like the idea of being under someone else's thumb. He knew it was impossible to hide anything from Aizen, so he preferred to *pretend* to be caught in Aizen's illusion while having Roka steal his data and transfer it to him, rendering him immune to the hypnosis.

Not that he wanted to defeat **Aizen Sousuke**, of course—he wasn't suicidal. He just preferred not to constantly worry about being watched and followed.

Pausing for a moment, he looked at his hands and body. Since becoming Szayel, he had decided to train his mind and body. Szayel as the 8th Espada and Szayel as the 0th Espada were vastly different in more ways than just personality.

As the 8th Espada, Szayel's powers were at their peak in terms of "perfect form," but he was physically weak and lacked brute strength.

Meanwhile, as the 0th Espada, he was immensely powerful—far more than Yammy in his Resurrección, even with only 60% of his power. However, he was emotional, impulsive, and lacked refined special abilities.

If he could combine the intelligence and contingency of Szayel the 8th Espada with the strength and raw power of Szayel the 0th Espada, he could easily become one of the most powerful Hollows.

Yes, he would survive in this cursed world! Even if he had to swallow his pride and bow his head for now, he wouldn't lose this second life.

[TIME CUT]

The silence of Hueco Mundo was absolute. The sky, unchanging and eternally black, cloaked the vast desert like an endless shroud. Only the deep darkness extended as far as the eye could see. Beneath that somber sky, the biting wind carried fine sand particles, swirling them aimlessly in the air currents.

In the center of this desolate expanse rose the columns of a peculiar "palace." There were no walls, no ceilings—only grand, unfinished stone columns, sustained by the boundless emptiness of Hueco Mundo. The structures seemed more like extensions of the landscape than a traditional building. For Baraggan Louisenbairn, that was more than enough. The sky was his ceiling, and the land his walls. His empire knew no bounds, and he saw no need for anything that could restrict his grandeur.

He sat on a stone throne, solid and austere, without luxury or adornments. He needed nothing more to assert his authority. His mere presence, his overwhelming reiatsu, filled the space with an indescribable weight. The throne, simple yet imposing, was the only place befitting his power, and the barren land around him symbolized the supremacy he held over Hueco Mundo.

The winds lashed against his skin, yet Baraggan remained still. He observed the vast desert, his broad back exuding the calm confidence of one above all. Nothing could challenge him. Time, his absolute domain, flowed like an invisible current around him—aging, destroying, and solidifying his supremacy. Everything he saw would wither, deteriorate, and even the strongest would fall before his might.

"This place... is mine," thought Baraggan, an impassive smile spreading across his skeletal face. "The skies, the sands—they are mine and will forever remain so. Hueco Mundo is my dominion, and not even time can change that."

His confidence solidified with each word, each thought. No enemies were worthy of his attention; no threats were significant enough to challenge him. He was the God-King of Hueco Mundo, and everything else was insignificant. His deep, impenetrable eyes fixed on the horizon, where the desert stretched infinitely. His empire had no end, and his authority had no limits.

Before him, a select group of Hollows gathered, paying their respects from a distance. Among them stood a distinct figure.

"Tell me, 'Vasto Lorde,' what do you seek in my domain?" The disdain was clear in Baraggan's voice as he spat out the words "Vasto Lorde."

Standing before the God-King of Hueco Mundo was Szayel Aporro Granz, accompanied by Roka and his subordinates.

The Hollow before him exuded power. If it were any other Hollow, Baraggan might have assumed they came to pledge allegiance. But a Vasto Lorde with such a commanding aura? He wouldn't dismiss the possibility of a challenger to his throne.

"Oh, great King Baraggan, my name is Szayel Aporro Granz, and I have come to offer my services in your—" Before he could continue, Baraggan interrupted him.

"Tch, do not take me for a fool, Hollow. I am not! A Vasto Lorde would not bow so easily without reason. WHAT. DO. YOU. WANT?"

Baraggan's words were punctuated by a dramatic surge of reiatsu that overwhelmed many of his followers and Szayel's subordinates.

"Tch." The Vasto Lorde trembled, visibly irritated—not for himself, as he appeared unaffected, but for his subordinates. Ah, he saw it now—the Hollow's tentacles were coiled around the female behind him. A lover? He seemed to be comforting her.

"Please, Baraggan, lower your reiatsu. I merely wish to offer my services in exchange for your army's protection for my assistants. Let us be civil... NOW!" The Hollow emphasized his words by unleashing his own reiatsu.

A clash of wills erupted, and tension filled the air as a confrontation seemed inevitable. The land fell silent for a moment before Baraggan's laughter echoed.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Hm?" The Hollow appeared surprised and confused.

After a few moments, Baraggan calmly resumed his seat on the throne and spoke.

"It has been a long time since anyone dared raise their voice to me, boy. Not since Harribel and my old rival." For a moment, the old king allowed himself to reminisce about the names mentioned—the irritating Harribel, who continued to reject his offers to be his general, and his old rival, whom he begrudgingly admired. "Very well, I will entertain you, BRAT. If you have something of value to offer, I shall accept you into my army. If not, I will eliminate you from my realm."

The Vasto Lorde, Szayel, smiled beneath his mask. Straightening to his full height, he proclaimed:

"Knowledge! With my scientific abilities, your army will not only be more efficient but also EVOLVE. Of course, not to the level of Vasto Lordes, but as beings capable of performing their duties more effectively. As proof, here we have—" He gestured toward the female Hollow. "This is Roka Paramilia, my lovely assistant. She can store data from living beings. With her, I can effectively create artificial evolution for Hollows, like my Fraccións, who are Gillians artificially evolved into Adjuchas!"

Silence followed Szayel's words. Baraggan scoffed before the Vasto Lorde spoke once more.

"You are belittling my army... Hollow?"

Once again, the Vasto Lorde clenched his teeth beneath his mask.

'Damn old fool… It would be so easy to tear you apart right now. So arrogant. Lucky I need your arrogance for my plans.' Slowly, Szayel quelled his anger and once more bowed before the God-King of Hueco Mundo.

"No, Your Majesty. I merely suggest that I could make them even more useful in serving you... if Your Majesty desires, of course." The Hollow knelt, subtly signaling Roka and the others to do the same.

After a moment of silence, Baraggan rested his skeletal face in his palm. The king seemed to ponder the proposal for a few moments before rising from his throne for the first time, surprising his subjects and guards.

"Very well, SZAYEL APORRO GRANZ. I, THE GOD-KING OF HUECO MUNDO, BARAGGAN LOUISENBAIRN, GRANT YOU THE HONOR OF SERVING ME AS MY ALCHEMIST! RISE AS ONE OF MY SUBJECTS, APORRO GRANZ, IN THE NAME OF YOUR KING!"

With this proclamation, a cacophony of roars and applause echoed throughout the "palace" of Las Noches.

Szayel rose with a hidden smile on his face.

'Checkmate, BITCH.'

_____

[TIME SKIP]

In an underground laboratory in Las Noches, Szayel had been tirelessly working on ways to evolve his powers without sacrificing raw strength while improving his subordinates. Were it not for Roka calming him with her presence, he was certain he would have eliminated Baraggan and devoured the army in a fit of frustration over the king's irritating orders.

But at least he had made progress! He had successfully implanted an "embryo" of himself in Roka as a backup in case of his death and explicitly instructed her to recover his soul fragments. He was also secretly tracking potential future Espada members without Baraggan noticing.

All for the survival of Hueco Mundo (and my own).

"Master Szayel, these are the samples you requested!" My dear spider assistant pulled my attention away from my little living project, one of Baraggan's "enemies."

As I continued to improve his army, Baraggan provided me with material for testing, which was GREAT!

According to my calculations, we still have 100 years before Aizen becomes a problem, which is good for me. That gives me more time to develop myself and my Roka–

Ah!... There's another problem… my instincts… they sometimes get the better of me and make me lose control. Roka has been an excellent outlet for that. Not that I torture her like the original Szayel did, but having her around is comforting; it calms my instincts and rage.

And then… there's the matter with the tentacles… not anything obscene (I think!), but they tend to wrap themselves around Roka and/or the Pikaro without me even noticing.

AH! I forgot to talk about my little agents of chaos, didn't I?

Yes, my Pikaro! Little obedient pests to their "Daddy." These little troublemakers were hard to capture and domesticate. I had to swear to control them to prevent Baraggan from deciding to erase them with his senescence.

As I was saying, sometimes my tentacles, when I'm nervous or stressed, find their way to Roka and the Pikaro and grab them. This usually helps calm my instincts, which I would say is a very good thing since it keeps me focused on my experiments! That way, I can evolve into–

*BUM BUM*

"Szayel Aporro Granz! His Majesty demands your presence in his court!"

And there goes all my excitement.

Let's see what that old sack of bones wants.

_______

Once again, Vasto Lorde Szayel found himself kneeling before Baraggan Louisenbairn.

"It's good to see you're still punctual, Szayel!" The king spoke in a pleased yet incredibly arrogant tone (as always).

"But I've summoned you here to give you a mission!"

Upon hearing this, Szayel braced himself for yet another absurd request from the king regarding his laboratories.

"My king, I believe I am already occupied with your previous requests. If you have more, you will have to wait until the current experiments are comple–" But as quickly as he began, Szayel was interrupted by the king.

"I'm not seeking your 'tricks,' Granz. What I require this time is your strength for this mission!" the king completed, his empty sockets staring at the shocked Vasto Lorde. It was the first time Baraggan had demanded anything other than his science. This was both terrifying and intriguing.

"Then… what mission would that be, Your Majesty?" asked the confused and curious Vasto Lorde.

"A Vasto Lorde, the leader of a small band of female Hollows, Tia Harribel, has been causing trouble and defying me for ages. Now, she is openly attacking my soldiers! I want you, Szayel, to deal with her! Ensure she is no longer a threat to my reign, by any means necessary!" With a tone of finality, the king slammed his Gran Caída against the marble floor beneath him, cracking it.

At that moment, Szayel's eyes widened.

'H-He wants me to attack the FUTURE QUEEN OF HUECO MUNDO??? WHAT THE HELL IS THIS, BARAGGAN????'

Szayel paused in shock for a few moments before slowly beginning to smile. That smile grew into a crazed grin, a glimmer of insanity creeping into his mind. Along with it, an instinct to satisfy his taste for challenge ignited.

'Well… since it's a request from YOUR MAJESTY, I simply must comply, right?'

Feeling a fire rise within him, Szayel noticed his tentacles trembling with excitement in response to his own euphoria. This mission would be a pleasure…