Hueco Mundo is a barren land made up of desert-like wastelands and jagged stone cliffs, much like an endless desert in the Human World.
Beneath a sky that remains scorching year-round, demonic winds howl constantly, sweeping up waves of burning yellow sand high into the air. The sand spirals like plumes of smoke rising from the ground, dancing wildly across the desert and producing mournful "woo-woo" sounds through the empty wasteland.
"Rustle… rustle…"
In the distance, a lone figure descended from a sand dune in the north. Wrapped entirely in a brownish-yellow robe, he trudged step by step through the blazing sun and scorching sand, heading deeper into Hueco Mundo.
Before long, he stopped beside a white quartz tree—symbols of death in Hueco Mundo's desert. Yet he seemed unconcerned and simply sat down beneath its shade to rest.
"Whew…"
The searing wind swept across the vast expanse of Hueco Mundo. The blazing sunlight poured down like fire, baking the land into something like a giant steamer, heat waves rising everywhere.
"Hah… So this must be the so-called inner circle of Hueco Mundo? The temperature difference between day and night… is truly beyond words."
The man beneath the quartz tree pulled back his hood, revealing the slightly haggard face of Fūjin Taichi.
Leaning against the trunk, he surveyed the endless sea of sand and couldn't help but sigh.
"But… I've been walking for seven days and seven nights. Where exactly is Las Noches?"
Theoretically, Las Noches lies at the very center of Hueco Mundo's inner circle. Vast stretches of white desert surround the palace, where few creatures survive. Beneath it lies the Forest of Menos, home to the great Hollows.
It's said that Hueco Mundo has no real plants. Those things resembling withered branches are actually quartz formations. From afar, they look like petrified dead forests, within which various Hueco Mundo creatures roam.
Because the density of spirit particles here is even higher than in Soul Society, those creatures can survive simply by absorbing spirit particles from the atmosphere. Unlike Hollows, they do not need to constantly devour souls to fill the emptiness within.
Along his journey, Fūjin Taichi had already seen many such small creatures—masked beings with Hollow holes in their chests—so he was no longer surprised by them.
Due to the extreme temperature differences between day and night, he usually rested beneath massive quartz trees during the day and endured the bone-chilling cold at night to continue traveling. His goal was to infiltrate the inner circle of Hueco Mundo and wait for the right moment.
After all, according to the Bleach timeline, Aizen would launch his counteroffensive against the Soul Society shortly after his "defection." When that happened, the Soul Society, the Visored, Aizen, and the Espada would all be locked in a chaotic battle in Karakura Town.
When that moment arrived, Taichi and the Shinigami Expeditionary Force would launch a massive assault on Las Noches, delivering a perfect backstab to Aizen.
"Waaah… waaah…"
"What? A human?"
Faintly, from somewhere not far away, came the sound of a child crying. Fūjin Taichi frowned slightly—because along with the crying, he also heard the intermittent howls of Hollows.
"Waaah…"
This time the crying was clearer—and closer.
He raised his head toward the sand dune and murmured to himself, "Was that really… a human just now? But…"
He hesitated.
Entering Hueco Mundo alone as a Shinigami was already extremely dangerous. Before understanding the situation, it was best not to recklessly reveal his spiritual pressure.
After all, as the saying goes: less trouble is better than more.
To successfully backstab Aizen and retrieve Kasumiōji Hoko's missing Zanpakutō, Higanbana, Fūjin Taichi had "borrowed" from Kisuke Urahara's warehouse a Reiatsu-Concealing Cloak capable of concealing his spiritual power.
That was why he dared to leave the Shinigami expeditionary force and venture deep into Hueco Mundo alone—first, to avoid being targeted by groups of Hollows; second, to prevent Aizen from detecting his presence.
Unfortunately, he seemed to have gotten lost in this vast sea of sand, wandering for seven days and nights without discovering any trace of Las Noches.
"…Forget it. Best not to meddle."
Fūjin Taichi pulled his hood back over his head, shifted deeper into the shadow of the quartz tree, and slowly closed his eyes…
...
...
Drop some POWERSTONES to push the story forward!
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin