Reborn as The Hollow God

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[PREVIOUSLY]

In the less forest, Ashido—still recovering—was trying to come to terms with the fact that HOLLOWS were protecting him.

He still didn't understand WHY the old Hollow he had attacked earlier had protected him, or rather, HOW this entity, who knew BARAGGAN! The infamous king of Hueco Mundo!

"Ask, brat Shinigami."

"Why did you protect me?" Seizing the opportunity, Ashido couldn't help but ask.

In response, Ikomikidomoe seemed to contemplate something before grumbling softly to himself and turning away, distancing himself.

"I just wanted to irritate the old man Baraggan and show that I'm not a cannon fodder to bow to his 'master'." The ancient Hollow was heading back to his "home" while being followed by Wonderweiss in his wake, leaving the fallen Shinigami behind.

[PRESENTLY, 1 day after the previous events]

After the previous confrontation, Ashido struggled to rise, leaning on his zanpakutō. His eyes immediately fixed on Ikomikidomoe, who was resting against a nearby rock, almost indifferent. The giant Hollow seemed oblivious to everything around him, as if the recent events had been a mere distraction. Ikomikidomoe's calm expression inflamed Ashido's temper, and he finally broke the silence.

"You act so arrogantly, as if you could kill them at any moment!" He couldn't help it, he had fought Hollows in this hell for 250 years. He had seen the worst—wild, greedy, manipulative, impulsive—but never had he seen a Hollow so satisfied in its indifference as this old one.

After hearing his voice, Ikomikidomoe slowly turned his head toward Ashido, his eyes gleaming with a mix of disdain and curiosity. He didn't immediately respond, letting the weight of the silence fall upon the Shinigami before a mocking laugh escaped from his massive body.

"Do you know what patience is, Shinigami?"

Ashido opened his mouth, speechless for a few moments before recovering his composure.

"Patience? I've been fighting Hollows in this hell for 250 years! I KNOW what it is!"

Ikomikidomoe smiled faintly, a smile that seemed to carry both amusement and mockery. He tilted his head slightly, as if studying Ashido.

"Then you understand its value. The 'master' of these Hollows is, and will be, important in the future. He is far more crucial than he seems. Killing or defeating him now would cause ripples in the flow of time. It would change the future."

Ashido narrowed his eyes, confused and suspicious of the enigmatic words.

"What do you mean by that? Are you letting these creatures roam free because of some kind of... plan?"

Ikomikidomoe didn't respond immediately, but internally, he knew the right answer.

'Yes... only an arrogant fool would go around destroying everything and killing everyone. In the future, we will need all the strength we can gather against greater threats. Beings like Yhwach, Tokinada, and even the invasion of Hell cannot be fought with impulsiveness.' The Hollow let out a laugh at the irony of this thought. 'I am not like the original Ikomikidomoe, that hungry and impulsive being who only thought of satisfying his greed. Attacking now, destroying the Espadas before they consolidate, would cause chaos that would weaken us all. Without Aizen, Ichigo would never have existed. Without Ichigo and Aizen, the chance to defeat Yhwach would be virtually nonexistent. And even if we won, the casualties would be far greater, leaving us vulnerable to what would come afterward... Tokinada.'

After thinking, the old Hollow rose from his perch, distancing himself a little and moving to the center of the clearing while continuing to speak with Ashido.

"Impulsiveness in this world is the weapon of fools. I know the weaknesses of each one of them. I know their histories and motivations. And, above all, I know the right moment to strike. Until then, I let these fools play with their pretense of divinity. Patience is my greatest advantage. While they waste time, I observe. I wait. And when the moment comes, I will bring them down with precision. Oh, how foolish they are..."

Ikomikidomoe soon turned his attention back to Ashido, who was glaring at him with fury but also a hint of doubt.

"You're strong, Shinigami, but naïve. And your naïveté will make you vulnerable. While I, I will remain standing in the end."

Ashido clenched his fists, feeling insulted but unable to argue. He realized that, as much as he hated to admit it, there was something terrifyingly logical about Ikomikidomoe's words.

"So you're just going to wait? Observe? While the world destroys itself around you?"

Ikomikidomoe merely smiled at the Shinigami's question.

"The world is already in ruins, Shinigami. It is up to us to decide how to rebuild it... and who deserves a place in it... I doubt that Baraggan's Master will leave me in peace now that I've broken his toys. He will come after me... I don't intend to crawl and kiss his feet. But allying myself with him has its advantages... That's why I must show him and his entourage... who is above whom in the hierarchy. After all, a millennium ago, this body of mine had to crawl through the desert and take buses through the mud to reach Baraggan's 2 ken at that time. Now those punks are at his 11 Ken*."

(Ken* A unit of Japanese measurement).

And right after his response, the conversation died there, but Ikomikidomoe's words stayed in Ashido's mind like a dark echo he couldn't ignore.

Taking advantage of the fact that Ashido had something to think about, the great Hollow opened a Garganta, a direct link to a specific location in the sands of Hueco Mundo beyond.

"Listen, Kano. I'm going to give a bienvenido* (Welcome) to the army of dogs. Until then. Don't die, I plan to return all your problems once you heal. I'll break your ribs again." And with humor in his voice, the massive Hollow's body vanished into the Garganta.

"Where did he go?" Ashido couldn't help but question, turning to see Wonderweiss stuffing pieces of hollow dragonflies into his mouth and shrugging.

-______________

The Garganta created by Ikomikidomoe opened directly where he wanted. For some reason, Ikomikidomoe felt VERY irritated by being attacked in his home. So, to be fair, he thought, "Why not return the favor?"

That's why he was here, in Las Noches.

The massive body of the Hollow eclipsed the walls of Las Noches, being the size of a living mountain.

"RETREAT! WHO DARES TO INVADE THE PALACE OF LAS NOCHES?"

Ikomikidomoe, with a lethargic will, looked down, seeing a large Hollow, but smaller than him, made of sand, shouting something.

"Hm?..."

"I AM Runuganga! THE GUARDIAN OF LAS NOCH—GAAAAAH"

Before the Hollow could finish his introduction, in a pragmatic and almost lazy manner, Ikomikidomoe simply released an explosive wave of his Reiryoku on the sand body of the Hollow. Just like he had done in the desert earlier, this attack disintegrated the Hollow's sandy body and turned the nearby sands into silica.

Knowing he would soon be noticed by his Reiatsu, Ikomikidomoe took care to give his "consolation gift" for the Arrancars' "stay" in his home.

"GRAN REY CERO!"

With a rumbling similar to a roar, a single gigantic eye opened in the center of his face, and at the same time, a massive amount of Reiatsu was released from Ikomikidomoe's body. A dazzling light enveloped the area.

"_________"

...

Soon, the characteristic static sound of the Sonidos was heard.

"Hehehe, I see you managed to escape my 'gift'."

An entire part of the Las Noches Dome had been erased, along with part of the surrounding areas. The only reason the palace was still intact was because the Espadas fired Ceros at the same time to lessen the massive force of the giant's Cero.

But even so, they still suffered damage from the surprise attack. Anger and irritation were visible on the faces of all the Espadas.

In a single attack, Ikomikidomoe had earned the enmity of all the Espanyols present.

This was the start of the battle, and the battlefield was already set.

"Well well... hello, brothers of broken masks..."

Okay… MAYBE, Ikomikidomoe was PISSED OFF and wanted to take it out on someone… just MAYBE.

Despite all his previous bravado, Ikomikidomoe wasn't STUPID. He knew that if he gave Aizen time, he would end up being cornered by Bleach's "King of Keikaku". That's why he was here to simply "Give a warning."