92: *Non-Sexy Growl*

A lich-like figure wearing decorative purple and black robes sat on his throne with a crown atop his head and looked at the various Hollows that had gathered under him. For the past year, the activity around Hueco Mundo had been growing and causing unrest.

This made many Menos-class hollows who were sitting on the fence or lone wolves before join under the various powers around Hueco Mundo. Being one of the largest factions, Baraggan had grown the most out of all the various groups. In fact, it could be said that most hollows had joined his group. But this did not make him feel happy.

Anything that caused so much chaos around Hueco Mundo must have been something powerful. He had even sent some Hollows to scout out the reason why and they had found the large fort with its walls.

Any time he had his forces try to approach, they were killed by either cero, kido, or large thick wood branches. None of Baraggan's forces had the ability to even see the trees that were inside of the fort.

Baraggan looked at the latest scouts, better to say scout, that had returned from the fort but they were unable to find anything. Looking at the Hollow who had several holes in his chest, Baraggan felt anger.

'You come into my domain and harm my people but don't dare to even show your face?! Fine! Then we shall come for you.'

The skull figure raised his right hand and revealed that it was also made out of pure bone without an ounce of flesh on it. Clattering sounds could be heard from his jaw as spoke.

"We have been invaded. I let them do as they have pleased for too long. Now, we shall lead an attack on them and bring them to their knees!

They are cowards who hide behind walls! The walls of our kingdom extend as far as I can see. They take shelter under a roof of wood. Our ceiling is the sky above. These are beings that fear Hueco Mundo itself while we rule over it!"

The various Hollows began to clap and cheer when they heard that. The Hollows were prideful beings who had a strong amount of bloodlust. If not for Baraggan's overwhelming power, they would not have obeyed him so easily.

Baraggan looked into the sky above him as he thought about how he was going to tear the walls down of the fort that Ren had created. Just as he thought this, he felt a powerful wave of reiatsu wash over him. All the other Hollows felt it too. Then they saw it.

In the sky was a colossal creature. This was a Hollow that none of them had ever seen and surpassed the size of anything that they had ever seen before. And it was approaching them fast.

Before they knew it, it landed in front of them. The creature giving off the aura of a powerful Hollow landed in front of Baraggan's 'palace'. It gave off not just the aura or 'scent' of a Hollow but also of a shinigami and something that the others had never sensed before.

The creature appeared to be a dragon carved out of the most beautiful tree. Every limb and curve of it was smooth. It had two horns atop its head that kept a purple flame between them that matched the purple eyes of the creature. Its wings did not look like normal wings capable of flight but each was its own tree with branches growing in a single direction with a large number of green, vibrant leaves on them. (Reminder to self to add a picture to paragraph comments.)

Standing on the creature's head and beneath its flame was a man who wore all black and appeared to be a shinigami. On the back of the creature were, 14 other individuals. These were all the members of the Espada present and accounted for.

The entire group jumped down from the dragon and stood together. Their matching uniforms and dangerous aura gave off an imposing feeling that was increased by the presence of a dragon behind them.

The dragon was Dryae. When she absorbed Ikomikidomoe, she had absorbed all the abilities that the Hollow-zanpakuto had. One of them was the ability to transform from a sword into an Adjuchas-looking form that was colossal. While Ikomikidomoe appeared as he did when he was a Hollow, Dryae took on this draconic form.

Sitting atop Dryae's head, Ren looked down at the army of Hollows around Barragan. There were at least several thousand of them. And from within, there were many familiar figures among them. Even if they were currently Adjuchas-class Hollows and not Arrancar, Ren could recognize them for the most part.

But it was not about them that day. That day was between the leader of the two forces, Ren and Baraggan. One wanted to rule over all of Hueco Mundo and the other wanted something similar.

The reason Ren left Soul Society was not due to agreeing with Yamamoto but by agreeing with the old man, his life became easier. He could now do as he pleased without having to worry about being spied on or being told no.

'Better to let him think he has me under his control for now while I build up my forces as much as I can. The day will not save them, for we own the night.

He gave me an army without even knowing it. What I do with that army, well, I have plenty of time to decide on that. For now, I need to control this Lich without killing him. He could prove useful.'

This was Ren's first true test as the leader of the Tsukibutai instead of the former commander of the 8th division. And he would not fail it.