Next day

Keigo: Are you trying to say that a mohawk isn't cool?

Mizuiro: I'm just saying it'd only be cool on someone who's already cool.

(Y/N): Also, some people just wouldn't look good with a mohawk.

Ichigo: You have to learn what works for you, Keigo.

Keigo: Kicking me while I'm down!? I'm the one who has to get a mohawk by tomorrow! I know parties need to have games, and that include games that include funny punishments but you're the one who made a mohawk the punishment, aren't you Mizuiro?

Ichigo: You were just talking about how cool mohawks were. It sounds like you were just convincing yourself they were cool to hide the shame.

(Y/N): *thinking* Why is he even going through with a dare that happened while he was under the influence of Tsukishima? Nobody would hold it against him if he decided not to.

Keigo: I can't help it when it's a punishment! At least give me some encouraging words to raise my confidence!

Just then Keigo bumped into a girl.

Keigo: Oh. I'm sorry miss! Huh?

Everyone saw the mask that sat on the girl's face.



Ichigo and (Y/N) gave each other a knowing look. They knew right away this girl was a arrancar. However, (Y/N) didn't recognize her. Sure, (Y/N) couldn't possibly know every single arrancar that lived in Hueco Mundo, but he got a weird feeling from her. Even her spiritual pressure was pretty intense.

There's also the question...

Why was she in the World of the Living? She didn't seem to be causing trouble, but that didn't mean (Y/N) could simply sit there and leave her be. At the very least he had to ask her what she was doing there.

(Y/N): Excuse me, but who are-

Just then, the girl vanished out of sight. She didn't leave a single trace of her spiritual pressure, however, in her place was a gold thread.

Keigo: What the- She just disappeared!

Mizuiro: She was definitely not normal.

Ichigo: Hey (Y/N), what do you think we should do?

(Y/N): Well, me and Uryu haven't seen anything out of the ordinary since the Fullbringer incident and nothing strange has gone on in the last few days, so I don't think she caused any trouble recently. For now, I don't think she's dangerous, but I'll ask Wiz or Harribel if they know who that girl is.

Ichigo: I'm getting a bad feeling about this...

Keigo: You're telling me!

(Y/N): If things start to escalate we might have to inform the Soul Society.

Mizuiro: Is it really that bad? She's only one girl right?

(Y/N): Well one of the conditions that is required for an arrancar to travel here in the World of the Living, is to either receive permission from either of the ambassadors or Harribel, the ruler of Hueco Mundo herself or if it's an emergency.

Ichigo: By ambassadors, you mean either you or Wiz, correct?

(Y/N): Yeah. If the arrancar in question isn't near any of our spiritual pressures while entering the World of the Living, they'll be considered invaders.

Keigo: So they'd be considered enemies? Like, immediately?

(Y/N): Not right away. Unless they come in guns blazing, they're given a certain amount of time to be left by themselves before Soul Society decides to call either me or Wiz to inform us that an arrancar is here in the World of the Living. From there we determine if the arrancar is hostile or not. Although this is the first time something like this has actually happened. Those were some of the responsibilities me and Wiz agreed to when he accepted this job. Anytime an arrancar appeared in the World of the Living since the war, they've all been guests of mine.

Ichigo: You think we should tell everyone else?

(Y/N): Yeah, we need to keep them in the loop if something suddenly goes wrong.

Mizuiro: Wouldn't you need to report that girl though?

(Y/N): The Research and Development Institute would probably know she entered the World of the Living before I did. They already know that she was here. The reason I haven't reported anything else is because we don't know anything else. It's hard to tell if she's a friend or foe because she hasn't been here long enough for us to find out anything from her.

Ichigo: That's why you started to talk to her?

(Y/N): Yeah. For now let's just head home. I'll let you guys know if any news comes up about her.

(Meanwhile) Inside the Garganta.

The mysterious girl made her way through the Garganta before hearing a voice.

???: How careless could you be, running into the enemy like that! Good grief, now they'll have suspicion on us. How troublesome... You weren't trying to intentionally inform them of my plan were you?

Arrancar girl: N-no sir! I'm sorry, sir...

???: *sigh* No matter. Things have been going fine so far. This may actually work out in our favor in hindsight. Those two Substitute Shinigamis will focus more of their attention on Hueco Mundo or the World of the Living than on the Soul Society.

The mysterious figure then thought to himself for a moment.

???: I'll be heading to the Soul Society and you'll come with me. I need you to distract the shinigamis there while I make my way to the Research and Development Institute.

Arrancar Girl: W-what will you do there, sir?

???: Retrieve my corpse from that dreaded Captain. Once that's achieved, head back to the world of the living and lay low. I'll retrieve my laboratory from Waleska by myself.

Arrancar Girl: I understand, Master Szayelaporro.

(Timeskip) In the Research and Development

In the laboratory of the Research and Development Institute, Akon was studying the enigma of the new arrancar.

Akon: This arrancar's movements are really unorthodox. Maybe we should alert (Y/N) and Harribel about her weird movements. I'm not sure if they're aware that she's been in and out of the World of the Living this past week.

Just then another member of the R&D institute, Rin Tsubokura, spoke up.

Rin: It would be a problem if (Y/N) and Ichigo had to fight another battle so soon after the incident with the Fullbringers.

Akon: I don't doubt they'd be up for the challenge but-

Just then a voice coming from the speakers in the lab started to talk.

"There's an extremely powerful Hollow inside the Seireitei as we speak- Two in fact! They're both arrancars!"

Akon: What!?

Akon and Rin checked the computers in the lab and came to a scary realization.

Rin: One of them is in the surveillance room!

The shinigami working the communication center spoke through the loud speaker again.

"Hey I think it's one of the specimens that came from the storage!"

(Meanwhile)

The arrancar, now known as Szayelaporro, was walking through the surveillance room of the Research and Development Institute.

Szayelaporro: Oh? The man who killed me is the chief of this place? The workers here have my sympathy. Working under that egotist must mean they could never use their powers properly.

Just then, Szayelaporro heard the voice from the loudspeaker call him a "specimen".

Szayelaporro: Specimen? Ha! So, I'm a specimen now?! And I thought there could be nothing more humiliating than losing temporarily! I can't believe my body, my corpse, is the one being examined now!

Just then, Akon came walking into the surveillance room. Akon got a good look at Szayelaporro.

Akon: *thinking* So, he's one and the same as that specimen? Talk about creepy. That means we should assume he's at least equally as strong. He's one of the Espadas, if I remember correctly.

Szayelaporro: Ah, someone came to greet me? Good. Now, could you hand over the "specimen" to me? It's not every day you get to inspect your own corpse. I hardly remember anything about the moment I died.

Akon: But that means you remember a bit of it, right?

Szayelaporro: I'm under no duty or obligation to tell you the truth, and frankly, I have no interest in someone like you.

Akon: Not only did you come barging into our research facility, but you're also insulting me? How rude.

Szayelaporro: That's enough chit-chat out of you. If there's something you wish to know, seek out the answers yourself. If you can survive long enough that is.

However, as Szayelaporro got ready to fight, he felt a very strong spiritual pressure.

Szayelaporro: *thinks* What is this? This Spiritual pressure feels like the one that killed Nnoitra and fought Yammy. Now isn't the appropriate time to face off against him. I won't be able to retrieve my corpse unfortunately.

Szayelaporro then spoke up.

Szayelaporro: Rejoice, for I will allow you all to live just a little longer! Besides, I do not intend to engage in battle with that beast of a man!

Szayelaporro then opened up a garganta, fleeing the scene.

Just then, the walls of the Surveillance Room were broken down, as Kenpachi walked in.

Kenpachi: Huh? I swore I felt one of those arrancars in here...

To be continued.

I'm honestly glad I have the chance to actually write Szayelaporro thanks to this arc.