Welcome to Gaia! ::

As the gang came out of the portal Yggdrasil was amazed at the looks of the place. "This... this is..." He said as he cried. "I don't know what to say..." He said as he continued to cry and went to his knees and prayed. "What is the name of this place... for I believe this is an holy place in Cruxis."

Abel looked as Yggdrasil cried. "This is Hueco Mundo... which in English means Hollow World." He said. "This is where we Hollows live." He continued. "Hueco Mundo is located between the human world and Soul Society, though it is separated from the bordering dimension known as the dangai. It can only be accessed by tearing the dimensional fabric separating the worlds, which allows hollows to travel to any other dimension at will. Depending on the hollow, the effect for this varies. Regular hollows usually appear from a small black vortex or form out of smoke, while menos-class hollows quite literally tear the sky apart to emerge. Arrancar use a more stable variant of the latter technique known as garganta. Though... it all about the same, so we call them all a Garganta." He said quite masterfully. "The landscape of Hueco Mundo is a seemingly never-ending white desert, with dunes like those of the Sahara. The desert is littered with what appear to be boulders and shriveled trees, but these are actually a form of quartz. The seemingly small trees are shown to extend far underground, and support the desert above. Hueco Mundo exists in perpetual night, and the Moon is on the opposite lunar phase of that in the human world. Like Soul Society, the atmosphere is filled with spiritual energy, but it is more concentrated, allowing hollows to gain nourishment despite the lack of human souls." He said as he needed a moment to breathe a deep breathe. "Like that in real world deserts, active life in Hueco Mundo appears to be few and far between. With the exception of the arrancar, most hollows dwell below the surface or in other areas until something provokes them to leave their shelter, like the intrusion of a foreign entity. Underneath the desert of Hueco Mundo is a vast cavern called the Menos Forest, where most hollows take refuge. According to the shinigami, all hollows dwell in Hueco Mundo regardless of their shape, size, or power." He looked at Yggdrasil who was actively listening. "Going to fast?" He saw Yggdrasil shake his head. "Good, continuing... there is a place deeper in Hueco Mundo called Las Noches, which in English means 'the nights'." He said. "There is also the fortress and base of operations of Sōsuke Aizen, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen after their defection from Soul Society in Las Noches. They resided there with their army of arrancar." He said. He knew he was being a smart a** showing off his knowledge of Hueco Mundo. Continuing he further shown off. "Las Noches consists of a main building with a domed center surrounded by several large towers and smaller buildings. Atop the dome are six smaller towers (or as they appear), which seem to contain areas such as Aizen's throne room and the Espada meeting hall. Also, in the room where some girl whose name I keep forgetting is kept, there is one large Middle-Eastern rug on the ground that is facing outside, much like those in rooms used for Islamic prayer. Like everything else in Hueco Mundo, every building is colored white... Espada means swords in English, by the way... and also note this is when Aizen was alive... Las Noches is easily the largest building structure in any one of the three worlds I know of, appearing as large as, if not larger than, the Seireitei in Soul Society. Due to its immense size, a man who invaded it once commented that it could be an illusion as he, a couple of his male companions did not seem to make any progress getting closer to it, despite running until they were exhausted. Also, according to an old arrancar, it takes about three days to move from one spot to a gate... so not even I dare to waste my time to try and get to it." He said. This was the longest he had talked since he became an Arrancar... which if anyone before this who actually talked to him would know this as a fact. "I hear the inside of Las Noches' domes simulate the living world and Soul Society's blue sky, which someone who I'm guessing is a male arrancar claims is so the light of the sky will help Aizen observe anywhere he wishes. However, since he must stay out of the sunlight to use his abilities, a female shinigami who fought him speculates this is a lie. And that the position of the halls within the palace can also be adjusted, allowing the one operating them to direct the movements of intruders." He said. "And that's about all I know about Hueco Mundo. Nothing really holy about it." He said and looked at Yggdrasil. "Do you understand everything I've just told you about this place? Any questions?"

Lucius looked shocked and amazed. Abel was usually quite and if he talked it wasn't much that he said. "Yes... I do... one... what happened to your lack of words and even basic thought... and two... what have you done to Abel?"

Yggdrasil on the other hand was amused to the point he started writing in a little book. "I have a question... you mentioned a place called Soul Society quite a bit... and not only that, but not only by the looked of the both of you and your explanation... is there an explanation of the ranks of you demons?" Yggdrasil was the kind of person who loved to learn. Anything that could possibly further his knowledge of the worlds which are in the universe.

Abel first answered Lucius' questions first since they would take the least amount of time. "I talk rarely because I believe I shouldn't have to waste my breath on talking when anything can be settled easily." He said. "And I am Abel... and I don't know how to explain it any better than that." He then turned to Yggdrasil and then said. "There is an explanation for both... and I will add the ranks of the Shinigami as well... Soul Society can be described as something of a paradise, where nine out of ten times it is better than the living world and hunger is never a problem, though Soul Society is portrayed as anything but sublime most Shinigami's lack of knowledge regarding the human world may have influenced their viewpoint, or they may simply have been trying to ease the spirits they give the information to. In fact, aside from the slowed aging and aforementioned lack of hunger, life there is much like that in the living world. Soul Society consists of two portions: Rukongai, literally Town of Wandering Spirits or the Rukon District, a massive group of cities where most people live; and Seireitei, literally Court of Pure Souls, a walled castle where the spirit world nobility and the shinigami live... though sometimes I wonder why they do that... it's not like the other spirits need protection if Hollows or anything else were to come... not only that but the few people outside who know how to get inside wouldn't be a problem since they wouldn't be able to help people get inside if they are already there." He said adding on to it with his viewpoint. "While Soul Society is considered the afterlife, people are not immortal by any means, though aging is slowed to such an extent that lifespans of 2000 or more years are not unheard of. Such ages, however, are usually limited to shinigami or other Soul Society dwellers capable of manipulating spirit energy. Children can even be born as they are in the human world. People can be killed as regular humans are, though they are capable of surviving wounds that would normally be considered fatal. A soul that dies in Soul Society is reincarnated on Earth as a new human with no past memories... but in the my case as well as Lucius'." Looking at him. "Yes, I did notice." Looking back at Yggdrasil. "You do have a chance of coming back as something other than human." He said. "Continuing, Shinigami come and leave Soul Society by unlocking the senkaimon, literally world penetration gate, using a jigokuchō, literally Hell Butterfly. Pluses, on the other hand, enter Soul Society through the ritual of konsō, or otherwise know as Soul Burial." He said stopping for a moment. "Pluses are dead souls who have not yet passed on to Soul Society." He continued. "Intruders can pass through the senkaimon in the same manner, but only in soul form. This allows spiritual beings, such as most likely me a Hollow, to enter without permission. Humans can also use such a gate through the use of reishihenkanki or quite literally spirit exchangers, which convert solid matter into spirit particles. While this method uses the same gate, the lack of a Hell Butterfly forces intruders to pass through the dangai, literally prohibiting world, a bordering dimension between the human world and Soul Society, not to be confused with Hueco Mundo. This is much more dangerous to do, as souls that cannot pass through before the gate to Soul Society closes are trapped there forever... so I wouldn't recommend it unless you want to die... or have severe need of forces with which you don't stand a chance against... or you could just turn to me." He then continued on with his explanation of Soul Society. "Hollows though, used to be able to directly rip a hole to Soul Society from Hueco Mundo, or in the case of arrancar, using their ability, garganta... but they have something that prohibits it now a days." He said. "Soul Society is ruled by a royal family, which is protected by a royal guard. Further down, Central Forty-six Chambers serves as a supreme judiciary and legislative that is second only to the royal family. The shinigami enforce order in Soul Society as a sort of executive and military branch. All of the above, except the royal family and guard, reside in Seireitei." He continued on with his in depth detail of everything. "The king and the royal family reside in a separate dimension in the very core of Soul Society, which can only be opened with a tri-pronged golden key fittingly named the ōken, also know as the Royal Key. The location of this key is passed down verbally from one Gotei Thirteen general to the next, the current holder being General Yamamoto. The king's practical role is unknown, as the shinigami are governed largely by the Central forty-six Chambers, nor has the king been implied to participate in any of their deliberations. According to most shinigami, no shinigami in the Gotei Thirteen has ever seen the king. Though most would agree with me that it would be nice for shinigami to at least have some picture so they know who they are protecting." He said. "Rukongai, literally wandering soul city, is the largest portion of Soul Society and the most populated. It is divided into three hundred and twenty districts, Eighty in North Rukongai, Eighty in West Rukongai, etc., each numbered in descending order on how far they are from the center; this results in the higher-numerated, and farther, districts decaying into slums. Thus, while District One is peaceful and lawful, much like the antiseptic lifestyle of early-Edo era Kyoto, District Eighty is a hardscrabble, violent, crime-infested area that more depicts Heian era Kyoto. There is no indication that the shinigami or any other agencies patrol the streets of Rukongai, and as a result, the citizenry are mainly responsible for their day-to-day welfare. I know of only five districts and there names. District One Junrinan, part of West Rukongai, District Three Hokutan, part of West Rukongai, District Seventy-eight Inuzuri, literally howling dog, the South Alley of Flowing Spirits, District Seventy-nine Kusajishi, the North Alley of Loitering Spirits, and District Eighty Zaraki, the North Alley of Loitering Spirits." He conitued as he saw Yggdrasil jot everything down. "You don't need to, not like I'm going to quiz you." He heard what he said. "Your choice..." He said as he continued. "Seireitei is in the center of Soul Society, a circular shiro with four main entrances, each guarded by a Gate Guardian. The walls are made of Sekiseki, a material known to sap all spiritual and psychic energy when one portion is faced in a particular direction, similar to magnetic lodestones. The deathstone also forms a spherical barrier around the city, preventing anyone from entering anywhere other than the four gates." He then sat down since he was tired of standing. "The majority of the residents of Seireitei, nobility and shinigami alike, do not interact with the citizens of Rukongai. However, residents of Rukongai are allowed to apply for the shinigami academy, which is often the only escape from the poorest conditions of Rukongai. Some Seireitei residents do maintain residences outside the castle." He said as he looked around to make sure the coast was clear. "At the center of Seireitei are the senzaikyū or Shrine of Penitence, a white tower, and Sōkyoku Hill, where executions take place." He then thought for a second. "I think that's all the information on it that I have." He continued. "Now moving to Hollow classifications. Lets start with the basics. Hollows are former pluses, deceased human souls, that lose their hearts to despair or remain in the real world for too long. Nonhuman spirits can also transform into hollows. Any spirit that is not guided to Soul Society by a shinigami may eventually descend into a hollow. The process by which a soul becomes a hollow usually takes months, if not longer, reflected by the length of the soul's inga no kusari, Chain of Destiny, or Chain of Fate whichever you prefer, which resides in the center of their chest. The Chain of Destiny slowly corrodes over time, reflecting the degradation of the soul's ties to the living world. The process can be accelerated under certain conditions, such as being attacked by another hollow or through the use of certain spiritual powers. When the chain completely decays, the soul is warped into a unique and monstrous form with a vaguely skeletal mask and a large hole where their chain was once connected." He said as he pointed to Lucius as his example. "The majority of ghosts peacefully move on to Soul Society after their deaths. Some, however, stay in the living world to fulfill certain goals, such as looking after a loved one, protecting a particular location, or pursuing a grudge from beyond the grave. However, with only limited abilities to interact with the living, and by definition tied to their goals, many ghosts find they are unable to cope when their loved ones move on or old enemies forget them. At this point, some will become dangerously obsessed with fulfilling those goals, even if the means to fulfill them renders the soul empty: for example, killing anyone who comes near a loved one, in order to keep them from hurting that person. In doing so, the ghost warps into a hollow and, ironically, often makes the focus of their obsession into their first victim. Though... some do not transform quite so horribly." He added. "Once a soul becomes a hollow, it is driven to devour other souls, living or dead, to fill the void caused by its descent. While their former obsession often becomes their first target, many hollows will eventually become mindless creatures concerned only with finding the most potent souls to devour. Stronger willed or more evil hollows are often able to retain some or all of their intelligence in hollow form, making them more dangerous than the average hollow. While most hollows are evil, or at the very least mindless, at least a few are not, as is the case with myself and I think Lucius." He saw Yggdrasil smile at that comment and wished he too could do that. "The most distinctive feature of a hollow, their mask, is formed to protect the naked instinct that is left in a being after the loss of its heart, and in some ways is the tangible form of the hollow's madness. The masks of different hollows can differ greatly in shape and form, but they are always white and skull-like. The masks also obscure the original identity of the hollows. The mask can be shattered, temporarily allowing the hollow to regain its original identity, but it will regenerate after a short period once the hollow takes over again... though now it seems that hollows die now because of it... shinigami are always making it easier to get rid of us one way or another." He was honestly depressed by this fact but happy it can't happen to him anymore since his mask was broken. "Hollows have widely varying physical characteristics and powers, and few hollows ever appear the same, the few that do are often clones. In terms of appearance, hollows can range from furry, like mammals, or lizard-like in appearance to outright demonic. A hollow's abilities are often determined by their power. Weaker, and by definition less intelligent, hollows usually only attack in a melee style, whereas stronger hollows have a wide array of abilities with which to kill their quarry. Hollows also vary in size, though it tends to be fairly consistent amongst the various classifications of hollows. In Hueco Mundo, some hollows are no larger than common pets. Most common hollows are about twice the size of an adult human, though it can vary to a degree. Huge hollows, aptly named for their size, are as large as two-story buildings. Finally, gillian-class menos are even larger than the huge hollows, standing as tall as a common skyscraper." He said wishing he had an example. "Hollows are usually killed by splitting their mask and head in two, but most fatal wounds will effectively dispatch them. When this is done by a shinigami's zanpakutō, the hollow is not truly killed; its spirit is purified of the sins it committed as a hollow. This allows the spirit within to enter Soul Society as a plus. In cases where a hollow committed great sins as a mortal, its purification will summon the gates of hell, which drag the soul to its punishment. When a hollow is killed by a Quincy, however, it is destroyed, soul and all, which has potentially disastrous effects on the spiritual balance of the worlds." He said as he knew he must have been made a hollow to balance this out. "Now on to the Menos Class...Though most hollows are simply transformed human souls, a sub-group of hollows known as menos, Spanish for "minus" or "less", exist. Menos are conglomerations of hundreds of normal hollows, resulting in a single composite entity of far greater strength than any normal hollow. Menos-class hollows are considered so dangerous that Soul Society sends only highly trained shinigami teams to handle them. These incursions seem to be rare, however, as menos rarely leave Hueco Mundo unless attracted by large sources of spiritual power or encouraged to by other forces." He knew this was the truth and thought that Gillians should leave more often to lessen the population of humans, shinigami, and hollows. "Menos are created when the void within an ordinary hollow's heart becomes so substantial that human souls are incapable of sustaining it, at which point it begins devouring fellow hollows. These cannibal hollows are attracted to one another, and a mass inter-devouring follows, resulting in a gillian. Following this transformation, the gillian can evolve twice more, first into an adjuchas and finally into a vasto lorde, provided certain conditions are met. Menos evolution is not only contingent upon the menos eating other hollows, but also upon the menos' ability to avoid being eaten. If another hollow succeeds in devouring a part of their body, evolution becomes impossible." He said as he thought of that desperate battle for power and shook his head. " Anyways... let's dive deeper into this. Gillian, Spanish for "countless creatures", are the weakest class of menos and the first stage of menos evolution. They are giant in comparison to other hollows, dwarfing even the largest standard hollows by at least the size of a two-story building, but lack agility and intelligence. While a gillian-class menos is quite powerful, they are still much weaker than a shinigami lieutenant. They are comparable to "foot-soldiers", reflected in their uniform appearance. In Soul Society, gillians are known as menos grande and are shown in textbooks discussing menos. Menos grande literally means "big minus" in Spanish "less big" is also a possible translation or "less". Similarly, the kanji for menos grande is this, meaning big emptiness." He said drawing it. "Shinigami are too regulated." He then caught himself and continued. "Though gillians usually have no personality to speak of, one of the many hollows that comprise it may retain control over the new entity, reflected in the unique mask it wears in comparison to a normal gillian. Only these gillian variants have the potential to evolve into adjuchas-class menos. The evolution is facilitated by the continued cannibalization of fellow hollows, even other gillians." He said... this cannibalistic system was funny when he was a Shinigami but now he felt nothing. "Adjuchas, Spanish for "stone demon", are the medium class of menos in terms of power, and the second stage in the menos evolution. Adjuchas can vary radically in appearance, from bulky humanoids to a jaguar-like form even. Unlike the gillians, they are roughly human-sized. They are also much smarter than the gillians and have the power to match. It is likely they could fight evenly with at least a shinigami lieutenant. They watch over the many gillian-class menos, and some are also capable of controlling them." He continued. "Adjuchas-class menos are much smaller in population compared to the gillian class, due to the rarity of any one hollow being capable of overwhelming the many other hollows that comprise the body of a gillian. Furthermore, the adjuchas must continue to devour hollows, or its mind will be absorbed by the hollows comprising its form and it will revert back into a gillian. The subsequent lack of an individual will also preclude the reverted gillian from becoming an adjuchas again. Making it a desperate attempt to stay that way." He added for a side note. "Vasto Lorde, Spanish for "enormous king", are the most powerful class of menos, and the final stage in the menos evolutionary line. They appear almost completely humanoid, and each one is stronger than an average shinigami captain; shinigami claim that ten of them under Anyone's control would be enough to defeat all of Soul Society... so I would like to fight one eventually." He added for reference. "Vasto lorde are the least common form of menos, but the exact population is unknown. They are believed to reside within the very depths of Hueco Mundo. Apart from the need to cannibalize even more hollows, any special requirements for the creation of a vasto lorde are unknown." He said. "Now to move on to Arrancar." He said as he pointed to himself. "An arrancar is a hollow that has removed its mask and gained shinigami powers. The name arrancar is a Spanish verb meaning "to remove" or "to rip off," a reference to an arrancar's removal of its hollow mask. In the manga, arrancar is written using a kanji spelling meaning torn mask but is pronounced as the Spanish arrancar." He said showing a vast array of knowledge on all the subjects so far. "Few hollows have the potential to remove their masks normally, and even if they manage it the change is not significant... but sometimes it is. Sōsuke Aizen was able to artificially create arrancar with the Orb of Distortion, which also unlocks much more of their potential than a natural transformation would. The process of turning a hollow into an arrancar is called shinigamification." He had some shinigami like powers then to to show off... but he rather not show off that much. "Arrancar and ordinary hollows differ in two ways: the location of their holes and the near-total disappearance of their masks. When hollows become arrancar, the chances of them retaining a humanoid form increase with their intelligence; only vasto lorde-class arrancar will definitely assume a humanoid form... though I seem to be one of many exceptions. If powerful enough, an arrancar can seal his or her excess power into the form of a zanpakutō. Unlike with shinigami, this zanpakutō is simply the hollow's true form sealed into a sword. Therefore, an arrancar's release of their zanpakutō is merely a temporary restoration of their former selves. An arrancar release is called resurrección, Japanese for "returning blade," Spanish for "resurrection". Arrancar do not have a known second release... though I have seen some that do." He said adding several extra notes inside it. "Those arrancar who were under Aizen's command also have a standard theme for their clothing. Their uniforms consist of a white jacket, black sash, white hakama, and black socks with white sandals; in essence, the uniforms are basically inverted shinigami uniforms... such as what I am wearing." He said. "I won't go into Hollow ranks since there hasn't been an Espada since Aizen's defeat." He said blankly. "Now on to the shinigami explanation and ranks. Shinigami are departed human souls that have gained supernatural powers. As such, their bodies are composed of ectoplasm, or reishi, and they can only be seen by other spiritually aware entities, which excludes most humans. In the series, shinigami, as well as most other types of spirits, are quite capable of influencing their environment." He said. "The most prominent power possessed by a shinigami is their zanpakutō, a sword generated from the shinigami's soul. Shinigami also naturally give off spiritual energy, which varies greatly in magnitude with the strength of a shinigami. A zanpakutō is a physical manifestation of this force concentrated into a blade." He said, though his zanpakutō was different it still severed as a useful example. "Shinigami operations are based out of Soul Society. Travel between the human world and Soul Society is extremely limited and monitored, but some shinigami are stationed in the human world to carry out their duties and therefore must often travel between the two. In addition, it is a crime for a shinigami to remain in the human world longer than a certain time limit. A shinigami's duties include leading Pluses to Soul Society in a practice called konsō, and the cleansing of hollows. Later in the series, shinigami duties are clarified further, and it is revealed that they are also responsible for governing the flow of spirits between the human world and Soul Society." He said. "Kidō (鬼道, Kidō? lit.demon path) are a type of sorcery used by shinigami. They can be used for various purposes, such as healing, attacking, and restraining. Healing seems to be a more general skill, while attacking and binding require an incantation to be recited beforehand. Kidō spells are divided into two major categories: hadō, known as destructive spells, used for direct attack, and bakudō, known as binding spells, which are spells that restrain someone or have other effects. These forms of Kidō spells are performed by calling out a complicated and often long-winded incantation followed by its category, number and name, which causes an effect once the name has been recited. Lesser versions of the spells can be used by skipping the incantation, but their effectiveness is reduced based on individual skill." He said. "Lets see... I've told you basically everything to let you know what they are exactly and everything else needed if you wanted to fight one... hmmm.... now for ranks... let's just restrict it to the Gotei Thirteen since that's what basically everyone ends up fighting against... The Gotei Thirteen, or Thirteen Division Imperial Guards, is the organization which most shinigami join. It is split into thirteen divisions, hence the name, with several divisions having certain specializations. The Fourth Division is the medical/supply division, the Eleventh Division is the combat division, specialization in swordsmanship, and the Twelfth Division is the research/scientific division. The Ninth Division to my knowledge to be in charge of newspaper and magazine-related duties. It's unclear if the other divisions are truly specialized, as the four mentioned are the only ones who receive any significant attention apart from their members." He said in a long-winded summary and continued. "As with any army, the Gotei Thirteen has ranks. There are Twenty ranks for officers but no ranks for non-officers. The lower the number is, the more important. The ranks and their descriptions follows, from highest to lowest in terms of strength... but sometimes, intelligence in some cases... The sōtaichō, literally commander-general, is the leader of the Gotei Thirteen and the captain of the First Division; the implication is that this is an ex officio and/or a primus inter pares position. The current holder of this title is Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai... A Taichō, literally Unit Commander, commonly referred to as Captain, are the leaders of the thirteen divisions, with the special case of the Commander-General. While "captain" is not an accurate translation of the rank, it's appropriate considering the size of the unit they lead. A single Gotei Thirteen 'unit' is estimated at about two hundred to five hundred troops. Some renders the units as 'companies' rather than 'divisions' because captains lead companies in real life. However, given that each Captain leads a major part of a military wing or corps, they could be division commanders or Generals. Most literally, the name simply means 'unit commander', which could be practically any officer rank... Captains are generally the most respected shinigami in Soul Society, with the Central Forty-six Chambers, Demon Art Corps, and special forces leaders possibly being on equal status. With one exception, Kenpachi Zaraki, all captains are able to perform the bankai of their zanpakutō and are generally much more powerful than even their lieutenants. Knowing the bankai gives captains an average of five to ten times the strength of shinigami who are unable to perform it. They have also extensively trained, if not mastered, their bankai, allowing them to actually use the enormous power effectively in battle. Most captains are also skilled in the use of shunpō, kidō, and generally have excellent knowledge of shinigami history and battle tactics. All of these factors create a huge power-gap between captains and lower-ranked officers... so these are the guys you should definately run from if you ever meet one and are given the chance to flee... they wear white jackets, just so you know... Fukutaichō, or Vice-Unit commander, more commonly referred to as Lieutenants, are the second seated officers in each division. Because captain describes the unit commander, vice-captain is the most literally accurate translation some have used. The some render the rank as the similar but somewhat longer "assistant captain". Although this does not apply to modern armies, in historical real-life armies the lieutenant has been the adjutant of the captain, as is the case for fukutaichō and taichō. Therefore, lieutenant is a correct real-life equivalent of this rank. Holders of this rank in Gotei 13 have also been called adjutants... Lieutenants function as executive officers for their division, taking care of or supervising day-to-day operations. They, along with their captains, are not assigned to one specific squad. They generally only know the shikai of their zanpakutō, but are still the second strongest in their division. In the case of a division captain's death, departure, or other circumstances making him unable to perform their duties, the lieutenant acts as the substitute captain until another can be assigned... making them another good reason to run... though harder to spot... if they call out the name of a sword and it transforms... run and hide... I can easily take care of many that have this specific rank." He said showing a wealth of knowledge for the ranks as he had everything else. "Sekikan, or Seated officers, are the remainder of the officers in the Gotei Thirteen who hold ranks at or below Third Seat. Captains have the rank of First Seat and lieutenants are Second Seat. Next to that, there are eighteen more seats, Third to Twenty th. These ranks are somewhat analogous to junior officers or non-commissioned officers in modern militaries. There seems to be a distinction between senior and junior seated officers, just like in real-life armies. In the Gotei Thirteen, only one person can hold a senior officer rank, such as Third or Fifth seat, but there are several holders of junior officer ranks. This may vary from division to division however. Seated officers often lead subunits within each division." He said. "And that is all I have on anything that related to anything that is necessary to know..." He said finally.

Lucius was shocked to death... he had heard some long-winded things before but this took the cake... "Oh... my... god..." He said. "When you talk... you talk!" He said shocked and amazed.

Yggdrasil finally got done copying everything Abel said. "This is extraordinary... so much on other worlds... this is overwhelming..." He said as he felt something inside of him awaken. "I've got to sleep on this." He said as he went and slept in a comfortable looking place.

Abel did not mind a rest... though he stood awake to allow Yggdrasil to sleep. "Son't worry about anything... you can sleep..." He said as he pulled out his sword to make sure he was ready for any enemies.

Lucius as well went to sleep for he knew that this would be a long day when they awoke... and he was taking advantage of the fact that Abel was willing to protect them as they slept. "See ya when I wake up you damned motor mouth... he didn't ask for that long winded explanation..."

Yggdrasil looked at Abel. "Thank you... I will remember this and help you one day." He said as he laid down and went to sleep. His dreams while he was asleep were strange and different tonight... the spiritual particles in the air were awakening a dormant power... and he didn't even know it yet.

Abel looked at Yggdrasil as he slept and then turned to Lucius. "Yes... but he doesn't seem to mind... plus it's not like it won't disturb anything anyways... not like other humans don't know about it."

Eventually they all woke up from there sleep and left in another Garganta back to Earth and Yggdrasil's Chapel of Martel.

Abel's lines: 14 + post (299) = 313 (cashing 300) 13
Lucius' lines: 59 + post(299) = 358 (cashing 325) 33
Yggdrasil's lines: 7 + post (299) = 306 (cashing 300) 6

Abel's kills: 0
Lucius' kills: 0

A black portal opened in the sky, depositing Captain Seto Camque and his Vice-Captain, Rayf Hakuga on the desert sands...looking around, Seto recognized the structure of the crystal plants....the endless dunes of Hueco Mundo... "This is Muchos...a desert area covering the entire top of Hueco Mundo....See that grey dome far in the distance? That's Los Noches...the castle that the three traitor captains took refuge while creating Arrancar....I advise against going that way....Arrancar usei t still....it'd be too dangerous. This is a scouting mission...not a suicide battle."

"You would be surprised...life crawls beneath the sands of here...I can feel it. The air is filled with rouge Reiatsu particles...everything you see here is an illusion...the are many tiny Hollows lurking beneath the sand...." Looking around the desert; Seto honestly had no idea which way they should consider exploring for answers to his question on Hido....

"It would probably be easier to head in the direction of Los Noches....it's actually quite a distance from here....at least then we havea reference point." Leading the way towards Los Noches, Seto trekked across the sands, keeping his guard up for any Hollows that could still be lurking around the area. "Keep your Reiatsu low, Hollows are naturally attracted to those who possess high signatures of Reiatsu..."

Seto shook his head, answering Rayf's question. "It all depends on the type of Hollow...Regular Hollows are no match for us...but Menos could be a bit of a challenge. Gillian are not much stronger; they're just bulky and hard to take down because of their size....Adjunchas are a lot smaller; about 10 feet or so high....but they pack a LOT more power....then there are the Vasto Lorde class....like Touma and Asmodean...they're in a class all their own; and we could be in some serious danger if we found one....also. an Arrancar could give us some trouble if we're not prepared; so keep your guard up...." The dunes rippled; as if a wind was blowing across them; yet Seto felt no wind....the entire area of Hueco Mundo was eerie...Seto placed his hand over the hilt of his sword; something was coming....

'Adjunchas!' Harerutou uttered a warning and Seto immediately drew his blade. Rising from a sand; a Twin-Headed Sand Demon Send out a whip of sand towards them. Dodging from the whip; Seto skidded across the sand; calling out to his Zanpakuto; "Sing, Harerutou!!!" as his Zanpakuto transformed into its spear form. Standing firm; he kept his eye on the dual headed opponent; waiting for its next attack

"LITTLE SHINIGAMIS!!! COME OUT AND PLAY!!!" the sand demon grinned; his Hollow masks glaring against Hueco Mundo's moonlight. Taking an attack stance; the Hollow felt his stomach growling; he was getting very hungry for the powerful shinigami souls...





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Seto saw Daisuke arrive at the scene in his usual style; dancing in; and drawing his blade with as much normalcy as he could muster. Laughing, Seto called out to his Third Seat, "I see you decided to trail behind us after all, Daisuke. Perfect timing; you almost missed the beginning of the fight! Oh, and I know your style; but don't use too many techniques if you can help it; keep your Reiatsu near its base level. I'd rather not to attract every Hollow from here to Los Noches!" Seto grinned, holding his spear level as the Sand Demon Hollow looked at his new opponent. "More FOOD!!!" the Adjunchas echoed gleefully as he saw Daisuke enter the area; the two heads chucking in a low breath.