Neliel, in a moment of clarity after their encounter, looked troubled. "What position do we occupy in this conflict between Aizen, the Shinigami, and the Espada?"

Despite her previous contentment, she had already sensed Ulquiorra's demise. Yammy's defeat was merely a matter of time. Furthermore, this battle had claimed countless Arrancar lives throughout Hueco Mundo.

With Shiroha Uehara's involvement, they stood no chance of victory.

If the Espada persisted in opposing Shiroha, then Hueco Mundo had no future.

As blissful as she had been moments earlier, she was now equally bewildered. What path remained for them?

Shiroha addressed her concern directly: "Your issue isn't that you're not human—it's that you've become too human. Lose your humanity, you lose much; lose your primal nature, you lose everything. Aizen transformed you into human-like beings, but he couldn't alter your essence. The dynamic of hunter and prey remains etched in your very blood."

For him, humanization was beneficial. The experience with a Vasto Lorde-class Arrancar was truly extraordinary.

But for an Arrancar, this transformation might be detrimental—especially in combat. Without those primal instincts, fighting capabilities became severely compromised.

The battle of Karakura Town had revealed everything. The Espada clearly possessed superior raw power, yet they couldn't overcome their opponents. Too many distractions prevented them from unleashing their full potential.

Fate was woven into the fabric of the death gods' world, and blood-ties carried mysterious power. The Shiba clan had always embraced self-sacrifice instead of serving the Soul King. Members of this family possessed an unbreakable spirit of selflessness.

This lineage produced a "proxy Soul King" dedicated to protecting his companions. During the Thousand-Year Blood War, Ichigo Kurosaki nearly became the Soul King's replacement.

It was remarkable how the family's legacy seemed embedded in the bloodline and destiny of the Kurosaki clan.

"What's wrong with embracing humanity?" Though she questioned this, Neliel's gaze fixed on Shiroha with growing affection.

She believed humanity was worth embracing. Otherwise, she would never have encountered Shiroha and discovered her spiritual sanctuary.

Upon reflection, Hueco Mundo and its Arrancar had their own destiny. She needed to accept others' fates while cherishing the good fortune before her.

Shiroha dismissed her sentiment bluntly: "Typical feminine perspective!"

Truthfully, he held greater admiration for the original Hollows. At least they were "dedicated" and pure in their purpose. They commanded fear. The Arrancar before him seemed too gentle and restrained.

In ancient times, when Hollows encountered Shinigami, they devoured them without hesitation, like the ancient Hollow Ikomikidomoe.

Now, they prostrated themselves before a "god," treating Aizen as their divine savior.

They had abandoned their "proud traditions" in favor of fighting others' battles in more civilized fashion.

Yet, whether acknowledged or not, those ugly histories and scorned imperfections had forged their current identities. This applied equally to Arrancar, Shinigami, humans, and even gods.

To forget one's past was to forget oneself.

Therefore, Shiroha harbored no concerns about Karakura Town.

Though the Espada possessed formidable combat prowess and impressive abilities, the Shinigami were hardly defenseless.

The power enhancement provided by Bankai remained substantial.

While an Espada's Resurrección could instantly heal wounds and restore reiatsu, they couldn't conceal their released form.

An Espada in their sealed state essentially lacked the complete abilities of their Zanpakutō.

Although their baseline capabilities were impressive, they couldn't completely dominate Shinigami of comparable rank.

Once their power advantage dissipated, they became increasingly vulnerable.

Well-trained Shinigami wielded Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Kidō, and Hohō—a comprehensive skill set difficult to counter.

Consequently, Espada relied on Resurrección to amplify their abilities—a tactical necessity rather than choice.

Ulquiorra had recognized his inability to defeat Ichigo in his sealed state, prompting his immediate release of Resurrección.

In reality, even if every Shinigami captain fell to the Espada, the ultimate outcome would remain unchanged—perhaps even slightly improved.

Superficially, this conflict represented a struggle of will, ability, and strength between Shinigami and Arrancar.

But fundamentally, this was merely a "performance" between Aizen and Ichigo.

From beginning to end, Aizen had never truly exerted his full power.

Had victory been his genuine objective, Kyōka Suigetsu would have activated its complete hypnosis, rendering them helpless. No one except Ichigo could have resisted.

Yet Aizen had refrained.

Because destruction wasn't his purpose. His opponents sought to challenge Aizen's ambition to overthrow the existing order and claim the Soul King's throne.

Aizen was an enigmatic yet rational being; he avoided unnecessary actions.

Perhaps in his view, these current adversaries represented future subordinates, making their survival logical.

However, Aizen's grand design was destined for failure.

In the original timeline, this conflict eventually became a showcase for Hōgyoku-empowered Aizen and Fully-Hollowfied Ichigo.

Ultimately, one became imprisoned while the other lost his powers entirely.

This time, however, the outcome would differ.

Because Shiroha Uehara was present.

He would distribute the spoils and determine everyone's fate.

In Szayelaporro's laboratory, Mayuri Kurotsuchi finally achieved success:

"Excellent! I've done it! What fascinating power! This is quite the unexpected discovery."

This expedition to Hueco Mundo had proven immensely valuable for him.

Initially, he believed his greatest acquisitions were several Arrancar specimens and a chamber filled with experimental data and samples.

However, after tireless effort, Mayuri discovered an even more remarkable treasure.

"Captain Kurotsuchi, how did you manage this?" Observing the Garganta before her, Retsu Unohana appeared somewhat perplexed. "Didn't you estimate at least three days?"

She was well acquainted with the scientist's unpredictable nature.

Unohana genuinely feared the man would create some unstable spatial tunnel that might leave its users stranded in the void between dimensions.

Even a captain with her millennium of experience could become trapped in such a place—caution was essential.

Isane Kotetsu harbored no such complex thoughts; she was simply relieved.

Her concern for Karakura Town had been overwhelming.

In her estimation, the sooner they established this Garganta, the better.

She was eager to fulfill her duty of healing the wounded and preserving lives.

Those Hollows were ferocious, and the Captain-Commander surely required the Fourth Division's support.

Nemu Kurotsuchi maintained her characteristic blank expression, yet closer inspection revealed she was quietly nibbling on snacks.