— — — — — —
In the distance—
Yotsuya Miko noticed that Midoriko and the others had already found opponents. She blinked, then pointed at herself.
"So… what about us?"
Hearing that, Kikyo shifted her gaze toward Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.
Grimmjow: "?"
Why did he suddenly get a bad feeling?
...But it vanished just as quickly as it came.
Kikyo shook her head. "Espada-level opponents are still a bit too much for you, strength-wise."
Even though Miko's ability was pretty effective against their type…
The raw power difference made it risky.
That said, there were still plenty of other enemies scattered around Las Noches that could serve as perfect leveling opportunities.
Kikyo narrowed her eyes, sensing the presences hidden throughout the fortress.
Ingvild Leviathan's massive area-of-effect magic had already cleared out a portion of them.
The rest… were clearly the trickier ones.
These must be the Números.
That level of opponent should be just right for Miko and the others to get stronger.
Just as Kikyo was about to speak—BOOM!
The calm ocean exploded into chaos as a swirling vortex of dark purple energy shot into the sky!
From within it, the battered figure of Baraggan Louisenbairn emerged, stepping atop the whirlpool like a death god rising from the abyss.
"…He's still alive?!"
Grimmjow's eyes widened in disbelief.
Baraggan looked like he'd been through hell.
His once-imposing skeletal form was cracked all over, most of his right arm was missing, and the flames in his eye sockets had dimmed significantly.
But the pressure he radiated was even more brutal than before, his Aging Flames now a menacing shade of pitch-black.
"Just some seawater…" Baraggan's voice rumbled like it came from the depths of the underworld, "...you think that's enough to bury the King of Hueco Mundo?!"
On the surface, Ingvild visibly trembled from his overwhelming presence, nearly falling out of her Leviathan phantom's protection.
She clung to a corner of the Leviathan phantom, her face pale. "Th-that scary skeleton uncle is seriously terrifying…"
The Leviathan phantom let out a helpless sigh. Its massive hand gently supported its master, Ingvild.
"Focus on maintaining your mana output. Don't get distracted."
"O-Okay!" Ingvild frantically nodded and adjusted her magic.
The water beneath them instantly deepened in color, revealing glimpses of countless deep-sea creatures swimming within.
Baraggan panted heavily, the flames in his skull flickering wildly.
He gave Ingvild a quick glance before locking his gaze on Katerea Leviathan.
"You…"
"…You've officially pissed me off."
Katerea raised an eyebrow, her crimson lips curling into a mocking smile. "Oh? And what are you gonna do about it?"
She didn't even bother to descend from the sky—just lazily flicked her wrist.
A deep blue magic circle lit up beneath Baraggan's feet as countless blades of water erupted from every direction, ready to shred him.
Baraggan roared and conjured a shield of aging flames.
Water blades slammed into it, hissing violently, clouds of steam billowing out.
But this time, his defense couldn't hold. A few blades cut straight through, leaving deep gashes across his skeletal frame.
"Damn it!" The flames in his eyes flared wildly.
He had used up way too much Reiatsu just to survive earlier!
He looked up sharply, chains rattling.
"Respira!"
A wave of dark purple mist surged from his mouth, instantly turning even the ocean black as it spread.
It moved fast—too fast—heading straight for Ingvild!
"Watch out!" Nelliel flashed between them, her spear sweeping across the air and splitting the mist apart with a burst of green light.
Katerea let out a snort, spreading her fingers wide. "Deep Sea Prison!"
BOOM!
Five massive pillars of water shot upward from the sea, forming a giant cage that trapped Baraggan inside.
Within the watery prison, countless high-pressure water blades spun wildly, emitting an ear-splitting screech.
His aging flames were being pushed back, his bones cracking more and more.
Realizing he was outmatched, Baraggan finally swallowed his pride and roared: "STARRK!!"
"Cero!"
Even before Baraggan called out, Coyote Starrk had already moved.
With a snap of his fingers, a swarm of glowing blue bullets materialized around him—
Zzzzt-zzt-zzt—
They rained down on Katerea like a thunderstorm.
Each shot carried enough pressure to tear apart even a Gillian-class Hollow.
Katerea crossed her arms in front of her, layer upon layer of deep blue magic circles forming before her.
ROAR!!
A massive sea dragon made entirely of magic burst from the circle, mouth wide open as it devoured every incoming bullet—then surged forward without losing any momentum, crashing toward Starrk!
His pupils shrank. He twisted his body, dodging just in time.
The dragon clipped his shoulder, the sheer force tearing off half his sleeve.
"Starrk!!" Lilynette shouted.
"I'm fine," Starrk said, checking his arm. The usual lazy look on his face was gone—replaced by sharp, focused determination.
Still, he glanced at Baraggan, who was now free from the sea prison and keeping his distance from the water.
Mission accomplished.
All he needed to do was shift Katerea's focus away from Baraggan—that was enough.
Baraggan caught his breath, his voice low. "I owe you one."
Now Starrk turned fully toward Katerea Leviathan, his gaze intense.
He took a deep breath—his Reiatsu exploded upward like a storm.
"Give Chase —Los Lobos!"
BWOM—
An overwhelming force surged out as Starrk's form changed in an instant.
His white uniform morphed into a fur-lined gray coat, twin pistols appearing in his hands. His whole demeanor sharpened like a blade.
On the other side, Tier Harribel unsheathed her Zanpakutō.
"Destroy—Tiburón!"
Golden spiritual energy shot into the sky. Her outfit transformed into an armored swimsuit, and her sword turned into a massive shark-fin weapon.
Katerea licked her lips, eyes flashing with excitement. "Perfect."
Meanwhile, Midoriko still wore her gentle smile, as if nothing intense was happening at all.
She even offered a casual reminder: "Careful now~"
"My power… kinda counters yours a bit."
She said it with a cheerful tone, making a little "universe-at-my-fingertips" gesture with her hand.
Yep, just a tiny bit of a counter.
Really… just a smidge.
"..."
Harribel eyed Midoriko's hand gesture with a complicated expression.
Why did she have this… ominous feeling?
She couldn't shake the unease Midoriko gave her, the strange flutter of instinct warning her something was off.
Tch…
Did she… pick the wrong opponent?
Harribel hesitated slightly, glancing over at Coyote Starrk. Maybe she could switch?
But, looking at Katerea Leviathan, who had gone full battle mode and was acting borderline unhinged, she quickly shut her mouth.
Yeah—she definitely didn't want to deal with someone like that.
Her gaze shifted toward Baraggan Louisenbairn instead.
Hmm… maybe she could trade with him?
Midoriko noticed the shift in Harribel's aura and smiled slightly. "Ready to start?"
"…Yeah." Harribel gave a warning, "You better be careful."
For now, she didn't have a bad impression of Midoriko.
But they were on opposite sides, and she had her reasons to fight too.
So—Just like Midoriko had warned her, she was returning the favor.
Even though Midoriko gave off serious "danger alert" vibes…
Harribel wasn't some nobody.
She was ranked third among the Espada—her strength spoke for itself.
Her eyes narrowed, and a powerful gust exploded from under her feet.
In the next instant—
Her tall figure flickered behind Midoriko like a shadow, and the massive blade carved with shark-gill patterns swung in a wide arc without hesitation!
She was so fast that the smile hadn't even faded from Midoriko's face yet.
But—Duang!
A crisp sound rang out in the air.
Harribel's sword stopped, locked just ten centimeters from Midoriko. It couldn't go any farther.
Harribel's expression tightened. She stared at the invisible barrier in front of her and muttered, "What is this…?"
"A barrier," Midoriko said calmly behind her.
A… barrier?
Harribel's eyes narrowed. She gripped her sword tighter and poured in more Reiatsu!
Screeeee—
The awful screech of power grinding against resistance echoed.
But no matter how hard she pushed… the barrier didn't budge.
Realizing brute force wouldn't cut it, she backed off and narrowed her eyes at the shield standing between them.
Breaking it with raw power wasn't going to work.
But she didn't have many finesse techniques in her arsenal.
So Harribel held Tiburón with both hands and inhaled deeply.
If subtlety wasn't an option— Time to rely on raw power and hope for a miracle!!
Bzzzz—
She pointed the sword's tip at Midoriko. A yellow glow began to gather along the blade.
Then she slowly raised it.
Midoriko, unfazed, tilted her head slightly. "Wanna make a bet?"
"…Huh?"
Harribel paused mid-motion, frowning in confusion. "What?"
Midoriko smiled. "After this fight—if I win, why don't you come over to our side? You can convince others as well."
"…??"
Harribel blinked. Her grip faltered for a moment, and her Reiatsu almost slipped.
Was she… trying to recruit her and the other Espadas?
Seriously?
Harribel's face twisted into something unreadable. After a moment of silence, she asked hesitantly, "Aren't we… supposed to be enemies?"
Midoriko nodded. "Yeah. So what?"
"Our master seems to accept you all, so either join our familia or end up as food for Miko. It's your choice—really."
"…"
Harribel had no idea what kind of logic Midoriko was operating on.
What the hell did that even mean?
"If you defeat me, I'll accept whatever you decide."
Her voice was steady. If she lost, then she'd be the spoils of war—plain and simple.
"Perfect," Midoriko nodded in satisfaction. "Go ahead."
"Uh…"
Harribel awkwardly glanced down at her glowing sword, where the fluctuating Reiatsu was now kind of unstable.
She stayed silent for a few seconds. In the end, she didn't switch tactics—she just poured even more power into it.
A second later—
Three misty, energy-laced slashes shot forward, tearing through the air toward Midoriko like they were slicing the fabric of space itself!
BOOM!
The first slash hit the barrier with a sharp crack, vibrating the air.
Bzzzz—
The barrier hummed loudly, trembling under the pressure.
Then came the second. Then the third.
CRACK!
Finally, the barrier couldn't take it anymore. It splintered like glass and shattered with a resounding crash!
Harribel let out a quiet breath of relief.
Finally broke through that damn turtle shell.
And even better, the misty energy slashes didn't stop. They kept charging toward Midoriko with deadly force!
Will she dodge?
Harribel watched Midoriko carefully, trying to predict her next move.
But Midoriko didn't move at all.
She simply raised her hand, palm open, and softly murmured: "Aramitama."
BOOM!!!
An overwhelming force erupted from her body!
Brilliant spirit flames exploded around her like a storm, whipping her shrine maiden outfit in the wind!
An immense, terrifying power surged through her, as if she'd just torn off all her restraints.
As the Four-Soul Devil, she had four mode skills: Aramitama (courage, conflict, power), Nigimitama (harmony, mediation, compassion), Sakimitama (wisdom, logic, creativity), and Kushimitama (happiness, love, vitality).
BAM! BAM! BAM!
The misty slashes hit Midoriko dead-on.
But the outcome wasn't what Harribel expected.
It was like those attacks had slammed into an unshakable mountain—Midoriko's hand didn't budge an inch.
They didn't even leave a scratch.
Midoriko glanced down at the misty slashes in her hand and calmly said, "Not bad."
"Hm…"
"I think Saeko would really like this kind of attack."
Then her hand clenched slightly.
Crack…
The eerie creaking of something breaking under pressure filled the air.
Under Midoriko's grip, the energy slashes twisted and deformed—then with a loud pop, they burst into golden-yellow sparkles and vanished.
Harribel: "..."
.
.
.