Kazuya arrived on a hill overlooking Las Noches from a distance. Under Barragan's reign Las Noches was just an open court. Aizen had made some huge changes. Now Las Noches was a massive dome-shaped fortress, so grand and majestic that most Hollows would feel scared to approach it.
Behind him, Apacci folded her arms. "It's almost a shame this is about to get flattened."
Her voice was laced with the smallest hint of regret that anyone could feel.
"War rarely respects beauty," Sung-Sun remarked, lifting a sleeve to cover her sadistic smile. "Husband, the stage is set. Go ahead and start the show."
A gentle tap on his shoulder came from Harribel, who offered him a solemn nod of encouragement. Her calm gaze held a confidence that everything would turn out fine. "Go on. I'll handle the rest."
"I don't doubt that," Kazuya said, tugging at his blindfold. "Nami, Tsubasa, don't let me down."
He disregarded the need to switch to his female form since he'd be spending all the time in his armor and Harribel would be responsible for everything else. He was simply there to enact the laws of death and life of his Resurrección. As a straight man, he had to avoid using his other form as much as possible.
{The only time I'll ever let someone down is into their coffin.}
"Izanami speaks the truth," Tsubasa said. "Nami enhanced my form. I'll enhance hers with my flames of protection."
He nodded and stepped forward, soaring upward with his Sonído. He stopped on a hill right next to Las Noches. His first plan had been to rip the tree straight out of Las Noches' center, but it'd kill quite a few. He did promise Harribel that he wouldn't kill meaninglessly.
"Sing, Phenex (Great Demon Poet)."
The blindfold left his hand, and a beam of scorching light flared, carving through Hueco Mundo and completely engulfing him. He emerged from the flames, donning a deep black and muted red armor and white-scarlet red cloak.
"Father, I'll protect you."
The white cloak gently wrapped around him, its folds rippling as if it was alive. Tsubasa now resided in it. Nami, as usual, possessed his armor.
{No protection. Only violence and destruction.}
He exhaled, suppressing the internal chatter in his mind. His attention went to the ground below. Extending a gauntlet-covered hand, he commanded the Divine Tree of Samsara to emerge. The tree burst through the sand, its coiling roots gripping and solidifying Hueco Mundo's ashes. The air was immediately filled with its stench of death.
"Nami, you stink." Tsubasa laughed. "Have you not bathed in weeks?"
{Little Tsu is trying humor. How adorable.}
"I'm deathly serious. Go shower—now."
{...}
Kazuya reached out to the tree, watching it unfurl its branches in shapes reminiscent of an immense phoenix's wings. Three main branches swelled at the center, each with a precious golden gem at its tip. Each gem carried countless threads to connect a being to the tree and enact its laws upon them.
Kazuya flew to the highest branch, taking a vantage point. 'Tsubasa, what does your cloak offer?'
The cloak came to life and covered his whole body.
"Like my shield, this is absolute defense. I'll reject any harm."
'Absolute defense. Crazy offense… Aren't I the final boss in this form?'
{Why would you hide behind a shield, when you could wreak havoc on the battlefield?}
"Because brute force alone is mindless. Have you forgotten about Yammy?"
Kazuya let out a silent laugh. 'You both have a point. We'll call it a tie.'
Down below, Harribel drew her broader-than-average Zanpakutō from its ornate sheath.
"Hunt, Tiburón."
A heart-shaped cocoon of water enveloped her as Harribel released her Resurrección. She cut herself out of the watery cocoon, the water crashing into the sands like a flood. Despite unleashing her Resurrección's power, she retained her elegant, queenly white dress rather than the scant battle armor.
{This suits her current role.}
'She looks good in anything.'
{Partner is a lovestruck fool. At least you're my lovestruck fool.}
A raise of Harribel's arm compelled the spilled water to form a whirling surge under her feet. She stabbed her Zanpakutō in the water, letting it carry her to closer to the gates of Las Noches.
"Las Noches, hear me! I, Harribel, declare war upon you," she spoke calmly, yet her Reiatsu carried her voice to every nook and cranny of Las Noches. "Should anyone surrender, my army will welcome you in the kingdom I will build upon the ruins of Las Noches."
Her allies took that as a cue, each unleashing their own spiritual pressure, merging into a wave that did far more than just intimidate—many lesser Arrancar and Hollows immediately lost their willpower to fight back and many even lost their consciousness. A majority in Las Noches simply weren't strong enough to handle the pressure coming from multiple Vasto Lorde and Adjuchas.
Crossing her arms over her chest, Harribel added softly, "I will protect every Hollow, no matter how weak or strong they are. Give me a chance to save you... Let me save Hueco Mundo from meaningless sacrifices."
A hushed silence fell over the entirety of Hueco Mundo until—
"Don't be so loud, woman," came a familiar voice of indifference.
"Aren't all women loud?" added another voice, in a bored, contempt-filled tone. "I agree that this one has got to be silenced."
The first one to answer Harribel's war declaration were the duo of Ulquiorra and Yammy. Their hawk-like eyes immediately went to the burning tree and its black-armored guardian.
"You're back…" Ulquiorra said, hyperfocusing on the Vasto Lorde who had utterly humiliated him in a battle. "We're not done yet. I want my rematch."
Kazuya felt no need to respond. He merely tilted his helmet fractionally in acknowledgment. Despite eating a loss at Kazuya's hands just today, Ulquiorra now wanted to get whipped by Kazuya's other identity.
{You never beat him in his Segunda Etapa.}
'Ah, that's why he's getting cocky.' He had no qualms about humbling Ulquiorra, but it won't be happening today. 'Anyway, Ladies will handle him.'
{Mistresses.}
"Mothers?"
{Mommies?}
"Mothers!"
{Mommies!}
Kazuya ignored the very complex and high-stakes war of words between his Zanpakutō Spirits and focused on the battlefield.
Yammy clamped a large hand on Ulquiorra's relatively small shoulder, stopping the Arrancar from charging at the tree. "Who the hell is that guy?"
"Leave Cazador," Ulquiorra said, ignoring Yammy's snarl. The Espada flicked a cold glance at Harribel. "Fight that nuisance or someone else. They're all strong. The one on the tree is my prey."
Ulquiorra saw through Yammy's intention to have another battle to wash away the humiliation from his defeat at Nelliel's hands.
A second passed between them in tense silence—Yammy clearly eager to fight anything that breathed, but not foolish enough to ignore Ulquiorra's advice. After all, Yammy had learned the hard way how easily he could be overpowered if he rushed in without caution.
The tide beneath Harribel lowered until she hovered just above the dust. "Your fight is with me."
Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun landed on the ground before Harribel. The trio looked ready to rip their Zanpakutō out on Harribel's command, oozing that 'ready to take on anyone' confidence, though each expressed it in their own unique way.
Apacci yanked the collars on her wrists, which took the form of chakrams, three blades protruding from each one. "This maid won't let you pass."
Mila Rose put a hand on her Zanpakutō and the other on her waist, her posture proud and dignified. "This lioness won't either."
"These two idiots," Sung-Sun sighed, feigning exasperation. "are my longtime friends. Even if they embarrass me at times, I'll stick with them. If I don't set a good example of friendship, who will?"
Mila Rose's face darkened. "Who are you calling an idiot?!"
"Ara, should I call you a musclehead?"
"Snake, I'm gonna kill you!!!"
"Stop it, Rose! Sung-Sun, you too!" Apacci said, looking fed-up. "Read the mood for once. We're to fight them, not fight each other."
Kazuya smiled at the chaotic banter on the otherwise solemn scene. The trio always found a way to make things lively. His happiness all but turned into disgust when he saw a pair of Arrancar strolling out of the fortress. A masculine man came out with the most over dramatic feminine walk. Second was a slim build teen with bangs and a Hollow-mask resembling a tiara on his head, adding more to the ambiguity of his gender.
'Charlotte and Luppi.'
Two powerful Arrancar but again not that big of a threat.
{Femboy and girly gay—a match made in heaven.}
'Calling him gay is an insult to gay people.'
{That is true… Let's just call him the abomination.}
'Much better.'
"Ahhh, a gathering of beauties," Charlotte exclaimed, eyelashes fluttering, and he posed grandly with his arms spread wide. "Still, you can't outshine me. Charlotte, Noveno Espada, is still the most dazzling princess!"
The smaller Arrancar, Luppi, gave a short unimpressed laugh. "You enjoy being a princess. I'm calling dibs on that maid… I'll riddle her killer feminine body with holes before her master, whoever that loser is."
Charlotte, as flamboyant and confident as ever, oozed ecstasy from all the attention. Luppi, somehow more repulsive than Charlotte, made devious plans about Apacci. For a moment he did have a desire to mess with Harribel, the most dignified woman on the scene. However, the difference between their Reiatsu was simply too much. So, he ditched any thought of going against Harribel, instead turning his eyes toward the second most desirable target.
Mila Rose burst into laughter, amused by the conversation between the odd pair. She nudged Apacci's arm with a mischievous wink. "That guy said you have a killer body. I could never."
Apacci rolled her eyes. "I don't care what that sissy twerp says. He is too weak to pose a challenge to me."
She clearly had better things to do, like picking a fight with someone actually worth her time. Someone like Ulquiorra, whose Reiatsu gave her shivers.
"Weak?!" Luppi's voice trembled with pure rage. "Listen up, you worthless cow—cow maid. You're the weak one to walk around as a loyal, submissive bitch maid, and you have the audacity to call me weak."
Apacci's face flashed with fury. "Shut your mouth, or I'll kick your butt, you half-assed feminine boy."
Apacci's short temper could only handle so many insults at once. Forgetting about Ulquiorra, she changed her plans to beat the crap out of Luppi.
"Feminine boy," Mila Rose whispered. "Femboy?"
"I mean that femboy's got a point," Sung-Sun murmured with a side-eyed glance before pointing to the south, a stretch of empty desert like every other scene in Hueco Mundo. "Why don't you take him there for a fight? You won't have any distractions."
"Great idea." Apacci beckoned Luppi. "You dumbass, let's fight over there."
"I thought you'd be too scared to do that," Luppi said with a devious smirk. "You'll soon regret this decision."
Apacci dashed towards the left, leaving afterimages with her Sonído. Far enough to not let their stray attacks disturb others but close enough to be in Kazuya's line of sight. It was an unconscious decision on her part to have him witness her crushing her opponent.
"Just what I wanted." Luppi kicked the sand as he dashed after her, eager to fulfill his sinister desires.
On the other side, Mila Rose rolled her shoulders, letting out a low grunt of satisfaction. "Right. Who's stepping into the ring with this lioness?"
"I'll take you on, gorilla," Charlotte said with a dramatic flourish of his dark purple hair. "I'll teach you how to be feminine while we're at it. Watch and learn from the real queen of beauty."
"We'll see about that, dickface. Meet me there if you have balls."
The earth shook beneath her as she kicked off in a sonic burst, heading toward a suitable battleground. Charlotte narrowed his eyes before disappearing as well, following in right behind Mila Rose.
When the dust finally settled, Sung-Sun found herself left in Harribel's company. Her friends had chosen their opponents in a heartbeat. "Mr. Goliath, how strong is your Resurrección?"
Yammy's left twitched. "You wanna fight—"
"Calm down, Yammy," Ulquiorra said, hands in his pocket. He had been calm himself or else he'd have flown straIght to his desired opponent. "You got stomped last time you were raging. It's not your fault either… We should blame your Aspect of Death for making you act like a feral beast."
"I can be calm." Yammy snarled. "I'll fight this blonde leader, show her what happens to those who oppose Espada. You can indulge that thing on the tree—"
"Praise, Gamuza!"
Yammy's eyes widened at the familiar Reiatsu. Turning his head, he caught sight of a pink mist gathering upon the distant hill. A figure sliced through the fog and landed before Harribel and Sung-Sun in one graceful leap.
Nelliel raised her lance. "No one will touch her."
Owing to her sworn oath, she covered Harribel and Sung-Sun with her body like a valiant knight. Even though she acted protectively, she couldn't help but glance at Kazuya on the tree, as though hoping to catch a sense of praise in his eyes. The ever-so calmness in the glowing eyes behind his mask made her sigh in disappointment.
The blatant provocation from Nelliel caused Yammy to clench his fists. "You again… I'll kill you for good this time."
Nelliel, however, appeared calm, even kind. "No one can die here. Death doesn't exist in Cazador's domain."
"Huh?" Ulquiorra looked up at the tree looming over them. "The tree negates death? For what purpose?"
"To avoid meaningless sacrifices," Harribel said proudly. "However, I'll allow a few exceptions for irredeemable fools… Some people are better off perishing than infesting this world with their vileness."
Nelliel nodded slowly. "As she promised."
Yammy showed a toothy grin. "No death means more pain for you, estúpida. I can't wait to stomp over your lifeless body over and over."
Harribel's face remained composed, but there was a cold edge in her eyes. "Nel, take him on. You'll show him no mercy… I'll never allow people like him in our Hueco Mundo."
Nelliel closed her eyes, her fingers clenching around her lance. "I understand." She looked back at Yammy. "Come, I'll make it as painless as possible."
She treated the battle like putting down a rabid animal, which instantly pissed off Yammy. He grew in size, muscles bugling and all that.
Nelliel ignored Yammy entirely and made a swift dash over Las Noches, taking their battle beyond the boundaries of the fortress. Yammy pursued her without questions, confident in his victory despite the past results. All he cared about was crushing her under his fists.
With Yammy occupied and Harribel left unchallenged, Sung-Sun was left with no opponent left beside Ulquiorra, the Arrancar she would rather not fight at her current level.
But Ulquiorra no longer paid attention to either of them. His gaze was fixed solely on the burning tree and its guardian. And then he moved, leaving afterimages behind and quickly neared Kazuya.
Harribel's gaze flicked to the distant hill behind her. "Starrk, don't let him."
Starrk stirred on Harribel's order. With Lilynette sitting on his shoulder, Starrk stepped forward in a near-lazy Sonído. Halfway down the sandhill, he jumped up and intercepted Ulquiorra.
"Sorry, that person is off-limits."
***
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