Chapter 207 – Tier Harribel
Now that Nnoitra had become an Arrancar, his power had increased tenfold. He was certain that if he encountered that female Vasto Lorde again, he would be able to defeat her. This time, he would show her the true meaning of "survival of the fittest"!
...
Inside Las Noches, Ailin opened his eyes, having completed his daily power enhancement.
Ulquiorra Cifer, the 4th Espada, stood silently below the throne, patiently awaiting his master’s attention.
"Lord Aizen," Ulquiorra bowed his head slightly as Ailin opened his eyes.
"Ah, Ulquiorra. You sought me out directly. Have you found a suitable candidate for the Espada?"
"Yes, Lord Aizen."
"Oh?" Ailin leaned forward, intrigued. "Bring them forth, Ulquiorra. I am curious to see what kind of being has earned your approval."
With Ailin’s permission, Ulquiorra turned and left the hall. He returned a short while later, accompanied by a massive caterpillar-like Hollow. The moment Ailin laid eyes on the creature, he knew it was Yammy Llargo, the 10th Espada—the only Espada whose rank could change upon releasing his Zanpakutō.
"Oi, Ulquiorra, you brought me here just to see this Shinigami?" The caterpillar Hollow trailed behind Ulquiorra as it entered the hall. As it looked up at Ailin, its anger flared. It reared its head high, making its already enormous body appear even more imposing.
"Yammy, this is Lord Aizen. Show some respect."
"Hah? Ulquiorra, you want me to address a Shinigami as 'Lord'?" Yammy lowered his head and glared at Ulquiorra. Seeing no reaction from his comrade, Yammy’s rage intensified.
"Damn it, what did you do to Ulquiorra?"
"Oh?" Ailin chuckled at Yammy's accusation. "Why do you assume that I did something to Ulquiorra? Why not consider the possibility that he chose to follow me willingly?"
"That’s ridiculous! You're a Shinigami, and we're Hollows! Why would a Hollow ever willingly follow a Shinigami?"
"How about a wager?" Ailin proposed. "If you still hold that belief after our conversation, I will grant you a fair fight. Defeat me, and you can take Ulquiorra back. However, if you change your mind, you must swear absolute loyalty to me and obey my commands. What do you say?"
Ailin knew that Yammy relished combat and craved bloodshed. Even after ascending to Arrancar and no longer needing human souls for sustenance or evolution, he had still used his "Soul Sucking" ability to devour countless humans in the World of the Living, causing widespread devastation.
However, Yammy possessed a quality that none of the other Espada had: loyalty.
Of course, this wasn’t because he particularly admired Aizen. Yammy was a simple creature who preferred action over thought. Once he pledged allegiance to someone, he wouldn't betray them.
After all, despite his power, he was ultimately just an Adjuchas-class Arrancar. Even at his absolute limit, his strength would only rival Ulquiorra's first Resurrección.
With a wave of his hand, Ailin dismissed Ulquiorra and Yammy. Then, he activated his reiatsu sensing ability to its fullest extent.
"Yammy is in place. Now, where is Harribel?"
With his current reiatsu, Aizen’s clone couldn't sense the entirety of Hueco Mundo. However, he possessed the most potent illusion-type Zanpakutō, Kyōka Suigetsu.
To Ailin, Kyōka Suigetsu was not only a perfect control-type Zanpakutō but also a powerful support tool. Its complete hypnosis could be used to enhance his own abilities as effectively as it could be used to deceive his enemies.
Using Kyōka Suigetsu, Ailin amplified his reiatsu sensing ability to the limit his clone could handle. In an instant, the entire expanse of Hueco Mundo appeared in his mind.
He quickly located Nnoitra’s reiatsu signature. Nearby, he sensed four other Hollow reiatsu signatures - one strong and three weaker ones.
"Could that powerful reiatsu belong to Tier Harribel?"
Following his instincts, Ailin vanished from Las Noches and flew towards those reiatsu signatures.
...
The ground of Hueco Mundo was covered in yellow sand, the remnants of countless Hollows. Mountains and rocks were rare sights. Even rarer was water.
Yet, in this desolate landscape, there existed a towering cliff face and a half-formed lake. Occasionally, Hollows would visit this lake to quench their thirst before moving on.
All the Hollows who came here behaved respectfully, refraining from causing any trouble. They knew that everything here belonged to a powerful being who had graciously allowed them to drink from this lake. It was a rare act of kindness in the harsh world of Hueco Mundo.
The name of this powerful being was Tier Harribel. She was a renowned Vasto Lorde-class Hollow. Even during the reign of Baraggan Louisenbairn, the self-proclaimed King of Hueco Mundo, he had invited Harribel to join his court.
However, Harribel found Baraggan's methods and treatment of his subordinates repulsive and repeatedly refused his offer.
If she hadn't been one of the few Vasto Lordes in Hueco Mundo, Baraggan would have long since sent his forces to eliminate her.
As a result, despite not actively building a faction, Harribel had attracted a following of Hollows who had chosen to gather under her protection. Over time, other powerful Hollows who refused to submit to Baraggan sought refuge with Harribel, forming a loose alliance that rivaled Las Noches in strength.
One day, a Hollow with a disc-shaped collar and a crescent moon staff arrived at Harribel’s domain.
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