CHAPTER 196: The Showdown (II)

As Ulquiorra's bat-like wings flicked, Harribel's instincts surged into action. She instantaneously activated her Pesquisa, the unique Arrancar technique for sensing and tracking Reiatsu. Yet, even with this heightened perception, tracking Ulquiorra's Sonído proved challenging.

'He is fast.'

And then, she felt it - the almost imperceptible vibrations in the air, a telltale sign of Ulquiorra's presence. She predicted his next strike and was ready when he materialized before her, his javelin lunging towards her chest — her heart. Reacting quickly, she brought up her sword arm to block, the force of the impact making her entire body tremble.

But Harribel was not one to back down easily. Ignoring the sharp pain that laced her arm, she launched a counterattack. "Cero."

Her sword arm charged golden Reiryoku, which she launched with a slash at Ulquiorra. He flicked his wings and instantly appeared almost a hundred meters away from her, saving him from the intense Cero.

Their first clash resulted in a draw, but Harribel couldn't shake off the feeling that she was at a disadvantage. Despite her exceptional Sonído abilities, Ulquiorra's wings granted him an upper hand in mobility. Her ability to block his attack was less about her Pesquisa and more a testament to her finely honed battle instincts, forged in countless brutal encounters with other Hollows.

He was a foe she couldn't underestimate, for he possessed strength above every Visored, who themselves were ridiculously strong fighters.

"You'd have lost your 'heart' if you reacted a moment later…"

But his attention swiftly shifted, his gaze drawn to the ground. Harribel followed his line of sight, her eyes landing on a silver-haired man standing outside the very cave where she introduced Kazuya to Mila Rose and Sung-Sun.

The man's loose sleeves fluttered in the wind. His smile was every bit as sinister as his Reiatsu — he was one of the strongest Shinigami in the world.

Her lover being a Shinigami didn't make her friends with them. As a Hollow, she was still a prime target of them. What's more Ulquiorra seemed to be acquainted with the Shinigami, who might be one of the evil Kazuya set out to defeat in the Soul Society. It seemed like she couldn't get away after dealing with Ulquiorra — she'd have to fight the Shinigami afterwards, possibly more depending on the situation.

Recalling his smile of appreciation, she didn't regret swapping places with him. It was but a small sacrifice for his happiness.

"Gin, get out of here," Ulquiorra said coldly. "I don't need you stalking me."

Gin awkwardly rubbed the back of his hand, as if caught off guard. "Oops, the Reiatsu concealing tech didn't work on either of you. How about you two think of me as an audience member enjoying a nail-biting fight? This way you can fight each other without interruption."

Harribel narrowed her eyes, a chilling Reiatsu emanating from her. "A Captain came to Hueco Mundo to watch Hollows fight… Do you even think before speaking?"

"Ignore this Shinigami," Ulquiorra said. "He will not interfere in our battle."

"How are you so confident?"

"Because we're colleagues working under the same master," Gin replied with a whistle. "That's the last you'll hear from me."

He retreated into the shadows beneath a hill, eventually becoming so indistinct that Harribel could no longer pinpoint his location.

'He deliberately showed himself to scare me. He wants me to be nervous and lose my battle.'

Gin's tricks worked as he intended. Now, she couldn't afford to be reckless in the middle of two extremely powerful enemies.

With her cold eyes trained on Ulquiorra, she raised her sword arm, causing it to glow up with Reiryoku. Before she could launch her attack, Ulquiorra appeared behind her in a blur, holding his javelin against her neck.

Just as the javelin cut into her Hierro, she spun swiftly, aiming her sword arm at him.

"Trident."

A shockwave erupted from her arm and hurled Ulquiorra back with tremendous force. The destructive strike carved a massive slash wound across his chest. The technique followed three simple steps: 'Charge Reiryoku, aim, and release a shockwave.' The attack staggered the target first then delivered a high-force slash. Any normal Vasto Lorde would've been divided in half by the impact, but Ulquiorra's high durability due to his Hierro saved him from being cleaved in two pieces.

Ulquiorra looked down and traced his finger on the wound. His wound closed within moments, whereas the wound on Harribel's neck showed no sign of healing. "I gave up power for regeneration, but you went the opposite way. It explains how a natural reached this level of power."

Harribel pressed a hand against the wound. Once she let go, the wound stopped bleeding and closed itself. Her regeneration was even slower than an average Adjuchas. "That which I desire can't be obtained without power. I need every bit of strength to fulfill my promise."

Her dream was far above her reach even with her current power. It was a sacrifice she willingly made to shorten the power gap between her and Kazuya, which only increased after Nami's arrival.

Ulquiorra pointed a finger at her. "Promises are meaningless like your existence, which I'm going to end with this last attack."

"Only time will tell."

The three gill markings on Harribel's sword arm started glowing. The moisture in the environment coalesced as droplets of water and drifted to her sword arm. As moments passed, the speed of her water generation continuously ramped up.

She poured everything in her final attack.

Meanwhile, Ulquiorra concentrated his Reiatsu into a small, black orb at his fingertip. It was a tiny sphere, yet held the power to obliterate a massive city with ease.

"Cero Oscuras."

...

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