Harribel felt her vision blur.
One moment, it was a bloody, perilous battlefield filled with killing intent; the next, it was a quiet dune.
The slight dizziness from experiencing spatial transfer for the first time faded quickly. Harribel immediately forced herself upright, raising the greatsword in her left hand to scan her surroundings.
"Safe for now."
Kensei Kenzuru's voice came from beside her. This was the coordinate point where he had stopped with Nelliel on their way to the battlefield, very far from the Hollow horde. Without that modified Hollow, Baraggan's subordinates wouldn't find this place anytime soon.
Nelliel's eyes rapidly scanned the area, ensuring no wandering Hollows had been nearby during their absence.
Harribel slowly lowered her greatsword. Realizing their safety, she relaxed her tense nerves, only then feeling the pain from her wounds. But she had no time to tend to her own injuries, her eyes immediately turning to those behind her.
Apacci remained unconscious on the ground. Though the ferocious wound on her abdomen had improved considerably, her weak breathing and spiritual pressure indicated her condition wasn't optimistic. Rose and Sung-Sun weren't faring much better, both bearing numerous wounds.
"Apacci, she..." Harribel's voice was faint.
"She won't die." Kensei crouched beside Apacci, continuing treatment with Kaidō. "Her injuries are severe, but what's more troublesome is the mask on her face."
Kensei pointed at the mask on Apacci's face. A clear crack was there, surrounded by a not insignificant gap.
"I think you know what that means. A Shinigami like me shouldn't need to remind you."
Harribel's expression darkened, her teeth clenched. She certainly knew that damage to the mask meant the Hollow lost its chance for further growth, possibly even degenerating into a mindless Gillian—the worst nightmare for any intelligent Hollow.
Seeing Harribel's reaction, Kensei recalled Aizen's whispered words before he left. They were extremely precise analysis on how to breach a Vasto Lorde's psychological defenses.
"Do you understand now, Tier Harribel?" Kensei spoke calmly, imitating Aizen's tone as instructed. "If you don't want to watch your cherished companions sacrificed again, you need power—real power that can dictate the rules of Hueco Mundo."
Kensei paused, looking at Harribel, whose eyes were filled with remorse.
"And I," Kensei continued, his tone calm yet penetrating into Harribel's heart, "can give you the power to realize your ideals. Power to rival Baraggan, without needing to devour other Hollows."
Harribel's eyes contracted sharply, her breathing noticeably heavy for a moment.
Kensei didn't give Harribel time to think, decisively throwing out the next, irresistible bargaining chip. He pointed at the unconscious Apacci:
"To save your hard-won companion, to restore her to her former self, even make her stronger, requires my method—a different kind of evolution for her."
Meeting Harribel's gaze, Kensei clearly stated his aim.
"Evolution..." Harribel softly repeated the word. For Hollows, this term was often filled with endless slaughter and consumption.
"Then, what is the price?"
Harribel raised her head, her eyes fixed on Kensei. Though she was now very weak, the aura of a Vasto Lorde resurfaced. "Shinigami, you said before that your help requires a price. What do you want?"
Could Sōsuke have actually read the script? She even predicted Harribel's reaction.
A knowing smile appeared on Kensei's face. He stood up,approached Harribel, looking down at her.
"Simple." Kensei reached out, lifting Harribel's chin. "I want the several of you—or at least you—to pledge your loyalty to me."
The word "loyalty" instantly stirred up the still-conscious Rose and Sung-Sun.
"No!" Rose growled, glaring at Kensei with hostility and stubbornness. "You want us to become your subordinates like Baraggan, to do your bidding?"
Sung-Sun similarly hissed, flicking her snake-like tongue, her expression unfriendly. They respected Harribel, not because they submitted to her power, but because they identified with her ideals.
Kensei ignored these two bristling individuals. After all, if Harribel agreed, they couldn't escape.
"Don't worry. The loyalty I need isn't about making you cannon fodder or executioners." Kensei looked straight into Harribel's eyes. "Follow me. I will guide you towards your ideal place."
Harribel fell silent. She lowered her head, the mask covering her face except for her eyes, concealing her expression. But her slightly trembling shoulders still revealed the intense struggle within.
She wanted to refuse, but her mind recalled Baraggan's dismissive words, the savage attacks of its subordinates, her companions' severe injuries...
Was it to continue clinging to their current state, lingering on, until one day they all became nourishment for other Hollows? Or to seize this unknown future the Shinigami spoke of?
Harribel closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, her resolve was firm.
"Lady Harribel!"
Rose and Sung-Sun spoke up simultaneously in warning.
Harribel turned to look at them and gently shook her head.
"Can that evolution of yours truly save Apacci?"
Facing this question, Kensei nodded definitively.
Then, under the unable-to-accept gazes of Rose and Sung-Sun, Harribel solemnly went down on one knee, abandoning the pride of a Vasto Lorde, lowering her head.
Her voice, still carrying some weakness, rang out seriously and clearly across Hueco Mundo:
"Then, the answer is only one."
"I, Tier Harribel, hereby swear my loyalty to you."
Kensei looked at the kneeling Harribel, a triumphant "plan accomplished" smile on his face. He extended a hand, helping Harribel up from the ground.
"Don't worry. You won't regret this choice." With the mission complete, Kensei's tone became relaxed. "But first, let's deal with Apacci's injuries."
Ignoring Rose and Sung-Sun, whose eyes still held some hostility, Kensei once again channeled spiritual pressure, bringing everyone present back to the entrance of their base.
As soon as they appeared, Kensei saw Aizen and Yoruichi already waiting by the base entrance.
Yoruichi looked at the suddenly appearing group with incredulity, her eyebrows shooting up. She hadn't expected Kensei to just rescue them; he'd actually brought the whole group back.
Glancing at Aizen with her faint smile, Yoruichi guessed it was probably this scheming individual's idea again.
It seemed Kensei had remembered her instructions well, without any slip-ups.
Aizen had anticipated this outcome. A flicker of appreciation for Kensei perfectly executing her plan crossed her face before she spoke calmly:
"It seems the harvest is quite plentiful, Kensei."
***
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