As the Hōgyoku merged with the final soul, Masatsuki Aozaki tucked it into his arms.
His gaze swept slowly over the three women before him—Sung-Sun, Apacci, and Mila Rose. The corner of his mouth curled into an enigmatic smile.
"Do you want to live, or would you rather dissolve into Reishi like the others?"
His voice was calm and low, yet it carried an invisible weight, sending a chill through the air.
The three of them froze in disbelief.
A Shinigami encountering Hollows—shouldn't he have slaughtered them on sight?
Why was this man asking such a question, even offering them the choice between life and death?
After a brief moment of shock, Sung-Sun was the first to regain her composure.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm, and raised a hand to stop Apacci and Mila Rose, who looked as if they were about to speak.
Lowering her head, she spoke in a tone of utmost humility.
"We want to live... Please spare us."
Never had she imagined that she would one day beg a Shinigami for mercy.
She was not someone who feared death.
But right now, there was someone more important to her than her own life—Harribel.
Harribel had stayed behind, facing Oswell and his forces alone to protect them.
If she recklessly threw away her life out of pride, how could she ever face Harribel's sacrifice?
So, even if it meant setting aside her dignity and pleading for survival, Sung-Sun did not hesitate.
...
Whoosh—
The desert winds roared like raging tides.
Harribel's bone armor was already battered and broken under the relentless assault of the surrounding Hollows.
Through her narrowed pupils, a figure slowly came into focus—Oswell, his long black hair flowing in the wind.
From a distance, he grinned at her, his expression chilling to the core.
Taking a step forward, Oswell raised his lance high.
In an instant, an orb of pure darkness rapidly coalesced at its tip, its dense energy visible to the naked eye.
Then, with a powerful swing of his arm, he hurled the sphere forward!
The jet-black mass shot through the air like an arrow.
First, it compressed. Then, it rapidly expanded, spinning violently as it streaked toward the ground.
In less than a second, the energy orb underwent a breathtaking transformation mid-flight.
By the time it struck, it had become an immense pillar of black light, piercing the sky.
The once-still desert erupted into chaos, a massive shockwave rippling outward as if heralding the apocalypse.
The explosion's energy fluctuations were beyond imagination, its devastating reach spanning tens of kilometers in every direction.
The raging winds carried towering waves of sand, tearing through the restless dunes like a rampaging beast, carving a bottomless crevasse into the earth itself.
From afar, one could see the terrifying air currents swirling wildly, twisting the gray clouds above into a vortex so massive it seemed to swallow the sky itself.
Like a crumbling white wall collapsing in slow motion, the vortex pressed downward, an oppressive force so overwhelming it was almost suffocating.
Faced with such an unimaginable storm, even the Adjuchas of Las Noches trembled in fear, feeling as if the very fabric of space around them had begun to warp.
"Is that also a Cero?" someone exclaimed in awe. "No wonder it's a Vasto Lorde-class attack!"
Another voice, filled with reverence, added,
"This is the true power of Hueco Mundo's overlord! Oswell-sama is simply unstoppable!!"
Faced with such an overwhelming display of strength, the gathered Hollows were left in awe.
The concentrated Cero, condensed into a blazing energy projectile, obliterated everything in its path, reducing the ground where Harribel once stood to nothing but swirling sand and devastation.
"No… even an ordinary Vasto Lorde wouldn't be capable of such destruction… At least, not in such a short time. This is the power of Oswell-sama!"
A crimson Menos, resembling a griffin with a white mask and a crest-like comb, shook its body, scattering the fine white sand that had settled upon it.
Spreading its wings, it forcefully flapped and shot up toward the sky.
Abirama Redder's gaze remained locked onto the dust-covered battlefield below. Clenching his teeth, he muttered,
"Harribel isn't just any Vasto Lorde..."
"You're right. After all, she earned His Majesty's favor—how could she be ordinary?"
Oswell smiled slightly, shaking his head before continuing,
"That Cero just now… I doubt it was enough to be a real threat to her."
Just then, a brilliant golden Reiatsu flared to life, flickering between the gray-white clouds.
In mere moments, the energy surged and coalesced into a massive, spiraling pillar of light.
Like a divine lance piercing the sky, it illuminated the battlefield, casting a solemn glow upon the faces of all present.
"Scatter!" Oswell's voice boomed like a thunderclap, echoing across the battlefield.
The Hollows reacted instantly, retreating in all directions.
Almost simultaneously, the golden pillar of light crashed down upon their previous position.
A deafening explosion followed.
The force of impact shattered the ground, leaving behind a massive, bottomless crater. Smoke and debris billowed into the sky, blotting out the moon.
At the same time, a fierce gust of wind roared toward Oswell.
The air carried not only the intense fluctuations of Reiatsu but also a sharp, cutting force—sword energy.
As the dust settled, a figure emerged.
Harribel stood tall, her battle-worn form exuding an undeniable majesty, like a war goddess descended upon the battlefield. The cracks and fractures in her armor only heightened the tragic beauty of her presence.
Oswell's gaze sharpened.
Raising his gleaming lance, he held it firmly before him—an immovable mountain of power.
His muscles tensed, energy surging into his arms.
Then, the massive blade descended, slashing toward him with unstoppable force.
The moment it collided with his lance, sparks exploded in all directions, scattering like fireworks across the night sky.
The sharp clang of metal rang out, a sound so deafening it seemed to shake the battlefield itself.
Abirama took in the sight, then exchanged a glance with Findorr Calius, the Adjuchas beside him—his crab-like form brimming with readiness.
Without hesitation, they lunged forward, their talons and massive pincers slicing through the air like lightning, attacking Harribel from both flanks.
Oswell gritted his teeth and tightened his grip, exerting all his strength to pin Harribel down, blocking her escape.
Harribel struggled fiercely, but the sheer force against her was overwhelming.
In the blink of an eye, the crushing strike from the talons and pincers slammed into her with devastating impact.
The sheer force sent her flying.
Like a severed kite, she spiraled through the air before crashing to the ground.
Above, the white moon hung dim and obscured, while in front of her, the ominous red glow of an approaching threat grew closer.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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