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Chapter 271 b
🕑 Added 2025-02-26 16:00:12 +0000 UTC2-in-1 chapter
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The sudden release of two waves of spiritual pressure sent shockwaves through the entire group of Arrancar.
With the advancement of the artificial Arrancarization process, the Adjuchas had all successfully transformed, their powers soaring to new heights.
However, both Harribel and Neliel had yet to undergo the transformation.
Many began speculating that these two might not have the qualifications for Arrancarization at all. They had only risen to their positions because of their “Vasto Lorde” status, not due to any innate power.
Many Arrancar in the room were eager to prove that transformed Adjuchas were not inferior to Vasto Lordes. But unexpectedly, before they could even make a move, both Harribel and Neliel suddenly became Arrancar!
Boom!!
The air vibrated with intensity.
Before the shocked Arrancar, two figures appeared out of nowhere.
On the left was a cold, golden-haired woman with dark skin. Her eyes were cold, gazing down on the gathered Hollows as though they were beneath her. She wore a white, Las Noches-style uniform, but unlike most female Arrancar, her top was cut to expose her shoulders, arms, and upper chest, leaving her waist and the lower half of her torso exposed.
Although the outfit was rather revealing, it did not seem overly seductive on her. On the contrary, the way it accentuated her cold demeanor gave the outfit an almost sacred quality.
Tia Harribel.
Next to her was a woman with long green hair and gray eyes, her expression firm yet gentle, like a devout protector. Her Las Noches uniform covered her fully, leaving no skin exposed, but the tightly wrapped attire only fueled the desire to uncover what lay beneath.
Neliel Tu Oderschvank.
Although this was the first time the other Arrancar had seen them in this form, everyone immediately recognized them.
(As a side note, all opinions expressed here are based on objective analysis, with no personal biases related to Kaelith.)
Seeing the two women, Grimmjow’s face twisted in anger.
“What the hell… If you two could become Arrancar, why wait until now?”
“Are you messing with me?!”
The flames of rage burned in his eyes. It wasn’t the fact that they had suddenly grown stronger that bothered him. What angered him was the feeling of being mocked.
Neliel and Harribel could have transformed long ago but had waited until now, when the others were coming to challenge them, to finally reveal their true strength. Was this some kind of joke?
Hearing Grimmjow’s accusation, Harribel coldly replied, “What does it have to do with you?”
Neliel, on the other hand, looked a little embarrassed and quickly averted her gaze.
When the Arrancarization process first started, Neliel had volunteered to be part of the experiment. However, Kaelith had stopped her. He had noticed that early Arrancar transformations had a flaw: many of the successfully transformed Hollows ended up with strange scars.
For example, Grimmjow had blue streaks around his eyes. Lindocruz had a green scar on his face. And if Kaelith remembered correctly, Harribel originally had a blue lightning-shaped mark on her face.
As for Neliel, she had a long sunburn mark along her nose.
Kaelith found these imperfections, especially Neliel’s sunburn, somewhat unattractive, so he delayed their transformations. During this time, Aizen had slightly modified the Hōgyoku to address these flaws.
Now, both Harribel and Neliel had flawless skin, with no strange marks remaining.
Kaelith was quite pleased with the results.
Harribel could stay with him, driven by her unwavering loyalty, satisfied with the improvements.
But Neliel, hearing Grimmjow’s frustration, couldn’t help but feel guilty. As a warrior, she had delayed her transformation for such a trivial reason. But then, remembering her conversation with Kaelith, she realized she had actually helped Grimmjow and the others.
Not long ago, Neliel had approached Kaelith.
“Lord Kaelith, if the ‘grace period’ ends and Aizen hasn’t completed his modifications on the Hōgyoku, can I participate in the challenges in my current form?”
Kaelith thought for a moment, then nodded. “Yes.”
“But I’d like to make a slight change. Let’s turn it into a two-person team fight.”
“I’ll form a team with you and Harribel, and we’ll fight the challengers together.”
At first, Neliel was stunned. With Kaelith’s power, teaming up with her would be like a professional fighter showing up at a children’s match.
She chuckled bitterly. “Lord Kaelith, if you do that, it will cause chaos in Las Noches.”
Kaelith smiled mischievously. “It’s fine. Anyone who dares speak out against it will get a taste of my little schemes.”
Neliel thought for a moment. Compared to being crushed by Kaelith or falling victim to Aizen’s schemes, waiting for a while didn’t seem so bad.
While Neliel was deep in thought, Grimmjow approached with heavy steps.
“Hmph, I don’t care if you’ve become Arrancar or not.”
“If I said I’m going to challenge you, I won’t let you escape!”
“Prepare yourselves!”
With a grin, Grimmjow unsheathed his Zanpakutō.
Seeing his actions, Neliel and Harribel exchanged glances.
Harribel spoke, “Grimmjow, which one of us do you want to challenge?”
Grimmjow yelled, “If we’re going to fight, let’s start with the strongest! Harribel, you’re first!”
Harribel nodded and stepped into the arena, facing Grimmjow.
Neliel stepped back, positioning herself at the edge of the arena.
From atop a nearby tower, Kaelith and Aizen stood side by side, watching the battle below.
As Kaelith felt Harribel’s overwhelming spiritual pressure, Aizen nodded slightly.
“Not bad. From the spiritual pressure alone, she’s already on par with a veteran Captain.”
“Although she’s a bit weaker than I expected, it’s still impressive.”
“In the past, Las Noches had Baraggan, a strong figure, but overall, it wasn’t anywhere near the level of the Seireitei.”
“Now, with these Arrancar, Las Noches has finally started to resemble a true power.”
Kaelith’s mood was even better than Aizen’s. The improved Hōgyoku had not only boosted the Hollows’ strength but also had a ‘beautifying’ effect.
Earlier, before Harribel went into battle, Kaelith had personally helped her into a new uniform. As he adjusted her clothing, he tested her heart, finding it soft and elastic—perfect.
Neliel, meanwhile, was even softer than Harribel.
Both were perfect in their own ways. Kaelith nodded at Aizen’s words.
“You’re right. Now, Las Noches has finally started to take shape as a paradise…”
Aizen narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
On the battlefield below, the first fight was underway.
Grimmjow immediately released his Zanpakutō.
The blade turned into light, merging with his body as he transformed into a half-human, half-leopard warrior. Every swipe of his claws left long spiritual scratches in the air.
He’s like a beast-man, Garuru!
Harribel, however, didn’t even release her Zanpakutō. She calmly deflected all of Grimmjow’s attacks with ease.
The strength of an Adjuchas after becoming an Arrancar could rival a Vasto Lorde.
But what about a Vasto Lorde after transforming?
The result was a crushing victory.
The waves of spiritual pressure surged, and Grimmjow, flying through the air, tried to avoid Harribel’s attacks using his incredible speed. But under the heavy suppression of her power, he soon began to show signs of losing.
Even the weakest five-star cards are still five-star.
No matter how strong the four-star cards, they’re just four-star cards.
With a final strike, Harribel’s blade stopped right at Grimmjow’s nose. With a frustrated click of his tongue, Grimmjow turned and walked away.
The other Arrancar looked at each other in shock.
For someone like Grimmjow, even after losing, he rarely admits defeat and would usually demand another round.
But for him to give up so decisively—was Harribel really that strong?
Many of the Arrancar who had planned to challenge her now hesitated.
They looked toward Neliel. Harribel must have been strong because Kaelith had seen her potential and given her the position of Grand General. Neliel was just one of the Seven Hollow Blades—there’s no way she could have the same strength!
With that thought, some of the stronger Arrancar began to challenge Neliel.
Minutes later, one by one, they all lay defeated on the battlefield.
After losing to the two women—Grimmjow included—all the Arrancar, including those who had challenged them, awaited their judgment.
Before Kaelith and Aizen arrived, the rule in Las Noches was clear: if you lost a challenge, you could be disposed of at the winner’s discretion. Usually, that meant being eaten.
However, Neliel and Harribel, one disliking killing and the other averse to pointless bloodshed, simply pardoned everyone present.
Grimmjow’s face darkened.
Although he wasn’t punished, this result stung worse than any punishment.
Two Arrancar, unable to hold back, knelt before Neliel.
“Lady Neliel! Your mercy fills us with shame. Please forgive our ignorance and disrespect!”
“If you’re willing, we offer ourselves as your subordinates, your sword, your shield!”
“If we can repay you for today’s kindness, we will do so without regret, even if it costs us our lives!”
Neliel looked at them. She had initially planned to refuse, but in their eyes, she saw sincere regret and loyalty.
Perhaps these two were not joking after all.
If anything were to happen in the future, they might indeed risk their lives to repay her.
She didn’t need their gratitude, but she knew that refusing them might mean they would spend the rest of their lives trying to repay her anyway. Instead of putting them in danger, it would be better to accept them as her nominal subordinates.
Besides… she would always be near Kaelith, with little time for managing subordinates.
Looking at them, she spoke.
“What are your names?”
One of the thin, tall Arrancar answered without hesitation, “Report, Lady Neliel, I am Pesche, Pesche Kadis!”
The other, a more portly Arrancar, was a bit slower to respond. “Lady, I am Dongdeqiaka, Dondochakka Birstan!”
“Mm, I’ve noted your names.”
Neliel nodded lightly.
“From now on, you two may act in my name as my subordinates.”
“However, remember this: becoming my subordinates does not grant you protection to commit evil deeds.”
“On the contrary, as my subordinates, you must uphold justice and principles. If I ever learn that you’ve used my name for acts of oppression or bullying, I will end your lives immediately!”
Both Arrancar nodded in agreement without hesitation.
On the tower, Kaelith, who had overheard the conversation, smiled with a nostalgic expression. He remembered that these two had been Neliel's subordinates in the original world. When Neliel had been ambushed and lost her powers, these two had immediately abandoned their status in Las Noches and fled into the Endless Desert.
When they confirmed that Neliel was unlikely to ever regain her strength, they made the decision to live out their lives in the desert, never returning to Las Noches. To a Hollow, losing Aizen’s protection and the possibility of evolution was more terrifying than death itself.
Despite their dire circumstances, they had clung to their faith and loyalty to their master. In Kaelith’s eyes, these two now possessed what could be described as golden spirit.
“Well… Seeing their loyalty, I think I’ll dedicate some time to training them,” Kaelith mused. “To help them grow stronger faster, I’ll make the training a bit more grueling. Shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
He recalled that the old man had used similar intense training on him, and he had survived. If Kaelith could handle it, surely others could too.
A satisfied smile spread across his face.
Seeing this, Aizen’s instincts told him that someone was about to face misfortune.
Suddenly, a figure appeared behind them.
“Report, Lord Kaelith, Lord Aizen!”
“There’s an urgent matter that needs to be brought to your attention!”
The two turned to face the messenger.
It was a humanoid Hollow, dressed in the standard white Las Noches uniform and carrying a Zanpakutō at his waist. Despite having undergone Arrancarization, he still wore a white bone mask, obscuring his face.
His name was Ludon, the captain of Las Noche’s execution division. Aizen had created this special division by mimicking the standards of the Kido Corps, specifically to serve as an intelligence-gathering team.
Ludon quickly reported:
“Not long ago, one of the members of the execution squad discovered a powerful Hollow approximately 700 kilometers away from Las Noches. Several of our members were instantly defeated and devoured.”
“To confirm the information, I sent out two teams of decoys, but they were all defeated, with none returning.”
“One of the Seven Espada, Gantenbainne, went after it, but we lost contact with him two hours ago.”
“Most likely, he was defeated as well.”
Aizen raised an eyebrow at the mention of an Espada being defeated by a Hollow.
“An Arrancar-level Hollow that can defeat a member of the Espada?” Aizen murmured, intrigued. “We still have wild Hollows this powerful?”
