Chapter 54: Final Confrontation
<span style="font-weight:400">Barely a mile away from the underground, a silhouette imed the crest of a barren hill. His imposing figure was entuated by an impressive afro of burnt orange and prominent sideburns. This was Gantenbainne Mosqueda, the 7th Espada. His distinctive mask remnants were fashioned like sunsses with four teeth protruding above each eye, allowing him to survey his surroundings through a central blue star embedded within the white te.
<span style="font-weight:400">The target of his observation — Harribel’s group.
<span style="font-weight:400">Swiveling his towering form, he addressed Baraggan. The skeletal monarch of Hollows rested upon a throne of bones, emanating a sinister aura. “I sense a new Adjuchas amongst them.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Interesting,” Baraggan said. “The second Vasto Lorde’s whereabouts are still unknown.”
<span style="font-weight:400">He had purposefully used his overpowering Reiatsu to force Harribel’s hand, so she’d join up with her Vasto Lorde aide — the one who had inspired Harribel''s defiance against his rule. It hadn’t happened yet.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Milord, may I make a suggestion?” asked the blonde servant standing behind him.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What is it, Evanya?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Why don’t we capture them and get the information out of them?”
<span style="font-weight:400">She was tired of stalking her prey. She wanted to pounce and devour them.
<span style="font-weight:400">Baraggan casually dismissed her idea with an indifferent sweep of his skeletal hand. “You underestimate Harribel. She’d rather embrace death than betray her people. She is a foolish woman like you.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Baraggan may have a cult of his own, but Evanya had be his most devoted follower after he beat her into submission.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I can make her speak,” Evanya said, her eyes glinting behind her white mask. “Trust me, my Lord. My Aspect of Death can bend her will.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Submission?” Baraggan leaned his chin on his skeletal knuckles. “Will it work on a Vasto Lorde?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Evanya shook her head. “But Tier Harribel isn’t alone.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Heh. Go. I’ll disown you if you fail.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Evanya kneeled on the ground. “Thank you, Milord. I’ll bring Tier Harribel back alive with the information. I’ll not let you get rid of me!”
<span style="font-weight:400">With a swift tap of her feet, she took flight, heading towards Harribel''s location. Baraggan watched her fading figure before turning to Gantenbainne. "Make sure she is safe."
<span style="font-weight:400">Evanya’s abilities were strong but they consumed too much of her Reiatsu. She was his useful toy, one that he didn’t want to lose yet.
<span style="font-weight:400">Kneeling before his lord, Gantenbainne responded. “I’ll guard her with my life.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Once they departed, Baraggan sat in solitude, a silent observer of the barrennd. Despite his yearning for the thrill of battle, he felt somewhat uninspired, his energy sapped by the continuous hunt across Hueco Mundo.
<span style="font-weight:400">Hours passed as he sat there.
<span style="font-weight:400">Suddenly, his senses picked up two Reiatsu signatures, both surpassing the strength of an Adjuchas. Strangely, one of these spiritual pressures wasn''t a Hollow, but a Shinigami.
<span style="font-weight:400">Baraggan beheld the approaching figures, his grasp instinctively clenching around his scythe-like ax. He hadn''te across such formidable Reiatsu in a while. From a Hollow and a Shinigami, no less.
<span style="font-weight:400">The cure for his boredom came knocking at his door.
<span style="font-weight:400">…
<span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya stopped, eyes squared on Baraggan. Both him and Dordoni had guessed wrong. Baraggan didn’t send any Espada; he was so bored he left his kingdom to root out the rebels.
<span style="font-weight:400">What’s even bizarre was Harribel’s location — he could feel Harribel and others underneath him. Their Reiatsu was so faint as if they were hundreds of meters underground.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘They hid underground from Baraggan? Smart chicks.’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Meanwhile, Yoruichi felt Baraggan’s Reiatsu lock on her, making her fur stand on end. No Hollow, apart from Kazuya, had given her this level of threat. Moments of recollection hit her as she observed Baraggan’s appearance. “Isn’t he Baraggan Louisenbairn, the King of Hollows?”
<span style="font-weight:400">While there might be more Hollows with the same look, none could possess a Reiatsu rivaling a senior captain.
<span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya shot her a surprised look. “Yeah. He is the reason I ran away from this ce.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“He is bad news—why are you getting ready to fight him?” She almost yelled when she saw him cracking his knuckles in preparation for a fight.
<span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya spread his wings and continued stretching his arms. “He ising to start the fight, but I’ll finish it. Besides, do you think he will let us leave now?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Beholding Baraggan in person, he could sense their Reiatsu to be on the same level. Arrancarization had improved his already vast Reiatsu.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘I want to see Oppression and Senescence sh.’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">With Kazuya’s swift regeneration and Sonído, Baraggan couldn’t possibly kill him even if he wanted to. Facing Baraggan one-on-one was the perfect opportunity to test the limits of his Arrancar form.
<span style="font-weight:400">As Baraggan arrived before him, he raised a hand in greeting. “Hello, Baraggan.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Baraggan set his intense Reiatsu on Kazuya. “Teaming up with a Shinigami. How terribly pathetic for you.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya smirked. “Yoruichi, will you let him insult you like this?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Heh. I was banished from the Seireitei ages ago. His words don’t ruffle my fur.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Ignoring her cat joke, he turned to Baraggan. “Tell me, self proimed God King of Hueco Mundo, will I be called a Godyer if I kill you?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Baraggan burst intoughter. “Ant, you want to y me? Just because you became a Vasto Lorde Arrancar, you think you can rival the God King? Howical.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Then let it be I who paves the path for ants to be god yers.”
<span style="font-weight:400">With a tremendous burst of energy, Kazuya blurred into motion, reappearing in a breath behind Baraggan. But his movements were instantly slowed, as if treading through a swamp. The slow field around Baraggan was a perfect counter to melee fighters.
<span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya had no choice but to retreat with Sonído. “What an annoying ability.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Any closebat with Baraggan was useless as long as he surrounded himself in his Senescence.