Chapter 195: The Showdown (I)


    <span style="font-weight:400">Hueco Mundo.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The destendscape of Hueco Mundo stretched out before Harribel, the colorless sand and eternal darkness evoking a sense of nostalgia within her. She hadn’t been here since she shifted to the Living World except for a brief return to bring Sung-Sun and Api home.


    <span style="font-weight:400">To her surprise, she faced Ulquiorra in the same spot where her path first crossed with Kazuya, making her even more nostalgic.


    <span style="font-weight:400">She pulled back her hood, and her golden Reiatsu enveloped her, materializing into her regal spiritual attire. Then she reached behind her, her fingers curling around the hilt of her sword, drawing it slowly from its embellished sheath.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Will you die like this, or will you use your Resurrión?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">She held no personal grudge against Ulquiorra, but it seemed he had a reason to harm Kazuya — enough of a reason for them to be enemies. While Harribel didn’t believe in resorting to violence as a means to solve problems, sometimes it was the only option.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Ulquiorra remained silent as he observed her, perhaps acknowledging that among Hollows, her Reiatsu was one of the strongest he had encountered.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Still pointless,” he finally spoke, raising his finger towards her. “You have diverted me from my mission, trash. For that, I will eliminate you.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The burgeoning energy at his fingertip signaled the impending onught. In response, Harribel drew back her right hand and rested her left hand under the sharpened edge of her de. A golden surge of Reiatsu amassed in the hollow of her sword.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Cero.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Aura Azul.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The moment Ulquiorra released his Cero, Harribel thrust her sword forward and unleashed her special technique. A golden wave-like projectile erupted from her de, shing with Ulquiorra’s Cero in a spectacr explosion. The sky erupted in a kaleidoscope of green and gold, painting the destendscape with transient vibrancy.


    <span style="font-weight:400">For a moment, it seemed like a stalemate, until Harribel’s golden Reiatsu suddenly broke through the Cero. Although surprised at Harribel overpowering his weakest Cero, he quickly reacted and cut down with a quick swing of his sword.


    <span style="font-weight:400">From the oue, both could see that their powers were evenly matched. In their current forms, whoever had superior skills or faster regeneration would have the advantage in a fight.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Ulquiorra didn’t gamble on Harribel’s specialization. He wanted this battle over with, so he could focus on the mission Aizen gave him.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Pointing the de at Harribel, he whispered, “You aren’t utter garbage like others in Las Noches… Imprison, Murcigo (The Great ck-Winged Demon.)”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Harribel was a little surprised at Ulquiorra’s eagerness to release his Resurrión. “You want to finish it fast? Makes the two of us…”


    <span style="font-weight:400">A burst of greenish-ck Reiatsu erupted from beneath his feet, resembling a colossal lotus. Some of the aura flickered rapidly and rained down around him as if he was shedding his skin, while the rest encased him in a cocoon.


    <span style="font-weight:400">When the rain ceased, Ulquiorra revealed his Resurrión form — he now hadrge, ck bat wings on his back, wild and untamed hair, and remnants of his Hollow mask formed a headpiece over his head, with two massive horns jutting outward to the sides towards the front, giving him a more menacing demon-like appearance.


    <span style="font-weight:400">His attire evolved with him, molding into a form-fitting robe that tapered elegantly downwards.


    <span style="font-weight:400">But the most striking aspect of his Resurrión was the immense power radiating from him. Even Harribel, who stood in front of him, could feel the tremors caused by his overwhelming Reiatsu.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Even an Adjuchas would feel despair from being in his presence.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Yet, her eyes showed no fear, but a look of pity.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You…” Ulquiorra spoke slowly, raising his chin. “Why are you making that face? Do you find my Resurrión…cking?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Something about her expression irked him in the wrong way.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“No,” Harribel said, shaking her head. “It’s the emptiness in your eyes — you have never experienced true happiness in your life, have you?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">From her perspective, Ulquiorra’s expression screamed ‘I hate everything equally.’ With everything she had in life, she couldn’t imagine living like him.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“A hollow preaching about true happiness. Do you not know how pathetic it makes you seem?” Ulquiorra replied with his usual monotonous expression. “I can only assume living with humans gives you the idea that you’re ‘one’ of them… that you canprehend those things harbored in their ‘heart’ known as ‘feelings’.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I do have those feelings,” she spoke firmly, with conviction, and ced a hand on her chest. “As far as heart goes, I have one right here; it carries all my emotions - my love, my passion... my feelings to protect those I hold dear from harm... they who are my pride.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Friends and family?” Ulquiorra couldn’t help but scoff at the very concept. “My eyes can prate everything… The thing you refer to as ‘heart’ does not exist in Hollow, nor does it exist in Humans. If this eye cannot see something, then that ‘something’ does not exist.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Harribel shook her head. “Your ignorance, your denial of anything beyond your understanding, it’s... pitiable.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">If they had met under different circumstances, she could have helped him ovee his nihilistic mindset, but they stood on opposite sides. He was an enemy she had to defeat.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Harribel let go of her Zanpakutō and held it with a reverse grip, pointing its de towards the ground. “Hunt, Tiburón (Supernal Shark Empress).”


    <span style="font-weight:400">A tide of Reiatsu washed over the area as a surge of water gushed out from the space behind her and enveloped her in a cocoon shaped like a heart. The very form of her transformation mocked Ulquiorra’s beliefs about the existence of a ‘heart’.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Foolish...” he whispered. “Your Resurrión is garbage like you.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Harribel cut out of the water cocoon, revealing her thinly d Resurrión form. “My heart and your nihilistic beliefs… let’s see which one cuts sharper.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Ulquiorra conjured a green javelin of pure energy in his clenched right fist. “Don’t falter then. I’ll show you that you’re wrong.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The confrontation, initially sparked by random circumstance, had now evolved into an intensely personal duel.