A bright moon hung high in the sky, like an eternal lantern casting endless silver light over the boundless desert below.
The vast white city, aglow with brilliance, refused to be overshadowed. Its radiant white light shimmered in tandem with the silvery moonlight, painting a breathtaking scene across the night sky.
Clatter—
"Masatsuki! We finally did it! I feel so full of power!!"
An excited voice rang out from inside, accompanied by a flurry of white particles drifting into the room like falling snow. The particles quickly gathered into a humanoid form.
Masatsuki Aozaki stood dressed in a pristine white robe symbolizing his rule over Hueco Mundo, and on his head rested a beautifully reforged crown—originally Baraggan's, later reshaped by Aizen.
It was the unique regalia of the Emperor of Hueco Mundo.
But before he could respond, a green blur shot forth like lightning, trailing afterimages behind it.
A face beneath an antelope skull mask slammed directly into Masatsuki's abdomen.
This impact was even stronger than before!
Masatsuki couldn't help but make a mental comparison, though he still wore a soft smile as he gently ran his fingers through the girl's long hair—every gesture overflowing with affection.
Despite the blow's force, he remained calm. With deft control of his strength and skill, he dispersed the impact, skidding backward a few steps before regaining balance with ease.
"You can't keep ramming into people like that," Masatsuki said, brushing through her hair with a helpless sigh.
"I know! But I only like Masatsuki!" Nelliel replied cheerfully.
Ramming someone means you like them?
What kind of weird habit is that?
Masatsuki rolled his eyes. The antelope knight was at it again—headbutting him with no restraint.
He'd experienced the full power of her headbutt more times than he could count.
The first time it happened, he'd been completely unprepared and got launched all the way from Las Noches to the Forest of Menos.
Thankfully, his body was far beyond that of a normal person, so he wasn't seriously hurt.
Had it been a typical captain-level Shinigami, Nelliel would probably have ended up kneeling beside a pile of shattered flesh, frantically praying the poor guy wasn't dead.
Nelliel was a good person—just a bit dense at times, with no real sense of moderation.
But Masatsuki had always been the kind of man who knew how to cherish a woman.
Not everyone was lucky enough to be on the receiving end of such affection. Since his body could take it, he simply let her do as she pleased.
And besides... she really did only ever ram into him.
Looking at it that way, maybe it was just a quirky little love game between the two of them.
Masatsuki gently helped Nelliel up, then swept his gaze across the room filled with delicate-looking girls.
On the surface, they didn't seem all that different from before.
But upon closer inspection, it was clear—the Hollow holes that had once existed in each of them were now replaced by brilliant, dazzling gems.
Masatsuki Aozaki looked at Harribel and Nelliel, a satisfied smile spreading across his face as he gave a nod of approval.
"Yeah, the fusion between you two went perfectly."
At his words, a few of the onlookers cast curious glances their way. Everyone still clearly remembered the... unusual placement of their Hollow Holes.
"Masatsuki-sama, p-please... don't say things like that,"
Harribel flushed at the strange looks being thrown her way, her cheeks heating up as she lowered her gaze in embarrassment.
After all, among everyone here, only she and Nelliel had their Hollow Holes in the most peculiar locations.
"I think I've gained new strength."
Unlike Harribel, Nelliel didn't care at all about anyone's stares. She quickly slipped into her clothes, then firmly gripped the Zanpakutō at her waist. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she grinned at Masatsuki.
"Masatsuki, let me try it out! How about a spar?"
Masatsuki stroked his chin, thinking for a moment. Then a faint smile curled at the corners of his lips—he didn't mind at all.
It was perfectly natural to want to test newfound strength right away. Every time his power increased, he also had that same itch—to find someone strong to fight.
Unfortunately, each time he looked around... there was never anyone who could truly match him.
That lonely feeling of invincibility? It was starting to wear on him.
"Fine. I'm not exactly eager to go all out on you two, but if you're set on it, I'm down for a spar."
Masatsuki removed the crown from his head and casually tossed it onto Harribel's soft bed.
He wasn't about to risk damaging it. If anything happened to that crown, Aizen would absolutely lose it.
That thing was one of Aizen's personal creations, after all.
Just thinking about it made Masatsuki shake his head. There was that one time he accidentally damaged a robe Aizen had designed... and ended up being chased across several spiritual realms.
What a petty guy. Honestly, he was lucky to have a friend as forgiving as Masatsuki.
A gentle breeze fluttered through Masatsuki's white robes as he stood atop a dune. He raised a finger, beckoning toward Nelliel and Harribel with a slight smile.
"Come on, show me what kind of power you've gained."
Harribel and Nelliel exchanged glances. A spark of excitement and anticipation flashed in their eyes.
Together, they reached for the Zanpakutō at their waists, ready to face the challenge head-on.
"Destroy, Tiburón!"
"Declare, Gamuza!"
Seeing them go straight for their Resurrección, Masatsuki raised a brow and asked in surprise,
"Already jumping into Resurrección? Don't you two want to get used to your new power first?"
"No point," Nelliel replied, shaking her head with firm resolve. "In this short time, our base strength hasn't changed much. Fighting you like this would be meaningless."
She and Harribel raised their blades in unison, and a massive surge of Reiatsu burst forth from their bodies.
The nearby Arrancar were instantly overwhelmed by the pressure. Those with weaker spiritual strength began gasping for air, unable to endure the force.
It felt like an invisible mountain had descended upon them, making it hard to breathe.
Starrk and Ulquiorra exchanged glances. They understood the weight behind this Reiatsu.
They simultaneously released their own spiritual pressure in an attempt to resist it.
To their surprise, even they struggled to withstand it.
But in the end, they held their ground.
Still, it was daunting. If they hadn't been able to block it, would they have needed to activate Resurrección just to hold out?
"Those two... their Reiatsu's reached this level already?"
Grimmjow muttered through gritted teeth, bearing the pressure without assistance but clearly straining.
He clenched his jaw, eyes burning with anger and frustration.
"No wonder they haven't been accepting my challenges lately. What the hell happened?!"
Grimmjow growled, feeling slighted and completely baffled by this sudden gap in strength.
Starrk gave him a look—something between amusement and pity.
Even he, the resident slacker, and the disinterested young master beside him were aware of what was going on.
And this guy still didn't get it?
Seriously... does his brain have room for anything other than fighting?!